Page 88 of Free to Fall

“There’s been many nights at this fundraiser where I’ve stood on this stage and dedicated a song to one of my best friends—the woman who dragged me on national television and helped me win some money decades ago. It started a friendship that morphed into our families becoming related through marriage. Every year, I’ve thanked the lord for that moment in time when our worlds intersected—and a long-ago day when she browbeat me to become functionally competent in the kitchen long enough to raise the money for my nephew’s cancer treatment. I will never be able to thank you enough for that, Cori.”

There’s a loud burst of applause from the people surrounding me as I put together a piece of the puzzle—Brendan Blake is related to Laura through some family member’s marriage.

Holy. Crap.

He actually is her “uncle.”

Then he goes on. “But tonight, there’s something else I think we all need to recall—that we can rise from the tragedies forced upon us. A different kind of strength and beauty within my family was almost lost to us earlier this year.” He plucks a few notes on his guitar and a familiar song echoes around the room.

Laura’s voice breaks, “Oh G-god ... t-tell me h-he isn’t g-going to do what I think he is.”

I tuck her against my side firmly and hold on. She grips my waist as if she knows she won’t be able to remain upright if she doesn’t. The lights dim until Brendan’s only lit by a single spotlight. Even illuminated, Brendan knows exactly where she’s standing. “Tonight, this song is dedicated to my niece, Dr. Laura Lockwood. I’m not going to drag her up on stage, but I have a special message for her.”

With that, Brendan Blake’s rich baritone starts singing “Ashes” from the Deadpool 2 Motion Picture Soundtrack. He immediately paints a picture of a person who has walked through fire—someone who lived through heartbreak, loss, and struggle, yet refuses to be defeated.

In other words, he serenades Laura with a song that could have been written for her.

When Brendan hits the refrain, his powerful voice belting out the call for beauty to find its way out of the remnants of ashes, chills run up Laura’s arms. I know this because I’m holding her body up with every ounce of strength in mine as hers is wracked in sobs. Especially when the Amaryllis section lifts their cell phones—a light to guide Laura out of the dark.

The action is quickly picked up around the room until the space is dotted by bright diamonds of light. Unwilling to break the magic of the moment, Brendan repeats the refrain, staring right into the space where his niece stands.

As Brendan’s final note fades away and cell phones begin clicking off, I know we have seconds before the houselights come back up.

The core of Laura’s devastation has been laid open. Now, it’s up to me to piece it back together while I hold her close to my heart.

Without a word to anyone around me, I sweep her into my arms and stride for the nearest exit. Her cheek presses into my shoulder as—what I hope are cleansing—tears fall on to my jacket.

Once I have her safely within the confines of the limo, she snatches up the bouquet I gave her earlier and buries her face in it. I order the chauffeur to drive back to my home before raising the window between us and him. I start, “Laura ...”

Her cell phone rings. She holds up a finger before answering it with a warbly voice. “I had to leave ... no, I’m fine. I’m with Liam. Too much, Daddy.” There’s a pause before, “Tell Uncle Brendan I loved it. I love him. I love all of you.” She disconnects the call before admitting, “I’m so mortified.”

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

She lifts her tear-streaked face and I swear, she’s never looked more beautiful with her heart exposed for me to explore. I push tendrils of hair stuck to her cheek away and whisper, “Do you want to know what I’m feeling?”

Laura hesitates briefly before whispering, “Yes.”

I lean over and brush a kiss very near her lips. I feel a tremor shoot through her at the contact. “I feel like the luckiest guy who was in that room.”

Her head tilts to the side in confusion, which is swept away with my next words.

“I already know the answer to what Brendan was singing. The right beauty not only can be resurrected, it should be.” I lift her fingers to my lips to trace their fullness.

I let my finger fall away before asking her, “Now, would you like to come over for a nightcap so I can check in on Bailey? Then I’ll have the driver take you home?”

She lifts her fingers to her mouth, touching her lips right where my fingers were seconds ago. Then she responds with a simple, “Yes.”

Chapter

Forty-Eight

Liam’s hand guides me up his front steps. He unlocks the door and ushers me inside before speaking to a familiar Hudson agent whose name I can’t place right now. After, the agent nods in my direction before leaving us alone.

Together.

While Bailey’s asleep down the hall in her room.

Liam’s hand smooths up my back. “What would you like to drink?”

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