Page 5 of The Hardest Part

And her eyes widened.Ohhh.

“The wedding’s on Friday.”

Friday’s for crosses.Wasn’t it bad luck to get married on a Friday? Though most weddings are held on a Saturday, Emily supposed, and that’s not so lucky either. Wednesday is the luckiest day to have a wedding, but she held her tongue.

“I’m taking the boys back with me.” His gaze landed on his sons. The brothers bumped shoulders, and with a nod, Tanner threw his arm around Kellan. “We’ll get the girls all packed up and moved in before Thanksgiving.”

“Girls?”

“Jennifer has a daughter. Her name’s Arien.” Matthew winked. “She’s a senior, same as you.”

“You’re gettin’ a new cousin, Ems.” Tanner nearly bounced in his seat.

Kellan leaned across the table, intense dark eyes boring into her green ones. “And you’re gonna be her new best friend.”

Their grandmother reining him in, Melinda Brooks pushed Kellan back into his chair. “Coming from Denver, Brookside isgoing to be quite a change for Arien, honey. She’s going to need looking out for, especially at school.”

“I know, Grams. I’ll have her back, don’t worry. Billy will, too.” Emily scrambled from her seat and, skipping over to her uncle, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so happy for you, Uncle Matty. I’ve always wanted a sister, and this is almost like getting one.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. We’ve been favored.” Hugging her against him, he kissed her brow. “You and Arien are gonna get on real well. I just know it.”

“And a new baby,” she said with a sigh. “It’s all so wonderful, ain’t it, Mama?”

“Babies always are.” Biting her lip, Kimberly glanced at her brother. “Does Jennifer know about us, Matty?”

“She does.” With his eyes downcast, he bobbed his head. “Explained it to her as best I could.”

“And Arien?”

“Not yet.” Matthew gulped his cider down, then raked his fingers through his hair. “Might need some help with that, but me and Jennifer want to get her settled first.”

Oh, boy.

Brookside was a place like no other. They lived their lives a different way.The best way.Her new cousin was in for quite a surprise, but she’d surely come to love life here.

“Arien’s your dream girl, ain’t she?” Sitting back in his chair, Billy looked at her cousins, a smirk rising on his face. “The one you’ve been waitin’ on.”

Tanner nodded, and Kellan, who hardly ever smiled, grinned.

From the time they were little, their father told them she was coming. He saw it.

Emily glanced at Jacob, and with a wink, he kissed her crown.

Everything that comes in threes is perfect.

And they were meant to be.

She closed her eyes, happy knowing her cousins would be just as loved as she was.

The Shoshone believed visions were of great importance. A gift given by the spirits, these dreams often granted wisdom and power to the recipient. Not that he’d ever experienced it. Sure, Billy dreamt like most folks did. Crazy, mixed-up shit that never made a lick of sense. Heck, most of the time, he couldn’t remember them when he woke up in the morning. He tried to, though.

Like Matthew Brooks, his father had inherited the gift. But Billy didn’t need a dream to tell him Emily was his future. He’d always known it, just as he’d always loved her, even before he understood what loving somebody meant.

He glanced at Emily beside him, then at Jake beside her. They were one of the lucky ones.

His brother turned onto the gravel drive that would take them to Miss Kim’s Dutch barn house, its timeworn wood weathered and gray. Pots of vibrant flowers he’d helped Emily plant this past spring, all but dead and gone now, flanked the front porch. Once calving season was done and over with, when the weather warmed up again, they’d plant new ones. Emily loved her flowers. And anything she loved, Billy loved, too.

“Goodnight, wild one.” Taking her hand in his, Jake raised it to his lips and kissed it. “Sweetest dreams.”

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