Page 116 of Bourbon and Secrets

Dear Faye,

Hopefully by the time this reaches you, you’ll have seen the news. As it turns out, I’m the hero now. If there’s ever a time when I get to rub that in your face, don’t think I won’t.

I heard that the tree at Christmas time in Rockefeller Center is just a tree. But for some reason, surrounded by buildings and an ice rink, it feels more like Christmas than anything else. I’d like to see that sometime. Maybe you would too.

Love ya, Bye!

-M

I bat away the tears that stream down my face. I’m so fucking proud of her. There had been plenty of things wrong with what Maggie had been forced to navigate on her own. But everyone’s biggest mistake was that they had underestimated her. She had her crutches and faults—gambling had never done her any favors—but my sister managed to dismantle an empire and decided not to let anyone get away with using her as a pawn.

She’d stayed in Witness Protection to make sure Wheeler Finch couldn’t find her. This article guaranteed that every single person who had any affiliation to horse racing in Kentucky knew what Finch & King had done. And while most would never know what my mother had to sacrifice for it, or what each of us had been forced to sacrifice for it, we came out on the other side alive and knowing what it felt like to be loved.

It's warm tonight, but for the first time all summer, the breeze cuts through the humidity and it finally feels enjoyableto be outside. The air has the perfect sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar as I walk around the back of the house. The blown-up movie screen is set up along the edge of the patio. Lark’s talking to Lincoln about something, and Lily’s trying to throw popcorn into the air and catch it on her tongue.

Lincoln sits between his girls, arms spread behind the back of the outdoor couch, head tilted back and looking up at the sky. I always like catching him in moments like this, observing and cataloging the details of a new life that I continue to fall more in love with each day.

Kit lets out a bark as soon as she sees me and jumps down, greeting me with a slow gallop. And at the same time, all three of them turn to look at me with matching smiles.

“Faye! Okay, we’re trying to decide what movie tonight. Lily wants to watchField of DreamsorPrincess Diariesagain,” Lark says, rolling her eyes. “But I’m thinking it should beA League of Their Ownsince we have softball this weekend.”

“Maybe we can do something new?” Lincoln suggests. “How about the newTransformersor theGhostbustersmovie?”

Lark gives him a grimace, like it was the most awful idea.

Lily chimes in, “Bad call, Dad. Do you remember how long I had bad dreams about Slimer when I turned seven?”

He points at her. “Your Uncle Ace should not have let you watch that movie when you were seven,” he laughs out.

I hold up the bags of candy. “I got the good sour straws and extra-butter popcorn,” I tell them with an eyebrow wiggle.

“I’ll make the popcorn!” Lark grabs the bags and heads inside as Lily trails behind her, sing-songing that she’s on candy salad duty.

Lincoln smiles at me from a few feet away. “I saw the article,” he says.

“Have you talked to Hadley?” I ask, concerned about her and the fallout that will undoubtedly start bleeding into her life from all the chaos that her father has brought to Fiasco.

He nods, pulling my hand into his and kissing it. “She’s dealing with it. She might need a minute, but she’s not there yet. When I told her she should come over for movie night, she was planning on a night with her firemen.” Shrugging, he shakes his head. “She’ll be okay.”

He wraps his arms around me and nuzzles his nose along my chin before kissing me. His lips meet mine, and he pours all of himself into it. Our tongues meet in a slow swipe that has my belly flipping as he holds me tighter. My fingers move along his neck and rake into his hair, keeping him close as he hums against me.

“You keep rubbing up on me like this and this movie is going to be painful to watch,” I tell him through a giggle.

“Peach, it’s too hot out to get naughty under a blanket,” he says, dragging his lips along my neck. The low hum of the cicadas and the random ticking of crickets fill the silence.

Seconds later, Lark and Lily come rushing outside with two big bowls—one with popcorn and the other with a massive mix of sweet and sour candy. They perch on the couch, while Lincoln and I cozy up together on the chair. Summer outdoor movies have become our newest thing. Since summer began, I’ve been spending even more time folded into their lives. It’s felt easy and natural to be here with them.

Lark starts the movie, and the music echoes through the surrounding speakers. It’s a random night that I’ll try desperately to remember. With my back to Lincoln’s front, I nudge into him, and I hear a gasp leave his lips before he whispers against my neck.

“Planning to drink some bourbon later, Peach?”

I smile and nod as I sink into his hold. Both of us know exactly what happens when we mention drinking bourbon together—it always ends deliciously messy. And while I’m wildly turned on while wrapped in his arms, it’s only a fraction of how I feel when I’m with him. Protected, worshiped, and so cared for.

With Lincoln Foxx, it feels bigger than a simple word like love. When I’m with him, it feels like home.

Epilogue

Lincoln

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