Page 112 of Look at Her and Die

He was still scary as hell, but at least his scary as hell was on my side.

“I’ll leave,” he blurted out. “I’m eighteen. Leave my dad alone, though.”

“Your dad goes, too,” he informed him. “All of you carrying your name, as well. I don’t want to be lookin’ over my shoulder for the rest of my life.”

“Y-yes, s-sir.” He swallowed hard.

Webber got up, stepped off his hand, and we walked the rest of the way down the road to our bikes.

As we drove home, we all split off at different exits.

When I got back to my place, it was to find Searcy at the door waiting for me in nothing but my t-shirt.

When I got up the porch steps and pulled her into my arms, she didn’t ask where I’d been.

She didn’t say a word but to ask how long I got to sleep before I was expected to get up.

And it was only then, once I’d admitted to myself and Scottie that I wouldn’t mind selling this place, that I finally admitted that it might be nice to sleep in for once.

Lazy Saturdays in bed with the woman that I was in love with seemed like a step closer to heaven.

Epilogue

Marriage: a fancy way of saying ‘I’ll put up with you forever.’

—Written note from Posy to Searcy

SEARCY

6 months later

The house we finally settled on building was fan-freakin’-tastic.

It was also going to take us a year to build it.

In the meantime, we were living in a triple-wide.

That’s right.

A triple-wide.

I hadn’t even known that they made triple-wide mobile homes, but there I was, living in one.

We’d put the triple-wide at the front of the hundred and six acres we’d bought—and we did buy it. With the sale of the cattle ranch, Scottie and Posy had brought in a million two and split it evenly.

With his half of the money, Posy bought the land, and I’d bought the mobile home.

We owned the property together, free and clear, officially, as of yesterday.

Today?

We were getting married in our pole barn.

I was dressed, and ready to be walked down the aisle by Kent, who was standing next to the front door waiting on me.

Calliope, dressed to the nines beside me, was fiddling with my hair.

Scottie was fixing my train, and Anders was standing in front of me with her iPad pulled up and Koda on the screen witnessing it all from halfway across the world.

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