Page 81 of Colton's Secret Weapon
But after the night he’d just spent, the conversations, the understanding he and Dove had reached…
He never should have told Eli that he wanted to buy St. James Boats before he’d told Dove. Not that Eli would break his confidence, it just hadn’t felt right after the previous night’s conversations. His brother knowing before she had.
He crested the hill and—holy hell!—the crowd was five times bigger than he’d heard about the day before, and…it was too late to figure out a plan.
And definitely far, far too late to avoid the consequence. For which he had no solution.
“What’s going on?” Dove asked, leaning forward to stare at the hundred or more people blocking the docks from view.
For a second he thought about playing dumb. Except that he was not going to lie to her. Ever.
And his family was at the front of the crowd, waiting to show Dove St. James just how much she was cared about. Respected. And even loved.
They’d spent the morning cleaning up the marina, mowing the grass, cleaning all the boats, draping a partially repairedWicked Winningswith a colorful cloth bearing angels’ wings.
And loadingLadybirdwith the food they’d prepared for a family day on the water.
The rest of the crowd, he’d known nothing about.
He came up with no words to answer Dove’s question. Just got out of the car, hoping she’d join him. And, taking it as a sign when she did, took her hand, linking his fingers throughhers and walking with purpose toward his mom and dad. His brothers and sister. His aunt and uncle. His cousins.
All of whom walked out to meet them, wrapping their arms, their mass around them, each hugging Dove in turn.
Showing her what there were no words to say.
What apparently so much of the town had felt, based on the numbers that weren’t going to fit on the boat that day but were there just the same.
Dove let go of Mitchell’s hand. She cried some. Okay, a lot. She returned hugs. And she seemed to glow with a sense of something Mitchell couldn’t put a name to.
Something he might not ever understand.
But when she looked at him, as she did often over the next hour before they finally made it toLadybird’s deck, he fully understood the message she was sending him.
The townspeople meant the world to her.
His family’s welcome even more.
But he was her soul mate.
And together, they’d always find their safe place.
Their peace.
And a love that didn’t die.
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