Page 94 of A Photo Finish
A big fat tear rolls down my cheek. He catches it and wipes it away. “I love you, Violet Eaton. I loved you before I ever met you. And God knows, I love you even more now.”
More tears fall. I hear murmurs around us, but I don’t care. I can’t look away from his silvery moonlit eyes. He thinks he’s dark. I think he just shines differently. The way the moon illuminates the world at night, soft and subtle. He doesn’t shine, he glows. Especially when he looks at me the way he is right now.
And the thought that I could be the one to make this man glow? It takes my breath away. “I love you, too,” I whisper, eyes searching his, wishing I had more words for him.
He leans down, and his mouth finds mine.
And I opt to just show him how I’m feeling.
I pour myself into this kiss. The pain, the longing, the admiration—I lay it all out, and he soaks it all up. Every hurt, every triumph. He’s there, and I know he always will be. His hands on my skin tell me so, his tongue against mine like a promise.
He pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. “Go. Savor your win. We’ll finish this off in a stall later.” I giggle and blush at the memory, peeking around us, realizing we’ve got an audience. “I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
With one more swift brush of my lips, I turn and walk a very pleased looking Pippy into the winner’s circle, where she basks in the attention and pricks her ears up prettily for pictures. I soak it all up, knowing Cole is right there.
And he’s not going anywhere.
Epilogue
Cole
One year later . . .
“Put. Your. Heels. Down. Do you not speak English anymore?”
I swear, if Billie didn’t currently have my sleeping baby strapped to her chest, I would jump off this damn horse and give her the noogie she’s so desperately asking for right now.
“It’s my prosthetic,” I grit out instead of,Fuck you, it’s my prosthetic. I’m trying really hard to not swear so much now that I have another girl in my life. A far more impressionable one. Okay, she’s only a few months old, but if I practice now, then I won’t have to worry about “fuck” being her first word when the time comes.
Billie rolls her eyes dramatically, one palm resting gently on Lilah’s bald little head. “Suck it up, buttercup. If our Paralympic athletes can manage, then so can super soldiers.”
My teeth grind, but I push down on my leg as I trot around the ring, trying to find my center of balance and get that joint at the angle Billie requires. We’re not doing daily riding lessons anymore, but we try to keep up two per week. Billie is busy, and so am I, but she never complains. Even if it’s at the very end of her day, she’ll come out and help me.
I’ll probably never admit it to her, but I love Billie. I jokingly call her Little Sis, but the truth of the matter is, that’s exactly what she’s become. She gave me an ass-kicking and then patted my back. And now, I’d say we’re friends.Family.
“Yup. Now you’ve got it.” Her hand swirls around on Lilah’s head.
“She’s not a dog, Billie.”
“I know.” She peeks down at the tiny human strapped in a carrier to her chest and smiles. “But she’s soft like one.”
I chuckle and slow to a walk, feeling the ache in both my legs from the no-stirrup work she just had me doing. Total fucking masochist. “I thought you didn’t like kids?”
Her eyes narrow at me, and she cups her hands over Lilah’s ears. “Shh. Don’t tell her that. She’s the only one I like, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. “You’re a fuckin’ psycho—”
“Cole Harding. I know you did not just swear in front of our baby.” Violet walks up to the fence of the outdoor ring in those tight riding pants I love so much with a teasing smirk on her face. Beside her, Vaughn shakes his head. They just gave a press tour of the newly finished vet clinic, something neither Billie nor I wanted any part of. Cameras. People. Attention.No thanks.
“How’d it go, pretty girls?” Billie asks, walking toward them. “Want your baby back, Vi?”
“If you wake her up and ruin my couple hours of freedom, I will kill you.” Her eyes flash with humor and a smidge of desperation. She’s joking, but only sort of. New babies are both wonderful and exhausting.
Turns out Violet got pregnant as soon as we got back together, after Pippy’s maiden race—possibly in what’s become known as the baby-making stall. Something that makes me cringe every time someone says it. The timing wasn’t ideal for Violet’s career, something that stressed her almost instantly, but with her doctor’s blessing, she finished the season. (Something I spent many hours on Trixie’s couch hashing out. There’s no finish line where therapy is concerned.) But ultimately it was fine. Lilah was born in our farmhouse in February and a month later, Violet was back up on a horse. Violet is happy. And that makes me happy.
I think my dad would have loved Violet. He’d have respected her. Just like I do.
“It was great. Vaughn is made for the camera. You should see him. It’s like they hit a switch, and he just turns on. All charming and mature.”
