Page 48 of Memories of the Past

“That is wonderful that she cared enough to help, but, Thomas, flowers and a bear isn’t going to fix this.”

“I know that. However, it’s a start though. I want to talk to you, to explain to you that what you’re assuming isn’t true. I tried the other morning, but you kicked me out.”

Aunt Vi looked up at me and gripped my arm. “What happened the other morning?” she asked.

I shook my head and leaned down to whisper in her ear that I’d tell her all about it another time. Then, taking my hand in hers, I stood up and met Thomas’s eyes. “Don’t push me, Thomas. I’ll do it again,” I said, holding my ground.

I felt Aunt Vi’s hand slip from mine and felt it on my hip instead. I looked down to Aunt Vi, who gave me a look to at least hear him out. “Jed, I think it’s time we take a walk,” Aunt Vi said, standing up, waiting for Jed. He slowly rose to his feet and grabbed his walker, and together they made their way over to the other side of the room where they sat down with another couple.

“Trinity, one thing I do know is that you can’t kick me out of here. You don’t own this place.” Thomas grinned, looking proud of himself.

I looked up at Thomas and frowned. “Don’t bet on it. Besides, I don’t know what you could possibly have to say to me. You sold the ranch, and you have nowhere to go, which means you’ll be leaving again,” I said, covering the flowers back up.

“Trinity, you are so wrong. You won’t even listen to why I sold the ranch?”

“Like I said, I already know why.”

“No, you think you know why. I sold it because it was flat broke. It would take all my time to try and hopefully bring it up to where it should be, and I can’t do that if I want to be with you. I certainly can’t do it with this broken body either.”

I was about to tell him I told you so, but I stopped as the words he’d spoken sunk in. He’d sold the ranch to be with me? “What?”

“That’s right, Trinity. The amount of work that ranch would have required from me to get it up and running to where it should be would have taken all my time. There would have been no chance for us to even try and begin rebuilding what we’d lost. Since I returned to Willow Valley and walked in that bookstore to see you standing there, everything became clear to me. The second I saw you; I knew in my heart that I wanted to be with you, in that small apartment, helping you run that bookstore. Ranching was never in my heart, and I doubt all those years I’d spent in the rodeo never were either. The only thing I do know is that you never left my heart, not for one single second.”

My eyes stung with tears at his words. “Why didn’t you ever tell me that?” I questioned, wiping the tears that had begun to fall.

“It’s not every day that you spill your guts to someone. If I had walked into that bookstore and said those words, you’d of laughed me right out of there. When I should have said them, I couldn’t find the words, and with the way you found out about me selling the ranch, I don’t think you would have believed a word I said anyways,” Thomas said, stepping closer.

“You might be right,” I whispered, stepping into him.

We stood looking at one another. Then he placed his fingers on my chin and lifted my head, bringing my eyes up to his. “Might be right?” he questioned.

“Okay, you are right.”

“That’s why I told you to read all of your aunt’s journal. Jed did come back, and Vi pushed him away. She wrote all about that regret, but you were insistent you knew all about her.”

“Yeah, she told me today,” I whispered, looking up at him.

“Trinity, I’ve lived most of my life without you, and it’s something that I no longer want to do. I’ve never stopped loving you, despite what you might think. I want you to be my forever.”

I inhaled deeply, fighting back the sob that was stuck in my throat. “Really?”

“Really, Trin. It’s not too late for us to find our happily ever after, right here in Willow Valley. Let’s not wait some fifty or so years to get a chance.”

My body felt heavy at his words, and the sobs started as he pulled me into his arms. My head rested on his strong chest, and when we parted, I closed my eyes as his lips meant mine. When our lips parted, I met his eyes. “Let’s do this,” I whispered, even though deep down inside I was scared to death.

Thomas wrapped me in his arms and pulled me against him this time, not letting me go. The longer we stood there, the less scared I felt, and a sense of safety and belonging emerged.

“Does this mean you two have decided to give yourselves a second chance?” Jed asked just as Thomas bent to kiss me again.

I pulled away and curled into his side, a happy feeling settling over me.

“Sure looks that way,” Thomas said, pulling me in closer.

“Like I said, Trinity, the ending is what counts, so make it count. Both of you,” Aunt Vi said, taking hold of Jed’s hand.

CHAPTER 21

Trinity

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