Sable Peak (The Edens, #6)

by Devney Perry

“I love you, Vera. I fucking love you. I won’t leave you. And I won’t let you go.”

“I love you.” The words had barely made it out of her mouth before she jumped, launching herself into my arms to crush her mouth to mine.

If all I accomplished for the rest of my life was to kiss Vera every morning and every night, I’d consider it a life well lived.

“I love you too.” Thank fuck she’d kissed me that night at Willie’s.

“How’s the weather, Peach?” “Better than I expected,” she whispered. “It started overcast and gray.” “And now?” She smiled. “Clear and a million.”

“Are you happy?” Vance asked. “More than I ever thought possible.”

“I love you.” Nothing else mattered. On the hardest days of her life, I’d be here to remind her that I loved her.

The lake. That was the trigger. She’d seen Allie in the lake. A lake, like the one where she’d lived. Where her sisters had drowned. Fuck. Why hadn’t I thought of that? “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry, Vera. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

“She left us.” Sitting on my lap, cradled in my arms, Vera broke to pieces.

I’d never hurt so much for another person and been so proud at the same time.

Her father had murdered her mother, and Vera spoke about it like the truth that it was. Did she ever resent him for that? No. Probably not. Not after what Norah had done.

“Live your life, Vera. Stop trying to find me.” “Never.”

“Vera.” He pushed the wet hair off my face. “Oh, God, Vera. What were you thinking?”

“Don’t leave me.”

“This isn’t what I want.”

“But it’s what she wants.”

“And that’s all that ...

Mateo held out a hand. “Mateo Eden.”

“Cormac Gallagher.”

But in every other way, in every way that mattered, Vera was her mother.

I flipped it open, in the upper corner was a single word. Good.

“I don’t understand this note,” Vera said. “What did you write him?” “That I was going to marry you.”

“W-what?”

“It was Mom’s.” Vera’s hand trembled as she stared at the solitaire diamond. It wasn’t big. It wasn’t flashy. Just a simple jewel on a golden band.

“Dad upgraded her ring for their ten-year anniversary. When I told her I was marrying you, she gave me this. She won’t be offended if you don’t like⁠—” “I love it.” She twisted in my arms. “I love you.”

“Does it mean something when you wink?”

“What do you think?”

“I think yes.”

Because here, inside this house, in this kitchen, was our party. Mom and Dad. Griffin and Winn. Knox and Memphis. Foster and Talia. Jasper and Eloise. Vance and Lyla. Vera and me. Some of us hadn’t started with the last name Eden. Some of us had changed it with marriage. But every person in this house claimed it. We were the Edens.