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I laugh and then look at her seriously. “You think I’m strong?” “I do. And you shine bright. Bright enough that a man like that might need you to light his way.”
“You love me?” My voice is high and uncertain. I sound like a child to my own ears. My chin wobbles. “Yeah.” His wobbles too as his eyes meet mine. “Then get your shit together and start loving me!” The words burst out of me in a flurry of frustration that even I didn’t see coming.
“I know you see yourself as dark. But you aren’t. You’re swirling color, all different shades, a mosaic. You’re complicated and
beautiful. And I’m not quitting on you, so you better not quit on me.”
“I want you. But you need to want you too. I can’t want you enough for the both of us.”
She makes me feel safe, makes me want to take chances, makes me a better me—and if making someone a better version of themselves just by being there isn’t love in action, then I don’t know what is.
She’s like sunshine on my face. Warm and bright. I feel like I’ve been living in the shade, in a dark corner, and rather than dragging me kicking and screaming out of it—like so many people have tried to—she’s just shifted over a little bit to share her light.”
“But light is tricky. It slips through your fingers. It’s fleeting. It comes and goes. We never get to possess it; you can’t hold it in your hand. We just get to enjoy it. And if you can figure out a way to just let go and enjoy it, well, Cole, you’ll be one of the lucky ones.”
Money doesn’t matter when everything else around you is shit.
“And what if something happens to her?” “But what if nothing happens to her, and you spend the rest of your life missing out on all that light?”
It’s not about Violet. It’s about you believing you’re worthy of her.”
She doesn’t miss a beat. “Okay. Cash or check is fine.” I chuckle. I can’t help it. I hate to admit it, but Billie is funny.
“I knew you’d win,” the pony rider says from beside me. But his voice is . . . I look over, and my jaw goes slack. Because Cole Harding is on the sturdy quarter horse beside me. He’s holding Pippy’s rein. He’s on a horse. “Cat got your tongue?” He grins, looking so damn proud of himself.
“Surprise.” His smirk is panty-melting. All I can bring myself to do is shake my head. “Did you think I’d miss it?” he asks with a tilt of his head.
“Both my girls in one race? No chance.”
“I am.” “Why?” “Because I don’t want to live in the dark anymore.”
“It feels like this is what he would have wanted.”
“Yeah, Violet. I’m going to try. More than that, I’m going to just fucking do it. Because you? Us? I think we’re meant to be. You found me, and I found you. Over
and over again. If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is.”
“I love you, Violet Eaton. I loved you before I ever met you. And God knows, I love you even more now.”
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.
I swear, if Billie didn’t currently have my sleeping baby
strapped to her chest,
Lilah’s
She gave me an ass-kicking and then patted my back. And now, I’d say we’re friends. Family.
I think my dad would have loved Violet. He’d have respected her. Just like I do.
I jump off my horse to plant a kiss on my wife’s cheek. “Hi, Sunshine,” I murmur against her skin, only for her to nuzzle in and reply with, “Hey, Butterface. I’m hungry.” A nickname that has stuck.
Once Violet finished having her freak-out about being pregnant, I got down on one knee and let her freak out about marrying me. That was a happy sort of freak-out, though. We traveled back to her family ranch, to a real cowboy sort of town in the prairies and tied the knot with her entire family in attendance.
Our dad would have fucking love this. To see us like this.
Win or lose. She’s always smiling out there. Smiling right at me. Lighting me up. Because she’s my fucking sunshine.
