Page 81 of Hard Rain Coming
“Do you believe?” she asked Vivian.
The answer was easy. She looked at the only man she would ever love and smiled. “Yes, Nora. I believe with all my heart.”
In that moment, she knew no truer words would ever fall from her lips. She was home and planning a future with the man who held her heart. A future that would have its bumps; she was, after all, a Bridgestone. And yet she couldn’t wait.
Against all odds, Vivian Bridgestone had her happy ending, and this time, she wasn’t letting anyone take it from her.
“Who wants a muffin?” Benton asked.
And just like that, the kitchen descended into a kind of ordered chaos. It was a familiar thing, the way her family interacted. Loud and expressive and comfortable. For the first time in a long time, Vivian finally felt like she belonged at the center of it.
After being on the outside looking in for years, it finally felt good to be a Bridgestone.
Epilogue
Jack checked himself in the mirror and turned to the side. “Too much?” he asked. Vivian couldn’t chase away the grin on her face and nodded, taking a step closer.
“Definitely.”
“Good,” Jack said, satisfied. “That’s what I was going for.”
He wore a silver-and-black checkered silk shirt with a thin white tie. His pants were the tightest pair of black Wranglers she’d ever seen, and the silver belt buckle was larger than the last one he’d worn. It was polished to a high sheen, with black writing across the front of it.
“I don’t want to get too close, but what exactly does your belt buckle say?”
“‘Caught ya looking.’” He grinned and raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it perfect?”
“It’s something all right.” She smoothed back her hair. “How about me?” Her dress was deep blue and matched her eyes. The cut was simple, with a high neck, sleeveless, and with an empire waist that let the soft material fall to just above her ankles. On her feet were a pair of old friends, silver Jimmy Choos that had been a gift from Jack the first Christmas they’d spent together.
“You look more beautiful than ever,” Jack said with a wink. “That love thing sure does suit.”
She glanced at her watch. “We need to get our butts in gear, or we’re going to be late.”
“Honey, we already are.”
“I know, but there’s late, and then there’s late.”
“Is that man of yours going to make it in time for dinner?”
“I hope so.” His last few text messages hadn’t sounded hopeful because his flight back had been delayed due to bad weather. He’d had to fly out to Kentucky to look at a mare for their breeding program. A time-sensitive thing that couldn’t be put off any longer. It was something Benton had planned on dealing with, until he’d been hit with some legal stuff by little Nora’s mother. With Bent’s plate full, Dallas had volunteered.
“Let’s go,” she said, scratching behind Lily’s ears before she headed downstairs. They were supposed to have been at Cal’s new place twenty minutes ago, and it was at least a thirty-minute drive.
On the trip over, Jack kept her abreast of any and all gossip that she’d missed back home in Alaska.
Over a drunken weekend in Vegas, Carly, the single stewardess from the first floor of her building, had married the billionaire she worked for. What could have been a Cinderella moment was, however, quite the scandal. Said billionaire already had a wife, and to make matters worse she was the source of all those billions. With an ironclad prenup to boot.
Then there was Gerald, a friend of Jack and Richard’s. Apparently, he’d made a ton of money posting pictures of his feet on some website for folks who liked to look at feet and had been outed by a woman who was jealous of his success. He’d been fired from his job as a result of it all and planned on suing.
“Can you believe people pay money to look at someone’s feet?” Jack asked with a shudder as they pulled up in front of Cal’s place. He didn’t wait for an answer, but whistled and shot her a look. “Now, this is the kind of house I could get used to.”
She gazed up at her brother’s new place. It was a mix of modern, with lots of glass and sleek lines, coupled with brick, stone, and wood. Some fancy architect from Switzerland had designed the place, and he and Millie Sue had only recently moved in.
It was impressive, but she preferred the house she now called home. The house that Dallas had planned, designed, and built himself.
Her heart squeezed at the thought of him, and anxious, she checked her phone. There were no more messages. She shot him a quick text and then headed inside with Jack.
Millie Sue greeted her almost immediately, her little guy held fast in the crook of her arm. “Hey, everyone is in the great room, which is straight through to the back. I’m just looking for a quiet place to nurse Josh.” She smiled warmly. “Nice to see you again, Jack. I’m so glad you’re here for Thanksgiving dinner.”