by Liz Isaacson
Ames followed her back into the dining room, where his annoying brothers led another round of applause. Still, he chuckled as he held up one hand—the one not holding Sophia’s—and said, “All right, all right. Settle down.”
He got his ham and potatoes and took the empty seat next to Cy. As he picked up his fork, he looked at his twin. “Are we okay?”
Cy reached up and touched his short hair. “Ask me in a couple of months.” But he wore a smile, and the glint in his eyes said that he’d forgiven Ames too.
“I had a plan,” Ames said.
“You could’ve done that without making her think I was you.”
“I needed to gauge the situation.”
Sophia sat next to him, and she’d certainly given him the right cues. He’d probably have proposed even in she hadn’t, because he was that in love with her.
“Patsy’s going to oversee the construction,” Sophia said. “By the way.”
“I’m helping her,” Cy said. “So I guess we’re okay.”
Ames put his arm around his brother and said, “Thanks, Cy. Love you, brother.”
“As much as I hate to admit it, I love you too.” Then he cut his roll in half and started slathering it with butter and jam.
Ames stayed silent while the others talked and laughed around him, basking in the spirit of family and the presence of Sophia at his side.
He really was the most blessed man in the world in that moment.
Six Months Later
Ames gripped the wheel and looked at Sophia. “Almost there.”
“Are you nervous?”
“Yes,” he said.
They’d managed to fit all of her stuff in the trailer with his, and the three dogs rode in the back.
Cy and Patsy had been great to send pictures of the progress of the dog training academy, and Cy had been calling every other day for the past two weeks.
Ames had a good idea of what he’d find on the thirty acre plot of land he’d bought, but he was still nervous to get there. Once there, his life wouldn’t be on hold anymore. Once there, he’d have to make the attempt to spend his inheritance wisely and make a name for himself in the world.
Sophia had called Graham Whittaker a few months ago, and she’d said she wouldn’t be back at the lodge at all. They’d talked about it, and she’d decided to work at the dog academy with him.
In the last three months, she’d taken the police dog training he’d taken last fall, and while she probably wouldn’t work directly with the dogs, she understood the program now.
“After we go by here,” he said. “We can go to the house.”
“Patsy said it’s ready,” Sophia said. “She and Cy left my car there.”
“You’ll only have to be at their place for two nights,” he said.
“Yeah.” She looked out the passenger window, and Ames watched her for a moment before returning his attention to the road in front of him.
“You still want to marry me, right?”
“Yes, of course,” she said. “I’m just thinking about my mom. She’ll be here tomorrow night.”
“Are you nervous about it?”
“Yes,” she said, leaning her head back. Florence inched forward and sniffed Sophia, and she giggled at the dog.
“I’m nervous about it, too,” he said. “But it’s our wedding, and I think it’ll go okay.”
“I think so too,” she said. “I’m just nervous about seeing her for the first time in years. Once that happens, I think things will be fine.”
Ames knew she was trying to convince herself, and Ames didn’t try to do the same. It was okay to be nervous about the reunion.
“Here we are,” he said, slowing as the three story building came into view. “Oh, wow. It’s amazing.”
“Look at it, Ames,” Sophia said, her voice filled with wonder.
The brown-brick building stood tall and proud, and the sign declaring the facility the Hammond Police Dog Training & Rehabilitation Academy was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
He’d consulted with his father to name the business, and his dad had told him to remember who he was. And while Ames had hated the Hammond name in Colorado, it definitely meant something.
He was a Hammond, and he wasn’t ashamed of it. He had a woman who loved him for him and not the name—or the bank account.
He pulled into the parking lot and went around the back of the building. The asphalt back here gave way to grass and fields, and Ames marveled at the fences, the individual training areas, and the smaller buildings that would house the dogs in the extreme months when it was either too cold or too hot for them to live outside.
Perhaps Wyoming wasn’t the smartest place for a dog training facility, but Ames didn’t care. It was the absolute right place for him and Sophia to build their life together, and he couldn’t wait to start that chapter.
He pulled over and got out of the truck. “C’mon,” he said to the dogs, and when he opened the back door, they jumped down in an orderly fashion.
Rosco stayed low to the ground as she started assessing the situation, and Ames experienced a flash of affection for the canine. He’d had to buy her out of the program, which he’d happily done. He needed her to be his pack leader and his example for all the other dogs he was going to train and sell.
He hoped he could actually sell them. Every dog he’d worked with in the past year, he hadn’t been able to part with, and he’d had some very stern talks with himself over the past couple of months.
He’d have to sell the dogs he trained, plain and simple. They’d be happier in a police program than in his facility, though as he looked around, this place was pretty dang perfect.
“This is phenomenal,” Sophia said, sliding her hand along his waist and leaning into his side.
He draped his arm around her shoulder and looked out over the facility. “I love it.”
“It’s wonderful.” She pointed at Florence and Rosco. “They’re going to get in trouble.”
“Let ‘em,” he said, taking her fully into her arms. “I love you, Sophia. Thanks for being by my side through this.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” She gazed up at him. “I love you, Ames Hammond.”
“I can’t wait until Sunday,” he whispered, leaning down.
“Two more days,” she said, and then she kissed him. Ames now knew what heaven was like, because he felt more joy when he kissed Sophia than he ever had in his life. When the dogs started barking, Ames chuckled and pulled away.
“We better practice the ring ceremony one more time,” Sophia said. “I don’t want those dogs messing up my wedding.”
“They’ll be perfect,” Ames promised. “But I’ll go over it with them several more times before the ceremony.” He looked at her, so, so happy. “After all, it’s my wedding too.”
She just giggled and tipped up to kiss him again.
Hammond Brothers Epilogue
Colton Hammond adjusted the bow tie around his neck, already ready to be out of the monkey suit. But it was Ames’s wedding—the last one for the family for a while—and he could wear the suit for a couple of hours.
He reached for the hat Wes had bought for him, and put it on. He couldn’t even look at himself for one second before he burst out laughing.
“This thing is ridiculous,” he said, swiping it from his head. “How did he wear this?”
Wes looked at him from down the counter. “I can’t even bring myself to put mine on.”
“You should return these,” Gray said, tossing the hat in front of Colton. “I’m not wearing that.”
“Even for five minutes?” Cy asked. “Can you imagine us walking down the aisle with them on? It’s going to be hilarious.” He headed for the door, adding, “Let me go see how close we are.”
“We have to do this to show him what a fool he looked like at my wedding,” Colton said. He’d never forgotten how stupid Ames had looked in that top hat at his wedding.
“Five min
utes,” Gray said. “And I’m setting a timer. And I’m going to have Hunt hand me my cowboy hat as soon as the clock is up.”
“Good idea,” Colton said. “I’ll ask Kate to hold mine for me.” He loved his daughter with his entire soul, and he and Annie were almost finished with the process of adopting her.
Colton had never been more grateful for his wife’s good heart. Not only had she allowed Colton to push the issue of fatherhood on her, but she’d fallen completely in love with Kate the moment they’d brought her home.
Colton had too, and they’d both gone to the salon to have Teresa show them how to take care of Kate’s hair.
Annie had gotten quite good at the braids, and Colton helped put in the oils and brush out the braids after Kate had been wearing them for a while. He loved her afro more than the braids, though both were adorable.
He drove her to school every morning and picked her up every afternoon. Annie still ran her cleaning business with her youngest daughter, and her eldest had just returned to Coral Canyon with her husband and new baby daughter.
Colton loved that little girl too, as he loved all the babies his brothers had started having. Thankfully, the Lord had taken his jealousy after much prayer and faith, and Colton felt like himself again.
“How much longer until Ames wants us out there?” Wes asked.
“Cy said he’d come get us.” Colton picked up his cowboy hat—one of Wyatt Walker’s, who’d recently come out with a new line of cowboy hats for men who liked a smaller brim. That was Colton for sure, and he liked the cowboy hat much better than the top hat.
Behind him, someone knocked, and he turned as Cy entered the room. He wore the top hat, as well as a very serious expression, and Wes burst out laughing. Gray scoffed like he couldn’t believe he had to be there, and Colton laughed too.
“He’s ready,” Cy said. “We’re lining up. Patsy is getting the girls.”
“He gets five minutes,” Gray said, smashing the top hat on his head.
“Not yet,” Ames said as he ducked into the room. He looked at Cy and paused. Then he laughed too.
He held up his arms, and the five of them gathered into a huddle.
“Where’s Dad?” Gray asked.
“He’s sitting with Sophia’s parents,” Ames said. “He really is the most diplomatic person on the planet, because wow, her dad is hard to be around.”
He took a breath and blew it out. “I love you guys,” he said, his voice tight and slightly lower than normal. “Thank you for being good examples to me. Thank you for not being perfect but trying anyway. Thank you for being real.”
They bent their heads together, and Colton had never felt such a strong brotherly bond between them.
“Love you guys,” he said too, and everyone repeated some rendition of the sentiment.
“All right,” Ames said, stepping back. “Me and the dogs are now officially late, and I don’t want Gray to go nuclear.” He grinned at Gray, who stared steadily back.
“You sure don’t,” he said, and Ames hurried out of the room.
Colton picked up his top hat and put it on, then tucked his cowboy hat under his arm.
“Start the clock,” Gray said, straightening his ridiculous hat and facing the door. “Lead us out, Wes.”
Wes Hammond had always had to lead out. He was the oldest, and as such, he went first. He’d been the first to inherit his money, and the first in his line to run the family company, and the first to have a baby.
He hadn’t been first married, despite his attempts to find a wife. As he approached Bree, who waited at the front of the line of women, he experienced pure joy.
He loved her so much, especially after watching her carry two of his children to full term and deliver them happy and healthy to his arms.
He’d worried for several weeks that he wouldn’t love their second child as much as Michael. The boy was his pride and joy, and Wes adored everything the two-and-a-half-year-old did. He saw the world with eyes Wes hadn’t had in a long, long time, and it was as if everything was new again.
She’d given him another son eight months ago, and Wes had learned that the human heart could love unconditionally and without limits.
They’d named him Easton, and he definitely had more of a wild streak than Michael, and Bree spent a lot of time trying to keep the boy from killing himself.
He loved to climb, and he’d been getting out of his crib for a month now.
Bree linked her arm through Wes’s with a dark sparkle in her eyes. “You look ridiculous,” she said with a giggle.
“Don’t let Gray hear you say that,” Wes said with a smile. “And you look fantastic, love.” He bent down and kissed her quickly, because she wouldn’t want him to ruin her makeup.
He faced the altar, glad Ames and Sophia had chosen an indoor venue to get married. Then there was no worry about heat or fans or misters or wind.
The Secret Garden had just opened up a few months ago, and Sophia had been able to book the venue by a stroke of luck—and a miracle. Wes liked the hand-painted walls, which sported vines and trees, rocks and waterfalls, and rabbit holes and secret gates.
The grand hall in front of them had white chairs on both sides of the aisle, and plenty of light spilling down through the skylights above.
He’d attended the rehearsal dinner, so he knew exactly when to start walking, and his heartbeat pulsed as he waited. Though Ames and Wes weren’t as close as he was with some of his other brothers, he wanted everything to be perfect for his wedding. It was such a special day, and Wes wanted only the best for his brothers.
He spent many minutes praying for them, and he’d somehow taken on some responsibility for their happiness here in Coral Canyon.
He spotted his mother and father down at the far end of the aisle, and they were looking back toward the line.
Their sons.
Wes suddenly felt so lucky to be their son, and he needed to tell them that—and that he loved them—more often.
He’d always been close to his father, and that hadn’t changed even though he’d moved to Coral Canyon. He still spoke to him several times a week, and he’d been helping Laura at HMC a lot this year as the company transitioned further into the digital age.
The music paused, and Wes tensed. Behind him, Gray said, “Three minutes. If they want us to wear these down the aisle, we better get moving.”
Someone behind him laughed quietly, and Wes timed his first step to land with the beat of the music.
He put a smile on his face, and it was easy and natural. The crowd stood up and faced the wedding procession, and several people twittered and giggled at the line of tall, dark, Hammond brothers and their ridiculous top hats.
Ames laughed too, shaking his head, and Wes beamed at his boys, who were sitting with Bree’s parents. They’d made the trip from Vermont, and they were staying in Coral Canyon for a few weeks to visit.
Wes loved them, because they’d given him Bree, and Bree loved having them here, because she didn’t get to see them very often. Michael had taken immediately to them, because that was simply his nature. Wes could see the boy at the helm of HMC in thirty years—and he hoped he’d still be alive to see it.
He made it to the end of the aisle, and he took a moment to hug his mom and dad. “Love you,” he said to each of them. He shook Ames’s hand and then drew him into a hug before escorting Bree to her spot behind the altar and taking his.
Gray had just barely stepped next to him when his watch went off, and Wes glanced at him. “Really?”
“Five minutes are up,” Gray grumbled, and Wes almost laughed at his brother’s surliness. It was just a top hat. Ridiculous, sure. But he could manage to be ridiculous for ten minutes if it made his brother’s wedding magical.
Gray took his top hat off the moment the last groomsman was in line—who happened to be his son. He’d walked with Molly Benson down the aisle, and Gray was not happy about it.
Elise had been flitting around the girl for days now,
and Gray had never been in a worse mood. Fine, he probably had been, because he’d once run the entire law division at HMC, and there had been some really unpleasant situations in the office.
Hunter and Molly had gotten back together sometime near Valentine’s Day, and Gray hadn’t really known that they’d broken up. Ames had told him precious little about the situation, because as he’d said, “there’s nothing to tell. Your son likes a girl, and the girl likes him too, but she’s worried about having a boyfriend in high school.”
Gray was worried about Hunter too. He’d tried talking to him about dating a lot of different girls, but Hunter seemed stuck on this one. He’d either end up with a broken heart, or he’d break one. In Gray’s opinion, a relationship this serious wasn’t smart at Hunter’s age, but he didn’t want to alienate his son.
So when he’d asked if Molly could come to Coral Canyon for a “week or two,” Gray hadn’t been able to say no. He had over the summer, because Hunter was fourteen. He didn’t need to bring his girlfriend to Coral Canyon for anything long-term.
But Molly was here for the wedding, and she was staying with Colton and Annie, which only made Gray annoyed with them too.
He knew his feelings were unwarranted and had created some tension between him and everyone else—even Elise. He took a big breath and released it, because he couldn’t be mad about this forever.
Molly was here, and she was a nice girl. She was polite, and she said please and thank you to everything Elise and Gray did for her.
Ames glowed as he gazed down the aisle, and Gray’s mother couldn’t stop crying. His dad held her hand, and Gray couldn’t help missing the spot where Grams should’ve been.
She’d passed peacefully in her sleep a couple of days before the New Year, and while she’d been old and ready to go, she’d still left a hole in all of their lives that Gray personally was still struggling to fill.
He looked across from him and met Elise’s eyes. She lifted her eyebrows, her way of telling him to stop frowning.
