The Gift

by Heather Slade

  “Yes, Da,” he answered.

  He opened the envelope, and then closed it. “Da, this—”

  “It is the way it was always meant to be.”

  “What is it?” Bradley whispered.

  “Butler Ranch.”

  Naughton tucked the envelope into the front pocket of his suit jacket and kissed Bradley’s shoulder, thankful she hadn’t asked anything more, because he wouldn’t have been able to speak.

  He saw his brothers and sisters approaching, and scooted Bradley off his lap so he could stand. When she moved away, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back next to him.

  Each hugged him, and then Bradley. Maddox was first, then Skye, Brodie, and finally Ainsley.

  “It’s what he wanted for you, Naught,” Maddox said, his eyes full of tears like Naughton’s were.

  Brodie nodded, and so did both his sisters.

  “It’s Ainsley’s turn to find out what Kade wanted for her,” said Skye.

  “What about you?” asked Naughton.

  Skye pointed to where her husband, Mac, stood holding their baby boy in his arms, while he danced with their daughter. “That’s what he wanted for me. He gave me my family. Didn’t you know that Kade introduced me to Mac?”

  He shook his head. He hadn’t known.

  Maddox put his arm around Ainsley. “Like Skye said, you’re next, baby sister. I can’t wait to see what big brother wanted for you.”

  Naughton caught the fleeting look of pain in his sister’s eyes. He knew exactly what she was feeling because, until a few moments ago, he’d thought Kade had forgotten about him. He patted his chest, where the envelope rested in his pocket.

  “I don’t understand how—”

  “We’ll explain later, after the party. But look around you. This is yours, Naughton.” Maddox smiled at Bradley. “Yours too, Saint John.”

  “It’s ‘Butler’ now,” she murmured and smiled.

  “Where are you honeymooning?” Ainsley asked.

  “We haven’t talked about it,” answered Bradley. “The harvest, and then the other weddings...”

  “That’s right, Brodie’s next,” said Ainsley, grabbing his arm. “You ready?”

  “Oh, yeah. I’ve been ready forever,” he answered as Peyton and Alex walked over to join them.

  “What’s that?” Peyton asked.

  “To make you my wife.”

  Alex nudged Maddox. “And you, you just took forever.”

  “We can always do what Naughton and Bradley did, and go get married tomorrow instead of waiting for our actual wedding.”

  “What?”

  All eyes were on Bradley and him, and Naughton shrugged. “Literally couldn’t wait.”

  “That’s why you were so calm,” laughed Brodie. “I knew somethin’ was up.”

  “How’d you know?” Bradley asked Maddox, who only smirked.

  “He’ll never reveal his sources, will you, Mad-man?” Alex poked at him.

  “Nope.”

  8

  Thanksgiving day, Naughton watched as Brodie helped Peyton’s sons with their bow-ties. He was a good father to them, like he would be to their little girl who would be born any day now.

  Brodie had told him that, at first, Peyton wanted to wait until after the baby was born for them to get married. After he showed her the house he’d built for their family and promised it would be ready to move into before Thanksgiving, she’d decided that the day they moved in, she wanted to do it as husband and wife. More than that, she wanted it to be the place they were married.

  Since the builder handed over the keys, it had been a mad frenzy to furnish the house and get it ready for the wedding. Everyone had pitched in to help, he and Bradley included.

  Seeing Brodie’s happiness today, mirrored his own from just a couple of weeks ago. Soon, it would be Mad’s turn, and then the three brothers who everyone thought would be bachelors for many years to come would be married—all within the span of a few weeks.

  “How are the nerves?” Maddox asked.

  “Not as bad as I thought they’d be, but nowhere near as calm as you were, Naught.”

  Naughton raised his glass of water as though he was toasting his brother. “I told you the secret. You just chose not to follow in my footsteps.”

  “You told him the secret?” Maddox grinned. “I beg to differ. I believe I was the one who handled that big reveal.”

  “I’d still love to know how you found out,” Naughton mumbled.

  Maddox straightened Brodie’s lapels without them needing to be, and Naughton watched as his two brothers spoke words he couldn’t hear. It was the way it should be. Maddox was Brodie’s best man, just like Naughton would be Mad’s on Christmas Eve.

  “How about you, guys? Are you nervous?” Brodie asked Jamison and Finn.

  “Heck no,” answered Finn, who reminded Naughton so much of Maddox. The older of the two, Jamison, was more like him—and Kade. He was more reserved, quietly taking everything in, around him.

  Brodie picked up on the boy’s silence and walked over to where he stood. Rather than speak, he hugged the boy tight. After a few seconds, Naughton noticed Jamie had put his arms around his soon-to-be stepfather’s waist.

  The sound of a guitar playing was their cue to go to where the minister waited. Maddox led the way to the great room, where Peyton would soon follow Alex, Ainsley, Skye, and Bradley down the staircase.

  Brodie took his place, followed by Maddox, and then Naughton. When Jamison and Finn came out, Mad shifted so they could stand closer to Brodie.

  Naughton stood almost directly in front of where their parents were seated. He could see his mother crying and how his father put his arm around her and handed her his handkerchief. Was she crying tears of happiness, or was she crying because she had another son who should’ve been with them?

  The guitarist stopped playing, and someone else who was seated at the grand piano, which had only been delivered the day before, began to play. The lights dimmed throughout the house, so the rooms were illuminated by what looked like a thousand candles.

  Bradley came down the staircase first, looking so beautiful she took Naughton’s breath away. He’d seen her dress before tonight, but not with her in it. The sage green velvet sheath, with the gold ribbons woven into the bodice, hugged the curves he longed to put his hands on. Since the day they were married, he found himself craving her body every minute of the day and night.

  His eyes met hers, and she smiled, her cheeks pinkening so sweetly. Could she read his thoughts?

  Next came Skye, whose dress was the same green velvet, but the gold ribbon adornment was tied simply around her waist. Her red hair fell on her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes twinkled with happiness.

  Naughton saw her smile when Mac blew her a kiss.

  While Bradley was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, his sister Ainsley also took his breath away. So often she wore her hair up, but tonight, it hung loose, past her waist, in soft red waves. Unlike Skye and Bradley, whose eyes had wandered, Ainsley kept her gaze fixed on Brodie.

  Naughton noticed that she looked even thinner than she had at his wedding, and he’d noticed it then too. While she wore make-up, it didn’t quite cover the dark circles under her clouded eyes. Something was up with his little sister, and later, he’d get her alone and find out what it was.

  He heard Mad’s breath catch when Alex came down the stairs. Instead of green, her dress was made of a deep red velvet and had the same golden ribbon woven into the sleeves of the dress and near the bottom, where it brushed the floor.

  The music the pianist played changed, and everyone watching took an audible deep breath as Peyton and her father walked down the stairs and to where Brodie stood waiting.

  “Wow,” Naughton heard Finn say, looking at his mother like she was a princess out of a fairy tale.

  The gown she wore was simple and made of a cream-colored velvet, laced with golden ribbons like the bridesmaids’ dresses were. As she walked, she
rested her right hand, which held a simple bouquet of flowers, up against the bump of her belly.

  Peyton looked only at Brodie, who waited for her with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes.

  Naughton closed his own eyes briefly, remembering how he’d felt when Bradley stepped to his side and became his wife. He’d never known such serenity as though, in that moment, everything in his world was happy and at peace.

  When the minister began to speak, Naughton thought back to the day he and Maddox had found the site of Brodie’s plane crash, and how they prayed aloud, both of them, while they waited for their helicopter to land. Both feared they wouldn’t find Brodie alive, but by some miracle, he was—just barely. Even then, his brother’s thoughts were only about Peyton.

  In the hospital in Argentina, he’d said her name again and again as his body waged war with its injuries. There were times Naughton was afraid Brodie would slip away from them in his sleep, but it was his brother’s will to live for the woman who would soon be his wife, that carried him through.

  “You may kiss your wife,” Naughton heard the minister say, and the small group of family and friends erupted in applause at the kiss that seemed to go on forever.

  A tent had been set up in front of the house, where the wedding party and guests would celebrate with a Thanksgiving feast.

  Maddox stood, shortly before dinner was served, when everyone was seated. Naughton held his breath, wondering what his mercurial brother might say.

  “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love. Those are Sophocles’ words, not mine. Without it being said before now, there is someone who is not with us tonight, who knew the truth of those words and, even in death, sought to bring healing love to those who’d meant so much to him. So, I toast not only Brodie and Peyton, and the beautiful life they’ll have together, but also our brother in heaven, who is surely here with us tonight.”

  “He’s something, isn’t he?” Ainsley whispered in Naughton’s ear.

  “He sure is.”

  “It needed to be said, instead of everyone tip-toeing around it.”

  He nodded and looked at Bradley, who excused herself, and told him she’d be right back.

  Naughton pulled the chair out farther and asked Ainsley to sit. “It’s been good, seeing you so often this month.”

  “I know,” she sighed. “It’s hard to get away, but I miss you all so much.”

  “We miss you, too.” Naughton brought her closer, squeezing her shoulder. “You doin’ all right? I’m worried about you.”

  His sister looked away and shrugged her shoulders. “Kade didn’t really know me that well. By the time I was more than a little girl, he was gone all the time.”

  Ainsley was thirteen years younger than their oldest brother, and she was right. When he enlisted in the Marines, she was only five.

  “He knew you, Ains.”

  “I don’t know, Naught. Maybe he forgot he had another little sister.”

  “I don’t believe that for a minute”

  “But…”

  “Listen. I know how you’re feeling, and all I can say is, be patient. Kade loved you just as much as the rest of us. Probably more. There will come a day when he’ll speak to you, and when it happens, you’ll know it.”

  “Did you know it?”

  “Yes. Even though what you and the rest of our family did wasn’t necessarily for, or because of, Kade, I still felt him there, with us.”

  “He wanted you to have the ranch. I heard him say so, more than once.”

  “It still belongs to all of us, Ains.”

  “I know, but it’s your legacy. You and Bradley will raise your family there, just like Ma and Da did. It’s a beautiful thing, Naughton.”

  “Don’t give up, kiddo. I know in my heart that Kade would never have forgotten you. It just isn’t the right time yet.”

  When she stood and walked away so somberly, Naughton said a silent prayer that he was right. Ainsley would be devastated if something didn’t happen that they all felt Kade had had a hand in.

  Brodie surprised Peyton by hiring a band whose music he’d first heard with her to play at their wedding.

  About halfway through the night of dancing, Brodie got on stage and asked Jamison to join him. Syd, the lead singer, handed the boy a guitar and asked if he wanted to sit in with them for a song. At first he was shy, but it wasn’t long before Jamie got into it and ended up playing another three songs.

  When he tried to hand the guitar back to Syd, Brodie got back on stage and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Happy birthday,” Brodie said to him. “I’m sorry it’s a couple days late.” Jamison’s eyes opened wide as he studied the vintage Martin guitar that was Brodie’s gift to him.

  “I think Peyton’s getting tired,” Bradley said to him an hour later.

  Now, as Naughton watched her move from person to person, smiling and laughing with them, he noticed she was holding on tight to Brodie’s arm. “You’re right. Think, if we said goodnight, everyone else would get the hint?”

  “It might take more than that.”

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “Get Maddox to do it.”

  Naughton laughed out loud, but Bradley was right. Mad would find a way to tell everyone it was time to leave Brodie and Peyton to their wedding night, without it being weird or awkward.

  “Plus, he and Alex are taking Jamison and Finn back to Demetria with them.”

  “I’ll get on it.” Naughton stood to leave, but leaned down to kiss Bradley’s lips. “Don’t you go anywhere.”

  “I won’t, unless it’s with you, my darling husband.”

  He loved it when she called him that.

  II

  Book Two

  IV

  Ainsley

  December

  9

  When are you leaving for the Christmas break?” asked Bryn, her friend, former roommate, and colleague in the research department at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

  “I’m not sure yet. What about you?” Bryn’s family lived in Mendocino, which was only another hour farther away than Paso Robles.

  “I don’t know either, but I can tell you I’m not too excited about it. I’m thinking about coming back the day after Christmas. I’d drive home Christmas night if I didn’t think my mother would have a stroke.”

  “Where’s this coming from? You’ve never complained about going home before.” Ainsley asked.

  “Seriously?”

  “What?”

  Bryn folded her arms. “You have no recollection of me telling you, the day after Thanksgiving break, that, while I was home, I found out Greg is engaged?”

  That’s right. She did remember. Unfortunately, she was too caught up in her own relationship drama to give much thought to Bryn’s high school boyfriend’s engagement announcement.

  As much as she wanted to, Ainsley hadn’t seen Cristobal once while she was home for Thanksgiving and her brother’s wedding. She’d hoped he would be invited, but he hadn’t been. Or he wasn’t there, at least.

  She might’ve asked Alex, since he was her brother, but she couldn’t bring herself to. It was the exact thing that had caused their breakup in the first place.

  Had it been almost a month since he moved out of the campus apartment they’d shared? It felt like so much longer.

  “I want to spend the holidays with you,” he’d said. “I’m done hiding.”

  They’d had the same argument so many times that it had become rote. She would say she wasn’t ready for her family—her brothers primarily—to know about their relationship. He would say she was being ridiculous, and neither would budge.

  Their last argument had been the worst, though. He’d actually given her an ultimatum: take him to Naughton and Bradley’s wedding as her date or they were finished.

  She’d left Stanford the Monday before, with every intention of getting Naughton alone, and asking if she could bring Cris with her. Instead, she�
�d chickened out.

  When Cris called, later that night, and asked if she’d talked to her brother, she’d stalled. “The wedding isn’t until Friday,” she’d told him. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

  “That’s it, Ainsley. I can’t do this anymore.”

  He’d hung up then, and when she tried to call him back, he didn’t answer. She’d called again, and texted, but he hadn’t responded then either, and when she got back, Cris had moved all his stuff out.

  Part of her had hoped he’d show up at Naughton’s wedding anyway, surprising her and her family. Then, everyone would know. But he hadn’t.

  He’d left it to her, and she didn’t have the courage to admit that she was in love with Cristobal Avila, because then they might ask how long she had been.

  The day before he left home at eighteen to begin his journey in medicine at Stanford, Ainsley went looking for him. She thought he hadn’t noticed her when she watched him from high in a tree near the split-rail fence that divided her family’s property from his.

  “What are you doing up there, little one?” he shouted.

  “I came to say goodbye.”

  “How do you know I’m leaving?”

  “Alex said you were.” She hoped he wouldn’t ask when she’d talked to his sister since she’d been spying on her and Maddox at the time.

  “I’m glad I took a walk out this way today, then.”

  Ainsley scrambled to climb out of the tree, but slipped and fell instead. Cris spent a couple of minutes checking her arms and legs to make sure she hadn’t broken anything.

  “You’ll be a good doctor someday,” she said.

  He smiled and ruffled her hair, and for a split second, touched her cheek with his finger. That’s when Ainsley fell in love with him.

  She didn’t see Cris again until she was eighteen. She recognized him right away when she saw him walk across the main quad of the farm known to most as Stanford University. He’d be impossible to miss. He was the most beautiful man Ainsley had ever seen.