by Cora Brent
I would never mourn my father but I did wonder what he thought of at the very end. I wondered if he was afraid. I wondered if he was sorry at all.
Cami and Cassie were still tearing the place up. They spun past Conway in a cloud of flowers and pink dresses. He stopped rolling his fork and stared after them with a hint of a smile.
Saylor rested her cheek on my shoulder.
“You ready to start this all over again?” she asked as we watched our daughters.
I held her closer. “At least we already found out there’s just one in there this time.”
She let out a happy sigh and kissed me quickly. It wasn’t enough, not for me.
I turned, tenderly cupped her surprised face in my hands and kissed her deeply, passionately, not giving a shit who was watching. Saylor McCann Gentry had taught me about love and so she’d taught me everything. When I thought about it I realized that she’d taught us all. She was the spark in the chain reaction that had created everything here.
The clink of glass caught my attention. Deck had stopped cuddling with Jenny and was standing atop a chair, tapping a champagne glass with a spoon. When he realized he’d succeeding in getting everyone to look his way he hopped down and in two long strides reached the middle of the room. Saylor beckoned to the girls and they came running over to us.
Deck winked at Chase and Stephanie. Chase blew him a kiss.
“I don’t know why,” Deck proclaimed with his empty glass in the air, “but for some reason this beautiful girl agreed to marry my lump-headed cousin and join this motley Gentry crew.”
Chase stood behind Stephanie with his arms wrapped around her while she laughed. Deck grew serious as he lowered his glass and gazed at the happy couple.
“I don’t have a talent for pretty words,” he said, “but here in this room I’m seeing love everywhere I look and by my count that makes it the richest place on earth. So in the spirit of the day, in honor of Stephanie and Chase, and for the messy, beautiful pieces the human heart manages to glue together, love each other. Hold each other. For now and for always.”
People hugged. People kissed. It’s what people did because there was nothing in this life we needed more than one another.
When I pulled back from Saylor I looked down to see Cassie offering me one of her precious flowers. I accepted it with gratitude and carefully placed it in my front pocket before I swung her into my arms while Cami demanded to be picked up by Saylor. Nearby, Chase and Stephanie were lip-locked once more. Beside me Creed bounced Jacob in his arms while Truly laughed and snapped more pictures. Deck had Jenny wrapped tightly in his arms as he ever so gently kissed her forehead.
Saylor nudged my arm, probably because she could see that I was suffering from a little bit of water in my eyes. In some ways all of this celebrating seemed like a signal of the end, a dream come true, the storybook finale.
“You sad, Daddy?” Camille Gentry asked me as she touched my cheek with her dimpled fingers.
“No, honey,” I said honestly. “I’m not sad. How could I be sad when I’ve got tomorrow to look forward to?”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and let out a sleepy sigh while her sister yawned in Saylor’s arms. I flashed back to the first time I’d ever held them. It seemed like so long ago and yet it seemed like yesterday. Someday they’d be too big to willingly be carried in my arms and I’d have to welcome the next phase of life as a father. And yet before that happened there would be another tiny child to hold, another new life to celebrate. The years ahead promised uncounted firsts, some poignant lasts, and thousands of golden days in between.
So of course I wasn’t sad.
Because this wasn’t the end.
The best stories never did end, not really.
Thank you for reading HOLD! I hope you’ve enjoyed your time with the boys as much as I have enjoyed returning to their world.
So are you wondering what’s next?
Blurbs and covers for the next Gentry books to be revealed very soon. In the meantime, be sure to add them to your Goodreads TBR.
CROSS (Gentry Boys#6)
EDGE (Gentry Boys #7)
As always, I love hearing from readers….
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