Get Even
Page 23
I took Blake out there the night he graduated high school. I helped him dig up the box and I told him all about his Gran and how his great-grandparents got the money. We cried, holding each other for a long time that night. Blake was the closest to Pops out of all my kids. Pops was always teaching him things like how to fix the farm equipment or how to hunt on the property. They spent a lot of time together.
I bet his ass is up in heaven right now, laughing his ass off at the situation in the house just now. He would have gotten a hoot out of it.
I think about Sarah every day. I miss my sister but I don’t wish for her to be alive anymore. I wouldn’t have my kids if she were. I wouldn’t have Max if she were. I know that’s a horrible thought to have, but I’ve lived the past eighteen years in complete happiness. I wouldn’t change a thing that has happened.
Max and I talk about her sometimes. We agreed early on in our relationship that we wouldn’t talk about our pasts, his with Sarah and mine with Tate. It might get a little too weird but it’s not like we didn’t already have all the details. Sarah shared everything with me and I shared everything with her.
“Make You Feel My Love” the Adele version starts to stream from the house. I peek around Max to see Ren holding Taylor in his arms while they dance to the song. It’s a favorite of Taylor’s. The girl likes the same music as me, but she also likes to add in stuff like this when I’m not looking. I love the girl to death so I don’t mind.
Max starts to sing it underneath me. His hands run through my hair as we listen to the song and stare out at the farm. The leaves rustle in the wind and the moonlight peeks out of the treetops and shines down on us. “I feel like this night was good for us.”
“Why’s that?” he asks, still stroking my hair.
“Because it was good to finally see Taylor as a young woman instead of a little girl. And now we know our other daughter is going to need a good talking to before she turns into a vindictive controlling asshole,” I say to him.
I feel his head nod against mine. “Think she’s been spending too much time around you.”
“Yeah right. I think she’s been spending too much time watching TV and not enough reading books. Them MTV shows aren’t teaching her good things.” I laugh though because I sometimes watch them with her. Sarah and I might not always get along but that doesn’t mean we don’t spend time together.
Max lifts my chin up until I’m looking him in the eyes. “I think we’ve been giving them all a bad example too.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” I question, lifting one eyebrow.
He smiles real big at me and says something that makes my heart about beat out of my chest. “You and I should get married. I think it’s about time. Eighteen years you’ve been making me live in sin. Think our children need their parents to be married, baby.”
I choke on a laugh. “You would blame it all on me!” We’ve talked about getting married but I was never ready. Even after Taylor and Sarah came along. It felt wrong to marry Max, like I was stepping on Sarah’s toes or something. Then again, he’s never really asked me before or given me a ring.
As if he read my mind, he pulls out a black box from his back pocket. He pops the lid open and I suck in a breath. It’s a tiny thing, with one little diamond in it, but he knows me so well. I’d never wear anything big and flashy. “I guess you’re right,” I tell him, tears shining in my eyes, “I better make an honest man out of you.”
“It’s about time, baby.”
The End
Acknowledgements
I want to thank In This Moment. I know they will never see these words but I owe a huge thank you to that band. I would be sitting around with no words in my head and all of sudden one of their songs would come on and BAM! I had so much more to work with.
Nicole Bailey, you get a huge shout out and thank you. I couldn’t have finished this book without your help. I’m sorry it made you queasy and you had to stop several times, but I think the end was worth it. You have a special place in my heart and you know it!
Ena thank you so much for all the blog tours you’ve done for me and for the one coming up for this book. It amazes me how you get everything together quickly and you never have a bad word to say about me always being late on things.
Dawn Martens, I love you. I wouldn’t have finished this book without that one little talk we had. When Dawn tells you to do it, you better fucking do it.
Cody and Aidyn, thank you both for loving me. Cody thank you for talking me into getting this thing done. I know you’ll never read this but I put you in here every time.
Thanks the most to you guys. Every person who made it to this page, thank you. You put up with one crazy ass girl and two emotionally devastated men. Hopefully you’ll be around for the next book I put out!
Other Books by Amanda Heath
(Young Love series)
This Beautiful Thing
Fire In Her Eyes
Norma Jean
Wrong Kind of Love
(Make or Break series)
Make Me
Break Me
Save Me
Need Us
(Wrath MC series)
Sleepless Nights
Lyrics Are Life (Dirty Deeds, #1) Coming soon…