Finding Forever (Living Again #4) (35 page)

“No,” Brant interrupted. “I want you to teach me.”

Three pairs of shocked eyes turned to him. “Son?”

He nodded. “This past year with Lacey has showed me so much. Yes, I’ve loved the nine years I’ve lived my dream. But I did it. I was successful, but my dreams are different now. I’m going to marry Lacey and, God willing, have a family of my own. Modeling and traveling the world are no longer my dreams; the dream of coming home every night to my wife and family mean so much more to me. I don’t ever want to regret that I haven’t spent enough time with my family, because we all know that all it takes is a second to lose everything you love.” Brant looked at Lacey. “Ever since you said you were selling, Dad, I had been thinking about it. But now that Lacey has done this, it showed me that what I was feeling was the right thing to do. This ranch belongs to all of us. We’re family, and this is where we belong. So, I want you to teach me what I should’ve learned years ago.”

Lacey flung herself into his arms, and he held onto her, his eyes never leaving his dad’s.

“I never thought I’d see the day,” his dad said. “I can’t believe it. Brant, I would be proud to show you and have you someday take over. And if you decide that it isn’t for you, I’ll respect that. I’m just so thrilled that you’re even willing to attempt it. Thank you, Lacey. Not only did you save my ranch, you gave me my family back.”

Brant cupped Lacey’s face in his hands and kissed her for all the words he didn’t have to say.

“I’ll be right here when you wake up,” Brant said, leaning over to kiss her. “You’ve got this.”

She smiled up at him, her head covered in a blue net. He was happy she had enough hair to wear one of those now. “Last time,” she whispered.

“Last time,” he whispered against her lips. “Next event, our wedding. No anesthesia or IV’s needed.”

“Thank God,” she laughed.

He watched as they wheeled her down the hallway and through the doors. Even though he knew this wasn’t considered major surgery, anytime she went through those doors it terrified him. This was it. Any chance Lacey ever had of carrying her own child would be gone. He wasn’t sure she had come to terms with that, focusing still on doing what she needed to do to try to be cancer free for as long as possible. He admired that about her. She had also told him that Sam had offered to be a surrogate for them. The lengths that she would go to for Lacey still amazed him.

He walked back into the waiting room, and Aubrey and Craig stood up. Craig had been making more of an effort, but his lack of just being there for Lacey still made Brant mad. He couldn’t imagine not being there for his daughter while she went through all that Lacey had.

“How was she?” Aubrey asked.

“Smiling and happy,” Brant answered. “We’re just so thrilled this is all going to be over, for once and for all.”

“I’m so glad,” Craig said. “Brant, I know that I haven’t been there for her the way I should’ve. It’s my issue, I know that. Seeing her like this, it just reminded me so much of Kathryn that…”

Aubrey whimpered, the pain of her mom being gone still so raw. Brant put his arm around her as Craig continued.

“I never wanted to see my little girl suffer like her mom did,” he admitted. “As if it wasn’t bad enough to lose Kathryn. When I found out Lacey was also going to have to go through this, it put me right back in that bad place I had been before. I haven’t been the father that I should’ve been. Not to either of the girls.”

“What about me, Dad? I have to live with the fact that not only did my mom
die
from cancer, but that my sister had it, too. What does that mean for me? It makes me want to just have a mastectomy now and eliminate the problem altogether, but we all know that doesn’t mean it will. I’ve lived most of my life terrified that this is going to be me, most of it without the love and support of anyone but Lacey.”

“Had your mom been alive now, she probably would’ve survived,” Craig said. “The treatment is so much more successful now. You can’t live your life scared for what might happen.”

“Just like you can’t live your life afraid to love your daughters because you lost their mom.”

Craig nodded. “You’re right. I’ll spend my life being sorry for the way I handled that. But no one gives you a manual on how to raise two young girls without the love of your life. No one tells you how to keep living when your very reason for existence is ripped away from you.”

Brant knew exactly what he meant, because that’s exactly how he felt about Lacey. Memories of that dream still haunted him, and he knew that if he ever lost her, a part of him would die with her.

“I hear you guys are moving,” Craig changed the subject.

“We’re building a house on the ranch. It won’t be done for a few more months, but yes. And the wedding is going to be there.”

“The wedding is going to be at the ranch?” Aubrey asked.

“Yes. As soon as Lacey recovers from this, we’re going to put it together. It’s going to be very small. Family and close friends. There’s nothing more that we want at this point in our lives than to just be married.”

“I want the chairs here,” Lacey announced. “And the tent over here, to the side of the ceremony area. That way, the guests can enjoy appetizers while waiting on us to be done with photos.”

Brant watched her, satisfied with just seeing her in her element. The wedding was one week away, as was her birthday. One year after meeting Lacey, he was marrying her. What a crazy, whirlwind year it had been. They had both decided that rewriting the hell that had been that week for both of them a year ago was the best way to remember that date in a good way.

Her hair was growing like crazy. It was still very short, but it no longer looked like it was just growing in. Her reconstruction had gone well and her new breast had made her feel much more comfortable with her body. The scars were still there, but she didn’t try to hide from herself anymore.

“Brant,” Lacey called. “What do you think, the chairs facing this way, or that way?”

He wanted to laugh, but was afraid what would happen if he did. He didn’t care about any of that. All he cared about was marrying her, and living the rest of his life waking up to that beautiful face. “Hmm… let’s see, Doc.”

Lacey looked at herself in the mirror, in disbelief that this was finally happening. One year after her life started falling apart but coming together all at the same time… today she was marrying her best friend. Brant didn’t just change her perception on falling in love; he saved her life in more ways than one. So much had happened to both of them this year. But all of those somethings were culminating into her getting to be his wife.

She touched her short hair, coming back in dark waves. It was just enough to style, and she was wearing a flower in it today for the wedding. They had put the wedding together quickly after her surgeries, just as they had planned. Finding her dress had been a surreal experience, and she had found it with the first one she put on. Aubrey, Sam, and Chloe had accompanied her, as well as Brant’s sisters and mom. While not having her own mother there had been emotional, the women that were there had made it amazing.

Lacey smoothed her hands down the lace fitted dress, looking as always at her breasts in the mirror. Even though she had the reconstruction, she still looked to make sure you couldn’t tell. The doctors had done a wonderful job, and from the outside it was like nothing had ever happened at all. This dress was perfect for the country ranch wedding they were having, and it fit her like a glove with just a small train behind it. It had sheer lace above the sweetheart neckline, which made her feel more comfortable with her port scar and her chest. It was perfect.

Her eyes shone in the mirror as the sunlight came through the shades of Brant’s parent’s guestroom. Their house was being constructed on the other side of the property, but would still be a few months until it was done. Brant had started training with his dad and his men right after her surgery, and so far, while it was grueling work, he found it more rewarding than he had ever dreamed. She couldn’t wait to relocate here once the house was done, and her house was currently on the market to sell.

Lacey heard a gasp from behind her and knew that the girls had come in. They had given her a moment to gather herself before the festivities started. When she turned, she saw that it was only Aubrey.

“Lacey,” she cried, tears shining in her eyes. “Look at you. Seeing it all put together is just wow.”

“Thank you,” Lacey answered, hugging her sister. “No crying, okay? I have special makeup on.”

Aubrey laughed. “We’re going to go with that. Those will be our key words today. ‘Special makeup’. Hey, I have something I want to talk to you about. It may not be the right place, but I wanted you to know today.”

Lacey searched her sister’s eyes, wondering what it could possibly be. “Is this something bad? I can’t take it today.”

“No,” Aubrey shook her head. She pulled her hand from behind her back. “Jacob asked me to marry him.” Lacey gasped as she stared at Aubrey’s gorgeous round solitaire.

The sisters jumped up and down as much as they could in their dresses. “I’m so happy for you! That’s awesome! Yeah! Another wedding!”

“I want you to be my matron of honor, of course,” Aubrey said. “But, that’s not all.”

“Not all? What could be better than that?”

“Well, Jacob and I are going to wait to get married for a little while.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I want to be your surrogate. I want to give you and Brant a baby of your very own. I know how badly you want it, and I’m your sister. I want to do this for you.”

“And I’m not going to be able to, even though I wanted to,” Sam said, opening the door at just the right moment.

Lacey looked back and forth between her best friend and her sister, confused. “What? What am I missing here? Don’t confuse the bride on her wedding day.”

“Sam told me what she wanted to do for you,” Aubrey explained. “She didn’t want me to be upset that she offered. But, she also told me she has a complication now. So I got to thinking, and talking to Jacob. I want to be the one to give you my niece or nephew.”

Lacey looked at Sam. What was she going to do now? She had both of them wanting to surrogate for her? She was beyond blessed that they wanted to do that, but how could she ever choose between them?

“You don’t have to choose,” Sam said, reading her mind. “Because I’m pregnant.” She put her hand over her flat stomach. “Little Kerri is going to be a big sister.”

Lacey gasped. “Really? Oh my gosh, that’s amazing!” She embraced Sam. “I’m so happy for you guys. How far along?”

“I just found out a week ago, so not very long.”

“If you and Brant want, we can start the process right away,” Aubrey offered. “Then, you and Sam can have the next generation of best friends around the same time, if all works as planned.”

Lacey looked at the two women that meant the world to her, trying hard not to ruin her ‘special makeup’. Both of them, standing there wearing identical denim short dresses they had found for the bridesmaids, showing her the future was brighter than she could ever have imagined. She had never felt so blessed in all her life.