Stay: Changing Tides, Book 1 (30 page)

She tried to ignore the tingle of awareness crawling up her spine. Had he been looking for her during their travels? “I’m glad you found me.”

“Me too.” He scuffed his foot. “I hate to go, but I really need to get back to the room and make sure I have everything packed. We’re heading home after flying tomorrow.”

The goodbye moved through her with force. She felt it right down to her soul. Too soon, by far. But she’d rather not belabor the point. The men were on a roll. Doing things together that they should have done for years, and she couldn’t be happier for them.

Or sadder for herself. She should be with them…

She hugged him hard then stepped back. “I’m so glad you came to see me. It was great seeing you. I’ve missed you both so much.”

“You too, Abby.”

She bit her lip, uncertainty tightening throat. “Would you tell your dad—tell him I said hi?”

He nodded. “He had some meeting at the fire station, but I’ll tell him I saw you as soon as he gets back.”

Her heart wasn’t going to take much more today. “Which fire station?”

Before he even raised a hand she knew where he’d indicate. She grabbed his hand and mouthed the words, “Come on.”

Brack sat back in the chair with a smile. If he’d learned anything in the last few months, it was that life never threw you a straight pitch. He looped his fingers together and relaxed. Now he just had to wait. If she came to him, she came. And he’d bet everything he owned on her showing up. At this point, the difficult part would be convincing her she’d made a mistake.

George passed him a cup of coffee, and nodded to the door. “I think you’ve got visitors.”

A frisson of trepidation hit him solidly in the chest. He’d taken chances over the last weeks he’d never imagined he would. Vaulting off the side of a dam strapped to nothing more than a huge rubber band had to top the list of scary experiences, but seeing Abby again had it beat hands-down.

With a deep breath, he set the mug on the captain’s desk and walked to the office door. A small grin lightened her features as she spoke with Jonathon. They walked through the bay doors, her steps faltering the moment her gaze met his. God, she looked good. Better than the memories that had kept her fresh in his mind.

He’d wondered at her response to his sudden appearance. She had no way of knowing he’d been searching for her from the moment he’d come to his senses. Which he could seamlessly thank his son for. It had taken a single comment from the tenacious teen for him to realize he’d rolled over and let life and all its intricacies walk all over him.

“Dad, I love you, but if anyone should be soured on life, it’s me. And I’m not, so you can’t be either.”

She came closer, her gaze searching his, and every greeting he’d practiced disappeared from his mind. He pulled her into his arms, breathing deep to take her in. He whispered against her ear, “I’ve missed you.”

Her slight nod and the soft shudders of her thin frame answered any doubt he’d had about coming. He shifted back, cupping her face. “We’ve been looking for you. I just didn’t realize we’ve been looking for you forever.”

A tear rippled over her lashes to travel down her cheek. “You shouldn’t have. From what Jonathon tells me, you two are doing great. You need to keep having fun.”

He held her when she would have pulled back. All the rehearsed lines in the world wouldn’t work on her. She deserved the truth. This would be his only chance. He understood why she’d left, and it was up to him to make her realize that she’d made a mistake.

“Abby, stop. Yes, we’ve had fun. But not as much fun as we would have had if you were with us. Come home. There’s nothing in your life we can’t handle together. I don’t care what happens in the future as long as we’re together. We both need you more than you could ever know. Jonathon loves you. He respects you and talks about you all the time. He’s worried since the moment he found out you were gone. Hell, you should have seen his face when I told him you were here.”

“I love him too.” She stood there silent for a moment, her eyes sad when she finally added, “But my mother, Brack. God, the problems she could cause. And what about me? What if I get sick?”

He shook his head, refusing the what-ifs. “None of that matters. I’ll be there for you. We can work through anything together. But not if you’re not with us. And that’s what it means to love someone. No matter what happens, we can handle anything as long as we’re together. I’m not scared anymore. I want you—us. I love you, Abby.”

There, he’d said it. And just in time it seemed, since five men in Lamplen County Fire Station T-shirts came in through the bay doors with duffle bags. Ten eyes latched onto Abby’s back with mild curiosity and fierce protectiveness. It didn’t surprise him in the least that she’d won over the members of yet another department in a short span of time. But she had a team at home. One that missed her.

The men’s laughter and chatter died when Abby turned quickly to see who had arrived. The largest of the men headed in their direction, his eyes riveted to her face. “What’s going on, Burke?”

She brushed her tears away and quickly shook her head. “Nothing, Mason. Just some old friends I haven’t seen—” She broke off and swung back around, her eyes wide. “Did you just say you loved me?”

Brack laughed. “Yes. Very much. Come home with us. Where you belong. You started all of this. You opened the doors for Jonathon and I to heal. You asked me to open up, to let go of some of my control and to learn to enjoy life again. To stop being afraid of everything falling apart around me. I did that, but it’s not complete without you. We want to share all of this with you
. I
want to share this with you.”

Abby’s mind reeled. Every reason for leaving vaporized under his intent gaze. “I’m scared.”

He pressed a finger to her lips. “You are not your mother. As much as you told me to let go of my fears and my guilt, you have to do the same. Let go, and we’ll see where life takes us. But at least we’ll do it together.”

Sincerity and hope burned bright in his eyes. He’d changed everything about who he was. He’d let go, he’d found the life he’d left behind when Ellen and Jeremy had died. “I don’t fear life, though, Brack. I’m scared of hurting you.”

“Apples and oranges, babe.” He held his hands up like she’d done to him so long ago. “As far as I’m concerned, the only question here is, do you love me?”

She launched into his arms, pressing her lips to his neck. “Yes, Brack. Oh, God, yes. So much it hurts.”

He swung her around, his lips finding hers with firm pressure. She clung to him, not caring who watched. If he could take the chance and change, then why couldn’t she? It still scared the hell out of her, but she couldn’t deny what she wanted, and knowing he wanted it just as much could be enough.

A warm hand gripped her shoulder and she turned to look at Jonathon through her tears. His hands moved slowly, his own gaze soft, questioning. “Please come home with us.”

She nodded. There was no way she could say no to them. She’d never been able to before. Why start now? She may have left, but her heart had remained with them. It was time to stop running. She’d found her life, and going back was just the beginning. She was going home for the first time in her life, and she was going home to stay.

Chapter Twenty-One

“So tell me again why you agreed to marry the moper?”

Abby smiled into the mirror, meeting Lawson Elliot’s handsome grin. She still couldn’t believe Brack had four brothers. She’d yet to meet Gage, but she was sure to love him just as much as the rest, every one of them as dear to her in a short time as the man himself.

Jensen looped an arm around Lawson’s shoulder, “She likes the brooders, Uncle Lawson. You know, one o’ those fix-’em-up types of women.”

“That’s not true.” Abby laughed.

Both young men gave her a knowing smile.

Lawson walked over and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful.” He fingered the white lace at her arm with a grimace. “You know what they say about wedding cake, right?”

Oh, she was going to regret asking. “No, Lawson. What do they say?”

“It’s an instant recipe for killing a woman’s sex drive.”

He ducked out of the room before she could swat him. Damn Elliot boys.

The second time her door opened, Marla Elliot, her mother-in-law in just under ten minutes, walked in wearing a floral peach gown. Her gray-white hair was piled high, and it was the first time Abby could recall seeing her wear make-up. “How you holding up, honey?”

“Scared, happy, hoping I don’t puke while I’m walking down the aisle.”

Marla stepped up next to her at the mirror and adjusted her veil. “You’ll be fine.” Tears shimmered in her blue eyes. “Elliot boys are difficult to love sometimes. They’re stubborn and opinionated and brash, but worth it. So very worth it.”

Abby nodded. She wouldn’t change a moment of her life since the moment she set eyes on Brack Elliot. “At least they don’t hide it. I know what I’m getting into.”

“You tell me if that’s still true in a couple years.” Marla chuckled. “Here, I have something for you.”

She placed a small box in Abby’s hand. It was old, the white velvet yellowed around the tattered edges.

“What’s this?”

“A tradition. It’s been worn by every Elliot bride for a hundred years. Maybe more.” Marla hugged her close. “Thank you for bringing happiness into Brack’s and Jonathon’s lives.”

“They are everything to me,” she admitted. “I’ll try every day to make them happy.”

“I know that.” She sniffled and pressed a warm hand to Abby’s cheek. “I’m sorry your mother couldn’t be here.”

Abby’s heart ached. No matter what illness claimed her mother, she wished she could have shared this day with her too. She’d come to visit twice in the last six months…each visit resulting in the same time-tested way. Abby sighed. “Thank you. Maybe someday…”

For now, they didn’t even know where she’d gone. Abby knew someday she’d appear again, and she and Brack had a plan. The justice system had put strict limits on her mother’s freedom. If it came to that—to keep her safe and healthy—they would make the call. It might work, it might not, but she was tired of running. No matter what her mother chose, Abby wouldn’t ever run again. She had too many reasons to stay.

Merrit Elliot cleared his throat at the door. “We’re ready to get this show on the road, ladies.”

Abby turned and smiled at Brack’s father. “Don’t you look handsome.”

He tugged at his stiff white collar. “All trussed up like a dinner goose. Let’s get this done so I can change. It ain’t the weddin’, it’s the life after that matters.”

Marla looped an arm through his and scolded him as they exited the room.

Abby opened the box. Inside was a small ivory broach the size of a half-dollar. The silver encasement shone with a brilliant sparkle and held an oval of ivory carved into a relief of a single white lily. Tall leaves wrapped around the lily like a shroud, creating an open heart around the flower. It was a beautiful piece, and she attached it to the bodice of her dress with pride.

She was an Elliot bride.

Taking a deep breath, Abby walked from the room. The wedding party waited in the hall. Rand stood at the end of the hall talking to Lawson and Jonathon. His smile had changed in the last months. He’d given his blessing to her and Brack, but a lingering sadness lived in his gaze. She didn’t think it had anything to do with her, but she cared enough to wish it away. He deserved happiness. He mouthed “beautiful”, and she felt her eyes fill with tears again. She was never going to make it through this day without bawling.

When Jonathon followed Rand’s gaze, he smiled and hurried over.

“You look like you want to run away,” he signed.

A short laugh broke free and Abby relaxed. “No, not at all. I’m just not much for all this center-of-attention stuff.”

He nodded and offered her his arm as the wedding party started their march. He’d asked to walk her down the aisle when she’d mentioned not having a father, and she couldn’t be happier. There was no one else she’d want at her side.

The soft strains of
Here Comes the Bride
started, and she squeezed his arm. “Ready?”

He grinned, a simple grin that was all Elliot, all Brack, and every ounce of tension dissipated. She loved these men more than she ever thought possible. As they rounded the corner and her gaze found Brack, she knew without a doubt where she belonged.

His smile drew her forward, his love for her bright in his eyes. It wrapped around her heart until it felt like it would burst.

No matter what happened, she was home to stay.

About the Author

Candi Wall is probably the only person whose real name is more epic than any pseudonym she could have come up with—even as an author! She writes because the voices in her head have to come out somehow. Animal rescue-ess, mother of four and soccer mom by day, she spends her free time writing—often on napkins at kids’ games because she never knows when a juicy story will reveal its delicious self. She once wrote a sex scene at a wrestling meet. Shhhhhh!

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