All Roads Lead Home (36 page)

Every single role model in my life has always preached the saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” During the harder days, that was tough to believe, but now without a doubt, I will never question it again.

We rode back to the stables a little lighter than we started out. The subject also came up about Shane continuing working on the Fairchild Ranch. After our talk, I already knew what I should have said a long time ago.

“Shane, this is your home. You belong here.”

“Are you sure, Jagger? Because if you’re not, I meant what I said to Brock. I will walk away and just start over.”

“You do that, Shane, and that would hurt Tenley more than you could ever know. It would also hurt me. I’m not saying we will return to the brothers we once were, but we talked more today than we’ve done in years, so it’s progress man. This land is big enough for the both of us, and it’s ours to run together if you want to.”

“It’s all I ever wanted, Jagger. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

On cue, my beautiful girl walked into the stables with her megawatt smile. She walked right into my waiting arms, where I kissed her senseless.

“Hey, you two. How was your ride?” she asked with hope in her eyes.

“It was good,” I replied.

“Better than good,” Shane added.

“I’m happy to hear that, and I know Jamie would be too.”

With the mention of Jamie, we each had our moment of silence to always remember how much he meant to each of us and the happiness he brought to our lives. Tenley didn’t look sad, she just glowed. I saw peace on her face with a hint of the sparkle dancing in her eyes. I would do anything to forever keep her looking that way.

Over dinner, we shared the good news with her parents, who were relieved with the decision I made. Our ranches were without a doubt a living legacy for generations to come.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked Tenley, as she stared up to the ceiling.

“Nothing in particular, just happy as all.”

“I’m happy you’re happy, but I know it’s more than that. You’re worried. Baby, I will never let anyone hurt you, I swear it.”

“I know that, and believe it or not, I’m not that worried. This New York guy is just a two-bit thug who hides behind his father’s power, money, and muscle. I’m not scared of Roberto. If anything, he should be the one afraid of me. I know what happened with the car explosion, and it scared all of you. But it was just smoke and mirrors.”

“I’m sure your friend Tommy doesn’t feel that way.”

“He probably doesn’t, but it wasn’t Roberto throwing the punches either. He’s a weasel, and I am not afraid of him. I also intend not to drag this out either. I’m not going to put my life on hold for him and his bullshit threats. I spoke to Jacob today. Cheryl is still feeding information to Roberto. He seems to be buying it so far.”

“Once I arrive back in New York, Cheryl will alert him, and we will wait for his next move. Jacob has him under surveillance.”

“What about his father? If something happens to his son, won’t he seek revenge?”

“Once upon a time he may have, but Roberto has proven to be more of a liability than asset to the Bornarelli Family, so he may just be waiting back to see how it all unfolds. Even discreetly assisting Jacob with the investigation will not lessen his sentence.”

“What happens after this is all over? What then?”

Up until now, Tenley has made it clear of her intentions, but I still needed to hear the words that would put my mind at ease.

“I think you already know,” she said as she kissed me soundly.

“I still need to hear it baby.”

She sighed animatedly, but smiled back at me.

“Once the threat is neutralized, I will have a conversation with Raymond, and will hand in my resignation with the firm. Zoey will be heartbroken, but I guess she called it all along.”

“Will it be that simple to just walk away from that life?”

“It will. I was only living a half-life. Professionally speaking, I had it all, but personally, I was a disaster hiding in the shadows with sadness all around me. I was angry when my hand was forced and I came back home. But Jagger…I will never regret my decision getting on that plane, not when it led me home to you.”

We made love all throughout the night with the stars shining through the skylight. She said this was her favorite feature of the home I built for us. I knew when I designed the skylight, it had to be as big as a picture window. Making love under the night sky was a special memory for us. Every time she looked up, I saw the happiness on her face.

Her answer set my heart on fire. It was now the perfect time to ask her to marry me. She slept peacefully beside me as I ever so gently left the bed. I retrieved the ring from my pant pocket and climbed back into bed with her.

“Tenley, baby, wake-up.” She stirred until her eyes were completely open and staring up at me. I swear she brought me to my knees with just one look. All I saw was love and desire.

“I need sleep, you animal!” she said as she tried to close her eyes again. I laughed and pulled her closer to me.

“Open your eyes, baby, I have a story to tell you.”

She sat up and positioned herself against the headboard, and I turned to face her.

“A long time ago, a boy fell in love with a girl. The thing is, he just didn’t know it at the time. The boy, along with the girl’s brother and best friend, used to call her their tag-a-long. They could go nowhere without their shadow, but they didn’t seem to mind it either. The girl was a free-spirit. She could run, ride, and pretty much do everything the boys could do, and sometimes even better. Her brother called her ‘Tumbleweed,’ always flying through the air with no end in sight. We all loved and protected her very much.”

“Then one day she suddenly looked all grown up, standing before the boy who loved her. He truly saw her beauty for the first time and was lost to her kindness and passion. Little did he know that she loved him too, but was afraid to confess her true feelings. So the boy took a shot of courage and a leap of faith in hopes she would love him back.”

“He took her for a ride on his horse, and they sat down at his favorite spot on his ranch. They sat hand in hand, looking over the highest peaks, with the sun shining down on them. The boy was scared, probably more than he ever had been in his life. His hand was sweaty, but she didn’t seem to mind. His stomach was doing flips, for this would be the first time he would ever tell a girl he loved her. He gave her a sunflower, which reminded him of her innocence and beauty. Taking her hands to his lips, he placed a chaste kiss upon them and whispered the words he would hope she would return back to him.

“I love you, Tenley. Will you be mine?” He never broke eye contact with her until he saw a tear fall down her lovely face. He wondered if he was wrong, but then her tears turned to smiles and she said, ‘I love you too, and my answer is yes.’ ”

“On that day, the boy gave his heart to the girl he loved. He promised she would always be safe with him and she could trust him always. She promised the same in return, and they sealed their commitment with a kiss to end all kisses.”

I paused to look at Tenley. She never took her eyes off of me, as tears rolled down her face. I wiped them away with my thumbs, and her breath hitched with my touch as my skin touched hers. She was heart stopping beautiful, and she was about to be mine forever. I straightened my shoulders back and continued pouring my heart out to her.

“Their newfound love sustained over the harder times when distance was between them. The times they reunited was never taken for granted, and they spent every minute recommitting the love they first promised to each other. Through their years of sunshine and bliss, they were also faced unforeseen sadness and heartache, a pain he didn’t see coming, but endured all the same.”

“The girl, a natural free-spirit, never denied who she was and what she wanted for her life. Although she loved him, he could not make her stay, so he watched her board a plane to her new life. Through the years and on their own, he never gave up hoping for the one day she would come back for him. If ever granted this chance with the girl he loved, he would vow never to be so careless with her fragile heart. He would promise to love her for all the days of his life.”

“The boy who trusted the girl all those years ago is now a man asking for that same promise of the beautiful woman in front of him. Tenley Faith Fairchild, I love you more than any man has ever loved a woman before. You are truly my soul mate, the one that I love, and will continue to love until I draw my last breath. Today, I unconditionally give you my heart, where I’m asking and trusting you to always cherish and protect me with your love, as I will do the same for you. I’m asking you to marry me and share your life and heart with me. I swear it on the heavens above that I will make you so very happy for every day you allow me to. You were meant to be a Parrish, as I always knew I was meant to be your husband. Marry me, Tumbleweed, and we will fly together, hand in hand…always.”

I opened the black velvet box and presented her with a ring I had designed especially for my girl. It was a two carat yellow diamond halo set stone. It was surrounded by rows of diamonds, and on the outside was a sunflower etched out onto the gold band. She always loved sunflowers, something shared with her mother.

The girl I fell in love with had grown into a sophisticated woman. Back then, my girl never needed what money could buy, and she always appreciated the simple things. I knew I needed to present Tenley with a ring that would make her feel special and wanted. I could buy her the biggest ring in the showcase, but that was not Tenley. The ring I had designed for her was perfect and was waiting to be placed on her finger. Her mouth was covered by her hands as I waited for her answer. She wiped away her tears and pulled my lips to hers, kissing me with all the love she felt for me. My heart was beating, my temperature was rising, I wanted her with me forever, and all I needed was her answer, the one word that would turn my world right. The one word that would erase all of our past mistakes and replace them with new memories to make.

This is all I want with Tenley. It’s what I have always wanted but was too stubborn to realize. The pain of losing her, losing Jamie, and losing myself in the process has shown me how precious life truly is.

I’m not a patient man. I want nothing more than to make love with my girl and lose myself in her for hours, but I won’t until I have her answer. God! She’s killing me. I have never loved her more. Please, baby, say yes.

“YES. MY ANSWER is yes. You’re the one, it was always you Jagger. You say our story is written in the stars, that may be true, but it so much more than either one of us ever realized. It took leaving you to discover what I had all along, but my foolish choices and maybe even stubborn pride held me back. You will never truly know how sorry I am for ever getting on that bus that day instead of dropping to the ground and wrapping my arms around your neck. When you asked me to stay, I thought my heart would stop beating. How is it that after all of this time, you still wanted me?”

“Maybe it took me leaving to grow up and be worthy of your love. I believe I am so ready to become a Parrish. When I look into your beautiful eyes, I see the boy now a man who will fight, protect, and love me always. You loved me through it all in spite of myself, and you never gave up even in the darkest hours when you thought you did. When I returned and saw you again, I felt at that moment complete. I no longer had shattered pieces, I was whole again. Your love brought me back to life and back to where I belong.”

“I trust you with my heart, Jagger Lucas Parrish, today, tomorrow, and always. I promise to never break your heart and cherish every minute spent with you. I’m looking into your eyes, and all I see is
HOME
. You. Are. My. Home. My answer is yes.”

I held out my hand for Jagger to take. He slid the ring onto my finger and placed a kiss upon it.

“Thank you for saying yes. I love you, Tenley. I’m going to make you so happy.”

I kissed him back and said, “You already do. Now, may I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“I would like my future husband to make love to me. Please, Jagger, make love to me, with me, and never let me go.”

“Always, baby. Always and forever.”

Jagger and I made love until we literally passed out in each other’s arms. I dreamed of becoming his wife as I soundly slept, and saw my brother with tears in his eyes. He whispered to me…

“You. Chose. Right.”

We kept our “official engagement” a secret until Christmas day where we could share our news with our family and friends. Wendy knew instantly from the expression I wore. Our home was bursting with sounds of laughter and new memories being made. As a Christmas gift to Jagger, myself, and Shane, my mother presented us with a photo collage of our life shared with Jamie.

The frame was double the size of an average poster frame. Wendy laughed and called out to us before we knew what was inside. “Go big or go home,” she said. Leave it to our friend for always saying how it is. I loved her for that. My mother gave a short little speech before she allowed us to open our gifts.