AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thanksgiving, ten months later…
He was a lucky man. Favored. Blessed. Call it whatever, and having buried three wives most folks wouldn’t think so, but he was a lucky man indeed.
Generations before him had lived in this house, and many more would follow. From his seat on the overstuffed chair, Matthew looked around at all the people gathered here. His family. His legacy.
Benjamin played at his feet. Stacking building blocks of wood, his youngest stopped to glance up at him, gifting his daddy with the brightest smile. Except for Jennifer’s big blue eyes, the boy was his spit. God, how he missed her.
Across the room, Tanner was cooing at four-month-old Harper. With her dark curls and light-green eyes, his granddaughter reminded Matthew of his son at that age, except she was a helluva lot prettier than him. Cayden napped on Kellan’s chest, his golden hair, the color of freshly laid straw, sticking up like a porcupine. It was as soft as down, though. His blue eyes had already turned kind of hazel, more brown than any other color.
Three beautiful babies. See? Blessed.
And he had a feeling there were more babies coming.
Emily was a Gantry now, their families further entwined. They hadn’t made an announcement yet, but knowing Billy and Jake, and how newlyweds are, he was expecting one before too long. She and his mother laughed with Arien and Shiloh in the kitchen, while his sister, carrying trays of food out, grinned from ear to ear. Familiar with that kind of smile on a woman, Matthew couldn’t help but wonder who put it there.
Kim came over, and sitting on the arm of his chair, she kissed him on the cheek. “Hey, Matty.”
“Whatcha so happy about?”
“It’s Thanksgiving.” She ruffled his hair. “Can’t I be happy?”
“Not like that.”
“Like what?”
His gaze flicked briefly to Victor Gantry. “Never mind.” It wasn’t for him to ask. Folks find their joy where they can, he supposed.
“Everything okay, big brother?”
“Look around you, little sister.” Wrapping an arm about her waist, Matthew leaned into her. “We have so much to be thankful for. Everything’s just fine.”
His family was happy and healthy.
The ranch was thriving.
And the sonofabitch was dead.
Rot in hell, you worthless piece of horseshit.
Not that he believed in a heaven or a hell, but even if he did, hell was too good of a place for the bastard.
Good thing the law of the land don’t apply in Brookside.
They deal with murderers their own way.
Everything that comes in threes is perfect.
And even after his wives, Matthew still believed it.
All he had to do was take a look at the big, beautiful, crazy, happy family they gave him. He had his three sons, his beautiful Arien, his grand-babies…
Just like he always saw it.
Yeah, he’d been favored, and he was grateful.
He was a lucky man.
John Jacoby
