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My heart skips a beat. I’ll remember this moment for eternity.
"Yes," I breathe out.
The word is a promise.
A vow.
An anchor.
"Yes, I will marry you, River Taylor."
He kisses me, his lips claiming mine with a passion that sets my soul ablaze. Every kiss we've shared before pales in comparison to this one. His arms wrap around me, pulling me closer. I melt into him, surrendering to the pure energy that courses between us.
Forty-Five
River
The aroma of steeping tea does little to calm the nerves bouncing around my stomach. Across from me, Pearl's eyes are wide and searching. Her great aunt Delta's are narrowed with skepticism. The weight of the family's future rests on the shoulders of this moment.
And despite my usual confidence, it feels like a crushing boulder pressing down on me.
"Delta," Pearl starts. Her voice is steady but I can hear the ripple of anxiety beneath it. "I know you're worried about what will happen next time the taxes come due."
The old woman snorts, a sound that somehow carries both derision and sadness. "Do you have a way to solve that little problem?"
My hand slides across the table, pushing the contract towards her. It's thick because it is packed with legal jargon designed to protect and serve.
"Read this," I say. "We've structured a deal with Ray Kendrick. It's more than generous."
“A deal? What kind of deal?”
“Aunt Delta,” Pearl says. There is a pleading undertone to her words. “You can’t afford to keep the property as it is. We all know it. This deal is your one way out that doesn’t make you homeless.” She taps the contract. “This is an offer from Mr. Kendrick for at least fifty million dollars.”
Delta’s jaw drops. “My land is worth that much?”
“Yes, auntie. You would know that if you ever so much as talked to any of the people that have offered to buy it.”
Delta picks up the document, glaring at me. She sniffs and then pulls out her reading glasses. Her fingers are surprisingly nimble as they flip through pages. She reads, "Fifty million now, plus an annuity? What's the catch?"
Pearl leans forward, her hand resting on her stomach. The secret is still an unspoken promise between the two of us.
"There's no catch," she says. "We will need to make some changes, though.”
Delta’s gaze sharpens. “Like what?”
“The cabins and trailers… Auntie, they will have to go. But this land here…" She spreads her hand over the map I lay out for her. "These acres stay with us. We can build, start fresh. Our family will have a place… a place to belong.”
"New beginnings without losing our roots," Delta murmurs, nodding slowly. She touches the paper, almost reverently, tracing the lines that mark the Jackson family legacy.
"Exactly," Pearl says, her smile blooming like a promise. "We hold onto the heart of it all. The current structures on the land can't stay. Mr. Kendrick wants to buy the land and build a resort on it.”
Delta snorts. “I can’t believe you think out family’s land should be a goddamned resort.”
"Delta, the thing is," I start. Pearl cuts me off with a sharp look.
"Let me do the talking." She turns to her great aunt and folds her hands neatly on the table. "This isn't just about River or me. It's about our future. Our family's future. You have to see that. You can’t leave me or anybody else owing thousands of dollars on this property. It simply isn’t fair."
Delta leans back in her chair, the lines on her face deepening. It makes her appear like one of those wise trees you see in storybooks. "And how can you even sit next to that man after what he pulled? If it were up to him, I think he’d take the land and leave you behind, honey."
