Page 108 of Will to Run

“What?” I feign innocence.

“You bought the painting. For purchase price.”

“I did,” I reply.

“But you commissioned fifteen more? I didn’t quite understand Rose earlier. I just heard the number and my ears started ringing.”

“So she and I have had several conversations leading up to today,” I smile. Rose and I are besties at this point. I’ve spoken to her more in the last week than I’ve spoken to my own parents.

“She didn’t know it was you,” Della slowly says, as if she’s trying to figure out what happened.

“Oh, she knew. I asked her to keep it confidential. Overpaying for the painting had a whole bunch of tax liabilities that I didn’t want to come back on her or you. The additional fifteen commission pieces are for our fifteen luxury cabins. Original pieces will make them that much more extraordinary. I don’t care where you do them or the timeline you do them, just know they have a place here. Just like you.”

She looks at me with an unreadable face for a minute before she speaks. “I would like to personally thank Sir Magnum Biggs for his generous donation to my cause.”

“No, he is expecting no such thing,” I say in surprise.

“You’re telling me he would not enjoy an enthusiastic thank you,” she replies.

“The only thing he wants is you staying in my arms,” I say.

And that’s the honest-to-God truth.

53

DELLA

When I read the spreadsheet and try to make sense of it, I realize I must have completely checked out when Rose opened with that number. Now I’m looking at it carefully, and I’m so overwhelmed I don’t know how to process it.

Twenty-three of the twenty-five paintings sold, and I earned one hundred and fifty-seven thousand dollars. Well, that was the total brought in. Rose is taking her fee, and I had more than one future commission piece purchased. What made the tears spring to my eyes was that over half of the paintings sold were purchased by people I know. My aunt bought one, as did Quinn, every member of the Wills family, including Molly and Kellen. And not only did they buy one outright, some did the same thing Jax did; commissioned addition pieces. When I look at him, he holds his hands up in surrender.

“I know it would be easy to look at this and say I did it, but I didn’t. Well, not completely. I simply told them what I was doing, and after Cayson helped me out with how to make it work on the money end, the rest of my family made their own decisions about what to do. Everyone collectively decided to commission works for different parts of the ranch. I claimed the luxury cabin pieces, but there’s also the lodge, restaurant, spa, and I don’t even know where else my family wants to display your talents.”

The tears spill over as I wipe them away, trying to make sense of this incredible gesture and act of love.

“It’s not just me who loves you, Della. It’s everyone. Including my dumbass brother.”

I laugh through the tears and openly cry into his chest while he holds me like I’m his entire world. The hug is reminiscent of the first day I was here; the way he held after he asked if I was okay and the floodgates opened. Even then, his arms were my safe place, my home. I didn’t realize to what degree that would hold, but I never could have expected this. These tears are coming from such a different place than they were months ago.

When I calm down, he pulls me away. “Have you eaten? Are you hungry at all?”

“I was too nervous to eat,” I admit.

“Thought that might be the case,” he says, moving to the fridge. “I ordered a few things from the lodge on the chance you would be hungry afterward.” He pulls out box after box.

“How did you know this would go well for you? How were you so sure?” I ask.

The question makes him stop in his tracks to look at me. “Oh, Della, I was so far from sure. I was hopeful. And that hope was enough.”

My head tilts at his admission. “Well, thank you.”

A goofy smile takes over his face. “This is literally the least I can do. You should have heard some of the other… more unique gestures I had cooked up.”

“Oh my gosh, like what?” I ask as I fall back into us. I’m grabbing plates and utensils, and we are existing like we used to. Domestic normalcy that feels just right.

Before he can answer, a text on his phone dings, and he reads it and smiles before showing it to me.

Hazel