Brave as It (Hellions Ride On #7)

14. Wesson

FOURTEEN

WESSON

THREE MONTHS LATER

Boomerism: The right one is worth the wait.

“What is this?” Emmalee asks me. I see the packet in her hands and can’t help but smile.

I know what I hope that is. While I have never had this experience personally, I have heard if they mail a packet and not a letter alone it’s a good sign for the things working out. She’s either going to love it or absolutely be pissed and take this the wrong way. I hope she sees it for what it is: a visible, tangible item to show her how much I believe in her. There isn’t a stronger woman around and no one is more intelligent than Emmalee Van Etten. If what is inside that large envelope is what I think it is, then she truly can have her every dream come true.

Her past doesn’t get to define her, and my accident doesn’t get to define me. If nothing else can be learned from all of this, it is we are not defined by the hard things we go through. We are merely stronger for them.

“A packet,” I answer to which she raises an eyebrow. Yeah, I’m a smartass. Thankfully, she mostly finds it cute.

“Wes, why is there a packet from East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine addressed to me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you should open it.”

“Better yet, why would East Carolina University send me anything since I haven’t applied much less the Brody School of Medicine?”

She looks at me and back to the packet. We’re home. I’ve been on a transport the last two days and just got in. The packet came the day I left; Colt picked it up actually. He knew what I was working on and swooped in to prevent her from getting it while I was away. This is something I need to give her face to face with an explanation.

I had Colt bring it to the house and leave it for her to find when she got home knowing I wouldn’t be far behind if by chance she got home before me. She didn’t tell me on any of our phone calls or video calls today and she was home earlier than I expected. I wonder if she’s already figured it out. It doesn’t look open but maybe she did look inside. Is she mad at me?

“I guess,” she whispers.

“Baby girl, there is only one way to find out.”

Cautiously, she opens the clasp envelope. There isn’t someone more deserving than her. Granted, I had to pull a few strings, call up a few people to gather the information, but all in all it has worked out. She reads the cover letter, and her eyes fill with tears.

“Wes,” she whispers. “I didn’t apply. How is this possible?”

“I know.” My eyes lock to hers. “I did it for you. I believe in you; I believe in your dreams and hopes and aspirations.”

“Why?”

“Emmalee, there is not one person I know smarter than you. I also know you are too humble to see how great you are. With help from Diem, we did the application. You had the credits from that community college program and it’s a simple transfer. In fact, when we contacted the admissions department of ECU, there were enough transfer credits for you to earn your Bachelors in Science already. A minor tweak to your time away as a study abroad experience, and the application was actually pretty simple. You, yourself, did the research years ago, Diem told me. Brody School of medicine is number one in the entire state for Pathology. There is no better place for you to go. You had the grades, the transfer credits, and the Hellions have the connections. It all works out.”

The tears fall down her face. “Wes, I can’t do this.”

“You can.”

“I can’t afford it,” she counters. “I guess I could do student loans, but I’ve heard people paying on them for years and years never making a dent in it.”

I smirk and open the kitchen drawer. “Well, about that.” Grabbing the checkbook, I take it out and slide it to her. “We got the funds transferred. They are yours, legal, free and clear. You can afford to do pretty much anything you want, but I imagine you want to go to school.”

“Oh my God, you can’t do that, Wes! That money isn’t mine; it never was.”

“Umm, I didn’t.” Because technically, I didn’t. The money was already in the offshore account. There aren’t some IRS flags or liens to it. I don’t know how to put this to her. “Your dad did. I just made sure it was all transferred legally. Lost a bit in wire fees but you have more than enough to get through this. You have enough to build the life you want the way you want it.”

“I don’t know how this is even real!”

I smirk, “well, your dad set this shit up where the only people who could access it were you and him. I don’t think he expected to die, but on the off chance something happened, he didn’t want your mom having a free ride, I assume. Either way, baby girl, everyone tied to that money is dead.”

She looks up at me and something crosses her face.

“We haven’t talked about it, but you did watch your father get killed, your mother gets killed, and you watched me kill a man for you. How are you with all of that?”

“Truthfully, more okay than I should be.” She sighs softly. “Does it make me a bad person that I’m not grieving?”

“Not at all.”

“Like I know they were my parents, but we weren’t super close to begin with. Knowing the things they did all for money, it bothers me. As for Patrick O’Leary, you did what needed to be done to save my life. I can never say thank you enough. I know if I had gotten on the plane, once he had this money,” she holds up the checkbook, “I would be dead. If you’re worried that I view you differently after all we have gone through, the answer is yes. I am grateful to have you in my life. I am grateful to be alive and it’s because of you. I love you, Wesson Vaughn and there is nothing that will ever change that.”

“Baby girl, the man I am,” She cuts me off running to me, leaving the papers behind and drops on my lap. I have to reach down and put my brake on before she has us both rolling all over the kitchen. She presses her face into my neck as her hot tears fall.

“The man you are is the man I want to be with forever. I can’t be away from you, Wes. How can I do this?”

“Thank fuck for that. Baby girl, I can’t do life without you.” Reaching up, I pull her head from its hiding place. “We take it as it comes. One thing at a time. It’s not too far that you can’t commute. For the long days or study times, we’ll get a place up there. Like a rental or apartment. If you want to buy a house, there, we can. If you need to be in Greenville for a few nights, I’ll stay there with you. I don’t want to be away from you, so we figure shit out. That’s how relationships work.”

“Wesson, your life is in Haywood’s Landing. I won’t ask you to walk away from your family.”

“I’m telling you, we’re in this together. No, my life is not in Haywood’s Landing. It’s where you are.”

“I can’t ask that of you,” she tries to drop her head again.

“You’re missing it. You didn’t ask me.” I kiss her softly. “I’ve lived chaos, I’ve lived wild, I’ve lived war, and I’ve only found peace when I’m with you. I don’t want to do life without you.”

“What are you saying?”

I wheel us over and stop at the kitchen drawer. Sliding it open, I retrieve the item that has been sitting in this spot since I moved in. I bought it when she was in the hospital healing from her gunshot, long before she left me. The love is still the same. My intention is still the same and my time is now. Taking out the box, I open it. The oval two carat diamond solitaire is displayed against the black velvet of the box.

“Lost a lot when I lost my legs. Never thought I would feel alive again. You came along and it’s been you from that New Year’s Eve on. I am half a man without you, and I don’t want that ever again.”

“Wesson,” she whispers, and I lift my finger over her lips to quiet her.

“We’ve had dreams together, lost dreams together. Now I want to chase dreams with you. All of them. It starts with you getting the degree you’ve wanted and worked for. It continues when we build our family together. That started the day I fell in love with you and you with me and now I’m asking you to face everything with me. The good, the bad, the boring, and the crazy, we ride it out together. Marry me, Emmalee. I can’t give you a proposal on one knee, but everything I can give you I will from now until my last breath. Let me give you my last name, my family, and let me make your every dream come true.”

She smiles softly. “You gave me a family I never had in you and the Hellions. You rode out my darkest days never once giving up on me. You are the first person in my life to make the days and nights be as much about me as you if not more about me. No one has ever put me first and cared about what I felt or thought or wanted. You give me dreams and then give me the courage to be brave enough to have even bigger dreams.”

“Baby girl, that’s sweet and cute and you’re makin’ me hard,” Emmalee smiles proudly at that. “I need a yes, a kiss, and then I’m gonna make your every fantasy come true.” I kiss her. “Over and over again.”

She grins, “yes, Wesson Vaughn I’ll marry you.”

“Thank fuck,” I wheel us down the hall with my lips pressed to hers and a smile on her face.

No better way to ride on in life than with family, loyalty, and love.

There is no risk without reward. She is my reward. Life is hard, there will be challenges.

With her, with the Hellions, we will be brave enough to ride it all out together.