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“So here’s how it’s going to go,” I say “You’re going to give o inside your big old house and think about what you did I mean, really think about it You inflicted ten years of ehter—and for what? To avenge your teenage broken heart?”

I used to think ory all his own

His mouth forms a firm line Either he doesn’t knohat to say or he’s afraid to say anything at all

“Once you corasp the consequences of your actions and how deeply you have hurt your own flesh and blood,” I say, “then—and only then—will you offer your daughter a heartfelt apology You will plead for her forgiveness And you will show her that you’ve learned the error of your ways And in the meantime, you’ll sell the farm back to my mother at whatever fire sale price she dees, you’ll risk losing the only person who ever truly loved you unconditionally”

He ss, dropping his gaze to the porch floorboards for a moment

“I’ll, uh … I’ll just grab her bags” He disappears inside for a fewwith two black suitcases

“God willing, she just ,” I say

And with that, I grab her bags and leave hi his beautiful life crumble to ash

37

One Year Later

Blaire

“You ready?” Wyatt asks as we approach the glowing marble moon

I couldn’t come to the Whiskey Moon festival and not ht But in the past year, I’ve been granted so many wishes, it almost seems selfish to ask for more

Last suood, took a job at the co behind the scenes, and stood back as my fiancé impressively brokered a deal that allowed his mama to buy the farm back for pennies on the dollar As soon as the ink was dry on the paperwork, Renata gifted us a plot of land on the north quadrant of the farm, which is a little closer to work forup in our little line shack,up for lost time

The Whiskey Moon glows beneath the starry sky, and Wyatt takes my hand in his