"Sadie. Oh, Sadie!" I'm a blubbering mess. "I was so scared that I'd lost him. I thought he'd...." I can't breathe. "Died." I move back and grab her arms. "And it's all my fault." My chin quivers as she reaches out, pushing some of my long hair over my shoulder. "I caused it, Sadie. And I'm not saying it because – because...." I look down unable to figure out what I'm saying. I look back up at her and sniff. "I'm not saying it because someone needs to be blamed." I calm down, breathing erratically. "I'm not saying it so people will shift their concern to me." She smiles and gives me her all-knowing look. "I'm saying it because if I hadn't been so stupid, if I would have trusted Nash and his love for me, none of this would have happened." I release her arms and walk to the corner where there's a small alcove, raising my hands. "Why didn't I trust us?" I turn and look at her leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. "And why in the ever lovin' hell did I think running back to my parents' house was a good idea?" She lets out a laugh. I pace again but stop abruptly and face her. "How stupid can I be to trust a Barbie with fake lashes, fake fingernails, and those certainly were not her tits." Sadie bends down, with her hands on her knees, laughing so hard. I let out a laugh, then another.
Finally, she stands and walks over to me and smiles. "Dramatic much?" We both burst out laughing as we put our arms around each other and walk back to Nash's room.
The rest of the day and into the evening, Nash woke up off and on but only long enough to see who was in the room, eat some ice chips, and fall back to sleep. Everyone came to see him from his men to all of our friends. Manuel never left his side.
In the next few days, Sadie had brought me some clean clothes. Nash had been moved to a different floor and a much bigger room. He's still pretty weak but is able to breathe on his own and is sitting up more in bed. It's late evening, and all our friends had just left. They'd brought up some home cooking that Prie, Sadie, and Shiloh had made, and the room had been filled with laughter and memories. I've never made it back to my apartment, not wanting to leave Nash for even a second. I just finished combing out my long damp hair after taking a shower, brushed my teeth and put on my nightgown. I had made it known that I would be sleeping here since the very first step into his room in ICU.
"Damn. You take too long, woman." I smile as I close the bathroom door and walk over to his bed, climbing onto the mattress, wrapping my arm around his waist and feeling his wrap around my shoulder. I look up at the TV on the wall. Looks like he's been flipping through the channels. Guilt has been eating me alive even though he tells me constantly nothing about this was my fault. But I can't help the way I feel. He starts playing with my hair and I close my eyes loving the feeling that only he can give me. "The whole time durin' the accident, watchin' the world flip over and over, thinkin' I might die...." I open my eyes, hating the visions in my mind. He lets out a sigh. "All I could think about was how thankful I was that you weren't with me." I stiffen but he continues playing with my hair. "I was grateful because I knew you were safe." He kisses the top of my head. "Thing is – I knew you'd been hurt, knew you needed some time to sort it out. For you to go back to the one place you didn't feel loved made my heart hurt even worse." I look up and open my mouth. "Let me finish." He smiles. I close my mouth and smile back. "You didn't cause my accident, darlin'. The cow did." A burst of a laugh leaves my mouth. "Damn cow in the middle of a road." He laughs and winces.
I sit up, leaning my arm against the raised mattress behind him. "But if I hadn't gone home. If you hadn't come after me...."
He tilts his head, lowering his brows. "Darlin'. We're gonna go through a lot of shit in our lives. There's no such thing as gettin' by with only good luck and all good times. There'll be struggles. Hell, our kids are gonna probably make us gray before our time." I raise a brow in question. "Yeah, we'll have kids. Lots of 'em. They'll get hurt playin' outside or rough housin' inside. And as they grow they'll argue and fight. Then they'll get older and their hearts will get hurt from a boy or young gal." He pulls me into his side. "But just like what happened to us, we'll be there for them. Give them our love and comfort just as we did to each other." I look into his beautiful eyes as mine well up with tears. "So you see, my love...." He pushes back some of my long hair over my shoulder then cups my face. "Things are gonna happen. Doesn't matter why. As long as we have each other, we'll survive and be stronger for it."
I cup his face, running my finger through his five-day growth, and smile. "I love you, Nash Harris." I lean in and kiss his lips.
He grabs my hair at the back of my neck and pulls me back, searching my eyes. "I love you, Tina Brogdon. Will ya marry me?" My eyes go wide and my mouth drops open.
I finally have myself a hunk of a good lookin' cowboy!
"Yes!" I scream and shower him with kisses.
Epilogue
Two Years Later...
Living in the country can be hard. There's lots of trials and tribulations. Rough winters, animals that pass away, long distances between neighbors, and even a longer distance to town. But with that comes friendships that can't be broken. Love that endures so many more elements than some. Kids who grow up together, living in a loving environment, and learning the lessons of the land and hard work.
After the accident, Nash got strong and left the hospital four days later. Of course, his anxiety rose swiftly being cooped up in bed and not able to do what he loved. Working on his ranch. Two weeks after, he and the guys moved all of Tina's things over to the house, but she never left their home the day they walked in. That night in a romantic setting in the living room, and in front of all their friends, he got down on one knee and proposed to her, officially. She cried, screamed her "YES" and jumped on him, knocking him onto his back while she kissed the hell outta him. The guys all laughed, the girls cried, but they all shared more memories that night, one's they'd retell over and over again for years to come.
Up to this point not all their memories were good. While being the young girl Sadie was when she came to Catur Road, she fell in love, found the right path in life, while almost losing the love of her life, Memphis. But they grew strong in their love for each other as well as their twins, Jared and Evie. It's funny how life plays its little tricks on some. Now, at the age of two, Jared has his pa's laidback sense while their daughter is filled with the stubborn and orneriness of her mother. Guess sometimes life has a way of paying back what we sow.
While vengeance and evil followed Shiloh to these lands, she found in them the strength of Colby, the man she thought she'd never live long enough to have. Their love was tested to the extreme. But they prevailed along with the help of their friends as well as a man from her past. Together they survived, becoming more than friends ever could. Another young girl joined their fold. Timid, shy, and with many scars. She didn't realize it, at the time, but soon she would join their family. Now, Shiloh and Colby's son, Colt is turning two today. Of course there will be the biggest party and more memories to be made.
While Trevor and Prie came together in such traumatic circumstances, fighting for their lives almost took a toll on them. But they both fought, in their own ways, got the healing and strength they needed only making their love stronger than it ever could have been. Their daughter, Hattie, is now a little over a year old. She's got Prie's blonde hair but curly and Trevor's baby blue eyes. Trevor said he's gonna have to walk around with a shotgun when she gets older to fend off the boys. He says he's kidding. We'll see. But Prie's pregnancy was a rough road on its own. By the time she started her second trimester, she was put on bed rest for the remainder of her time. Trevor never left her side, everyone helping on his ranch so he could tend to her. Babies are a blessing in more ways than one. When she delivered, the relief of a healthy baby was apparent not only for them but to all their friends. Another memory and time shared together, helping each other through it. It's those memories that keep these friends together, reminding them of how hard life can be but also how grateful they are to have each other.
Once Grant had moved to town, set up his office, and settled in his house, it wasn't but about a year later he met a man in Pilates. Same sense of humor, good looking, and they fell in love. They live together in Grant's house and are happy. He figured it was the best move of his life to find the one he loves and be close to all his friends – his family.
"Jared! Let Evie have that," Sadie yells. "You need to take turns." She looks at Tina and smiles. "I don't know where he gets that from."
Tina rolls her eyes, lets out a snort and shrugs. "Gee, I dunno. Could it be from his mom?" She looks down at her son in her arms. Light red tufts of hair sticking out of a small cap snug around his head. That same light red on his long lashes, fanned out beneath his closed eyes as he sleeps.