"Well that was … unexpected."
It was also unexpected when Aanon pulled the truck into a parking spot near Briney's Bar.
"I don't think the bar opens this early," she said.
The sign on the front door was flipped to closed. The late afternoon sun reflected off the snow that blanketed the town, but inside, the bar was as dark as a black hole.
"Briney's in back. I swore I'd bring you by for a minute before I took you home. He's been chomping at the bit about getting you back to work in a few months."
What she really wanted was a hot bath cradled in Aanon's strong arms at the homestead, but it was a while yet until Dodge's bedtime, so sure, she'd go see Briney about the job.
Aanon and Dodge followed her through the unlocked door, and the lights flickered on.
"Surprise!" What seemed like the entire town was piled into every inch of space in the bar.
She jumped and clutched her chest in an attempt to keep the scream inside her throat. A hand painted sign that read It's A Girl and another with Oleanna in cursive letters decorated the whiskey cabinet. Pink streamers and balloons dangled from every rafter, and someone popped off a confetti canon in the back, dousing them all in glitter, paper, and streamers.
The laugh that bubbled from her was nothing short of joyous. She recognized every face in the room, and Briney himself yelled, "Welcome home, and happy baby shower."
So, her baby shower was being held in a bar? It was absolutely perfect. Audrey surged forward to hug her and Mayva followed.
"Did you plan this?" she asked Aanon breathlessly at a break in greetings.
"Briney and I started it, but the entire town got on board by hour four. Do you like it?"
"I love it. It's-" She looked around at all of the happy clusters of friends, talking and laughing together. "It's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."
Aanon beamed, but his smile wavered. "I wanted your mom to be here. It's why we had to stop off at her place first. Briney was attached to throwing your welcome home party at the bar, but your mom is really making a go at remaining sober. We thought it best if you had your moment with her at the house."
She pressed the palm of her hand against his jaw, smooth and shaven, angled and masculine. "You did good."
"Kiss her!" Ben yelled to the cheers of the house, then he started the obnoxious chant.
Heat rushed her cheeks, but Aanon didn't seem embarrassed at all. Humor and challenge danced in his eyes. The man was irresistible, and she arched her neck as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Slowly, he leaned forward until all she could see was the handsome planes in his face. The background noise faded as the moment held her in Aanon's embrace. His lips were patient and warm against hers, and she threw her arms around his neck and angled her head to kiss him thoroughly.
The man chuckled as she pulled away, and he shook under congratulatory claps on his back. Still, his eyes never left hers, and hunger, deep as eternity, swam in the seductive color there, making captivating promises of nights to come.
Briney climbed on the bar top. "Listen up! Aanon and I did some research on baby shower games, and we reject them all. We made up one of our own. Every time someone says Oleanna's name, we drink! Burtlebey, go hand Farrah and Dodge those glasses of orange juice. The rest of you, come name your drink.
"Oh, dear Lord," she said, laughing. "I'm going to go help him behind the bar."
As she worked, pouring drink after drink with Briney, she couldn't keep her gaze from Aanon. Dodge was in his arms, talking animatedly, and the easy laugh that pulled from his daddy's mouth was hypnotizing. Those lips were hers, that beautiful man with a heart devoted to the people he cared about-he was hers. Just days before, she'd been drowning in a sadness so deep, she'd never breathe again. Now, she stood in the bar she loved with the people who meant the most, and the best man she'd ever known had chosen her in front of everyone.
The next hour was taken by opening an overwhelming number of gifts the people of Cooper Landing had thought to bring. She didn't know what half of them were, but Aanon, confident Aanon, winked, telling her in one gesture, he'd teach her everything he knew about baby rearing, and they'd learn the rest together.
Occasionally, a happy drink was taken by all when someone said Oleanna's name in conversation, and laughter filled the bar until Farrah felt drunk with happiness. Dodge helped her open the first seven gifts, but when he noticed everything was pink in color, he lost interest and played thumb wars with Ben. Mayva wrote down who gave what gifts so Farrah could send out thank you cards, and Aanon sat beside her and helped clean up the wrapping paper as they went.
She lingered as people started trickling out of the bar. She spun Dodge slowly on one of the stools as Ben told her about what a bore Aanon had been since she left. It was tough to hear about, but it showed her the depth of his feelings. Aanon and some of the others made trip after trip, filling up the bed of the Chevy with Oleanna's gifts.
Briney leaned against the bar with a conspiratorial grin. "Did we surprise you?"
"Briney, I don't think I've ever been so surprised in my life. This was one heck of a welcoming home party."
"And baby shower," he said.
"That was possibly the greatest baby shower in the history of baby showers."
"I knew it," he whispered and turned to pull pink streamers from the rafters above.
"I thought you only decorated once a year."
"You're momma would have my hide if I didn't use the decorations she got for your shower."
She stopped Dodge's slow spin and glanced up to determine if Briney was serious. He tugged at the tape that held the biggest sign in place with nary a twinkle in his eye. Huh. Mom had helped plan and decorate for the shower and hadn't shown up to enjoy it in her attempt to stay sober.
"Hey," Aanon, said, deliciously close to her earlobe. From behind, he ran gentle fingers up the small of her back, massaging little circles until she wanted to groan in bliss. The chair on the plane had been less than comfortable.
Leaning back so she could drink in his towering form, he smiled down at her. "You ready to go home?"
"Not if you're going to keep massaging my back. Nuh uh. I'm staying right here."
He leaned in closer and whispered into her ear. "I can be more thorough at home."
"Well, ladies and gents. We're out of here," she said, helping Dodge off the chair.
Ben gave Aanon a rough hug and said something low to him. They laughed, and Audrey rolled her eyes.
"We should meet up for lunch this week," Mayva said. "Without the boys, just us girls."
Surprised, Farrah said, "That actually sounds wonderful."
"The weather is supposed to hold. How about Thursday at the diner?" Audrey suggested. "Say noon?"
"I'll be there," Farrah said.
She finished her goodbyes and held Aanon's hand all the way home. She'd never get tired of touching him. At one time, their future had been impossible, but now it stretched on and on with its possibilities.
The big house jutted proudly against the backdrop of the clear Alaskan sky. Snow hugged the land, but the house looked warm, inviting. Luna poked her head out of the dog house and stretched until her toes separated. It wasn't until Farrah stepped out of the Chevy that she went wild, barking and pulling against the rope attached to her pink collar. She was huge. Much bigger than when Farrah had left those months before. Luna showed promise of growing into her giant feet.
When Aanon released her, Farrah expected the dog to bowl her over, but Luna belly-crawled the last few yards, tail wagging manically.
"Luna," she cooed as a new flood of tears threatened. She'd missed so much about her old life, and Luna was a big part of that.
She licked under her chin and whined a constant sound as Farrah knelt by the truck, enfolding her. It was real now. She could accept being home because she was here, on the land where her heart was whole. Cattle bellowed, and one of the horses snorted against the quiet of the clearing. Even the winter birds called out greetings, as if welcoming her home. She hadn't realized the depth of pain she'd endured in the days she was away until that moment when she finally felt like herself again.
"The way you look at this place, it makes me want to kiss you," Aanon said.
Still kneeling, she looked up, taking her time to appreciate his work boots that were scratched and faded from laboring on the land. Long jeans fit athletic legs, and not even his heavy winter jacket could hide the breadth of his shoulders or his tapered waist. Her favorite part though, the dimple that only came with a well-earned smile for her, sat his cheek, begging to be kissed.