Saving Dallas Forever (Saving Dallas 3)

“Welcome home, baby,” he said, opening the door and gesturing for me to walk inside. I looked behind him at all of his brothers, who stood patiently waiting for me to enter. All that was, except for Regg, who tapped his foot in what seemed to be anticipation. I shook my head and entered the house, my hand feeling its way down the wall for the light switch. When the lights came on, and the kitchen came into view, I gasped at the scene. Streamers lined the large doorway that led into the living room, along with balloons and a welcome home banner. Enough food to feed an army littered the bar in the kitchen, and a large, two-tiered cake, decorated with the words “PROPERTY OF LLC”, sat on the table. Had there not been a still-lit cigarette, with red lipstick covering the butt, smoking in the ashtray, I would have thought no one was here. The house was completely quiet, as I walked through the kitchen and to the entryway of the living room. Then suddenly a chorus of “SURPRISE!” rang out, leading me to jump back into Luke’s arms, and the lights in the living room were turned on to reveal a host of smiling faces all looking at me. I covered my mouth with my hands, as my eyes filled with tears at the sight of all the familiar, and not-so-familiar, faces. I watched as my nephew Logan’s little body made its way through the crowd and into my arms. At the sight of him, my tears fell freely down my cheeks. He smelled delicious as I squeezed him to me; a mixture of soap and little boy.

“Oh, I missed you so much,” I whispered into his ear, as I relished the feel of his arms around my neck.

“I missed you too.” He pulled his face back, so that he was looking into my eyes, and placed his hands on each of my cheeks. “I’m really glad you’re here ‘cause I’m hungry.” Laughter erupted from deep within my chest at his honesty.

“Well, let’s eat.” I kissed his forehead, and placed him on his feet, which were propelling him toward the kitchen as soon as they were on solid ground.

“Glad to have you home, baby.” I looked up to see Brooklyn standing before me, her arms snaking around my shoulders and pulling me to her. She was typical Brooklyn, dressed in black leggings, thigh-high boots, and a button-up shirt covered in skulls, wearing bright red lipstick, and holding a cigarette between her fingers.

“Thank you, Brooklyn,” I said, through a sob.

“Oh, no. We can’t be having you crying, now you’re home and safe. We have a lot of drinking to do, so dry them tears and start having a good time,” she said, giving me a squeeze that was just a little too tight.

“Okay, okay. You have had her long enough, now move on.” I recognized Red’s voice immediately, and couldn’t help a sob escaping from my throat once more.

“Naw, now you are gonna get her all worked up again,” Brooklyn chastised, but released me from her grip, and into Red’s waiting arms. I felt Red’s lips on my hair as she kissed me, then pulled me back so she could get a proper view.

“I did good on the clothes, huh?” she asked, through a smile and tears of her own. I nodded my head and looked down at the leather outfit that she had provided for me.

“Yeah,” I said, with a laugh. “You did.”

“Okay, I’m not gonna hog you. There is a long line behind me, and I have a man to see.” She pulled me to her once more then almost pushed me down to get past me. When I heard her squeal, I knew Regg had presented her with the four-foot stuffed rose. I laughed when I turned to see her jump into his arms, nearly knocking him over in the process.

“Hey, sis.” I closed my eyes and smiled, replaying the endearment over and over in my head. I had once longed to hear those words my entire life, and now I could hear them every day. My Maddie was here, and she was safe. Guilt consumed me when my eyes landed on those blue ones of hers that I loved so much. She had my father’s eyes. Her smile was almost shy as she stood in front of me. Neither of us was sure what to say at first, but when a single tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek, words were not necessary. The reunion was beautiful as we found comfort in each other’s arms. It was Maddie who stayed strong this time, caressing my hair and holding me, as I cried into her shoulder. I felt tears of her own stain my shirt as she cried into my neck. Her body, which stood slightly taller than mine, wracked with silent sobs as I tightened my grip around her waist. We stood there in the living room, ignoring the people around us as we tried to squeeze every year we had lost into one single hug. When my tears had dried, and her body stilled, I pulled back to see her face and we both laughed, as our thumbs went to each other’s eyes to wipe away the mascara that had smudged against our cheeks. In that instant I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to tell her that it was me who had taken the life of the only father she had ever known; she deserved to know that it was me who had pulled the trigger. I had had a choice, and I had taken the path I had thought was the best for everyone, but as I looked into her eyes, I realized that maybe I had made the decision on the basis of what was best for me. Sensing my tension, she clasped my shoulders and plastered a smile on her face. “Let’s stop all this crying. I think you deserve a drink.”