Until We Fly (Beautifully Broken 4)

“Yeah,” I agree. “We do. She’d like you, too.”

“What else was she right about?”

I stare into Nora’s eyes, long and hard. “Well, she was right about one other thing. The best things in life are worth fighting for.”

Nora sighs a shaky sigh and puts her head against my chest, closing her eyes.

After a minute, she opens them again.

“I can still hear your heart.”

I smile in the night.

“I should hope so. It’s yours.”

Nora grabs my face and pulls it to hers, kissing me as soundly as I’ve ever been kissed, soft then hard, then harder.

Her hand trails over my chest, over my hips, down to where I’m hard for her.

“Make me yours, Brand,” she breathes.

I smile.

“Gladly.”

Epilogue

One Year Later

Brand

Gabe meets us at the door of the nursing home, his face drawn and grim.

“Dude, I’m sorry we had to call you home from your honeymoon. We all knew it was coming, but…”

I shake my head and clasp his hand tightly.

“It’s okay. I would’ve been pissed if you hadn’t called.”

Nora walks beside me, her slender hand on my back. When we’d gotten the call, she hadn’t even hesitated, she’d just started packing our bags.

“We have to go, Brand,” she’d said.

I’ve never loved her more.

We flew nonstop through the night, and when we landed, we found out, with relief, that we weren’t too late. Gran was still holding on.

“She’s waiting to talk to you,” Gabe tells me as we walk down the halls. It smells like medicine here. And Ben Gay. And quilts.

I nod. “It doesn’t surprise me. Gran has always done things her way. She’ll die her way, too.”

“Hell yeah, she will,” Gabe agrees.

I’m surprised at the knot that is still in my throat. I haven’t been able to swallow it, not since we got the call and jumped on the plane. The very idea that the world is going to lose such an amazing person is sobering.

I take a deep breath as I face her closed door, as I stare at her nameplate.

Helen Vincent.