Southern Secrets (Southern 7)

"It hurt you," he says for me. "I hurt you, and you have to know I never, ever wanted to not tell you. I just." He takes a deep breath. "I just didn’t know how. Look, I was never going to stay." He swallows. "I wanted to come and meet Ethan. I just wondered how he grew up. I wondered if he grew up like me, but when I saw it was night and day, I was glad." I take a step forward, and he shakes his head. "If you come any closer, I’ll forget everything I have to tell you. There were things I found out a couple of days ago I didn’t even know."

"Whatever it is," I say. "It doesn’t matter."

"No," he says. "I’m not keeping anything from you. The day after I told Jacob and Ethan about it, we rode to the bank, and I showed them the papers and letters I got. I didn’t even read it all, but Beau did, and everything clicked into place. Liam was living on an allowance, which was going to end once I turn thirty. It took Casey a couple of hours to find out he was in debt up to his ass. He owed everyone money, and soon, it was running out unless he got rid of me." I gasp out. "We knew he was getting desperate, so it was a matter of time before he did something stupid. We’ve been following him for the past couple days. We knew today would be the day. He was staying at the motel in town. Ethan had followed him to the barn. Jacob was on standby. The minute he cut the alarm wires, we knew."

"You came here this morning," I say. "To say goodbye to me."

His eyes stare into mine. "Anything could have happened. I wanted you to know that I loved you." I try to block the sob that comes out with my hand. He comes over to me, holding my face in his hand. "I wanted you to know that I love you with everything that I have." My hands go to his chest as I feel his heart beating underneath. "Six months ago, I had forty-seven cents to my name. Next month, I’ll have five point seven million dollars."

My mouth opens in shock and then closes. "You could have nothing, and I would still love you," I say. "The thought of losing you." I swallow the huge lump, I close my eyes and the tears run over. "I don’t ever want to feel that again. I won’t survive," I say the truth. "Losing you would be like losing me."

"You won’t lose me," he says. "Unless Liam put a bullet in me, I was coming back to fight for you." He wipes a tear away. "I was going to fight for us, and I wasn’t taking no for an answer." His hand goes around my waist, and he picks me up. "Now, let’s go take a shower. I haven’t touched you in over four days, so I have a lot of catching up to do." I don’t say anything to him. I let him carry me to the bathroom, and I savor every single second of it.

Epilogue One

Asher

Six months later

"Mr. Asher Normand." The man on stage calls me, and I walk up the four stairs toward him. He holds out his hand for me to shake and holds what I’ve been working toward. I smile at the guy and then look out into the crowd.

The cheers are so loud it’s making me blush. "You’re a popular guy, Mr. Normand," he says.

"My family takes it a bit overboard," I say, shaking my head as I walk down off the stage and toward my seat. My foot moves up and down as I wait until the end of the ceremony before I can get up.

Amelia is the first one I see as she gets on her tippy-toes and kisses me. "Congratulations, officer.”

“Stop hoggin’ him," Ethan says, pushing her aside. "There he is, my big brother." I laugh at him as he hugs me. "I’ve never had a big brother. It’s also gross you’re dating my sister." He fake vomits, and I push his shoulder. Since we found out that we have the same father and are half brothers, he’s become my best friend. I have to wonder if we would be best friends regardless.

"We are so proud of you," Kallie says with tears in her eyes. She has stepped up and welcomes me with open arm. She treats me exactly as a son. I turn and see Jacob with his own tears in his eyes.

"I knew you could do it," he says to me when I walk to him, and he hugs me. "Proud of you, son." I hug him, my own tears coming to my eyes. He has taken me under his wing and has been the father I’ve never had. Beau has been the shining light and has been there for me every time I’ve needed him. And with my father in jail and fighting everything, I’ve needed him. He got life in jail for all of his crimes, and little did we know we were just scratching the surface. They also found out that he burned two of his houses down, committing insurance fraud.