Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Archer wraps his arms around me, and a single tear breaks free, slipping down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away. “Go ahead and open them,” he tells his family.
“This wasn’t necessary,” Raymond speaks up. “It was our pleasure to have your company today, Scarlett. If you ever find yourself in need of people around you, holiday or not, you get back here to Willow River. We’ve got you.”
I smile and nod, because the tears are so close to unleashing. Archer gives me another squeeze. Rushton stands and brings me Caden. I offer him a thankful smile. His wife has a similar background, and somehow Rushton knows I need a distraction.
“Thanks, brother,” Archer says, his own voice sounding gravelly.
“Oh, Scarlett,” Carol says. “This is— I love it. Thank you so much.” She turns her frame, one of the eleven that I brought with me. In the center is a picture that I snapped of Carol and Raymond at Crosby’s baby shower. There are ten outlying images in the matted frame. Each one is the boy and their families and Ramsey and her family. At the bottom, their last name is written in script in large letters, and beneath their name, it reads, Work hard and love harder.
“That’s why you wanted our picture,” Ramsey says. “This is incredible, Scarlett.”
“You told me you needed practice.” Kennedy points a finger at me.
“I’m sorry I lied, but I wanted it to be a surprise.”
She nods and tears into their package.
“They’re all the same,” I tell all of them. “I started to do something different, but the love that you all share with one another… the support you provide as a family, I thought everyone might like the same one.”
“They’re perfect.” Palmer stands. “Take Caden, Arch.” Archer does as he’s told, and Palmer holds her hand out to me. I place mine in hers, and she pulls me to my feet. “We love you, Scarlett. I know you’re leaving, but you need to know you have a home here. If you ever lose your way or just want a place to land, it’s here. In Willow River with us.” She hugs me tightly, and I return her hug as tears fall freely.
Raymond said something similar earlier, and I feel their love, their support of me following my dreams, and their sincerity of always welcoming me into their home.
“Now, give me my nephew.” Palmer pulls away and takes Caden from Archer.
“Hey,” he calls after her.
“I have one.” Deacon stands and brings baby Brynlee over. However, he hands her to me instead of Archer. “She’s prettier than you. You might scare my baby girl,” Deacon teases Archer.
Archer laughs it off. I know what they’re doing. They’re lightening the mood, and I could hug them both for it. This family truly is incredible.
We settle in as Carol and Raymond open their gifts from each of their sons, and then the parents open gifts for their little ones. Remi, Orion, and Beckham are just over a year and enjoyed the paper more than what was beneath, and Blakely handled hers all on her own. Brynlee and Caden didn’t know what was going on, but they were angels in the chaos of the moment. It’s one of the greatest days and will be a memory that I will take with me forever.
“Now,” Archer says as we step into his house. “Are you ready for your present?”
“Is that even a real question?” I laugh. “My bag is already under the tree.” I point to the bag that I brought in earlier before we left for his parents’ place.
“Oh, I know what I got.”
“That frame, yes, but I got you more than that.”
“Where are we doing this?” he asks.
“By the tree, of course.” I kiss his cheek and move to turn on the tree lights before sitting on the floor, dragging my bag over to take everything out of it.
“You have to open one first,” he says, sitting on the floor next to me.
“Why do I have to go first?”
“Because ladies are always first.”
“Fine. Gimme.” I hold out my hand, and he digs under the tree. There are only a few presents left. “Let’s do this one.” He hands me a small box.
Carefully, I peel back the wrapping paper. It’s a long black box with a popular jeweler's name on the front. I open the box and gasp. “Archer.”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it. It’s beautiful.” Inside is a charm bracelet with a few charms. I immediately recognize the camera charm. Pulling the bracelet out of the box, I look over each charm. There’s a camera, a fish, a ghost, and a Christmas tree. “Is that… a firecracker?”
“Yep. I had to really search to find that one. It’s my favorite.”
“Archer, this is incredible. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, baby.”
“Your turn.” I hand him a small box. This is more of a gag gift, but I had to get it.