Page 96 of Making Wild Vows
After we park, we walk hand in hand towards the barn. Jonah leaves me to go check up on Fuzz, and I head straight to Candice’s office. Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door.
“Come in!” she calls out.
I find her inside, sitting in her worn leather chair, Tabitha in her lap purring loudly.
“I’d like to adopt a horse,” I say, taking a seat across from her.
“I thought you might.”
“And I want to pay you to board her here.”
Candice nods, and then pulls out a form from the filing cabinet and slides it across the desk to me. In her lap, Tabitha shifts around and gives her a dark look, as if she betrayed her simply by moving. “Here’s the application. I’m pretty sure you’ll get approved, though.”
I fill out the application carefully anyways, and then I get out my checkbook. “How much is the adoption fee?”
“Two thousand dollars.”
I whistle, but Candice just shrugs. “I know you can afford it,” she says. “And that includes all of Rosie’s medical care and farrier bills.”
“Yeah, yeah, of course it’s fine. I’ll even throw in an extra donation on top of that. And the first year of boarding fees.”
Candice does a quick calculation, and then I fill out the check and pass it over to her. I can tell that she’s pleased and already figuring out how exactly to spend the money. The rescue’s finances are in much better shape than they were before she started dating Nathan, but it still needs every penny it can get.
“Want to go say hi to your new horse?”
“Yes.” For some reason tears well behind my eyes, and I have to swallow them down.
Candice and I walk out to the paddock behind the barn. We find Rosie in a bright red rug, hanging out with Candice’s horse Maggie.
“Rosie!” I call out. To my utter shock and surprise, she trots right over, despite the fact that I haven’t offered her any treats. Maybe she actually misses me, too. I lean over the fence and give her a scratch on her forehead and she nickers softly.
“You’re staying at Star Mountain forever,” I whisper to you. “And I’m going to learn how to ride you properly, and together we’re going to take a thousand trail rides together. Does that sound good?”
She wouldn’t be Rosie if she didn’t respond by darting away and kicking snow up into our faces. Candice and I turn to one another and laugh, grins splitting our cheeks.
EPILOGUE
Winnie
Jonahand I spend that Christmas with his family, and it’s nothing short of a revelation for me. His parents welcome me completely, and there isn’t a single awkward or tense moment, and no one fights across the table, or ignores me during dinner. They love the presents I get them, and his mom surprises me with a hand knit hat that matches my pink boots perfectly. For the first time in my life, I have the kind of family that I want. The one that I chose.
Plus, I don’t hear a word from my parents, and neither does Shelley from their lawyer. They seem truly gone for good. And if they ever try to weasel their way back into my life, I’ll be prepared. I signed up for therapy to make sure of that.
The rest of the world absolutelylovedJonah and I on the Morning Joe, and the supportive comments I received on the selfie of us I posted far outweighed the bad. The world finally knows my story, and I finally feel free.
In the days after the holiday, I finally get the chance to tell Jonah about my idea to open up a new, used, and vintageclothing shop in Star Mountain. He’s all for it, especially once he hears how excited Ronda and her friends are. He introduces me to Hank, and within a few weeks, I’m signing a lease for the store. By February, I’ve got enough stock to plan an opening date, and on March first, Jonah and I finish hanging the sign.
It’s hand carved and painted by Jack, Jonah’s father. He found the perfect shade of blue for the lettering, and even carved a mannequin with a vintage dress on it. It readsSomething Old, Something New.
“It looks perfect,” I say standing back and admiring it. “Thank you so much for hanging it for me.”
Jonah salutes me from on top of the ladder, and then climbs down. “It’s great, Win. There’s nothing else like it in town.”
“Do you think people will come tonight?” I planned a small cocktail party for the opening, and invited everyone I knew in town, plus a bunch of people I’d never met. Basically, every woman in Star Mountain got an invitation, and I’ll be happy if even a fraction of them show up.
“I already heard a few of them talking about it when I got breakfast at Aimee’s earlier. She’s coming, and so are the ladies from mom’s knitting group.”
“Okay, so plus us, the horse rescue crew, and your band that makes at least fifteen.”
“More will come,” Jonah reassures me.
“And buy things?”
“You stocked the place with great stuff, Win. I’m sure you’ll sell plenty. People here are supportive of one another, too.”
“You’re right.” I square my shoulders and face my store. “Let’s go put the final touches on inside.” I open the glass door, smiling at the jingling sound the bell makes. Jonah installed that for me. And he helped me fix the antique cash register that is standing proudly on the wooden desk. Sure, most of the time I’llbe taking card payments, but I wanted everything in here to feel special. Unique.
I survey the space—from the racks of colorful vintage dresses, to the wall of old cowboy boots and hats. The shelves of warm sweaters and fleeces, and the bookcase full of knick-knacks. There’s a small space cleared in one corner, where the band will set up to play later. They’re nearly done recording their album, and it will be released later this spring, with a flurry of local shows planned to celebrate it.
As I watch Jonah rearrange the knick-knacks on the shelves, checking to make sure each one has a price tag, his steady strong hands carefully handling each one, it hits me. It’s here. The life I always wanted. The one that’s all my own. The one I built with the man standing right in front of me.
