Finding Forever (Living Again #4) (32 page)

He slid the gorgeous round diamond on her finger. If she would’ve ever picked out a ring for herself, this was it. Though that didn’t surprise her, because Brant had always known her better than she seemed to know herself. The small diamonds that surrounded the band made it look slightly antique, and she loved it.

“I know things are still crazy, with you finishing chemo soon and doing radiation. I just didn’t want you to go one more day without knowing that you’re mine. Forever. I’d marry you tomorrow if you would let me, but if you want the big wedding, I’ll wait for whenever you want.”

“I don’t want to wait too long,” she murmured against his neck, loving the smell of her now fiancé.

“Good,” Brant laughed. “Then I can stop lying to people about being your husband and actually
be
your husband.”

“I love you, GQ. You’ve made what’s been the worst few months of my life also some of the best. If none of this would’ve happened, who knows if I would’ve ever met you. I’m thankful for you every day.”

“I love you too, Lacey soon-to-be Tucker. And I always will.”

Lacey Tucker. She liked the sound of that.

Brant pulled into the parking lot where Lacey got her chemotherapy for the last time. Today was her last treatment. It had been about five months since she had started, and she was finally going to be free of the crippling sickness and pain.

She was beaming, and he could feel the energy rolling off her in waves. “Who knew that I’d be so happy to pull up to this place?”

“Last time,” Brant said.

“Last time.” Lacey looked out the window, lost in thought for a moment. “I can’t believe it’s been over seven months since I found out I had cancer, and over eight since the whole thing began.” She looked down at her finger, at the ring that he had given her on Christmas. “I can’t wait to start the rest of our lives. One more hurdle to cross, then we need to hear those magic words.”

Lacey was going to have to do six straight weeks of radiation, to hopefully kill any remaining hidden cancer cells in her chest. After that, if all looked good, she would be considered cancer free.

“You will,” Brant said confidently. “You’re going to get the radiation done, then we’re going to plan our wedding and start the rest of our lives.”

“I can’t wait to get some hair back,” Lacey said, touching her head. “It better grow fast, because I’m not marrying you with my bald head.”

“I’d marry you with your bald head right now,” Brant joked, pulling her scarf.

She smacked his hand playfully. “Come on, let’s get in there. Can you get the package from the back?”

Brant reached in the back and got the gift that Lacey had put together for Dena, the nurse that she had become close to. He knew that Dena had a special place in her heart for Lacey, and she always went out of her way to make Lacey’s time there as positive as it could be.

Dena walked over to Lacey, her grin so wide Brant could see all of her teeth.

“I see an empty bag, Mrs. Tucker-to-be,” she said, clapping her hands. “Guess what that means?”

Lacey’s hands went to her mouth, and tears filled her eyes. “Happy tears,” she whispered behind her hands. “It’s over.”

“It’s over,” Dena repeated, removing the IV from her port and flushing it. “I’m sure happy to not have to see
his
ugly mug here anymore.”

The three of them laughed. It wasn’t a secret how much Dena adored Brant. “I’m sure glad we don’t have to put up with the
awful
personality of the nurse she sees here,” Brant joked back. Lacey was actually holding her stomach, she was laughing so hard. He would do anything in the world to keep seeing her that happy.

“We got you something,” Lacey said, reaching behind the chair to get the bag out.

“You what? Oh, please. I’m already on the verge of losing it that you made it and are out of here, but now you’re really pushing it.”

“I can never thank you enough,” Lacey said, reaching out and holding onto Dena’s hand. “This place is… awful, to say the least. You were the
only
positive to being here. You always took the time out to make me feel comfortable, and I know that you’re overworked and underappreciated.”

Dena fanned her face, fighting a losing battle with her tears. Brant knew exactly how she felt; there was something special about Lacey that brought out the emotion. When all was said and done, Lacey had gone all out for her favorite nurse. She got her bottles of wine, an eReader, gift cards for massages, pedicures, and manicures. Dena gasped every time she opened something.

“There’s something else on the bottom,” Lacey announced, winking at Brant.

Dena pulled out the copy of GQ that Brant had been on. He had signed the cover for her as a gag gift. She burst out laughing, holding the magazine to her chest. “Oh, I will treasure it
always
. My very own signed copy of Mr. GQ himself.”

Lacey stood up from the chair for the last time, and despite the humor of joking with Dena, Brant found himself fighting a lump in his throat as he saw her look around the room for the last time.

“I hope I never have to see this room again in my life,” she whispered, more to herself than anything. But he heard her. He always heard her.

“Keep in touch. But if you ever cross this doorway again, I’ll kick your ass,” Dena joked, hugging Lacey tightly. “I expect an invitation to the wedding, and to see your firstborn baby someday.”

Silence enveloped the three of them, and Brant couldn’t help but think about how differently this could’ve turned out. He would spend his life being grateful for this very moment right now. Ever since that awful nightmare he had where Lacey had died, it had made him appreciate every single moment with her even more than he did before.

“How’s Lacey feeling?” Brant’s mom had called, which she did more often now. Many times Lacey talked to her, and she had actually helped their relationship quite a bit.

“Terrible, but ecstatic all at the same time,” Brant explained. “We’re so happy this is one step closer to being over, Mom.”

“Is it okay if we come over? Your dad and I would like to talk to you both.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. “Come here?” They never came here. Months ago, with Lacey’s approval, Brant had put his house up for sale. He was now a permanent resident of Lacey’s home. Max loved it, since Lacey was his favorite now, anyway. “Is everything okay, Mom?”

“Don’t worry, son,” she reassured him. “Can we bring dinner? What can Lacey eat?”

“She probably won’t, but you can make her some of that soup you brought her last time. She really liked that, once she was able to eat again. Neither of you have been sick? No sniffles or anything?” Brant was overly cautious about that now, not wanting to take the chance at Lacey getting sick again.

“We would never put her at risk like that. We’ll see you later.”

Brant hung up, wondering what in the world was going on, because they never just came for a ‘visit’.

Lacey curled into his lap, her eyes closed but not sleeping. His stubborn girl refused to go lay down and sleep when his parents were there visiting.

“Thanks for letting us come to visit,” Brant’s mom said. “Lacey, we’re so happy that you’re done with treatment. It’s got to be such a relief for you.”

She smiled, nodding but not saying a word.

“I’m sure you figured we were coming for a reason,” his dad began. Ah, here it was. The real reason. “I wanted to tell you in person that we’re putting the ranch up for sale.”

Brant’s stomach dropped. “What?”

“I have no choice, son,” his dad continued. “With all of my medical bills, plus the debt the ranch has incurred over the last few years with prices raising, I just can’t keep it afloat anymore.”

Brant knew what he
wasn’t
saying, and he found himself wondering why his father wasn’t blaming him for having to sell the property that had been in his family for generations. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” his father answered. “I need someone younger, better with technology and the ‘new ways’ of doing things to buy it. I’m going to try to negotiate to keep the name, but at the end of the day, it’s what I need to do.”

Brant looked over at Lacey, whose eyes were wide with shock. She knew that Brant was worried about what his dad
wasn’t
saying. He hadn’t been the best with holding his tongue in the past.

“I also have one more thing to say,” he said. Robert exchanged a look with Brant’s mother before continuing. “I’m very sorry for the way I’ve treated you over the last ten years. I’ve been, in a word, an asshole. I should’ve never treated you as less than a man for what your dreams were. The way you have been there for Lacey, your unselfish love for her, is what finally showed me what I had been doing all these years. I was mean to you for so many things that I should’ve been celebrating about you. But despite all that, you turned out to be the most amazing man I could ever have imagined.”

He heard Lacey gasp, but he couldn’t take his eyes off his dad. He
apologized
to him? Tears shimmered in his dad’s eyes. He had never in his life seen him cry. Brant stood and they hugged, his dad breaking down on his shoulder.

“Thank you,” Brant whispered, holding on to him for fear this would all disappear. When Brant finally let go, he turned to see his mom huddled with Lacey, both of their faces streaked with tears.

“We’re so proud of you,” his father said, the words that Brant had waited twenty-seven years to hear. “And proud to welcome Lacey into our family.”