I hold the letter up. “Accordin’ to this, Em and I are the only ones who can heal the rift of history's past.”
“That rift died along with Sully and Gramps,” he replies. “Things are fine between us and the Wilsons now.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t feel like we’re two families united by marriage generations ago, does it? There’s still a big gap between neighbors and family.”
Will shrugs. “It’s a hell of a lot better than when we first arrived in town.”
“It is, but the mountain is still split in half.”
“There ain’t no way we’re mergin’ the ranches. Gramps wouldliterallycome back and haunt us if that happened.”
I look back at the words on the page.
She’s out there, Jude, and I know you’re about to find her. It’s been written in the stars before you both were born. You two together are the only ones who can bring the mountain back together again, even if you end up needing Sully Wilson’s blessing to make it happen.
Gramps was wrong about one thing. I didn’t need Sully’s blessing. Sully neededme.
Will cocks his head. “What is it?”
“Me and Em. This confirms it. I knew before but this just proves I’m right.” I look down at him. “Em Wilson is my One.”
“And what are you goin’ to do about that?” Will asks, curiously.
That’s when I remember what Gramps said about Henley dressing in his Sunday best for his bride. “I need a black leather tie.”
“What?” he says with a laugh. “That’s… random.”
“It’s what Henley wore when he marriedhisMarion. I’m goin’ to do the same. If ever there was a time to court favor with the mountain spirit, this is it. Besides, I’m gettin’ married. This calls for a tie.”
He frowns. “OK… then what are you goin’ to do?”
“Then I’m goin’ to marry my One.”
It’s only after I read the first letter Henley Cooper wrote abouthisMarion Wilson, that I realize there’s one last thing I need to do before we leave the ranch and head over to the other side of the mountain.
I need to write to my One.
Unsent Letter - Henley to Marion.
Today I saw my future laid out before me.
It wasn’t because of a plan or even a decision I made. It was the sight of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen.
It wasn’t that I hadn’t seen you before, but today your beauty shot through me like a bolt from the sky.
Your long blonde hair was swept down to brush your hips. Your gorgeous crystal blue eyes were shining in the sunlight like a beacon to my soul.
You walked tall, shoulders back, looking elegant and worldly. A woman—a person—worthy of everything she could ever want. Yet you were kind and polite. You even helped an old lady who’d dropped her purse on the ground.
Somehow, today I knew that I was going to be the man that would make you smile every day for the rest of your life.
I can’t seem to escape the memory of you and I don’t want to.
I already know that I’ll be visiting town more often now, just for the chance to see you again. But next time, I’ll make sure to talk to you… or at least try.
I remember you. There’s no way I could ever forget you. It’s just that today, my heart didn’t just skip a beat at the sight of you, it galloped like a wild horse that couldn’t be tamed.
I’ve never felt anything like it—and it’s all because of you.