“We probably should go, Madison,” my mom says.
I’m not ready to leave yet. I want to spend more time with Kelsey and my brothers, but if I say that, I might hurt my mom, and this has already been a hard day for her.
“I’ll see you next week,” I tell Gabe and then stand.
Ethan gives me a hug as I walk to the door. The only person in the room who hasn’t hugged me is Kelsey, and I haven’t hugged her. We aren’t there yet, but I want to.
“I’m glad you came, Madison,” she says, her eyes misting again.
“Me too!”
“Monday?”
“Monday.” I walk to my parents who are waiting and turn back to look one last time. The piano is behind her, and even though the lessons have been so important to me before, they are only secondary now.
I can’t just walk out like this, so I rush back to Kelsey to hug her.
Her arms come around me, and she pulls me tight. She shudders as a sob breaks.
I can’t control my own shaking as the tears come. Like a dam has broken loose, and we stand there holding each other, crying. I know her journey and her pain. I read her letters and the love she poured out in those is now being poured out to me.
“Thank you,” I say when I can finally talk. “You chose really well.” She did find me the perfect family.
Kelsey sniffs and pulls back. “You don’t hate me.”
The worry and fear are in her eyes.
“No. I get it. I really do.”
Tears stream down her face, and my cheeks are wet too.
Ethan grabs a box of tissues and shoves them at us. “Girls!” He’s a bit disgusted.
We both chuckle at that as we wipe our eyes.
“I’ve got Uncle Ryan,” Liam calls as he launches himself in the room.
A guy about the age of Alex follows Liam in to the room. He’s carrying a camera, and I can’t help but smile. Ryan was taking pictures of me before I was born. Or, at least Kelsey’s belly while she carried me.
“Come on,” Liam pulls on Alex’s hand.
“What are you doing?” Kelsey asks.
“A real family picture!” Liam announces as if it’s obvious. “With all of us.”
Before I know it, the boys are surrounding me, and Kelsey is at my side. Alex is on her other side, and Ryan is pointing the camera at us. I probably look like shit from crying, but I don’t care. I want a picture of this day, when all the pieces of my life fell into place.
More
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading THE RATTLE BOX. For more Dylan’s story, watch for RATTLE HIS CAGE, available in November, 2016.
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About Jane Charles
Jane Charles is a USA Today Bestselling author who has lived in the Midwest her entire life. As a child she would more likely be found outside with a baseball than a book in her hand. In fact, Jane hated reading until she was sixteen. Out of boredom on a long road trip she borrowed her older sister’s historical romance and fell in love. Eventually she penned one of the many stories that were always in her head and discovered her passion for writing. Jane is an author of both historical and contemporary and blames being a Gemini on why she can’t pick one over the other.
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@JaneACharles
JaneCharlesAuthor
www.JaneCharlesAuthor.com
Jane Charles’s New Adult Romance
Baxter Boys
Rattled: Rattled #1 (Baxter Boys Series ~ Rattled)
Still Rattled: Rattled #2 (Baxter Boys Series ~ Rattled)
The Rattle Box: Rattled #3 (Baxter Boys Series ~ Rattled)
Baxter Academy
Valentine Wishes: The Legacy #1 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Legacy)
Colors of You: The Academy #1 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Academy)
Shadows of Memory: The Academy #2 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Academy)
Casting Doubt: The Academy #3 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Academy)
Between the Lines: The Academy #4 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Academy)
Jane Charles’s Historical Romance
The Tenacious Trents
Compromised For Christmas
Landing a Laird
A Misguided Lord
A Perfect Gentlemen
Devil in Her Dreams
A Lass For Christmas
A Reluctant Rake
Lady Revealed
Lady Disguised
Lady Concealed
A Tenacious Trent’s Wedding
Lady Admired
Wiggon’s School For Elegant Young Ladies
To Walk in the Sun
Ghosts From the Past
A Gentleman’s Guide to Once Upon a Time
His Impetuous Debutante
His Contrary Bride
His Not So Sensible Miss
His Christmas Match
Muses
Her Muse, Lord Patrick
Her Muse, Her Magic
One More Haunted Evening
