Page 61 of Before You Can Blink (Rust Canyon #4)

Jett

The Afterlife

My vision swam as I blinked my eyes open. Eventually, my world came into focus, but I remained disoriented.

Everywhere I looked, there were people looking as confused as I felt. And they all had one thing in common: they were all young. If I had to guess, most were in their twenties, but there were a handful of children and teenagers thrown into the mix.

Where the hell am I?

Before I had a chance to ask anyone if they had a clue as to what was going on, a familiar female voice called out, “Jett!”

It couldn’t be her, could it?

My heart rate kicked up, and frantically, my eyes searched the crowd.

Then my jaw hit the damn floor when Daisy came into view.

Because this was not the same Daisy from when I’d closed my eyes in bed. No, it was the twenty-four-year-old version of the woman I loved, almost like I was conjuring up a memory from the day we met.

Stunned, my feet remained frozen to the spot as she rushed toward me .

She leapt into my arms, and with an ease that hadn’t been present in decades, I lifted her off the ground.

I clung to her, tightening my hold, afraid that if I let go, she might disappear.

My wife buried her face in my neck, whispering, “I missed you so much.”

Confused out of my goddamn mind, I said, “I don’t understand. How is this even possible?”

Daisy pulled back enough that I could see her face, which featured a shy smile. “We made it to Heaven, baby.”

“What?” I dropped her to her feet and began to pace. “But how? I just got here.”

Then a thought struck me, and my stomach lurched, my hands flying to my head where the hair there was surprisingly thick.

“Oh God. Please tell me we didn’t pass at the same time. The kids . . .”

She approached where I stood, shaking her head. “No, honey. I went on for four more years without you.”

“Well, what in the world have I been doing all that time? Because the last thing I remember is closing my eyes in bed, holding you.”

Cupping my face, she pulled my lips down for a kiss. “You were waiting for me.”

With my forehead pressed to hers, I stated the obvious. “And you’re young.”

Her laughter rolled over me like honey. “Hate to break it to you, Jett, but so are you.”

“What?” I reared back, eyes wide. When I glanced down, my rounded middle was notably absent, and a quick survey of my hands showed them to be completely wrinkle- and liver-spot-free.

Bending my knees, I tested the joints, expecting them to ache and creak, but instead they acted like well-oiled hinges .

“This is wild,” I murmured in awe.

Daisy giggled. “But kinda amazing at the same time.” Her palm came to rest on my stomach. “Told you I missed these abs.”

My head tipped back, and a hearty chuckle rolled up my throat.

Looking around, I gestured to the others gathered, “So all these people . . . ?”

“Today’s the day they’re reunited with their loved ones, so they can enjoy all of eternity together.”

My brow furrowed. “Why are there kids?”

A sad smile formed on her lips. “Those are the ones who didn’t make it to old age, like us. Instead of waiting for their soulmate, they’ve been waiting for their parents.”

The pain of losing a child was unimaginable, but there was a small comfort in knowing those families became whole again once they reached the other side.

Speaking of kids . . .

“Everyone doing okay back home? I kinda thought I’d be able to watch over them.” I tugged on the back of my neck. “But I guess everything about this has been different from what I expected.”

“We will,” she promised. “Now that we’re together, we can check in on them any time we want.”

“So, I guess it’s up to you to fill me in on what I missed, then, huh?”

Humming, she took my hand, leading me past where other loved ones were reconnecting, and, eventually, the crowd grew thinner before a beautiful garden with several walking paths came into view.

I had a fleeting thought that I must’ve been right all along that she was an angel sent from above to save my soul, because she seemed to know her way around .

“Let’s see,” she began. “Aspen sold her business and Mac retired, so they’re both fully focused on the foundation, doing more good than ever before. Tripp and Penny are transitioning the ranch responsibilities over to Cash. Boy’s a natural.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “He always was my little barn buddy, tagging along and begging for chores. Even when he was barely higher than my knee.”

“With no next of kin, Naomi gave her half of the Range to Reagan.” My wife’s smile grew brighter. “And as of today, she owns the whole thing, free and clear. I gave her your half, too.”

Warmth flooded my chest. “The kitchen is her happy place.”

“Bentley graduated from Baylor, and went off to medical school. Wouldn’t you know it? We inspired him to become a transplant surgeon.”

Impressed, I let out a low whistle.

“Sawyer got a scholarship to play football at Oklahoma,” she continued.

“No way,” I breathed out.

“And, boy, is his daddy proud. Goes to every home game he can to cheer for the Sooners with his son under center. There’s already buzz that he’s going to get drafted. Might even be a first-round pick.”

“Can’t wait to peek in on that.”

Daisy batted at my chest, teasing, “Please tell me we’re not going to spend all our time up here watching football.”

I bumped her shoulder with mine. “Don’t see why not, since I didn’t have much time for it when I was alive.”

With an exaggerated sigh that was more playful than aggravated, she said, “I suppose we can sacrifice one day a week to cheer on our little superstar.”

She’d been using her fingers to tick off our grandchildren and had reached the final two .

“Ellie’s off in Nashville, waiting tables while chasing her dream of country music fame.”

“Sounds about right,” I mused. “And Paisley?”

My wife stiffened beside me, and the sudden change in her demeanor sent a chill down my spine.

Pulling in a deep breath, she said, “Paisley’s a mama.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “ Our little Paisley Sullivan? She couldn’t have been more than . . .“ My words trailed off as I tried to do the mental math.

“She was only twenty, and it’s Paisley McKinley, now.”

“McKinley. She married one of Sammy’s grandsons?” When Daisy nodded, I asked, “Duke or Davis?”

“Both.”

“Both?” My eyes bulged. “Like, at the same time?”

“No, honey. Not at the same time.” Exhaling heavily, Daisy said, “It’s a really long, sad story, but one that does eventually get a happy ending.”

“Will you tell it to me?”

Threading her fingers through mine, she shrugged. “Don’t see why not. We’ve got plenty of time.”

Time.

The one thing that had been so fleeting it felt like sand slipping through my fingers.

Now, we had an infinite amount—me with my girl forever.

This truly was Heaven.

For a bonus scene where you get a peek at Daisy’s POV, you can find here .

Missed out on the earlier Rust Canyon couples? You can catch up with Aspen and Mac’s story in Festive Faking , Bex and Tucker’s in Coming Home Country , and Tripp and Penny’s in Crashing the Altar .