Page 130 of Freeing Denver

It’s kind words. A good thing to say as we part ways.

“No, you’re not,” I say, grinning. He wrinkles his nose as if he agrees. “Thanks for saying it, anyway.”

He leans close to my ear. “Always happy to bullshit you, Deluxe.”

I tut.

We dance quietly after that, and when the song ends, he tucks his hand into his inside suit pocket and takes out an envelope. It’s thick, and he hesitates, his thumb running across the neat handwriting.

“It was Robert Merrick who sent your father’s letters,” he says, and my heart skips a beat. So much has happened that I’d forgotten about the final words my father sent me, the ones Ranger destroyed, and the ones that Finn kept for me. Robert and my father were close, but I’d never considered it could have been him who kept my father’s wish to guide me through the years. Alistair looks down at the envelope in his hand. “This is the last letter. For your wedding day.”

He hands it to me, and I run my fingertip over my father’s handwriting, my heart quick, my mind racing with what he could have said.

“Robert said he didn’t believe Ranger would be the one for you. And, rightly or wrongly, he kept this,” Alistair says, nodding at the letter. “When I was in San Francisco, I met him and … I told him you’d finally found the right person.”

I look up at him. “You said that?”

He scratches the back of his neck. “I was feeling sentimental. Don’t hold it against me.”

“Thank you, Alistair.” I glance around the room, the music changing, the sea of people heavier than before. “Can you ask Colt to meet me upstairs? I think I might need him after reading this.”

Alistair nods, and I head for the exit. A few guests wave as I pass, and I reach the wide, red-carpeted staircase. The envelope is firmly in my grip as I take the steps, my wedding dress trailing behind me.

The beep of the suite door feels distant, my mind lost with excitement, and my brain buzzes as I stand in the room in silence.

These are my father’s final words. The last bit of advice he’ll ever give me—if he gives me any at all. I almost don’t want to open it so I can always imagine and this last way to communicate with him never ends.

I open the double doors at the far side of the room and sit on the bed. My hand trembles as I open the envelope carefully and unfold the last thing my father will ever say to me.

Hey,Deedee.

Happy Wedding Day, baby. God, I wish I was there. I wish I could watch you walk down the stairs in your dress. I wish I could hold your hand and pretend I’m not nervous, even though I’d be scared to death to say goodbye. But maybe that’s old fashioned. It isn’t really goodbye, is it?

Okay, baby, first things first. Would I like him? I hope so. I also hope he’s nothing like me but strong enough to keep you safe.

Does he make you laugh? Does he make you feel secure? Does he make you happy, Deedee?

You might think I’m a hypocrite for giving you advice. I’m sure you saw that your mom and I had our troubles. I made promises I knew I couldn’t keep, but I’d have promised her magic if it meant her staying with me. I loved her the best way I knew how, and we were more happy than we weren’t.

So, here goes. This is my advice.

Don’t lie, don’t cheat, and don’t forget.

Don’t lie. Always be honest with him and ask for the same. Even when it hurts, it’s better to know the truth.

Don’t cheat. That’s self-explanatory, right?

Don’t forget. The good, the bad, and the ugly. It all makes a marriage. Remember everything, especially how much you loved him at the beginning, because there are tough times you’ll face that might make it easy to forget.

As the years pass, you’ll grow, you’ll change, and you’ll become a dozen different Denvers, and he’ll change too—promise to fall in love with every version of him, and you’ll get through.

Damn. I think that’s all I have, baby girl. I thought I was wiser than this, but I’m sure Finn will be able to keep an eye on you and help you along the way.

I love you, Deedee.

Always will.

Dad.