Know this. Cherish this. Love one another and be courageous enough to live your life and love more. Don’t let fear trap you. You’re both too young for that.
Honeysuckle Ridge is where Cyrus asked me to marry him. It’s where Eli took Meg and told her that he was in love with her. This place has a rich history of love. That’s the secret I wanted you to discover, Emily. This family is full of love and our love story contains you. Without it, we’re missing a vital part of our soul.
Oz and Emily—love one another and if you need to part ways because you discover you belong with someone else, that’s okay, too. Remember that you loved each other once and it’s okay to just be friends.
Love the other people in your lives as if this was your last day because you never know if it is. I have loved you both. Your entire lives.
Forever,
Olivia”
We’re silent. I read over the letter again, drinking in her every word. There’s a mixture of sadness and joy coursing in my blood and it causes me to tug Emily closer. She leans her head against mine and it’s like we’re holding each other up.
Olivia loved us. We loved her. She’s right. We never know how many days we have left.
Emily folds the letter with special care and offers it to me. I take it and watch as the girl I love carries out Olivia’s final wish.
Unzipping the plastic bag, Emily stands at the edge of the cliff and slowly releases Olivia’s ashes into the air. “You said the truth sets you free and now you finally are.”
Emily glances over at me and smiles softly. Olivia was right—the truth did set Emily and me free and through that, we found each other.
*
Acknowledgments
To God: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
—John 8:32 NIV
FOR DAVE: FOR HELPING me learn what truth in that statement above really means. I love you, always.
This book wouldn’t be possible without the help of a motorcycle club that welcomed me into their clubhouse and lives, if only for a small window of time. I walked in with a head full of ideas of what to expect and I walked away envious of the relationships you share. You are an amazing group of people and I wish each of you love, success and happiness. A special thank-you to Mother, Fluffy, Rump, Loveshack, Bizkit and Cash. Your time and insights were extremely valuable and appreciated.
A special thank-you to my editor extraordinaire, Margo Lipschultz, and my agent, Kevan Lyon. I’m truly blessed to have the two of you in my life.
I’ve come to love and embrace the “it takes a village” concept over the past few years of my life. This is true not only in my personal life, but in my writing life, as well. Thank you and hugs to: Angela Annalaro-Murphy, Kristen Simmons, Colette Ballard, Kelly Creagh, Bethany Griffin, Kurt Hampe, Bill Wolf, my family and friends.