Rusty stood next to his brother, looking out over the park. “It looks amazing, Bro, even better than when we were kids,” Matt said.

Rusty smiled and nodded. It was one of his proudest accomplishments...one that would live forever. His eyes scanned the ornamental trees that had been recently planted, the benches that were restored to their former luster, the flowers in every vibrant color he could imagine. The dark green grass was interspersed with walkways, covered in cobblestones and leading to the pond that was now clear and beautiful and stocked with colorful Koi, and a bridge now arched over it...and just beyond that bridge, overlooking the pond was a white arbor in a small meadow surrounded by flowers, where Rusty now stood next to his brother, in front of his father waiting to marry the love of his life.

He had spent the past year coaching the kids and during that time, Rusty had come up with the idea of sprucing up the park a bit. But, once the project started, the ideas from the kids and the community just kept rolling in and Rusty moved from one project to the next...the opportunity to think creatively and watch as his ideas and sketches came to life filled him with a purpose and a pride in himself unlike any he'd felt before.

One day as he was sitting underneath a tree, sketching a picture of an area he wanted to put in the park for people to come and meditate, or pray or just think quietly, Blue walked up behind him and said, “Hey, you think this is it?”

“What's that?” he asked her.

“You think this is the big thing you and I were destined for...and that's why all the bad stuff happened, to get us here?”

Rusty wasn't sure why all the bad stuff had happened, but he did strongly believe that rebuilding the park was a good thing to do for the kids and the community. From that day on, Blue designated herself as his “design partner.” She had some really great ideas...the best one was to have a cross, the shape of the one that Saint used to wear, carved into the center of the meditation area.

The other kids came up with some great ideas too. Rusty let Isaac help the contractors work on the football field and ultimately the boy that they all had thought was self-absorbed came up not only with an entire sports center where not only football but basketball, soccer and even tennis could be played...he'd also come up with an idea to put in a section of play equipment that could be easily accessed by “special needs” kids. Rusty found out that day why Judge Gannon had been so diligent in his job when it came to drunk drivers. Isaac brought his little brother out to the park that day. He was ten years old and he was in a wheelchair. He was non-verbal and because of a closed head injury when he was only six, he functioned at a kindergarten level. He'd been struck in front of their home by a drunk driver in the middle of the day. Rusty's heart both broke for the family and warmed when he saw Isaac with his brother. It was also a good reminder to him of how blessed and lucky he was.

The spot where the wedding would be held today was his idea. He'd already been thinking of asking Shelly to marry him, but he waited until the arbor was up and the flowers had all been planted around it and then he'd brought her out there in the moonlight one night and he'd gotten down on one knee and proposed. She accepted, tearfully and after they made love in his backyard, he showed her the one-year chip he'd gotten at his meeting that day.

His parents got home in time for the wedding. His mother had taken Shelley under her wing and the two of them were almost inseparable as they planned the wedding. The funniest part Rusty thought, to an outside looking in, would be the rest of the participants. They had worked with a caterer who was a close friend of Dax's...a fiery little woman named “Hurricane Katrina.” Angel and Dax's brother Gunner's old lady, Tammy had thrown the bridal shower at the clubhouse and his mother had raved about what a beautiful event it had been.

His sister Chloe and her kids were there. Matt's wife and their kids were there and all of Rusty's friends from his new life, including the kids he coached, and their parents were there. He turned now and looked toward the “meditation circle” as Blue had named it and he was filled with warmth instantly, and he knew that Saint was there too.

The music began to float out of the big speakers the prospects had brought out from the ranch and set up and Rusty turned again toward the white tent at the end of the long white aisle that ran between the seats. The flaps were pulled back and Shelly stepped out. He knew he loved her months ago, but at that moment he felt something almost magical when he looked at her. She filled him with hope for his future, something he had lacked for way too long. This was his second chance...she was his second chance and in the vows he'd written himself, he planned on making a promise to her that he would never let a day go by when he didn't remind her of just how much he loved her and how important she was in his life. He also intended to promise her that if he ever felt like he had to take a drink, he'd come to her first. He knew relapse was part of addiction and so did Shelly, but they intended to put each other first always, and be there for the other one...not to judge, but to guide.

He smiled as the audience stood up and she made her way down the aisle. She was barefoot with an ankle bracelet made of flowers around one foot and all ten toes painted the same bright lavender color as her hair. Her dress was made of off-white lace and the wreath she wore on her head was made of twisted wildflowers. The tattoos on her arms popped with color under the afternoon sun and he thought she looked like a fairy...come to wave her magic wand and save his life. She'd already done that once. That day in the clubhouse when she'd been willing to talk to him about going to a meeting rather than having the sex they'd gone upstairs to have. She'd opened up her own wounds to soothe his. She'd led him, gently into this new life and he couldn't wait to see where else she would take him in the years to come.

Dax walked next to her down the aisle and when they reached Rusty he kissed Shelley on the cheek and gave her a wink before handing her over to her fiancé. Rusty took her hand and prepared himself to vow to love, honor and cherish her until the day they both got called back “Home.”

The next book in the series is Chopper…