“Her I will continue being an asshole to.”

Kelly laughed. “Fine with me. But I’m hoping she never makes it out this way again.”

“She hurt you, too.”

She was not going to bare her past with her mother to Sharon. Baby steps were fine, but it was too much to simply lay it all out like that.

“I took it and made myself better. I’d rather be a good example as a result of this than let Maddie and Kensey ever see the dark side of my childhood.”

“You’re a good mother. Vaughan loves them, no doubt. He works hard, too. But they’re amazing girls and you’re the reason why.”

Surprised, Kelly managed to find her words to thank Sharon for the compliment.

“I... Thank you for not telling me,” Sharon said. “It was hard hearing it from him, but he needed to confess to us. I have no excuse for my crappy behavior. I could tell you I love my kids. But you do and you never used it to hurt me the way I did you. I was so wrong about you. I rose to a defense that was never necessary. I acted terribly. I’m embarrassed and I’m sorry.”

“I...I wasn’t expecting this.” But it was important. And necessary and it made her feel like crying and laughing all at once. Ever since Vaughan had announced he was bringing Kelly home to meet his parents, she’d been so excited.

Had imagined Sharon would take her under her wing and help with things when Vaughan was out on the road.

But that never happened. That first meeting had been terrible and things hadn’t improved after that.

It was time to put away all that disappointment. Neither of them had been what the other thought.

“I love Vaughan. I want him to be happy. And he can’t be if we’re at odds.”

Sharon nodded. “He always has been a sweetie pie. I never thought you were good enough for him. But I was wrong. I hate being wrong.”

Kelly laughed, despite herself. “Must be where Vaughan gets it.”

“So their father always tells me whenever they mess up.” Sharon held a hand out. “Will you give me another chance?”

Kelly paused a moment and then took the hand offered. “I think second chances are pretty important. Yes. We’ll both do that.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

KELLY CAME DOWNSTAIRS after finishing her shower. Normally the girls would stay asleep for at least another hour or two, but the sun was up early at this time of year so she wanted to get her coffee and enjoy the silence while she could get it.

Vaughan waited there with their daughters, a birthday cake on the table along with presents and cards.

She didn’t know what to say. And even if she had, chances were she would have cried anyway.

Her mother had always made birthdays a terrible thing. As far as Rebecca had been concerned, aging was something to be ashamed of. To dread and freak out over.

Kelly always made a big deal out of the girls’ birthdays, but people rarely made one out of hers. Even Stacey knew and respected Kelly’s lack of importance for her own birthdays.

“No one has ever thrown me a surprise birthday party before,” she managed to say.

“What? That’s crazy. Clearly I have my work cut out for me. Luckily, we’ve got lots more birthdays to work with. The girls have a present for you and then I have one for you, too.”

“First cake and candles!” Kensey managed to do some jazz hands that were totally appropriate for the situation. They sang “Happy Birthday,” lit the candles on the cake and she blew them out after making a wish.

Maddie stood next to Vaughan, who had his guitar out. Kensey started to dance as Vaughan began to play the first chords from one of Kelly’s favorite songs ever, Patty Griffin’s “Let Him Fly.”

That was enough to set the tears free, and then Maddie started to sing and there was no stopping the onslaught of messy, snotty mother tears. This child was something special. Her voice was a gift.

Kensey might have been a high-energy monkey, but she danced like she was born to. And Kelly had long felt she had been born to do just that.

Their daughters were all the best parts of Kelly and Vaughan. Threaded with their lack of patience, they also had incredible amounts of compassion, love and creativity.

Kelly clapped at the end, using paper towels to mop up her eyes.

“My turn.” Vaughan sat and started to play a song she hadn’t heard yet, but it was definitely part of the new material he’d been working on.

The song was about losing love. About having this wonderful thing but not taking care of it. Loss, so much loss and pain and then happiness. Connection.

It wouldn’t have been a good Sweet Hollow Ranch song. But it was a beautiful song. A Vaughan Hurley song. About Kelly. About their relationship and the stumbles and failures along the way.

“It’s called ‘Salvation,’” he said when he finished up. “What do you think?”

“Drown, drown in tears, salt salt it dries you out,” she said, mainly to herself. “It’s beautiful. I don’t know what to say. How to even put into words how much I love the songs and the dance. And the cake, of course. This is my very favorite birthday ever.”

And that was totally true.

They ate cake, and Kelly didn’t let herself think about the calories. She’d work out longer tomorrow morning. But for then, she had no cares at all.

“Oh, this is yours.” Vaughan handed her some cards and little packages and she opened them. Some were from Stacey. Some were hand drawn by the girls; there was one from each one of his brothers, even. And then there was one from Vaughan.