The Construction of Cheer - Liz Isaacson Page 0,42

be there, despite what Bishop had said. “Dear Lord,” he whispered, letting his eyes fall closed as they burned. “Thank you.”

“Have you read the letters?” Bishop asked.

Bear shook his head. “She’d never let us as kids. She didn’t want them to get ripped.” He opened his eyes and looked at Bishop and then Montana, who watched them with a supporting smile on her face. “After that, I guess I just…forgot about them.”

“I was only eighteen when he died,” Bishop said, and Montana stepped around Bear to his side. She linked her arm through his, and Bishop ducked his head to look at her, creating a safe space for the two of them behind the brim of his cowboy hat.

Oh, yeah, she already had sharp teeth in his heart, and Bear let the happiness he felt flow through him. He wanted everyone in his family to find a forever love the way he had, and no one more than Bishop.

“That’s not all,” Bishop said. “Should we go in?” He glanced toward the house and took out a large, orange envelope. “Is anyone else here?”

“No,” Bear said. “I came straight back after you called. I texted, and everyone in our family confirmed. Ranger and Ward are coming too. Haven’t heard from the twins or Ace.”

“Well, it’s not their mother.”

“They’ll still want to see them,” Bear said, closing the lid on the box. “If they can. I called Sammy. I hope she can come.”

“Me too,” Bishop held up the envelope. “There’s money in here.”

“Big surprise,” Bear said with a smile. “I’ll stick it in a closet for y’all to find after I die.”

He grinned at Montana. “My grandmother did that, and we found money in the strangest places after she passed. Daddy picked it up from her.”

“That’s sweet,” Montana said. “You guys clearly love your father. And your mother.”

“Yes,” Bear said, because what else could he say? He had loved his father with all he had, and he still did. Mother had a special piece of his heart as well, and Bear wasn’t going to apologize for it.

“I go to lunch with Mother at least once a month,” Bishop said. “Just me and her. It’s….” He looked at Bear, a measure of fear in his eyes.

“I didn’t know that,” Bear said. He started for the homestead, hoping Bishop would say more but suspecting he wouldn’t.

Sure enough, Bishop fell silent, and together, along with Benny, they went inside the homestead. Bear’s phone chimed, and Sammy had texted with, I’ll be there, Bear.

His love for her multiplied, and Bear didn’t think that was possible. He’d enjoyed their engagement immensely, and the wedding had been all of Sammy’s dreams. His too, if he’d ever had any fantasies about his wedding.

The honeymoon had been warm and wonderful, and Bear missed the bright blue ocean and the big ship they’d ridden on to get to it. He missed the golden sand and lying next to Sammy under the sun without a care in the world.

He still got to kiss her goodnight and wake up with her curled into his side, and he could be anywhere with her and be happy.

He’d been screened for colon cancer the day after they’d returned from the Caribbean, and his test had come back clean. Once Sammy had learned that disease had taken Daddy from the ranch and the family at such a young age, she’d insisted he get scanned every year, starting now.

“People die from that, Bear,” she said. “Obviously. And they die young. Your daddy got sixty years, but I know people who’ve died at forty-three.”

He’d do anything to make her happy, and if that meant going to the hospital for an uncomfortable test, he’d do it. He should’ve been doing it anyway, and he needed to tell all the men in his family to do the same.

“Okay,” Bishop said, and Bear lifted his head from looking at the box. “There are letters for each of us in here.” He opened the envelope. “I don’t want anyone to read mine. I think we should each get to read them privately first, and then we can choose to share or not.”

“Of course,” Bear said. “Were there instructions for them?”

“No.” Bishop dumped the money on the counter, and Montana ogled it. Bear didn’t care about money, but he knew her reaction was more normal.

“Looks like Daddy was thinkin’ of starting a savings account for something.” Bear picked up one of the stacks of cash, the band around it saying there was five thousand