Tears dripped down Karma’s cheeks then, just like they do now as we say our good-byes.

Karma knew exactly what I was talking about when I relayed what had happened that night after Roosevelt hit on her at the bar. She told Cricket and me everything, including how, in her twenty-year-old idiocy, she’d been so proud and wanted to tell her mom. She cried even harder when she told us that Jackie had been livid, and she’d accused her mom of being jealous. Jackie had told her to find someone her own age before storming out, and Karma was too blinded by her anger to put things together about that night—that what happened in the bar had unleashed a chain reaction that ended with the deaths of my parents and Roosevelt. Instead, when Ricky came home, Karma clung to him when I didn’t, and that’s when her obsession started.

She apologized to me. She apologized to Cricket. She apologized to Hunter. Every single apology was completely sincere, even though all three of us stared at her like she might have been abducted by aliens and someone else was returned to earth in her body.

Lincoln stands when the preacher goes quiet, and I realize I’ve completely checked out of the ceremony. He leads me forward, and we both lay flowers in front of the mausoleum and the grave.

“This ends the Riscoff-Gable feud permanently. We’ve all lost too much. There’s no more room for hate when it’s time to build anew.” Lincoln’s voice rings out, and everyone in the small crowd gathered at the cemetery nods in agreement.

Cricket rests her hand over her belly, and I send up a prayer of thanks. At least there is one new miracle we can celebrate in about seven months.

From death comes new life.

Fifty-Four

Lincoln

Three months later

By some miracle, my home, my family’s estate, and The Gables survived the fire. We’ve spent the last three months working on rebuilding everything on the side of town that wasn’t quite so fortunate.

Riscoff Holdings donated every board we had to the construction efforts. The thousands of acres of timber we lost, while small in the grand scheme of things, made it even more imperative to me that we diversify. The deal that I’m closing right now will be one of my most important contributions to the next generation.

I scrawl my name across the bottom of the last document and look up at the two men who are now my partners in a new business opportunity.

“I look forward to what comes next, gentlemen.”

Creighton Karas, the friend who was gracious enough to let us use his glass beach, stands up from his chair at the head of the conference room table. “I think we have a very profitable venture in our future.”

Jericho Forge, the man who came through when Riscoff Holdings’ bid wasn’t submitted on time due to Harrison’s delay, rises from his seat across the table. “I wouldn’t have signed on if we weren’t going to make a hell of a lot of money.”