20. Chapter Twenty
Ryan
The sun streams through the windows of Bella’s café, casting a warm glow over the room as I sip my coffee and glance at her from across the table. She leans over a stack of wedding magazines, her brow furrowed as she scribbles notes in a spiral-bound notebook. Luke is at the counter, sneakily eating cookies, and Alice sits beside me, happily doodling on a napkin with crayons.
Bella glances up at me, catching my gaze. “What?” she asks, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“Nothing,” I reply, grinning. “I’m just thinking how surreal it feels to plan a wedding with you. It’s truly a wonderful feeling, though.”
She rolls her eyes but still blushes. “Don’t get all mushy on me, Blackwood. We’ve got decisions to make.”
“Okay, boss. Hit me with the list,” I tease, leaning back in my chair.
She flips a page in her notebook. “Venue. Do we go with the vineyard or the inn by the lake?”
“The inn by the lake,” I say immediately. “The view is incredible, and it feels more like us.”
Bella nods, chewing on her pen cap. “Agreed. The inn by the lake it is. Now, the guest list. Are we keeping it small?”
“Definitely,” I say. “Close friends and family only. No one who will cause drama.”
She snorts. “Good luck with that in Cedar Ridge.”
Alice looks up from her drawing. “Can I wear a sparkly dress at the wedding?”
“Of course you can, princess,” I say, ruffling her curls. “The sparkliest dress we can find.”
Luke joins us, wiping the remnants of the cookies he was eating onto his jeans. “Do I have to wear a suit?”
Bella raises an eyebrow. “Yes, Luke. You’re the ring bearer. You’ll look handsome.”
He groans dramatically but doesn’t argue further, and Bella and I exchange amused looks.
“Alright,” Bella says, turning her attention back to the list. “Flowers. Do you have any preferences, or is this where I get to show my creativity?”
“I trust your judgment,” I say, reaching for her hand across the table. “I just want you to be happy.”
Her eyes soften as she squeezes my hand. “You’re really making this too easy, you know.”
“Hey,” I say, leaning in with a smirk. “It’s my job to make you feel like the luckiest bride-to-be in Cedar Ridge.”
Luke pretends to gag, and Alice giggles. Bella shakes her head, laughing, but the tension in her shoulder's eases.
We’re deep in discussion about cake flavors when the café door jingles and I look up to see a man standing there—it’s Caleb, my brother and Luke’s father. How bold of him to show up after he walked out on Bella and Luke all those years ago.
The moment Caleb steps into the café, the atmosphere changes. His eyes scan the room, landing on Bella first. His gaze lingers on her for a fraction too long before flicking over to Luke and finally landing on me. There’s a flicker of recognition there, but it’s not warm. It’s guarded—exactly the kind of look I’d expect from my estranged brother.
Bella freezes and her pen slips from her fingers. I glance at her, noting the way her face drains of color. Luke’s expression darkens, and Alice, sensing the tension, leans closer to me.
“Bella,” Caleb says, stepping into the café like he belongs here. His voice is smooth and calculated, and it sets my teeth on edge. “Can we talk?”
“No,” I say firmly before Bella can respond. I stand, my chair scraping against the floor as I position myself between them. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here.”
“This isn’t your business, brother,” Caleb snaps, his eyes narrowing at me.
“It is my business,” I counter, my voice low but steady, “because Bella is my fiancée. And Luke? He’s, my family. You made your choice when you walked out on them.”
Bella rises slowly, her hands trembling as she places them on the table. “What are you doing here, Caleb?”
“I heard about the wedding,” he says, his tone taking on a feigned sincerity that makes my stomach churn. “I just wanted to talk. To see if there’s a place for me in Luke’s life.”
“You don’t get to talk like that now,” I say, stepping closer to him. “You left, Caleb. You don’t get to swoop in and play the hero because you feel guilty.”
Caleb’s jaw tightens, and he looks past me to Bella. “You know I made mistakes, Bella. But I’m still Luke’s father.”
“You were his father,” she says, her voice shaking but gaining strength with every word. “You abandoned him. Abandoned us . And I had to pick up the pieces alone. I don’t know what you’re looking for, but it’s not here.”
Caleb takes a step forward, and I immediately move to block him. “That’s enough,” I say coldly. “You’re not welcome here. If you have anything to say, you can do it through a lawyer. But don’t think for a second that you can waltz in here and disrupt the life Bella and Luke have built without you.”
“Caleb, we’ve moved on.” Bella’s voice shakes slightly, but she lifts her chin, standing firm.
Caleb ignores her for a moment, his gaze fixed on me. “Ryan,” he says slowly, like my name tastes bitter on his tongue. “I didn’t think I’d see you here.”
I step forward and cross my arms over my chest. “And I didn’t think you’d have the audacity to show your face here after everything you’ve done.”
Caleb’s jaw tightens and he steps closer, his posture stiff. “I made mistakes. I’m not denying that. But I’m still Luke’s father.”
“Being a father isn’t about biology,” I retort. “It’s about showing up. It’s about being there when it matters. You lost the right to call yourself his father the day you walked away.”
Bella takes a shaky breath, her hands clutching the edge of the table. “What do you want, Caleb? Why now?”
He glances at her, his expression softening slightly, though I know better than to trust it. “I’ve been thinking about my choices; about the life I left behind. I know I can’t undo the past, Bella, but I’d like to try to make things right.”
“Make things right?” Bella’s voice rises, anger and disbelief coloring her tone. “You think you can just waltz in here and somehow undo years of pain? That’s not how this works.”
Caleb flinches, but his resolve doesn’t waver. “I know I hurt you, Bella. I know I wasn’t there when you needed me most. But I’ve changed. I’m not the same man I was back then.”
I take another step forward, positioning myself between him and Bella. “Convenient timing, don’t you think? Bella and I are getting married, and suddenly you want to be part of her life again?”
Caleb glares at me, his eyes narrowing. “You think you know everything, don’t you, Ryan? Always the golden boy, always the one who had it all figured out.”
“This isn’t about me,” I say coldly. “This is about you and the mess you left behind. Let’s be clear—you’re not welcome here.”
Caleb’s smirk falters, replaced by something darker and more vulnerable. “You don’t understand. You’ve never understood. Do you have any idea what it was like to live in your shadow, Ryan? To watch you succeed while I floundered?”
“This isn’t about you feeling sorry for yourself,” I snap. “This is about Bella and Luke. They deserved better than you, and they still do.”
Bella steps forward then, her voice trembling but steady. “You think you can come back after all these years and expect us to just forgive and forget? I’ve spent years putting myself back together, Caleb. Years building a life for me and Luke without you. And now, because you’re feeling guilty, you think you can insert yourself back into our lives?”
“I just want a chance,” Caleb says, his voice cracking. “A chance to prove I’m not the man I was.”
“You had your chance,” I say firmly, “and you blew it. Bella doesn’t owe you anything, and neither does Luke. If you really cared about them, you’d walk away and let them have the peace they’ve earned.”
Caleb’s gaze shifts to Bella, desperation flickering in his eyes. “Bella, please. I’m trying. Doesn’t that count for something?”
She stares at him for a long moment, her hands trembling. “Trying isn’t enough, Caleb, not after everything you’ve done. You don’t get to come back now and pretend like you care. It’s too late.”
Her words hit him like a physical blow. For a moment, he looks like he’s about to argue, but then he glances at Luke, who stands by the counter, watching the interaction with wary eyes. Caleb’s shoulders slump and he exhales heavily.
“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “For everything.”
“It’s not enough,” Bella says quietly, her voice breaking. “And it never will be.”
Caleb looks at her, then at me, his expression hardening once more. “You think you’ve won, don’t you?” he says, his voice dripping with bitterness. “You’ve always had a way of taking what doesn’t belong to you.”
I step closer, my voice calm but edged with steel. “The only thing I’ve done is step up where you failed. Bella and Luke deserve someone who will fight for them, who will love them unconditionally. That’s not you, Caleb. And it never will be.”
For a moment, I think he’s going to argue, but then he steps back, his gaze flickering between Bella and me. “You’ll regret this,” he mutters before turning and walking out the door.
As the door slams shut behind him, the tension in the room dissipates, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.
I turn to Bella, who’s still standing by the table, her hands clenched into fists. Luke looks shaken, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Alice tugs at my sleeve, her eyes wide.
I kneel beside her. “It’s okay, sweetie,” I say softly. “Everything’s okay now.”
Bella exhales slowly, then looks at Luke. “Are you alright, honey?”
Luke moves to her side and wraps his arms around her. “I don’t want him here,” he says firmly.
“You won’t have to see him again,” I promise, my voice steady. “I’ll make sure of that.”
Bella looks up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude and something deeper—something that makes my chest tighten. “Thank you,” she whispers.
I pull her into my arms, holding her tightly as the weight of the moment settles over us. “I’ve got you,” I murmur. “Both of you.”
Luke leans into Bella’s side, and for a moment, the three of us stand there, united against the storm Caleb tried to bring into our lives. When Bella finally pulls back, she takes a deep breath, her expression resolute.
“He’s not going to ruin this,” she says, her voice steady. “He doesn’t get to have that power anymore.”
“No, he doesn’t,” I agree, taking her hand in mine. “We’ve got this. Together.”
And as I look at her and Luke, I know without a doubt that Caleb’s shadow will never darken our lives again.
Luke leans into Bella as Alice wraps her small arms around my leg. The four of us stand there in the middle of the café, holding on to each other like the family we are.
When Bella finally pulls back, she wipes her eyes and gives me a shaky smile. “Well,” she says, her voice wobbly but teasing, “I think Caleb showing up just proved we made the right decision to keep the guest list small.”
I laugh, relieved to see a bit of her spark return. “No drama, right? That’s the rule.”
She nods, glancing at Luke. “And no one gets to disrupt what we’ve built. Ever.”
Luke nods, and I see a flicker of pride in his eyes. “We’re a team,” he says firmly.
“That we are,” I agree, ruffling his hair. “Now, how about we finish planning the best wedding Cedar Ridge has ever seen?”
Alice perks up. “With sparkly dresses?” she asks again.
“Absolutely,” Bella says, her smile widening as she kneels to hug her. “The sparkliest dresses ever.”
As we sit back down to continue our plans, I can’t help but feel a swell of pride. Caleb tried to disrupt our lives, but he didn’t stand a chance. Bella and I have faced too much and fought too hard to let anything—or anyone—stand in our way now.
And as I watch Bella laugh with Luke and Alice, I know without a doubt that our future together will be worth every battle.
The End
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