Chapter 24
The next day, they met Regina, Eric, and Joy for lunch at The Peak. His mom handed over their wedding pictures and the photo albums Toby delivered. While some photos had been shared online, Claire hadn’t spent much time looking at them. She’d been too unsure of their relationship.
But, once Dad and Bella were asleep that night, she and Wade sat and flipped through their wedding photos. Each image told a story. Their glances, their smiles, even their kisses were all so convincing it was hard to believe it started as an arrangement.
“Even without the pictures, I had no reservations kissing you.”
His gaze lingered on the image of him taking her hand after Dad had given her away. “When you walked down the aisle, I saw my future play out. I knew I was in trouble—captivated in the way a typical groom should be.”
They sorted through the gifts his parents lugged over—gift cards, vacation vouchers, and secluded cabin spots. She held up one voucher, raising a brow. “Looks like your siblings want us to bond.”
He stole it from her. “Leave it to them. They’re masters of pranks, but hey, they’ve got good intentions. Guess we’ll have to start planning those vacation days.”
She shuffled through the pile of destinations. “We might need to bring Bella sometimes. No way can we use all of these and leave her behind every time.”
“Fair point.”
She reached for the wrapped box. “This is from your mom.” Inside lay a framed photo of her and Wade. Her breath caught. “Is this when—?”
“Our first day as parents.” He leaned in until their cheeks brushed. The photo had made the Gazette, a snapshot of their new reality. “Not the best memory, considering you were mad at me for struggling with the news.”
“I was tired.” She gave him a mock glare. “Are you going to hold onto that?”
“Forgiven.” He grinned, then claimed a kiss, his lips soft, tender, and lingering. She kissed him back, and every thought slipped from her mind. By the time he pulled away, she’d forgotten what they’d been doing.
“Um, how about we hang up our paintings from our first ‘fake’ date?” She gestured to a blank space in the living room. “I’m not sure about the wedding pictures, you know? It’s kinda strange to display them alongside Albert’s photos.”
“I feel the same way.” He stretched out his legs. “I’ve been wondering. How would you feel about looking for a new house—one with enough space for your jewelry studio and my home office? A place where we could start fresh.”
Their fresh start. “A jewelry studio sounds nice.”
“And if John changes his mind about moving into The Summit. He can move with us.”
“I was talking to Dad last week.” Before she was sick. “He’s still leaning toward the senior living community with his friends.”
“He can always change his mind, but we’ll have enough room for him to come home whenever needed.”
A new house and a fresh start—it sounded like the beginning of something more than just shared space.
The doorbell rang. “I’ll get it. You look too comfy.” Claire patted the album in his lap, then scooted off before he could protest.
The caseworker stood there with her practiced professional smile.
“Lauren.” Claire’s surprised voice better be enough to relay that it was late. “Since when do caseworkers make house calls outside office hours?” Perhaps in Pleasant View, they did things differently.
“I was here earlier, but no one was home.” Lauren adjusted her shoulder bag, her movements brisk.
The porch light flickered, drawing attention to the moths fluttering close to Lauren’s slick ponytail. “Come in.” Claire stepped aside. This had to be a follow-up.
“Thank you.” Lauren walked in, and Wade, standing behind Claire, also stepped back. Had he followed to ensure everything was safe? Or to confront Rhett if it had been him? Either way, his protective energy dominated the space. His arched brow made Claire’s nerves hum.
“Um, this is Wade, my husband. Wade, this is Lauren, Bella’s caseworker.”
Fire flashed in Wade’s eyes, but he composed himself and extended his hand. “Too bad you just missed dinner.”
“Glad I caught you today.” Lauren shook his hand. “I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”
“It’s half past eight. Not sure what qualifies as a bad time for a caseworker.” His edgy tone didn’t make sense.
Claire shot him a warning glance. What was his deal? “Not at all.” She turned back to Lauren. “We didn’t know you were stopping by, or we would have been more prepared. With dinner.”
Lauren scanned the living room. “Everything looks nice.”
Good thing the house was cleaner this time—thanks to Wade’s knack for order.
“I’ll make some tea.” He retreated to the kitchen.
Claire ushered Lauren to the sofa, but she sat on Dad’s recliner instead. The microwave hummed in the background. Then Wade returned without tea and sat beside Claire, squaring his shoulders as if preparing for battle.
“How’s Bella doing?”
“You just missed her,” Wade said.
“She’s doing great,” Claire added to soften the tension. “She’s been hitting milestones—she even crawled for the first time yesterday. Wade caught it on video.”
Lauren jotted notes on her tablet. “That’s wonderful to hear.” She nodded to the peonies on the table. Claire had put Rhett’s plant on the front porch. “Wade, how long are you in town this time?”
His jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed. “Do you have any kids?”
Lauren’s brow furrowed. “No. Why?”
“Exactly.” He snapped, his voice rising. “You’re here to judge what’s best for Bella, but you’ve got no idea what it’s like to be a parent.”
“Wade!” Claire elbowed him. She forced a tight smile at Lauren. “What Wade is trying to say—”
“I’m saying”—he interrupted—“you show up unannounced, probably want a tour, and in the process, you’ll wake up the baby. Then you’ll leave us to calm her down for the rest of the night. How’s that helping?”
Claire gripped his hand to keep him from saying more. “It’s been an emotional week for us.” She had to make up excuses now. “I was sick earlier, and Wade was scared. Then we went through Albert’s room. It’s been a lot.”
Lauren’s expression softened, and she maintained her professional demeanor. “I understand. I’ll be quick and won’t disturb Bella.”
“How about a tour.” Claire stood, hoping that was why Lauren was here. The woman stood, and Claire led her toward the hallway, pointing out Albert’s room as Bella’s new room. Wade trailed them like a guard dog, only grumbling whenever he responded. Where was her charming husband?
When they returned to the living room, Lauren commented on the absence of wedding photos. “Odd for a newly married couple.”
Claire opened her mouth to respond, but Wade beat her to it. “Might I remind you this isn’t our house?” He gestured toward the dismantled luggage in the corner. “You’re welcome to stay for a sleepover and sort through the wedding photos with us.”
Claire shot him a sharp, pleading look, her voice a low hiss. “Wade…”
He sighed. His chest rose and fell beneath the white T-shirt before he huffed, obviously resigned. “Listen, Lauren.” His voice dipped. “I know you’re doing your job. I just…” He swallowed hard, his jaw tightening. “I’m sorry.”
“No worries.” Her smile was reassuring. “I understand how this can be stressful.”
Claire exhaled, though she could still feel the tension thrumming through him.
“Everything looks in order.” Lauren slid her tablet into her bag. “I’ll schedule one more visit before the next court hearing. We’ll deal with more scheduling after that if you still have Bella.”
His head snapped up. “What do you mean, ‘if we still have Bella’?”
Lauren lifted a hand. “That was just a figure of speech, Wade.”
He glared. “No one is taking Bella away from us.”
Lauren waved him off. “With the way you protect your family, I’d say my job just got easier.”
The tension eased slightly, though Claire could still feel his lingering unease.
“I’ll leave you two.” Lauren stood.
But Claire still needed to make amends on his behalf. “Wade, can you pack her some food to take home?” She smiled at Lauren. “We have enough to feed the entire town.”
He left and returned with a tote bag full of leftovers. Mumbling another apology, he handed it over.
Lauren laughed. “With the food offering, you’re definitely forgiven.”
After the door clicked shut, Claire locked it and turned to him, grateful for his presence, yes, but exasperated by his odd behavior. “Thank you for apologizing. But seriously, what was that?”
He dragged out a breath and raked a hand through his hair. “Caseworkers.” His vulnerability cut through her. “They remind me of things I’d rather forget.”
She touched his arm. “I get it, sweetheart.”
He pulled her into his arms, his hold firm but tender. His chest rose and fell against hers, steady. “Thank you for understanding.”
Savoring the connection, she hugged him back. “I think Lauren’s on our side. She’s looking out for Bella and knows we care.” A nervous laugh jittered out. “You made it clear you’d do anything to protect that little girl.”
His grip tightened, and he tilted his head back to meet her gaze. “I’ll protect you both. Always.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second.”
A faint smile creased his lips, his taut shoulders relaxing. “Thanks, Cupcake.”
Her heart clenched, a rush of tenderness and love swelling for this man. Yet, she had so much more to uncover about him. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“If we focus on the redeeming parts of my past, yes.” He rubbed his eyes. “Because while it wasn’t easy, it shaped me. Without those hardships, I wouldn’t be the man I am today.”
That night, lying side by side in bed, their hands entwined, they revisited his past.
“There was so much fear and pent-up anger,” he murmured. “It fueled my early fights, the restless years of bouncing between homes, and the struggle to trust strangers enough to form real bonds.”
His sigh drifted into the space between them, and she squeezed his hand.
“But then moving in with Regina and Kyle…” His voice wobbled. “I found safety and belonging—a turning point in my life. And I soon realized my siblings carried similar scars, some with even darker histories.”
Claire shared her memories, threading Wade into every highlight.
“You were always more to me than my brother’s best friend.
You were my quiet protector, the one I could turn to when I couldn’t tell my brother certain things.
” She flipped onto her side, braced on an elbow overlooking him.
“Those summer afternoons racing bikes down the street, the nights of board games and laughter, the countless moments when your steady presence made me feel truly seen…”
Somehow, he carved out a space in her heart that no one else could ever fill.
And even now, they never ran out of things to talk about. They could simply hold hands and drift to sleep in each other’s arms. There was so much more to marriage than physical intimacy—it was about connection, trust, and feeling at home with someone.
Could she believe they were building a real marriage? Or would he return to his world and forget all about them?