Chapter 25 #2
He caught his breath. “Did she just—” His voice cracked. He scooped her up. “She called me Dada!” His grin stretched ear to ear, his heart pounding.
Claire’s eyes softened, and her hand squeezed Bella’s chubby one. “I didn’t even get Aunt Claire,” she teased. “You show up, and in a week, she starts crawling and calling you Dad?”
Wade snuggled Bella close. “She knows Uncle Wade needs a way to remember her after…” The words caught in his throat, the thought of leaving them heavier than he cared to admit.
Claire’s smile faltered. “You’ll come back soon, won’t you?”
Her unspoken longing pulled at his heart. “I’ll be back before you know it,” he promised. “But only if you agree to come with me next weekend—to my preview night.”
Her nose scrunched. “You want me there?”
“I want my number-one fan there. You’re my wife, so you and Bella—you’re both my home now.”
Once they handed Bella over to Bryce, they landed in the crunchy pile, breathless and laughing.
Jumping in the leaves with Claire, Wade felt young again.
Her laughter produced the sweetest melody ever, her joy infectious.
He tugged her into his arms and kissed her.
Her lips were supple and warm, and her laughter faded into a hum of surprise before she melted into him.
The world faded. Who cared about the crowd? She was his wife, and he let himself savor what that meant.
As they left the leaf pile hand in hand, they encountered Rhett near the popcorn stand. Claire untangled her arm from Wade’s.
“Can I talk to you?” she asked Rhett, then glanced at Wade as if seeking his permission.
He forced his jaw to unclench. “I’ll go get Bella.
” Did he manage a calm response, despite his irritation?
He wasn’t angry with Claire. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
And he shouldn’t be angry with Rhett either, but after Claire mentioned he was next in line should Wade bolt—not exactly her words, but an easy enough interpretation—he now ground his teeth.
He gave Rhett a curt nod before marching away. He headed straight for the drink booth, grabbed a half-filled disposable cup of apple cider, and took a long sip, hoping the tartness might cut through his frustration.
Approaching footsteps intruded on his thoughts. Eric selected a cup. “I thought you hated apple cider.”
“I’m not sure Mom would approve of you using the word hate.”
“Where’s Bella?” Eric saluted with his cup. “I see you left Claire with her admirer?”
“Not her admirer.” Wade had never been jealous about any of his exes moving on or his temporary girlfriends ending things with him for another man. But this was different. He glared at the leaves swirling around his feet. “Bella’s with Bryce.”
Wade stepped aside when a youngster reached for a cup. Eric walked on and leaned against a table with random stickers and freebie merch. “So, who’s the handsome guy with your wife?”
“I’m hoping she’s breaking up with him.”
Eric took a sip and wiped his mouth. “Finally, you’re falling in love with your wife.”
“Of course I like her.”
“Like?” He arched an eyebrow. “That’s what you felt before you got married. Now, you’re falling in love.”
Wade’s shoulders sagged. His grip nearly crumpled his cup. “I don’t know the first thing about being a husband.”
“That’s a good sign. The fact that you’re even asking shows you care. Marriage isn’t about being perfect—it’s about falling in love with your spouse every day. You put God first and your wife second, and everything else comes after.”
Wade swallowed hard, his brother’s words hitting home. How was he supposed to fall in love daily when he was far from her? “I’m leaving on Monday.”
“Not Sunday?”
“I decided to stay one more day.” He’d head to the new set location straight from the airport. “What else does it take to be a good husband?”
Eric closed his eyes—something he did whenever he was gathering his thoughts. “Time, sacrifice, prayer… and a whole lot of patience. You never get it all perfect, but you learn, and you get better as you go.”
Wade nodded, letting his brother’s words sink in. God knew what He was doing when He made Eric their oldest sibling. Not only was he years ahead of them in age but also he carried an innate wisdom—like he’d been born with it. Even as a toddler, Eric no doubt acted years beyond his age.
By the time they parted, Wade felt steadier, more grounded, and more determined to invest in his marriage and family. He hoped she’d like their date tomorrow, something different from their staged outings.
He didn’t have to wait long for Claire to find him. When she did, he strode forward and scooped her into an embrace, and she melted into him, her scent sweet and familiar, her hair brushing against his cheek.
“Is it settled?” he murmured into her ear.
“In my heart, there’s never been comparisons. It’s always been you.”
Overwhelmed, he couldn’t respond. He didn’t have to. He kissed the top of her head.
“Let’s go find Bella.” She took his hand.
They retrieved Bella. He settled the tyke on his right hip and caught Claire’s hand with his left. They strolled along.
Swinging their hands between them, she pointed toward the photo booth. “We should take a picture before leaving.”
“Sounds good.” He wanted to capture every moment with his new family to remember in case doubt intruded once more.
Bella squirmed as they paused for the photos.
Then an announcement boomed over the speakers: “Congratulations to Wade and Claire Stone, our Fall Fest Couple of the Year!”
Claire’s eyes widened, mirroring his shock.
They went to the DJ stand and received a framed photo of them jumping into the leaf pile, along with a gift card.
“Monthly date night at The Espanol Resort.” Wade read the typed words on the embossed certificate to Eric’s Aspen resort.
His brother sponsored prizes at the Fall Fest, but again, what were the odds?
“Compliments of Eric Stone. I’m betting my brother had something to do with this. ”
She laughed, shaking her head as Bella wiggled on his hip and rubbed at her eyes. “I don’t think he told us to jump in the leaves.”
A festival organizer passing by added with a grin. “We’ve never had a married couple jump in the leaves before. You two were a hit!”
Claire beamed as she looked at the photo, her joy undeniable. Man, he was smitten!
That night, he stayed up late, waiting for her to return from her movie night with Irina. He sipped his tea as she recapped the film. Together, they brushed their teeth at the single sink, Claire comparing the movie to some he’d written.
As they settled into bed, desire for her simmered just beneath the surface.
But this house, with John just down the hall, was hardly the place for anything more.
Besides, he didn’t want to rush or mess things up.
Fortunately, exhaustion caught up after nights of late-night conversations.
Still, as they lay side by side, he wrapped his arms around her.
Her smooth skin and the curve of her face resting so close were tempting enough, and when she leaned in to kiss him first, he didn’t hold back. He deepened the kiss, slow and lingering, the moment stretching between them. Her sleepy smile made his heart ache in the best way.
Thumbing a strand of hair from her face, he murmured. “How can you sleep with a night-light on?”
“I got used to having it on for Bella.” Her green eyes glinted in the dim glow. “But… I also like looking at you while you drift off to sleep.”
Her words hit him like a gentle wave, his chest swelled with love and something deeper—something permanent.
“I’m making sure you fall asleep before me tonight.” He tugged her closer, his gaze lingered on her face, her shy smile. “Tonight, we say goodbye to the fake marriage and hello to the real one.”
“I like that.”
“Good night, Cupcake.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and a deep, companionable peace settled over him. If only he could believe it would never leave.