32. Madison
Braydon just paid for my books. As well as a few other things. I continually fall farther in love with this man every day.
“How about we go get Mexican? It will be my little treat,” I tell Braydon and Iris as I set my two bags of books in the backseat of my truck.
“Sounds good. Do you want me to meet you there? Or we can take my truck?”
“I can ride with y’all. If that”s ok.”
I close the door of my Jeep and lock it.
“Maddie, can you stay at our house tonight?” Iris asks, slipping her tiny hand into mine.
“You will have to ask your dad,” I make eye contact with Braydon, as he opens the door to his back seat.
He sets Iris in her seat, then turns to open the passenger door.
“Daddy, can Maddie stay at our house tonight?” Iris asks Braydon as I am clicking my seatbelt.
“Sweetheart, Madison has to go home. Her kitty is at her house, and she can”t leave her there alone.”
Braydon and I both know that”s a lie, but he is pulling at straws. Braydon slides into the driver”s seat, heading in the direction of tacos. My stomach growls at the thought of food. That muffin was not nearly enough.
“Can we stay at Maddie”s house?”
Braydon and I make eye contact, and I notice that he is holding back a laugh.
“Maybe, but you will have to ask her.”
“Maddie, can Daddy and I stay at your house tonight?”
“Sure, sweetie. We can make your dad sleep on the couch.” I shoot a glare at Braydon at the last part.
“Yay!” Iris claps her hands excitedly, and I smile smugly.
Once our stomachs are full, with white to-go boxes in hand, we make our way back to Braydon”s house. Iris is already asleep in the backseat, leaving Braydon and I pretty much alone.
“If you aren”t comfortable with us staying tonight you can tell her no. It won”t kill her.”
Braydon shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
“I don”t mind you staying. And you don”t have to sleep on the couch.”
I notice a glimmer of hope pass in his eyes when I pause.
“I have a guest bedroom. I swear it has a nicer bed than mine.”
That glimmer is gone, but recovers fairly quickly. Braydon rubs his thumb over my knuckles absentmindedly.
“Thank you, Mads.”
“For what?” I turn in my seat to face Braydon full on.
“For deciding to love me and all my mess. I know it is still early, and we just started rekindling our old flame. But I have been waiting six years for this..”
“Bray,” I interrupt, “you don”t have a mess. You have a little girl. And an incredible life. You have a huge heart with so much love to give. I was an idiot to walk away from you six years ago, and I would be an even bigger idiot if I walked away from you now.”
Braydon continues to focus on the windshield as we pull down the driveway to the ranch. Unsaid emotions fill his big green eyes. I want to let him know that he can make those emotions known. That I am here now, and I am not walking away this time. But I know that there is also a part of him that is still learning to trust me a little, and I have to respect that. I settle on reassuringly squeezing his hand.
“I love you, Boots.”
My throat clogs with emotion, knowing the weight of those words and how lucky I am to get to hear them from him again.
“I never stopped loving you, Bray.”
Putting his truck into park in front of his cabin, he brings my hand to his lips and brushes a kiss against my knuckles. A chill runs down my spine as his hot breath fans over my cold hands.
“Can you wait in the truck with Iris so I can go in and get all of our stuff ready?”
I nod, and Braydon opens the door letting in a breeze of cold air. Listening to Iris’s faint snores, I watch Braydon disappear through his front door. The realization that this is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with suddenly hits me. I think this is something I have always known, but for some reason convinced myself I wasn”t worthy of it.
“Hey, you ok?” I jump at the sound of Braydon’s voice and the gentle touch of his hand on my back.
I didn”t hear him get back in the truck. I also didn”t realize that I had started crying. He pulls me into his arms as best he can, and I let him hold me and stroke my head. I sniffle into his shoulder before I finally calm down enough to reply. I pull out of his arms, and look into his big emerald eyes.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Bray. And I am so sorry that it took six years for me to finally realize that.”
“Hey, it”s ok. I am here now, and we can make up for lost time.”
Braydon plants gentle kisses all over my face and neck. The fact that this man was dealt a terrible hand in life, yet still finds it in himself to give so much love amazes me. Braydon brushes a kiss on my lips before he leans back in his seat and pulls back down the driveway.
Unlocking my front door, I let the three of us into my quaint cottage. It feels different, all three of us being here. It feels more like home.
“I am going to set y’all’s stuff in the guest bedroom. If you want, you can take Iris upstairs and lay her in my bed.”
Braydon nods and follows me up the stairs. Iris is still asleep in his arms, and it makes me want to curl up and fall asleep in his arms too.
“The open door on the right is my room. Feel free to move anything in the way.”
I leave Braydon to put Iris to bed, while I put their bags in my guest bedroom. Maybe one day they won”t need bags to stay the night, but for right now I will take what I can get.