Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
PRESLEY
“Where are we going?” Poppy’s head is on a swivel in the backseat. “We’ve never ridden here before.”
“It’s a surprise,” Kade tells her.
His hand squeezes my knee. I know he’s anxious today. Not only are we going to show Poppy the house we’ll be moving into, but we’ll be telling her the news that Kade is her father.
She loves Kade. She’s always asking to go see him. To go play and ride at the ranch. I think it will go well, but you never know.
“I like surprises.”
“Well, we’re here,” Kade says.
The house seems brighter today. Maybe it’s because I know what it now holds for all of us or the hope that it’s the first day that we’ll all be a family.
“It’s a house,” Poppy states matter-of-factly as I help her out of the truck before her eyes spot a tire swing hanging from the large oak tree out front. “Can I go swing?”
“In a minute,” I say. “Come see the house first.”
Taking her hand, Kade and I lead her inside. The kitchen is well underway—the cabinets are painted and new appliances are waiting to be installed. Piles of wood are stacked in the corner that will make up the new floors. He doesn’t waste any time. It’s one of the reasons I love him.
That and the fact that he’s staying. I never thought I’d get this in my life, but we’re here. And it couldn’t be better.
“It’s not very pretty,” Poppy says.
“Well, I’m hoping that it’ll be pretty when I move in.”
“Are you staying here?”
“Would that be okay with you?” Kade asks, nodding his head.
“Yeah.”
“Good.” Kade smiles. “Why don’t we show you the upstairs?”
“Okay.” She shrugs a shoulder. She doesn’t know why we’re here, but it’ll make sense later.
Kade has already painted Poppy’s room. Her eyes are taking everything in. With three rooms up here, she’ll have another room for all the toys that Kade is going to no doubt shower her with.
“Can we go outside to the swing?” Poppy asks as we head back downstairs.
“Sure, baby.”
The porch swing is my favorite part of the house. “Will I get to come over and play in the yard and swing on the swing?”
Dropping down, I beckon Poppy over.
“Sweetheart, can we talk to you?”
She bounds over, scooting into my lap on the porch swing, Strawberry and her stuffed Lollipop in tow. “Am I in trouble?”
I brush a blonde strand of hair out of her face. “No, but we have something to tell you.”
Kade’s leg is shaking next to mine. I know he’s nervous. We’ve been talking about this for a while now. There’s no easy way to tell Poppy the person she thought was her dad isn’t actually her dad, but instead it’s the guy who’s been hanging around all the time.
“There is no easy way to say this, Poppy, but Kade is your dad.”
“What about my daddy?” she asks, looking confused.
I squeeze her closer. “Kade is your dad. He didn’t know, so we said Paul was your dad to make it less confusing. I’m sorry, sweetheart, and I know this might be hard because he’s no longer around—”
“Kade is my dad?” she asks, interrupting me.
“I am,” Kade says. “I hope that’s okay, because I really love you, Poppy, and I’d like to stay here with you and your mom.”
“Be a family?”
“Yes,” I say. “And this house? If you want, we can live here with Kade.”
Poppy looks between the two of us. I can see the questions forming in her head. The first one she asks?
“Will I get a baby brother or sister?”
Kade nearly chokes next to me, coughing to cover it up.
“Poppy, do you know what we told you?” I ask, wondering if she got the message.
“Kade’s my dad. I love Kade and I think you love him,” she starts, “and Margo said her parents love each other and she got a baby sister. So do I get one?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kade fighting a smile.
“Do you want a baby brother or sister?” he asks.
“Yes.” She nods. “I want someone to play with.”
“Think we can do that, Pres?” Kade asks, turning his attention to me.
“One thing at a time. Why don’t we get settled here and then we’ll revisit that conversation.”
“Yes.” Poppy pumps her fist before hugging Kade. “I’m glad you’re my dad. Can I go swing now?”
“Of course, Pop,” he says.
She runs off into the yard toward the tire swing hanging in the tree. Her excited shouts reach our ears as she kicks off the ground.
Tears well in Kade’s eyes when I face him. “That went better than I thought. I thought she’d hate me because I missed out on so much of her life.”
“That’s my fault. She might have more questions when she’s older, but it’s easy to see she loves you, Kade. We both do.”
Kade pulls me in for a hug. “Not as much as I love you two. Maybe that’s why Verne left me the ranch. To bring me back here to realize this was where I’m meant to be.”
I brush my fingers over his cheeks, pushing the strands of hair out of his eyes. “I have no doubt he and Arlene were up there causing mischief together to make this happen.”
“You know, I really do like her idea of giving her a brother and sister.”
“Kade.” I smack him on the chest. “You have to get the ranch ready, and this house still isn’t livable.”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t practice.”
I cover his mouth with my hand. “Later. We can’t discuss that with Poppy around.”
He pulls my hand down. “You heard her. She loves me and thinks you love me, so why not? It’s not like we’ll be getting a baby tomorrow.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“What can I say? I think I love you.”
I smile at him. “I think I love you too.”
He kisses me. It’s soft and sweet. The promise of our life together. A life that is going to get better. One that will have its hard times, but it won’t matter. We’ll get through everything. Because we’ll be together.
Just how it should be.
Kade, Poppy, and me. Our family. This ranch here in Pinecrest. It’s going to be our lives. Back in high school, it’s all I ever wanted. My dream.
Now? Now, my dream is finally coming true.
I can’t wait.