Chapter 12
Twelve
“I get by with a little help from my friends.”
—Ringo Starr
As he did every night after dinner and bath time, Max rocked his baby son until he fell asleep, well aware that soon his little boy would be too big to be rocked.
Max was determined to stick with their bedtime routine for as long as he possibly could.
He’d read an article on one of the parenting sites he followed about how there’s a “last time” for everything—the last time you’ll ever change their diaper or pick them up or rock them to sleep.
Often, you won’t know it’s the last time until much later when you realize you haven’t done those things in a while or they stopped happening without you noticing.
He wasn’t ready for any of it to end and could barely believe Caden was already thirteen months old, walking and saying a few words, such as Max’s favorite word—Dada.
Being Caden’s Dada was the best thing to ever happen to Max, even if it was also the hardest thing he’d ever done.
While making sure his son had everything he needed, he grappled with the nonstop parental guilt he’d learned was normal, even if it sucked.
Did he spend enough time with his son? Was it right to ask his mother to watch him while he was working?
Would he be better off in daycare with other kids his age?
Max tortured himself with those and a million other questions, thus his reliance on the parenting sites that were a wealth of information, as were his parents, who’d been there, done that, ten times over.
Even though they hadn’t been single parents, they’d seen it all with him and his nine siblings and generally knew what he should do in any situation.
“I know you couldn’t understand the stuff your Gramps was saying today, buddy,” he said softly to Caden, who was on his way to sleep.
“But you should know that I’d never make you choose between me and the one you love.
I’d never, ever do that to you. All I want is for you to do whatever it takes to be happy.
I want you to love and be loved and to find your place in this world, whether it’s here or somewhere far away.
Although, I sure hope you end up close by, because I’d miss you something awful if you weren’t around every day.
Didn’t my grandfather miss my dad after he kicked him out of the family?
I hope he regretted what he did. I hope he regretted it every day. ”
He continued to rock until Caden’s little body went slack, but he didn’t move to transfer him to the crib.
Not yet. Tonight, he needed a little something extra from his son.
He needed the comfort of knowing, no matter what happened, that he would love and support Caden in everything he did, even if he didn’t necessarily agree with his choices.
As long as he was living a healthy, productive life, Max would have his back. It was really that simple.
While holding his son a little tighter, Max rubbed his tiny back and ran his lips over the soft silk of his blond hair. The two of them were a team and always would be, come what may.
From across the hall, he could hear his mother laughing, which happened a lot when his parents were together.
They were #couplegoals to Max and his siblings, all of whom had found their perfect match.
He hoped his was out there somewhere, waiting for him to find her.
A year after his relationship with Caden’s mother had imploded, he was starting to feel ready to take a chance on something new.
He’d hoped he’d hear more from Caroline, his sister-in-law Mia’s cousin, whom he’d met at Mia and Wade’s wedding in Boston and had one great night with.
But after a few weeks of regular texts, they’d dropped off to once in a while as they both went on with their lives.
He’d really liked Caroline a lot and had enjoyed the night they’d spent together, but she lived in Boston. He was hours away in Vermont. Unless she relocated to Vermont, she wasn’t going to be the solution to his predicament.
After the holidays, he needed to get serious about dating again. As much as he loved being with his parents and appreciated their help, he didn’t want to live at home forever. He wanted his own home and family and was determined to make that happen. Somehow.
In the meantime, he’d do whatever he could to support his dad through the next few days the way Linc had supported him every minute of his life.
That was how families were supposed to work, and Max couldn’t wait for his “grandfather” to see what a great father his son had turned out to be, no thanks to him.
Success was the best revenge, his other grandfather, Elmer, had reminded them earlier, and Linc had been a smashing success as a husband, father, grandfather and businessman.
Max and his siblings would do whatever it took to make sure Linc’s father saw that.
Elmer poured himself a glass of Bailey’s, tossed another log on the fire and sat to enjoy the snap, crackle and pop of the fire that cast a warm, cozy glow over his small home. In the corner stood the Christmas tree that Landon had brought from the farm, as he did every year.
Landon put the lights on for him, and then Ella and Charley decorated it with the ornaments he and Sarah had collected over a lifetime together.
Some were from her family, some from his and a great many of them were theirs, made by their kids in school or purchased as mementos from trips or events that make up a life.
His grandchildren took good care of him, always doting on him and making sure he had what he needed.
If it were up to him, he wouldn’t have bothered with a Christmas tree since he lost his Sarah.
But the kids had insisted he needed it, and because he had a long track record of giving his eighteen grandchildren whatever they wanted, he’d ceded to their wishes.
They were good kids, every one of them, and he couldn’t be prouder of them.
His sons, both quite a bit older than Molly and Hannah, had never married or had kids, and had moved out of state years ago to pursue careers in public safety.
His older daughter was married but didn’t have children.
He was thankful his youngest girls had stayed in Butler to raise their families, which had kept Elmer involved in the daily lives of his grandchildren as they grew up.
The events of the day had brought back so many memories, including the day Molly had stepped off the bus from Mississippi, holding hands with the good-looking young man from Philadelphia, and introduced him as her boyfriend.
Elmer chuckled to himself at the visceral reaction he’d had to Linc’s arrival in Butler—and how wrong he’d been about his future son-in-law.
He’d never told anyone how wrong he’d been, but Sarah had known, because she was the one who’d told him he had it all wrong.
Elmer had liked Mike Coleman, the man Hannah had married, from the get-go, but he’d been suspicious of Linc Abbott.
He certainly understood what Linc saw in his beautiful Molly, but what did a guy with a Yale MBA and a fancy Philadelphia pedigree want with tiny Butler, Vermont, and Elmer’s small-town family business?
Elmer had been hard on the guy for months, waiting for him to show his true colors, but all he’d seen was a genuine young man on fire with ambition and a desire to contribute to the business. And, he’d had to grudgingly admit, he saw how much Lincoln loved Molly.
Then the kids had gone to Philadelphia, where Linc’s father dropped the hammer on him. Elmer would never forget the two of them returning to Butler, looking like survivors of a natural disaster.
They’d arrived at dinnertime, and Elmer had seen from the first second they walked in the door that something was terribly wrong.
For one thing, they’d lost the sparkle they both had when they were together.
For another, they were unusually quiet. It’d taken an hour or maybe two to get the story out of them, and afterward, the four of them had sat in shocked silence so loud it had roared in Elmer’s ears.
To this day, he still had no idea how a man could do such a thing to his own child. He’d been a bit extreme in his protectiveness of his precious daughters, but never once had he forced them to choose between him and something or someone else they wanted.
“Daddy,” Molly had said that night, taking him aside in the kitchen while Linc was in the living room with Sarah. “I want you to do something for me. It’s something big and important and probably not something you particularly want to do, but it’s something I need.”
“Anything, sweetheart.” At that moment, he would’ve given anything to see her smile again.
“I need you to marry us. Right now. Tonight. I want Linc to know he has a new family, me and you and Mama and Hannah and Mike and the children we’re going to have. We’re his family now, and we’ll never turn our backs on him.”
She was so fiercely beautiful in her outrage and in her love for Linc. “You need a license, sweetheart.”
“We’ll take care of that tomorrow. Please, Daddy. I know you’re still not sure about Linc, but I love him so much, and…” Her eyes filled with tears. “Please.”
He was powerless to deny her this or anything she wanted, especially when she’d been so deeply hurt by people he’d never meet or know. “Of course, love. It’d be an honor, and I like Linc. I don’t want you to think I don’t.”
“But you’re not sure he’s right for me.”
“No, I’m sure he’s right for you. I’m just not sure he’s right for Butler and the life he’s decided he wants here.”
“He loves it here.”
“He loves being here with you. Anyone can see that. I’m concerned about him suddenly getting itchy and deciding a few years down the road that small-town life isn’t for him.
” As soon as he said the words, he regretted them, because the last thing his Molly needed was anyone else raining on their parade.