Chapter 26 #2
“I believe that’s your dad and Lexi,” Molly said as she put cash on the table to pay the bill Megan had left. “Should we go find them?”
“Yes!” Caden said.
Before she could grab the card he’d made, he had it in hand and was heading for the door, dragging his coat.
“Thanks, Megan,” Molly said with a wave for her daughter-in-law.
“Have a great day!” Megan said.
Molly followed Caden out of the diner, feeling pleased with the way their conversation had gone. She hoped it helped to smooth the way to happily ever after for Max and Lexi.
Max pulled the truck into the driveway at Lexi’s childhood home, located about three miles from his place. “Home sweet home.”
She’d been practically bouncing in her seat for the last twenty miles. “I’m so excited!”
“I never would’ve known.”
“Haha. Let’s get this done!”
“You, my love, aren’t lifting a finger. My brothers and I will be moving you in.”
“They don’t have to do that!”
“Yes, they do. I’ve helped them move numerous times. They owe me.” He made a call to Lucas. “We’re here. Will you call the boys?”
“Yep. Be right there.”
“Thanks, bro.” To Lexi, he said, “All set.”
“Did you plan this in advance?”
“Hell yes, I did. I texted him earlier to say we were coming and to get the boys together to move you in.”
Lexi leaned across the center console and crooked her finger at him.
He leaned in to meet her halfway. “Yes?”
“A little closer.”
Max smiled as he kissed her.
“Thank you.”
“Welcome to the Abbott family, where there’re six brothers available as needed.”
“It’s the seventh one who holds a special place in my heart.”
A knock on the driver’s-side window had them pulling apart.
Max was thrilled to see Caden grinning at him.
He opened the door—carefully—and reached for his son, so happy to see him after the long days apart. “How’d you find me?”
Caden hugged him fiercely. “Grammy knew where to look.”
“She’s a smart grammy.”
Caden thrust a piece of paper at Max. “I made this for you.”
Max took the paper and was surprised to see it was a welcome-home card for him—and Lexi. “That’s great work, buddy. I love it.” He handed it to Lexi. “It’s for you, too.”
She took it from him and teared up when she saw he’d included her. “Thank you, Caden. That’s a beautiful card. It’s so good to be home in Butler.”
“Are you guys gonna stay in the truck all day?”
Max ruffled Caden’s hair. “Nope. We’ve got moving to do, and you can help.”
Lexi couldn’t believe how many Abbotts showed up to help her move into the garage apartment at her childhood home.
Not only did all of Max’s brothers come, but his cousin Grayson was there, as well as Max’s three sisters, his parents and grandfather, who supervised.
Even Nolan and Skeeter came from the garage to pitch in.
With so much help, they had most of her things in the apartment in less than half an hour.
“This is amazing,” Lexi said, battling more tears. She was already sick of the pregnancy hormones that had her teary-eyed constantly, or so it seemed. “Thank you all so much.”
“This is what family does for family,” Molly said, hugging her. “And you’re family.”
“You’re going to make her bawl her head off, Mom,” Max said, laughing at Lexi’s reaction to such a sweet gesture from his mom. “Colton, follow me to St. J to drop off the truck.”
“Yes, sir,” Colton said, saluting Max.
“You want to come for the ride?” Max asked Caden.
Caden gave him an uncertain look. “Would it be okay if I stayed here?”
Max eyed him curiously. “Sure. I bet Lexi would like more help inside.”
“I’d love that,” Lexi said, pleased that he’d asked to stay with her.
“I’ll be back soon,” Max said.
She put her hand on Caden’s shoulder. “We’ll be here.”
Most of the others left to go back to whatever they’d been doing before Max summoned them.
Lexi thanked them all with hugs and promises to return the favor any time.
“We’ll see you tomorrow at New Year’s Day dinner,” Molly said, hugging her again.
“Looking forward to that and everything else.”
“Welcome home, Lexi,” Lincoln said when he hugged her. “We’re so glad to have you back in town.”
“It’s great to be here. It’s all I wanted the whole time I was sick, to get back home to Butler and Max.”
“We couldn’t be happier to have you, sweetheart,” Elmer said when he hugged her. “Congratulations on all the great news,” he added in a whisper.
“Thank you, Mr. Stillman.”
“Elmer.”
“Elmer. That’ll take some practice.”
“We’ve got all the time in the world to practice.”
After they waved off Molly, Linc and Elmer, Lexi and Caden went upstairs to her apartment.
“You’ve got a lot of work to do in here,” Caden said as he surveyed the stacks of boxes.
“I sure do.”
The family had placed all the furniture, and her new bed was set to be delivered the next day, but there were boxes stacked everywhere. She’d brought an air mattress for her first night.
“Where should we start?” Lexi asked him.
“Probably kitchen and bathroom.”
“You’re a wise young man.”
“Grammy says those are the two most important rooms in the house.”
“She’s right. Let’s start in the kitchen.”
Lexi pulled the tape off a box labeled KITCHEN and opened it to find the silverware and cooking tools she’d bought at a discount store in Houston.
The only money she had was the small inheritance she’d received from her father’s parents when they passed, so she had to be frugal until she started working.
She’d heard what Max had said about not having to worry about money, but she meant it when she told him she wanted to be independent.
This would be the first time she’d ever lived on her own, and while she looked forward to sharing her life with him, she wanted some time in her own place before they made a home together.
A previous tenant had left a silverware organizer in one of the kitchen drawers, so she put Caden in charge of unloading the stainless-steel pieces from the box and into the drawer.
“How’s your vacation been?” she asked him.
“Great! We finally got to ski the big hill again, and I hung out with my cousins a lot.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“It was. I wish we didn’t have to go back to school so soon. Why does vacation go by so fast, but school is so slow?”
Lexi laughed as she unloaded a motley collection of coffee mugs into one of the kitchen cabinets. “That’s a very good question.” She loved having him all to herself so they could get to know each other better.
“It’s so weird how that happens. Vacation flies by and school drags.”
“Because one is something you want to do, and the other is something you have to do. Big difference.”
“I guess so. Did you like school?”
“I loved school. I’m looking forward to getting back to it in January. I’m going to take a few classes online.”
“And you’re doing that because you want to?” he asked, seeming incredulous.
“Believe it or not, I do want to. Your dad told you I was sick for a long time, right?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.”
“Thank you. It was a drag. The whole time I was sick, all I could think about was getting back to my old life, which included school.”
“And my dad.”
“And your dad.”
Caden was quiet after that, so Lexi waited to see if he might say anything else.
A full minute later, he said, “He’s a really good dad. A great dad.”
“Yes, he is. All he talks about is you and how proud of you he is.”
“That’s nice,” Caden said with a smile.
“Can I say something?” Lexi asked.
“Sure.”
“I love your dad. I really, really do. I have since I was about fifteen, if I’m being honest. I never stopped loving him the whole time we were apart. But you—you’re his whole life, and I’d never do anything to get in the way of what you two have together. I promise you that.”
“I’m not his whole life.”
“Yes, you are, Caden. He’d choose you over anything and anyone.”
“I want him to be happy.”
“I do, too, which means we both want the same thing. What do you say we work together to make that happen?” She extended a hand to him and held her breath, waiting to see what he would do.
When he reached out to shake her hand, Lexi exhaled.
“I hope you and I can be good friends,” she said.
“That’d be cool.”
“I think so, too.”