Chapter 23 #3
We finally pull into the garage at home, and I’m so thankful the boys are having a special sleepover at Granny B’s tonight, so we don’t have to cope with Nash and Kade waking up just as we’re finally getting to sleep.
Sully is going to call Mrs. B at a reasonable hour to let her know what’s happened.
We didn’t call her during the night because we didn’t want to upset her and wake the boys up, causing them to be worried about us.
Sully will tell her that we’ll be over to see her and the boys once we’ve had some sleep.
Not that either of us will manage to get any quality rest, but all we can do is try.
I just want to be alone with Poppy. We don’t need to talk, just be together, our souls mourning tonight’s tragedies.
In our zombie-like state, Poppy and I walk into the house, straight into the en-suite, strip off all our clothes, and step into the shower.
The hot water streams over the two of us, wrapped in each other’s arms, silently processing everything that has happened.
Poppy moves to the side, reaching for the bottle of shampoo.
Pouring some into her hand, she looks up into my eyes.
“Let me wash your hair with my shampoo. Take it from me, you’ll need the strong cherry-blossom scent to take away the smell of smoke.
” Dipping my head for her, slowly she massages my scalp, and the tender circles feel like heaven, until all I can smell is Poppy’s familiar scent that I love so much.
I rinse off my hair and then reach out to pour some of it into my hand.
“My turn.” I place my hands on the top of her head, and with my fingers, run the shampoo all through her beautiful blonde locks, taking my time to concentrate on not just massaging her scalp but running my hands down over her body too.
All I want to smell in our bed tonight is the soft subtle smell of this cherry-blossom shampoo, reminding me that she’s here, in my arms and totally safe.
The simple fresh scent of shampoo is soothing and helps to wipe away the trauma of tonight.
It gives me a sense of renewed energy and hope, making me realize that I can rebuild the bar.
Material things can be replaced, and the memories of Lucinda that we hold in our heart will never leave us.
Lucinda lives on in both Nash and Kade every single day.
That’s all I need to concentrate on now.
I can’t let losing the bar eat at me on the inside, using it as an excuse to let it drag me down again.
I don’t want to go back to being miserable.
Life has become better than that now. There have been so many times I could’ve lost Poppy this year, yet every time, she’s gotten back up and kept fighting. I need to do the same.
Because nothing else truly matters to me in this life, except for my deep love for Poppy, Nash, and Kade, our family of Mrs. B, Adrian, Autumn, Felix, and of course, our other friends that are in our lives.
That’s what I need to be thinking about tonight as I lay my head down on the pillow, with Poppy wrapped tightly in my arms. Except it’s not tonight, it’s very much morning.
After rinsing clean and drying ourselves with fluffy towels, we both slide into bed and under the blanket.
Poppy immediately snuggles into my side in her usual sleeping position, and feeling her warm and wrapped around me has my heart finally slowing into a calm rhythm.
Putting my finger under her chin, I tilt her head up so I can see her face.
“I love you, Poppy Bertrum. The soft caring stepmom, the sexy woman who melts as I speak in just the right way, and the badass firefighter who jumped straight into action tonight. No fear or hesitation, you just did your job and saved my life. I love every single one of those parts of you. Please don’t give up firefighting, it’s who you are.
I saw that tonight. Of course, I’ll worry every time you go to work, but I will also be so extremely proud of you.
” My words have silent tears rolling down Poppy’s cheeks, but the smile on her face tells me they’re happy tears.
“You are exactly where you’re meant to be, here with us, in Boston.
So, let’s find you another firehouse close by so we can make the perfect life for you.
Maybe you can go out and work while I be a stay-at-home dad for a while.
I have some spare time now that I’m going to have to find something to do with.
” I lean in and start kissing the tears off her cheeks.
“You want your Perfect Poppy back.” Her tears are subsiding, and I’m captivated by her big round blue eyes, as deep and beautiful as the ocean.
“My Perfect Poppy has been here all along. She just needed to realize that and stop hiding her true self.” Poppy drops her head and kisses me hard on the lips.
“Landon, I love you with all my soul. I know what I want in my life now, and I’m not settling for any less.
My life is in Boston, with you and the boys.
Living next door to my mom and going on stupid clothes shopping trips and giggly brunches with Autumn.
I want to spend warm afternoons with Mom in her back garden while I’m listening to Kade and Nash play.
To find a new firehouse to call home, and most of all, to do what I love to do, which is saving people’s lives.
I’m good at being a firefighter, and I’m not letting Kyra or Dean ruin that for me.
” She takes a deep breath and looks deep into my soul.
“And I want to help you rebuild Lucinda’s if you’ll let me.
Together, with Adrian. That place is your home and where part of your heart lives.
The same way I’m not letting an awful person keep me from my chosen passion, let’s not let it happen for you either.
What do you say?” She looks at me, and I can’t help it. Tears are streaming down my cheeks.
“I don’t know what the plans will be for Lucinda’s, but whatever they are, I want to decide on them together, you, me, and Adrian.
Sitting around our dining room table, plans spread out, while we’re eating pizzas and drinking a beer.
Do we have a deal, that you’re going to be a Boston firefighter and I’m going to return to being the owner of an amazing rebuilt bar?
What do you say?” I reach up and kiss her on the forehead.
“I say that no matter what we do, as long as we’re doing it together, then life will be as you said… absolutely perfect.”
Poppy kisses my forehead, lays her head back down on my chest, closes her eyes, and within minutes, I can hear that faint little snore she has. It reminds me how far we’ve come since that first night I laid eyes on her, walking into my living room to hear the same little snore.
For all the pain and turmoil we’ve lived through since we met, I’d do it all again if it brought us back to here.
So much for thinking I won’t be able to sleep. I can’t keep my eyes open any longer, which tells me it’s okay to step back for a moment and rest.
Our crazy life will still be here when we wake up, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.