18. Colin
18
COLIN
“ I ’m going to do it, sir. I’m going to take the step you always thought possible for me.” I stood in front of the Admiral’s gravestone. I often visited the final resting place of the man who had taken a chance on three unruly juveniles. I knew my brothers visited, too. On the Admiral’s birthday, all of us who were in town came together. The Admiral had done more than raise us. He’d made us who we were as adults by offering tough love and amazing empathy.
Being a parent myself now, I had new respect for the old guy who had given up his leisurely retirement years for us, the Vale brothers. The childless man had understood us as individuals, made sure we had what we needed. For me, the Admiral had chosen the game of bridge to challenge my analytical mind and channel my attention. And he’d listened to me, recognizing my need for a family.
“I got the family I always wanted. I love my brothers—you know that—but my family is even bigger now. The McCallisters are my cousins—and my friends. Plus, I’ve got a daughter who is truly mine, even if I’m not her biological father. And I have a woman —Lily, you’d like her—who’ll be my wife, I hope.” I had plans to propose that very evening. “So I get to be a husband and a dad and have the storybook family I wanted so much as a kid. You always knew that was possible for me, even when I couldn’t see it myself.”
I chuckled and looked around the cemetery, where azaleas were in bloom, spreading their pink and white petals across the grass. “My family didn’t happen in the usual way, but I wouldn’t change anything about what I have. Well, except add a few more kids, if Lily’s willing.” I thought she would be, since she was so great with children, but I wanted her to be free, too, to pursue her dreams. We’d make it all work out somehow. I no longer doubted that was possible.
“I hope, sir,” I said, focusing on the grave again, “that I can be half the father to my kids that you were to Zach, Alex, and me. Half of what you did would be damn special.” I could almost hear the old guy’s voice arguing with me, telling me that I’d be the best father my children could ever wish for. That’s what the Admiral would say. For the first time in my life, I believed it.
“Wish me luck, sir. It’s time to propose and have a wedding.” I was sure Lily would accept. She’d promised me on the night I’d been shot that she’d stay with me for as long as I wanted her. Since that was forever, since I loved her more deeply than I would have thought possible, I felt sure we’d be together and create the family of my dreams, our dreams.
“I’ll let you know how it goes,” I said before resting my hand on the stone marker for a moment.
As I walked away, I smiled in anticipation of what the day would bring. My next stop was to pick up Lily from her art class and drop her off at Chance’s house, where Sofia was already playing with Ray. Just as I rolled into the parking lot, Lily came out of the building. Her smile was wide as she said goodbye to her classmates and headed for my truck.
How the hell had I gotten so lucky as to find her? Well, I hadn’t really found her. I’d advertised for a nanny, she’d shown up on my doorstep, and then she’d changed my life. I got out to help her stow her bag of supplies in the back.
“Good class?” I asked after I kissed her. She was always happiest after leaving the sculpting classes. She said she hadn’t decided which medium of art she enjoyed most, but I could tell.
“Awesome. I’m working on something special.” She had an enigmatic smile on her face.
“What?” I imagined a nude statue of myself and hoped she wasn’t creating that in class for all her classmates to see.
“Not that.” She blushed, seeming to read my thoughts, which happened a lot. “Something else for you, though.” I opened the truck door for her. Once she was in, I leaned closer.
“Tell me,” I whispered, brushing my lips lightly against hers.
“Only if you tell me what you’ve got planned for tonight.” Her hand stroked the side of my neck—a sensitive spot for me, and she knew it.
“Nope.” She’d been trying to wheedle the information out of me ever since I’d asked her to block off the evening for a special event.
She gave a little shrug. “I guess we’ll both have to be curious, then.”
I got in and started driving toward my cousin’s house, unwilling to give up. “Is it something you can use for self-defense?” I teased.
“It’s heavy enough to do some damage, I suppose. That’s the only clue you’re getting, by the way.” When I didn’t comment, she huffed. “I expect one clue about tonight in exchange.”
“You should establish the rules of a bargain before giving information. I’m under no obligation, since I didn’t agree to reveal anything.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her cross her arms over her chest. “In the spirit of goodwill, however, I guess I could offer something.”
“What?” She pounced.
“It’s a formal occasion. There are new dresses waiting at Chance’s house for you and Sofia.”
“You bought us clothes?” she exclaimed.
“With Mandy and Carolyn’s assistance,” I clarified. I might have managed something for Sofia, since I’d purchased clothes for her before. Figuring out a style and size for Lily was a complete mystery. Mandy and Carolyn had saved my bacon on that one.
“Now I’m even more curious about what you’ve got planned, but you’ve given me a clue, so I’ll be satisfied for now,” she said as we pulled into my brother’s driveway.
As soon as we got out of the truck, Sofia burst from the house and ran toward us. She veered to Lily first, who picked her up and gave her a hug.
“How’s my girl?” Lily asked, kissing Sofia’s cheek.
I loved it that Lily said those words to Sofia. I wasn’t the sentimental type, but my heart melted when I heard them.
Sofia whispered something to Lily.
“Really?” Lily responded with exaggerated surprise.
“What’d she say?” I asked.
Lily and Sofia exchanged a glance. “That’s a secret between us girls. Say bye-bye to Daddy. We’ll see him again later today.” Lily passed Sofia to me, and my daughter embraced me, planting a smacking kiss on my face.
“I’ll see you both soon.” I put my other arm around Lily, holding both of them for a moment and fighting the temptation to stay with them. But I wanted to stick to the plan I’d carefully devised and executed over the past week.
Lily
“Let me see,” Sofia said as soon as Colin’s truck was gone from sight.
Pleased that she had kept the secret, I pulled the piece of pottery I’d crafted for Colin from my bag. It was a carefully rendered ace of hearts on one side. On the reverse, the pattern replicated one of the decks of cards that Colin held so dear. I had started it a few weeks earlier, and at one point I’d thought it might be my parting gift to Colin. Now I knew it would be something else.
“Will your daddy like it?” I asked.
Sofia nodded and gingerly touched both sides before smiling up at me. I slipped it back in the bag, waiting for the perfect opportunity to give it to him. Maybe that night; maybe I’d wait for an even more special occasion.
During the afternoon, I chatted with Mandy while the kids played and napped. Mandy didn’t mention anything about fancy dresses until five o’clock, when she made a show of checking her watch.
“You and Sofia have one hour to get ready,” she announced. “Go have a look in the spare bedroom.”
Taking Sofia by the hand, I climbed the stairs and went to the front room. On the bed, two dresses were laid out. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but it wasn’t this. Mine was a true formal, the kind of dress I might wear to a fancy New Year’s Eve party. Sofia’s was petal pink with white roses embroidered on the bodice. The skirt had layers of ruffles going to the floor.
Sofia squealed in delight and rushed to touch the fancy dress. Next to it was a pink headband and white patent leather shoes with a little matching purse.
“I think she likes it,” Mandy commented from the doorway. “What do you think of yours?”
Stunning was what I thought. It was jade green with a sequined halter-style bodice and a column skirt that went to the floor. The skirt might have been plain but for a cascade of ruffles that went down one side, adding a little sassiness and elegance. I loved it.
“Beautiful,” I said, picking the gown up to find a pair of black sling-back heels and a jewelry box from Carolyn’s store, All That Sparkles.
“Go on and open it,” Mandy said.
I lifted the lid. Inside, I found a silver cuff bracelet in a delicate vine pattern. “Oh my,” I breathed. Like the dress, it was perfect for me. I lowered the box so Sofia could see the bracelet. The girl ran her little finger carefully around the circle.
“Carolyn made sure to tell me that Colin picked it out himself. Just so you know,” Mandy commented. “I’ll get Sofia ready while you do yourself up. Your ride comes in one hour.”
Our ride, huh?
I sank onto the plush seat of the black limo. This was more than a ride, this was luxury. Colin was spoiling me and Sofia. The girl was next to me, safely buckled into a car seat for the drive and wide-eyed at the interior of the car.
“Pretty fancy,” I commented, smoothing the material of Sofia’s skirt. “What do you think we’ll find next?” I asked aloud, not expecting Sofia to answer. We were both stunned by Colin’s attention to detail so far.
The ride didn’t take long, but I couldn’t see where we were through the tinted windows until the driver opened the door. I expected a fancy restaurant, one that allowed toddlers—if such a place existed. That’s not what I saw as I stepped from the limo. A brick path lined with candles in glass jars led past trees and shrubs decorated with sparkling white lights.
“You’re to follow the path,” the driver said once Sofia was out of the car and standing next to me. “Just around the curve there.”
“Are you ready?” I asked Sofia as the car rolled away. I took Sofia’s hand and we did as instructed. Along the way, we stopped to smell a rose bush and admire the lights. As promised, around the curve in the path we found our destination: a wooden platform decorated with pots of fragrant flowers and flickering candles. There was a table for three, including a high chair, set in one corner, and what appeared to be a dance floor. Soft music played.
“Boo-ti-ful!” Sofia announced.
“You’re both beautiful.” Colin stepped out to meet us, wearing a black tuxedo.
“Dada!” Sofia ran to her father, who swung her up in his arms.
“You look like a princess,” he said, making her smile broaden. “Do you like the dress?”
“Uh-huh.” Sofia tugged on his bow tie.
How could I not love this man? He knew how to make his daughter happy. He was so full of love and generosity that I almost blurted out how I felt about him. He shifted me to his left side and focused on me. His eyes coasted down my figure, and I felt warmth suffuse my skin. I did a little twirl so he could get the full effect of my gown, which was nearly backless. Oh, Mandy and Carolyn had chosen wisely when it came to the apparel.
“You must be the queen,” he said, leaning closer to kiss my cheek.
“The queen of what?” I asked.
“Your own personal prom.”
“My prom?” I gasped.
“You said you didn’t get to go to yours in high school. I didn’t attend mine either, so I created a prom night for us.” He gestured around. “I considered inviting a few friends, but I wanted this to be our night.”
“Wise choice.” I added thoughtful to his list of qualities. When I’d told him about missing the prom, I’d never expected him to remember the story—much less create such a special night for us.
With Sofia in one arm, he offered the other to me to escort me to the table. As soon as we were settled, a waiter appeared with a silver tray containing two flutes of champagne and a fancy sippy cup for Sofia.
“Sparkling white grape juice,” he explained to me.
“You thought of everything,” I commented, knowing that was who he was. His analytical mind sorted through details, expertly arranging them into a plan. My brain worked differently, more chaotically than his, but I could appreciate his abilities. I relaxed and let the evening unfold, confident it would end in some fabulous way.
The waiter served our meal. Colin and I had beef medallions in a rich sauce, while Sofia had macaroni and cheese, a personal favorite of hers. We all ate a dessert of chocolate cake and ice cream. Sofia acted like a little lady the whole time and didn’t spill one drop on her fancy dress.
“Time to dance,” Colin said, rising and holding out his hand for me.
I was glad to go into his arms, to feel his warm hand on my bare back as we swayed together to the music. Just as I closed my eyes and would have rested my head against his shoulder, Sofia called to us.
“Me, too,” she said, holding up her arms.
“She wants to join us,” I said.
“If that’s okay with you?” Colin’s gaze shifted between me and Sofia.
“Of course it is,” I responded. Colin came as a package deal. I’d known that from the beginning and had come to love Sofia as much as a mother could love her own child.
Leaving me on the dance floor for a moment, Colin teased Sofia as he lifted her from the high chair. “You were supposed to stay in your seat for this part.”
“Was she in on your plan?” I asked, wondering again at the elaborate arrangements.
“Some parts of it,” he answered, returning to me.
The three of us danced together, holding hands and turning in slow circles, until the song ended. Colin held on to my hand and dropped to one knee. Sofia, not to be outdone, knelt beside him. They both looked up at me. My heart skipped a beat and nearly overflowed. The two people I loved most in the world were with me, and I guessed what was coming.
“Lily, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Together, we can have a perfect family.” He paused to look at Sofia, who was barely containing her excitement. She nodded, and his focus came back to me. “Will you marry me? Us?”
“I love you both so much,” I said without hesitation. “So, yes, I’ll marry you.”
Colin rose to his feet and pulled me to him, giving me a kiss that promised limitless happiness in our future. When the kiss ended, I felt a tug at my dress. Sofia was next to me with outstretched arms. Colin lifted her so the three of us were together.
At the same time, Colin and I kissed Sofia’s cheeks, making her squeal in excitement. I wanted to make the same sound. My eyes met Colin’s, and I knew I’d found my dream life.