41. Adam
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Adam
I’d pulled off a lot of surprises in my life—some good, some questionable, a few that had landed me in a fair amount of trouble. But this one? This one was my favorite.
Because watching Sadie walk into The Foundry and realize what we’d done for her? That was the kind of thing a man wanted to bottle up and keep forever.
She stepped through the doors, all wide eyes and parted lips, taking in every inch of the space like she wasn’t sure if she should believe it was real.
And honestly? I didn’t blame her.
The once-spare store room had been transformed into a small lounge, just for her. A place for her to hold whatever charity event she wanted to.
Exactly the kind of place she’d dreamed about.
Exactly the kind of place she deserved.
I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe and watching as she turned in slow circles, trying to take it all in. Kai and Samuel stood next to me, both looking entirely too pleased with themselves.
Rightfully so, if you asked me.
She turned, eyes shimmering. “You did this?”
Kai smirked. “Technically, we had it done. We’re not that handy.”
Samuel shrugged. “But it was our idea.”
Correction: It had been my idea, but I wasn’t about to fight for credit. Not when she was looking at us like we’d just hung the damn stars for her.
I stepped forward, taking her hand, rubbing my thumb across her knuckles. “It’s yours, Sadie. All of it.”
She let out this little breath, one of those soft, disbelieving laughs that made my heart sing.
“I…” She shook her head, swallowing hard. “I don’t even know what to say.”
Samuel, ever the steady one, gave her that rare, quiet smile of his. “You don’t have to say anything.”
Kai looped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side. “Just tell us we’re your favorites.”
She laughed, blinking rapidly like she was trying to keep it together, but then she looked up at me, eyes shining, and boom. That was it.
I was done for.
I curled a finger under her chin, tilting her face up toward mine. “You happy, sugar?”
She nodded, exhaling another one of those shaky little breaths.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “Yeah, I really am.”
“Well, that isn’t everything,” Kai continued. “We need to go.”
“Go? Go where?”
I slipped my hand into hers. “Come on, we’re going now.”
I could tell she wasn’t happy, but she followed me anyway.
She sat in the passenger seat, hands curled around her sweater, her gaze locked on the road ahead as we drove. But I caught the way she kept sneaking glances at the street signs, her brows pulling together in confusion as we got closer.
Kai smirked from the backseat, clearly enjoying this way too much. “You figuring it out yet, S?”
Sadie narrowed her eyes. “You’re loving this, aren’t you?”
Samuel just reached over and squeezed her knee. “Just trust us.”
She huffed but didn’t argue. Then the second I pulled into the parking lot, the second she saw the sign, her breath hitched.
Willow Creek Orphanage.
Her fingers tightened around her sweater, her whole body going still. And for a moment, she didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.
Then, slowly, she turned to me, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’re meeting Miss Evelyn?”
I nodded. “She’s expecting you.”
Sadie let out a slow breath, blinking rapidly. Then, without another word, she was out of the car, moving toward the entrance like she couldn’t get there fast enough.
Kai let out a low whistle. “Damn. Think she’s excited?”
Samuel smirked. “Let’s go find out.”
Miss Evelyn met us at the door with a warm, knowing smile on her face. She had been so happy to hear about Sadie when we first called her, and I could see the joy shining in her eyes now.
“Sadie, sweetheart,” Miss Evelyn murmured, holding her close. “It’s been too long.”
Sadie melted into the hug, and when she pulled back, her eyes were suspiciously bright.
“I… God, it’s so good to see you.” She let out a watery laugh. “I didn’t even know I was coming here.”
Miss Evelyn shot me a look over Sadie’s shoulder. “That was thanks to these men, wasn’t it?”
I grinned. “Guilty.”
She shook her head, amused, then turned back to Sadie. “Come in, dear. I want to hear everything.”
We followed them inside, letting Sadie take the lead as she walked through the halls she’d once called home.
It touched me deeply, the way her expression softened as she headed inside, how her fingers brushed against the doorframes like she was touching a memory.
But then, as we walked farther in, that softness shifted. Because as much as Willow Creek held warmth, there were signs of wear. The kind that came from stretching every dollar as far as it could go. The kind that told me exactly why we were here.
Sadie saw it, too.
Her steps slowed, her gaze flicking to the faded wallpaper, the chipped banister, the shelves in the playroom that sat half empty.
By the time we reached Miss Evelyn’s office, her jaw was set and her fingers were curling into her sweater again, the way they always did when she was gearing up.
Miss Evelyn gestured for us to sit, her wise eyes settling on Sadie. “Now, tell me what’s on your mind, sweetheart.”
Sadie exhaled slowly. Then, with that same quiet determination, she leaned forward.
“I want to host a fundraiser,” she said, her voice strong, sure. “Something big. I have the space now, thanks to these guys.” She shot us a look, warmth flickering in her eyes, before she turned back to Miss Evelyn. “And I want all of the proceeds to go to Willow Creek.”
Miss Evelyn’s hand came up to her chest, her lips parting, her own eyes misting over now. “Oh, sweetheart…”
Sadie swallowed, her hands tightening in her lap. “This place… it saved me. You saved me. I want to help however I can.”
Miss Evelyn reached for her hand, squeezing it tight. “You always had the biggest heart.”
Sadie let out a shaky breath and turned to us, her expression firm. “I want to start planning as soon as possible.”
Samuel nodded. “Whatever you need, we’ll make it happen.”
Kai smirked. “Yeah, and don’t let Adam near the decorations. He has terrible taste.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s slander.”
Sadie laughed—bright and full, the kind of laugh that felt like home—and damn if it didn’t make every second of planning, every moment of keeping this surprise a secret, worth it.
She was happy.
And that was the only thing that mattered.
As we walked through the building, it allowed all of us to see more of who Sadie had been and why she’d become who she was.
“This was my old room,” she murmured, pausing in the hallway beside a worn wooden door. The paint was chipped at the edges, and there were faint scratches along the bottom, like someone had once tried to carve their name into it.
Kai leaned in, smirking. “You sneak out through this door?”
Sadie huffed a laugh.
“Once or twice.” She glanced at Miss Evelyn, who gave her a pointed look, making her grin. “Okay, maybe a little more than that.”
Samuel pressed his palm against the doorframe, glancing down at her. “I’m guessing you were a handful?”
Miss Evelyn let out a warm chuckle. “That’s an understatement. She had a knack for finding trouble. But she always had a good heart.”
Sadie rolled her eyes, though a soft blush crept up her neck. “You make it sound like I was a menace.”
“You were,” Miss Evelyn said fondly. “But you always looked out for the little ones.”
Sadie’s smile dimmed just slightly, something wistful passing through her expression. “Yeah,” she murmured. “I remember.”
She pushed the door open, and the room on the other side was small but warm. There were bunk beds against one wall, a few shelves stacked with books and stuffed animals, and a set of dressers that looked like they’d seen better days.
“I used to stay up late, reading by flashlight under the covers,” Sadie said, stepping inside, her fingers trailing over the edge of the bed frame. “Miss Evelyn caught me more times than I can count, but she never got mad. She just made me promise to get some sleep.”
Kai plucked a book off the shelf, flipping through it. “Let me guess… you were already a hopeless romantic?”
Sadie lifted her chin. “Absolutely.”
Samuel smirked. “Figures.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, then moved to the window. “Sometimes, when things got hard, I’d sit here and look out at the yard, just to remind myself there was more out there. That life wouldn’t always be this.”
I felt a twist in my chest at that. I couldn’t imagine what it must’ve been like for her… feeling stuck, waiting for a future that felt so far away.
Samuel must’ve been thinking the same thing because his hand settled at the small of her back.
“But you made it out,” he murmured. “And now you’re giving back.”
Sadie exhaled, nodding. “Yeah.” She turned to us, her eyes bright with determination.
“But I want to do more than just raise money. This place needs help.” She gestured around the room before continuing, "The whole orphanage could use some work. Fresh paint, new furniture. Something to make it feel… hopeful.”
Miss Evelyn’s gaze softened. “That’s a beautiful thought, dear. But it’s a lot of work.”
Kai grinned. “Good thing we know some guys.”
Samuel nodded. “And we don’t mind getting our hands dirty. And there are many people in Medford who I’m sure would help. The Wolfe brothers, they’re lumberjacks. The cops and firefighters are always good at helping. The Grady brothers, too…”
Sadie looked at me, waiting for my input, but I was already in. “Tell us what you need, sugar, and we’ll make it happen.”
Her lips parted, a flurry of feelings flickering across her face. Then she was moving, pressing up onto her toes and kissing me right then and there. It was quick, soft, but it sent a damn earthquake through my chest.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
And I knew right then that I’d move heaven and earth for this girl if she asked me to.
We spent the next hour walking through the orphanage, making a list of everything that needed fixing.
The kitchen needed new appliances. The playroom needed better storage. Half the lights flickered when you turned them on, and the plumbing… well, let’s just say I wasn’t about to test that water pressure.
But even as we made notes, even as we talked through logistics, it never felt like work. Because Sadie was in her element, and watching her light up as she talked about her plans? That was worth more than anything.
At some point, we ended up in the backyard, where a handful of kids were running around, playing tag in the grass.
And then Kai, because he’s Kai, grinned, rolled up his sleeves, and said, “Alright, who wants to race?”
Chaos. Pure chaos.
Within seconds, Kai, Samuel, and a bunch of kids were sprinting across the yard, laughter and shouts filling the air.
Samuel, the strategist, waited until the last second before scooping one of the smaller kids onto his back and letting them “win,” which earned him a round of cheers.
Kai? He was all in, ducking and dodging, letting kids pile onto him like a jungle gym as he wrestled them to the ground.
I just stood back, watching.
Watching the way Samuel steadied the little girl on his shoulders, making sure she didn’t fall. Watching the way Kai let one of the boys tackle him, even though he could’ve easily broken free. Watching the way Sadie laughed, her whole face glowing as she cheered them on.
And for the first time, I truly thought about what it would mean to be a dad.
Not just in some vague, distant way, but really thought about it. About what it would feel like to have a kid look at me the way these kids looked at Samuel and Kai. About the responsibility of it, the weight of it.
And the love of it.
A small tug at my jeans snapped me out of it. I glanced down to see a tiny girl with big brown eyes staring up at me, arms outstretched.
“Up?” she asked, completely unbothered by the fact that we’d never met.
I huffed a laugh, then lifted her into my arms, settling her on my hip. “That what you wanted, sweetheart?”
She nodded solemnly, then rested her head against my shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And just like that, everything inside me shifted.
Yeah. I could do this.
I could see it.
And when I glanced over at Sadie, catching the way she was watching me with the sweetest gaze I’d ever seen?
I had a feeling she could see it, too.