33. It Wasn’t a Dream
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Brooke
It Wasn’t a Dream
I n the morning, Brooke woke up to the sounds of giggling, along with the smell of May’s coffee and cinnamon buns. Sure enough, Max’s little makeshift room was filled with all of their family, her coworkers, balloons, food, and stuffed teddy bears. The only person missing was the one man she needed to see.
Had he really said he loved her and that he was staying in Sandy Point, or had that all been some vivid dream? Max had icing smeared on his face as he sipped from a huge orange juice May helped him hold.
“Oh, good morning, Mom, look at what Uncle Miles brought me!” Max held up a brand-new bat in a plastic case with a bold black signature on it.
Miles looked guilty. “I was going to wait for his birthday next month but I decided a trip to the hospital rated a big get-well gift.”
“It’s signed by Babe Ruth!” Max yelped.
“Wow, baby, that’s epic.”
“Yes, I doubt any of us can top that one,” Miles’s grandmother said from her seat next to Max.
Brooke sat up and wiped at her eyes.
“Don’t worry, you look like a mess, but no one cares,” May said and handed her a to-go coffee cup.
Next Dr. Tommy arrived, looking like he hadn’t slept in the hospital all night.
“Alright, Mr. Max, we’re going to get you discharged.”
“Will I be able to play baseball today? I’m starting,” Max asked.
Tommy looked at Brooke. “I think it’s up to your mom more than your doctor, but I would say that if you do play and start to feel any trouble breathing, you need to let your team doc know right away.”
“Sweet.” Max jumped out of the bed. “Come on, Mom, we need to go home and get my uniform before the game starts without us.”
“We’ll see you at the game, Maxy,” Miles said as he ruffled Max’s hair and knelt down to give him a big hug. “I love you, buddy.”
“Thanks, Uncle Miles, I love you too.”
Everyone gave Max a hug before they filed out.
“Just one big happy family,” May said. “I guess they’re not so bad.”
Brooke narrowed her eyes on her sister. “Interesting. See you at the game?”
“I’ll be there after I check in on the morning rush.” May kissed and hugged Max before she filed out too.
Brooke gathered up some of Max’s balloons, and Nora said she’d gather up the rest of his things and put them in Brooke’s office. But the second they stepped outside she realized she didn’t have her car. And then she recognized a familiar blue truck parked right out front. The passenger window lowered and Dalton sat inside with his arm on the steering wheel, wearing a crisp white shirt, a day’s worth of scruff, and a gorgeous smile.
“You two need a lift?” he asked.
“Yes! Dalton, wait until you see what Uncle Miles gave me.”
Brooke opened the back door for Max and helped him get in with his new bat then she climbed into the passenger seat. She set her coffee in the cup holder and put on her seat belt as Dalton oohed and aahed over Max’s impressive gift.
“Hi,” he said once Max focused on his seat belt. He reached his hand out to grip hers, threading their fingers together.
A wave of relief spread over her. “Hi. About last night.”
“It was all real. I’m just going to follow your lead.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she leaned forward to grip his neck before pulling him forward to kiss him.
“Wow, cool, are we going to be a family now?”
Dalton’s mouth spread open in a big smile while still pressed against her lips, and they broke their kiss to look at Max beaming at them.
“Well, since you’re the man of the house, Max, would it be okay if I date your mom?”
“Yes, sir! Man, maybe I should go to the hospital more often,” Max said, snapping his fingers.
Laughing through tears had never felt so good, and Brooke couldn’t believe she was getting the man she loved and that he loved her son too. They spent the morning at Max’s baseball game, and while his allergy didn’t reappear, they all seemed pretty exhausted. But Brooke knew she needed to speak with Declan about what had happened. Although she’d dreaded telling him, Declan had already heard most of the details from Wes and Dr. Tommy. As first responders they were required to express their concern for Max’s welfare with his biological father, who clearly had no regard for Max’s medical condition.
“I’m not sure the judge will deny Tyler’s custody request, but I believe he’ll want to put some safeguards in place and require all future visits be supervised,” Declan explained over the phone as Brooke stood in her small kitchen and Dalton helped Max read the rest of the Babe Ruth book he’d taken out from the library.
“Okay, but you’ll make the appeal before Max is due to spend any more time with Tyler next week?”
“Yes, I’ve already completed the paperwork. I just wanted to make sure I had all the facts.”
“There’s something else. Max said he’d like to tell the judge how he feels about his father.”
“Good. He’s almost eight and more than able to express his feelings. It’s an important factor for the judge. Worst case, I believe Miles will agree to act as supervisor for any follow-on visits and that he really is motivated to ensure Max is not only safe but loved.”
All this time she’d kept her ex-in-laws at arm’s length, afraid they were hiding their tendency to be as bad as Tyler, but it was clear now that they really loved Max. She was starting to suspect Mile’s and his grandmother were the ones who had told Declan about the trust.
“Alright, rest up and don’t worry, we have a strong case and a fair judge. I’ll call you on Monday once the judge hears my emergency appeal.”
“Thank you, Declan.”
“Oh, can you tell Dalton thank you for me? His grandmother not only convinced my cousin to sell her art at the Summer Solstice, but she sold out, made ten thousand dollars, and has had multiple pieces commissioned.”
“Wow, that’s fantastic. Congrats.”
When she walked back into Max’s room, she found Dalton and Max asleep with their book resting on Dalton’s chest as it rose and fell. She was overwhelmed with gratitude to see them together. After taking a shower, she thought she’d try to take a nap too, but when she opened the bathroom door she found Dalton sitting on the edge of her bed, and she knew neither of them were thinking about sleeping.
Stepping in front of him, she let her towel fall away, and when he reached out to touch her, she could feel the love between them like the warmth of the sun on a summer day. His hands skimmed up her thighs to hold her hips as he pulled her closer. His mouth was on her breasts and his hands moved to the small of her back, encouraging her to straddle his lap.
“I love you, and just in case you don’t believe me, I’m going to show you,” Dalton said.
“I like your dedication. Maybe I could use a little convincing, I mean, you did make me wait fifteen years to tell me you like me.”
She pulled at the hem of his shirt to help him remove it then pushed him to lie back. But he pulled her down with him and rolled her over so he was on top, being careful not to put all his weight on her.
“I guess I’ll have to think of fifteen ways to prove my love,” Dalton said, right before his mouth captured hers in the kind of kiss that told her exactly how much he wanted her.
The feel of letting go and no longer holding back was like a free fall. After years of being lonely it was a little scary, but she knew Dalton was as solid as a rock and that he would never let her or Max down. A glimpse of what their future could look like made her smile as his scruff along her skin sent shivers over her chest and abdomen. His rough hands traced an invisible path over her curves that only he knew the destination to—and then his mouth stopped to hover over the apex of her legs.
They spent the rest of the weekend in a blissful bubble. They took Max to the beach and shared every meal. On Monday Dr. Tommy greeted her with a resignation letter. He planned to stay through the rest of the summer and to make sure the Pattersons were settled before he moved to Atlanta. All day Brooke waited for a call from Declan about his petition but she didn’t expect him to show up at the hospital.
“Are you here to deliver bad news in person?” Brooke asked when Declan appeared in their makeshift doctors’ lounge, where she was making coffee.
“No, I only deliver good news in person,” Declan said.
Dalton must have also spotted Declan arrive because he walked in behind him.
“Well, the judge was not happy to hear about what happened during Tyler’s first visitation or his incompetence in not having Max’s allergy medicine on hand.”
“But?”
“But before he could change the visitation order, Tyler’s lawyer notified the court that they were no longer interested in pursuing custody. Tyler agreed to give you one hundred percent custody, and the monthly child support order will stay in place until Max is eighteen. Max will also be added to the family trust as an heir.” Declan handed over a stack of paperwork with fresh signatures from the judge.
Brooke was shocked. It was sad that Tyler was so self-absorbed that he couldn’t be bothered to get to know his own son, but it was his loss. And Max was better off not having to spend time with such a bad example of a man.
“This might be the only time Tyler has made the right decision,” Dalton said, putting his arm around Brooke to comfort her.
“I’m not sure it was exactly Tyler’s decision to be so accommodating. I may have also had another visit from a concerned family member who requested to provide a written statement to the judge.”
“Let me guess, Max’s grandmother?” Dalton asked.
“She explained she planned to talk some sense into Tyler but she wanted to have a back-up plan to go on record about why she believes her grandson was unfit to parent Max.”
“Wow, I don’t know how I’m going to thank her,” Brooke said.
“Well, I’ll leave that for you to decide. Once the court files the documents you’ll probably hear from the Banks attorney who handles the trust, so just let me know if you need me to look anything over.”
Dalton shook Declan’s hand and saw him out.
“I can’t believe it all worked out,” Brooke said.
“Now you can take some time off work and spend more time with Max and that charming new boyfriend of yours,” Dalton said.
Brooke put her arms around Dalton’s shoulders. “I think that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
His arms enveloped her as he leaned down to kiss her, and Brooke couldn’t remember a time when she’d been as happy. She had been right all those years ago about where she belonged, and it was definitely in Dalton’s arms.