Chapter Ten – Vivianne #2
The last bit of tightness in my chest slowly faded away. I would never be able to fully release all of the guilt I carried, but I hoped that someday it wouldn’t have such a hold on me.
“Did my mother tell you she was adopted?” Ladd asked, almost unsure at first if he should have mentioned it.
I gave him a nod. “She did. And it helped tremendously being able to hear things from her perspective.”
Before he could say anything, Nellie walked back into the room. “How is everything in here?”
We both faced her. “We cleaned up while I told Ladd about the baby.”
Nellie’s face instantly softened, and she smiled. “I’m glad you told him, sweetheart.”
“I’m glad too,” Ladd said, lifting my hand and kissing it.
“Vivianne, I was thinking about something earlier, while we were wrapping gifts.”
“Do you need help with something?” I asked, jumping up from the couch.
With a wave of her hand, she replied, “No, nothing like that. It won’t bother you being with the kids from the orphanage, will it?”
“Not at all! If anything, I think it might help.”
“Nothing’s more healing than kindness. Isn’t that what you always say, Mom?”
Nellie chuckled. “I do say that, don’t I?”
“Yes, ma’am, you do,” Ladd replied as he made his way over to his mother and kissed her on the cheek.
She glanced around the room and put her hands on her hips. “Well, since it’s still snowing and this mess is all cleaned up, how about you both help in the kitchen? We have a lot of baking to do for our Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day breakfast.”
Ladd motioned with his hand. “Lead the way, Mom.”
The morning of Christmas Eve, I woke up to find it snowing again. It was a light snow that dusted the fields in a beautiful, untouched blanket of pure white. It almost seemed to sparkle as the early morning rays danced across the surface.
A knock on my bedroom door caused me to jump. “Um, come on in,” I cried out.
The door opened slowly to reveal Ladd standing there. He looked so handsome. Dressed in jeans and a light blue sweater, he could have just walked off a photoshoot.
“Good morning,” he said softly, making his way into the room. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did,” I said, meeting him halfway and hugging him before we kissed quickly on the lips. “You?”
“I sleep like a baby when I’m home. I think it’s my bed, to be honest with you. It is so much more comfortable than the one back at the rental house.”
“Or,” I said over my shoulder, as I made my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth. “It’s because you’re home. A familiar place that makes you feel safe.”
He was silent for a few moments before he said, “Nah, it’s my bed.”
I laughed. By the time I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and put my hair up, Ladd was fast asleep on my bed.
“So it for sure isn’t the bed,” I whispered as I grabbed some clothes and headed back into the bathroom to change.
I had picked out a pair of jeans and a cute Christmas sweater I’d bought on sale after Christmas last year.
It had a moose on it with Christmas lights wrapped around its antlers.
I slipped into my favorite pair of brown ankle boots and put a bit of mascara on before checking to see if Ladd was still asleep.
When I peeked and saw him waking up, I leaned against the doorjamb.
He yawned and met my gaze. “I fell asleep.”
“You did. I think we can safely say it has nothing to do with your bed here.”
He chuckled and stood. Giving me a once-over, he reached for my hand and drew me to him. His hands cupped my face, and he gave me a proper kiss.
“Good morning, Viv.”
“Good morning, Ladd.”
“You look nice, by the way.”
I giggled. “I’m wearing jeans and a moose sweater.”
“And you look adorable. I’m one lucky son-of-a-bitch. Thank you for loving me.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and lifted onto my toes, brushing my lips against his. He growled and drew me closer, deepening the kiss.
“Oh, come on,” Mike griped. Ladd and I both turned to see him standing in the hallway. “I don’t want to see this first thing in the morning! I just threw up a little in my mouth.”
I blushed and took a few steps back as Ladd tossed his head back and laughed.
“Someday, Mikey, you’re going to fall in love.”
He screwed up his face. “You won’t catch me making out in Mom and Dad’s house, though.”
Taking my hand in his, Ladd guided us toward the door, stopping to raise a brow at his brother. “Care to place a bet?”
Mike rolled his eyes and headed down the hall. “Next time, shut the damn door.”
“Language, Michael!” Ladd yelled back, still laughing.
Once we got down to the kitchen, I was stunned by all the activity. Nellie and Lilith were both wearing aprons and moving around each other as they prepared what I was guessing was breakfast.
“It smells heavenly,” I said as I dropped Ladd’s hand and made my way toward them. “Anything I can do?”
Nellie motioned toward the oven. “Can you get the biscuits out? Once they cool, put them in that basket with the red and white towel.”
I did as Ladd’s mother directed. Then I caught a glimpse of Lilith stirring what looked like gravy as Nellie handed me a plate piled with bacon.
“Put this on the table, please, Vivianne. Then you can come back for the biscuits and the jam.” She pointed to four different jars of jam.
I grabbed the biscuits and the bacon. Since I’d been waitressing for years, I had no issue grabbing both, along with two jars of jam. This was nothing. I often carried six plates of food with no problems.
“You’re showing off,” Ladd said, grabbing the other two jars.
Before I knew it, we were all sitting down at the table.
Everyone was passing plates of eggs, bacon, biscuits, potatoes, and fruit as conversations started in small groups.
I glanced around at Ladd, his three brothers, his parents, and Lilith.
It was a small family, but the amount of love was almost enough to make me cry.
Laughter rang out when Jason made a joke and Lilith threw a biscuit at him. David and Ladd argued about which hay to use to feed the cattle in the lower pasture, while Gus enjoyed a pile of eggs, looking like the happiest man in the world with his family all gathered around him.
Then Jason and Mike both asked Lilith about a proper gift to give a girl they both liked.
“You both like the same girl?” she asked.
“I liked her first,” Jason stated.
“I saw her first and pointed her out,” Mike muttered.
Lilith gave them a look. “Listen, boys, no girl is worth two brothers fighting over.”
“But she’s the most beautiful girl in the world,” Jason sighed.
“Oh brother,” Gus mumbled as Nellie tried not to laugh.
David pointed to his brother. “You say that now, but you haven’t been to college yet. Once you leave River Falls, a whole new world is going to open up.”
All eyes landed on me.
“Just look at the beautiful woman Ladd’s brought home,” Lilith said, winking at me.
“That’s true,” Mike agreed. “Maybe we shouldn’t be fighting over one girl when there are a lot more fish in the sea.”
“Michael Owen Wilde!” Nellie scolded as everyone else laughed.
I covered my mouth to keep from doing the same.
“I know I raised you better than that,” Gus said, glaring at his son.
Mike attempted not to smile and lost.
“Why don’t you draw straws?” David asked.
Gus pointed at him. “Don’t make me stand up and slap you upside the head, son.”
David laughed. “Dad, I’m kidding.”
“You better be.”
I couldn’t help but giggle before I looked across the table to Ladd. He winked, and I felt the butterflies in my stomach once again.
The rest of breakfast was filled with conversation about what was going on the rest of the day.
That night, the family would celebrate Christmas and open gifts, so I was hoping we could head to River Falls since I had a few things left to buy.
I’d wanted to meet Ladd’s family and get to know them before buying them gifts.
“Are the roads clear enough to head into town for some last-minute shopping?” I asked Ladd as I helped clean the kitchen.
David, Jason, and Mike had nearly run from the table when Ladd also volunteered to clean up.
Nellie and Gus headed out to the barn to make sure everything was ready for tomorrow.
“Oh yeah, we didn’t get that much snow, and the county will have plowed the streets. I’ll take Dad’s truck, since it handles the roads better.”
“You don’t mind?” I asked, drying off a pan and handing it to him.
“If it means spending time with you, then no, I don’t mind at all. I know I already said this, but you don’t have to buy my family presents.”
“I know I don’t, but I want to. Nothing big, just a little something. Your mother and father, as well as Lilith, have been so welcoming. I just adore them all.”
“Even the brothers?”
Laughing, I nodded. “Even the brothers.”
After everything was cleaned and put away, I wiped down the table and counters, and we headed upstairs to get ready to leave.
“Make sure you dress warm, Viv.”
I stopped at my door and looked back at him, rolling my eyes. “I grew up in Colorado, Ladd.”
He grinned. “I know, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to treat you like a child.”
“You’re not. I know you’re just concerned for my well-being, and I love you for that.”
Mike walked out of his room and promptly gagged.
“I really can’t wait until you fall in love someday, Mike. I hope it hits your ass so hard, you won’t know up from down,” Ladd said as he playfully punched his brother on the arm.
He just laughed. “There’s no way I’ll ever be as sappy as you, Ladd.”
“You make it sound like that would be a terrible thing,” I said to Mike. “Your brother’s amazing, and I feel fortunate to have his love.”
Mike glanced at me and winked, but when he looked back at his brother, his smile turned to a snarled lip. “Gross.”
Ladd rolled his eyes and pushed his brother, who started to laugh, then asked, “Where are you guys going?”
“Into town. Viv wants to do some shopping.”
“Can I come with you?”
Ladd looked at me with raised brows.
“Yes! We’d love to have you come along, wouldn’t we, Ladd?”
“If you say so.”
Mike fist-pumped and turned to head back to his room. “Give me five to change.”
When his door slammed shut, Ladd slowly shook his head. “There go my plans to make out with you in the back seat.”
I giggled. “You’re crazy. I just need to change into warmer socks. Should I meet you downstairs?”
“Sounds good.” He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Meet us downstairs, Mike!”
I winced. “You couldn’t have just knocked on his door?”
“Will do!” Mike yelled back.
Ladd shrugged. “If we ever have boys someday, you’ll understand.”
With that, he walked into his bedroom and left me standing there with his words tumbling around in my head. A huge smile spread over my face as I slipped into my room.
Those words were all I could think about as I quickly changed my socks and grabbed my gloves and coat.
Ladd had casually made comments about our future before, but this time he’d dropped kids into the conversation.
The crazy thing was, I wasn’t the least bit freaked out by it.
The idea of spending the rest of my life with Ladd was thrilling.
After all, we were in our senior year of college, with only the spring semester left.
It was time to start thinking about where our futures might take us. I hoped it would be somewhere together.
Maybe in the little cabin on the hill, Ladd working the ranch and building his own business, and me employed as a teacher. I could help Nellie with every Christmas Day event, possibly even help organize fundraising efforts throughout the rest of the year.
For the first time in a very long time, I was filled with hope and excitement about where life was taking me.
With a smile on my face, I headed downstairs to find Mike and Ladd talking to their father. Gus tossed him keys to what I guessed was his truck.
“Not a scratch on her, you hear me, Ladd Wilde?”
Ladd grinned. “Got it. Not a scratch.”
Ten minutes later, the three of us piled into the truck and started for town.