46. Lachlan
Lachlan
TWELVE WEEKS LATER…
I heard Reid wake up, rustling in his little crib before my eyes opened. He likes his mornings, that’s for sure. And Lainey does not. Which means I have the absolute honor of spending some time with my son before she gets up for the day.
“How are you feeling today?” she whispered, scaring the shit out of me.
Once the feeling came back into my body, I smiled over at her. The sunlight was just starting to come into our room, bright golden rays illuminating the edge of her hair like a halo. “I didn’t know you were awake. You scared me.”
She laughed. “I’m not. Not really. I’m going to roll over as soon as you take our smiling boy out of here and sleep for another two hours while you do dude things. But I wanted to make sure you weren’t in too much pain.”
“I told you all week that the procedure was nothing. A little snip, and soon mommy and daddy time will be so much more fun.”
Lainey laughed, her face pressing into my neck. “Can’t wait.”
I turned and kissed her cheek. “Sweet dreams, Mommy.”
“You boys behave.”
“Oh, we will,” I smiled as I grabbed my cane and finally made my way over to Reid, who was playing with his feet while he babbled. “What do you say, kiddo? Ready for some shenanigans with Dad?”
“I don’t know how it’s possible, but he looks so much like your dad when he scrunches his face up like that.
” Lainey smiled, setting her hand on my arm.
She’d just finished the last bite of her breakfast, Reid screeching in delight as he sat in his playpen.
She must have seen my face fall at the mention of my dad, because her eyes went soft and she gently nodded. “Are you doing okay?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Thanks for checking in.”
“Always. I only got to love him for a little while, but what a dad he was.” Her voice cracked. “I’ll always want to hear more about him. And I feel him here, still.”
“What do you mean?”
“In the wind. When I take Reid outside and his hair gets all ruffled up. Every time your dad saw him after he was born, he did that. I don’t know. I just get the feeling it’s his little way of saying hi to us, and letting us know he’s still here.”
My fingers wound through hers. “I love that, Lain.” My thumb brushed over her fingers, the nerves definitely settling in now that I knew she’d be wearing the ring I picked out for her in just a few hours.
Everyone—outside of Lainey—knew this family dinner wasn’t a normal one.
Birdie included, who had thankfully coordinated a girly nail day earlier this week because apparently it was essential to the best proposal plans.
And that was what I was determined to give her.
She deserved to know how deeply I love her.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to her, although I hope she is shocked in the best way.
I told Lainey in the hospital room, after the doctors had all rushed in to check over Reid and told us he was going to be fine, that I wanted to marry her.
That I was going to ask, and I wasn’t going to wait very long to do it.
But when the world came crashing down with losing Dad, she was right there, never wavering in her commitment to hold me up when I couldn’t stand on my own.
Never pushing me to make plans when it felt like the whole world was crashing down around us again, and again, and again.
But my dad wouldn’t want me to put this off. Giving Lainey and Reid my last name, getting to officially acknowledge that I was going to love them for the rest of my life, it felt more important now than ever.
My accident showed me that nothing in life is guaranteed. And losing Dad…I don’t want to waste any more time.
I leaned back in my chair, bringing my mug up to take a sip of my coffee. Tonight at dinner, I’d start forever with Lainey by my side.
I couldn’t wait.
“Oh, I have something for you.” Lainey smiled as she pushed away from the table. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get my act together.”
“Something for me?” I asked.
“Yup. Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”
She stood with her hand on her hips until I followed her directions with a chuckle.
“Don’t peek,” she warned.
“I’m not the one who looked at someone’s naked ass at the springs,” I pointed out.
Her laughter filled the kitchen. “Fair.”
I felt something soft land in my hands.
“Okay, Florence. Open your eyes.”
I looked down, my old cowboy hat in my hands. My brows pulled together. I hadn’t even thought of wearing this hat since my accident. It didn’t feel right when I couldn’t help out on the ranch anymore.
“My old hat?”
“Birdie told me. About the tradition with the hats. For Colt and Beau, when they became dads. I didn’t want you to be left out. You should have yours done, too.”
I flipped the hat over, my heart stumbling in my chest when I saw what was written on the inside.
Dad.
Emotions wrapped around my heart, and my throat ached.
After the fire, after losing Dad, the one bright spot had been the final resolution between Greg, Jasmine, Lainey, and myself.
Colt insisted we press charges against Jasmine for trespassing on our property, and as soon as those charges went through, Greg wanted to talk.
He and Jasmine were quick to drop the custody petition, and although he wasn’t listed on Reid’s birth certificate, Greg still signed the paperwork saying he voluntarily dissolved all legal claims over Reid’s paternity.
We all agreed that dropping the trespassing charges was worth having the both of them out of our lives forever, and focused instead on getting the paperwork ready so that I could legally adopt him.
Knowing he would grow up calling me Dad had my heart in a chokehold.
And it didn’t hurt that the protective order was still in place.
If Greg ever came after my family again, I’d have no problem handling the situation myself.
Beau reminded me of a boggy spot in one of the fields that would be the perfect place to—
“Was it silly of me to do? I know your brothers wear their hats all the time, and I’ve never seen you in yours. But I didn’t want you to be left out, and it’s such a sweet tradition.”
I rolled the hat in my hands. “It’s been a long time since I wore this. A long time since I felt worthy of wearing it.” I slid the hat up on my head, and Lainey smiled.
“I know the paperwork hasn’t gone through, but you’re his dad already in my heart. You’ve really always been.”
I wrapped my fingers around Lainey’s wrist and pulled her toward me, pressing my face into her soft belly as tears pricked at my eyes. I wish I had more time with my dad, especially now that I had Lainey and Reid. But I knew I was making him proud. And that would have to be enough.
“Why don’t you let that chunky nephew of mine come say hello to his favorite uncle?” Hayes smiled as he plucked Reid from Lainey’s arms.
“Favorite uncle my ass.” Beau chuckled.
“Right. Because it’s clearly me,” Colt said as he tickled Reid’s cheek.
I tried not to roll my eyes as we walked into the dining room. Dad’s spot at the table was still set. A plate waiting for him. His chair with a pillow for the spot in his back that would always crink-up if he didn’t use it, still empty.
I held my hand on the small of Lainey’s back, letting everyone take their seat ahead of us. Birdie’s eyes were already shimmering with tears, and she winked at me as she pointed to the camera set up in the middle of the table, a little red light on in the corner to let me know it was recording.
“What’s going on?” Lainey whispered to me, clearly catching on that I was lagging behind.
I let my hand fall away from her back, sliding it into my pocket where the black velvet box had been sitting against my thigh for the last hour. And with my cane still holding me steady, I dropped down onto my right knee.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her face filled with the most brilliant smile.
“Lainey Belle Calloway, I’ll never, ever, be able to put the words together to tell you how thankful I am for you.
How big my love is for you. How my days are made better just with you being by my side.
But I’ll spend every day for the rest of my life trying to.
You’ve given me a reason to live life again.
You and Reid are the best surprise that life has ever blessed me with, and I want to spend every day, for the rest of my life, enjoying every big and little moment with the two of you. Will you marry me?”
She blinked, one tear, and then another, rolling down her face.
“Of course I will. I’d marry you right now, with just our family here as witnesses if I could.
” Her hand cupped my face as she got down on her knees to look directly in my eyes.
“You are every good, and kind, and strong, and protective thing I’ve waited my whole life for, Lachlan Graham Ford.
You make me feel heard and seen, and your love for our son—because he is and will always be ours—makes me fall more in love with you with every passing minute.
You are the man I used to pray for, when I believed there was someone out in the universe conspiring for my good.
For my happiness. You are the answer to every prayer I ever prayed. I love you. And I always will.”
I slipped the ring out of the box, Lainey’s mouth popping open in a little O when she finally got to see it. My hand shook as I slipped it onto her finger, my brothers chuckling at my expense, but I didn’t care.
Congratulations rang out all around us, Ma wrapping us both up in a giant hug before everyone else joined in. “Your father would be so proud of you,” she whispered as Lainey showed the ring off to Jessie, Violet, and Birdie. “And I am, too. You deserve all this happiness, Lachlan.”
“You do too, Ma. He’d want you to be happy.”
“I know, honey. Seeing all you kids find a love like we shared, it’s more than I could have ever hoped for.” Ma sighed. “Alright! Colt, go grab the champagne out of the fridge. We’ve got celebrating to do!”