Chapter 34
It’s the first time since moving in that we’re using the dining-room table. Aside from the engagement party and wedding—where food and drinks were everywhere—we haven’t hosted a dinner.
But it’s Sunday evening, the night Cole is scheduled to pick up Ellie, and everyone wanted to be here. To make Ellie feel like our family is expanding. Not falling apart.
To make her feel loved—not abandoned.
The way Willow phrased it with her last night before bed somehow managed to make her excited.
We didn’t mention anything about it being permanent.
One thing at a time.
Besides, Noah’s already working on the appeal. And he’s determined to win this time.
No surprises.
No tactics.
Just facts.
Ellie belongs with us. In the home we built for her.
Willow tugs at my shirt as everyone gathers at the table.
My hand wraps around her waist naturally. My heart still skipping with how well she fits.
“Come upstairs with me,” she whispers.
I grin. “Can it wait three hours—say, long enough to eat dinner and kick everyone out?” I wink.
She shakes her head. “Please? It’s important.”
I toss the oven mitt down and follow her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
She drags me by the hand into her bedroom—her old bedroom.
“Good thinking, no one will look for us here.” I tug on her dress and she giggles, pulling away.
“No. This room. It’s empty. Invite Cole to live with us.”
“What?”
She takes my hands. “Think about it. It’s like we told Ellie, he’s lonely. He needs a family. A reason to live. Ellie can only do that for so long before he starts feeling guilty. Let’s give him all of it.”
My heart swells at her selflessness. “Baby, are you sure about this?”
She nods enthusiastically. “Dallas, I don’t want to wait to see if we can win her back. She’s our daughter. He’s her family, which means he’s our family.”
I exhale, glancing at the room. “We’ll need to do something about those pink fringy pillows.”
Cole arrives on time, as expected. He’s always on time. If not a few minutes early.
Ellie’s packed a backpack only. I’ll have to explain that the rest needs to come slowly, not all at once, so she doesn’t feel like we’re giving her away.
He lifts his granddaughter with a bit of a struggle when she races up to him. “You’ve got to stop growing, El,” he grunts.
She giggles as he sets her down.
Cole squints at me in the middle of the living room, rubbing his hip. “It was probably the backpack.”
I chuckle. “Probably.” Then nod him toward the kitchen. “Come on in. We’re just cleaning up dessert, but there’s still plenty. Everyone just left.”
He follows me with hesitation but I don’t call attention to it. Willow puts on a fresh pot of tea, shooting Cole a warm smile. “Green tea OK?”
Cole watches her as she moves about behind the island, and as harmless as I know the man is, I’m instantly alarmed.
I remind Ellie to sweep her room again to see if there’s anything she forgot.
Cole removes his hat. “Willow, I . . . I’m sorry. I swear, I had no idea what Glenda was going to do to you. That wasn’t—well, she didn’t—” He sighs heavily. “I apologize.”
And as they have the last two days, her eyes start to well. “I know, Cole. Thank you. And it wasn’t your fault.” Willow glances at me—equally nervous about the question we have to ask him.
He might take it the wrong way. Or think we’re pulling one over on him. We haven’t exactly had much time to think it through, since we had to get back to the dinner we were hosting.
Cole takes a breath like he’s not quite done. “I, uh . . . I don’t think I was wrong about you two making up this engagement to help your case. But I was wrong about you doing it to keep her away from me.”
Willow freezes and I move to stand next to her.
Cole glances at me. “This man loves you very much. Knew it the minute he threatened me in front of six police officers,” he scoffs, then swallows painfully, looking down at the tile floor. “I’d have done the same for Maya.”
I circle the island. “Cole, why don’t we go sit in the living room?”
Willow prepares a tray of tea, berries, and pumpkin pie and meets us in the living room. Ellie prances down with Buttons in her hands.
“I’m ready,” she gasps. “Can I have more cake?”
“I’ll allow it. Come here, Slippers.” Willow lifts her onto her lap and I swear they could be mother and daughter, with their red curls and killer smiles.
We sip tea quietly, awkwardly, attention on Ellie and her devouring a second piece of cake.
“Go grab some milk,” Willow urges. “And don’t forget your blanket.”
Ellie nods, skipping away.
“Pack light, pumpkin, I’m bringing you back tomorrow,” Cole calls after her. Then he looks at me and Willow. “She belongs here.”
My heart skips, relief and tension washing away so profoundly that I barely react.
But Willow does, exhaling with tears and reaching an arm over. “Cole—we don’t know what to say. Thank you. But Ellie belongs with all of us. Not just . . . on certain days of the week.”
“Yeah, well, doesn’t need to be so formal, we are family, after all, right?” His gaze lands on mine in a way I haven’t seen in weeks. With trust.
Willow’s eyes flick to me and I give her a nod.
She clears her throat and swipes her eyes. “Dallas and I wanted to invite you to stay here with us. We have a spare bedroom. Lots of room.”
Cole nods. “Yeah, and cake.”
“And a family,” I add.
He watches us for a moment then chuckles softly, shaking his head. “I appreciate the offer—more than you know. But that’s a lot of stairs for an old man like me.”
“I’ll build you a room down here,” I offer without a second thought. It’s not just for Ellie. We could take care of him.
“Thank you, Dallas.” He stands. “But y’all are newlyweds. Probably thinkin’ about growing your family soon. Getting a puppy or whatnot. That’s a lot of excitement for someone who turns in around seven p.m.”
I stand and squeeze his shoulders. “Our door is always open to you. And the offer will still stand if you change your mind.” I clear my throat.
“With everything that’s happened, Cole .
. . Your message didn’t go unheard. Maya and Ellie were all you had.
And I never want you feeling like you’ve lost your granddaughter.
Not after you brought her into my life.” I swallow, thinking how much my life’s changed since he came looking for me during my darkest days. “Not when I owe you everything.”
He gives me a small smile. Then reaches for Ellie’s hand. “Suppose I need to call Glenda tomorrow. Make this all official.”
I shake my head. “Please don’t call that woman. Noah will take care of it.”
Ellie squeezes my leg. “See you tomorrow, Daddy.”
I bend down to give her a tight hug. “Love you, baby. Now you make sure Grandpa gets to bed on time. It’s about an hour before your bedtime.” I wink up at him and he chuckles.
“See you tomorrow,” Cole calls back as we walk them out.
Willow and I watch as they drive away. My heart is still in my throat, fearing I might wake up any second and tonight—Ellie’s pick-up—would be playing out entirely differently. And when I wake up—he’d be taking her for good.
Life can’t be that cruel.
Willow leans into me, trembling. “Did that just really happen?”
I wrap my arm around her, feeling her heartbeat against my chest. “Think it did.”
She nods, a sob escaping. “And she’s coming back tomorrow.”
I turn her fully to me, brushing her hair out of her face. “Told you he just needed time.”
She shakes her head. “What did you say to him?”
I roll my eyes sideways. “Hell if I can remember. I walked out of that courtroom seeing red. Found him and got in his face for attacking you. I could sit there and take all the shit they want to throw at me. The fire, my heartbreak, the bar fights—but dragging you through the dirt? That’s crossing a line. ”
She slips her arms around my waist, shivering.
“Come on, let’s go inside.”
Willow and I finish cleaning the kitchen together—after deciding to wait to tell the others about Cole and Ellie.
Still needing time to sit with it ourselves.
I could say it out loud all I want, that I knew Cole would come around.
That it was the grief talking and, deep inside, he knows what’s best for Ellie.
But it still feels unreal.
“We should call Noah,” Willow suggests.
“I’ll give him a ring tomorrow. The guy lost my case, think it’d do him good to let him simmer for a bit.”
She rolls her eyes, running the towel over the last crumb on the counter, leaving it spotless. I can tell she’s still tense, and all I want is to quiet every storm brewing in her.
Because as hard as it might be to believe, we won. We all won.
I lean into her from behind, swiping my fingers up her bare thigh. Her head falls back with a moan.
“Sunset. You see that?”
“What?”
“That counter’s looking like the perfect spot to find out just how loud my wife can scream my name.” I give her a sharp spank under her skirt and she shrieks, flipping to face me, cheeks flushed, brown eyes filled with a little misbelief and a lot of desire.
“Lie back.”
There’s a beat before she does. Like she wants to hold on to this moment with me. I step between her thighs, holding her face as she lies flat. “Thank you for staying. For saving me. For your stubbornness, for the rest of my life.”
She looks at me like she’s ready to say the same. But tonight isn’t about what we’ve overcome, our battles or our scars, or even our losses. It’s about what we’ve found. A new home, a new family. And a forever neither one of us thought we’d get.