Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
This was probably a bad idea, but Grant wasn't backing down.
Lindsay had to understand that she wasn't going to rule their family.
He respected his kids, valued their opinions, but they didn't dictate who he got to date.
He was falling in love with Ashlyn, and he knew she was floundering, feeling like giving up on their relationship was the only way to bring peace to his family.
But it wasn't.
If his daughter cost him this second chance at love, something he’d never thought he would find again, then he worried he would always subconsciously hold that against her.
In the last seven months, Lindsay still hadn't been able to articulate to him why she was so against him dating. He got it was an adjustment, the kids were used to his attention being focused on them, but it wasn't like he’d thrown them to the wind and was focused only on Ashlyn. Between his work and hers, the kids’ school and extracurricular activities, he didn't spend anywhere near as much time with Ashlyn as he wanted to.
“Dad, Ash is here, in her Porsche. Can I go sit in it for a bit?” Kevin called from the front of the house, and he smiled. His son was really bonding with Ashlyn, and he loved seeing the two become more comfortable with each other.
“Sure thing, Kev,” he called back. Once the front door closed behind his son, he took a deep, calming breath, and called his daughter. “Linds, time to come down.”
Silence met his call, and then a minute later, stomping.
Lindsay was pouting like a toddler when she came down the stairs.
Grant had always considered his daughter fairly mature, and it hurt to know not only was he wrong about that, but that she wouldn't open up to him.
It wasn't like Ashlyn had ever done anything to hurt Lindsay, yet his daughter’s anger ran so deep.
“Is she coming?” Lindsay snarled.
“You know she is. I told you she was going to do our Advent calendar tradition with us this year. She did the secret Santa pick, and did Christmas karaoke with us yesterday, of course she’s coming today. Kevin went out to look at her car, then they’ll be coming in.”
More stomping as he went to the kitchen table to ensure he hadn't forgotten anything, and Lindsay followed. “That’s not fair. You get to bring your girlfriend, but you wouldn't let me bring my boyfriend.”
“You know the rules, you're allowed one date a week, and you already had your date with Everett this week. Plus, this is a family thing.”
“Then why is she here. She’s not family and she’s never going to be.”
Sighing, Grant reached over and grabbed his daughter, dragging her in for a quick hug even though she didn't return it. “Nothing is ever going to stop me from loving you, that’s the way real love works, it’s forever.
In the same way I’ll never stop loving your mom, and neither will you or your brother.
Ashlyn isn’t asking any of us not to love your mom.
The heart is a pretty big organ, it can fit a whole lot of love inside it.
Loving Ashlyn doesn’t take away any of the love we have for your mom.
That’s not the way love is. I can love your mom and love Ashlyn all at the same time. ”
“Do you love her?” Lindsay demanded.
The front door banged open, and he heard Ashlyn and Kevin giggling together as they came down the hall. The answer to his daughter’s question was a simple one.
“Yeah,” he whispered, “I do.”
“Hey.” Ashlyn’s eyes lit up as she stepped into the room and saw him, and he quickly crossed to her, pulling her into a hug and dropping a kiss to her lips.
“Hey, yourself.”
“Thanks for inviting me.” Ashlyn’s gaze darted somewhat nervously to where he’d left Lindsay, and he had no doubt his daughter’s expression was hostile.
“Told you you were being part of the Bull family Christmas Advent spectacular,” he teased.
“What are we doing today?” Ashlyn asked.
“Gingerbread house building and decorating competition,” Kevin piped up before he could answer.
“Ooh, fun! Since my mom always loved baking, we used to make a gingerbread house together every year. At the time, I never thought much about it, I was too young, but now I realize she had to scrimp and scrounge every penny she could to do that for us. After she married my stepdad, we kept the tradition going. Decorating the house with my mom and brothers, they’re some of my happiest Christmas memories. ”
“Let’s see if we can add to those memories,” Grant said, touching a kiss to Ashlyn’s temple and then guiding her to the table.
“Who does the judging?” Ashlyn asked as he pulled her chair out for her and then took the seat beside her. He’d set up the parts of the house in front of each seat, and then the middle of the table was filled with all the things they could use to decorate.
“Grandma and Grandpa, and Nanny and Poppy,” Kevin answered. “We take pictures and send them to them without names attached, then they each give a vote on the winner.”
“So you don’t need to worry about winning,” Lindsay snarked. “I'm going to tell them which one is yours so they don’t pick it.”
Ashlyn’s smile dropped a bit, but Kevin rolled his eyes at his sister.
“Her mom owns Eat Dessert First, as if she’s not going to be better at this than all of us,” Kevin said, making Ashlyn laugh and relax a little, and Grant sent up a silent prayer of thanks that his son wasn't having the same problems with Ashlyn as Lindsay was.
“I think you might be disappointed then, Kev, because I'm nowhere near as good at baking as my mom is.”
“Nah.” Kevin shook his head in disagreement. “Everything you’ve ever baked for me has been amazing. You're going to win.”
Determined not to let Lindsay and her terrible attitude ruin a fun evening, Grant got to work building his gingerbread house, and the others all followed suit. He, Ashlyn, and Kevin chatted and laughed, Lindsay didn't join in, but at least she was sulking silently as she built her house.
He’d hoped that spending these joyful Christmassy moments together might help Lindsay relax and overcome her anger, but it didn't seem to be working.
Was he hoping for something that was never going to happen?
And if he was, where did that leave him?
Walking away from his daughter was obviously not on the table, but walking away from Ashlyn felt impossible as well.