Chapter 29
L Is For The Way You Look At Me
One Week Later
I’m up and out of my seat the second Heath walks through the apartment door, launching myself straight into his arms.
“Well, hello there.” He chuckles as he catches me. “I could get used to welcomes like this.”
“Missed you,” I murmur, nuzzling into his chest.
Heath kisses the top of my head. “Missed you too, sweetheart.”
He was only at the ranch for a few hours, but it felt like an eternity.
He barely left my side the first few days after we lost Florence, and even after returning to work, he’s been checking on me constantly.
Thankfully his dad, Walker, and Jensen stepped in to help around the ranch while he was gone, and we couldn’t be more grateful for their generosity when we needed them most.
Heath has also begun the process of hiring a foreman and wants someone fully onboarded before the baby arrives.
I’m so relieved he finally came around to the idea, and I’ll have to thank Briggs when I finally meet him in person.
It sounds like whatever he said to Heath made all the difference, along with Heath’s desire to be able to drop everything and be with me whenever the occasion calls for it.
I wouldn’t have gotten through the past week without him, especially Florence’s funeral yesterday.
We had a beautiful service held at the small chapel connected to Meadowbrook.
Residents, staff, and half the town of Bluebell filled the pews, along with my friends and Heath’s whole family.
It was confirmation of how loved she was, and a powerful reminder of the strong support system surrounding Grams and me.
Mama Julie has visited Grams every day, and the girls have stopped by my apartment several times with red-velvet lattes and shoulders for me to cry on.
Wren has checked in with me on multiple occasions too, wishing she could be here in person to wrap me in one of her big hugs.
It makes me sad she wasn’t able to make it to the funeral, and it only furthers my suspicion that there’s more going on than her simply being too busy to visit.
Once things have settled down, I plan to reach out to see what’s really going on.
In hindsight, I’ve always known how lucky I am to have the Halsteads and my friends, but Florence’s passing has reminded me that they’re so much more and just how blessed I am to call them my chosen family.
The people who have woven themselves into the fabric of my life remind me that I’m never alone even in my darkest moments.
Heath has been my biggest source of strength this past week. The way he’s stood by me and held me up—both literally and figuratively—when I couldn’t do it myself has only deepened my feelings for him. And it’s about time I finally showed him just how much he means to me.
As Heath holds me close, I tilt my head to look up at him. “I stopped by the courthouse today.”
He arches a brow. “Oh? And what kind of trouble did my wife get into this time?”
“I’ll give you a hint.” I pull the draft certificate I convinced Carol to create for me out of my pocket while I wait for my new Social Security card to arrive in the mail. “Fair warning—you’ll have to make another update to the insurance soon.”
Heath squints at the paper, his eyes widening. “You changed your last name.”
I nod, grinning. “Mm-hmm, and once my social security card arrives, I’m going to the DMV to get my license updated too.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” he murmurs, lifting my free hand and nodding to the diamond. “You’ve been a Halstead since the moment I slipped this ring on your finger.”
“Yes, I have,” I agree, setting the paper down before rising onto my toes to kiss him. “You were all in from the beginning, even when I didn’t make it easy. This is my way of showing I’m just as committed to our future.”
He cups my face with both hands. “What are you saying, Charlie?”
I hold his gaze, my heart pounding. “I love you.”
His thumb traces my jaw. “Say it again.”
I laugh softly. “I love you, Heath Halstead. There will never be anyone else for me but you. I want your last name, all your babies, and to be your partner through every adventure and hurdle life throws at us.” Our little peanut chooses this moment to kick, like she is voicing her agreement.
“You’re stuck with us for a lifetime. No takebacks. ”
“Never. I won’t allow it,” he teases as he presses a tender kiss to my lips. “I love you too, hellcat. More than anything.” He places his palm protectively on my stomach. “I can’t wait to build our forever with you and our little one.”
“Don’t forget about the gaggle of kids Florence predicted,” I remind him, my tone reverent.
Heath grins. “Fuck, I really hope she’s right about that.”
Me too. I’d love nothing more than a house full of children running around who look like Heath to fill our days with chaos and laughter.
“Florence has plenty of time in heaven with any future little ones, plotting how they can cause the most trouble,” I respond with a wistful smile.
The image of her up there sharing all the best gossip and teaching her favorite antics brings a bittersweet comfort.
“We couldn’t be luckier,” Heath agrees as he tucks my hair behind my ear. “There’s something I have to tell you too… well, more like show you.”
“Oh?” My curiosity is piqued. “What is it?”
He takes a small step back and offers me his hand. “It’s a surprise. If we leave now, we’ll get there before dark so you can get the best view.”
Eager to see what he has up his sleeve, I intertwine my fingers with his. “Consider me intrigued.”
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be married to the man I spent years bantering with, and pregnant with our baby before my twenty-seventh birthday.
Yet here I am, more content than I’ve ever been.
The grief of losing Florence still lingers in the background, but I’m reminded daily why I chose Heath as my person and how much brighter my life is with him in it.
What started as a mutual agreement has transformed into what I’m calling tethered love—the kind that has anchored me through grief, brought me more joy than I thought possible, and has me finally believing that happily ever afters really do exist.