Chapter 32
thirty-two
LUCY
I’ve been on cloud nine since that dinner with my family. Aidan left for another rotation shortly after that, and I’ll always miss him when he’s gone, but everything is as perfect as it could be.
It’s mid-July, warm and golden, and I’m completely lost in thought as I stand at the shore of the loch. Isla is skipping around in her little world, her laughter carrying across the water as she hunts for the perfect skipping stones.
This has become our thing when Aidan’s away. Our little routine.
“Look, Lucy,” she calls out, holding up a flat, smooth pebble with a triumphant grin. “This one’s gonna go far!”
I watch her carefully as she winds up and releases the stone with all the enthusiasm her small arms can muster. It skips once, twice, three times, before finally sinking beneath the surface. Isla’s eyes light up as she turns to me, her face shining with pride.
“Did you see that?”
“I did see!” I laugh, giving her a high-five. “You’re getting really good at that.”
She grins before running off to find another perfect stone. I love spending time with her, but I miss Aidan. We’ve talked on the phone, but it’s not the same. I even find myself missing his brooding silence.
I glance at my watch, taken aback by the time. I hardly noticed the sun dipping lower.
“Isla, sweetie, we should get you home,” I say, pulling my thoughts back to the present. “Your nana is going to be there soon. She’s going to stay with you tonight since I have to be up early for work tomorrow.”
She lets out a small groan, but there’s no actual fight in it. She drops the stones she’d been collecting with a sigh, and without another word, follows me to the car.
She skips ahead of me, her feet leaving footprints in the damp earth, and it hits me again how real this is. I haven’t moved in with them or anything, but I have been staying over with Isla more often to help Aidan out and give his mum some rest.
Isla chatters nonstop in the backseat, her words tumbling out faster than I can comprehend. I catch her in the rearview mirror and can’t help smiling—her cheeks are rosy, curls wild and untamed, each bounce of her head radiating pure joy.
We pull into the driveway, and I cut the engine, taking a last glance at her. “Let’s get inside and cleaned up before your nana gets here.”
She nods eagerly and lets me help her out of the car. Her little hand brushes mine as we walk up the path, and I hear her gasp.
“Lucy, look!” she exclaims, her finger shooting straight ahead, pointing toward the porch.
I follow her gaze, and my heart skips a beat. There’s Aidan, leaning against the railing in his usual worn jeans and dark sweater. His hair’s a little tousled, wind-touched, and it makes me want to reach out and smooth it. But it’s his smile that catches my attention.
“Daddy!” Isla squeals, and before I can even blink, she’s running full speed toward him. Aidan drops to one knee, arms wide, as she leaps into them.
“There’s my wee lass.” He lifts her off the ground and spins her in circles until she squeals even louder. “Did you miss me?”
“So much!”
I hang back a few steps, giving them their space. I let my gaze drift back to him, and when our eyes meet over Isla’s head, my heart skips again. There’s an unusual spark in his eyes today.
His voice is a little lower as he gently lowers Isla to the ground. “Surprise.”
“Hey you.” I close the gap between us. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.” My voice catches just a little. I feel like I could cry from relief. I don’t know why I’m feeling so overwhelmed.
His hand comes to rest on the small of my back, pulling me gently into him. I tilt my face up to meet his while Isla’s excited chatter fades into the background as she runs into the house.
His hand rises to cradle my face, his thumb tracing the curve of my cheekbone. “I couldn’t wait any longer,” he mutters before his lips brush mine with the softest kiss. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too. But can you just…leave work like that?”
He pulls back just enough, but his eyes stay locked on mine. “I’m done with it, Lucy,” he says. “I got that local job.” And then, like it’s nothing at all, “I’m home for good.”
My world tilts sideways.
“What?” The word comes out barely above a whisper. I’m afraid if I say it too loud, I’ll wake up from whatever dream this is.
His thumb continues its gentle path along my cheekbone. “I can’t keep leaving you and Isla.”
Tears spring to my eyes before I can stop them. Joy. Relief. I swallow hard, my breath shaky, trying to hold it together, but then he’s already pulling me close, wrapping me up in his arms. He knows exactly what I need.
“You okay?” he asks softly as his lips press against my hair.
I nod against his chest, letting out a breathy laugh. “More than okay. I just… I can’t believe it.”
His arms tighten around me. “I was going crazy out there, Lucy. It was time.”
Isla’s voice rings out from the living room. “Daddy, Lucy, are you coming inside or what?”
“Come on,” he says with a gentle smile as he takes my hand and guides me toward the door. “I’ll tell you all about it.”
I follow him inside, still trying to wrap my head around it. My heart can’t quite catch up to my thoughts.
Isla bounces around us as we step into the living room. “Daddy, can we have pizza for dinner? Please?” She tugs on his sleeve with wide, pleading eyes.
Aidan chuckles, a sound that always seems to calm something inside me. He reaches down to ruffle her hair. “Aye, we can have pizza. Why don’t you go wash up while I order?”
She darts off, disappearing down the hall. Aidan turns back to me, and without a word, he takes my hand again, leading me toward the couch. He sits, pulling me down onto his lap.
“I know this was quick,” he admits. “But being away, missing so much of Isla’s life, missing you… It wasn’t working anymore.”
My heart thuds as I wait for him to say more, his thumb tracing slow circles on the back of my hand.
“The life I want isn’t on some rig in the middle of the sea. It’s here, with Isla…and with you.”
Something breaks inside me at his words. It’s like a dam bursting, sudden and overwhelming. Tears spring to my eyes before I can stop them, streaming down my face in hot, uncontrollable waves.
“Lucy?” Aidan’s voice shifts, concern etching his features as his hands come up to frame my face. “What’s wrong?”
I try to speak, but a sob escapes instead. I press my palm against my mouth, trying to hold back the flood, but it’s useless. The emotions are too big, too raw, like they’re being ripped straight from my chest.
“I-I’m sorry,” I manage between gasps. “I’m just so happy.” Another sob cuts me off, and I shake my head helplessly.
His eyes crinkle at the corners as he watches me fall apart in his arms. Instead of trying to stop my tears, he just pulls me closer, his hand cupping the back of my head.
“Look at you,” he says with a small shake of his head. “Crying because I’m staying.” His thumb brushes away a tear from my cheek, and there’s something so tender in the gesture it only makes me cry harder.
“I know,” I hiccup, trying to catch my breath. “I’m a mess.”
“You’re perfect,” he says, his voice dropping to that low rumble that always makes my heart skip. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
My breath catches in my throat as I stare at him. Did he just…?
“What did you say?” I whisper.
His eyes don’t waver from mine. “I said I love you, Lucy MacKenzie. I’ve loved you since that night with the cherry pie all over your kitchen.”
I let out a watery laugh, my hands trembling as they find his wrists, holding on.
“I love how you care for Isla like she’s your own,” he continues, his eyes never leaving mine. “I love how you look at me. I love that you never push, but you never back down, either.”
His forehead presses against mine, his breath warm against my lips. “I love that you’re stubborn as hell when it matters. That you’ve made room for us in your life when you didn’t have to.”
My lips are on his before another word can leave his mouth, kissing him with every ounce of hope I’ve been holding onto.
“I love you, too,” I whisper against his lips. “I love you so much.”
He kisses me back with equal fervor, his hands tangling in my hair. All the fear, all the uncertainty I’ve been carrying just melts away. This is real. He’s here, he’s staying, and he loves me.
When we finally break apart, both of us breathing hard, I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. It’s so wide it actually hurts.
I laugh, resting my head on his chest just as Isla comes running back into the living room.
“Why are you crying, Lucy?” she asks.
I quickly swipe at my eyes. “Oh, sweet girl, these are happy tears.” I wipe my eyes one last time. “Sometimes grown-ups cry when they’re really, really happy.”
Isla looks between Aidan and me, her brows furrowing in thought. “Are you happy because Daddy’s home?”
“That’s part of it, but your daddy just told me some really good news.” I meet Aidan’s gaze, my heart swelling. “He’s going to be home a lot more now.”
Her eyes widen, the realization hitting her in an instant. “Really? You’re not going away anymore?”
“That’s right, love. I’ll be here every day now.”
Isla’s eyes sparkle with pure joy. Without missing a beat, she throws herself on top of us. “Yay! We can go to the park, have movie nights, make pancakes on the weekend—”
Aidan chuckles. “Aye, we can do all those things and more. I promise.” He presses a kiss to the top of her head. In that moment, I see a future I didn’t dare dream of before. Lazy Sunday mornings, family dinners, bedtime stories with the three of us snuggled together.
“And you’ll be here, too. Right, Lucy?” Isla asks. “You’ll stay with us?”
The question is so innocent and pure, but it catches me off guard.
The weight of her words, the implication behind them, settles heavily on my chest. I glance up at Aidan, unsure how to respond.
His eyes meet mine, and I catch a flicker of uncertainty there, too.
It’s not like we’ve had a chance to talk about how this changes things, or if it does.
Finally, Aidan breaks the silence. “Lucy will be here,” he says. “As much as she wants to be.”
I feel tears prick at my eyes again. “I’d love to be here,” I tell Isla, reaching out to smooth a stray piece of hair from her face. “If that’s okay with you?”
Her face lights up instantly. “Yes! Can you stay forever?”
I laugh softly. “Well, let’s start with me being here more often and see how it goes, okay?”
Her head bobs up and down. “Okay. Can we have pizza now?”
I can’t help but marvel at how, one second, she’s asking if I can stay forever, and the next, she’s laser-focused on pizza as if that’s the most pressing matter in the world. Kids really do keep you humble.
“All right,” Aidan chuckles, giving Isla’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’ll order the pizza. Why don’t you go pick out a movie for us to watch while we eat?”
She dashes off to search through her pile of movies while Aidan pulls me to my feet, his hand sliding into mine as he leads me toward the kitchen.
Once we’re out of earshot, he turns to me, his face growing serious. The playful smile from earlier fades, and I can see the weight of his words hanging between us, waiting to be said.
“I hope you know I meant what I said,” he begins. “I want you here, as much as you’re comfortable with.”
My heart swells at his words, but there’s something vulnerable in his eyes that makes me step closer. I reach up to cup his face, feeling the rough texture of his stubble beneath my palms.
“I know you meant it,” I whisper.
His shoulders relax, tension I didn’t even realize he was carrying melting away. “Good,” he says simply, but the relief in his voice is unmistakable.
His eyes drop to my mouth, darkening in a way I’ve come to recognize. “Fuck, I missed you.” He backs me up until I’m pressed against the counter. “I plan on showing you exactly how much once Isla’s in bed tonight.”
My breath catches in my throat as his hands find my hips, fingers digging in just enough to make me shiver.
“Oh?” I manage, my voice embarrassingly breathless. “And how do you plan on doing that?”
He leans in, his lips brushing against my ear. “I’m going to take my time with you tonight.” His voice drops to that rough, gravelly tone that makes heat pool low in my stomach. “I want to hear those little sounds you make when I touch you just right.”
I swallow hard, feeling my face flush. “Aidan…”
“I’m going to make you blush just like you are now.” His teeth graze my earlobe before he pulls back, his hands lingering on my hips before dropping to his sides. “Now, cheese or pepperoni?”