Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
I reached over and placed my hand on his thigh. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t have left. You did what you had to do.”
“So, why bring all this up?”
“Because you aren’t the same boy who left all those years ago.” Silence settled between us for a long moment, and then I added, “People change… Time gives them a way of seeing things in a way that they didn’t before, and sometimes the pain gets a little easier to bear.”
“Or sometimes the pain just grows.”
“Maybe.” I glanced back at our daughter as I said, “But if Anslee disappeared from my life because I’d failed her… I would pray every day for a chance to make it right.”
“You think they deserve that chance?”
“That’s not up to me. But maybe it’s something you should think about.”
“The social worker in you has got some wishful thinking going on.”
“No, the woman who loves you most has some wishful thinking.” I gave his thigh a gentle squeeze. “I don’t want there to come a day when you wonder what if.”
Before he could respond, we turned into a long driveway, and my breath caught when I saw a beautiful home sitting beneath a canopy of old oak trees. It had a wrap-around front porch with a swing and tall windows. And even though it was dark, I could still see that it had a beautiful view of the lake.
“This is it?”
“Yeah. It’s something, ain’t it.”
“Brayden, it’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, but let’s not get our hopes up… He hasn’t lived here in years, and no one’s really been here since Drifter. And he was only here for a couple of months before he moved in with Raelyn and her boys.”
“Okay, but if the inside is anything like the outside…”
He parked, and with a big smile, he turned and said, “Well, let’s go see what we’re dealing with.”
“I’m excited.”
I hopped out, and being careful not to wake her, I eased Anslee out of her car seat. I nestled her against my chest and followed him up to the front door. He quickly unlocked it and held it open as I stepped inside. It was mostly empty, which made it feel even larger than it already was.
He turned on the lights, revealing beautiful wide plank floors and freshly painted walls. Original brick lined one wall of the living room, and thick wooden beams stretched across the ceiling overhead.
Everything about it felt warm and inviting.
Brayden smiled as he watched me take it all in. “Goose told me that Prez and the guys rebuilt most of it themselves.”
“You can tell.” I ran my fingers lightly across the exposed brick. “It has so much character.”
It wasn’t perfect. No house was, but all the little imperfections only seemed to add to its splendor. It made it feel lived in and loved. Anslee woke up and immediately demanded to be put down. In a grumpy stew, she toddled through the kitchen, and it wasn’t long before Brayden started after her and she erupted into giggles.
And just like that, I could picture toys scattered across the living room floor, Christmas wreaths lit up on the front door, and a swing set out back. It felt right. It felt like home.
Brayden came to stand beside me and crossed his arms. “So… what do you think?”
“I think…” A smile slipped across my face. “I think this is it… This is where we’re supposed to be.”
“I think so, too.”
Brayden reached over and took my hand, letting out a long breath. There was no grand speech. No list of promises of what was to come. It was just his fingers lacing through mine, and Anslee’s footsteps filling the house that didn’t seem so empty anymore.
As much as I didn’t want to leave, it was late, and we both had an early morning coming our way. So, we gathered up Anslee and headed home. I gave her a quick bath, and Brayden got her things ready for the morning while I put her to bed. The house was covered in boxes, but we paid them no mind and made our way to the bedroom.
As I started to change into my pajamas, I looked over to him and asked, “When do you think we’ll be able to move in?”
“So, you really like it?”
“I loved it.”
“That’s good.” He stepped over to me and slipped his arm around my waist. “Cause I already sent Prez a message, and I’m meeting with him first thing in the morning.”
“Really?”
“Um-hmm.”
He leaned down and lifted me into his arms, carrying me over to the bed. “And what do you think you’re doing?”
“I think you know exactly what I’m doing.”
“You aren’t too tired?”
“Are you?”
“Never.”
“That’s my girl.”
As soon as my feet touched the floor, he reached for the hem of his t-shirt. With a teasing look gleaming in his eyes, he slowly and painstakingly pulled it over his head, revealing his chiseled abs. He grinned mischievously as he watched my eyes wander to the perfect V peeking out from the waistband of his jeans.