by Lydia Rowan
“My baby is dead. Dead! All I have of him is that little girl. And I’m supposed to sit by and watch this…godless woman go on, act like he never even existed!”
Her voice had gotten louder as she spoke but on the last word it had cracked, and with it Matilda’s facade.
“It’s not fair. It’s not fair,” she said, the pain in her voice piercing Ariel.
She was speechless. She’d known how much Matilda missed Daniel, knew how much they all did, but this…
“He existed, Matilda. And we loved him. But taking Dani away is not going to bring him back. Nothing is ever going to bring him back,” Ariel said.
She looked at Matilda with new eyes, a mother’s eyes, and as angry as she was, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy. Contemplating losing Dani had been the worst thing she could imagine, but to not have her, to know that she would never see her again…
“It’s not—” Matilda cut off short and then turned away. The woman that Ariel had come to know was gone, and in her place sat a grieving, brokenhearted mother.
“I know,” Matilda said, and through the anger and resentment, Ariel’s heart went out to her.
“But Dani’s here, and you can be a part of her life. We both want that, so please, Matilda… I don’t want to fight you, so don’t make me,” Ariel said.
••••
“So that was…unexpected,” Matt said much later that night.
The mediation had been stressful, and Matt didn’t know what had compelled him to say what he said, but he was glad he had. It had needed to end, Matilda needed to heal, Dani needed to be secure, and he and Ariel needed to get on with living their lives, and that started today.
“Yeah, I knew she was hurting but I never would’ve guessed…”
“I don’t think any of us could have, but that still doesn’t excuse what she did.”
“It doesn’t, but I hope she can get better and that we can try to mend things.”
“Speaking of mending…” Matt said, staring at Ariel, who was shrouded in the semidarkness of their bedroom.
“Go ahead,” she said, and then she trailed her fingers across his chest, a welcome distraction from the heavy thoughts weighing on him.
“I’m going to pay my father a visit,” Matt said.
Ariel raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything else, so he continued. “It’s time. You, Dani, and the baby taught me how much people need love, and I’m going to try to do the same for him, help him finally move on. And it’ll help me too,” he said, closing his hand around her stomach. “I preach forgiveness and acceptance and moving on all the time, but now I’m going to try to practice it.”
She kissed him.
“I love you, Matt,” she said.
Her breath fanned against his face, and though the room was shrouded in darkness, he couldn’t miss the truth of the words in her eyes.
“I love you too. Deeply. And I will for the rest of my life,” he said.
And he meant what he said. He’d never wanted a family, never thought he’d have one, but somehow, when he hadn’t been looking, they’d found him.
And he’d never let them go.
Epilogue
“My goddaughter is so beautiful!” Blakely said.
“She is,” Cody added.
Blakely cooed at two-day-old Helene Poole, and the assembled group laughed, almost in unison.
“I know for a fact that Blakely Bishop does not coo, so my newest daughter must be something special,” Matt said as he took the baby from Blakely’s arms and cradled her against his chest.
“Beyond special. She’s amazing,” Verna said softly.
“Verna, you can’t go soft on me. Someone has to hold the line,” Blakely said.
“I have an excuse,” Verna responded, her hand atop her husband Joe’s, who gently rubbed Verna’s belly. Verna eyed Blakely, her previously soft expression sharpening with the look that was so quintessentially Verna. “Unless…”
“Don’t say it. Don’t even think it,” Blakely said, her hands extended in front of her.
“I don’t know, BB,” Matt said, “how could you resist having one of your own?”
“Ariel, congratulations on the beautiful baby. I’ll give you a call once you’re home and settled. Now Cody and I are getting out of here before he gets any ideas”—she glanced at Cody, who grinned mischievously—“any more ideas. Good-bye.”
She and Cody left, and a few minutes later, Joe and Verna followed. When they were alone, Ariel stared at Matt, who stared at the baby like she was the most precious thing on earth.
“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Ariel asked.
“What?” he responded, tearing his gaze away from the baby.
“That a complete stranger can steal your heart with one look.”
Matt lay Helene down in her bassinet and crossed over to Ariel, gripping her hand tight, eyes bright with what she now knew was love.
“A little, though you and Dani taught me to expect the unexpected. Speaking of which, shouldn’t she be back by now?”
“I’ll bet Mandy just wanted to give us some time. It’s gonna be tough, you know?”
“Sure, but it’ll be worth it,” he said, squeezing her hand again.
Ariel stared up at him, her husband, the love she’d thought she’d never experience again. “I wonder if Matilda sent that giant teddy bear? There was one for Dani with it.”
Matt lifted his gaze to the bear and then back down to her. His eyes clouded for a moment and then cleared. “My dad sent them. He’s excited, said maybe he’ll do better with the kids than he did with me. Are you sad that Matilda didn’t send them?”
It was Ariel’s turn to shrug. “Her choice.”
They sat silent, and she looked into his eyes, saw the love she felt reflected back at her.
“You happy?” she asked.
“Two beautiful daughters and the love of my life. I’m the happiest man in the world.”
••••
I hope you enjoyed Ariel and Matt’s story! I have more Thornehill Springs and other stories planned, so for the latest information on new releases, specials, and discounts join my newsletter.
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Playthings Series
Look for the first three books in the Playthings series:
Devil’s Plaything-Playthings Book One
A dangerous man. A simple woman. A love neither ever expected.
They call him Devil, the name he was born to and one that he’s more than earned. Devil has no misconceptions about who he is and what he deserves. At least he didn’t until he met her…
Despite hardship, Julie Manchin has managed to make her way in the world, and while her life isn’t glamorous, she’s satisfied with her uncomplicated existence. But when she crosses paths with Devil one fateful night, her small, orderly universe is upended.
Swept up in a whirlwind of passion that she doesn’t quite know how to handle with a man she never imagined, can Julie break through his tough exterior and become something more than Devil’s plaything?
Demon’s Plaything-Playthings Book Two
The things she’ll do for love…
Dr. Shayla Rodgers has dedicated her life to helping people, which is why she never expected to find herself skirting the edges of the law. But her sense of right and wrong is only eclipsed by her love for her family, so when her brother once again finds trouble, she’ll do whatever it takes to rescue him.
; Demon is all for having a good time, and the money and excitement that came with the underground-fight scene used to be just that. But things are changing, and he’s willing to admit that the once-good times have gotten pretty stale. Yet when the lovely Dr. Rodgers arrives, his interest is sparked and he finds that the scene might not be quite so boring after all.
Though Shayla struggles to keep her distance, she’s pulled deeper into the darkness—and her desire for Demon—and as she tries to protect her brother, she finds that all she holds dear: her career, her family, and her heart, are at risk…
Elah’s Plaything-Playthings Book Three
Can love be born of hate and revenge?
Criminal. Business mogul. Saint. Sinner. Self-made billionaire Elah Avakian has been called them all, but labels and opinions are of no consequence to him. All that matters is his lifelong quest for revenge against his hated enemy, a man who happens to be one of the city’s most revered politicians. After decades of planning, Elah is finally ready to get the justice he seeks. His first step? Taking his enemy’s most treasured possession: his beloved daughter.
Lottie Trufant knows that her father is an honorable man, so when Elah threatens to send him to prison and destroy his hard-earned and well-deserved reputation, she can’t believe it. She also can’t believe Elah’s price for her father’s freedom: her hand in marriage. Desperate to protect her father and convinced she can make Elah understand how wrong he is, Lottie agrees to his terms and finds herself married to a stranger who hates her father, a man who only sees her as a means to an end, a man she finds herself drawn to more and more each day…
Devil’s Plaything, Demon’s Plaything, and Elah’s Plaything are available now. If you’d like to be informed when my next book is released, sign up for my newsletter here.
Lydia’s Books
Thornehill Springs:
Two Weeks in Geneva: Books 1-3
Where you Least Expect
Who you Least Expect
Playthings:
Devil’s Plaything
Demon’s Plaything
Elah’s Plaything
Beneath the Boss:
Book One
Omnibus
Stand-alone Short Stories:
Feel and Obey
Guardian’s Heart: Omnibus