A few hours later, the children were all fed and finally asleep—Charlotte with Ava and the boys together in my bed. I snuggled against Sebastian’s side on the couch.
“Erica said she’ll be here first thing in the morning to get her children ready for school. No surgery, just stitches. She’s driving Bob home now. She was going to pick the kids up, but I told her they were all sleeping. You don’t have to stay.”
“I don’t mind. I’m glad it turned out less serious than she thought.” He yawned. “I can’t believe you actually got Kevin and Tyler to go to bed. Those boys don’t stop.”
It was my turn to yawn. “It helped that we took them to the park after they ate. They’re good kids; they just have a lot of energy.”
“Four boys, how did my mother do it?”
“I was an only child. One is easier, but when I see the kids all playing together, I wonder—”
“Would you like more?”
“In the right situation, yes.”
He cupped my chin and turned my face so our eyes met. “And what situation would that be?”
“It’s not something I’d want to do alone, and I could only do it with someone who could love Ava as much as I do . . .”
Sebastian kissed me on the lips gently. “You left something out.”
“Did I?” As was often the case, I couldn’t concentrate when he looked at me with desire burning in his eyes.
“You’d only want to make that family with someone you loved.”
“Ah yes.” I traced a finger over his lips. “I might know a man who fits that description.”
“This man should be equally, madly in love with you.”
Heat surged through me. “Do I know someone like that?”
He nuzzled my neck. “You do.”
Even though nothing further was possible, being in his arms was enough—for now. “Sebastian?”
“Yes?”
“This weekend Ava is meeting my father, but next weekend”—I stopped, then took a leap of faith—“next weekend I’d love to meet your family.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
* * *
SEBASTIAN
I don’t like feeling powerless. Even though Heather was putting on a cheerful face for her daughter, her hand was tense and cold in mine. I wanted to reassure her everything would be okay—her father would show up with presents for Ava and a heartfelt apology for not immediately accepting her.
I didn’t fucking know what we were walking into.
At a red light I glanced at Ava in the back seat. She’d brought her entire wolf pack and had given each a distinct voice. If things worked out, I would suggest her father buy an even larger wolf—and call him Grandfather or whatever Heather’s father chose as his title.
We parked, and although it wasn’t an easy feat, Heather convinced Ava that a strawberry festival was too messy a place for stuffed animals. She reminded her daughter that they couldn’t go on the blow-up slides or the bounce house . . . and Ava wouldn’t be able to either if she had a wolf pack to look after.
Before leaving the car, Heather turned in her seat and said, “Ava, we’re going to meet someone today. I think my father is here.”
“You have a father?” Ava asked in awe.
“I do. He lives far away, which is why you’ve never met him, but he’s here to meet you.” When Ava didn’t immediately answer, Heather looked to me for confirmation that she was presenting the meeting correctly. I took her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze.
“I have a grandfather?” Ava asked slowly.
Looking like she was smiling but was also close to tears, Heather nodded. “You do. Would you like to meet him?”
Ava turned to me. “Sebastian, do you know him?”
“This is the first time I’ll meet him as well,” I answered.
“Are you scared?” she asked.
God, that girl knew the way into my heart. I could tell then that the boys in her future would fear me because I would slay dragons for her—and do worse to anyone who dared break her heart. I raised the hand I had linked with Heather’s. “Nothing scares me when we’re together.”
Heather held out one hand to Ava between the seats.
I held out mine to Ava as well.
She took both of our hands, and a huge smile spread across her face. “Nothing can scare me now.”
Heather sniffed, but she was still smiling. “Me either.”
We dropped hands and climbed out of the car. As we walked across the grass parking lot, Ava took her mother’s hand, then mine. I exchanged a look with Heather. If we were alone, I would have pulled her into my arms and assured her that everything would be okay, but I settled for letting my eyes tell her how much I cared.
I knew the moment Heather spotted her father because her face tensed. He was younger than I’d thought, somewhere in his fifties probably, and conservatively dressed in a white polo shirt and khaki pants. His expression didn’t change when he saw us, but he did meet us halfway.
“Hi, Dad.”
He looked his daughter over. “You look good, Heather. Happy.”
“I am.” Heather glanced down at her daughter. “Dad, this is my daughter, Ava, and my, um . . . Sebastian.”
“Bill,” her father said by way of introduction. The handshake he gave me was firm. I waited for him to introduce himself to Ava, but he didn’t. His hands were empty, and I had the feeling it wasn’t because he’d stashed a gift somewhere to give Ava later. “There’s a booth with fresh strawberries and cream,” he said.
Ava lit up. “Can we get some, Mommy?”
“That’s what we’re here for,” Heather said, but her forehead furrowed as she looked at her father. Was she hoping for more from him?
I sure as hell was.
We waited in line together, ordered our bowls, then found a picnic table where we could dig in to them. As we ate, Heather and her father stepped away to speak privately. Although I wanted nothing more than to make sure that conversation was a healthy one for Heather, I had Ava to think of.
I dabbed her nose with whipped cream.
She retaliated with a smear of her own that had us both laughing.
When we finished our food, Ava looked over at the bounce house. “Can I go in?”
I glanced to where Heather and her father were still talking. If Heather had been smiling, I would have walked Ava over to ask if that was what Heather wanted, but I had a feeling she’d thank me for distracting Ava. “Sure. You just have to take your shoes off.”
“Will you watch me?” Ava asked.
“Of course.” I followed her to the bounce house and paid for a ticket for her. “Go on in. I’ll be right here.”
She left her shoes by the entrance. I went to stand beside the mesh wall so I could see her. “Watch this, Sebastian,” she said. “Did you see that? Watch me, Sebastian.” Even though she was doing nothing different than any of the other children in the bounce house, I cheered her on and applauded her attempts at high jumps.
I thought of my first child and how they would have loved the bounce house as well. For once, the thought didn’t fill me with despair. I would always feel the loss, but it no longer had the power to overwhelm me. Instead of locking it away and releasing it like a demon once a year, my grief had become a companion who would walk through life beside me—always a part of me, but not defining who I was.
Heather and her father came to stand beside me. With her father there I couldn’t ask Heather about their conversation, but their expressions made it clear it hadn’t gone well.
Ava popped out of the bounce house and danced over to Heather. “Mommy, I have to pee. Right now.”
“Oh, okay, let’s find a bathroom,” Heather said in a rush and shot me a panicked look.
“We’ll be right here,” I assured her.
They were well out of earshot when I said, “Seeing you today meant a lot to Heather.”
Her father sighed. “Seeing her meant a lot to me too. She’s my baby girl.”
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That didn’t sound like a bad foundation to build on. “You seemed to be talking things out.”
Bill shook his head. “Nothing to talk out. She’s been angry with me since the day her mother left. If you ask me, she’s a lot more like her mother than like me. Four years, that’s how long she hasn’t spoken to me. The apple didn’t fall far from that tree.”
Even as my temper began to rise, I held my patience. This was Heather’s family, and for that reason alone I would be respectful. “It might seem that way to you, but Heather is hopeful the two of you can work things out—that you might be part of Ava’s life.”
With a shrug, Bill said, “That little girl is not my grandchild. Her mother was a wild one who was always in some kind of trouble. I told Heather my opinion when she said she wanted to adopt her. It hasn’t changed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see my daughter doing well, and she seems to like being a mother, but when she has her own children, she’ll see how different it is. You can take in someone else’s kid, but it’s not the same thing.”
My hands fisted at my sides. “I’m going to need you to shut the fuck up,” I said in a low tone.
He turned to me, anger flashing in his eyes. “What did you say?”
I rose to my full height and took a calming breath, only because there were children present. “I love your daughter and that little girl of hers. I intend to marry Heather and, if they both agree to it, adopt Ava. They will be my family—and Ava will be my daughter regardless of whether or not we have other children. As Heather’s father you will be welcome in our home”—I leaned closer to him and growled—“but if I ever hear you talk about Ava like that again, or get any sense that you make either Heather or Ava uncomfortable, it will be my pleasure to throw your ass out.”
Before he had a chance to say anything, Ava ran back with Heather at her heels. “Can we go on the slide now? Can we?”
Heather looked from me to her father and back. “Everything okay?”
“Absolutely,” I said smoothly. “Your father and I were just getting acquainted.”
Ava was tugging on her mother’s hand. Heather smiled. “Do you mind if I go down the slide a few times with Ava?”
Ava looked up at Heather’s father. “Come watch us.”
Bill hesitated. He looked a little less sure of himself than he had a moment earlier. “Okay.”
Ava stood there, looking up at Heather’s father. “Can I call you Grampy?”
In the heartbeat it took for Bill to respond, I came damn close to dragging his ass off somewhere where I could clarify the point I’d made earlier—this time with my fists. Bill looked at Heather for a long moment before leaning down near Ava and saying, “Grandpa.”
With that, Ava let go of Heather’s hand and took his. “Do you go down slides, Grandpa?”
He shook his head. “Bad back.”
“That’s okay, you can watch me and Mommy.” She started to drag him toward the slide, then stopped and looked back. “Sebastian, are you coming?”
“I sure am,” I said, taking Heather’s hand in mine.
On the short walk to the slide, I asked, “Everything okay with your dad?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I tried to tell him how happy I am with how my life is now, but he kept trying to drag me into old arguments about why he still believed adopting Ava had been the wrong choice. I don’t get it. It’s like being right is more important to him than being part of our lives.” She gave my hand a little squeeze. “I’m not upset, though. I didn’t argue with him. I don’t have to prove Ava’s worth to him. You’re right—either he’ll come around or he won’t. If anything, I feel sorry for him. He doesn’t see that he is the reason he’s alone.”
“You needed to see him again.”
“Yes, I did.” She motioned toward where Ava was happily chatting with her grandfather, completely unaware of his rejection of her. To give him credit, Bill seemed like he’d had at least a partial change of heart. Heather added, “They seem to be getting along. Baby steps, right? He’s here. Ava likes him. This might work out.”
In that moment she reminded me of my family. Strong and proud, but also loving and forgiving. Only a fool would let a woman like that slip away. I pulled her to me for a tight hug and a light kiss. “I love you, Heather. I never thought I could love again; now I can’t picture my life without you in it. You and Ava. If you don’t think it’s too early, I’d like to ask you a hefty question next weekend when we go to see my parents.”
She froze in my arms, and her eyes riveted to mine. “Hefty question? Like the question?”
“Unless you want me to wait.”
She wrapped her arms around me so tightly I could hardly breathe—or maybe that was from the love for her that was welling within me. “I love you, Sebastian. Even more because you understand that I’m not good with surprises. I have to warn you, though, with you the answer will always be yes.”
I wiggled my eyebrows at her. “Oh really?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
* * *
HEATHER
A quick check of the clock confirmed I needed to make a decision soon. I’d told Ava we were going to spend the day with Sebastian’s family because I knew she’d be excited rather than nervous. She’d chosen a dress, matching tights, and a sparkly pair of shoes. Last I looked she was attempting to tie ribbons on the necks of her wolf pack before placing each into the basket she said they’d travel in to Sebastian’s house. Tying included clear tape rather than knots, but it was keeping her entertained, so I went with it.
Erica called to see how I was doing.
“I’m freaking out,” I said.
“I’ll be right over.”
A few minutes later, she was standing in the doorway of my bedroom. “Charlotte’s playing with Ava. I left the boys home—looking at Bob’s stitches is their favorite thing lately.”
I laughed. Normally I loved to see them, but my nerves were already on edge. “Thanks. Sebastian is going to be here any minute, and I can’t decide what to wear. I was fine with dinner. Why did I agree to go early? He said it would give me time to get to know his mother. What if that means in the kitchen? He knows I don’t cook.”
“Breathe,” Erica said before sitting down on the edge of my bed. “He’s taking you home to propose to you, not test if his family likes you. Just be yourself.”
My mouth dried, and my hand tightened on the dress I was holding. “Exactly. He’s going to propose. This is the real deal. What if his family hates me? What if—”
“Stop, Heather. Do you love Sebastian?”
“I do.”
“Do you think he’ll be a good father for Ava?”
That one was easy. “Yes. He already adores her, and it’s mutual.”
“Then that’s all that matters. I’m not worried about his family. I’m one hundred percent positive they will love you.”
I went to sit beside her. “Why do you say that?”
She put a hand on my back in support. “I was here the first time you met him, remember? You brought a smile back to that man’s face. What parent wouldn’t love you for that?”
I nodded. “He does seem happier than he did in the beginning.”
“Because he is. Don’t underestimate yourself, Heather. He was one lucky bastard the day he found Wolfie, and he knows it. That’s why you’re going home with him. So, really, any outfit will work, because I don’t see a way today ends without you dropping by my house to show off your engagement ring.”
Tears filled my eyes. “This house is so small, I can’t see Sebastian living here . . . not if we’re thinking of having more children, but I don’t want to move away from you.”
Erica hugged me. “I don’t think you’ll be moving farther than that house you run off to with him at lunch. Didn’t you say it’s massive?”
“It is.”
“And halfway between here and his family.”
“That’s true.”
“And you love it the
re.”
I blushed. “I do. Although some of the rooms would need a lock.”
She cocked her head to the side. I hadn’t shared everything with her. “It’s not all child appropriate.”
Her eyes rounded. “Girl, have you been holding out on me? Oh, we’ll be talking more about this house tomorrow. But for right now, stand up. Let me see what you’re wearing.”
I did. Although I had a dress in my hands, I was wearing nice slacks and a silk shirt. “I get the feeling his family is on the traditional side, so maybe I should wear the dress.”
“Which one are you more comfortable in?”
“I wear skirts all week. I prefer slacks on the weekend.”
She pulled the dress out of my hands with a smile and tossed it in the air behind her. “Decision made.”
And just like that I was smiling too.
“Mommy, Sebastian is here,” Ava called up the stairs. “He brought flowers.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Erica chided. “Get down there.”
I rushed halfway down the stairs but came to a stop when I saw him standing just inside the door. He was giving Ava and Charlotte flowers from my bouquet as they laughed and danced around him. When he looked up, the love in his eyes washed over me, and I felt like the bride he was about to ask me to be.
One lost stuffed animal.
One knock on the door.
That was all it had taken to change the course of my life.
Brenda, maybe, just maybe, I’m beginning to believe in fate too.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I am,” I said, and suddenly I was. “Erica’s here.”
“Hey, Erica,” Sebastian said. “How’s Bob’s arm?”
“Better every day. He said he’d love for us to all go somewhere together. Mini golf?”
“I’m in,” Sebastian said and actually sounded like it might be something he’d do.
“Me too,” Ava said. “Can we go now?”
“Not today,” he answered. “We’re going to see my family, remember?”
“Oh yes. Do they play mini golf?” Ava circled back to the important part of the conversation.
The Broken One Page 20