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Lucy opened her big brown eyes and looked up at me. “Cara?! Is that really you?”
“Of course, it is!” I started to climb out of the car, but Lucy beat me to it, leaping right into my lap.
“I missed you! I missed you so much! I kept asking Daddy when you’d be back and he said you might be gone forever!”
MY eyes filled with tears as she buried her head in my shoulder. I stroked her soft blonde hair. “Not gone forever. Not ever again.”
“You promise?”
I glanced at Wesley and then nodded. “I promise.”
Wesley had to prove his commitment to me. But I had to prove mine to Lucy.
And I had no doubt both of us would be able to do so.
Chapter36
Wesley
From the moment Cara and I reunited, I didn’t leave her side. Well, as long as I wasn’t at work. She moved in with Lucy and me almost immediately, our lives intermingling without any hiccups.
Lucy was thrilled she was going to be a big sister, not to mention having Cara as a maternal figure in her everyday life, permanently. She didn’t even let the whiplash of Cara’s departure and return get in the way of her joy.
We didn’t tell Lucy about the drama Lisbeth had created. It didn’t make sense to. Besides, Lisbeth and I were actually communicating with civility for the first time since our divorce. Lisbeth wanted Lucy to be the flower girl at her wedding and while I told her I’d consider it, I was most likely going to say yes. That would be a special way to usher in their relationship. As long as Lisbeth stayed respectful of Lucy’s needs and kept her at the center, we would be able to make things work.
There were a few matters that were…complicated. One being that piece of shit Danny Morden, who threatened to pull the contract out from under Cara. A quick phone call from my lawyer shut him up, though. I wasn’t about to let him ruin Cara’s dreams.
The second, more pressing issue in my eyes, was the topic of Cara’s parents.
It took a while for them to come around, but Cara was resolute.
“I’m not calling them. I’ve got too much on my plate. Plus, I did nothing wrong.”
This was true. Her body was adjusting to pregnancy and with that came bouts of morning sickness, fatigue, and shifting moods. On top of that, she had the beginnings of her new business. And perhaps most importantly, Stan and Linda needed to realize she wasn’t a little girl anymore.
She would wait for them to come to her.
That’s when I knew she really was coming into her own.
And eventually, they did. The phone call lasted hours, Cara’s parents arguing while she remained stalwart and strong.
I left her alone for most of the conversation but couldn’t help standing by the bedroom door and listening for a moment.
“I’ve made my decision. It’s my life and my child. You should be happy that I’m not going at this alone. And I’m going to choosemyfamily over everything else, always.”
Her family. The words had me overcome with emotion. Cara had dedicated herself to Lucy. To me. I would do everything in my power to dedicate myself to her.
When the phone call ended, Cara came out of the bedroom looking tired and bedraggled, but with wonderful news. “They want to see you.”
Which is how we ended up piled into the car headed out of Brooklyn to Oceanside.
“Will they like me?” Lucy asked timidly from the backseat.
I glanced at her in the rearview. She had picked out her outfit and done a marvelous job. Pink and frilly, her hair tied back in a bow.
Cara spoke first, turning to face Lucy. “Of course, they will.” She reached into the backseat and squeezed Lucy’s knee. “How could they not love someone as cute as you?”
Lucy shrugged and glanced out her window. “I don’t know. Not everyone likes everybody.”
