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“She never stopped loving you,” Jason said. “Love is powerful. I didn’t understand it before, but after finding Emma again, I get it. Relationships are a partnership.”
“You’re right. I promise both of you I will never be the man I was before. I want to be a father you’re proud of.” He didn’t even try to wipe away the tears as they slid down his cheeks.
Connor placed a hand over his dad’s, so much like his own. “We’re proud you got help and are staying clean. I know how hard that is. We support you in continuing to stay clean.”
Jason added his hand. “Including giving you our blessing to remarry Mom, if that’s what she wants.”
Their dad failed to stifle a sob. “Thanks. Means more than I can say. I love you both.”
Neither Connor nor Jace could return the words, but they each put an arm around their dad in an awkward man-hug.
“I’ll pour the coffee. Then maybe you can show us the workspace. I know a couple of guys who can patch things up, if you need it,” Connor said.
Despite their past and his dad’s flaws, he was trying to make amends.
Connor considered his history with Abby. He’d thrown away something good. When she’d gotten pregnant and needed him the most, rather than work hard and return to Pelican Bay like he’d promised her, he got tossed in jail and rehab. Not very different from his dad. By then, it was too late.
He regretted how he behaved and could think of many ways he could have handled things better. But the past couldn’t be undone…The present and what lay ahead were what mattered now. Those were the things he could change, and he’d work hard to make the right decisions.
Strength and resilience gave you the tools to be a better person. Possibilities gave you hope for a better day…and a chance at a wonderful tomorrow.
He loved Abby. Always had.
It was time to put his heart on the line and tell her how he felt. Now was a chance for a new start.
Chapter Ten
After returning to his apartment to get his truck and an overnight bag, Connor drove to Abby’s. Lights from Erickson Pier lit up the sky, and the faint sound of laughter as a family walked home drifted through his open windows. The dad held a sleeping toddler in his arms, her arms clutching a stuffed unicorn Connor had seen at one of the game booths. The mom pushed a younger child in a stroller. They paused at a red light, and the dad put an arm around his wife and kissed her. A tender kiss that held the promise of a night and a lifetime of love.
Connor wanted that.
The wife…the children…a family of his own.
With Abby.
Would she want the same thing?
He parked in a resident-reserved spot in the lot behind Abby’s building and turned off the engine.
Only one way to find out.
He grabbed his duffel bag and walked up the outside stairs that led to the apartment.
She answered wearing a loose-fitting dress, her hair damp and wavy, as though she’d just showered.
His heart raced as she smiled at him.
“Perfect timing. I read your text and took dessert out of the freezer,” she said.
Stepping inside, he dropped his bag on the floor and spun her in a circle before kissing her. “You’re all the dessert I need.”
She laughed and wriggled out of his arms to close the door. “I have chocolate marshmallow ice cream.”
He backed her against the door, already hard and wanting her more than his favorite ice cream. “Let’s save it for later.”
He slid his hands under her dress, groaning when he didn’t encounter any barrier. Only skin. Soft skin pressed against him as he gripped her backside before sliding to the front, where he slid fingers along the rim of her clitoris before dipping in and finding her sleek and wet.
“I need you, Abby,” he whispered, aware of how desperate he sounded, but beyond caring. He walked with her to the island and set her on top, pulling the dress over her head.
