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“You loved her once.”

According to Reggie, he still loved her. A concept he couldn’t get his mind around.

“If you don’t do something, you’ll lose her again. When the holidays are over, she’ll go back to Seattle, and then what? What if she meets someone there? This is your chance, Toby. I don’t like to see you throw it away.”

With that, she rose. He stood as well, then hugged her.

“You’re a powerful woman.”

She patted his arm. “I have life experience. Learn from my mistakes. Don’t have regrets. They’re a painful thing, and they never go away.”

He walked her to the top of the stairs, then waited to make sure she got down all right. She’d given him a lot to think about. Yes, Reggie was special, but how did he feel about her? What did he want, and how did he let go of his past mistakes enough to keep them from influencing his present?

Questions that had no answers, he thought, walking into the media room. Harrison was finishing up his video game. He turned off the player and grinned.

“I won, Dad! By a lot. Noah came in second. We’re going to team up to play against some guys from school, and we are going to keep winning.”

“Good for you.” Toby sat on the sofa. “I want to ask you something.”

“Sure, Dad.”

“I was wondering how you would feel if I started dating Reggie. I didn’t know if you were okay with that, because of what happened with Lori.”

His son stared at him. “She’s not like Lori, Dad. She’s totally different. I like her a lot. She’s nice and she’s funny. Plus, there’s Belle.”

“You mean you like her because she has a dog?”

“Not just that.” He frowned, as if trying to put his thoughts into words. “Some people think dogs don’t matter, but they do. Reggie is good to Belle, so I know she’ll be good to me. And at the accident, she was really worried about me, even though she was hurt and there was blood everywhere. She took care of me. I think we should love her.”

Toby swore silently. Everyone was taking swings at him tonight.

“You should marry her, Dad. Then she could be my mom, and we could be a real family.”

“We’re a real family now.”

Harrison rolled his eyes. “We’re a family, but it’s not the same without a mom. They’re important. They do stuff like make cookies and worry about you, but they also hug you and want to know you’re okay. It’s nice when moms do that. I see it with my friends and their moms. I think Reggie could love us, Dad. I think she’d be good for us.” He thought for a second. “That means we have to be good for her, too. We’re going to have to figure that out.”

Toby’s throat got a little tight. He pulled Harrison onto his lap and held him. “Don’t I give you enough hugs?”

“You give me plenty, but they’re not mom hugs. It’s just different.”

“I kind of know what you mean.”

His son looked at him. “So you’ll ask her out.”

“I will.”

“Yay!”

Chapter Thirty-One

“I’m wearing my prom dress,” Reggie said glumly. “Why does she hate me? I’m the baby of the family. I’m supposed to be special.”

Dena’s lips twitched, as if she was trying not to smile. “If it helps, the dress looks good on you. It’s a little 2000s, but otherwise, very pretty.”

“I feel like an idiot.”

They were in the bride’s room at the resort. Their mom was out getting her picture taken in her beautiful gown. Dena looked fabulous in a simple sleeveless V-neck, A-line gown, although part of her glow could be her newfound happiness with Micah. Dena had announced they were seriously involved, and unbeknownst to Dena, Micah had asked their father for his permission to marry his daughter.