AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“In my arms. Surrounded by my family.”
“Your family is incredible.”
I want to tell her that they can be hers too, but I decide against it. I should probably tell her the depths of my feelings for her. Use the words that I confided in my father. She should have been the one to hear them first, but I couldn’t stop the admission from falling from my lips.
“You’re incredible.”
She doesn’t reply, but she does let me hold her just a few more minutes until Blakely comes rushing over and drags her away to finger paint. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell Blakely that they’re not at school and Crosby has the day off, but the smile on her face when Blakely asked her to join her and Kennedy and the rest of the ladies stops me. She’s radiant, sitting around my parents’ dining room table, laughing and talking with the ladies in my life as if she’s always been there.
“When you know, you know,” Orrin says from beside me.
“Was it like that for you?” I ask him.
“Yeah. I’d wanted to ask Jade out forever, and when I finally did, and we had our first date, I knew she was the one for me.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Loving her is easy.”
“I think being a dad has made you soft.”
“Maybe.” He shrugs. “But I’m okay with that. I wasn’t unhappy before Jade came into my life. I watched her from afar. I knew I liked her, but after that first night—”
“It all felt different. It changed you,” I finish for him.
He points at me. “That’s the real deal, Rush. Hold on to it as tight as you can.”
“It’s hard to do that when she challenges me at every turn.”
“No one said it would be easy. Loving them is easy. Sometimes the road we take to get there is longer than others, but the outcome remains the same. You have to work hard and love harder.”
“You’re Dad,” I joke.
We both enjoy a laugh at me teasing him. “I’ll take it. Growing up, I knew they had something special. I’d hear kids at school talk about parents fighting and divorce, and it never really occurred to me what I was witnessing. It wasn’t until I met Jade that I realized that the main reason I knew how to love her… the reason I know how to show her that love, is that I grew up with a front-row seat watching live-action what love looks like.”
“I guess I never put too much thought into that.”
“You don’t until you fall yourself. Then there are some things in life that to you are nothing but background noise, which is now a clear melody. It means more when you not only know what it looks like, but you feel it. The love of a parent or sibling is different from the love of your wife and kids—” His voice cracks a little. “That little man and his tiny fist have a grip on me so tight—” He shakes his head, overcome with love for his son.
“He’s a lucky kid to have you for a father.”
“And one day, when it’s you, I’ll be sure to tell you the same thing.”
“One day,” I agree.
“Come on. You can’t hide in the corner watching your girl all day. Come watch the game with us.”
“I’d rather watch her.”
“I’d love to give you shit for saying that, but I’m not gonna lie, watching Jade, especially when she’s with Orion, is my favorite thing these days.”
“Touchdown!” Declan and Deacon are on their feet, fists in the air, gazes glued to the TV.
“Shit, I got money on this game.” Orrin stalks off, and I follow along behind him. Only I turn at the last minute and make my way into the dining room.
“You ladies look like you’re having a good time.” I stop behind the chair that Crosby is sitting in and place my hands on her shoulders. She tilts her head back to look at me.
“It’s fun, and you should try it.”
“Oh, Uncle Rush paints with me. All my uncles do,” Blakely tells her. “It’s ’cause they want to be my favorite.”
“It’s because they love you,” Kennedy corrects her.
Blakely shrugs. “That too.”
“I’ll leave you ladies to it,” I say. I give Crosby’s shoulders a gentle squeeze before leaving to join the men and watch the game.
We’re on the road, just having left my parents’ house, and I’m not ready to take her home yet. I’ve been with her for hours, and yet it’s still not enough. At the stop sign at the end of their road, I look behind me. No cars, so I turn to look at Crosby.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just not thrilled about taking you home yet.” There is no reason for me to beat around the bush.
“You’ve been with me all day. I’m sure you’re ready for some space,” she teases.
