The only day that could eclipse this one was the day Tara’s mom brought Jamie into my life. I stood watching my little girl toss flowers out of a basket on her way down the aisle.

When she reached the end, I moved forward and took her hand in mine. I brought her to stand next to me and didn’t let her go sit. She was my best girl and I needed her by my side. We waited while Dad walked my future wife down to me.

Out in the small crowd, I spotted her mom. I’d convinced Honey to invite her to the wedding. Though she balked, she wanted to connect with her brother, who sat by their mom’s side in the front row.

They’d arrived a few days before, all smiles and questions about my net worth on the pretense they wanted to make sure Honey was well taken care of. Though I’d been curious if Honey’s stories were even a little exaggerated when she’d told me about her mother, I would be glad when they were gone. The funniest thing was when her stepdad thought he should be the one to do the honors of giving Honey away.

I hadn’t said a thing, but Honey had politely asked the man why he would want to give her away when he’d already done that. I gave her mother points for not saying shit as the man sputtered.

Though, I did worry for her brother and the influence his parents had on him. But one good thing to come out of it was they’d agreed to let him spend the summer with us. It made Honey so happy, I was actually looking forward to it.

As my bride neared, everything else became unimportant. God, she was stunning from head to toe in a dress that clung way too much to her sexy curves. Last thing I wanted was for any man to fantasize about my woman. So I might have snatched her hand a little too eagerly from Dad, which got a chuckle from our guest.

Words were spoken from the heart, from our souls. We made promises I would forever keep. Jamie also said I do, at our request. Honey and I were in agreement that she was as much a part of us as we were.

But it wasn’t until after the ceremony and the reception, when it was just the two of us under the stars that everything became perfect.

I’d walked us to Mom’s grave and introduced my wife to her. As per mom’s request, though Honey balked, we had the diamonds in Mom’s ring reset. Mom wanted to pass on something old, so she could be a part of my wedding. But she was insistent that she’d wanted the woman I chose to make something new out of it.

I kissed the ring Honey had designed. It was perfectly her. She’d added two smaller diamonds on the side to represent Dad and Jamie.

“God, I love you.”

I may have said it a million times before, but each time felt new to me.

“I love you too, Sugar.”

We kissed in that lingering way that made me want to go all caveman with her.

“Are you ready for our honeymoon?” she asked.

Was I?

“It will be different when we come back,” I said.

She nodded. “You’ve agreed to the changes.”

I had. Dad thought we should remodel and Honey convinced me it was a good idea. We were reconfiguring the space, including a total redesign of the bedrooms with an addition.

Currently that left Dad bunking in Honey’s old room. That left her, Jamie, and me holed up in the office, which left no privacy. Added to that, with neither of us having reliable family, Jamie and Dad were coming with us on the honeymoon. It wasn’t ideal, but Honey said it was fine. She billed it as a family vacation. If she was cool with it, so was it.

But when we returned, everything should be complete. Honey and I would get a brand-new master suite and my old room would be split into two new guest rooms. With her brother visiting, we needed the space.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked again.

My mind had drifted off. “It’s great. Everything in my life couldn’t be better.”

My blood test had all come back clean, which had been my biggest worry. So when Tara had been given a light sentence, I let my anger go. She hadn’t come around as dictated per our agreement. I’d also heard she’d miscarried while in custody. I was a little sad. The idea of a baby in the house had been appealing.

But Tara was out of our life for good. She did, however, write. Not right away. But once in a while over the last several months, we’d gotten a letter here and there.

Jamie helped me build a chest for the letters she received. The ones I’d given her. A few had been ranting, like the first one, and I’d tucked those away. But others were fine.

“You’re too quiet.” Honey prodded me again.

“I’m sorry.” I stopped near the creek and glanced up at the stars. “Tell me something. How opposed are you to getting that dress dirty?”

She grinned. We snuck to interesting places so I could get her naked since construction started.

“I don’t mind getting dirty,” she said, biting her lip.

Damn, she was sexy as fuck. The dress fell victim to my greedy hands. To make it up to her, I made her come more times than either of us could count.

“Oh, Sugar,” she moaned with my face buried between her thighs.

About five years later

Jamie was tall for her age and far too beautiful for my liking. It was only a matter of time before boys came sniffing around.

“Where’s your mother?” I asked her as she came out of the house texting on her phone.

“She’s helping Grandpa,” she said without looking up.

Jamie had grown out of her stuttering. And I stared at her in the light of day and thought about the paternity test my lawyer had advised me to have done shortly after all the custody papers were filed. He said it was in case Tara got Rory to make waves. Landry wanted me to be prepared should that day come. So I’d done it, swapping Jamie’s cheek as she slept. I hadn’t ever opened the results. Though Landry had a copy, I’d asked him not to tell me.

So much had been happening between me getting married, expanding the ranch, and the remodel, I didn’t want to think about Jamie not being mine. Besides, I’d never seen her as anything else.

Then Cody and Clay came tearing out the house. Jamie rolled her eyes at her brothers as they raced down the road, kicking up dust. One had a car or something the other wanted. I couldn’t remember having that much energy. I must have. Dad reminded me daily they were just like me.

Jamie continued to focus on her phone. She was at the age when it was slightly less important than family or so I’d hoped.

“Can you watch your brothers while I check on Mom and Grandpa?” I asked her.

She looked up and nodded. As I headed back to the house, she yelled their names and threats of death if they didn’t listen.

I shook my head, bursting with so much joy from the life Honey and I’d created. When I entered the front room, Dad was complaining to my wife about not needing any help.

“Stop bickering, old man,” I said with a smile.

“I don’t need this walker. I’m fine,” he muttered, tapping his cane.

“Ornery old man,” I muttered, glancing at my pregnant wife, who wore a bemused grin.

“I told him heaven was waiting, but we weren’t.”

She meant no malice and kissed Dad’s cheek. Though he waved her off, he tried to hide a smile.

“I’m not dead yet,” he bemused. “Martha’s not going to mind if I’m a little late.”

It was the anniversary of Mom’s death and every year we did the walk. On the way, we’d talk about Mom, especially her life with Dad. It was a way to honor her and something Dad enjoyed. His memories allowed her to live on in our lives.

“Dad, it will be dark soon. Maybe we should drive.”

He glared at me. “You’ll see.” He waved a finger at me. “It sucks to be old.”

I chucked as it was a recurring argument.

“It’s not for you, old man. It’s for my pregnant wife.”

That pacified him as he glanced at her belly. “Okay, we’ll drive this once.”

He used his cane to hobble out of the front door, waving off any help from us.

I sighed. But once the door closed, I nuzzled Honey’s neck.

“Dad’s going to take a while. Why don’t we go back to our room?”

She slapped my hand from her breast. “This is why I stay pregnant. We’re going to have to build up soon.”

I kept kissing her neck, hoping she’d change her mind.

“Or we can move Dad permanently into the retirement home,” I joked, letting my other hand drift to cup her ass.

She swatted my hand away. We’d turned Jacque’s house into a retirement facility for aging members of our community and the broader county. We’d used the extra money coming in from new orders I was able to fill.

But I’d suggested it because Honey was more than a mother. She had a gift and used it and her nursing background to run the place, make sure only quality personnel were brought on. Dad needed a place he could go and chat up people he’d known growing up. It was a win-win for everyone.

“Jake, I’m serious,” Honey said, trying unsuccessfully to get away from my wandering hands.

“I’m serious too,” I whispered in her ear. “I can’t look at you without getting hard.”

She giggled, which was the sole reason she was always pregnant. It had become my weakness hearing that sexy laugh.

I caught her hand and rested it on my erection. She used that moment I’d let her go to evade my capture. She nimbly ran giggling for the door. I sighed when it closed, unable to hold back the darkness that settled in.

After all this time, I’d gotten a call late one night. I hadn’t yet told Honey about it. I didn’t want her to worry. She didn’t need stress so close to our daughter being born.

I took the moment alone to head into the office and pulled out the dreaded manila envelope. If I could have done anything to avoid this moment, I would have.

But the man on the other line late the other night had given me no choice. He wanted money to stay away from his daughter. At least that was his claim. He didn’t sound like the Rory I remembered. But it had been over ten years since I’d heard his voice and we hadn’t spent that much time together.

So I unsealed the letter. It opened easily as time had made the glue weak.

I pulled out the paper with my heart in my throat and reminded myself that no matter what it read, Jamie was my daughter and screw anyone and anything who said otherwise. Still I read.

Jackson Turnball is not excluded as the biological father of Jamie Turnball.

I scanned the paper lower to find that the phrase is not excluded was defined as meaning the possible father most likely IS the biological father of the child, since all data gathered from the test supports a relationship of paternity.

The whole world had probably heard me yell yes and pump my fist in the air. My late night caller would get a whole lot of fuck you and kiss my ass. Jamie had always been and forever would be my daughter, just as Honey was my wife. And all our kids were the best parts of our lives.