Chapter 30
Colton
“Don’t worry about the mule, just load the wagon.”
~ Papa Duke
There were cameras in my face and people asking me questions about Bermuda, about Heather, about cheating rumors, about whether or not I would do another reality show as I walked through the airport. But I didn’t respond. I didn’t slow down. I had one mission and one mission only: to get home to my girls.
The past two weeks had felt like two years. I missed them more than I ever thought was possible. I hadn’t been able to eat. To sleep. The only part of my day that I felt like myself was when I was Facetiming with them. Thankfully, Heather was so distracted fielding offers with her new publicist and agent that she didn’t mind that I’d been such poor company.
The sliding doors opened and a rush of air blew over me as I stepped out into the hot Texas day. I was home. Finally. And I was staying home. Which was wherever my girls were. If they moved back to Portland, then that would be home. If they moved to Timbuktu, then I was going to need to look into what kind of farming they did there. I didn’t care who wanted me to do a show, I wasn’t doing it. I was done doing things to make other people happy at the expense of my own happiness.
Over the past two weeks, I’d had a lot of time to think about the concerns that Bella had brought up after our roll in the hay. She’d said that Sadie was so upset about Owen and that there’d been so many changes in her life that she didn’t want to add one more thing to the list.
I’d agreed to her plan then. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that kids are happy when their parents are happy. And I truly believed that Bella was her happiest when she was with me. I sure as hell knew I was my happiest when I was with her. So, it might take some time. Some getting used to. But, somehow, someway, I was going to convince Bella to give us as shot, a real shot, and I would get the blessing of our daughter, even if I had to use Cara, who was apparently her favorite aunt, to do it.
I shifted the strap that had slipped down my shoulder up and squinted as I walked down towards the parking structure. I was so focused on ignoring my surroundings, of tuning out all the people and the cameras, that I almost missed the people I’d put the blinders on for.
Bella and Sadie were on the other side of the street, waving their hands and holding signs. I smiled so big I was surprised my face didn’t split in half as I jogged across to them, dodging the busy traffic. Two cars honked at me as I was, technically, breaking the law, but none of that mattered.
When I finally reached them they both jumped into my arms and I felt the calm that only they could give me spread through me.
“We missed you!” Sadie exclaimed.
“I missed you both so much!” I held them so tight, worried that this was a dream and if I let them go, they’d disappear.
“I can’t breathe,” Sadie mumbled.
“Sorry,” I loosened my grip and set them both down on the ground.
Sadie’s brows furrowed as she looked between Bella and I. “You guys really need to figure out how to hug people without suffocating them.”
Bella and I looked at each other and smiled. I didn’t think either of us had any interest in figuring that out.
“Mom has something to tell you,” Sadie pushed Bella towards me then clapped her hands together. “And it’s soooooo good.”
“Here?!” She looked down at our daughter like she was crazy.
“Yes. Here.” Sadie confirmed.
“What’s going on?” I looked between them, my smile still plastered on my face.
“Um,” Bella licked her lips and wiped her hands on her jeans the way she did when she was nervous.
My smile slipped. Had they come here to tell me that she and Owen were getting back together? Was that why Sadie was so happy?
“Sadie and I were talking and she wants…I mean she found these letters from Papa Duke that he wrote to my Grandma Hazel after she passed away and they said all these things—”
“You are so bad at this,” Sadie interrupted. “Mom loves you and she wants to marry you wearing Grandma Hazel’s veil. She didn’t want to say that before because she thought I would be upset. But, I’m not! If you guys got married it would be the best day of my life.”
My eyes shot back to Bella who had a sheepish look on her face. Her left shoulder lifted as she smiled. “What she said.”
“You want to marry me?” I’d never heard sweeter words in my life, except maybe that I was Sadie’s father.
“Yes.” Her smile grew bigger.
“We’re getting married?” I just needed to hear it one more time.
“Yes!” Sadie shouted.
I picked them both up again and squeezed them tighter than I had before, but this time Sadie didn’t complain. She held me just as tight, and I knew in that moment that I would never let them go…and I would never have to.