Chapter 44
Lydia
Ryan, Keane, Colby, Theo, and I are still sitting around my dining room table chatting when the front door bursts open and Izzy bounds in, trailed by Rosalind holding a sleeping Beatrice.
The minute Izzy sees Colby, she beelines to him and throws her arms around his neck, squealing with joy to see him.
“I’ll get Queen Bea into her jammies and tuck her into bed,” Rosalind says after a quick round of introductions. “Nice to meet you all.”
“Great to meet you, too,” the Morgan boys reply in unison.
And off Rosalind goes with my baby girl, God bless her.
“Time for you two to get ready for bed,” I say to Izzy and Theo.
“Can I practice my guitar before lights out, Momma?” Theo asks.
I look at my watch. “Twenty minutes, buddy. Set the timer and make your minutes count.”
Theo says his goodbyes with particularly enthusiastic hugs for the Morgan brothers and then sprints off to his room.
“Isabella,” I say. She’s currently whispering sweet nothings into Colby’s ear and he’s giggling adorably with her. “Yo, Izzy,” I say. “Bedtime, baby cakes.”
“Just a sec, Mommy,” she says, holding up her index finger. “I’m telling Colby about Enchanted.”
“Izzy. Right before you came in, these nice gentlemen were just saying it was time for them to head out.”
“But Colby can’t leave,” my daughter says, her hazel eyes wide. “I want him to read me a bedtime story.”
A quick look at Colby and it’s obvious he’s elated about the idea. “If Colby’s willing,” I say, though it’s a foregone conclusion.
“I’d love to,” Colby says. He quickly tells his brothers to go on without him. “I’ll take an Uber home, fellas. Izzy Stardust wants a bedtime story!” With that, he grabs his crutches and follows Izzy to the room she shares with Beatrice, just as Rosalind comes out and says her goodbyes.
I hug Ryan and Keane at the front door, thanking them profusely for their special brand of magic, and then tiptoe down the hall toward my daughters’ bedroom. Holding my breath, I peek through the cracked door. Beatrice is splayed out on her tiny toddler bed in the corner, passed out cold. Colby is sitting on Izzy’s twin bed, and Izzy is squatting like a baseball catcher in front of her bookcase, apparently mulling her options while talking a mile a minute.
“Oh, really?” Colby says as Izzy talks and talks. “Is that so? Oh, wow.”
“Izzy,” I say softly through the cracked door. “Just one book, sweetie. Don’t ask for two.”
“Okay, Mommy.” She blows me a kiss and waves. “Nighty-night. Bye.”
Well, damn. Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out, Mommy.
I pivot to leave, but then, on a sudden impulse, stay put and listen at the door.
“Oh, good choice,” I hear Colby say. “I’ve always loved ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books. I used to read them at your age, too.”
“You did?”
“Yep. We’re two peas in a pod. Oh, this is a good one. I love pirates, though not as much as my brother, Ryan. They’re kind of his thing.” Colby clears his throat and begins reading Izzy’s chosen book in a soft, calm voice that sends goose bumps of desire erupting over my skin. God, that man is so effortlessly masculine. I take a step forward, straining to hear above the clanging of my heart. “Should we go into the cave or run away?” Colby asks, his deep voice utterly captivating to me.
“Go into the cave,” Izzy’s little voice says firmly.
“Good choice. That’s what I wanted to do, too.”
“Because you’re a firefighter.”
“Hmm?”
“You wanted to go into the cave because you’re a firefighter and firefighters never run away from danger.”
“That’s true, actually. We run in whenever everyone else runs out.”
“Because you’re brave.”
I smile to myself. I can perfectly imagine Izzy’s adoring face when she said that just now.
“Thank you,” Colby’s deep voice replies. “I try to be.”
“Do you ever get scared?”
“All the time. But that’s what bravery is: doing something even when you’re scared, especially something to help someone else in need. Now where were we...?”
“Is that how you hurt your leg? Because you ran in when everyone else ran out?”
“Yep. That’s exactly how.”
“Were you scared?”
“To run into the fire? No. I wasn’t scared to run in. I was excited. I was born to be a firefighter. Every chance I get to use my training, I get super excited. The part that made me scared was when I got trapped and I thought I’d never see my family again. That part scared me a whole lot.”
“Oh my gosh. Did you cry when you thought you’d never see your family again? I know I’d cry.”
“I sure did. Not at the time, but later, after I got out, I cried a lot. When I was trapped in the house, I didn’t cry because I knew I had to keep my wits about me so I could do my best to get out and see my family again.”
My heart pangs. I clutch my chest.
There’s a long pause. And then a muffled sound followed by Colby saying, “Thank you, Isabella. That was sweet. What was that for?”
Surely, Isabella just hugged him. Or maybe she kissed his cheek.
“Because I’m just so glad you didn’t die,” Izzy replies.
“Thank you. Me, too.”
“Will you come back tomorrow night and read to me again, Colby?”
Tears well in my eyes. Oh, Izzy.
“Wow, thank you. That’s so sweet of you to invite me. I don’t know if tomorrow night will work out, just because your mommy is really busy with work and taking care of you three kids and she might not want me coming around every single night, but hopefully she’ll invite me to your house again one day soon. Now, where were we...?”
“I think we should just tell her I invited you tomorrow night,” Izzy declares.
Colby chuckles. “Oh, God. Please don’t get me into trouble, Izzy. Your mommy is going think I put you up to that. Now, please, let’s read so I don’t get in trouble—”
“Do you want to marry my mommy?” Izzy blurts.
My heart stops.
“Wow,” Colby says. He chuckles. “Um.” He pauses. “Do you want me to marry your mommy?”
Izzy doesn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Holy shit.
“Really? Wow. That’s awfully sweet of you to say.”
I clutch my neck. I feel hot. Dizzy.
“I think we should read, don’t you?” Colby says. “Now, where were we...?”
Izzy says, “If you marry my mommy, you can come live with us and read to me every single night.”
“Holy cow. Ever heard the word persistent?”
“Never gives up.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot you’re in the advanced vocab group.”
“The Blue Angels. Because we—”
“Fly through the pages. Yeah, I know.”
They both giggle.
“So will you marry my mommy and come live with us?”
“Sweetheart, let’s please not talk about me marrying your mommy anymore, okay? I don’t want to get in trouble with your mommy for keeping you up so late. I want your mommy to like me, not be mad at me.”
“She already likes you. I heard her say so to Ros.”
My skin pricks. Izzy!
“Is that so? What did she say about me to Ros?”
“We were getting ice cream after my dance recital and she said she likes you but she’s not supposed to like a patient. Or maybe she said she loves you? I can’t remember.”
I literally stagger in place in the hallway. Jesus Christ, Izzy!
“Really?” Colby says. “Interesting. Can you remember anything else she said about me?”
“She said she wanted to go out on a date with you. And she said you’re good looking. Or maybe she said you’re hot?”
Colby laughs and I palm my forehead.
“Well, well, well. Thanks for the intel.”
“My daddy used to read to me.”
There’s a long pause. And then, “Do you remember your daddy well?”
“No, not really. But my mommy told me he used to like reading to me and having tea parties with me. I’ve seen lots of pictures.”
My heart pangs.
Colby asks, “How old were you when your daddy died?”
“Four.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure that was really sad for you.”
“It was. I was in this room and my daddy was lying on this bed and he had this thing sticking out of his mouth and I hugged him and then my mommy told me he had to go on an airplane to heaven.”
A little whimper escapes me and I cover my mouth with my palm to keep myself from being found out.
Colby says, “What else do you remember about your father? Anything happy?”
Isabella pauses. “He used to do this thing on my neck. You know when you go like this?” There’s a little raspberry sound. “Only on your neck, not your arm. He used to do that to me a lot.”
Colby chuckles. “Did you do it back to him?”
“I don’t think so. I’m not sure.”
“Well, it sounds like your daddy loved you a whole lot.”
“He still does.”
“Oh, of course. One hundred percent.”
There’s a long pause. And then Izzy says, “Will you do that thing to my neck like my daddy used to do, Colby?”
Oh, for the love of fuck. My heart just exploded and splattered against the door of Izzy’s bedroom.
Colby says, “I don’t think I should do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it was a special thing you did with your daddy. I think he’d like keeping it as your special thing with just him.”
I wipe my eyes. Oh my God.
Izzy says, “Well, could you maybe do it on my arm, then? My daddy always used to do it on my neck. So maybe my neck could be my daddy’s special thing, and my arm could be yours.”
There’s a brief pause. And then a little raspberry sound followed by Izzy’s giggling.
And I’m suddenly overcome with emotion. If I don’t leave this hallway now, they’re surely going to hear me sniffling out here.
I pivot to leave but freeze when I hear Izzy’s next words.
“Please marry my mommy, Colby.”
I wait, my heart pounding noisily in my ears.
“Thank you so much, Izzy,” Colby finally says. “You’re such a sweetheart. But, please, let’s read now, okay? I don’t want to get in trouble with your mommy for keeping you up too late.”
Colby begins reading again.
Izzy makes a little cooing sound that tells me she’s snuggled into the crook of his arm or against his chest, and I force myself to tiptoe back down the hall.