Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
“I can go all the way to Mars!” Scout shouted, jumping toward the sky as he threw a fist toward it.
Tessa tenderly ran a hand through his hair, love coming off her in waves. “There’s my Rocketman.”
He giggled and took her hand. Tessa led them across the park to the playground on the right.
I stood there, staring, unable to look away.
A beautiful pain sawing at my chest.
Gene cleared his throat.
I ripped my attention away to where the two of them stood. Gene seemed unsettled, and Paula looked like she was going to fly into a rage at any second where she faced away and hugged herself.
There was no secret she hated even looking at me.
“What’s going on?” Caution filled my voice when Gene said nothing.
Paula whirled around. “Like you don’t know exactly what’s going on,” she hissed.
“Oh, you mean the petition.” There was no keeping the challenge out of my voice.
She laughed like I was stupid. “Obviously, Milo. The petition. The truth that you’re trying to steal my grandbabies away from me…trying to take them from the one home they’ve known. After everything that you’ve done.”
“I never wanted to keep your grandchildren from you. You just left me with no choice,” I gritted.
She scoffed. “No choice? If you had any soul at all, your choice would be to walk away.”
Anger pulled at my insides. I ground my teeth to keep from saying something I would regret. Something she could use against me in court.
“Turning my back on them is not a choice, Paula. At least it’s sure as hell not one that I would ever make. Do you think that’s really what Autumn would have wanted? For me to turn my back on our kids?”
“She’s not here to tell me that, is she?” It whipped from her mouth like a slur.
Gene pushed a hand out in her direction. “We didn’t come here for an argument. We came here for a discussion.”
My brows shot up. Not once had they ever wanted to discuss anything with me.
Gene rushed a palm over his face like he had to prepare himself for whatever he wanted to say, then he was looking at me with his head angled to the side. “Listen, Milo, we talked to our attorney, and he feels it’s best that both parties come to a resolution without this getting messy.”
Funny, it’d been messy for years, but they didn’t give a shit about that when the odds had been in their favor.
Still, I stood there and listened because a part of me got it.
Their daughter was dead because of me.
I hated myself for it, too.
His throat bobbed when he swallowed. “We don’t want to lose them, and it’s time we also accepted that you shouldn’t, either. We thought maybe they should spend the night with you tonight, and you can bring them back to our place in the morning.”
Paula choked.
Clearly, this wasn’t her idea.
And I wanted to drop to my knees in joy. In gratitude. In relief.
But I also wouldn’t allow them to manipulate the situation or continue to hold the upper hand.
“That doesn’t mean I’m just going to drop the petition. They’re my children, and you’ve kept them from me for a long, long time.”
His mouth tipped down on the side. “We realize that, but we love them, truly, and it’s time we recognize their love for you.”
I could barely nod.
He inhaled a shaky breath. “We brought overnight bags for them. They’re in the car.”
“I’ll get the kids and meet you there,” I said, before anyone could change their minds. I swiveled on my heel and started in their direction.
Tessa was laughing like crazy at some antics Scout was tossing out, her hair flying all around, her spirit so right, and my Remy Girl was tacked to her side, the same way as she normally was with me.
Like she didn’t want to let go.
And for the first time, she wouldn’t have to.
My voice was ragged when I called from about twenty yards away, “How about we take this party to our house?”
Tessa whipped around.
Bewildered.
Shocked.
But what was most apparent was her faith.
“We get to go to your house?” Remy was clearly hesitant to hope.
I made it to them, and I ran my hand down the back of my daughter’s head just as Scout was attaching himself to my leg.
I wound my arm around Tessa’s back. “Yeah, sweetheart, you do.”
THIRTY-FIVE
MILO
I eased the SUV down the winding gravel drive toward the cabin tucked deep in the woods, where it waited for us like the sanctuary Autumn and I had dreamed it would be.
Old sorrow whispered through my spirit, her voice and every promise I had made trying to get me in a stranglehold.
I fought it.
Fought the welling of guilt.
Fought the shame that pushed up from my conscience to remind me of what I’d done.
I couldn’t go there right then. Not when Scout was chattering from the back seat, over-eager as he tried to push against his booster seat straps so he could see out the window. “Oh, wow, is this almost it? I can’t wait, Dad! I’ve been wondering where you live. I bet it’s awesome.”