After All (20 page)

THIRTY-TWO

Brandt

They
knew
to answer their phones. Being able to reach those two was the primary reason they both
had
phones. It wasn’t to call Alex or text friends, it was so I, their dad, could reach them.

Ashley… That was a different story. What was going on that none of them were answering?

My mouth started going dry as I thought of the possibilities—a wreck, a kidnapping, stolen car—and my foot pushed further down on the gas. It felt like an eternity ago that I’d dropped Jess off at her parents’ house. And the
cabin
. Why there? I wasn’t even sure if there was a way in. Were they just sitting outside? And
why
?

I dialed again, all three phones, but still had no luck.

Twenty more minutes. Less if I pushed the speed just a little more.

As I came around a sharp corner the back tires protested, and the back of the car swung to the side. I twisted the steering wheel, headlights of the oncoming traffic were a blur and horns rang in my ears until I stopped, sideways on the edge of the road. Hands shaking, breath cut off. That was
way
too close.

It took four deep breaths before the adrenaline started to leave my system, giving me even worse shakes
. Not worth it, Brandt. Slow down. They’re with Ashley. They’re okay.

And in that second, I got it. As a family, we were going to be okay. I may not have always done the right thing, but I wanted to. I wasn’t perfect. Ashley, amazing as she was, wasn’t perfect.
Probably
. The kids weren’t perfect. And that was okay. Mistakes were okay.

For the first time since Jessica told me she was pregnant, I felt okay about the decisions I’d made in my life. I hadn’t always chosen the best route, but all my decisions led me to where I was in that moment, and I was driving to my kids who were with a woman I knew I was falling in love with. And I deserved to have the chance to love her.

But with or without Ashley. Me, Marie and Trevor… We’d all be okay. Better than okay.

I eased back onto the roadway, driving the speed limit, but still counting seconds ‘til my arrival.

* * *

Laughter and splashing was all I heard as I leapt from the car in the dark. “Hello?”

“Down in the lake!” Trevor yelled.

I hit the switch on the shed to turn on the lights leading to the dock just in time to see Ashley hoist herself out of the water. Even in the dim light, and soaking wet, her smile was stunning.

They were fine. Totally fine. Marie and Trevor were attacking one another as they headed for the ladder, as always.

I jogged down the short hill and sat next to Ashley, hugging her legs in the cool night air.

“We set Josh free,” she said as Marie squealed in protest while Trevor helped her onto the dock. "I just texted his brother and told him I did it. That felt good. I was gonna call you next."

I was proud and relieved for her, and a bit overwhelmed. That was another story I looked forward to hearing. “I took Jessica home. She won’t come by again until I get provisions worked out with Victim’s Rights and Child Services.”

“I love your children.”

The soft light from the porch reflected in her brown eyes, and I felt every word.

“I’m pretty sure the feeling’s mutual. Why don’t we all crash out here tonight? We can raid Cooper’s fridge for food?”

“I’d love that.” She leaned into me, and I immediately pulled her into my arms.

“Did I hear right?” Trevor asked.

“All crashing here.” I nodded. “Why don’t you two run your stuff up and find some dry clothes in your room?”

After a few too-big smiles and some eye-brow raises from my kids they ran for the house together, probably as anxious for Ashley and I to have some time alone as I was. Or almost.

We watched the kids fight their way in the front door as they tried to pull my keys from each other’s grasp. Some things hadn’t changed since they were kids. And when I turned toward her, her eyes were on me again. I was stunned still for a moment that we were here. That she was next to me, wanted to be here, and even more amazingly, wanted me to be here too.

“I'm falling in love with you.” The words sputtered from my mouth and my heart hammered.

“I’m falling in love with you, too,” she whispered. Even in the dark I saw all the best parts of Ashley in her eyes. The sweetness, the confidence, the strength, the determination, the love… And the sadness I'd seen was gone.

And that was it. After all I’d been through. And after all she’d been through, we’d finally found our happy ending, or really our beginning. Because we were definitely at the start of something big.

“You know, Ashley.” I leaned in close to whisper. “I think one day I might ask you to marry me.”

She pressed her cool, wet lips to my cheek. “One day… I might say yes.”

THE END

OR, I GUESS, THE BEGINNING…

FROM THE AUTHOR:

Thank you author-friend Kelley Vitollo/Nyrae Dawn for listening to me talk through three different versions of this book. And to Christa Desir who is forever and always my voice of reason when threading together plot lines.

Thank you to my many readers of awesomeness—author Kaylee Baldwin and Angie for reading version one. And author Cassie Mae for reading at lightning speed, and Ruth Stevens Josse for the SAME thing. Seriously, without you two, the revised version of this book would be collecting dust on my hard drive…

My husband works as a prosecutor in Alaska, and I’m reminded all the time of how fortunate I am to have a family that functions, that doesn’t hurt one another, and maybe even more importantly, doesn’t want to. So, a huge thank you to him as well. Also, I pick his brain every time cops get involved in one of my stories…

Jolene Betty Perry is the author of the LDS romance series -
the Next Door Boys
–
The Next Door Boys, Left to Love, and My Forever
. She’s also the author of the LDS novel
, The Weight of Love.
Jolene’s other “mainstream” title is
Pretty Near Perfect
, which was featured in the
ALL I WANT
Anthology with authors Rachael Anderson and Kaylee Baldwin.

You can find Jolene online on
AMAZON
,
BARNES AND NOBLE
as well as her website – jolenebettyperry.blogspot.com or twitter @jolenebperry or facebook.com/jolenebettyperry