Page 13 of Single Dad at Mountain Creek Ranch
"I think that you ran out of money for your habit, and you thought that coming back here and robbing what little family you have left would be a good idea."
“You don’t understand.”
"You're right. I don't understand the hold your addiction has on you. But I know that there is nothing I can do to help you until you are willing to help yourself. The first step in solving your addiction is you recognizing you have one. And I don't want you here until you can figure that out." I hand her back her purse, minus the things she stole. "You need to leave."
“What are you going to tell the girls?”
"You are going to go and say goodbye to them. I've already done that for you once."
I walk her outside. It breaks my heart to see Sophie's tearful meltdown. She'll blame me for this. The parent that stays always seems to get the brunt of it. Abbie sticks to my side and doesn't want to hug Rona until I urge her to.
Willow offers to drive her to the bus station, leaving the girls and me. Alone. Again. Sophie locks herself in her room, only opening the door for Abbie a few hours later. I sit outside the door, listening to them talk, but their voices are too soft and muffled through the door. I feel helpless once again.
I call and text Eden, but she doesn’t respond. Someone must have seen Rona and the gossip mill worked its dark magic getting the news to her. There is nothing I can do right now, but as soon as I can, I will explain everything, but first, I need to make sure my girls will be okay.
7
NASH
I drive over to see Eden the next day. Seven unanswered calls. Sixteen unanswered text messages. I’m in for a lot of explaining.
She’s sitting on the front porch with a mug of coffee in her hand when I pull up. She tries to run in, but I’m out of the truck before she can get in the door.
“Wait, please,” I call out to her. She stops but doesn’t turn around. “I know what you think you know what happened yesterday, but I can assure you that it is not the case.”
She looks over her shoulder at me. “Did your wife come back into town?”
“Ex-wife,” I correct her. She narrows her eyes at me. “Yes, but it’s not what you think.”
"Well, what I think is that multiple people at Mirabelle's last night proceeded to tell me that they saw you and her together kissing. And that you are getting back together."
“And you believed them?”
She throws her hands up. “I don’t know what to believe.”
I explain to her everything that happened, from walking in the door and seeing Rona and the girls eating at the table—to Rona, trying to explain that she wanted to start over and be a family again—to Sophie knocking over her purse—to the tearful goodbye.
“It took hours for Sophie to let me in her room last night. The three of us talked things over.”
“Are they okay?” She asks.
“They will be.” I pause, needing to make sure Eden knows there is nothing left between Rona and me. "I think the town gossip got our kiss and Rona coming into town mixed up. I promise you. There is nothing between us anymore." Eden doesn't say anything. I step up onto the porch and rest my hands on her hips and kiss her temple. "Are you still upset?"
She looks up at me, the anger and hurt gone from her eyes. “You aren’t playing fair.”
“When it comes to you, I won’t play fair if it means I get to keep you.”
“You’re doing it again.”
“I love you.”
She stares at me, her eyes widening in surprise. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what? Tell you that I love you?”
She pulls herself out of my grip. “Don’t say things you don’t mean to try and fix this.”
“You think I don’t mean it? I’ve been falling in love with you almost since the moment you walked back into my life. And after last night, I don’t ever want to spend another day away from you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
