Page 79 of Almost Home
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, her tone all warmth and loveliness.
“Me, too.”
Her expression sobered. “We missed you.”
“I missed you, too. All of you.”
She smiled though her eyes held pain. “I won’t pressure you. I’ll just say I hope you keep coming back.”
I huffed a laugh. “Thank you. Me, too.” Remembering her words from the store last week, the hurt I’d caused by not just leaving but by not coming back until so many years later. “I’m not running away.”
She took that just the way I meant it if her soft smile was any indicator. But then it shifted, a little mischief returning when she said, “And if you feel like marrying Wilder and becoming my daughter-in-law, that’d be just great, too.”
A full laugh escaped then. “Certainly no pressure.”
Face imperious, she shook her head. “None at all.”
But here was something I had to say—just had to. To a woman I knew wanted grandkids desperately. Who’d doted on Calla so completely it was nearly suffocating, except that Calla welcomed the affection and love so fully. Much like I would—much like I had years ago. The thought was ludicrous considering Wilder and I hadn’t determined what came next beyond him bringing me here, but I couldn’t leave this unsaid.
“You know I might not be able to—”
She squeezed my hands. “Just you, dear. All we want is you. Whatever else comes—” she shook her head, then focused on my eyes. “Just you.”
Face red and tears just behind the surface, I nodded, begging myself not to cry. “Thank you,” I managed to say.
We hugged, needing the closeness. I pulled back quickly, knowing if I stayed in the embrace that felt so warm and accepting and lovely, I’d lose it for sure.
“You two okay?” Calla asked.
“Perfectly fine. Just telling Sarah we’ve loved having her,” Jane said.
“Now we outnumber the boys,” Sadie said, agreeing.
“I’ve loved being here.”
“All right, women, the menfolk have cooked and cleaned, and now we demand payment in the form of dessert and other favors.” Warrick dramatically slammed his hand on the counter.
Wyatt sent him a glare. “You wantother favorsfrom your mother? That’s sick,Warbaby.”
“Ew. No! Ew.” Warrick swatted Wyatt with a towel.
Everyone laughed at the ridiculousness.
“All right,menfolk, sit down and we’ll start with dessert,” Sadie said, chuckling at her boyfriend’s antics, but also clearly loving it.
“Yes. We’ll start there and then later, you can—”
“Warrick James, where have your manners gone?”
Wilder shot Warrick a look and Wyatt shoved him into his seat. I just laughed and shared a grin with Calla as we helped Sadie dish up a gorgeous-looking Italian olive oil cake. We all sat down, the boys still ribbing each other, and I thought my heart might burst for all the love filling me up. This was more than I ever could’ve hoped for.
* * *
After a hilarious time enjoying Sadie’s delicious dessert, Wilder and I said our goodbyes to the family. The time together had left me strangely raw, and as we drove back down the canyon toward my apartment, my emotions bubbled ridiculously close to the surface.
Actually, it wasn’t just the dinner. It was everything that’d happened in the last twenty-four hours—maybe even the last few weeks. Tonight had been the capstone on a series of events that left me reeling. Not in a bad way, but certainly in the sense that so much emotion from the past and the present were entwined and becoming harder and harder to keep inside.
At some point, I’d have to let it out. Though my instinct bucked against that so strongly, I knew now was not the time. I didn’t know exactly how I felt beyondfull, so I couldn’t tell Wilder anything anyway.
