Page 158 of The Widower
I burst out laughing.
“I’d give my life for them — and for Joshua. Don’t worry. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Henry hugged me, and I hugged him back.
Even though I’d always tried to push him away, he stood by me and put up with all my nonsense. I’m a lucky man to have him as a friend…
Here in Southport, everything’s quiet and peaceful. There aren’t many people around—maybe four thousand at most.
There are moments in life when we seem to have so much, but the more we achieve, the less we truly feel we have. Right now, what I need is peace—time to think about my life and plan for the future.Because, truth is, I want a bigger family.
“Are you liking it here, Hanna?”
Since she’s always brutally honest, I was a little nervous about her answer. But she surprised me when she said, “What I really like is having a dad and seeing my mom happy. So yeah, I’m happy—even if there aren’t any playgrounds here.”
This little girl is going to kill me with happiness one day…
“Come here.” I lifted Hanna into my arms.
It was just the two of us in the living room.
“I know you didn’t get to spend much time with your dad,” I said softly, “but I promise I’ll do everything I can to make sure you love me as much as I love you, Hanna.”
“But I do love you, Unc—uh…” She stopped mid-sentence, studying me, clearly confused. “Mom said it’s wrong to say Dad Colin, right?”
I hugged her tight, and I couldn’t help it—a tear slipped down my cheek. Damn it, I’ve turned into a crybaby. I never know what to do when things like this happen.
“Just Dad. Call me Dad, and I’ll be the happiest man in the world.”
“Okay, Dad.”
CHAPTER 36
“This is the moment when everything falls into place…”
COLIN ADAMS
“Why is making love to you so damn good?” I asked, pulling her close against me on the bed.
“You went a long time without me after everything that happened,” she teased.
“No. The truth is, it’s because I love you. That’s why it’s so good.”
Isabelle gave me a suspicious look, then that smile of hers slowly curved across her lips.
“What?” I asked.
“This romantic side of you—I didn’t know it existed.”
“Then maybe I should go back to being rough,” I said, smirking the way she hated—and secretly loved.
“I’ll admit… sometimes I like that.” She winked.
Things between us had only gotten better after that last storm we went through. We’d grown closer, more like friends—and even though Isabelle still talked more than anyone I’d ever met, it was special having her close, sharing her dreams with me.
I never treated her like an employee.In fact, I’d thought about firing her a few times—not because of her work, of course.I just wanted her to see me as her equal, because that’s what we were in the end. And I don’t even need to repeat what she said when I tried to find her another job…
After our trip, we decided to enjoy every day like it might be our last. And today marked nine months since we met.
