Page 26 of Love Story
She couldn’t put this off another minute. She took a deep breath. “He asked me about my story... about his father and me.” She searched his eyes. “He wants to know, Landon. I’m not sure what to tell him. I mean... I never wanted to go back to that time and now, where would I even—”
“Ashley.” Landon put his hand along the side of her face. “Honey, it’ll be okay. Maybe it’s time to share some of the details. He’s almost seventeen.”
Her fears were so great she didn’t want to speak them. But she had to. Landon was the only one who would understand. “If he knows what I did... he might see me differently. Things might never be the same.”
Understanding filled Landon’s eyes. “You’re thinking of your brother, Luke.”
He was right. Luke had been her best friend growing up. But after she came home from Paris with a baby, her brother was disappointed in her. Angry, even. Luke thought Ashley had ruined the Baxter family name, and for a while it seemed their relationship might be over. Then Luke’s girlfriend wound up pregnant. Luke’s world was rocked for a while, but in the midst of a rebellious time for him, he had reached out to Ashley.
Today they were closer than ever.
Landon still had his hand alongside her face. “You’re afraid what happened with Luke will happen with Cole. If he knows how it was with you and his father. Honey, that would never happen with Cole.”
Ashley began to shiver. She wanted Landon to be right, but still... “What makes you so sure?”
“Honey, for one thing, he already knows at least some of his past. He knows I’m not his biological father. Which could only mean one thing.”
“I had a baby with some other man.”
“Exactly.”
Ashley stared at her wedding ring. Landon had always been proof that God loved her. That He hadn’t given up on her because of her terrible choices in Paris. Instead of throwing her away, God had brought her Landon. She lifted her face to his. “Why would Cole want to knowthatstory?”
“Because it’s part of his past.” Peace warmed Landon’s expression. “You don’t have to tell him everything. Not now... and maybe not ever. Just enough so he understands how much you love him. How you wanted him... and how his presence eventually brought you back to God.”
The shivering eased off and Ashley leaned closer and slipped her arms around Landon’s neck. “Thank you.” She whispered the words near his face. “I needed to hear that.”
“It’s the truth.” He brushed his cheek against hers and then he kissed her.
There would never be a time when she wouldn’t feel butterflies in her stomach when Landon kissed her. She still couldn’t believe he was hers.
But the butterflies quickly disappeared as she remembered one more troubling thing. She didn’t want to say it, but they’d come this far in the discussion. “Also... I guess I can’t believe he could even use the wordfatherto describe a stranger he doesn’t know.” She slid back a little so she could look at him. “That’s an insult to you, Landon. It feels completely wrong.”
This time Landon smiled. For a while he just looked into her eyes, melting her heart and making her know that everything would be okay. Not just for her and Cole, but for all of them. “Ashley, baby.” His smile remained while he spoke. “I will always be Cole’s dad. His father. No one could ever change that. No story or truth from his past.”
Relief came over Ashley like a warm blanket. What an amazing man Landon was, that he could have a conversation like this and not be threatened in the least. “That’s really how you feel?” Her voice broke a bit, but she held back her tears.
“Of course. And like I said it only makes sense Cole would want to know about his beginning. He’s studying heritage in school.” Landon leaned closer and kissed her again. “Everyone has a beginning. Sometimes it’s a beautiful love story—like your parents’.”
She kissed him this time, longer than before. “And sometimes it’s a broken story”—another kiss—“that God turns into a masterpiece.”
The passion between them never dimmed. It only grew deeper, like the connection they shared. Landon put his hands on either side of her face. “Exactly. And that’s what Cole will take away from your talk. Whenever you have it.”
Ashley still dreaded the moment. But at least now she didn’t feel sick about the possibility. “Thank you. For always making sense of my crazy emotions.”
He turned off theTVand stood. She did the same. “Happy to oblige.”
“Tell me we’re going to bed. To finish this upstairs.” She gave him a look that said there was no place she’d rather be.
“Yes.” He kissed her once more and took her hand, leading her to the stairs. “Especially now that we’re done talking.”
•••
COLE FINISHED HIShomework sometime after eleven o’clock, but his mind was too busy to fall asleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about his papa’s story. What would the other three weeks tell him about their history? His heritage?
One thing he kept coming back to was his papa’s mention of the Vietnam vet. As far back as Cole could remember, he’d been fascinated by war and the sacrifice of those who served.
In history class Cole had already studied Vietnam, how soldiers had come back from war to people spitting at them and disrespecting them. Cole knew that if he had been alive back then he would’ve made sure each soldier got a proper thank-you. That’s something his papa always said. People deserved a proper thank-you for a job well done.
