Doesn’t feel right seeing her this worked up over something she never could have planned or seen coming. Just because I don’t have romantic feelings for her doesn’t mean I don’t feel for her. She’s my child’s mother. My brother’s wife. To the old me, she was just a body. We both knew what it was then, and it was fun, but if I was honest with myself now? I feel like an absolute ass for using her that way. It doesn’t matter that she was using me just the same.
I hold up my hand to stop her. “No one could have predicted where our lives would have gone. You don’t owe me an apology, Chelcie. It’s me who owes that to all of you. Especially to you.”
She shakes her head vehemently.
“Let’s just agree to disagree then. The past can’t be changed. Far as I can tell, I owe you a whole hell of a lot more than just an apology.”
“You definitely do not,” she answers.
“You had a baby when you didn’t have to. Gave my brother a family when he didn’t think he had one left. Loved them both, and I hear Zac’s an incredible man, something else you’re responsible for. All I did was one little part in those miracles, and we both know …” I hold her gaze. “We both know Asher is the dad I never could have been back then. It happened how it was meant to happen.”
Olivia sniffles beside me at the same time Chelcie loses the fight with her tears, and they start to fall down her pale cheeks.
“I’m glad you’re back,” she finally says. “We all are.”
I swallow thickly. Nodding, I don’t trust my voice. “All of you?” Even to my own ears, my question sounds ripe with nervous fear.
“All of us. I mean it, Coop. Your brother, me, but most importantly—your son.”
“I need to ask you something before we go in.”
She wipes her wet cheeks and studies my face. After a moment, she nods and offers me a weak smile.
“Ash … he’s his dad, Chelcie. I’ve been worried he’s keeping his distance because he thinks I’ll push him out of that spot. I need you to know I’m not. I might be the one who helped create him, but he’s my brother’s son in every way there is. He doesn’t …” I let my words die, hoping she knows what I’m asking. It makes me sick just thinking that my brother could be avoiding me because he thinks I’m here to take that from him.
She looks back down for a beat before meeting my eyes again. “Please know that we didn’t mean to take so many days to get to this point. Zac was working, but he also wanted to have a minute with us after we told him. He’s not upset, not with you or anyone, just … well, our boy has a big heart, and he was worried about how we were handling things.”
“Sounds like someone I know,” I respond, that thickness getting a little harder to swallow through.
“He’s a good person. Such a good man. He reminds us of you in so many ways, Coop. Ever since he was a little boy.”
I nod again, mutely. I missed so fucking much. Then again, I wasn’t lying when I told her that everything had happened the way it was meant to. Back then, I would have been horrible as a father. I glance at Olivia, not for the first time wondering if she’s going to want kids of her own. I have to push that thought out quickly, liking way too much how that thought made me feel. Coop couldn’t have been a good dad, but damn, I feel like Zeke could.
I glance back at Chelcie just when she looks at Olivia, thankfully stopping the onslaught of emotions being slung at me. Not sure if I can handle much more if I want to meet my man son without freaking him out.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude just then. I understand why he needs you with him. His brother, well … let’s just say those two might as well be two peas in the same pod.”
Olivia giggles softly. “I don’t think you were rude at all.” She lets go of my hand and reaches out, pulling Chelcie forward with her hug. I want her back at my side the second she releases me. Chelcie holds my gaze over her shoulder, and her smile grows, and the sadness leaves her eyes. “I’m Olivia.” She pulls back and keeps Chelcie at arm’s length with her hands on her shoulders. “It’s really great to meet you.”
Chelcie nods slightly. “You, too.”
Olivia lets go and steps back to my side. When her hand is back in mine, I feel my nerves settle a little more. I’m becoming addicted to her touch.
“Well, why don’t we go inside? They’re back in the game room. I figured that it would be good for you guys to be around manly things that can be good icebreakers and all. Would be better if we had the grill fired up already. I think men talk better around those, at least. Anyhow … it’s this way.”
I shake my head, a small smile forming. Same old Chelcie. We follow her. I keep my eyes forward, not wanting to look around just yet. My feet and my hold of Olivia’s hand are the only things that I have some control over. My heart feels like it’s going to pound out of my chest. Chills dance across my skin, and my stomach feels as if it rolled right down to my feet.
Fuck.
I should have asked for a picture. Hell, I should have asked anyone in the past few days what he would look like at the very least. I should have done something to prepare myself for what I saw when we turned the corner and entered the large room.
I vaguely see the impressive setup around me: pool table, arcade games, basketball toss, and a large bar in the corner—fully stocked if the amount of liquor is anything to go by. I can see a game on the large TV, but the only thing my eyes can focus on is the man in the room next to my brother.
The fully grown man.
Yeah. Should have asked for a picture.
Olivia gasps, softly. I relax the tightness of my grip on her hand. She tightens hers, and I’m pretty sure her shock is for the same reason as mine.
My boy looks just like me.
Tall, taller than my brother who’s standing at his side. Blond hair, cut short and stylish, with a dusting of darker blond hair on his face that almost looks brown.
He shifts and takes a step forward.
When he swallows, I see his dimples.
He reaches one hand up and runs it through his hair and down to rest on his neck, looking down and flexing his hold on his neck, taking two more steps.
He’s still looking down. When he looks back up and eyes identical to my own look into mine, I have to clear my throat.
Jesus.
I take a step forward at the same time he does. Olivia pulls her hand away with a gentle squeeze.
He reaches out.
I reach out.
I see my brother’s approving nod and small smile moments before my son’s body collides against my own. With a soft grunt from the impact, I hug him just as hard as he’s hugging me.
I feel something settle deep in my soul. The warmth of it spreads out with the swiftness of a bullet, searing through all the tattered pieces of my heart and effortlessly repairing them. The few parts that hadn’t been able to be healed by just Olivia’s love. The ones that would have stayed broken without this reunion. Even with her light shining on them, there was only one way it could have been healed, and I’ve got him in my arms as the other looks at me from a few feet away with tears falling down her face without a single care.
I left this town a dead man, and right now, I feel fully alive for the first time in longer than I can remember.