She was a beautiful, devoted, dedicated mother, and their son was lucky to have her.
These days, she worked mostly from home, which meant he missed her during the days they used to spend together. But they agreed that her being with Chase, especially the first year, was for the best.
Which was why his daily goal was to get home as early as possible. Rattled after the family meeting, he tried to process the things he’d learned about his father’s family. He drove past the spot where he’d met Cameron on a cold, muddy spring night after she ran into Fred and smashed up her brand-new car. Thinking of that night always made him smile. Even with two black eyes from the airbag, she’d been the loveliest woman he’d ever seen, and he’d been instantly intrigued by her.
Reliving the euphoria of his earliest days with Cameron made him feel sad for what his dad had gone through after meeting his mom. No one should have to make the kind of choice his grandfather had forced his father to make. It was obscene. He gripped the steering wheel tighter as he thought about how awful that must’ve been for his dad. Linc would say it hadn’t been a decision at all. Of course he’d chosen Molly, but the heartbreak of losing everyone else he loved had to have been dreadful.
Will pulled into the long driveway that led to their newly expanded cabin, which was finally finished after a months-long renovation. Living in the midst of construction with a newborn wasn’t something he was eager to do again any time soon. But the end result had been worth the chaos. They’d added two big bedrooms, a master bathroom and a much larger family room onto the back of the house, tripling their living space.
With just a few days until Christmas, he loved coming home to the house lit up with the lights he’d strung and smoke curling out of the chimney, while knowing the two people he loved the most were inside waiting for him. When he got out of his truck, their dogs, Trevor and Tanner, appeared out of the darkness to welcome him home.
“What’s up, boys?” he asked as they escorted him to the mudroom door through cold air that smelled of snow.
One of them barked, and the other followed suit, both of them running in circles that would’ve tripped someone who wasn’t used to their antics. The dogs were crazy about Chase, who was equally obsessed with them, thank goodness. He stepped into the warmth of home and the scent of the evergreen candles that Cameron burned constantly this time of year.
“Daddy’s home,” he called out as he removed his boots and hung up his coat.
As he did every night, Chase let out a scream of excitement when he heard Will’s voice, making his daddy smile from the thrill of being so loved.
Cameron and Chase were in the new family room, sitting by the huge Christmas tree he’d hauled in, with a fire in the hearth as they played with toys.
Will scooped up his son and spun him around, loving the way the baby’s face lit up with pleasure at the sight of him. “How’s my big boy?”
“He’s great, but don’t shake him up, or you might end up wearing his dinner.”
Will hugged him close, breathing in the clean smell of him. He’d become addicted to the scent of baby since Chase arrived. He sat on the floor with the baby on his lap and leaned in to kiss his gorgeous wife. Her long blonde hair was piled on top of her head in a bun, and her eyes were tired from a long day of trying to work while taking care of a baby. Her smile, however, was joyful.
“We missed you today,” she said.
“I missed you guys like crazy. I need to start working from home more often so you can get a break and I can spend more time with him. There’s no reason it has to fall all on you.”
“We’ve already had this ‘fight,’ remember? You can’t breastfeed him.”
“No, but I can work from home and help you with him while we’re both trying to work. You’re tired, baby. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes.”
She reached up to touch them, and he immediately felt like an ass for mentioning them. “I know. I hate them.”
“You’re the most beautiful girl in the entire world, dark circles or not, but I don’t want you getting run-down trying to do it all.”
“It’s just been really busy with the catalog and the holidays. It’ll get better in January.”
He put his arm around Cameron and brought her into the snuggle with Chase. “I have to go away for a night.”
She looked up at him. “When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“How come?”
“That’s a long story that I want to tell you after we get him down.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, it is, but one night away is something I’ve got to do for my dad.”
Over the next hour, they worked together to get Chase down for the night and then brought the chicken curry she’d made in the Crock-Pot to sit in front of the fire to eat. Will poured the half glass of chardonnay that she allowed herself while breastfeeding and a full glass for himself.
“What’s up with your dad?”
Will told her a condensed version of the story his dad had relayed to them earlier, watching her face go flat with shock and dismay over what had happened so long ago. “And now his dad is dying and apparently wants to see him. We decided to go with him.”
“I can’t believe he’s actually going after what that man did to him.”
“I know. Part of me wishes he wouldn’t subject himself to the potential hurt of it, but I can understand his need for some sort of closure. If he doesn’t go, he might regret it. This way, he’s truly the better person.”
“I guess. It’s just hard to believe his father gave him that kind of ultimatum.”
“It’s horrible. I feel so bad for him. It must’ve been heartbreaking to lose his family that way.”
“I’ve always admired your parents, but now I do even more.”
“My mom said she was concerned for a very long time that he’d one day resent her for what he’d given up for her. I knew he’d given up going to Oxford for her, but I had no idea the full extent of it.”
“I would’ve felt the same way she did. My God, what an awful thing to do to someone you’re supposed to love and protect. It makes me sick.”
“Me, too.”
“I’m glad you’re going with him so his family can see what came of their love.”
“That’s what Hunter said when he suggested we go.”
“The twelve of you will make quite a statement.”
“That’s the idea, but I’ll hate being away from you and Chase for even a night.”
“You’ll be back before you can miss us.”
He shook his head and tipped her chin up to receive his kiss. “I miss you the second I leave you. And I miss you every second that your feet aren’t wrapped around mine under the desk at work.”
As they kissed again, Will pushed the coffee table away to make room for them to stretch out in front of the fire. He always wanted her, but recalling how tired she was, he slowed the kiss before withdrawing.
“What?” she asked as she ran her fingers through his hair.
“You’re so tired.”
“Not too tired to kiss my sexy husband.”
“Kissing usually leads to other things that you’re too tired for.”