by Natalie Ann
“We wait. Worst case we go to court. She doesn’t have the money for an attorney, we know that. She can’t go to court and ask for payment for a child. She can go and ask for custody or visitation, but it’s not what she wants. Best case, she drops it and walks away today. Hell, you can even ask for child support if you want, but I figured you don’t want anything to do with her.”
“You figured right. I want her to walk away for good.”
“Unfortunately you might not get that wish, Finn. I’m sorry. I can draw up papers and have her agree to stay away as long as Trey is a minor, but then it’s out of our hands.”
“Do it. Whatever it takes, whatever it costs, just do it.”
“Finn,” Ryan said, “I’m advising you to not give her any money.”
“I want her out of Trey’s life.”
He wasn’t thinking rationally at this point, and really didn’t care about the cost. If she stayed away until Trey was eighteen, that would give him enough time to explain the type of person Becca was and hope that Trey made the best decision when he was older.
They both walked back in before Ryan could respond. Becca continued to stand by the door, her attorney coming to take his seat and gather the papers. “My client has decided to drop the custody suit, along with visitations.”
“Smart move,” Ryan said. “In agreement to not turn over the evidence my investigator uncovered concerning your client’s other legal issues, we propose that she has no contact with Trey Abraham until he is legally an adult, and at which time he can decide on his own to make contact.”
A few minutes after Becca and her attorney left, the papers signed and in Ryan’s possession, Finn said, “I didn’t know you had any evidence.” He still couldn’t believe it…he still couldn’t believe it was over.
“I don’t,” Ryan said, smiling. “But she didn’t know that and she didn’t want to take the chance.”
“That was your plan all along, wasn’t it? Having her sign that document. I mean it was already drawn up, and I’d never said a word to you about it.”
“I’ve got children too, Finn. I only did what I would have wanted done if I was in your situation.”
Epilogue
“It feels so good to come home to my own house every day. To not worry about overstepping myself in Sophia’s house or getting in their way.”
Olivia turned and pulled the baked ziti out of the oven, placing it on the island to cool while she checked on the garlic bread baking in another oven. She was hoping Trey would eat her dinner because she didn’t use a lot of sauce, and she knew he didn’t like it on his pasta.
Finn walked over to her wine fridge and pulled out a bottle, then opened it. “You aren’t lonely being in this big house all by yourself?”
“Not really. It’s only been a few weeks, though. I’m still trying to figure out how to furnish the rest of the rooms. Maybe you can help me with that?”
“You want me to help you pick out furniture?”
“You don’t have to look so appalled by it.”
She’d been trying to figure out a way to bring it up. To have him help her make the house more child-friendly for Trey. Some place Trey wouldn’t mind staying.
She still hadn’t spent the night with Finn while Trey was in the house, and wondered if that would ever happen.
“It’s not that. I just figured you knew what you wanted and didn’t need my help.”
“I want Trey to feel comfortable here. You would know what’s best.” There, she said it.
He poured her a glass of wine and then went to look out the kitchen window. They could see Trey hitting a ball off a tee and then running after it and doing it again.
“He does like playing in your yard. You don’t have to keep buying toys for him, though. He’s just happy to have the space.”
“I know. I’m not trying to buy his affection.” At least she wasn’t purposely trying to do it. “I just want him to be happy here. I want him to have something to do here.”
“He is happy here. So am I.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, why?”
“You look funny. I mean you aren’t acting like yourself.”
She was trying to figure out if maybe she was pushing this conversation too fast with him.
“How’s that?” he asked, frowning.
“You can’t seem to sit still. You’re never this antsy. And you never drink wine, yet you just poured us both a glass. There’s beer in the fridge.”
“I needed something a little stronger for this,” he mumbled. Her heart started to pound. She didn’t know what was going on, but something told her it had to be important. He was acting too strange. “Ryan called me today.”
“Okay,” she said, not sure where he was going with this.
“He said everything was filed with the courts and should be finalized soon.”
“That’s good. I’m glad. I guess we should celebrate.”
She walked over and hugged him, then leaned up and gave him a kiss on the lips. She loved the way she felt in his arms. She loved the way he held her, the way he made her feel, and most of all the way he loved her.
“I was hoping to later. But it got me thinking about Becca and Trey, and how he’s never had a mother.”
“He doesn’t need one, Finn. He has you.”
“He should have one though, don’t you think?”
There went the racing of her heart again. “He should, but you’ve done a great job with him without one. Can I ask, has he ever asked about his mother? About Becca?”
“No, he hasn’t. He knows he doesn’t have one, obviously, but he’s never come right out and asked why. I’m sure he will one day. I’ve managed to sidestep it when it’s come up, but I doubt I’ll be able to do that much longer.”
“What will you tell him about her?”
“The truth. I’ll always be honest with him. I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want him to feel like he wasn’t wanted or loved, because I’ve got enough love for him, but he should know the type of person she is. And I’ll make sure he knows it had nothing to do with him, nothing he’s done or could have done.”
“You’re a great father, Finn. I know I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it.”
“Thanks. It’s always nice to hear.”
He took a healthy gulp of his wine, almost draining the glass. Then he walked out of the room and came back with a small box in his hand, handing it to her.
She picked it up, her own hands shaking. “What’s this?”
“Open it,” he encouraged. She lifted the top and stared down at the stone lying on a thick layer of white cotton, then rubbed her fingertip over it, the tears filling her eyes. “Do you know what it is?”
She laughed. “Of course I know what it is. It’s a princess-cut pink diamond.” She picked it up and examined it closely. “Roughly three carats.” And pretty flawless. She’d know this stone anywhere. She’d had her eye on it for weeks herself, trying to figure out what she could make with it. “How did you get this?”
“With a little help from Kristen. Sorry, I didn’t know what else to do and didn’t want to take the risk of buying something that wasn’t good quality. So she told me she could get it from your supplier without you knowing.”
“She was right. I had no clue it wasn’t available any longer.” She still wasn’t sure why he bought it, and was afraid to assume. “Why are you giving this to me?”
He ignored her question. “Under the cotton are two more stones.”
She moved the cotton out of the way and pulled out two princess-cut diamonds, roughly a carat in size each. This was crazy and a lot of money in stones, even wholesale. “What are these for?”
“You know that Trey and I have April birthdays, right?”
“Yes, and diamond is your birthstone.”
“Your birthday is October and I know that pink could be used for that stone, too. I looked it up. I didn’t think you were much of an opal type of girl. And you said pink was
your favorite color one day. I remember you telling Trey that.”
Now she was more confused than ever. It was sweet he remembered she told Trey that, and that he knew pink could be used as a birthstone for October, but she didn’t know where he was going with the stones.
“So you want me to make a birthstone ring?”
“I’m messing this up so bad.” He grabbed her glass and drained her wine, too. “I’m asking you to marry me. Be my wife. Be a mother to my son. You said once that the stone was more important to you than the setting. I’m giving you the stones first and asking you to put Trey and me in a setting with you. Make us a family.”
“Oh my God, that is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
All those years, waiting for someone to love her and need her and want her for who she was. She’d been waiting and here it was, being handed to her exactly as she would have wanted if she’d ever dared to dream it to come true.
“Is that a yes?” he asked desperately.
“Yes!” She reached up and hugged him tight as Trey came running in the back door.
“Did you give her the stones, Daddy? Why is she crying? You made Olivia cry,” Trey said, tears in his own eyes. “What did you say?” he demanded.
Olivia crouched down and held her arms open for Trey to come to her. “I’m happy. I’m crying because I’m happy. Come here and give me a hug. Yes, Daddy gave me the stones,” she said, laughing and hugging Trey tight.
Suddenly the smoke alarms started to go off, and Olivia snatched Trey up fast, planning on making a quick escape, only to see Finn opening the oven and pulling out her bread, now scorched black, the smoke billowing off of it.
“Relax, I’ve got it,” he said. He stood on a chair and reached for the alarm, shutting it off, then opening a window to let the smoke out.
“Ew, what’s that?” Trey said looking at the nasty burnt bread on the counter. “I’m not eating that.”
The whole situation was too funny, forcing a laugh out of Olivia. Still holding Trey, she sat him on the counter, then looked him in the eye. “If I promise not to burn any more food, what would you think about moving in here with me? Or would you rather stay at your house?”
She didn’t want to uproot him, and maybe she should have asked Finn first, but she really wanted to know what Trey wanted.
“Daddy already asked me if I wanted to move here. I told him yes.” Trey turned his head to Finn. “You didn’t tell her?”
“No,” Finn said, coming over and threading his fingers through Olivia’s, holding Trey’s hand with his other. “A smart person once told me that it’s not about me, or her, or even you. It’s about all of us. I think she just wanted to make sure it’s what you really want.”
“It’s what I want,” Trey said.
She looked at Trey, looked at his serious face, watched how he moved his eyes back and forth between Finn and her. Her son, he was going to be her son. “Then I want you to have it.”
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Coming Soon…The Lake Placid Series. The first book Second Chance will be released in December 2016. Stay tuned!
More Books
The Road Series
Lucas and Brooke’s Story- Road to Recovery
Jack and Cori’s Story – Road to Redemption
Mac and Beth’s Story- Road to Reality
Ryan and Kaitlin’s Story- Road to Reason
The All Series
Ben and Presley’s Story – All or Nothing
Phil and Sophia’s Story – All of Me
Alec and Brynn’s Story – All the Way
Sean and Carly’s Story — All I Want
Drew and Jordyn’s Story— All My Love
Finn and Olivia’s Story—All About You
