by Mj Fields
���Of course.���
���Okay, I���ll be back after delivering Caroline and the animals down to Tessa���s place. Need anything?���
���No Grandpa but maybe we could leave Shakespeare here. He may be a little too rambunctious.���
���You don���t have to pretend you missed your dog. He certainly isn���t pretending.���
Everyone started rolling out at around midnight. Liam, T, Jackson and Dad were staying with me tonight at camp. All would be standing up with me. Like Ava, Riley, London and Lexi would be standing up with Harper, my Harper. The pain in the ass I had immediately felt an attraction for. An attraction that took me forever to realize wasn���t a perversion but a fire that sparked from the first time I saw her. Burned into my very soul. I knew even then I would never be able to leave her alone. I tried, my God how I tried. I could have ruined her, I was afraid I had. I was willing to walk away even if it cost me my life. Without her it meant nothing anyway. But there was no way I could. I loved her like no other and I now know she feels exactly the same.
I came out of my room and Dad was sitting on the couch texting.
���Emma?���
���Who else?��� He replied as he patted the spot next to him.
I sat down trying to figure out how to tell him how much I appreciated him. ���I wanted to talk to you a bit.���
���I���m here anytime.���
���I know that. I am trying to accept that. I���ve accepted it from Harper.��� I stopped. ���I love you Dad. I am grateful for everything. My God look what you pulled off for me tonight. For me.��� I shook my head from side to side. ���T, Grandpa, the dogs. I���m just not use to it. I feel like I take from you giving nothing back and the guilt kills me.���
���Giving is part of love. Be it in gifts or in support or as a child to a parent, a hug, a smile or appreciation. Maddox you gave all that immediately.���
���Not enough.���
���Not true. Not until you felt you had disappointed me. I know exactly the moment. It���s when we left for London.���
���You understand it now right Maddox? That it���s what had to happen. I don���t regret it at all. You don���t just leave family.���
���I took you away from them.���
���All not within your control.���
���Still hurts to know I made that happen.���
���No you didn���t. That kid did. The one who dropped shit in your drink. Regardless, that���s in the past. Had that not happened Zach and Claire would never had found one another. So much would have changed.���
���Yeah, I still feel pretty bad about all of it, but thank you.���
���Lots of things in my past I feel bad about too. But once you find love, the true kind, all is forgiven. Emma and that little pain in the ass London taught me that. It was intensified by Lexi and you. And now you are giving me the ultimate gift.���
He looked around making sure no one was listening and winked. I knew he was talking about my child.
���I will be a great father when that happens, because of you.���
���Thanks, but let���s be honest here Maddox. You���ve always been a protector and caretaker.���
���Well now I know how to do it effectively.���
We sat and talked until two thirty in the morning. As I was ready to get up and go to bed dad checked his e-mail and laughed out loud.
���What���s so funny?���
���Check out Lila���s email.���
I read it. Apparently Dad had sent in the revised Fuck you song and it was available for sale online. In one day it sold over a million copies.
���That���s cool Dad.���
���What���s cool is that it���s signed to no one and one hundred percent owned by you. Any idea what kind of cash that is?���
���A lot?���
���Hell yes a lot, about half a million dollars in a day. Pretty damn good huh?���
���What the hell will I do with that kind of money?���
���College fund for your kid. Feed a small village. Burn it. Doesn���t matter, it���s all yours.���
���No it���s ours.���
���No it���s not. Your song, your money.���
���You can���t seriously believe that.���
���The home that Emma and London lived in with Troy is London���s. She never paid for it but it is hers. Emma and I decided it.��� He laughed. ���London wanted to give it to Henry and Caroline. Maddox, they bought it from her. Sold their house in Terry Town and just tonight moved here. She didn���t want the money either so it sits in a bank account with the life insurance money she received from her father���s death. When she needs it or wants it she has access, at eighteen of course. I was poor and hungry once and so were you. I won���t allow that for any of my children or grandchildren.���
I sat and looked at him. Not knowing what to say.
���My boy is getting married tomorrow. He needs to sleep so he can, umm, function properly tomorrow.���
���I assure you I can function properly.���
���Aww now we���re talking.���
I stood up. ���No we���re not.���
I laid in bed and Shakespeare jumped up next to me. ���You better not get use to this boy. You���re in Harper���s spot.��� He swatted me with his paw. ���That shit stops too. And no jumping got it?��� He panted and licked my face. I pet him until I thought I could fall asleep.
I woke to slobbering kisses and looked at the clock. It was eighty thirty in the morning. I jumped out of bed and grabbed my phone to see if Harper had texted me. She hadn���t. She was pretty damn insistent on keeping us apart until we said I do. She hadn���t let me inside her since the night at the hotel; it drove me nuts but I gave in. My dick might not have been inside her but she had woken up every morning with my tongue between her legs and there wasn���t a damn thing she could do about it. She didn���t complain, not one bit. She did try to repay the favor and I told her not until she let me inside. Both of us were as stubborn as the day is long.
-Love you more Harper Ann Abraham. Cannot wait until I can officially say you are not only mine in heart and soul but legally as well. Please look under your bed. White box. It���s what I want you in tonight���Yours MH
I waited for a reply and I got one.
-Listen you stubborn Brit no contact until the I do���s or I���m gonna take that white box and chuck it in the pond!
-Ava? T is here���MH
-WHAT!!!!
- You throw that in the pond I���ll tell him you have a horrible STD���MH
My phone rang and I answered it.
���You wouldn���t dare!���
���You better not test that theory.���
���You���re as much a pain in the ass as she is. God! I caught her trying to sneak out twice last night. And I���m holding her phone hostage!���
I laughed and so did she. ���Please see that she gets the message and tell her I cannot wait to see her and for her to become my wife.��� I heard Ava sniff. ���Ava are you crying?���
���I���ll tell her.��� She sniffed again.
���Ava?���
���What?���
���Thank you.���
The church was the same place Collin���s service was held. The church Tessa was raised in and where Collin had prop
osed to her. The church Harper had attended since she was a child when they were here in her home town, now our town.
We stood in a room in the sanctuary where Liam was pacing and T was laughing at him.
���I have these pins I want us to wear.��� I handed them teal ribbon pins. ���I���d like us all to place them on our lapel. Its significance is child abuse.���
���For Collin.��� Liam nodded as he put it on his jacket.
���Yes. I want him here for her.���
���For Elizabeth too.��� Dad applied his.
���For all of us.��� T put his on and looked at me.
There was something haunted in his voice. Something I recognized, but he had never mentioned.
Dad was in and out of the room. Apparently, Lexington wanted to be with me and he was trying to get her to stay with the ladies.
���How did she take that?��� I asked.
Dad laughed. ���She stomped her little foot. Put her hands on her hips and said in the cutest little angry Lexi voice, I���m no lady Daddy. I asked her then what was she? Ticked off, that���s what I am! I told her God wouldn���t like her to act like that in church and she informed me God wouldn���t like me being a big fat bully either. That���s when I laughed and Emma scolded me for antagonizing her and made me leave.���
���So you left Emma to deal with it?���
���Yes I did. She���s much better at that kind of thing.���
���Yet you deal with London better.���
���Yeah, London and I have a much different relationship. She sees me as a hero and I sure as hell will not let her know the difference.��� He laughed and so did I.
Pastor Strotter walked in. ���Are we ready?���
���We are.���
We said a prayer before T and Liam left leaving Dad and I alone.
���As your father I should be giving you advice or something. But there is nothing I can tell you that you don���t already know. I���m very proud of you Maddox. Never happier for you than I am right now. I love you more than I can express and whatever you need from me, now and in the future, I am here.���
I gave him a hug and thanked him. ���I couldn���t have dreamed of a better man than you to be my father. Thank you for saving me.���
Pastor Strotter opened the door. ���Let���s go.���
I stood in the front of the church next to my father.
Music began to play, an acoustic version of Hunter Hayes Wanted. I smiled when I saw Lexi appear in the sanctuaries entryway. She stopped and gave me a big smile and spun around. Her light blue gown hit right above her shoes and flared out when she spun again and again.
Everyone in attendance laughed. She stopped and fell right on her butt. She stood up quickly and huffed as she glared at the people in the pews and then very un-lady like and intentionally she stomped down the aisle and then ran up and jumped on me hugging me tightly.
���Your butt sore?��� I whispered.
���A little, don���t you tell anyone.���
���I wouldn���t dare.���
���I wanna stand with you.��� She looked over my shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Dad and he did it back.
���How���s Harper?���
���Beautiful. She was crying a little.���
���Maybe she needs you to stand with her Lexi. Can you be strong for her?���
She hopped down. ���Yep.���
She walked over and stood in her spot. She looked at me and lifted her shoulders. I gave her a wink and a thumbs up and she smiled.
London was next, she wore a dress that looked like Lexi���s but it hit above the knee. She walked slower and her smile brightened the room. She looked amazing but a little too damn grown up for my liking. She looked in the pews while she walked. She looked a bit too long in one section. I looked over and saw Logan looking at her. She looked away and her cheeks started turning pink. London wasn���t a blusher except when that kid was around. I looked over at Dad and he rolled his eyes.
���She���ll be the death of me,��� he whispered.
Harper���s cousin Riley walked in, same dress as London. She looked just like her mother Jade. And then was Ava. Her dress was the same. She smiled and held her head high a she walked in. She had on much higher heels than Riley because she wasn���t normally that tall. I wanted to look back and see the expression on T and Liam���s faces but Ava would probably cuff me.
She smiled as she came to the front and then stopped and gave me a hug. ���Love you like a brother Maddox Hines.���
The Wedding March started and I felt my heart begin to beat harder and faster. Tessa walked in and to the front of the church and stood next to her mother. CJ and Matthew walked in next. I was about ready to walk down the aisle and grab her myself when I saw her walking in. Grandpa John on one side and Tomas on the other. John looked the same as he always did. The man was so even tempered. Tomas looked like I imagined a father would. Like a man who was about to lose his daughter to me.
Harper was an angel. Her dress was strapless and ball length. It wasn���t full of beading or lace. It was simple, elegant and absolutely gorgeous. Her hair was up on the sides and her curls were loose and cascading down the back. She wore a veil but it didn���t cover her face like I had thought.
She looked at me and smiled as she walked towards me. I closed my eyes and thanked God for her. When I opened them she looked concerned and I smiled. A smile came from my soul. She immediately smiled her big beautiful smile and then she took in a breath and a small sob escaped.
I walked towards her and met them half way. I couldn���t see her like that and not go to her.
���Sweetness you okay?���
���Yes. You look amazing Maddox.���
���Beautiful isn���t a strong enough word to describe how you look.���
She laughed and a tear fell. I hugged her. ���Do I need to carry you down the aisle?���
���No I wanna walk to you. Go.���
���Whatever you want.���
���Go,��� she laughed.
I walked back and stood waiting for her. I swear she was glowing. Like all the angels in the sky were shining down on her telling me how amazing she is; how full of love and life she is. I already knew but I wanted those angels to be here with us now and with her always.
We exchanged tearful vows through laughs and hugs. It wasn���t a sad occasion, neither of us second guessing what we were getting into, we already knew. Pastor Strotter looked at me and nodded.
Harper smiled when I stepped back and T handed me my hidden guitar.
���This is for you.���
Fearing you got too close seeing what���s on the inside of me.
You came unafraid of what everyone else could see.
Stained and forged together you came accepting
I pushed hard afraid you���d wake up and realize you should be rejecting���me.
You and me were meant to be.
Nothing that I could have ever seen.
Always thinking about you. Never stop thinking ���bout you.
Walls cracked as you opened your heart
Giving your love regardless of what I did to tear it apart.
You did it all because you love me
A part of me knew but I was too blinded by demons to see
You and me were meant to be.
Nothing that I could have ever seen.
Always thinking about you. Never stop thinking bout you.
Acceptance of self led me back to you.
Nothing ever felt so right or true.
I will love you forever
Fight it again not once not ever
When you come home you���ll know you���re not alone
I���ll be there to comfort you, hold my hand we���ll make it through
Our blessing comes from love we���ve lost, love we���ve found, love that will forever be true
You and me were meant to be.
Nothing that I could have ever seen.
Always thinking about you. Never stop thinking bout you.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Blurred
Harper
I was smiling and crying as I stood listening to this beautiful man singing to me. He handed This guitar and walked to me shoving one hand in his pocket. He did that when he was feeling a little self-conscious. I took his hand, reach for the other and took it too.
���I have something I want to say������
Matthew coughed, ���Don���t do it.���
I turned around and stuck my tongue out at him and Maddox laughed.
���I���m not good at this whole public speaking thing but I want you and everyone here to know that I am the luckiest girl in the world. It���s been that way since birth. I had the most amazing father; I have one great brother.��� Everyone laughed as I scowled at Matthew. ���My family is amazing and I couldn���t ask for a better friend. I never thought to ask for more. I never thought this day would happen to me. I never dared ask for someone to love me, protect me, adore me and who would truly love me deeper than I could ever even imagine possible. Maddox, I don���t know what I did to deserve you. I don���t want to question it because blessings are gifts from above. We found each other a miracle in itself. We fought for each other���s love through so much,��� my voice broke and I stopped and smiled. He rubbed my cheek and I held my hand over his. ���I know you���d do anything for me. I hope you know there is nothing that I wouldn���t do for you. I love you and I will always. You were made for me and I was made for you. There is no other explanation for us ending up here after everything. I love you Maddox Hines.���
He bent to kiss me and Pastor Strotter cleared his throat stopping him. Maddox closed his eyes and groaned. His jaw clenched and eyes opened.
