This Family of Ours (Raine #6)

by Amanda Bennett

  My granddad reached across the table for my hand, “We are behind whatever choice you make, whole heartedly. We know what your momma put you through was somethin’ no child should ever have to go through, and we understand that there were reasons we weren’t aware of that caused your father to leave, but all in all, we just want our little girl to be happy.” I smiled at my granddad, knowing that he meant every word he spoke, but I couldn’t help but look in my gran’s direction. She looked slightly less than pleased. “Isn’t that right, honey?” My granddad nudged my gran’s arm, but the stoic perturbed look on her face never wavered.

  “Gran?” Irritation laced my tone.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with it. I don’t think that man deserves another chance with you. He walked away and never looked back, and now all of a sudden he feels obligated to make amends, after runnin’ into you at the hospital? It’s not like he came searchin’ for ya. It was an apology out of convenience.”

  My blood was beginning to boil the more she spoke. Every word was like a dagger goin’ straight through my heart. How can she be so cruel?

  “Now honey, that’s no way to speak to our little girl.”

  My gran stood and pushed her chair away from the table so hard that it went flyin’ to the floor behind her, causin’ Mia to jump and start to cry. I looked over at Madison, giving him a look that told him to take Mia outside and away from all of the ruckus. He quickly obliged and took her out back.

  “How dare you act like this in front of my child. I respect the hell out of you Gran, but I won’t put up with this behavior in front of her. She’s just a child.”

  “And I apologize for my outburst, but the reasoning behind it I will never apologize for. What you’re allowin’ that man to do is absurd. He doesn’t deserve another chance.”

  I pushed myself up from the table and stood, leanin’ on both of my hands. “Who are you to say whether or not someone deserves another chance? That is not a decision for you to make.”

  “It may not be a decision for me to make, but I won’t allow that man on our property.”

  I turned to make my way out to where Madison and Mia were playin’, when my granddad caught me by the wrist. I turned around to let out all my pent up frustration out on him, but then I noticed a stray tear fall from his eye.

  “Please don’t do this, Kayla.”

  “I’m not doin’ anything, Granddad. This is all Gran. I honestly don’t understand why she’s so quick to defend her daughter, but when it comes to my father, there’s absolutely no wiggle room.”

  “Let me talk to her. I’ll see if I can get through to her.”

  I nodded, but my heart was literally breaking into a million pieces knowin’ that my gran was willing to let things be this way, than just deal with me speaking with my father. “I’m surprised you’re ok with all of this. I half expected you to be the most angry.”

  “Honestly, I’ve spoken with your father. It was a million years ago, but he came to me, askin’ for my forgiveness.”

  I ripped my hand out of his grasp as I stood back in shock. “What exactly is a million years ago?”

  My granddad hung his head in shame, “It was when you were in eighth grade. He flew out here, and we had dinner. He explained to me everything that happened, and why he wasn’t able to reach out before then. I sent him pictures every year when you would come to visit. We’ve stayed in contact ever since. I kept it from your gran because I knew how she would react. She has a blind spot when it comes to your mother. She doesn’t want to believe that your mother was capable of the things she did to you. Your father is a good man, and as long as I’m alive, you will be welcome in this house, no matter the relationship y’all have, or don’t have. But know this, your father loves you beyond words. Sure he made some mistakes, but I think he only wants the best for you, just as I do.”

  I wanted to be pissed off at my granddad for keeping such a big secret from me, but I couldn't, because I knew deep down, he was only keepin’ it for my protection. I pushed up on my tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss to my granddad’s cheek. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, darlin’. Now go spend some time with your family. That little girl missed her mama like crazy while she was gone.” He gave me a sly wink, and then disappeared inside the house.

  As I stood on the back porch of my grandparents’ house, watchin’ my soon to be husband play with our little girl, my hand instinctively fell to my burgeoning belly. I thought back to all the memories we had made here, and all the memories that we had yet to make as a family of four. This place was my home. A place where I wanted to raise my kids. And then my heart started to ache. I wanted more than anything to have my gran be happy for me. I wanted her to see that my father coming back into my life was a positive thing, and something I wanted more than anything. Not for one second did I think this would be easy, but I honestly didn’t see her reacting the way she did.

  My mind drifted back to when I first came here. I was a lost and lonely teenager who thought that there was nothing left in this world for me, but then I saw him. I saw a boy who loved with everything inside of him, and I knew from that first moment, that he was who I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. I saw a boy who was willing to protect the ones he loves with every fiber of his being. A boy who would never give up on me, even though I did everything in my power to push him away. And now that I had that boy as my fiancé, I couldn’t imagine my life any other way.

  I was still lost in thought, going down memory lane, when I heard Mia’s voice break through. “Momma, momma, come play with us.”

  A wide smile spread across my entire face as I made my way down the stairs and over to my family. Life didn’t get much better than this.

  Chapter 58

  Madison

  She was absolutely stunning, and that gorgeous smile only made her more beautiful in my eyes. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she had chosen me. She chose me, Madison Raine, a cowboy with no direction in life, to be the rest of her life. She was my rainbow on a rainy day, and I would spend the rest of my life thanking my lucky stars for her.

  I hung my arm loosely around her shoulders as Mia took off runnin’ towards our house. Never in a million years did I think I would have the life I was living, and that’s when I started thinkin’ about my grandfather. With all that’s going on with Kayla and her family, I couldn’t help but wonder how my grandfather would react to all of this. Knowin’ how he felt about my father and everything he put me through, I could only imagine how he would react to all of this.

  I suddenly felt uneasy. As much as I tried not to think about it on a regular basis, I missed my grandfather more than normal. It was hard knowin’ that the one person I always turned to for advice was the one person I could never talk to again. Kayla must’ve noticed the change in my demeanor, because she was suddenly stoppin’ just before we reached the house.

  “Hey, is everything ok?”

  “Yeah, just missin’ my grandfather.”

  “I’m sorry, love. I know it must be hard.”

  “It is, but I’ve got you, and that’s all I need in the world.” I pressed my lips against hers before leading her inside.

  Mia was already in her playroom, happily playin’ with her toys, so I took this opportunity to talk to Kayla about a few things that have been on my mind. “Darlin’, can we talk for a minute?”

  “Of course.” Kayla saddled up to the island as I handed her a bowl of fruit that was in the fridge. “What’s goin’ on?” She happily shoved a handful of grapes in her mouth as I pulled myself up on the counter across from her.

  “I’m sure you’ve noticed how hard it’s been for me to adjust to life back home.”

  “A little.” She smiled.

  “I know this might be hard to hear, but I’ve been feelin’ lost since we decided to call it quits with the band. Don’t get me wrong, I love bein’ home with you and Mia, but I just feel like somethin’ is missin’. I’ve tried to throw myself int
o the whole “farm” life, but it just doesn’t feel like enough.” Kayla’s eyes shot up to mine, and I could tell that she wasn’t takin’ this well. I pushed myself off of the counter and made my way over to the chair next to hers. “I’m not sayin’ I want to go back on the road or anything like that, but I...well, honestly, I don’t know what I need.”

  “Is our life not enough for you?”

  “Of course it is. I don’t want you to take this personal, because it’s not. I just feel like I need more than just runnin’ a farm.” I pushed my hands back through my hair as I struggled to explain myself to her. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “How long have you been feelin’ this way?”

  “Awhile.”

  “How long is awhile, Madison?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You do know.” I could tell she was getting extremely frustrated with me, and I didn’t blame her.

  “Since the day we got back.”

  “Seriously?” Kayla pushed back from the counter and started headin’ towards our bedroom.

  “Kayla, can you come back here please?”

  “Why? So you can tell me how unhappy you are being at home with your family? So why don’t y’all just go back out on the road. I’ll take care of our kids.”

  “Kayla, don’t be like that. That’s not what I meant at all.” I tried to get her to talk to me, but as soon as I was in the room, she locked herself in the bathroom. I stood on the other side of the door, beggin’ for her to talk to me. When she still wouldn’t come out, I decided to use my secret weapon.

  A half an hour later, Cami came rushin’ through the front door. She walked right past me, and into our bedroom. Before I could catch up to her, Kayla was lettin’ her in the bathroom, and then lockin’ the door behind her. Well that plan was a fail. I was about to lose my shit, when Glenn came saunterin’ in through the door.

  “What’s goin’ on, man?”

  “Well, apparently tellin’ your wife the truth isn’t the best idea in the world.”

  Glenn started laughin’ at the top of his lungs, “You told her how you miss bein’ on the road?”

  “Well, kind of.”

  “You’re the dumbest dude I’ve ever met.” He continued to laugh. “What made you think that was a good idea?”

  “I don’t know, I guess I was just tryin’ to be honest with her.”

  “And you really thought your pregnant wife, and mother to your three year old would want to hear that her fiancé, who has been havin’ cold feet when it comes to the wedding, now wants to go back out on the road? You’re lucky she hasn’t left your ass yet, because I would’ve left you forever ago.”

  “I’m so glad you’re findin’ this so damn amusing. This comin’ from the guy who wrote a fake letter from an adoption agency because he was afraid of havin’ a family.”

  “Touché.”

  “It’s not like I want to go back out on the road, I was just thinkin’ maybe doin’ some more shows at the bar in town. But she didn’t let me get to that part.”

  “Look, man. I get it. I’ve been feelin’ the same way lately, but you’ve gotta remember that they’ve got a massive amount of hormones runnin’ through them right now, so everything we say is going to be taken the wrong way. Not only that, you weren’t here for her pregnancy with Mia, so how do you think she’s feelin’ now that she’s pregnant again?”

  I hadn’t even thought of that until now. “Shit! You’re right.”

  “Not only that, but you still haven’t married the poor girl.”

  I shook my head in disappointment in myself. I looked like a real asshole right now, and I didn’t blame her for thinkin’ I was. “I just thought she didn’t want to get married until after she had the baby.”

  “Have you asked her?”

  I shook my head, “Man, I really fucked this up good.”

  “Sure did.” He joked as he threw himself back onto the couch, amused.

  I made my way to the bathroom door, and crouched down as I started speakin’ into the doorframe so she could hear me. “Kayla, I need you to hear me on this. I’m not sayin’ I want to leave. I just want to be able to do more shows in town, that’s all. I can see how you’d be feelin’ like I’m tryin’ to run away, but it’s just the opposite. I’m tryin’ to find ways to stay closer to home, but still be happy. And I don’t want to wait to get married. I think we should do it now.” I sat back and waited for any sort of response from her.

  A few minutes later the bathroom door cracked open, and I could see a small sliver of her face through the crack. “I don’t want you to marry me just to appease me. I want you to marry me because you can’t wait to spend the rest of your life with me.”

  “Kayla Anne James, I want to marry you because I can’t imagine spendin’ another minute of my life without you as my wife.”

  Her eyes fluttered shut, and I immediately thought that I had ruined the life that I had built with this woman. My head fell against the door frame as I tried to figure out the right words to say so that she’d forgive me. When I raised my head back up, her sparklin’ blue eyes met mine and my heart began to beat again, because she no longer looked sad and morose, but happy and elated. She pulled the door open and jumped into my lap, causin’ me to fall backwards onto the floor with her in my arms.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” I could see the quizzical look in her eyes.

  “Of course this is what I want.” Our lips melded together as everything around us disappeared. When she pulled back, she ran the back of her hand down the scruff on my cheek, causin’ a huge smile to breakout across my face.

  “Please tell me you’re gonna shave for the big day?”

  I let out a strangled laugh, “You wish.” I pressed my lips against hers one last time before sitting us up. “So how about next month?”

  Her lips parted as she let out an audible sigh, “Are you serious right now?”

  “Of course I am.” I smiled.

  “I’ll have to call Joey and see when he can fly in.”

  “Well get on it, darlin’. We’ve got a wedding to plan.”

  I could tell she was tryin’ to hold back her excitement, but I wasn’t sure why. “I’m just nervous.” She whispered.

  “Why? It’s not like we just met each other and are rushin’ into it.”

  “I know. I’m just afraid nobody will be able to make it.”

  “I’m sure everyone who we want to be here, will make it.”

  She nodded as her head fell to my shoulder, “You’re right.”

  Chapter 59

  Kayla

  “I can’t believe y’all are plannin’ this in less than a month.”

  “This coming from the girl who eloped at the courthouse.” I laughed. “I know it seems crazy, but it also feels so right. I feel like we’ve waited long enough. Ya know?”

  “I do, and I’m so happy for you, Kay.”

  “Thanks, Cam.” We made our way out to mine and Madison’s tree where the ceremony would take place, and that’s when it hit me. “I’m getting married!” I squealed.

  “Yes, you are.” Cami joined me in my delight as we jumped around like school girls.

  Once we finished decorating the tree with all the white twinkle lights, we sat down to take a much needed break, when my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and instantly answered.

  “Well hey there, Jo. How’s everything going?”

  “Better, now that I get to talk to my best friend. How’s the wedding plannin’ goin’?”

  “It’s goin’.” I replied, as a yawn escaped.

  “You sound tired. Are you sleepin’ ok?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ve just been busy gettin’ everything together. How’s Diem doin’?”

  Joey let out an aggravated moan, “She’s edgy. I guess I just don’t understand why. The guy is in jail, and he isn’t gettin’ out any time soon. I guess I’m just tryin’ to understand what’s botherin’ her still.”

  “Honestly J
o, I think it’s just the whole celebrity thing. It’s just gonna take some gettin’ used to. I know it took me quite some time to get used to Madison’s celebrity. It’s hard, but for the right person, it’s worth it.”

  “I’m just hopin’ she still thinks I’m worth it.”

  “I’m pretty sure she does.” I laughed. “So when will y’all be here?”

  “Ah, well, because of my game schedule, we’ll have to come out the day before and leave the day after. And thank you for accommodating my schedule. I know most people don’t get married on a Thursday.”

  “If it means you’ll be here, then I’m more than happy to get married whenever. I don’t know if I’ve told you lately, Jo, but I’m super proud of you. You’ve come so far, and you’re livin’ your dream. It just makes me happy to see you so happy.”

  “Thanks, KJ. That means a lot. So...have you decided yet?”

  “No,” I groaned. “I just want it to be a happy occasion, and I’m not sure how happy it’ll be if my gran is busy being ornery. It just sucks.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry you have to go through this. What does your dad say?”

  “He’s completely supportive of whatever I choose to do, but I’m sure it’s gotta hurt him just a bit.”

  “Well from what Diem has said, he’s hopin’ your gran will at least give him a chance to prove that he’s changed.”

  “I just wish my granddad would tell her that he’s been speakin’ with him for all these years. I honestly think it would help her understand and maybe give him a chance, but he’s adamant that if he tells her, she’ll never forgive him.”

  “Do you think she would?”

  I pushed my fingers back through my hair as a light breeze kicked up, “I doubt it.” A forlorn feeling washed over me as I looked out across the vast open land sprawled out in front of me. “I think I’m gonna do it, Jo.”