Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Mom moved to the coffee table and sat down. When I stopped in front of her, she took my hands in hers. “Caden, do you love her?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I care about her. I care about her very much, and the last thing I ever want to do is hurt her.”
“Do you know why you went to Janet to talk to her about Lilibeth and the baby?” my father asked.
“I didn’t want her to upset Lilibeth. She was already so stressed with moving in and all the changes.”
My father shook his head. “It wasn’t simply because you didn’t want her to get hurt by gossip. You did it because you love her, Caden. Love isn’t always black and white. Love makes us want to protect those we’ve given our hearts to, regardless of whether we know it or not. Love melts the defenses you’ve put up and gives you the strength to try again. It can talk us down from ledges we’ve put ourselves on and give us the courage to keep moving forward no matter how scared we are.”
I blinked as I stared at my father.
My mother glanced at him and said, “Oh my God, Ladd Wilde, when did you start writing for Hallmark Cards?”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. The moment had been so serious, and I was grateful to my mother for lifting the mood.
My father wore a serious expression as he replied, “I can be deep, Viv.”
“I see that,” she said, before focusing her attention back on me. “Caden, let me ask you something, and I want you to really think about this before you answer. When you close your eyes and picture your life in ten years, what do you see?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea what I see.”
She scowled. “That’s because you haven’t closed your eyes yet and tried.”
I chuckled. “Okay.” Closing my eyes, I drew in a breath and slowly exhaled.
“It’s ten years into the future, and you’re sitting on the front porch of your house. What do you see?”
An image slowly started to appear in my mind. It was more of a movie than a picture.
“Kids playing in the front yard with a dog.”
“Your kids?” she asked.
Smiling, I nodded.
“What else do you see? Look around you, who or what else is there?”
In my little movie, I turned my head to the right and saw Lilibeth sitting in the other rocking chair, smiling as she rested her hands on her swollen belly. When she turned to look at me, I was overcome with a sense of pure love and happiness.
My eyes jerked open.
Mom was looking at me, a smile on her face. “Did you get spooked?”
“Oh, he got spooked, all right!” my father added with a chuckle.
“You saw Lilibeth,” she said.
“What is this fucking witchcraft you’re doing on me, Mom?”
Her brows rose. “Language, Caden Wilde. You may be thirty-two, but I can still wash your mouth out with soap.”
It was my turn to raise my brows. “You’re going to wash my mouth out with soap, Mom?”
She rolled her eyes. “What did you see?”
“Lilibeth, sitting next to me. She was smiling. And she was pregnant.”
My mother clapped her hands. “Oh! I’m going to have so many grandbabies running around this ranch! I can see it now!”
“Mom…”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! And it’s not witchcraft, Caden. What you need to do is get out of your head and start listening to your heart.”
“May I make a suggestion?” my father asked.
“Yes, of course,” I replied.
“Why don’t you ask Lilibeth out on a date?”
My mother beamed at him. “That’s a wonderful idea, Ladd.”
“A date?” I asked, my eyes bouncing between the two of them. I knew I was looking at them like they were crazy. The woman was already pregnant.
“Yes. It’s clear you both have very strong feelings for one another. If you’re not ready to dive in and admit how you feel yet, why don’t you do it the old-fashioned way? Start dating.”
“She’s having my baby, Mom, and you want me to date her?”
She nodded. “That’s exactly what we want you to do.”
When I looked at my father, he nodded. “Trust us on this one.”
I thought about it for a moment. Then hesitantly asked, “What should the first date be?”
My parents exchanged a look, and something silent passed between them. They both smiled, and my father reached for my mother’s hand. It was so evident how much the two of them loved one another. I wasn’t sure why I was so afraid to love again, but seeing all the love around me, my parents, grandparents, sister…I realized I was being a huge coward.
“Did I ever tell you kids that your father asked me to marry him on our very first date?”
I laughed. “You did?”
He nodded. “I knew the moment I first laid eyes on your mother that she was my forever.”