“I love you, Katy VanRyan,” he vowed against my lips. “I won’t let you down this time. I promise.”
I snuggled into his arms, the feeling of being home and safe settling into my chest.
“I love you.”
His breath drifted across my head.
“That’s what I needed to hear.”Aiden’s face was wreathed in smiles as he sat across from Richard and me. I had made sandwiches and coffee, and Maddox opened a box full of pastries they had picked up while out. Richard stayed as close as he could, always holding my hand or touching my arm.
“Katy, would you make me fried chicken tomorrow before we leave? Next to Dee’s, it was the best I ever tasted.”
I agreed quickly. It was the least I could do after all he had done for us. “Sure. I’ll bring the girls home tomorrow, and we’ll have a big picnic outside for supper. They’ll love it.”
“I don’t see why they can’t come home today,” Richard griped.
“Because Gracie and Jenna are having a sleepover in the tent tonight. Just the two of them. Gracie is so excited, I don’t want to disappoint her.”
“Jenna might thank you. I can’t see her sleeping on the ground.”
I laughed. “They have a blowup mattress. Plus, it’s Jenna. The tent is like the Taj Mahal.”
“So, tomorrow—sunup—you’ll be here with the girls?”
His words made me happy. The anxious, miss-my-girls man was the Richard I loved so much. His family was important to him, and to see glimpses of him returning helped to heal the hurt and worry I had been experiencing.
“We’ll be home in the morning.”
“Sunup is morning,” he muttered, yet there was a smile playing on his full mouth. It made me want to kiss him, so I did. His hand flew up, cupping the back of my neck and holding me close. He kissed me back, hard and deep.
Aiden and Maddox both let out catcalls. I was blushing as I pulled away.
“I think, Mad Dog, we’re leaving at the right time.”
Maddox smirked and threw me a wink. “I agree, Tree Trunk. The perfect time.”Gracie’s feet kicked in excitement as we turned down the street. I smiled at her in the rearview mirror.
“Daddy waiting!” she crowed.
I felt both excitement and trepidation as I pulled into the driveway. I wanted to come home so much, yet I was afraid of what was going to happen when we were alone.
Would Richard continue moving forward, or would our presence once again cause him to slide backward? Once he got over the initial pleasure of seeing his girls, would he again find them, and me, more of a bother? I wasn’t sure I could take it if that happened. I couldn’t watch the man I love disappear into the shell he used to be.
But a small voice in my head kept telling me he wouldn’t. The gifts, the notes, the calls, and texts from him were all sent by the man I loved. He had made sure I knew how sorry he was feeling and how hard he was working to come back to us. He even opened up and expressed his worries, finally letting me know the depth of his fears. Finally letting me understand what was holding him captive inside his head.
And he had made progress. Not enough to please him entirely, but Aiden and Maddox had put him back on the right track.
The question was, could he sustain it?
Either way, I had to find out. I pulled up in front of the house, Richard already outside, sitting in his wheelchair, looking anxious. Maddox and Aiden were sitting on the steps above him, both smiling.
I stepped out of the car and opened the back door, unfastening Gracie from her car seat. She was so eager that her body quivered in anticipation. I’d barely set her on her feet, and she was running. Richard was hunched low, his arms stretched out wide. He caught her, lifting her high, the way he used to, and wrapped her in his arms, holding her tight. His head was bent, and I could see her little arms clutching his neck.
I had to blink away the tears that formed at the sight of them together.
She squirmed back, talking to him, patting his face, waving at Maddox and Aiden and giggling—all at once. It was loud, chaotic, and beautiful.
“Mommy!” she called. “Daddy leaking!”
I had teased her once when I was crying, and I said I was so full of happiness that I had to leak some out or I would explode. She never forgot it. And despite her young age, she was smart enough to know the difference when I cried in sadness or “leaked” in happiness.
I nestled Heather into my arms and approached my husband, who was radiating joy. I hadn’t seen that expression on his face since he’d woken up. I knelt beside him and slid Heather into his waiting arms. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, tears streaking down his face.