The Butterfly Effect (Boggy Creek Valley 1)

His eyes widened in surprise.

Before he could say anything, I said, “I’m not asking you to move in…yet. But it would be easier for you to stay if you had some things here.”

“I like this idea,” Aiden said, kissing me on the forehead. “Go, before I toss you on the bed and have my way with you while your father’s in the other room.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and replied, “You’re too smart to do that.”

“When all the blood has flowed to my dick, I don’t seem to think as clearly.”

That statement caused me to look down at his evident hard-on. “Oh,” I whispered, my eyes darted back up to his. “Right, I’ll meet you down there.”

He winked, and I placed my hand over my belly when it started to ache, protesting my decision to leave Aiden in his current state.

“See you down there,” I said again. And then I spun on my heels and rushed to where I heard voices.

Once I got to the kitchen, I stopped at the sight before me. Ben was sitting on my father’s shoulders as my mother moved about, making pancakes and bacon.

“Good morning,” I said, looking up at Ben and smiling. “Hey, sweet boy!”

My son laughed and pulled on my father’s Boggy Creek Valley Orchard hat in excitement.

“I heard you had a guest this morning, so I thought we’d come by and make my apple pancakes,” Mom said.

I snapped my entire body around to stare at my mother. “You heard I had a guest? How? Who?”

“It’s a small town, Willa, you know that,” she replied as she glanced over her shoulder at me and winked.

“I always did like Aiden,” my father mused. He lifted Ben off his shoulders and handed him to me. I got a slobbery kiss on the mouth from my son and a smile that made my heart melt.

“He’s a sweet boy. Aiden. Well, Ben is as well,” my mother added.

“He’s not a boy anymore, Mom,” I said, looking at my father, then back at her. “You aren’t going to say anything about how we’re moving fast, or we shouldn’t be sleeping together out of wedlock?”

They both laughed before my daddy spoke first. “He’s been home well over a month. Haven’t you two been seeing each other?”

I didn’t want to go into details about Aiden’s PTSD with my folks right then, so I answered honestly. “No, not really. We had a bit of a bump in the road, but I guess it’s been off and on.”

“Seems to be paved over if he spent the night,” my mother said with a hint of wickedness in her voice.

I cleared my throat. “Yes, it has been, as a matter of fact.”

Daddy took the bacon out of the pan and placed it onto a prepared plate on the counter. “You know Aiden has always been like another son to us. He’s been a part of this family for as long as I can remember. I’ve seen the way he’s looked at you over the years, Willa, so I’m not the least bit surprised by this. I will say, though, if he hurts you, I’ll break both his legs, shove him under my tractor, and run over him ‘til he’s good and dead. Navy SEAL or not.”

I heard a chuckle from behind me, and I turned to see Aiden there. My heart rate picked up, and I longed to walk over and hug him. Touch him. Be near him. The feelings I had for him were so strong they nearly left me dizzy.

“You might want to teach your son to hand out threats like yours,” Aiden said as he walked farther into the kitchen and stretched out his hand for my father to shake. “Morning, sir.”

Daddy smiled. “Good morning, Aiden.”

My mother rushed over and hugged Aiden. “Good morning, sweetheart. I hope you worked up a good appetite this morning!”

I nearly choked on my own tongue as Aiden cleared his throat. “I’m a bit hungry, yes.”

“Good!” my mother said with a clap of her hands before she went back to her pancake making. “I’m making your favorite, apple pancakes with maple syrup I got from Arabella.”

“Apple pancakes are my favorite, Mom,” I said while Ben struggled to get out of my arms and into Aiden’s.

“Come here, little guy,” Aiden said, taking Ben and walking toward the back windows of the kitchen. He pointed out the window at a bird in the tree. “Bird. Can you say bird?” Ben glanced between Aiden and the bird.

“He’s so good with him,” my mother whispered.

All I could do was nod as I fought to hold my emotions back. The bond that Ben and Aiden were forming was beautiful, and I couldn’t wait to see him with his own child someday.

I leaned against the counter and took in the sight before me. Aiden holding Ben as they were lost in their own world. My father pulling out dishes for breakfast, and my mother doing what she loved more than anything: cooking for people. I had dreamed of this scene so many times and almost wanted to pinch myself to make sure I was awake.