“Colorado? Like the town over from where we used to live when we were kids?” I probe.
Dad answers this time. “Yes, but when we were living there, they were down in Texas.”
“Are there any more Bradfords out there?” Now that I know my grandmother and grandfather are alive, I’m curious to know.
“Yes.”
I wait for him to say more, but he doesn’t. I open my mouth to ask more questions, but dad raises his good arm, stopping me.
“No more questions, Ry. We can’t tell you more. We shouldn’t have told you this much. If I wasn’t so shocked to see your grandmother, I wouldn’t have blurted out who she was.”
His face begs me to understand when he sees my jaw clench.
“Please, understand. Your safety… Kylan, Kellan, and Jamie’s safety… is most important, and I won’t risk any of you. Not for answers you’ll eventually get.”
Sighing, my shoulders slump in defeat. He’s right. I’d never risk them. While I might risk myself for the truth, I wouldn’t do anything to put them in danger.
I nod, and his posture visibly relaxes. “Why don’t you show me my room, and then we can celebrate my return with a family game night?” he suggests.
“I miss those,” I say in earnest. I’m not one hundred percent over the lack of questions I’ve had answered, but want to enjoy his being home.
Tabitha stands. “Great! I’ll get everything set up.” She makes her way to the door, but I shoot from my seat and engulf her in a hug. When she squeezes me back, I bask in the feeling of being hugged by my grandmother for the first time.
I’ve hugged her a million times before now, but this is the first time I’m hugging her knowing who she is to me.
I feel the drop of something wet against my head and her soft whimpers. “I know, Sweet Girl. I know,” she whispers in my hair.
Pulling from her embrace, I shout, “Not it for telling the kids about Elise.” I want no parts in that mess.
Dad pinches the bridge of his nose, “I’d never make you have such a difficult conversation. The days of you having to be the parent are done, Ry.”
Smiling, I nod. There’s still much more to understand, but for now, I’ll take my win. My dad and grandmother are both here.
AUGUST
The week flew by, Emma’s dad came home yesterday, and she spent some much-needed time with him and her siblings. I’m sure if we didn’t have this planned, she wouldn’t have left the house at all this weekend.
At the reminder of our pending date, I begin pacing the room. My nerves won’t settle. I’ve been like this all damn day.
I’m picking Emma up in the next hour to take her on our first of many dates.
I’m not exactly sure why I’m nervous. It’s not like I haven’t been out with her before. This time just feels different. I need to make sure it’s special because she’s everything.
From the first moment I saw her over all those months ago, and every interaction since- I’ve known.
She’s it for me- for us.
“You got it, Wy. Don’t stress it. What you have planned is going to blow her mind. But you know, even if it were just the two of you sitting and watching a movie, she’d love it because it was with you,” Sebastian encourages, distracting me.
For a guy who’s so anti-love, he sure is good at laying it on thick.
Shaking out my shoulders, I quirk a brow, “Thanks, Casanova,” I joke. “Seriously though, Seb. Thanks for helping me organize all of this.”
He pats my back, “No thanks needed. I only helped facilitate. You came up with the ideas. Now go get your girl.”
“
Our girl,” I correct.
I think Sebastian will be harder to bring around than the other two assholes. Those two are skeptics- Seb’s jaded. That’s a whole different ocean to cross.
He gives me a small tight smile and mumbles, “Our girl,” before heading down the hall, probably to our room in The Tombs.
Pulling my phone from my black denim jeans pocket, I see I have thirty minutes to grab Emma and make it to the airstrip.
Time to get my ass in gear.
* * *
“I can’t believe we’re going on a private jet,” Emma squeaks, her excitement palpable from the passenger seat of my car.
Peering from my periphery, I take in the denim skirt, slightly riding up her fishnet-covered voluptuous thighs. My gaze flicks back to the road before taking another peek at her Pearl Jam cropped-tee. She’s fucking breathtaking.
“Eyes on the road,” she demands, and I focus back on the street.
“You’re just so distracting,” I admit.
She softly laughs, “I’m not distracting enough to warrant us veering off the road. Eyes facing front.”
“I should’ve accepted Thomas’s offer to drive us instead of having him drive behind, but I wanted you all to myself.”
Her smile grows. “And where are you taking me?”
I love seeing her like this- carefree and laughing. She always looks like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders, and ever since we got her back, there’s a darkness that never used to be there.
Turning to her, I smirk, “It’s a surprise.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.