Chapter 25

Twenty-Five

Harrison

T he last few weeks were blissful. I moved Everly out of her apartment, and we found someone to sublet it until her lease expired. Silas was so impressed with my professionalism and reliability that he’d increased my bonus, and the amount he offered under our long-term contract was life changing. I was able to hire another manager and a couple of guys to do the heavy lifting. I wanted to make time and space not only for my family but to work on ways to expand my business. I couldn’t do that when I was the sole employee.

We saw Wren every other week. I bought her a phone with strict instructions to use it only for texting and calling me or Everly, not with friends. And she wasn’t to download any apps.

I wanted to be in contact with her in case something ever happened again. It would be a long time before I could relax and not worry about whether Lola would return Wren when it was my turn for visitation.

At first, Wren was worried that Lola wouldn’t give her back when it was time for my visitation, but we worked through that in therapy. With the therapist’s assistance, I explained the new custody agreement and reminded her she was safe. When she thanked me for fighting for her, my heart cracked all over again because nothing scared me more than Lola taking her from me. I assured her it wouldn’t happen again. I wouldn’t let it, and the courts were on our side.

My relationship with Everly was stronger than ever. My public declaration had been all she needed to feel my love. I’d spend the rest of my life making up my harsh words to her. I never wanted to make her feel unwanted or unloved again.

Everly’s work had taken off since she’d been able to spend more time on it. She was frequently meeting with new clients for custom orders, and her online sales had increased too. Wren and I helped her with packaging and shipping, but it was time for her to think about hiring more help. She couldn’t do it all herself, which was a great sign for a new business.

Today, Everly was scheduled to meet her sister and brother. According to her father, they were eager to meet her.

“Are you nervous?” I asked Everly when we got into the truck and headed south toward her father’s.

Wren was watching a movie on her tablet.

Everly smoothed her palms over the skirt of her dress. “A little bit. What if they don’t like me? Or they blame me for not meeting earlier?”

“They won’t. And even if they do, that’s their problem, not yours.” Everly hadn’t confronted her mother yet. She’d recently seen a therapist who suggested she take some time and distance from her mother before confronting her.

Her therapist helped her relax. There was no pressure or right or wrong thing to do in this situation. She could take her time to heal.

I reached over to take her hand, and she smiled at me. “I can’t believe this is our life.”

I knew what she meant. With Wren in our lives more, we felt closer to her. I felt like a real father. I was there to help with her homework, coach her in basketball, and enjoy the everyday bedtime struggles. I wasn’t just the fun dad who saw her every other weekend. I got everything with her. Our lives were full. I had everything I’d ever wanted, and I couldn’t have been happier.

“They’ll love you. How could they not?” I asked, sensing her dubious mood.

She bit her lip apprehensively. “I hope so. I never thought I’d have siblings.”

“They can be a pain,” I teased, thinking of Sage.

Pulling off her headphones, Wren interjected, “Aunt Sage is fun.”

“You say that because she doesn’t have to be the parent. She’s the cool aunt.”

Wren rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

We were quiet for the rest of the drive to her father’s. I sensed Everly’s nerves kicking up with each mile we covered.

At her dad’s house, I parked out front. As we got out of the car, her father opened the door and stood on the porch.

“You’re here,” he said, holding his arms open for Everly.

She’d mentioned her mother wasn’t able to give out affection. I hoped her father made up for that.

I stood back with Wren, letting them have their moment. I felt a little emotional at the idea of ever leaving Wren. It just wasn’t something that was in my DNA.

Her father nodded toward me. “This is your fiancé?”

“Sorry,” Everly said as she stepped back. “This is Harrison and his daughter, Wren. This is my father, Bill.”

Her father shook my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m glad you were there for my girl when I wasn’t.”

“I’m just glad you’re here now.” An understanding passed between us. I’d taken care of Everly, and I’d continue to do so, but her father needed to step into his role too. She needed a parent, especially since she was most likely going to cut her mother loose.

His grip strong, he assured me, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Satisfied he understood, I released his hand.

He waved us in. “My kids are eager to meet you.”

Everly took a deep breath and reached for my hand. I could only hope this went well for her. I assumed her father wouldn’t have scheduled it if his children weren’t okay with it. Hopefully, they weren’t harboring any bad feelings or resentments. Everly was the victim in this situation.

Inside, Bill introduced me and Wren to his wife, Sarah, and then all of us to his kids, Kenneth and Andrea. They were seventeen and fifteen.

Kenneth reluctantly stuck around for a few minutes of small talk before asking to play video games in the basement. Bill gave him a look but let him go. I wasn’t concerned. I thought it was a good sign he wasn’t upset about Everly being here.

Andrea was more excited about having a sister. She sat next to Everly, asking her about makeup and the clothes she liked to wear. When Everly showed her the fairy-tale invitation she was working on, Andrea asked if she’d look at her artwork. Apparently, she did watercolors.

I followed Bill and Sarah into the kitchen, helping them set the table and get dinner ready. They were nice people and seemed genuinely pleased to have Everly in their lives. It was what I wanted for her.

We ate dinner together with promises to see them again soon. Everly exchanged phone numbers with Andrea, and I hoped they’d form a special bond.

On the way home, Wren asked, “Do you think I’ll have another sister or brother?”

“Are you eager for another one?” I asked her, thinking of Duncan.

“Everly would be a good mom,” Wren said wistfully.

Everly twisted in her seat to see her better. “Aw. Thank you, sweetheart. I want that more than anything.”

“You do?” It wasn’t something we’d discussed recently. She used to say she didn’t want kids because her mother was a poor example.

Everly shifted in her seat so she faced the front again. “I want to create my own family. Over the last few months, I realized that I’m not my mother, and I get to choose how I see the world, how I react to it, and how I go forward.”

“I’m so proud of you. You’re not your mother.” I reached over to hold her hand. I was so proud that she’d realized she wasn’t to blame for how she was raised. “You’ll be an amazing mother.”

Later, when Wren had her headphones over her ears, Everly asked, “Do you want more kids?”

I smiled at her. “I’d love to have more, and I know Wren will be the best big sister.”

“That’s good to know. But there’s something I’ve been wondering about. Would you have proposed so soon if it weren’t for the pressure of the custody case?”

“I’ve thought about that quite a bit, and logically, I’d say no. That we wouldn’t have moved in together as soon as we did, so the progression would have been slower. But then I thought, I would have said we couldn’t move in together until we were engaged. So, that would have moved up the timeline. I think our relationship would have played out the same way as soon as we realized what we had in each other. And don’t forget, there was no pressure when I proposed. Jackson had said to wait to file for custody. He hadn’t said anything about a ring since that first meeting.”

I looked over at Everly, whose eyes were soft. “I love that.”

“I told you I’d show you your life could be a fairy tale.”

Her lips tipped up. “I don’t know. Other than building me an office and the proposal, I’m not sure that I’ve seen it lately.”

“You don’t think loving me is a fairy tale?” I unraveled my fingers from hers to cover my heart.

“It is. It totally is.” She laughed, and I reveled in the sound. She was freer than she’d ever been before. More open with her emotions and more willing to show joy. I wouldn’t have her any other way.

“Don’t worry. We have more planned.” I threw my thumb toward the rear passenger seat where Wren was mouthing the words to a song.

“Oh, you do, do you? What kind of plans?”

I felt Everly’s gaze on the side of my face. “We’re actually on our way to the airport right now.”

I looked over in time to see Everly’s eyes widen. “We are not.”

“Are too.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “First of all, you sound like you’re seven, and second of all, I haven’t packed.”

I grinned, my heart full. “Don’t worry. Wren and Sage took care of it.”

She gave me a dubious look, which I understood because Sage’s style was more alternative than Everly’s classic one.

“Don’t worry. They know your style.”

Everly leaned forward, looking a little panicked. “Is it somewhere warm or cold?”

“What do you think?” I asked, happy to let her wonder.

“Hmm. If we’re talking about fairy tales, I’d think we’re going somewhere warm.”

“What about Frozen ?” Wren asked from the backseat, her headphones around her neck.

Everly’s face fell. “Then maybe Maine or Colorado.” She tapped her chin with her finger. “Oh, are we going to Telluride? I heard all about it from Savannah, who owns Lavender, and it sounds amazing. She said it’s this small, historic town in a canyon of a mountain range. The pictures were gorgeous.”

I shook my head. “I’m not giving anything away.”

When Everly looked over her shoulder at Wren, she held up a hand. “Don’t look at me. I’m sworn to secrecy.”

Everly turned back to the front in a huff. “Ugh. I’m not sure I like surprises.”

“You’re going to love this one,” Wren said in a singsong voice.

Everly guessed locations all the way to the airport, ranging from Ireland to Hawaii to Alaska, but we refused to cave. We’d spent the last month planning the surprise. It was tough because Everly was home too. But we’d managed it, and we weren’t about to spoil it.

I parked the truck at the airport garage, taking the shuttle to departures. When we checked our luggage, I slid a note to the attendant, indicating the location was a surprise. She smiled and looked at Everly. “Not a problem, sir.”

“Seriously?” Everly asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

I bumped shoulders with her. “You know you love surprises.”

She gave me a disgruntled look. “I don’t. I really don’t.”

“You’re going to love it. Have a great trip,” the attendant said, returning our licenses to us.

“How long are you going to keep it a secret?” Everly asked while we waited in the security line.

She’d already thought ahead to the reality that she’d know as soon as we got to our gate. “Soon,” was all I said.

Before we reached our gate, I stopped and moved to a secluded spot.

I looked expectedly at Wren, who curtsied and said, “Your invitation, milady.”

Everly took it carefully, looking from Wren to me. “What’s this?”

“It’s exactly what it looks like.” Everly had created an intricate invitation for a couple wanting to get married at Disney World, complete with an embossed carriage lined in blue, white, and silver.

“I made this for—” She read the names and stopped because it actually read Everly Long and Harrison Cain .

Her gaze flew to mine. “I don’t understand.”

I dropped to one knee, holding my hand out to hers. “Will you continue this fairy tale with me, with us, and tie the knot in the land where anything is possible?”

“It’s magical,” Wren added with a wide grin.

“We’re getting married at Disney World?” Everly asked, her voice filled with awe as she blinked away tears.

I stood, moving into her space. “It will be a fairy tale. The wedding planner is meeting us when we arrive so we can plan whatever you dreamed of for your wedding.” I wanted to surprise her, but I still wanted her to have everything she ever wanted.

“What about our families?” Then she cringed, and I knew she was thinking about her mother.

“I invited them. I wasn’t sure if you’d want your mother there or not, but I talked to her, told her she was only to come if she could say positive things, and if not, I’d escort her out.”

“I can’t believe you planned this without me knowing.” Then Everly’s eyes welled with tears as she gazed at the invitation. “This is beautiful.”

“You made it.” She’d drawn the invitations by hand and scanned them into a computer. Wren helped her with the business, so she knew how to go in and change the names to ours. I’d been the one to originally reach out to Everly online to request the custom invitations under the guise of being a happy bride.

Everly’s hands shook in mine. “You did this. There wasn’t another couple.”

I chuckled. “That’s right.”

“I can’t even breathe right now.” Everly’s gaze darted from us to the people at the airport.

“Just say yes, or if it’s not what you imagined, we can enjoy the parks for the week and get married later. It doesn’t have to be like this.” I’d thought about this a lot over the last few weeks, trying not to get married to the idea of a Disney wedding. Even if it’s what I wanted for Everly, she might not agree.

Everly shook her head. “This is perfect. It’s everything I would have wanted had I allowed myself to believe it was possible for me.”

I pulled her into my body, hugging her, then holding out my arm for Wren. We were a family now.

Sitting in the same row, Wren and Everly had their heads together the whole flight, talking wedding details. By the time we landed, Everly had a fairly good idea of what she wanted for her wedding.

While we were waiting for the luggage, she said, “I kind of want the carriage ride and the ballgown dress.”

I put my arm around her shoulders. “You want to feel like a princess. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

She deserved to be spoiled after everything she’d gone through.

Everly relaxed into my side. I wanted her to let go and relax this weekend. Whatever she wanted, I’d give it to her. It was just the beginning of the rest of our lives.

When we arrived at the luxury resort, Cynthia, the wedding planner, met us with dinner and a tablet full of ideas. The girls talked, and I relaxed, watching Everly’s and Wren’s animated faces as they discussed the details. All I cared about was that I was standing at the altar when Everly walked toward me, breathtaking in her princess dress.

When Cynthia went to the bathroom, Everly said, “I’m not sure how much anything costs or what you budgeted to spend.”

I waved her off. “Don’t worry about that.”

Her brow furrowed. “Are you covering it?”

“I want you to have everything you’ve ever wanted.”

She bit her lower lip. “I don’t want to go overboard.”

“And I don’t want you to worry about anything. It’s covered. Plus, your dad wanted to contribute.” When I mentioned the idea to him when we were getting dinner ready earlier today, he’d written me a check with tears in his eyes. He said he never thought Everly would be in his life again, and I hoped Everly would choose him to walk her down the aisle.

Everly’s eyes lit up. “What do you think about a sunset wedding? Then we can watch fireworks over the lake at the reception.”

I kissed her softly. “Whatever makes you happy sounds perfect to me.”

When Cynthia returned, we finished up with the plans for the ceremony and reception with appointments to try on wedding dresses the next day. I’d arranged for a bridal consultant to bring dresses to our suite in the morning.

Tomorrow, her friends would be in town and would be able to join Everly in trying on dresses. I didn’t want her to miss out on any of the traditional activities.

Our suite overlooked the lake with Magic Kingdom on the other side. Once Wren went to bed, we were alone on the large balcony to watch the fireworks. We snuggled on the chaise with a blanket covering us.

“I can’t believe you did all of this. Arranged for a luxury suite, a wedding planner, and our friends’ and families’ travel.”

“I told you I wanted it to be perfect.”

She sighed. “And it is.”

“You deserve your happily ever after,” I said as she melted into my arms. I kissed her softly as the fireworks erupted. When I pulled back, the exploding lights flashed across her face.

She smiled softly. “I never thought we’d be here.”

“Planning our wedding?”

She laughed. “It seemed like a pipe dream. Something that happens to other people. I’ve been through so much this past year. The biggest realization was that I’m worth it. That I deserve happiness, love, and joy.”

I squeezed her tighter. “You definitely do.”

She rested her head on my shoulder. “Thank you for making my fairy tale come true.”

“It’s all I ever wanted,” I said before tipping her chin up to kiss her again. When our lips were swollen, we finally broke apart to watch the grand finale. The entire evening was magical, and I knew there was more to come.