Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

The next afternoon, Chloe sat at her kitchen table, re-reading the questions for her lawyer about taking Oscar out of the country. Liam was meeting with the staff from the publishing house in San Francisco today. Depending on what they said, she might be worrying about nothing, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

Oscar was playing in the living room, happily building a castle with his Legos bricks. The timing couldn’t have been better so, taking a deep breath, she picked up her phone and called Laura’s number.

After a few rings, Laura’s receptionist answered the call and put Chloe through to her lawyer. “Hi, Chloe. How are you?”

“Hi, Laura. I’m doing well, thanks. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”

“Not at all. What can I do for you?”

Chloe glanced toward the living room to make sure Oscar was still engrossed in his Legos. “I wanted to discuss something important with you. My boyfriend might accept an amazing opportunity to write a travel guide on Türkiye. I’m considering moving there for a few months with Oscar. I’d like to know if I can take Oscar with me and how it might impact the custody situation with Paul.”

Laura paused briefly before responding. “Given that Paul wants to see more of Oscar, any significant changes you make could influence the court’s decision. Moving abroad, even temporarily, could be seen as you attempting to limit Paul’s access to his son.”

Chloe sighed. “That’s what Liam thought. As long as Oscar has supervised visits with Paul, I don’t want to stop him from seeing his dad. But this opportunity is important for Liam’s career.”

“It makes it difficult when a child’s involved,” Laura replied. “While you currently have full legal and physical custody, the court will evaluate all factors to determine what’s in Oscar’s best interest. How willing you are to build a relationship between Oscar and Paul is crucial.”

“What if I think of something that allows Paul to have extended visitation during school breaks or regular video calls?” Chloe suggested.

“That’s a step in the right direction,” Laura agreed. “Demonstrating that you’re considering Paul’s role in Oscar’s life can positively affect the court’s decision.”

“Do you think the court would postpone their decision until after we came back from Türkiye?” Chloe asked hesitantly.

“That doesn’t usually happen,” Laura admitted. “If your hearing happens before you want to go to Türkiye, you’ll need to follow their instructions.”

Chloe rubbed her forehead. “I need to talk to Paul, don’t I?”

“You do,” Laura told her. “Tell him what you’re thinking of doing and see if you can reach an agreement. If he consents to the temporary relocation, it could simplify everything.”

“And if he doesn’t agree?”

“Then we’ll need to go to court,” Laura said gently. “But remember, I’m here to support you through this process.”

“Thanks, Laura,” Chloe said sincerely. “I appreciate your advice.”

“Anytime. Keep me updated on any developments.”

“I will,” she promised before ending the call.

Setting her phone down, Chloe stared through the window at the fading light. She couldn’t think of any way that Paul could still see Oscar if they went to Türkiye. Unless he wanted to get on a plane and fly halfway around the world.

With a sigh, she stood and walked across to the kitchen door. Oscar was adding a moat to his castle, his face lit with excitement.

“Mom! Look at this!” he exclaimed, pointing proudly at his creation.

She mustered a smile. “It’s amazing, sweetheart.”

“Can we build a drawbridge next?”

“That sounds like a good way for everyone to get into the castle,” she replied, walking over to sit beside him. For a moment, she allowed herself to be absorbed in his world, pushing aside her worries.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Liam.

Hey, how are you doing? Any updates?

She typed back, Just spoke with Laura. Need to talk. Can I call you?

His response was immediate. Call now. I’m in my room at the hotel.

Chloe pushed a lock of hair off Oscar’s forehead. “I’m going to talk to Liam. Can you finish the drawbridge on your own?”

He picked up a red brick and nodded. “After I’ve finished the drawbridge, my dinosaurs are stomping into the castle.”

She smiled at the concentrated frown on his face. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”

Once she was sitting at the kitchen table, Chloe called Liam and told him what Laura had said. “I’d love to take Oscar to Türkiye, but it’ll make it difficult for Paul to see more of Oscar.”

Liam didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “What are you thinking of doing?”

“I need to talk to Paul,” she said. “Explain our plans and see if we can reach some kind of agreement.”

“Do you think he’ll be okay with Oscar living in a different country?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Chloe admitted. “Paul says he wants to be more involved in Oscar’s life, and I don’t want to seem like I’m trying to take Oscar away from him.”

“Maybe if he knows it’s temporary, he’ll understand,” Liam suggested.

“That’s what I’m hoping,” she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

“Mom! Come see the drawbridge!” Oscar called from the living room.

Chloe smiled despite the weight on her shoulders. “Coming!” she called back to Oscar.

“Hold on a second, Liam,” she said into the phone. “Oscar wants me to see his drawbridge.”

“Go and enjoy some time with him,” Liam replied gently. “I can call you later.”

Chloe stood beside the kitchen counter. “Before I go, how was the meeting with the publishers?”

“It was great. I met the editorial team and we talked about the new series they want to publish. I’ll tell you more when I call later. Is nine o’clock too late?”

“It’s perfect. I’ve missed having you here today.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Liam said softly. “Say hi to Oscar from me.”

“I will. Bye.” She ended the call and walked into the living room. Oscar was kneeling beside his impressive LEGO castle. Placed in a line beside the drawbridge were some of his favorite toy dinosaurs.

“Look, Mom! The drawbridge works!” he exclaimed, as he showed her how it moved up and down.

“That’s amazing!” She was impressed that he’d been able to make it work. “You did a fantastic job.”

He grinned proudly. “Next, the dinosaurs are going to stomp, stomp, stomp into the castle!”

She laughed softly. “That sounds exciting.”

“Will you play with me?” he asked hopefully.

Chloe sat cross-legged beside him. “I’d love to. Which dinosaur can I be?”

Oscar studied his dinosaurs. “You can be the Microraptor. It was the smallest dinosaur of all.” He gave her a dinosaur that looked like an eagle. “It used to live in trees. You can fly into the castle and tell the other dinosaurs where to go.”

“That sounds like a good job to have.”

“It is,” Oscar told her. “Especially if they get lost.”

As Chloe made whooshing noises, she held her dinosaur in the air, then lowered it to the top of the highest point of the castle. Oscar paraded his dinosaurs along the brick drawbridge and Chloe thought about Liam’s meeting in San Francisco. If she thought talking to Paul would be difficult, Liam had an even bigger decision to make—and she didn’t want to be the reason he gave up on his dreams.

Liam gripped the steering wheel of his truck as he navigated the winding, icy roads back to Sapphire Bay. By some miracle, he’d flown back to Montana on an earlier flight. It still hadn’t gotten him back to Sapphire Bay in time for Owen and Harper’s wedding but, if he was lucky, he’d be able to congratulate them at the reception and surprise Chloe.

As he descended into the familiar valley, the twinkling lights of Sapphire Bay welcomed him like old friends. The town looked like a Christmas winter wonderland, thanks to the lights and decorations on Main Street.

He parked the truck near the church. When he opened his door, music and laughter spilled out into the chilly evening air. Taking a moment to straighten his tie and smooth his jacket, he took a deep breath and headed inside.

The main reception room was decorated with strings of lights and vases of flowers. Guests mingled around elegantly set tables, and couples danced to the music played by the live band. Scanning the room, Liam’s eyes settled on Chloe sitting at a table with Oscar, talking to Mabel Terry. Her blonde hair shimmered under the soft lights, and her smile lit the room.

Oscar spotted him first. “Liam!” he shouted, jumping up from his seat.

Chloe turned, surprise flashing across her face before it softened into pure joy.

He grinned, weaving his way through the crowd toward them. “Surprise!” he said warmly.

She stood up, her eyes wide with disbelief. “I thought you weren’t coming back until later tonight!”

“Someone didn’t show up for their flight, so I got their seat.”

Before he could say more, Chloe closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

He held her close, the familiar scent of her hair bringing a sense of home he’d missed. “Me too,” he replied softly.

Oscar tugged at his sleeve. “Did you take some photos of the plane?”

Liam chuckled, releasing Chloe but keeping an arm around her waist. “I did. Would you like to see them?”

Oscar nodded and Liam found an empty seat at their table. With Oscar close beside him, he pulled out his cell phone and showed him the pictures.

“Did you see the pilots?” Oscar asked excitedly.

“Not for this flight, but I saw others pilots and cabin crew at the airport.”

While Oscar studied a photo Liam had taken of one of the airline’s parking bays, he said hello to the other wedding guests at the table. When the band started playing a slow song, he smiled at Chloe. “May I have this dance?”

She glanced at Oscar. “Do you mind if I dance with Liam, sweetheart?”

Mabel Terry was sitting beside Chloe. “You go and have fun. Allan and I will look after Oscar.”

“That’s really nice of you. We won’t be long.”

Mabel waved away her words. “Don’t worry about that. If we can raise four daughters, a handsome young man like Oscar will be a breeze.”

Oscar grinned and rushed over to Mabel. “Do you want to see Liam’s airplane?”

Chloe stood and held out her hand to Liam. “We’d better move fast before the music changes.”

The lights on the dance floor dimmed as Liam pulled Chloe into his arms.

“I missed you,” she said softly, resting her head against his shoulder.

“I missed you too,” he admitted, feeling the truth of it settle in his chest. “More than I realized I would.”

They swayed in comfortable silence for a moment before Chloe spoke again. “Did you have any more thoughts about the job offer?”

He took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “Actually, that’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Chloe frowned. “Is everything okay?”

“Better than okay,” he assured her. “I realized something important while I was away.”

“What did you realize?” she asked gently.

“That opportunities come and go, but what’s truly important is right here,” he said, his eyes holding hers. “With you and Oscar.”

She blinked, emotion welling up in her eyes. “Liam...”

“I turned down the job,” he continued. “When they talked about sending me to Vietnam and Singapore for other books in the series, I told them I couldn’t commit to being away for so long.”

She looked surprised. “But that was your dream job.”

“My priorities have changed. I want to build a life here, with you. It’ll make it easier for Oscar to see his dad, and it’ll make life less stressful for you.”

A smile spread across her face, tears glistening. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. As long as you’re happy to see more of me.”

She hugged him tightly. “Of course I am.”

“That’s good, because I have some ideas about how we can make things work. After I’ve finished Eleanor’s book, I was thinking about starting a travel blog. I can write and share stories from Sapphire Bay, maybe even focus on local adventures. It gives me the flexibility to stay in Montana or travel around the country. I’ll also contact the news agencies where I’ve worked. They might want a freelance journalist.”

Chloe kissed him. “That sounds wonderful.”

The song ended, but they remained in each other’s arms, the world around them fading into the background.

“Mind if we join you?” Steve said from beside them. Eden, his fiancée, was standing in his arms, looking more radiant than Liam had ever seen her.

“You look really happy,” Liam said as he shook Steve’s hand and gave Eden a warm hug.

Eden glanced at Steve. “After seeing Owen and Harper get married, we decided to bring our wedding forward.”

Steve smiled. “We’re getting married on the last Saturday in January. Pastor John can officiate and my family are happy to decorate my studio.”

Eden held Chloe’s hand. “You, Oscar, and Liam have to come. It’ll be really casual with lots of yummy food and great music.”

Chloe looked at Liam before replying to Eden. “We’d love to come. January will be here before you know it.”

Steve grinned. “Tell me about it. We’ve got a lot to organize, but we’re excited.”

“Count us in for anything you need,” Liam offered.

“That’d be amazing.” Eden looked at Steve when the band started playing another song. “Come on, twinkle toes. We need to practice a few more waltzes before our wedding.”

Steve sighed. “We’re having a casual wedding reception. We don’t need any waltzes.”

“I only want one,” Eden said with a grin.

With another sigh, Steve held open his arms. “Just call us Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.”

Liam smiled as they waltzed across the room. When they disappeared behind another couple, he turned back to Chloe. “I should find Harper and Owen to congratulate them.”

Chloe nodded, her eyes warm. “They’ll be thrilled to see you. Last time I checked, they were over by the head table.”

He looked across the room. Owen was tall, so it was easy to spot him amongst the wedding guests. “They’re still there. Let’s get Oscar and say hello.” He held Chloe’s hand, and they wove through the crowd.

They made their way back to their table, where Oscar was showing Mabel pictures on Liam’s phone. Seeing Oscar so happy made Liam’s chest tighten—in a good way.

“Look, Liam! Mrs. Terry loves airplanes, too!” Oscar exclaimed.

“Is that right?” Liam smiled as he stood beside Oscar.

Mabel winked. “Well, I may not know as much as you two, but I appreciate their beauty.”

Chloe smiled at Mabel. “Thanks for looking after Oscar. We’re going to say hello to Owen and Harper. Can I get you a cup of coffee and a slice of cake on the way back?”

“That’d be lovely,” Mabel told her. “Allan was supposed to be getting us a hot drink, but he must have been distracted.”

Looking around the room at the happy laughter and excited chatter, Liam wasn’t surprised. “If we see him, we’ll let him know we’re bringing you a cup of coffee.”

Mabel thanked them, and then they were on their way through the other wedding guests.

When they reached the head table, Owen grinned. “Liam! You made it!” He broke away from the group to greet him.

Liam wrapped him in a warm hug. “I caught an earlier flight. Congratulations.”

Harper joined them. Her off-the-shoulder wedding gown flowing gracefully behind her. “It’s so good to see you, Liam,” she said as she gave him a warm embrace.

“You look stunning.”

“Thank you,” she replied, her eyes sparkling. “I saw Chloe and Oscar earlier. We had a great conversation about dinosaurs.”

“Harper said she’d make me a dinosaur birthday cake when I turn seven,” Oscar said excitedly. “All I have to do is choose which dinosaur I want.”

Chloe ruffled Oscar’s hair. “That sounds like a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday.”

Harper smiled down at Oscar. “It’s the least I can do for you. Are you having a good time?”

Oscar nodded. “It’s awesome, but we have to get Mrs. Terry some cake now.”

Harper bent down to Oscar’s level. “You know what? I think having some cake is a fantastic idea. Why don’t we all have some cake?”

As they all moved toward the dessert table, Liam felt a deep sense of belonging. Friends who felt like family surrounded him, and he was blessed to have Chloe and Oscar in his life. Everything should have felt perfect, but it didn’t. There was one thing missing, and he knew how to fix it.