Page 175 of Peaks and Promises

I reached over and took her hand.

“Look at them,” she said, sniffling. “They love him so much. I love them so much. What did I ever do to deserve all this?”

I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it. “You deserve all this and more.”

“I love you.”

Leaning over, I pressed my mouth to hers. “I love you, too.”

We got out of my SUV and joined my parents on the porch. They hugged us, and Mom and Summer shed a few more tears. Nate wasted no time asking if root beer floats were on the menu. That got a soft laugh out of Mom, and Dad gave him one of his rare smiles.

“You bet we’re having root beer floats,” Dad said. “We need to celebrate.”

They led us inside, and it didn’t take long before the rest of the family started showing up. Annika, Levi, and their kids were first, and Nate launched into an animated explanation of his ordeal for Thomas. Summer and I already knew the details—he’d told us everything on the drive home. He spent a lot of time on how he’d left Lego pieces behind, like breadcrumbs for us to follow. Thomas was suitably impressed.

My brothers and their families arrived one by one—except Theo and Penelope, who were still on their honeymoon—and it turned into an impromptu Haven family gathering. Someone ordered pizza, and the kids played outside while the adults hung out in the shade.

When Garrett pulled me aside, I told him the truth about what had happened. It didn’t feel right to lie to him. He nodded along slowly as I spoke. In the end, he gave me a backslapping hug and told me he would have done the same.

We were good.

He went back to sit on the grass with his wife and daughter, and I stood off to the side, watching the chaos. Summer chatted with Melanie and my mom and the kids ran around playing tag. Out of nowhere, my niece Emily toddled over and lifted her hands in the air.

“Hi, little one.” I picked her up and settled her on my hip.

“Hi,” she said and clapped her hands.

I laughed. She was adorable—the perfect combination of her parents. “Hi, Emily.”

She clapped again and giggled, seeming very pleased with herself.

I glanced at Summer. She gazed at me, and the look on her face was one I’ll never forget. In an instant, I knew we were imagining the same thing.

A baby. Our baby. A brother or sister for Nate.

I winked at her. Don’t worry, beautiful. I’m going to give you everything you ever wanted. Including a baby who looks just like you.

CHAPTER 43

Summer

The house was quiet as I sipped my decaf. It was too late for regular coffee. Reese had taken Nate to his parents’ place for a final before-the-grandkids-start-school sleepover. He’d been chatting about it all day. He and Thomas were planning to sleep outside under the stars. I loved that a simple night outside with his best friend/sort-of-cousin felt like an exciting adventure.

As for me, I was happy to have a lot less excitement in my life.

Weeks went by after what became known in the Haven family as “The Big Timber Incident.” And every day brought an increasing sense of peace. Mayhem had no more interest in me and Nate. I was open to maintaining contact with my mother, but her world couldn’t touch me anymore. The weight of fear and uncertainty had lifted, and we could finally move forward.

For the first time in my life, I felt free.

Free and loved. It was an amazing combination.

I scanned the info on the laptop screen. I’d been looking into something that, just a few months prior, had been unthinkable. College.

Me. College. It almost made me laugh. As much as I’d wished for an opportunity to do something else—find a job where I could learn and grow and provide a better life for my son—it had seemed so far out of reach. Impossible, even.

But now? Maybe it wasn’t so far after all.

With a sigh, I clicked over to a different program. Psychology. When I allowed myself to ponder what I really wanted to do, counseling was always the first thing that came to mind. I knew what it was like to struggle, and I loved the idea of helping people work through their traumas and hurts. Of bringing healing and hope, no matter what they’d been through.