Page 86 of Together Is Where We Belong

twenty-one

Carolina

Aweek had passed since that conversation in the hall where I’d confessed my lie to Leo. Seven days where I hadn’t gotten the chance to explain since he’d been so busy at the ranch. There was so much more to confess to Leo. I’d felt a shift in our dynamic from the first Sunday dinner I’d attended with Luke, but I was too scared to even entertain the thought. So much was up in the air right now that I could only focus on the threat that still hadn’t been resolved.

I let out a sigh as I got ready for the night. Monday’s were social quarters dinners at the clubhouse. Leo messaged me earlier today while I was at work and asked if I wanted to bring Luke. I was apprehensive about the stalker now in Haven Valley, but I knew we’d be safe at the ranch, so I’d agreed. Plus, Luke hadn’t been able to spend time with kids his age in weeks, and I knew he needed that time.

I’d managed to register Luke at school on my lunch break. I couldn’t believe my sweet baby boy was about to be in the second grade. Since I’d registered him right before the school year started in a couple of weeks, they told me to check back in a week or so to get his teacher’s information, but they gave me the list of supplies he’d need. There was so much to do and not a lot of time to do it.

I fastened the simple silver hoop earring on my right ear and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My long brown hair was in waves, and I’d worn a baby blue halter sundress paired with white wedges. I told myself I wasn’t wearing it for Leo, but that was a lie. I grabbed my bag and went in search of Luke who I’d gotten dressed prior to getting myself dressed.

He told me that he had to wear jeans with his cowboy boots that his Nana had given him, and I paired them with a blue button-down plaid shirt.

When I rounded the corner into the kitchen, I stopped in my tracks. There stood my little boy in the outfit I’d dressed him in. Only a new addition had been added to his attire. Leo stood beside him dressed in a plain blue button-down and jeans with boots. Both him and Luke looked up at me when they heard me gasp, and I swear my heart skipped a beat at the sight of them in their matching cowboy hats.

“Look what Dad got me, Mom. Isn’t it the coolest? Now I can be a cowboy just like him,” Luke said as he put his fingers on the brim of his hat and nodded.

He looked so much like his dad now that he’d had a cowboy hat on his head. I might have birthed that little boy, but he was a mirrored image of his father, and seeing the two of them standing side by side, I remembered Leo at the same age.

“You look so handsome,” I told him as I snapped out of it and continued into the kitchen.

“I don’t look handsome, Mom. I look like a cowboy,” he rebutted.

“Yes you sure do,” I replied with a smirk as I looked over at Leo who held in a laugh.

“He’s all you,” I said with a smirk as I walked around them to the back door.

“You ready to go?” I asked as I opened the door and grabbed Luke’s backpack off the back of the kitchen chair.

Luke excitedly ran through the door, and Leo stopped and waited for me to walk through before he followed us out to his truck.

Luke talked about how excited he was to see the clubhouse as we drove the short distance to the other side of their property. I’d never get over how magical it looked as we drove down the gravel drive with the porch lights lit up at each of the cabins.

Leo parked the truck and helped me and Luke out, and we walked over to the clubhouse. Music could be heard outside of the building and got even louder after Leo scanned his keycard at the door and we walked inside. Families mingled with others. A buffet-style dinner set off to the right of the entryway and three huge wooden tables that were intricately carved donned the right side of the space. Fairy lights hung from the ceiling from one side of the room to the next. The lights were dimmed low, and the ceiling fans spun above helping to cool the room alongside the air conditioning.

Leo’s hand touched the small of my back to guide us over to where his brothers and sister stood. The feel of his hand on my back caused my heart to flutter.

Ainsleigh had Olivia strapped to her chest as she bounced her up and down. I vividly remembered those days with Luke as we made our way over.

“You made it.” Ainsleigh smiled at me as she looked down at Luke.

“Hi, Aunt Ainsleigh,” Luke said as he turned toward me and waved at me to stoop to his level. I knelt to face him, and my dress flowed down around me.

He cupped his hand over the side of his mouth as he whispered, “Did you remember her present?”

I reached into my bag and pulled out the wrapped present and handed it to Luke to give to her. A couple of days ago I printed off the photo of Olivia and Luke and stopped in one of the shops along Main Street during my lunch break and found a beautiful vintage sterling silver frame to pair it with.

He handed it to her with a sheepish smile before he stepped back and kept his gaze on Ainsleigh.

“For me?” she gasped as she held it in her hand.

“Open it,” he said.

She carefully tore open the package and flipped the frame over. Tears filled her eyes as she looked down at the photo of Olivia and Luke from that Sunday night dinner.

“This is so sweet. I’m going to put it in my office tomorrow so I can look at it every day,” she told him, then looked up at me and mouthed a thank you.

“That’s awesome. Remember, I’ll sing to her anytime,” he said as he walked backward and put his hand in Leo’s.