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CHAPTER25
Colton
I rolled over and kissed Annabella. “Good morning. Time to rise and shine if we’re going to catch our flight to Boston.”
Our night had been filled with research on adoption processes. There was so much legality around them here in the states, but Annabella helped me explore how they were handled in other countries. Even though I never told her about James and what he’d done, she knew that my biological mother was Tabiqian, and therefore that was enough for me to recruit her assistance on this. And her excitement in helping other children find homes seemed to have become something she was equally passionate about.
I’m one lucky man. And if I can get her sleepy ass out of bed, I might even be luckier.
We’d been in South Dakota for a month now, but the lease was up on her apartment at the end of the week and we needed to go and pack up her things and move them here. There was only one problem - I knew this wasn’t where she wanted to be. Each time I tried talking to her about where she wanted to live, she only responded with, “This is fine.”
Fine wasn’t good enough. Fine wasn’t a home. Fine was…settling. The only reason I agreed to let her apartment in Boston go was because that wasn’t home, either.
She stretched and said, “Five more minutes.”
I gave her a playful rap on the ass then tugged the blankets off. “Two minutes,” I said, leaving her grumbling to herself in the bed.
We weren’t using the Henderson jet today, so there was no flexibility on departure time. If we missed our flight, we’d have to fly out tomorrow. Since I had a full day planned for us today, one Annabella wasn’t aware of, I really didn’t want to miss our flight.
I poured her a cup of coffee, added cream and extra sugar, and brought it to the bedroom. She was still lying on the bed, but at least her eyes were open.
“Oh, you brought me coffee. That’s so sweet,” she said, reaching out for the cup.
I knew if I handed it to her she would drink it in bed. Funny the things you learn about each other when you live together. Placing the cup on the dresser, I gave her a mischievous smile and turned to leave the room.
“Colton, that’s not funny,” she whined.
Moments later I heard the shower running. That gave me plenty of time to make the call I needed to.
“Hello,” she answered.
“Good morning, Mrs. Montgomery. I am checking to see if everything is still on schedule.”
“I told you to call me Barbara, and yes, it is. I just hope you know what you’re doing,” she said. “If it doesn’t work out the way you planned, there will be hell to pay.”
I knew that, but I had to do something. This had gone on long enough. Even though Annabella wouldn’t say she was hurting, I knew she was. Greg was her father. They had been close, even worked together. She wanted him to be a part of her life. I was going to do everything I possibly could to make that happen.Or seal our fate and make him hate us both forever.
“Don’t worry, Barbara. It will be okay. You have my word on it.”If this doesn’t work, then nothing will.
I ended the call. There were lots of moving parts to make this happen. One missing piece and it would fail. Listening closely, I heard the shower was still running. I might have time for one last call.
“Jack, everything set?”
“Yes. Stop worrying already. If you call me again, I’m not going to answer,” he said.
He loved to give me grief, but he was the one person I knew I could count on to keep his mouth shut about this.
The bathroom door opened, and Annabella asked, “Are you talking to me?”
“No. I was singing,” I lied, and ended the call with Jack.
“I thought you said you only sing in the shower,” she said as she started getting dressed.
“Guess I sing while you’re in the shower, too,” I replied. “I put our bags in the truck. You almost ready?”
She came out of the bedroom, hair still wet and no makeup. “When you rush me, this is what you get.”
I leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Perfection.”
