AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cadence let out a cry of joy. “I can’t believe it. He’s finally going to have to face up to his actions.”
“He’s going away for a long time,” Jason added. “He’ll never hurt you or Logan again.”
“That’s a promise,” Parker said, locking gazes with Cadence.
She cradled the back of Logan’s head as he nuzzled against her. “This is such a blessing for us. We can finally move forward with our lives without having to look over our shoulders.” She almost wanted to pinch herself. Could this really, truly be over?
“He’s going down, Cadence. Trust me when I say that,” Parker said. His confidence made her believe. “After everything he’s done, I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.”
For the first time in a very long time, Cadence felt hopeful. The nightmare was finally coming to an end.
“Nothing means a thing in this life if you don’t have people to share the journey with you.”
Shayla Donahue
Chapter Seven
Everything was right in Parker Donahue’s world. After tying up some loose ends in Sonoma, he, Cadence, Jason and Logan headed back home to Pelican Bay on the first flight he could book for the four of them. He’d never been so ecstatic to be on Florida soil. California was a beautiful state, but there was truly no place like home. And he was chomping at the bit to let every last Donahue know about Logan. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
He was a father! It was still a little tricky to wrap his head around his new reality. God had blessed him by giving him Logan. And by keeping him safe from all harm. From this moment forward, nothing would ever be the same again. His imagination danced with a hundred different ideas about raising a little boy. Did Logan like the water? He’d love to take him out on the water in Daniel’s boat and show him all the beauty stretched out before them on the shores of Pelican Bay. It was a Donahue family tradition after all.
At the moment he was sitting on the couch with Cadence, who had their son nestled against her chest. He wasn’t sure if Cadence would ever let go of Logan again. He couldn’t say he blamed her after she’d been separated from him for the past few days.
Parker knew how fortunate they were to have Logan right here with them. He couldn’t get enough of him. He knew he was staring at his son, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. Logan was perfect in every way imaginable, Parker realized. Such innocence and goodness. Thank God Mason’s hatred hadn’t robbed them of their son. He still had a chance to raise Logan, to buy him his first baseball bat and take him to his first cub scout meeting. Even though he’d lost a huge chunk of time with his boy, it wasn’t too late to connect with him.
“You keep staring at him as if he might disappear,” Cadence noted in a light tone.
“To be completely honest,” he said in a low voice, “I still can’t believe he’s mine.” He reached out and lightly touched one of Logan’s little fingers. Logan was so soft and vulnerable, but he had a sturdiness one couldn’t ignore. Parker had seen a few signs of Logan’s feistiness, which reminded him of himself as a child.
“You became an instant father, Parker. I know that can’t be easy.”
“It’s a blessing,” he said, looking over at Cadence. She seemed to be studying his expression, perhaps trying to determine how he felt about being Logan’s dad. He took a deep breath and continued. “I’m not going to pretend the circumstances haven’t been a bit overwhelming, but finding out I’m this little man’s father is one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever known. I can’t even put it into words.”
Cadence blinked back tears. “I’m so happy you feel that way. I’m terribly biased, but he’s the sun and the moon and the stars all wrapped up in one little boy.”
“He’s really something else isn’t he?” Parker asked, reaching out and running his hand alongside Logan’s cheek as he peacefully slept.
“He’s everything and then some,” Cadence said, pride ringing out in her voice.
“I won’t argue with you on that,” Parker responded, his chest tightening with a feeling he couldn’t quite put his finger on. “I’m feeling a bit impatient to bond with him. I want him to know he’s my son.”
“Of course,” Cadence said, her blue eyes wide with sincerity. “I want that too, Parker. And believe me, I know it’s long overdue.”
“Like Jason said, he’s still young. Kids are resilient. Thank the Lord.”
Cadence ran her hand lightly over Logan’s head. “For so long I’ve hated Mason for everything he did to me, but now all I feel is sadness. The hatred is gone. I had to let go of it before it took me down with it. He was sick, Parker. Twisted. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt Logan. I’ll always be grateful for that.”
“Me too,” Parker said, heaving a gigantic sigh. He didn’t even want to dwell on what might have happened. It was too grim. “It might take me a while to feel anything but anger toward him, but I know we’re blessed that things ended the way they did. God was with us.”
“He sure was,” Cadence said, grinning at him. Her smile went straight to his soul.
“I want the two of you to stay here until you figure things out.” He let out a sigh. How could he tell her he wanted her to relocate to Pelican Bay? It wasn’t as if there was anything romantic between them. Mason had destroyed their love story.
On impulse, Parker placed his arm around Cadence and pulled her close to him. A feeling of protectiveness washed over him. He looked down and gazed at Cadence holding their son so lovingly against her chest.
Logan. His beautiful son. A gift from God. It was amazing how he had just been introduced to him, yet he already felt an enormous burst of love tow
ard his mini-me. It was strange to feel instant love for someone, yet empowering. It was true what everyone said about falling in love with your children. Although he knew the circumstances of his birth hadn’t been ideal, Logan was still an immense blessing.
