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After hanging up, I change into a pair of shorts, thick socks, and an oversized sweater. We spend all night talking about the incredible man I met, and when I finally crawl into bed to get some sleep, I realize he just might be the one to change my life.
Chapter 2
Jax
“Daddy!” The high-pitched squeal is followed by my twin girls jumping into bed with me just as the sun is beginning to rise. “Was she a princess?” Bellamy asks. She’s minutes younger than Bethany and filled with every question possible.
“Better.” I grin as they lay their chins on my chest to listen. “She’s a ballerina.” Their matching brown eyes widen with delight.
“Wow.” Bethy glows with excitement. She loves to dance and sing but especially loves ballet. “Could she teach me?” Her unassuming voice whispers, making me grin.
Bethy is the shy one of my girls. They’re polar opposites and best friends. Where Bellamy is outgoing and draws the attention of a crowd in no time, Bethany is more likely to hide behind me, away from prying eyes. Having her ask for something from someone is huge, but I don’t make a big deal about it.
“I bet we could ask her one day.” I purposely didn’t tell Scotlyn about my girls. I had no idea the date would go so well. That I would feel like I had met the other half of my soul. But itdid, and I’m confident that when the time is right, learning about my girls won’t scare her off.
“Do you think she’ll like us?” Belly asks, curiosity and a touch of worry in her gaze.
“Of course I do.” I have no doubt Scotlyn will love them, and they, her.
Growing up without a mother has been difficult for the girls. They have my mom and my aunt Ev, and my sister, but it’s not quite the same. It’s something I understand very well too. My birth mother was a terrible person who nearly had me and Deidre killed when I was my girls' age. I still remember the day Dad brought her home. The way she smiled at me, promised to make me pancakes and sang me an old Irish lullaby at bedtime until the nightmares faded.
Deidre is the mother I was meant to have. She’s the woman my father swears was born to belong to him. They’re as in love now as the day they met.
“Alright, up, get dressed, then we’ll head to the house for breakfast.” The girls were six months old when I realized their mother, Mila, wasn’t up for the task. She tried damn hard, but it wasn’t for her. We were never meant to be, but we stayed together and tried to be a family for the girls. The day after their first birthday, I gave her the freedom she desperately tried to squash. I have no doubt she loved our girls, which was why she went away. She knew that staying would only force her to resent them.
After signing away her rights and granting me full custody, she left, and we haven’t seen her since. The girls don’t ask about her, and I’m not sure if it’s because they’re afraid of the answers they’ll receive or they just assume they don’t have a mother. Mila left letters for them, knowing, one day, they would inquire as to why she wasn’t there. I’m hoping it’s not until they’re much older that I need to give them to them.
“Nana says she’s taking us shopping for new dresses today for the ballet next week!” For their fourth birthday two months ago, Mom got the girls tickets to a ballet performance. It’s the first time this specific one is being performed in the country, and it's supposed to be a big deal. The girls are making a huge night of it: limo, dinner, show, everything.
“You don’t leave Nana’s sight.” They’ve been known to hide from each other in the stores without thought as to who might be looking for them when they disappear.
“Yes, Daddy,” they say together with a snicker, and I shake my head. “Is Aunty Ev coming too?” I see them nod as they brush their teeth.Good,at least it’ll be a fair search.
Shutting my bedroom door, I slip into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before grabbing my phone off the charger and sending Scotlyn a quick text.
Jax: Morning sunshine. I’ll call you this afternoon.
Taking a quick picture of the sun rising over the fields from my window, I hit send. We haven’t made plans for another date yet, but I plan to change that this afternoon, with the hope of seeing her again tomorrow.
“Ready?” I call to the girls as I scroll through the emails on my phone. The request for help at the bottom catches my attention.
“Papa!” Bethy shouts with excitement as she opens the door leading to the stairs in the barn. I laugh as both girls rush down to my dad, jumping into his arms.
“Whoa, there, little girl, what’d we say about running down them stairs like that?” Bethany casts her eyes down and apologizes while Bellamy looks ready to dispute him. “Not a bit of sass from you.” He points at Belly, and she scrunches up her nose.
“Sorry, Papa, we were just excited.” She doesn’t look the least bit sorry, but these girls have him wrapped around their fingers.
“Nana’s got breakfast cooking. Go on up to the house.” They both nod as he kisses their cheeks and run off to where Mom is standing on the back porch waiting for them.
Feeling my phone vibrating in my pocket, I pull it out to see a message from Scotlyn.
Sunshine: Beautiful view, here’s mine.
I burst out laughing when I see the picture of her friend behind her, flipping her off while guzzling a coffee.
“That her?” Dad asks, peering down at my phone.
“Yeah. She’s something else.” He eyes me strangely before walking to the horse stalls and opening Ranger's. He’s a jet-black Mustang we rescued last year. Ranger is still timid around men, but he eats up the attention from my girls. Though, they aren’t allowed to ride him yet. Not until we’re certain he’s safe.
