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So, the rest of the guys and I put on some layers and made our way outside.
We’d made it out to the barn, and Dylan decided to share his thoughts about Dakota.
“Thanks, Dylan. I think so, too.”
Even through the layers I had on, I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder. “Really, really happy for you, Jack.”
That came from Carson.
“I feel very lucky,” I told him. “And that’s not just because I’m getting a second chance here with her.”
“What do you mean, son?” my dad asked.
I took in a deep breath and shared, “She was married.”
“And someone let her get away?” Carson retorted. “Shit. I’d hold on to her just for the desserts.”
I let out a laugh.
When I first told Dakota that I wanted to have her come with me to my parents’ house for dinner and she got over the initial shock of it, she insisted she couldn’t show up empty-handed.
So, she baked a couple of batches of cookies. My family loved them, which came as no surprise to me, partly because my family would never pass up desserts, but mostly because they were just that good.
“Believe it or not, someone was stupid enough to let her go,” I confirmed. “From what I’ve learned, he treated her like shit. Never took care of her the way he should have. I’m just glad she didn’t stand for it and decided to get herself out of it.”
“Good for her,” my dad declared.
Nodding, I agreed, “Yeah. She’s a tolerant woman, and she’s very forgiving, so that should tell you just what kind of guy she was with before she moved to Cottonwood.”
“Where is she from?” Mike asked.
“A small town about three hours south of here,” I answered.
“What about her family?” Dylan wondered.
I shook my head. “She hasn’t had a relationship with them since she was a kid, and her grandma basically raised her. But she’s since passed, so Dakota only has her best friend, Waverly, back home.”
There was a collective silence as the guys took that in. A moment later, Todd asked, “But this is home for her now, right?”
I had a feeling they were all probably wondering the same thing that had been weighing heavily on my mind a few weeks ago. “It is. She’s planning to be here for the long haul.”
Nobody said anything, but I could see the relief on their faces. They all liked Dakota. There was no question about it. But at the end of the day, their biggest concern was me.
They knew the loss I’d suffered years ago, and they understood the hell that I went through in the time that followed, so when it came to me finally finding some happiness, I knew they wanted to be sure I wasn’t going to experience some awful heartbreak again.
My dad stepped forward and said, “Well, he’s a fool. You just need to make sure you do right by her, because it seems like she’s got a good head on her shoulders and won’t tolerate any crap.”
Laughing, I returned, “You have no idea.”
“I won’t ask,” my dad noted. “But I want you to know that I couldn’t be happier for you. We’ve spent a lot of time wondering if we were ever going to see you smile again, especially your mother. We’re delighted you found her.”
For the first time since we’d made it outside, Damien joined the conversation. “Brooklynn and I are so relieved to see how happy you are, because we’ve been struggling with something lately.”
“What’s going on? Are you guys alright?” I questioned them.
“We’re fine. Everything is good. But we didn’t know how we were going to share some news we have.”
The moment he said those words, I had a feeling I knew what the news was. Glancing around at the rest of the guys, it seemed they all did, too. But we all waited for him to do what he needed to do to share the news.
