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Lila and Christine nodded their agreement with all that had just been shared.
I didn’t think I was responsible for doing all that they’d said, so I replied, “Oh, well, I mean, I don’t think that—”
“My son is not the same man today that he was the last time he came here for a family dinner,” Sue informed me, cutting me off. I could hear the raw emotion in her voice, and it was heartbreaking. “Every time. Every time he came, I thought it would be better.”
She shook her head, and after a beat of silence, Lila shared, “It never got better.”
My heart broke hearing them say these things about Jack. I couldn’t imagine seeing him so broken and miserable, especially not after the way I’d seen him for the last several weeks.
“It seems impossible,” I told them. “I’ve not known Jack to be a downtrodden man. Truthfully, over the last few weeks, we’ve had days together where my face starts to hurt from laughing so much.”
Jack’s mom covered her mouth with her hand as Hailee, Christine, and Brooklyn shared their disbelief by allowing their mouths to fall open.
“You’re joking,” Jessa said.
I shook my head. “No. Honestly, if he hadn’t told me, I never would have guessed he suffered through what he did.”
“I wish you would have moved to Cottonwood two years ago,” Sue said.
She wasn’t the only one.
If I even had an inkling that a man like Jack would be here, waiting for me, I had to believe I would have dropped everything, moved here, and stopped myself from making the biggest mistake of my life.
I had been telling myself ever since I got to Cottonwood that it was time to give up on finding a family of my own. I’d been let down one too many times, and I just didn’t have it in me to put myself out there again.
But Jack came along and made it impossible to follow through. And with what felt like a simple snap of his fingers, it felt like he’d given me what I’d needed for so long. I’d found it just being with him.
Today, being here at the ranch he grew up on with his family, I got more than I bargained for in the very best way possible.
“You have no idea how much I wish that was the case, too,” I said to Sue. “I adore your son.”
“This has been the best day ever,” Hailee declared.
“Yeah,” Blair agreed. “I knew we were all a little shocked to learn that Jack had met someone and that he wanted to bring you for a family dinner, but seeing him today with you is beyond, I think, what we all expected. He’s so consumed. He’s so happy.”
“Much more so than any of us thought was possible,” Christine added. “God, I can’t tell you the amount of conversations Dylan and I have had about it. We were both upset about it all, but Dylan was taking it hard seeing his brother like that for so long.”
I didn’t want to cry, but it was hard to stave off the tears. These women were welcoming me at the same time they were making me feel like I was some kind of hero. I didn’t think I’d done anything, and hearing how much they’d all been hurt for so long was heartbreaking.
Brooklynn must have realized what was going through my head, because she chimed in and shared, “I think what we’re all trying to say is that we couldn’t be more grateful for you. We’re glad that you and Jack found one another, and we love seeing how happy you’ve made him. I know I’m especially grateful, because Damien and I have had news to share, and we didn’t know how to do it until now.”
“What?” Jessa squeaked.
Now it was Brooklynn with tears in her eyes. “I’m pregnant.”
With those two words, chaos had ensued, but in the very best way possible. All of the women in the room gathered around Brooklynn, hugging her and offering congratulatory words.
When I finally had the chance, I gave her a hug and said, “Congratulations. This is such exciting news.”
“Thank you, Dakota. Thank you for giving my brother back to us in one piece.”
I smiled at her. She smiled back.
And it was at that point that I knew I’d never have to worry that I’d be left alone at Christmas time if Jack and I were still together.
This family would never exclude me. They knew how much I loved Jack, and I think I was already falling in love with them, too.
EIGHTEEN
