I wait on the sidewalk as he comes nearer, struck almost stupid by how ridiculously handsome he is. A wave of giddiness crashes through me as I realize… this man is mine.
For now, anyway.
It amazes me that someone like him could be interested in someone like me. Attracted to someone like me.
Let’s face it… I come with a whole slew of messy problems—and who wants to be saddled with someone who faces such a serious medical condition?
For now, I just accept it for what it is, letting myself be struck by the enormity of how much Dax Monahan dazzles me.
“Bout time you got here,” he says gruffly, and I’m stunned when he wraps his arms around me, lifting me in a big hug. My arms go automatically around his neck, and I squeeze tightly as he buries his face in my neck. Lifting my gaze slightly to the house, I see Linda and Willow with their faces pressed against the glass peering out at us. Calvin wouldn’t dare to be so nosy, but I’m sure he’s just waiting on a report from the women.
When Dax loosens his hold and lets me slide to the ground again, he gives me a critical once over with worried eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” I reply with a confident smile.
“No side effects from the treatment yesterday?”
“Nope.”
“You’d tell me if so?” he prods.
“Nope,” I reply with a sassy grin.
“You need a spanking,” he mutters as he picks up my suitcase. “But I better get you inside. Everyone is dying to fawn all over you.”
“So you told them everything?” I ask, worrying at my lower lip.
“Well, I told them about the PNH and us getting married. Willow had already blabbed about us.”
“What about us?” I inquire.
Dax takes my hand. Squeezes it. “That we’re not just friends.”
I’m fairly sure my hand just turned sweaty. “And how did they take it?”
“A lot better than you having a serious medical condition. Mom’s obviously worried about you, so you should be prepared… she’s in full-on mothering mode right now.”
I sigh with relief that it’s now all out in the open. “I’m okay with that. In fact, that sounds a little nice actually.”
“Then come on,” he says, then tugs me across the front yard, up the porch steps, and into the house.
No one is there to greet us. Probably didn’t want to get busted spying on us. Dax sets my suitcase down, and I follow him to the kitchen at the back of the house.
Linda, Calvin, and Willow are all there waiting.
Linda moves on me first, wrapping me up in a warm hug. I inhale the familiar floral perfume she always wears, and it feels a little like coming home to me.
“You poor, sweet girl,” Linda croons as she just holds onto me super tight. “What you’ve been through. Had I known, I would have insisted you come back home and let me take care of you.”
She releases me, leans back, and locks her eyes on me. “As it is, I’m proud of how strong you are, and of my son for stepping in to help you. He loved Lance and he loves you, and I’m so grateful for all of it.”
I was not expecting words like that, and they punch me in the chest. In a good way. Painful, but good. Touching and relieving and reassuring all at once. It was probably the fact she said Dax loves me that caused the most feels, but I have to remember there are several types of love and his is born of obligation and duty.
“Come here, you,” Calvin says gruffly, then I’m pulled away from Linda and lifted into a big bear hug that has me laughing as I squeeze him back.
Calvin was a lot like my own dad. Short on words, big on actions. So when he lowers me to the ground and then bends so he can peer straight into my eyes, I’m surprised when he says, “We all have your back, Regan. We’re your family now.”
My eyes immediately flood with tears, but then I’m being jerked into another hug by Linda, Calvin enveloping us both in his arms. We all start laughing when Willow rushes in saying, “Let me in on some of that action.”
I’m stuck in the middle of a Monahan hug, and it feels good and right. I glance past Linda’s shoulder and see Dax leaning against the counter, hands pushed down into his front pockets. The smile on his face is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s packed full of emotion and maybe even a bit of pride in his family at this moment.
We break apart, Calvin giving a gruff, semi-awkward cough as he steps away to lean against the kitchen counter beside his son.
“Meredith will be coming over in a few hours after the kids get out of school,” Linda says as she moves over to the coffee pot. They always have some hot and ready to serve.