Bryson had hoped his father wouldn’t reminisce to the point of grief, but as they often did, the memories of that time emerged.“I’m adopted,” Bryson said to Hadley, catching her low gasp of surprise at the news.
“Best thing that ever happened to us,” his father said, nodding as his thick hand patted Bryson’s shoulder.“Bryson brought my Clara back to life.I don’t think she wouldn’t have survived it otherwise.”
Bryson could tell Hadley had questions, but she steered the conversation toward stories of Bryson’s antics as a boy and got his father smiling again.
“He pulled that stuffed toy around on a string everywhere we went until we finally agreed to let him get a dog.”
“No wonder you’re so good with Hershey,” she said, smiling.
“Hadley has a beautiful dog,” Bryson told his father.“We’ll bring her to see you sometime soon, Pop.”
The chime sounded that visiting hours were over, and Hadley hugged his dad an extra-long moment and kissed his father’s cheek.
“Thank you for sharing those stories with me,” she said.“I can’t wait to visit again and hear more of them.”
Bryson waited for Hadley to straighten before he bent and hugged his father.“I love you, old man.Don’t be giving the nurses a hard time, you hear me?”
“Don’t be giving that pretty girl a hard time,” his father said, giving Bryson a hard look that was far too easy to read.
His father had urged Bryson to date in the years since Tish’s death, but since Hadley was the first woman Bryson had brought to meet his father, his old man understood the significance Hadley held.
Bryson nodded and wrapped his arm around Hadley’s shoulders, tugging her close and turning them to walk out the door with a final wave goodbye.
Hadley was silent all the way back to his truck, and once he climbed behind the wheel, he turned the key to get the AC going, waiting for her to speak.
“He’s wonderful,” she said softly.“And you’re wonderful with him.”
“He taught me everything I know.I wouldn’t be who or where I am without him.”
“You didn’t tell me you were adopted.”
He stared out at the darkened parking lot and shook his head.“Because I don’t think of myself that way.Technically I am, but they were never anything but Mom and Dad.I had a great life.Great childhood.They’ll always be my parents.”
Hadley scooted to the edge of her seat and stretched her arms across the way, lightly tugging on his shirt to pull him close enough to kiss.
“Does it bother you?”he asked.
“That you’re adopted?Not at all.Why would it?”
Staring into her beautiful blue-green gaze, he could tell she spoke true.“Just wondered.Sometimes Tish would worry about whatever genes might be running amok inside of me, but since we never got pregnant, it didn’t matter.”
Hadley brushed her lips over his again.
“All I see is a very handsome man who appreciates the life he was blessed to have.”
Bryson grasped her around the waist and simultaneously lifted and tugged her over the console and onto his lap, trapping her between him and the steering wheel.
“Bryson!”
Her laughter filled the vehicle, and he captured the sound on her lips.“Let’s see if we can fog up the windows some, hmm?”
“Other people are leaving.They’ll see us.”
“Do you care?”he asked, a knot in his gut that one day she’d wake up and have a change of heart when he’d already given her his.
Hadley nuzzled his mouth with hers before sliding her lips along his jawline to his ear.
“No.But wewouldhave more privacy at my house.”