Opening my truck door yesterday to see her cradling my daughter in her arms, wrapping her body around Macy as if she would put herself in the way before she let anything happen to my baby that had gotten to me. She was scared, frightened for her life, yet she still put Macy first.
Hearing her talk about her father last night, and finally realizing that she didn’t need a sign from him to tell her what to do with her life, or whether he was proud of her. That she finally figured out that all he would want, was for her to be happy.
It had hit me hard.
I was so scared of whether Kim would approve of me falling in love again, I didn’t stop to think about whether she would want me to live the rest of my life alone. Would she want Macy to grow up without a mother figure in her life, or would she want someone around who loved and adored our little girl just as much as we did?
Someone who loved her enough to throw herself in front of a bullet to protect her. And someone who knew what it was like to lose an important person in their life, and want to preserve their memory.
“This is not your choice, Leo,” Hadley said, standing her ground as I stood in front of her. “I won’t see you hurt. I can’t do it. I can’t risk it.”
She was wrong.
I was already planning on talking to Optimus about this after church was done.
I wouldn’t stand around and watch her with my brothers for another day.
She was mine.
I’d known the second I touched her that she belonged to me. But fear and heartache had clouded my judgment.
Now she was forcing my hand.
“No, but I’m about to make it my choice. And you’re going to smile and fucking deal with it because I’m only saying this once.” I turned to Op. “I’m claiming her.”
Both Op and Kit’s faces turned up in a smirk. A couple of my brothers chuckled, while others just stared on in awe.
“What?” Hadley gasped, looking around confused.
“Give us a minute?” I asked Op, my eyes never leaving Hadley.
“All right, church in an hour. We’ll get back to making a plan then,” he ordered. My brothers stood and began filing out the door.
I knew some would be disappointed. Hadley was beautiful and sexy and strong.
Everything a man could want in an Old Lady.
But now, she was also mine.