And he loved her too. He could no longer deny his feelings toward her. Fear had crept in when he’d first realized it a few days ago. Being in love had always been a dicey proposition for Caleb. Time and again he had given his all to a woman, only to be disappointed and heartbroken. Felicity had made him feel that love wasn’t something he could ever truly trust. Being given up by his birth mother had left him with scars. Clearly, he was still struggling with those issues. Even though he had reunited with Rayna, those issues wouldn’t just evaporate. And poor Addie had been the scapegoat.
It wasn’t fair! Addie was the real deal. She was the other half of his heart. He loved her. And he couldn’t imagine a life without her. Now, he just had to figure out a way to make things right with her and claim the life he wanted with the woman of his dreams.
**
Addie made her way down the hall to her father’s office at the Fontaine building. She immediately spotted Delores Fenton, her father’s secretary, sitting at her desk. With her severe bun and imperious expression, Delores was an intimidating figure. Thankfully, Addie had known the woman for years. She was a big teddy bear.
“Good morning, Delores,” Addie said. “Is my father in his office? I know he’s back from Costa Rica.”
“Hi, Addie. He’s in there, but he told me he can’t be interrupted.”
“Sorry, Delores. This is urgent.” Addie breezed past Delores’s desk and stormed through the doors of her father’s office.
He sat up straight in his chair. A thunderous expression was etched on his face. “What in the world?”
Addie pulled herself up to her full height and met her father’s gaze head on. “This is a courtesy visit. I gave Caleb full ownership of the Blue Bayou.”
“You did what?” her father roared.
She tilted her chin up. “You heard me. There’s not a thing wrong with your hearing, daddy.” Addie gulped. She couldn’t believe she’d had the gumption to speak to her father so frankly. If her mother was here she’d have a conniption fit. But Addie wasn’t thinking about getting on her father’s good side. She was determined to speak her mind plainly and stand up for herself.
Humph! In her humble opinion, it was about time.
Sebastian let out a roar. “What did you do that for? Haven’t I taught you anything? You never just give away a property. That’s not the Fontaine way.” He sucked his teeth.
She put her hands firmly on her hips and took a step closer to her father. “Because I love him! That’s why. Is that a good enough reason for you?”
Her father’s jaw dropped. “Is that true?” His voice sounded raspy and raw. “You love Caleb?”
She tilted her chin up. “Yes, it is. If I had my most fervent wish come true, it would be to love and be loved by Caleb Donahue for the rest of my life.”
/> She watched her father’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “Does he love you back?”
Addie was trying hard not to cry as she heard her father’s question. She could see hope flaring in his eyes. This was the man she’d loved her whole life. In this moment she knew she hadn’t lost the man she had always adored. Addie knew he was rooting for her happiness, even though he was angry at her for giving Caleb full ownership of the bistro.
“Probably not.” She shook her head. “I don’t think so. But it’s okay,” she said, her voice cracking. “Sometimes we don’t get the happy ending tied up with a nice little bow.” She smiled at her father. Loving Caleb had given her wings. Even if he never knew the extent of her love for him, it was enough that these feelings were inside her. She’d been transformed. He’d changed her in ways she couldn’t ever express with mere words. And she would always be grateful.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Her favorite Bible verse from Corinthians spoke her truths plainly. It mirrored the way she felt about Caleb.
For a few moments her father simply stared at her. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time in years. “You’ve changed,” he said in a low voice. “And I’m sorry to say I’ve just noticed it.”
She reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly. “That’s all right, daddy. I’m glad you’re noticing right now. It didn’t happen overnight. It’s been a gradual process.”
He shook his head. A stunned expression was etched on his face. “You're a different woman now, Addie. When you smile, it radiates joy. You’re not just going through the motions. And I think it has everything to do with Caleb Donahue. When your mother and I divorced it scarred you. Being raised without a father in the home hurt you and Tabitha. And I’m sorry for it. I was so busy building my empire I never stopped to smell the roses.”
“It was hard losing you and then Tabitha. It felt like the very foundation of my world was crumbling all around me.”
Her father winced. “I blame myself for that.”
“Daddy you can’t blame yourself for Tabitha’s death. You had no control over it.”
He sniffed back tears. “But I wasn’t available to you. When we lost Tabitha it hurt so badly. I didn’t know what to do with all those feelings, so I put them away so I didn’t have to deal with them. But it doesn’t work when you bury your emotions. Sooner or later they come bubbling up to the surface. Lately they’ve been bubbling up inside of me. I’ve been so very angry. A parent should never have to bury their child.”
“I know, daddy. I miss her too. She was the other half of my heart. It’s been difficult to make sense of losing her. I’ve often asked God why he took her.”
Sebastian shook his head. “I’ve asked the Lord the same question, over and over again. I would have traded places with her in a heartbeat if it had been an option.”
“The only thing I can fathom is that heaven needed her more than we did.”