“I’m not done yet,” Paisley said. “I liked when we went horseback riding, and I liked when grandpa took me on the lake last summer. He made the boat go so fast.”
His dad was loving retirement. At first, he’d spent a lot of time helping Hailey with the girls, but once Cole had come home in June, he’d built a pretty good life of his own. Even if people continued to check under his kilt.
“And what do you love about being a family?” Hailey asked Evvie.
“We made cookies for Cwismas. And I skated.”
Back when he was a wild kid building dirt bike courses on people’s properties with his buddies, his former coach had shown them how to channel their energy into a competitive sport. He and his four best friends had taken those hockey lessons and turned them into careers.
He didn’t know what these girls would wind up doing, but he saw how much Evvie loved watching the figure skaters train at the Bowie brothers’ complex, so he’d started her in ice skating lessons.
“Yes, I like watching you because it looks like you’re having so much fun,” Hailey said. “What else?”
“I don’t know.”
Hailey brushed the hair out of the little girl’s eyes. “Can you think of anything else this year that made you happy?”
“I like when we get in bed and wead stories.” She gazed up at Cole. “I like when you sing to me.”
Since he had his special time at night with Paisley braiding her hair, he’d started singing lullabies to Evvie, and she loved it.
Her head fell against his chest. “I don’t know.” She sighed. “I just like when you love me.”
Sometimes, his heart couldn’t handle this much emotion. It didn’t seem designed for so much love. And yet, it always surprised him by stretching to accommodate just a little bit more. “I will always love you.” Hugging her, he rested his chin on her shoulder. “You’re papa’s little girl. You both are.” When Paisley climbed onto his lap, the three of them held each other tightly. “My girls. I love you so much.”
“Let me in there.” Hailey wrapped her arms around them, her forehead touching his. “Thisis my favorite memory. Right here. Right now.”
He let it sink in, this love, this connection, this beautiful bond, and that’s when he knew it was time. He’d been waiting for just the right moment.
This is it.
“I’d like to make a new one.”
Hailey pulled away. “A new memory?”
He stood, shifting the girls onto the chair he’d just vacated, and got down on one knee. When he pulled a blue ring box out of his pocket, Hailey looked like she’d stopped breathing.
“Hailey Casselton, I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you at Darren’s locker in twelfth grade. I blew it the first time around, and I almost blew it the second time, but now, I’m ready to be the man you need. I want to walk through life at your side. I want to bring you coffee in your studio every morning and spoon with you every night in our bed. There’s nothing I want more than to wake up with you every day for the rest of my life.” He was an athlete, not a poet. He would never have the right words to express how he felt about her. So, he’d keep it simple. “I just want you. You and only you. Will you marry me?”
She lunged out of her chair and into his arms, knocking him onto his ass. They kissed like nobody was watching, and he lost himself in what had to be the greatest moment of his life. “I love you,” he whispered. This family had filled all the empty spaces inside him. He had everything he could ever want and more.
She pressed kisses all over his face. “I love you so much.”
“So, you’ll marry me?” He opened the ring box and pulled out the diamond bracketed by two rubies, one representing each of their girls.
“Yes, yes, yes.”
“Thank God.” He hugged her with such force she squealed. The girls piled on top, and they all laughed and rolled around.
But he wasn’t done. He gently extracted himself. Then, he lifted the girls back onto the chair and knelt before them. Taking their hands, he said, “I didn’t know what happiness felt like until you girls came into my life. I didn’t know what family meant until you made us one. I love you both with all my heart. Will you be my daughters from now until forever? I want to braid your hair and put Band-aids on your boo-boos. I want to watch your ice skating lessons and root at your soccer games. I want to help with your science projects and teach you how to change a tire. And I want to greet your boyfriends at the door before every first date.” He pointed two fingers at their eyes and then at his own. The girls giggled, even though they had no idea what he meant. They were just happy. All of them were ridiculously happy.
He pulled two tiny rings out of his pocket.
Their eyes went wide as he slipped them onto their fingers.
“We’re going to keep these in a jewelry box and only wear them for special occasions, but they’re meant as a pledge of my love and devotion to you both. Will you let me be your papa forever?”
Paisley nodded and hugged him. “I love you so much.”
“You my favrotist,” Evvie said. “I love you.”
He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky, but he knew he’d never take them for granted.
Every day of his life, he’d wake up and earn the gift of their love.
* * *