Page 125 of The Only Thing That's Real
“Of course. Here.” Charlie gingerly scoots up in the bed and holds Grace out to his uncle.
Knox sets his stance in preparation, shaking out his hands before reaching toward the baby that Charlotte gently places in his arms.
“Well, hello, beautiful. It sure is nice to meet you.”
Cal continues to watch over his brother’s shoulder, both men in awe of the little girl swaddled before them. Knox lifts her little cap and marvels at her abundance of dark hair. He kisses her head before slipping her hat back on like a natural. His ease with her is likely because of his time spent with the Hollow Knocks kids.
When he pulls one of her hands out, slipping his forefinger into her tiny fist, his first tear falls. “I can’t believe I missed this.”
Cal wraps his arm around his shoulders, stepping even closer to him. Charlotte rubs his arm, and I drop into the seat next to Charlotte, my own tears falling.
For him.
For Sawyer.
“I’m sorry. Today isn’t about me. It’s about the three of you. It’s just that holding her reminds me of everything I didn’t get with Sawyer.”
Cal takes Grace and hands her back to Charlotte so he can pull his brother into an embrace. “Don’t be sorry. I get it.”
“I should hate her, Cal. But I get it. I wouldn’t choose me to be his father, either.”
“Fuck, man. Don’t say that. Never. What she did was fucked up.” He pulls back to look Knox in the face, but he hangs his head, hiding behind his hair. Cal keeps a firm grip on him. “I’m glad you don’t hate her, but you have every right to be angry or sad. I’m not sure I would have handled it so well. We all know she did what she thought was right, even if we disagree. Hey...” Cal bends his knees to get Knox’s attention. “Look at me.”
Knox lifts his tear-soaked face until he’s eye to eye with his brother, but he’s silent.
“You are going to be the best damn dad. Sawyer is a lucky kid. You hear me?”
Knox nods, and Callen pulls him into another hug. “I’m good. Really. It was just a moment.”
“You’re allowed as many moments as you need. Now come here,” Charlotte says, reaching for him.
He wipes his face with his T-shirt before bending down so she can give him a one-armed hug. When he releases her, he takes another look at his niece cradled in her other arm. “It’s a bummer she looks so much like her daddy.” He winks at Charlotte, lightening the mood. Then his gaze swings up to meet mine. His face softens when he sees I’m drenched in tears. “Oh, baby. No. None of that.”
I press my hands to my cheeks, but it’s futile. The tears keep coming.
He snags two tissues from the box next to Charlotte’s bed, then rushes to the other side of the bed and squats in front of me. “Hey, you okay?”
“I’m so sorry. It’s just hard to see you hurt like this.”
“I’m fine.” His knees hit the floor, and he uses the tissues to dry my face. “At least, I will be. I’ve got you and it may be late, but I’ve got Sawyer too. We’ll figure it all out.”
“Mia is one of my oldest friends, and I love her. I forgive her. But at times like this, I am so freaking mad at her.”
It’s Callen who speaks next. “She’s family. I love her like a sister. And I really wish she had made a different decision.”
Knox stands, keeping one of my hands in his. “What’s done is done. No more tears on this beautiful day. We’re all together, and now we’ve got our sweet little Gracie.”
Chapter Sixty-Three
Knox
Owen Swift’s baby sister Olivia, who’s worked at McKinnon Hardware since high school, is lounging at the counter, scrolling on her phone when I push through the door of my family’s store, and into the crisp air-conditioned air.
“How goes it, Livvy?”
Her feet fly off the counter and she jumps to attention, wasting no time in aiming that same phone at me. “Oh! Hey, Knox.”
As nonchalant as she tries to be, it’s not working. Olivia Swift has no shame in her game. She’s always been fiery and isn’t the best at censoring herself. As lively as she is, I’m surprised to see she hasn’t left Goose Hollow.
