“That’s a fabulous idea. And I can see why she loves it.”
“Come on in. I’ll give you a tour.” He heads toward the main entrance but stops shy of the door. “I married Bluebonnet’s mom right after she found out she was pregnant. Vanessa showed her true colors after the wedding, and I discovered that she’d found out my family had money and made an effort to get pregnant. No part of me regrets having Bluebonnet. But when Vanessa learned that I couldn’t access my family’s money, she made life difficult. At one point, I was ready to serve her with divorce papers, hoping I could convince a judge to give me custody of Bluebonnet, but my little girl came to me in tears, saying Vanessa threatened that if we divorced, Bluebonnet wouldn’t see me ever again. So I stayed. And we endured many unhappy years.” He grips the door handle. “So that’s why Bluebonnet was always so hush-hush about the trust and about the family money. My parents put safeguards in place so that Vanessa couldn’t get her hands on it or this place. And life’s been better since she left town.”
“She can stay gone.” I have strong feelings about Bluebonnet’s mother, but most of the time I keep them to myself. Today isn’t one of those times.
“Agreed. That was a lot of rambling.” He flashes a smile that looks just like his daughter’s. “You make Bluebonnet happy. Thank you for that.”
“Sir, since the first time I met your daughter, I’ve wanted to make her smile.”
He nods and pushes open the door. “It’s a mess from all the construction, but they should be done before her birthday. And if y’all ever want to get away for a weekend, there are two cabins at the back of the property. Workers have finished those. In fact, I’m living in one until they wrap up here. I’ll show you around, and if there is a room you especially like, it’s y’all’s. We’ll decorate to fit your tastes, and you can stay whenever you want.”
“I think I’ll let Bluebonnet choose the room, but thanks. We’d love to come stay.”
“As for the party, it will depend on the weather, but there’s plenty of room inside if a cold front blows through.”
I take in the wood trim and grand staircase. “She’ll love this.” I have to figure out what to tell her without spoiling the surprise.
“Good. I figured it was time I stop running away from the past and move back to a place that feels like home.” He shoots me a look. “A gaggle of grandkids stampeding through these rooms would make this place even better.”
I laugh. “We’ll see what we can do about that.”
* * *
I slideout of bed extra early and haul Bluebonnet’s birthday goodies in from my truck. She knows I’m taking her out tonight, but the party is a complete surprise. She doesn’t even know that her dad has renovated her grandparents’ house yet. And I’ve managed to keep that secret.
Once the balloons, gifts, flowers, and birthday cupcake are on the table, I tiptoe back into the bedroom and slide under the covers. She immediately snuggles closer.
Her breathing changes, but she stays cuddled against me. “You’re up early.”
“Happy birthday.” I drop a kiss on the top of her head.
She sits up, concern etched on her face. “I didn’t get my mother anything. Completely forgot to send her a card. Not that I know where she lives these days.”
I tug her back to my chest. “Why would you get your mother something onyourbirthday?”
Bluebonnet used to call Vanessa Mom, but these days it’s always Mother. The term mom is now reserved for mine, which I think is rather fabulous. And Bluebonnet hasn’t heard from her mother since the wedding. It’s clear I’m the reason Vanessa is keeping her distance, and that’s not a bad thing. She hasn’t bothered to answer any of Bluebonnet’s calls or reply to any of her texts. And my wife is so much happier without her mother filling her head with ick.
“Our birthdays are the same day. That’s why I never had birthday parties growing up. The whole month was about my mother and Christmas. But my dad would always take me out to a nice restaurant, just the two of us. That was special. And he called me yesterday. He’ll be in town and wants to take me out to dinner. You can come too.”
“That’ll be fun, and you don’t need to worry about your mother because she’s not here. Today is all about you. Okay?”
She tilts her head and grins at me, childlike delight in her beautiful eyes. “Okay.”
When we roll out of bed, she walks into the living room and squeals. “Dumplin’!”
“Either you just saw your first birthday surprise or there’s a squirrel in the cabin.” I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist.
“I’m not sure how you managed this because the cabin is small, and it’s impossible to hide stuff. This is amazing.”
“You haven’t even opened your gifts yet.”
She gives me a kiss before picking up one of the gift bags. When she lifts the stuffed squirrel out of the bag, her gorgeous laugh rings out. “I love it.”
“That’s an extra. I’d already gotten your other gift, but when I saw that, I could not pass it up.”
“It’s too perfect.” She wraps me in a hug. “Every squirrel I see makes me think of you.”
“Then I’m glad it wasn’t some rare nearly extinct creature that ventured into the bathroom that day.” I hand her the other bag. “This is what I bought first.”
