Loving Her (Mitchell Family #9)(51)

A few clouds lingered above, but added a dramatic feel to the chill of the night. The warmth of our bodies kept us comfortable as we stared up at the sky. “This is nice.”

I had to agree. It was relaxation at its best. “It’s fantastic. We should do this every year.”

“Definitely without the kids.” Our hands intertwined together as Miranda leaned into my kiss.

It felt like we were kids again. Sneaking around behind everyone’s backs to be together. That had been such a long time ago, when I realized that I’d fallen for her. Nothing would have stopped me from making her mine. She still made me feel like I was the luckiest man in the world, and we’d built something that some people only dream of having. “I wonder if they’re havin’ a good time. It would suck if Bella is givin’ them a fit.”

I brought her hand up to my lips and placed small kisses over it as I spoke. “I’m sure she’s being an angel for them. It’s only us she’s pissed at.”

“True.” It hurt knowing that was the case, but it wasn’t something that was new to hear. This had been going on for too long to play stupid about it. “I hate that we did all this to protect her, to spare her from experiencing the pain of knowing who Tucker was, and it was all for nothing. It didn’t make a damn bit of difference. Instead everything’s a cluster-f*ck.”

Miranda leaned up on her elbows and gave me a cross look. “You’re wrong. It wasn’t for nothin’.” She ran the back of her hand over my cheek. I closed my eyes and accepted her comfort. “It may not be today, or even tomorrow, but one day she’s goin’ to see what you did for her, what we did for her. She’s goin’ to realize that no test can prove what a real father is. Only the heart is capable of that. You may not have created her, but you helped me make her the wonderful little girl we both know she is. Don’t you dare take that away from yourself. I lost my father when I was her age, and there ain’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish I had more time with him. He was the most gentle, most caring man I ever knew until I met you.” She paused for a moment, and I could hear it in her voice that she’d begun to cry. “I just wish she would see how lucky she is, to have a man that stepped up and made a choice like you did.”

I wrapped my arms around my wife’s back and held her tightly against my chest. “Thank you. It means so much that I have you in my corner. When the whole world doubted me, you’ve always been my rock. We’ll get through this, because of that. We’re going to come out stronger than we’ve ever been before, because there won’t be a lie hanging over our heads. Whether what we did was right or wrong, we did it for the right reasons.”

“I know.”

We sat there holding each other as the cool ocean breeze blew around us. The air felt brisk but refreshing. The water glistened as we both stared out at it, enjoying the comfort of each other’s embrace. Miranda fit perfectly in my arms, and having her there was better than any therapist could help me.

Our conversation had gotten deeper than either of us had anticipated, but my mood was still pleasant. I had hope again and reassurance that one day everything would be alright. Still, I longed for one thing I didn’t know if I’d ever get again.

Izzy to call me her father.

If God could give me one last thing before I left the earth, I’d want that. Everything else in my life was pretty damn perfect. Having the love from my daughter would make it even better.





Chapter 28


Miranda


We’d only been at the beach for one night, and already it was obvious that Ty was feeling better. Aside from our one little talk at the beach, he kept up with his usual bantering up until I heard him snoring in bed.

I woke up as the sun rose and looked over at my sleeping husband. It had been so long since he’d been able to rest without being disturbed, so I decided to leave him there.

It was obvious that the weather outside was going to be chilly, so I grabbed my coat, my phone and a blanket off the small couch and went out on the balcony. The brisk air hit me at once, but it didn’t stop me from sitting down and watching the beautiful sun rising up over the glistening water. Seagulls flew over as the waves intricately crashed one after another.

Since it was off season, there weren’t crowds of people setting up their spots on the beach, or men with metal detectors searching for lost jewelry. In fact, in this particular location, I hadn’t even seen one person walking a dog, or taking a morning jog. It was tranquil.

I started playing on my phone, reading emails and creeping on my family’s pages. It was nice to be able to do it without having kids disturbing me. Van had posted a million pictures that I’d never had a chance to look at. While scrolling through, I found several of Bella and Ty. They looked so happy together, like nothing could ever tear them apart. If she took a picture now, that would all be different. I hated it.

Ty wasn’t the only person who was hurting from this. It was killing me and making me feel like if it continued, it would destroy the foundation that kept us together. I couldn’t let that happen, no matter how hard it got. That man lying inside had given me the most beautiful life, children, and future. I owed him so much.

I shot my mother a message, asking her how the kids were doing. I was sure the boys already had her up. She replied back that everything was fine and they were all behaving. Either she was lying or they knew they’d be in for it when they got home and we learned that they’d been bad. At any rate, I was thankful that they were having fun and in good hands.