The Resurrection of Wildflowers (Wildflower #2)(29)

“It means spirit of the forest.”

Goosebumps pop up on his arms. “Whoa. Wow.” He shakes his head, rubbing a hand over his mouth. “That’s … wow.”

“I know it’s unique, but I knew then that it was supposed to be her name.”

“You said she knows about me, about Forrest?”

“She doesn’t know you specifically, but she’s aware that while Caleb’s raised her and he’s her dad, that she has another dad too because she’s doubly special.” He smiles at that. “Only Caleb and Lauren know you’re her biological father. To everyone else I decided it was best if I just said it was a one-night-stand.”

“That ashamed of me, huh?” He says it in a joking tone, but I can see in his eyes that he believes that might be a little bit of the reason why.

“It just seemed easier. I was still heartbroken and convinced you never wanted to see me again. I guess just being young and stupid I decided on that course. If I could do it over again—”

“Life doesn’t have do overs,” he says gently. His big palm comes over my knee and he gives it a squeeze. “We all make choices in moments that we might come to regret. There’s no point wasting time in the here and now dwelling on it. Life’s too short, too precious, for that. Forrest taught me that.” He touches his fingers gently to the side of my face. A soft sigh escapes my parted lips at the caress. “It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt, knowing you didn’t tell me. It’s fucking painful. But I can’t change either of the decisions we made. That’s why I choose to go from here. From this moment.” He holds my gaze, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. “You know, after you got married, I didn’t think we’d have another chance, but we do. In all the time we’ve been apart, what I feel for you has never lessened, and that … it was honestly fucking terrifying at times—realizing I was never going to get over you and have to figure out how to live life without you. Now that you’re back here, now that I know we have a child together, I’m not throwing this second chance away. I’d be a fool to do such a thing when I’ve begged the universe to give me another chance with you.” He clears his throat, eyes clouded with barely withheld emotion. “I lost Forrest in a way that there’s no getting him back, but I lost you too in the process, but you’re something I can fight to get back.” He grabs a piece of my hair, gently tucking it behind my ear and letting his fingers skim my cheek. “If you want me back. You can tell me to get lost any time, Salem, and I will. I know it’s been a long time and you might not feel the same way—”

I press a hand over his mouth, silencing him. “When you asked me to date you, I said yes because I want that.”

I feel him smile against my hand. “Good.” His voice is muffled by my hand, so I let it drop. He looks back at my phone, but the screen has gone black. I quickly unlock it and pass it back to him. “When can I meet her?”

“Whenever you want. I just have to arrange it with Caleb.”

“I want to meet her soon. But I don’t want to scare her. I know you said she knows she has another dad, but that doesn’t mean she knows me.”

“I think she’ll handle it better than you’re expecting. She’s a smart kid.”

“Can you send me some pictures?”

“I’ll get them all to you.” I lean against the back of the couch, watching him look at her. “I should’ve tried harder.”

Slowly, he looks away from the photo. “I gave you no reason to. You were protecting yourself and protecting her from what you thought I could be. And let’s face it, Salem, I could’ve reached out to you sooner than I had wanted to. But I didn’t. We’ve both made a lot of mistakes and we can sit here and continue to rehash them, but it doesn’t change anything. I just want to move forward.”

“I want that too.”

“Good.” He passes my phone back to me. “Now are you ever going to reply to my text?”

“Oh, right.” I quickly bring up my text messages and type out a reply. His phone buzzes in his pocket.

With a grin, he pulls it out and nods at my response. “See you tomorrow.”

He leads me to the door, opening it and waiting for me to step onto the front porch. The rain has lessened, mostly a drizzle now. I pause, turning back to look at him in the doorway of his home.

A moment passes between us, a thousand words said without a single spoken aloud.

A second chance, he said before, but do we really deserve one?

Selfishly, a little voice in my head whispers, I hope so.





CHAPTER 21





THAYER





I can’t go back to sleep, not with this news dropped on me.

Salem went home about an hour ago and I’ve been in the basement ever since.

My fist slams into the bag over and over again, alternating left then right.

I’m drenched in sweat, like I can exile all my thoughts and demons.

I have a daughter.

I have a child with Salem.

We … we made a baby.

And she never fucking told me.

Over and over again I slam my fist into the bag. Tears mingle with my sweat and I wipe at the dampness on my face.