Page 128
Story: Hello Doctor
Dad reached over and rubbed my shoulder, continuing toward the two loves of my life. “You get to decide now if this is a dead end or time for a turn in the right direction. I’ll support you either way.” He stopped several yards away from Fletcher and Maya, and I stared at them through the windshield, not believing they were here.
Just the sight of Fletcher in his jeans and button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled was a balm to my heart. And Maya was so precious in her shorts and tank top and cowboy boots. I’d missed her so much, and it had only been a couple days.
“Go on,” Dad said. “You at least need to hear him out.”
My heart raced jauntily in my chest as I got out of the truck and walked toward them. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
Maya grinned at her dad. “We have a question for you, Livvy.”
My lips parted as I stared from her to Fletcher. “What?”
Fletcher reached into his pocket, then knelt in the dirt. Maya got to her knees beside him, and she took the top off the box, revealing a ring I recognized.
I covered my mouth. “Your mother’s ring?”
Fletcher said, “I know I’ve messed up a lot in my life, but letting another moment go without you isn’t going to be one of my mistakes. Maya, me, you, we’re a family, and I want to make the kind of family that never breaks up, the kind that’s there for each other through it all.” He looked at Maya and nodded.
Maya smiled up at me as she put her arm around her dad. “Will you marry my daddy?”
Tears flowed down my cheeks as I stared between the two of them. But I had to ask a question of Fletcher before I gave my answer. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything than I am of my feelings for you, Olivia Griffen. I’ve loved you since I was a kid, and I know that’s never going to end. I’m sorry it took me a little while to realize that’s exactly why we should get married. If that’s still what you want.”
Maya nodded quickly at me, mouthing,Say yes.
I let out a tearful laugh. “Of course I’ll marry you.” I went to hug them both, holding them tight and knowing I had more than a family. I had a home.
66
Fletcher
Liv’s dad got out of the truck, whooping and cheering for us.
As we broke apart from our hug, Maya said, “Does that mean I get to call you Grandpa Jack now?”
Jack picked her up and said, “Of course it does, kiddo.”
She hugged his neck, grinning, and I swore I’d never felt happier than I did right now.
“Let’s go back to the house,” Jack said. “I’ll put some steaks on the grill, and we’ll celebrate.”
Liv and I agreed that sounded like a great plan. We rode back with him, and while Jack had Maya help him get the food ready, Liv and I went up to the bedroom to call everyone to tell them our good news.
Della screamed so loudly, I thought my eardrums might break.
I swore Tyler and Henrietta were both crying for us from the amount of sniffles coming through the phone.
Gage immediately offered to pay for our honeymoon as a wedding gift.
My dad said, “It’s about damn time.”
Rhett whooped and hollered for us.
Knox said, “How’s it feel to know I dated your girl?”
Liv popped off, “Better than knowing my future brother-in-law bailed on our date.”
“Water under the bridge,” Knox returned.
Just the sight of Fletcher in his jeans and button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled was a balm to my heart. And Maya was so precious in her shorts and tank top and cowboy boots. I’d missed her so much, and it had only been a couple days.
“Go on,” Dad said. “You at least need to hear him out.”
My heart raced jauntily in my chest as I got out of the truck and walked toward them. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
Maya grinned at her dad. “We have a question for you, Livvy.”
My lips parted as I stared from her to Fletcher. “What?”
Fletcher reached into his pocket, then knelt in the dirt. Maya got to her knees beside him, and she took the top off the box, revealing a ring I recognized.
I covered my mouth. “Your mother’s ring?”
Fletcher said, “I know I’ve messed up a lot in my life, but letting another moment go without you isn’t going to be one of my mistakes. Maya, me, you, we’re a family, and I want to make the kind of family that never breaks up, the kind that’s there for each other through it all.” He looked at Maya and nodded.
Maya smiled up at me as she put her arm around her dad. “Will you marry my daddy?”
Tears flowed down my cheeks as I stared between the two of them. But I had to ask a question of Fletcher before I gave my answer. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything than I am of my feelings for you, Olivia Griffen. I’ve loved you since I was a kid, and I know that’s never going to end. I’m sorry it took me a little while to realize that’s exactly why we should get married. If that’s still what you want.”
Maya nodded quickly at me, mouthing,Say yes.
I let out a tearful laugh. “Of course I’ll marry you.” I went to hug them both, holding them tight and knowing I had more than a family. I had a home.
66
Fletcher
Liv’s dad got out of the truck, whooping and cheering for us.
As we broke apart from our hug, Maya said, “Does that mean I get to call you Grandpa Jack now?”
Jack picked her up and said, “Of course it does, kiddo.”
She hugged his neck, grinning, and I swore I’d never felt happier than I did right now.
“Let’s go back to the house,” Jack said. “I’ll put some steaks on the grill, and we’ll celebrate.”
Liv and I agreed that sounded like a great plan. We rode back with him, and while Jack had Maya help him get the food ready, Liv and I went up to the bedroom to call everyone to tell them our good news.
Della screamed so loudly, I thought my eardrums might break.
I swore Tyler and Henrietta were both crying for us from the amount of sniffles coming through the phone.
Gage immediately offered to pay for our honeymoon as a wedding gift.
My dad said, “It’s about damn time.”
Rhett whooped and hollered for us.
Knox said, “How’s it feel to know I dated your girl?”
Liv popped off, “Better than knowing my future brother-in-law bailed on our date.”
“Water under the bridge,” Knox returned.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135