Page 48 of Hidden Vows (Love in Ashford Falls #3)

JUDE

Four Years Later

“Mo ghrá, you almost ready?”

“Yeah, I need to grab my shoes and I’m good to go. Where’s Ronan?” Abbey calls over her shoulder

“With my dad in the living room.” I lean against the doorway, watching her put her hair up in the mirror.

Her eyes meet mine through the reflection, and the heat that sparks lights me up.

Almost four years married and we still can’t get enough of each other. I knew this woman was the love of my life long before I married her the first time, but it’s the little moments like these that help prove me right.

“We don’t have time for that. We need to leave in the next ten minutes if we want to be on time.”

I may not have known Scott well, but he was an important person in our friends’ lives—Quinn and Caleb’s dad, Ava and Declan’s surrogate father, Abbey and Gage’s friend.

Being invited to help celebrate the man on one of the hardest days of their lives was a privilege neither my wife nor I took for granted .

“You could do it in ten minutes.” She spins to look at me head on, her hands moving to grip the edge of the counter behind her.

“I could, but that doesn’t give me time to savor you the way I’d want to.” I prowl toward her, placing my hands on the counter beside hers, but not touching her.

“You can savor me later,” she whispers.

“Or, I can wait until later and really make it worth your while,” I murmur right in her ear, my breath tickling her skin.

“Jude,” she groans, trying to press her body into mine, but before she can touch me, I step back, a teasing smile on my lips.

“My dad is taking Ronan tonight. We’ll have the whole house to ourselves, and I really want to hear you scream.”

“That’s just mean,” she whimpers, and I can see her thighs clenching, trying to relieve some of the pressure building in her core.

“But you know it’ll be worth it.” I spin on my heel and walk out of our bedroom, only stopping when I make it to the living room.

Three years later, I still don’t take for granted the image before me as I cross the threshold.

There on the floor with his grandson is my father, looking healthier than ever.

I hate that it took almost losing him for me to truly recognize what I had, but I thank my lucky stars I got more time with him.

I wish every day Abbey had the same kind of relationship with her dad, but I’m thankful they have something. It might not be what she always imagined it would be, but it’s better than it’s ever been, and that’s a pretty good place to be.

After her grand opening, she let Edward cool off for a few days before she went to see him, just the two of them.

She told me there was a lot of yelling and a lot of tears, but they came to an agreement, one that meant he was a part of our lives, but only as a father and grandfather, not as a business partner or investor.

Even after that conversation, things between them were still strained. It wasn’t until three or four months later that things between Edward and Abbey really got better.

Edward showed up at the bar one day—very differently than any of his previous visits—and apologized for everything. I thought it was fake at first, but when I truly looked at him, I saw the sorrow in his eyes.

It was the look in my father’s eyes over Edward’s shoulder that made me realize he stepped in to help.

It didn’t surprise me to learn he went to Edward to talk about their past. Once Dad woke up from his coma, I couldn’t avoid telling him the truth forever.

I’d been right about his reaction, though—he’d been mad and disappointed I never went to him in the first place. But he loved me, and was happy I was home and working things out with Abbey.

Abbey hated taking the money from me for the bookstore, but the way I saw it, there was no one else I’d spend the money with or on. Her dreams were my dreams, and this was an easy one for me to help make a reality.

Besides, having Abbey in my life had those creative juices flowing, and my books were selling better than ever before. I still don’t make public appearances, and my identity’s still a secret from the world at large, but the people who matter most to me know the truth, and that’s more than enough.

Arms slip around my waist as a body I know well presses into my side. Abbey’s soft voice sounding in my ear pulls me back to the moment in front of me. “What are you doing? ”

“Feeling very thankful for the life I have.” I wrap my arm around her, pulling her front even closer into my side.

“We’ve built a pretty amazing one.” Her eyes drift to our son, laughing at the silly face my father makes.

“It’s perfect. Better than I ever imagined.”