Page 37

W hen Caleb woke up this morning he asked to visit Magnolia, and of course, I said yes. It’s only been a few days since he first spoke, and I’m already so proud of how far he’s come.

Caleb holds out a handful of oats, laughter spilling from his mouth as Magnolia trots over. I know Briar would love to be here, but she’s in town running errands.

Magnolia nudges her nose through the fence, lowering her head to eat from the palm of his hand. I watch, amazed by Caleb’s confidence. Just a few weeks ago, he watched the horses from a safe distance. Now, he’s at ease beside Magnolia as if he’s done this a hundred times.

“Can I learn to ride a horse like Heath?” Caleb asks.

I blink, surprised by his question. This is the most he’s spoken to me so far.

The morning after he started talking, he only responded with one or two words.

But in the days since, his sentences have steadily grown longer.

Between the time spent on the ranch and his sessions with his therapist, his confidence is growing, and I’m beginning to see glimpses of the happy, bubbly boy I imagine he was before losing his mom.

“Of course you can, buddy.”

“Will you teach me?”

I nod, fighting past the lump in my throat. “Absolutely.”

Magnolia lets out a soft whinny once she finishes the oats, clearly asking for more. I pull the plastic bag I brought from my back pocket and shake a few into Caleb’s outstretched hands. Magnolia doesn’t hesitate, dipping her head for the second helping of treats.

This is what I’ve wished for since Caleb came into my life.

For him to feel confident enough to ask for what he wants and comfortable enough to share his opinions.

Even if he had chosen to stay silent, we would’ve kept finding other ways for him to express himself.

But I’m thankful he’s chosen to let his voice be heard, and I’ll never take it for granted.

“Caleb?”

He gives me a curious glance. “Yeah, Dad?”

My chest tightens at the sound of him calling me that. Finding out I was a dad was life-changing, but hearing him say it aloud means everything.

“You can always talk to me, buddy. About anything. And if you ever don’t feel like talking, that’s okay too.”

Magnolia’s finished her second handful of oats, and Caleb wipes his hands on his pants. He averts his gaze to the ground and nudges a pebble with his foot.

“I miss Mom,” he says so quietly I have to lean in.

My stomach twists, and I crouch down to his level. “She loved you more than anything, and I’m sorry she’s not here.” I draw him in for a hug, and he rests his head against my shoulder. “Would you like to tell me something special you two used to do together? ”

He peeks up at me. “We used to go see the dinos at the museum.”

“Sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Mom did the best dino growls, kind of like yours when we read books,” he says with a small smile.

I let out a shaky breath as a calm washes over me. I’ve often doubted if I’m doing enough for Caleb, so hearing that even the small things like reading books with all the voices brings him comfort is reassuring.

“That’s so cool. Maybe you can show me how she did them sometime?”

He eases out of my arms so he can look me in the eyes. “If we read Dragons Love Farts at bedtime, I can.”

I smooth back his hair from his face. “It’s a deal. Can you tell me more about your mom?”

“She liked to put flowers in cups of dirt,” he says.

I purse my lips, trying to figure out what he means. “She enjoyed planting flowers?”

“Mm-hmm. The red and pink ones were her favorite.”

“How about we go to the garden shop today and pick some out? We can put them in pots and keep them on the front porch of the cottage.” Magnolia leans her head through the fence, and I rub behind her ear, earning a soft huff.

“You can tell me more about your mom while we plant them if you’d like,” I suggest to Caleb.

“Thanks, Dad,” he says quickly.

If flowers make him happy, I’ll buy every red and pink one the garden shop has.

These past couple of months he’s had to sit alone in his grief, and now that he’s speaking again, I want to give him every chance to share memories of his mom.

His therapist said that encouraging him to open up when he’s ready is an important part of the healing process and will reassure him that I’ll keep the stories he shares safe.

I have Briar to thank for showing me this new perspective.

She helped me see that Amelia’s actions or motives aren’t important.

Amelia was Caleb’s mom, and he loved her with all his heart.

She gave me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for.

As much as I would have liked to have gotten closure from her before she passed, my own love for Caleb is more important.

That means doing whatever it takes to guarantee his happiness and standing by my choice to forgive Amelia.

The best thing I can do now is to help Caleb find ways to honor her memory and give him the kind of life she would have wanted for him.

After our adventure visiting Magnolia, we drove into town.

Our first stop was the garden center where we picked out several pots and a variety of red and pink flowers, including snapdragons, petunias, and geraniums. Caleb was beaming the entire time, pointing out the supplies Amelia liked to use, and we made sure to get all of them.

Gardening must have been one of her hobbies, and I’ll do all the research I can to ensure I keep the flowers alive.

Next, we went to Tinker Toys so Caleb could pick out a few new books and some craft supplies.

He found a new dinosaur coloring book that he’s excited about.

After that, we visited Milk & Honey Outfitters, the local clothing store, to get him some Wranglers and another pair of boots.

I had planned to stop by the hat shop next, but he was getting restless after trying on his fifth pair of jeans, so I promised we’d stop by Sweet Spur Creamery before heading back to the ranch.

We’ve just stepped outside Milk & Honey Outfitters when a familiar, melodic laugh catches my attention.

I glance over to find Briar standing in front of Timeless Threads, a vintage boutique two doors down. Charlie is beside her, a crooked grin spreading across her face when she spots Caleb and me .

Briar’s hair falls in loose waves from beneath her hat, spilling over her shoulders.

She’s wearing faded jeans that hug her hips, and a rose-colored blouse with lace trim and pearl buttons.

She’s so damn pretty that it makes it hard to breathe, and all I want is to close the distance between us and kiss her.

“Hi, Briar!” Caleb shouts, waving.

He drops my hand and takes off running, launching into her arms. She crouches to catch him in a warm embrace.

It’s obvious Caleb adores her as much as I do.

The difference is, he gets to show it in public, while I have to stand back with my hands in my pockets resisting the urge to scoop Briar into my arms and kiss her until she’s breathless.

I can’t deny I’m halfway gone for her already, and with each passing day, it’s getting harder to stick to the rules we set when all I want is more.

“Hey, little man,” Briar beams at Caleb. “Are you having a good day?”

He bobs his head. “Uh-huh. We bought red and pink flowers.”

A smile lights up her face. “That’s exciting. I bet they’re beautiful.”

“They were my mom’s favorites.”

A flicker of sadness crosses her features, but she masks it quickly for Caleb’s sake. “That makes them even more special. I can’t wait to see them when we get back to the cottage.”

“Can you help us put them in pots?” Caleb asks.

Briar nods. “I’d love to.”

He pumps his fist. “Awesome.”

God, I could listen to his voice all day and never get tired of it.

I worried that he might be selective with who he speaks to moving forward, but I shouldn’t be surprised that he feels comfortable talking with Briar.

Since we got to Bluebell, he’s felt safe with her, and I’m so lucky she’s a part of our lives.

“Swing by the shop with your dad next week, kiddo,” Charlie tells Caleb, coming to stand beside him and Briar. “A few dinosaur lamps came in this morning, and I promised Briar you’d get first pick once I’ve fixed them up.”

Caleb’s face lights up. “For real?”

“You better believe it. I’d never joke about something so serious,” she says with a hand on her hip. “You’re officially the Head Dino Lamp Picker.”

Caleb grins, tugging Briar’s sleeve, making sure he has her attention. “Did you hear that? I’m getting my own dino lamp.”

She chuckles, ruffling his hair. “Can’t wait to see which one you pick out.”

God, Briar is a saint. There’s nothing she won’t do to make my son happy, even when it means bringing in reinforcements to entertain his endless dinosaur obsession.

“Dad said we could get ice cream. Can you come with us?” Caleb asks her.

Briar’s mouth rounds into a small O as she looks between us. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your day together.”

“We want you there, don’t we?” I ask Caleb.

He nods with a toothy grin.

“As long as you’re free,” I add.

“She is,” Charlie replies for her.

“It’s settled,” I announce, not giving Briar a chance to argue. “We better hurry, or they might run out of chocolate with sprinkles.” I wink at Caleb when his eyes grow wide.

As Briar stands, Caleb is quick to move between us, taking hold of both our hands, leading us down the street in the direction of the ice cream shop.

“Have fun,” Charlie calls out behind us.

We draw plenty of curious glances from passersby.

The town’s still buzzing with gossip about Briar and me together at the county fair, and seeing us out with Caleb on a Sunday afternoon will no doubt only add fuel to the fire.

But I don’t pay them any mind because my full attention is on my two favorite people.