Alex also wondered if Gram and Gramps had ever known about or met Lucy. If so, had they missed her? Had they grieved for the little granddaughter they surely would’ve loved? Better question, had she known about them? Probably not. As conniving as Lucy was, she would’ve used them worse than Mel had, if she’d known where they’d lived. Then, like him, she would’ve left.
Seemed Pops and Lucy had both wanted to be something they weren’t, something different than they’d been born to be. Something greedy and wicked and powerful. Mel had been caught up in that same intrigue, enough that he’d turned his back on his family, too. Which was just plain sad. He’d lost everything. Well, except for that nine-year-old kid who, apparently, was still looking out for his old man.
In the end, life was just a string of decisions followed by consequences. Either people learned by their mistakes, or they didn’t. Alex had finally learned how to forgive the old fart sitting across from him and Lexie, the gray-haired man with his head tipped forward, already sound asleep and drooling. Yeah, him.
Because a man took care of his family. All of them.
Even prodigal fathers.
Epilogue
Jameson lay on his back, his eyes open, staring at the ceiling he couldn’t see. Not like whether it was spackled or smoothly painted plaster mattered. He didn’t care, and seeing it wouldn’t enhance its value. Not to him. Blindness had a way of balancing the scales, of forcing a guy to acknowledge what was important in his life and what wasn’t.
His mom had called last night, after they’d gotten home from spending the afternoon with Krystyna. Wedding plans were now in full swing. Krystyna was busy ordering invitations and making sure she left no one out. Karen was busy ordering flowers, cakes, and all those things mothers ordered when their only son was getting married.
She’d cried when he’d told her she was going to be a mother-in-law, but not once had she questioned his judgement, the timing, or his choice of the woman who would soon be her daughter-in-law. Which was so like his mom. Jameson couldn’t wait for Karen and Jules Tenney to meet Maddie this afternoon. His parent’s total trust in him had always been his springboard into whatever he’d set his mind to. They, more than anyone else in his life, were the reason he was the man he was today. He knew, without a doubt, they would love Maddie, too.
Last night, when he and Maddie had finally tumbled into his bed and ravaged each other’s bodies, hadn’t been about sight as much as his others senses. The palms of his hands, one currently cupping her lush backside, the other splayed over her hand on his chest, completed a circle of him and her. Of two people who’d become something more in the joining. His future was clear. He’d accomplished what he’d set out to do when he’d joined the Navy. He’d made a difference then, and with Maddie by his side, he would make a better, bigger difference, forever more.
Not since the first time he’d made love with her had he felt the sublime level of peace and contentment he felt now. Jameson knew he owed that sensation to the soft, warm body snuggled into his side. The sense of having found his way home again, as if he’d been lost until she’d come along, was real and tangible this morning. It gave him a feeling of wholeness that encompassed them like a blanket.
She lay sound asleep, her breath a warm huff feathering over his skin. Strands of her long hair tickled, entwined like it was in the coarse hairs that extended the length of his arm. There was no zing of feminine stress in the air today, as there had been the first time they’d met, only the sweet, sultry fragrance of lavender and their night of sex.
He pressed his lips to the top of her head, so damned blessed that his eyes watered. He had everything he wanted.
His TEAM cell phone barked softly from its charger on his nightstand. Carefully, so as not to wake Maddie, he released her hand on his chest and reached for the first call of the day. Most phones displayed caller IDs. His chirped different sounds, like ringtones, depending on the caller. Spam callers didn’t stand a chance. He’d assigned stone cold silence to them. Maddie’s unique ring was a heartbeat. His mom and dad merited the calming flutter of a harp, while Alex was a bugle playing taps. Anyone else from The TEAM was a snare drum. All except Harley. Which was why the phone barked.
“Hey, Harley,” Jameson whispered into his cell. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Err, no, man. Did I call too early?”
“Nah,” Jameson teased. “I really want to know. What time is it?”
“Oh, ah…” Hi voice faded. He must’ve leaned away from his cell to check his clock. “Five thirty. Guess it is early. Never mind. Go back to sleep. I’ll call later when—”
“It’s okay. I was already awake. Whatcha need?”
Harley cleared his throat. “Well, I was wondering. Mind if me and the monsters stop by? Little A has something to give you and Maddie, but mostly, you. He’s all excited, which is why I forgot what time it is. But if it’s too early—”
“Are you and your boys in your Jeep?” The soft hum of a vehicle over the connection told Jameson company was already in transit.
“Umm, yeah?”
Jameson grinned at that answer/question. He could almost hear Harley ruffling a hand over his head. He did that a lot. “Come on over. I’ll put coffee on.”
“You’re sure? I mean, we can come back later.”
Maddie’s fingertips fluttered over Jameson’s nipple to get his attention. “Tell him I’ve got chocolate milk and donuts for
