“Why?”
I look at her, my heart pounding as I try to tell her without saying it. “A single moment can define a lifetime. My father taught me that lesson, and I couldn’t stay here and hurt you.”
There isn’t much more I can say because none of it was fair. It was horrible, and I destroyed what could’ve been a very different life. Now, though, with this new hope for a piece of her—just a piece—I know that I need to tell her everything about the past.
“And the decision you made in that moment defined my life.”
“I was letting you go.”
She laughs once and steps back. “You knew me better than that. You knew my heart was always and forever going to be yours.”
“I didn’t deserve it.”
“Maybe not, but”—she shrugs—“it was yours, and I guess the worst part is ... that it still is.”
My throat is closing as I stare at her, wanting to confess my heart is hers too. If I were a better man, I’d fall to my knees, beg her to forgive me, and promise her whatever she wants. But she’s leaving. She wants to sell the farm and move on to a life that I will never be a part of. While what I said to Connor was harsh, it was the truth. I don’t want a wife and kids.
She does.
It would be cruel to take another thing away from her.
Sydney watches me before she gives me a sad smile. “I’ll take your help on selling the farm. I’d like to be out of here as soon as possible.”
She turns and heads toward the barn, and I let her go—like always.
“Uncle Declan!” I hear Hadley’s voice on the other side of the door to my box of a home.
An RV would’ve been better than this.
I get off the bed, which is pretty much my only sitting option, and swing the door open.
Her long brown hair is up on the top of her head, and she’s grinning like I’m the best person in the world.
“What’s up, Monster?”
“I’m not a monster.”
“No?” I look over at the clock. “Who else bangs on the door at seven in the morning?”
“Your favorite niece.” Hadley bats her eyelashes and tucks her hands under her chin.
My brother is in for one hell of a time with this one. “You’re trouble.”
She smiles. “Daddy asked if you could come to the house, he said you would want to eat and then we could go down to the creek and fish. I’ve never been fishing. He said that you love to fish and you caught the biggest one ever. Did you? Do you fish good?”
Hadley talks so fast I’m not sure what she’s asking or what I’m supposed to answer first. “Uh.”
“When you go, do you have your own pole? I want a pole. Can you come fishing with us, Uncle Declan?”
My eyes are wide as I stare at this tiny human with equal parts of absolute terror and awe. “I’m pretty sure I have to go fishing. Since you’ve never been, and I’m much better than your dad at it, I’ll get to teach you how to do it.”
She beams. “I knew you’d come!” Hadley grabs my hand, pulling me from the tiny house. “Come on! We have to eat and then I have to brush my teeth and then we can go!”
I grab my sweatshirt as she drags me out of the tiny house and toward the main one. I’m not that far away from it since I needed Wi-Fi in order to still work and not completely fuck my company, but we get there in record time since she’s basically running.
“Knew she was the best option,” Connor says with a smirk.
“Nice. Use the kid to get what you want.”
Connor doesn’t even look apologetic. “She’s irresistible, I go with the sure thing.”
“Fishing?”
He shrugs. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been down to that end of the property, and I figure we might as well check things out while I show my superiority over my oldest and dumbest brother.”
“Whatever. You want to wager?”
“Sure, loser has to spend tomorrow on the tractor bush hogging the big field.”
“You’re on.”
I don’t need to think about it because Connor is a shitty fisher. He talks too much, can’t stand still, and has no idea which lure or bait to use. Every time my brother and I went out, he came home empty-handed. This is like taking candy from a baby.
We shake on it, and Hadley bounds back in the room. “Eat and then fish!”
Connor chuckles and follows his daughter into the kitchen. He walks over to Ellie, wrapping his arm around her as she stands at the stove with the spatula in her hand. It’s a tender moment that makes my gut flip. Her hand rests on his forearm, and he places a soft kiss to the side of her head.
I turn to look at Hadley, who eyes me with suspicion. “What are you thinking?” I ask, knowing Arrowood blood runs in her veins and that means trouble.
“Why do you look sad?”
“Sad?”
She nods and wraps her arms around my legs, hugging me with all her might. “Don’t be sad, Uncle Declan. I love you.”
I smile because, who the hell could ever not love this kid? I don’t know how the man who raised her until Connor found them didn’t think she was the most precious thing in the world. Hadley has been the gift that this family never knew to ask for.
“I love you, too.” I pull her up in my arms and then swing her around. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t spin you until you puke!”
She laughs as she flies around in my arms,
