Bump and Run (Wide Open #6)

Chapter Forty-One

Charlie

I stared at my father, his words echoing in my head. “I want to invest in both you and your husband.”

Why? Why would he want to help me and Jones? What was he going to get out of it? Because let’s be honest, Remington Callihan didn’t do anything without it benefiting him. And that thought scared the hell out of me.

“I’m waiting, Charles. I don’t have all day.” Dad straightened his tie as he stared at me, his gaze never leaving mine.

I glanced down at Jones, who was staring up at me. His hazel eyes were filled with fear. “Do you want to listen to what he has to say? Because all you need to do is say the word, Bashful and he’s gone.”

“I don’t know,” Jones whispered, and his eyes grew wide. “Do you?”

I held him closer. “I want whatever you want.”

“And I want what my wife wants,” Dad murmured. “Don’t look so surprised, Jones. I love your mother. I know that you both probably think I’m not capable of that, but I knew the moment I met Alice that she was going to be the love of my life.”

Jones chewed on his bottom lip before he looked at my father. “So, you’re doing this for Mama? ”

Dad nodded.

“And not for us? Because Charlie is your son. He deserves to be loved, too. I don’t care if you don’t like me, but he’s my husband, and I want him to be happy.” Jones wrapped an arm around my waist. “Charlie deserves the world.”

The smile that spread over my face nearly split my face. “As long as I have you, I have everything,” I whispered.

“Which is how I feel about your mother, Jones. And...” Dad sighed. “What I want for my sons.”

Wait, what did he just say?

A soft gasp escaped Jones’s lips. “I’m sorry, but could you repeat that? Because it sounded like you said ‘sons,’ and—”

“I did say sons.” Dad held up a hand. “I realize that the things I’ve done—trying to keep the two of you apart when it was more than obvious now that you were supposed to be together—was wrong. And I’m sorry.”

Tears stung my eyes. In my twenty-four years on this earth, I had never heard my father apologize for anything or to anyone. I waited for lightning to strike or the ground to open to swallow us whole, but when that didn’t happen, I released Jones to take a step toward my father.

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes, I do. I realize that it won’t change things. I still said and did some terrible things, but I’m willing to try to fix it. For you. Because I love you, Charles,” Dad whispered.

Jones beat me to the hug that I was about to give my father, but that was okay. I wanted Jones to be happy, and if this was what did it, then he could have this moment. Dad wrapped his arms around my husband and gave me a small smile before Jones pulled away. He held his hand out to me, and when I linked our fingers together, he tugged lightly. Hugging my father had never been something I did often and certainly something I hadn’t done since I was a child, but when he returned my embrace, it felt right.

“I’m sorry, Charles,” Dad said again, and this time, I couldn’t stop the tears that fell. “I wasn’t the father you deserved, but I want to change that now if you’ll let me.”

I sniffed quietly and brushed the tears from my cheeks. “I’d like that.”

“And Jones?” Dad asked, his eyes behind me. “I’d like the same with you. But only if you want that.”

Jones nodded. “I think I would, sir, thank you.”

“Come here, Bashful.” I opened my arms so he could step into them. He pressed his face into my chest, and I combed my fingers through his hair as I met my father’s eyes. “It’s going to take a lot more than a few ‘I’m sorry’s’ to fix things between us.”

He nodded. “I’m aware of that, Charlies, and I’m going to be better. Do better. And I wanted to start by investing in your careers.” His lips turned up into a smile. “And offer to throw you a wedding reception. I didn’t get to see my sons get married, but I can at least be part of the celebration after the fact.”

“Yes!” Jones exclaimed with excitement. “I mean, that would be wonderful. Thank you.”

I chuckled. “You want a party, Bashful?”

“Yes, please. With all our friends and family. A photographer. Oh, and a s’mores bar.” He beamed up at me.

I kissed the tip of his nose. “Then that’s what we’ll have.”

** *

We ended up going out to a very late brunch with my father and stepmother. Jones was practically bouncing off the seat next to me as he giggled and spoke to his mom, his hands moving a mile a minute as he tried to eat and talk at the same time. He was so damn adorable. His smile lit up the entire restaurant, his laugh filled my ears, and his warmth radiated next to my body. I was a lucky bastard to be able to call him mine.

“Charlie, this food is so amazing.” Jones grinned at me right before he stuffed a pancake into his mouth.

I chuckled. “I can see that,” I teased. I put my hand on his thigh and squeezed. “Just like you.”

“Oh, wow.” Jones’s cheeks burned pink, and he looked away, dropping his gaze to the plate of food in front of him. “Thank you.”

I nudged his shoulder with mine. “You’re welcome.”

“So.” Alice clapped her hands together. That movement reminded me so much of her son. “Are the two of you going to keep Jones’s house or get something different? It’s a nice starter home.”

I hadn’t even thought about that. I liked the house fine because it was Jones’s place. It felt like and looked like him. He had picked it because of the pool. “I’m happy if Jones wants to stay. It’s a great place.”

“It’s our place.” Jones placed his hand over mine. “And maybe, further down the road if we need more space for kids, we can think about looking at something bigger. ”

Fuck. Did Jones want kids? I hadn’t thought about that until right this second. I stared at him and took in the way his hazel eyes glittered and sparkled with happiness. The smile hadn’t left his face all day. Yeah. Yeah, I think I wanted kids, too. Little hazel-eyed babies with dirty blond hair who were sweet and kind. Who saw the good in everyone.

“We’ll definitely need something bigger,” I said under my breath, but when Jones gripped my hand tighter, I knew he heard me. “Just you,” I whispered when he looked at me.

Dad coughed softly. “Would you like some help with your wedding reception? You can go as big or as small as you want.”

“I only care about the s’mores bar.” Jones took another bite of his food. “But maybe hard cider would be nice. Instead of champagne.”

I could get behind that. “Whatever you want, Bashful. I only want to make you happy.”

“You make me happy.” Jones blushed as he glanced in my direction again.

Alice clapped her hands again. “I haven’t seen my son look like this in a very long time, Charlie. I think the last time he smiled so much was when he first met you.”

“Not even when you won your first championship?” I popped a brow. When Jones shook his head, my stomach dropped. “I’m sorry.”

Jones blinked back tears. “No, baby, because you’re here now. Whatever happened before doesn’t matter because we’re together. We’re married and—”

“And I’m yours,” I finished for him. I leaned forward to cover his mouth with mine. “Forever and ever. ”

Alice sighed. “You two are so cute together. Aren’t they, hon?” She beamed at my father with the smile she had passed down to her son.

“They are,” Dad agreed. “We’ll have to talk about when you want to have this reception. After the season is out, maybe?”

Jones nodded in agreement. “That would be perfect. Then we can invite all our friends. Ollie, Kit, maybe I can get Holt and Watts to come. Oh, and you can invite Beverly. I really like her. She can bring her boyfriend...”

I stared at Jones as he spoke. Going on with the list of people he wanted to come to the wedding reception. Took in the way his eyes lit up, the curve of his smile, and his hair as it curled around his ears. My heart beat so fast that it felt like it would burst from my chest. I don’t know how I thought I could live without him. I hadn’t been living at all.

“I love you,” I blurted, and Jones melted against me, his head on my shoulder. “No, Jonesy. I love you so fucking much, and I’m sorry—”

He stopped me by pressing a finger to my mouth. “I know, Charlie. I can see it in your eyes, your smile, and the way that you touch me. I know you’re sorry, and I forgive you. It broke my heart, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see the pain you’ve been carrying around because of it. I love you, baby, and I forgive you. You can spend the rest of our lives showing me just how sorry you really are.”

I kissed him before he could say anything else. Right there in the middle of the snobby, upscale restaurant that my father loved so much. Out in the open for the world to see, and I didn’t care. Because this man decided that he wanted me. Only me. And I was absolutely going to spend the rest of my life showing him how much I felt the same. When we pulled apart, Jones’s lips were swollen, his cheeks were pink, and his eyes shone like the sun.

“Charlie, I believe I owe both you and my son an apology for the way I reacted. Back when I found out you were together.” Alice chewed on her lip.

I shook my head. “No, you don’t. You had no idea. And that’s okay. Because everything worked out the way it was supposed to. A little later than it should have, but we’re together now. Isn’t that right, Bashful?”

“Yes.” Jones squeezed my hand again. “We’re married and love one another. That’s the only thing that matters.”

Jones was the only thing that mattered to me. Now and forever.