Redemption Hills: The Complete Collection

34. Milo

THIRTY-FOUR

MILO

I pulled into the park’s parking lot the way I’d done what seemed like a thousand times over the years, and I took the spot two spaces down from Paula and Gene’s Range Rover.

But this time, it was entirely different.

I was doing it with Tessa at my side.

No pretenses as to the way we felt.

Reaching over the console, I took her hand and ran my thumb over the ring she wore on her finger.

She shifted her attention my way, that affection flooding out on this promise that we hadn’t made aloud, but it was there.

Always.

The two of us.

The truth that this wasn’t faked. Hell, it’d probably never really been from the get-go. It’d been fated or some shit, not that I believed in any of that, but I’d also never believed that I could feel this way again, either.

Never thought my heart might soar at the sight of a beautiful girl.

Never thought my spirit would clang against its confines when she touched me.

Never thought anyone could help me heal from the loss.

But there she was, smiling at me in all her soft support.

Red hair wisping around her face, her fucking adorable nose and those tempting lips and those eyes that saw things that could never remain hidden from her.

The thing about Tessa was her beauty was written in her being.

In her sweet, giving spirit and her gorgeous, vivacious soul.

“Funny how I was terrified to introduce you to my kids as my fiancée, worried I was going to cause them more pain in the end, and now today…today, I get to mean it.”

“Mean it?”

“Yeah…because it doesn’t have to be a lie anymore.”

Confusion marred her expression, though the gentlest tease was playing around her mouth, her tone entirely joking. “Are you asking me to marry you, Milo Hendricks?”

“Yes.”

I said it simply.

Wholly.

Her sweet brow drew tight when she caught up to the seriousness of what I was implying. “What are you saying, Milo?”

“I’m saying that I want this forever. You and me and my kids. I want to promise you always, Tessa, when I didn’t think I had always to give.”

She threw herself at me then, kissing me fast and hard before she ripped herself away. Without saying anything, she straightened herself out, clicked open the door to the rental SUV, since mine was in the shop, and began to climb out.

What the hell?

Then she tossed me a grin as she hit the ground. “That was a yes, in case you didn’t know it.”

A chuckle rolled out because Tessa McDaniels was something.

Something special.

Something amazing.

Something extraordinary.

And she was mine.

I killed the engine and followed her out, rounding to the front to take her hand.

My kids saw us first this time, and they came clambering off a jungle gym and beelining our way.

My chest expanded to bursting.

Tessa’s hand squeezed mine, feeling it, too.

Impossible but right.

Scout was all grins as he came barreling up, his messy brown hair bouncing around his face, his smile so wide as he ran with his little arms thrown over his head.

Hitting me with a thud, he threw his arms around my thighs. “Dad! Dad! Dad! You got here with my Tessa!”

Tessa let go of a surprised sound, and she leaned down and curled an arm around him just as Remy came up behind him.

More reserved, the way she was, but different this time, too.

Like she could feel the blaze of hope that shone down from the endless expanse of the blue, blue sky.

Rays streaking through.

Chasing away the shadows.

“Hi, Dad,” she said quietly when she wrapped her arms around me, and I was sinking to my knees and taking Tessa with me so we could wrap my children in our love.

I kissed the crown of Remy’s head, holding her close, my other arm locked around my son as I breathed out in relief. “I missed you two.”

“We missed you both a lot,” Scout promised. “Every second, just like I said.”

All of us stilled when the darkness descended, and I gritted my teeth to keep from spitting my anger at Paula. To keep from shoving what she was doing in her face. But it was Gene who spoke. “Can we have a word with you, Milo?”

His frame was rigid, and Paula was positively quivering with hate.

A frown took to my brow as I eased back. I gave them a tight nod. “Sure.”

Tessa glanced at me in confusion, with her support, with that belief that promised we had this .

“Why don’t you two take Tessa over to the playground so I can talk with your grandma and grandpa for a minute?” I suggested, though it was firm.

Worry trudged through Remy’s spirit, her hesitation full, though she nodded. “Okay.”

Tessa pushed to standing, and she stretched out both hands. “Come on, let’s see how high you two can climb on the jungle gym.”

“I can go all the way to Mars!” Scout shouted, jumping toward the sky as he threw a fist toward it.

Tessa tenderly ran a hand through his hair, love coming off her in waves. “There’s my Rocketman.”

He giggled and took her hand. Tessa led them across the park to the playground on the right.

I stood there, staring, unable to look away.

A beautiful pain sawing at my chest.

Gene cleared his throat.

I ripped my attention away to where the two of them stood. Gene seemed unsettled, and Paula looked like she was going to fly into a rage at any second where she faced away and hugged herself.

There was no secret she hated even looking at me.

“What’s going on?” Caution filled my voice when Gene said nothing.

Paula whirled around. “Like you don’t know exactly what’s going on,” she hissed.

“Oh, you mean the petition.” There was no keeping the challenge out of my voice.

She laughed like I was stupid. “Obviously, Milo. The petition. The truth that you’re trying to steal my grandbabies away from me…trying to take them from the one home they’ve known. After everything that you’ve done.”

“I never wanted to keep your grandchildren from you. You just left me with no choice,” I gritted.

She scoffed. “No choice? If you had any soul at all, your choice would be to walk away.”

Anger pulled at my insides. I ground my teeth to keep from saying something I would regret. Something she could use against me in court.

“Turning my back on them is not a choice , Paula. At least it’s sure as hell not one that I would ever make. Do you think that’s really what Autumn would have wanted? For me to turn my back on our kids?”

“She’s not here to tell me that, is she?” It whipped from her mouth like a slur.

Gene pushed a hand out in her direction. “We didn’t come here for an argument. We came here for a discussion.”

My brows shot up. Not once had they ever wanted to discuss anything with me.

Gene rushed a palm over his face like he had to prepare himself for whatever he wanted to say, then he was looking at me with his head angled to the side. “Listen, Milo, we talked to our attorney, and he feels it’s best that both parties come to a resolution without this getting messy.”

Funny, it’d been messy for years, but they didn’t give a shit about that when the odds had been in their favor.

Still, I stood there and listened because a part of me got it.

Their daughter was dead because of me.

I hated myself for it, too.

His throat bobbed when he swallowed. “We don’t want to lose them, and it’s time we also accepted that you shouldn’t, either. We thought maybe they should spend the night with you tonight, and you can bring them back to our place in the morning.”

Paula choked.

Clearly, this wasn’t her idea.

And I wanted to drop to my knees in joy. In gratitude. In relief.

But I also wouldn’t allow them to manipulate the situation or continue to hold the upper hand.

“That doesn’t mean I’m just going to drop the petition. They’re my children, and you’ve kept them from me for a long, long time.”

His mouth tipped down on the side. “We realize that, but we love them, truly, and it’s time we recognize their love for you.”

I could barely nod.

He inhaled a shaky breath. “We brought overnight bags for them. They’re in the car.”

“I’ll get the kids and meet you there,” I said, before anyone could change their minds. I swiveled on my heel and started in their direction.

Tessa was laughing like crazy at some antics Scout was tossing out, her hair flying all around, her spirit so right, and my Remy Girl was tacked to her side, the same way as she normally was with me.

Like she didn’t want to let go.

And for the first time, she wouldn’t have to.

My voice was ragged when I called from about twenty yards away, “How about we take this party to our house?”

Tessa whipped around.

Bewildered.

Shocked.

But what was most apparent was her faith.

“We get to go to your house?” Remy was clearly hesitant to hope.

I made it to them, and I ran my hand down the back of my daughter’s head just as Scout was attaching himself to my leg.

I wound my arm around Tessa’s back. “Yeah, sweetheart, you do.”