The two of them stepped away.
Ted nodded his head toward them.“I might just be the old uncle, but…those two seem awfully friendly.”
Okay, so maybe Ted wasn’t as oblivious as she’d thought.“I think so. I guess they were friends way back when Delbert would come here with his grandparents.”
“That’s what Cassie said.”
Delbert and Cassandra walked back over to them.“Uncle, Delbert has asked me to Donna and Barry’s wedding.”
“Splendid. A wedding here at The Cabot again.”Ted’s enthusiasm rang out.
“Won’t you please come, too?”Donna asked.“We’d love to have you. It just seems fitting for the first wedding here at the hotel after all this time.”
Lines from laughter and life experiences deepened and lent even more warmth and friendliness to Ted’s smile.“I’d be honored. I’d love to come.”
“Great, it’s all settled then,”Barry said.
Delbert had a silly, befuddled, and bemused look on his face that was so in contrast to his usual all-business expression. Donna hid a smile. Maybe Cassandra would be coming around Moonbeam more now that her uncle was moving here. And maybe Delbert and Cassandra would be seeing more of each other.
She laughed silently at herself. She was such a hopeless romantic.
Chapter 29
Jesse stood by the back window of his cottage, staring out at nothing, the piece of paper clenched tightly in his hand. The paper that confirmed what he already knew, right there on the page. Blake was his son. His thoughts bounced around in his head from one thing to the next. Blake. This was more than he’d ever hoped for, more than he ever knew he wanted. Ever knew he needed. A son.
He wasn’t a man to cry, but he did have to blink rapidly to keep back the tears that threatened the corners of his eyes. The official confirmation just sealed the joy that flooded through him.
“Jesse?”Blake called out as he entered the cottage after a morning shift at the cafe.
His son was getting so entrenched here in Moonbeam, and he liked that. He needed to get all the legalities worked out. That is if Blake’s aunt would ever get back in the country and respond to his lawyer. His life had changed so quickly and so much for the better.
“I’m back here.”He stared down at the paper in his hands.
Blake walked up to where he was standing.“Hey, I made great tips today.”His voice was filled with excitement.“I’m getting better at the job, too. I didn’t mess up even one order today. Emily worked a shift with me, too. I really like working there at Parker’s.”
“Sounds like you’re going to have some money to put into savings.”
“I want to use it to pay for the legal bills,”Blake insisted.
“That’s not necessary,”he insisted right back. He reached out and handed Blake the paper. “You should see this.”
Blake scanned it and broke into a wide grin.“So this is proof. Though I just knew you were my dad as soon as I saw you. But this will help, right?”
“I hope so. I sure hope so. Because…I know you wanted to become emancipated…but what I’d like to do is become your guardian…and then…”He paused and drew in a deep breath of air.“And then adopt you…become your legal father…if that’s okay with you.”
“Adopt me?”Blake’s eyes widened.“Likereallybecome my father?”
“Like really become your father. Legally become your father. Because Iamyour father.”
“Wow.”
“Wow, indeed. I’d like nothing more.”
“I wanted to become emancipated so my aunt couldn’t put me in the foster care system…but this would sure beat that.”He grinned.“And we’d live here at your cottage?”
“We would.”
“And I’d go to school here? At Emily’s school, right? Moonbeam High School?”
