“Thank you, Mom.”
His jaw tightened simply thinking about what had happened to keep them apart.
“But you still blame yourself, don’t you?”
Facing his mother, he wrestled a smile onto this face. Couldn’t get anything past her. “If I had pushed to see her and not accepted what her father had said to me, Jordan wouldn’t have gone almost four years without a mother.”
“You have to forgive yourself.”
“I wish I could. Maybe once Chelsea and I have gotten back to where we once were, I can think about it. Right now, the pain in her face every time she looks at our daughter, it’s like a knife to the gut. It’s hard for her to forget that she missed so much of her child’s life.”
Jordan squealed when the bag came around, and she helped her grandfather grab it. They chatted about the rest of the family as they trudged to the SUV and stowed the bag. His mom and Jordan kept up a running dialog in the back during the hour drive home, while his mind kept returning to Chelsea.
As they pulled onto their road, he asked his mom to blindfold Jordan. The girl got so excited it was hard to keep her contained. Chelsea worked in the side yard, picking up scraps of cardboard that were most likely left over from the delivery. The slide, swings, and little fort climbing structure looked great. Jordan would love it.
“Are you ready, peanut?”
“Yes, Daddy, yes! What is it? I want to see.”
After hoisting her from her car seat, he carried her to the side yard and placed her on the ground. Chelsea and his parents were eyeballing each other, but he needed to show Jordan her birthday gift first.
“Your mom and I hope you like this.” He quickly readied his phone to take a picture, then lifted the cloth off her face.
Jordan’s eyes bugged out and the excited bouncing began. His gaze sought out Chelsea’s, and they both smiled. They’d done something together for their child.
“Can I play on it? Please, can I?”
Laughing, he said, “I think so. Better ask your mom, since she’s the one who was here when they set it up.”
“Mama?” If Jordan’s eyes got any bigger, they’d take over her face.
“They said it was ready, sweetheart.”
In less than a second, the little girl was ducking under the doorway into the little fort then climbing up the back ladder and swishing down the slide.
He slung his arm around Chelsea’s shoulder. “I have a feeling she likes it. Nicely done, pixie.”
Pink settled on her cheeks, and she leaned against him. Having her close was something he never could resist. He kissed her forehead and squeezed her tight. After a few seconds, she must have remembered his parents there and stiffened, trying to ease away. Nope, not happening.
“Chelsea, I want you to meet my parents, Dan and Laurie. Mom, Dad, this is my wife, Chelsea.”
His mother was the first to make a move. She drew Chelsea into a warm embrace and hugged her. For real. The tears that gathered in Chelsea’s eyes had him panicked until he saw Chelsea squeeze back. Had her family ever hugged her that way? God, the thought that they hadn’t broke his heart.
“I can see why Theo is so taken with you,” his father said, and moved closer for a smaller hug. “It’s amazing how much you and Jordan look alike.”
“We’re excited to get to know you better while we’re here.” His mother watched Jordan scamper around her new present. “I understand Theo has to work tomorrow. I was wondering if you’d be around to enjoy the day with us.”
Chelsea’s eyes swung to his, and Theo tried to encourage her. “If you have stuff to do, it’s fine. But I know they’d love to spend time with you.”
Biting her lip, she nodded her head. “Okay. I have to get the plumber set up at the house first thing, then I can come over.” She lowered her voice. “Do I have to cook for them?”
His loud laugh couldn’t be contained. “My mom’s an excellent cook. I’m sure she’d be delighted to make the meals.”
His mother smiled. “I’d love to teach you how to make some of Theo’s favorite foods.”
Burrowing deeper into his embrace, Chelsea chuckled. “You could certainly try.”
Chapter sixteen
