Page 105 of Broken Butterfly
Fallon grabs me to stop me from bouncing. “Elizabeth, you need to tell them.”
I reply honestly, “I am, Fallon. I need to handle Jayson with kid gloves, however.”
“Secret for a secret, kitten,” he says, taking my hand and bringing it up to his lips to kiss my ringed finger. “I’m so damn happy for you and Ry. There isn’t a better man than him, and there isn’t a more deserving woman than you. It’s about time that you have your happy-ever-after. Take it, kitten, and never look back. Don’t be afraid.”
I cup the side of his face and his icy gaze softens. “I wouldn’t have any of this without you, Fallon. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for giving my life a second chance. I always said that Ryder, Jayson, and Julien were my princes. You, Fallon, are my knight in shining armor.”
Sadness creeps into his pale blue eyes. He very nearly manages to conceal it with a cocky curve of his lips. He looks over my shoulder as Ryder comes out of the bathroom.
Fallon and Ryder do that one-armed guy hug thing in greeting and pat each other on the back. “Have you set a date yet?”
Ryder and I look at each other.
Elopehe silently mouths.
MaybeI mouth back at him.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk about much of anything yet.”
Fallon touches my arm. “How was Seattle?”
His concern moves me and reminds me yet again how glad I am that he’s in my life now. When I’m old and sitting on my porch swing rocker on the patio of the house Ryder and I build together, I will look back on this past year and shake my head at the foolishness of my younger self. I wasted so many years in high school being afraid of this misunderstood man, being afraid of my immense love for Ryder, being afraid to disappoint those I loved. So many wasted years. So much pain and trauma. So many mistakes. But life is not a linear path. It’s filled with trips, turns, falls and bumps, heartache, grief, joy, and love. And then there are our choices. Our choices have meaning. They make an impact. They hold repercussions. Choices alter reality and decide the future. I spent most of my life avoiding making a choice. Afraid to stake my own path. Letting others take the lead as I weakly followed. Whatever destiny the Fates have planned for me, I’m ready. I want it. I want this life that I’ve fought so hard for. Sacrificed so much for. I want it all.
“It was what I needed. It was healing.” I don’t say anything more to Fallon. I know he gets me; gets the importance of seeing my daughter’s gravesite and the closure I needed.
He smooths a hand down my messy bed hair and barrels for the door. “I’m fucking starving and Faith made sausage with biscuits and gravy.”
Ryder pulls me onto his back and wraps my legs around his middle so he can carry me piggyback downstairs. “You know how much that woman loves feeding you.”
“Your family has always been good to me,” Fallon replies, lost in a past that I’ve been learning more and more about recently. How many times did Ryder sneak Fallon into this house to sleep overnight away from his abusive father? How many times did Faith cook breakfast for Fallon and never ask questions as to why he was there—just automatically accepted him as part of the family like she did me?
“What car did you drive here?” Ryder asks Fallon.
“Elizabeth’s.”
“What! It’s here?” I squeal with excitement and try to punch Fallon in the arm for not telling me the moment he came in. The last time I saw my Hellcat was when the police towed it away to dust for prints. Randy was going to send someone out to tow it back to his garage once it was released.
Ryder veers left when we get to the bottom of the stairs. I duck my head to his shoulder when we walk out the front door, heading outside to the front driveway.
“Holy shit!” I exclaim and wiggle myself off his back and run over to my car. It’s absolutely gorgeous. New paint job, red hubcaps to match, and a racing stripe down the middle just like Ryder’s. My name has been scripted on the side under the driver’s side window. I pop the hood and find what looks like a completely new engine.
Turning to Ryder and Fallon, I narrow my eyes at them. “Was that all a set-up upstairs?”
“Yep.”
“I bumped you up to 880. Kept the interior the same,” Randy says as he joins me under the hood.
“Mr. Cutton, it’s wonderful. I’m speechless. I can never thank you enough.” I wrap my arms around him from the side and give him the biggest bear hug I can.
“Sweetheart, it was my pleasure. Merry Christmas.” He leans in close to my ear. “You and my boy are good for each other. He has loved you for a very long time, and I know you have loved him for just as long. The journey the two of you have taken to get to this point was worth it. Never doubt that. You have always been part of our family, Lizzie. I’m so proud of the woman you have grown up to be and even prouder that you will be my daughter-in-law.”
I hug him tighter as my heart thuds against my ribcage. “You are such a good man, Mr. Cutton. You raised a one-in-a-billion son. I love him with my whole being and promise he will know nothing but happiness for the rest of his life.”
Randy coughs a few times, clearing his throat from the heavy emotion our conversation has stirred. Ryder comes over to embrace his dad before wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
“Want to take her out later?” Ryder suggests.
“Yes! I’ve missed her. Can we go now?”
