Page 100 of Where We Promise

My chest nearly caved in.

Jameson moved behind me, his hand settling on my hip as we watched his mother gush over Connor.

“Your grandpa Mathias is watching down on you, and your grandma Wanda. You’ll feel their love in the warm breeze when it shifts and brushes against your face. They’ll love you in the way the sun will warm you, and the way the snow will fall when you least expect it. You’re not alone, baby boy. You’re so loved.”

I turned, pressing my face into Jamie’s shirt because the tears wouldn’t be refused. I hadn’t been expecting Margie to follow through with what she’d said at the wedding. I had assumed it was part of the ruse.

I didn’t think it was real, but there she was, blonde hair half up, those eyes that matched my husband’s, staring down at my son with adoration.

It finally clicked into place for me, that I was no longer alone. No longer unwanted, and perhaps I never had been. Maybe Jamie was there in the shadows wanting me all this time, just waiting for me.

I pulled the feeling close and let it sink into my soul. This gift was from my mom. I could feel her love surrounding me and if I could hear her speaking, I know she’d be choked up because she’d be so happy. Internally I smiled and said, “me too, Mom. Me too.”

Another week passed in complete bliss where we enjoyed Margie helping us with Connor. Jameson had offered to find her a place in town, but she demanded to stay with us, no matter how small the cabin, or the fact that we only had one bathroom. Jamie bought her a pillow top twin mattress and set it up right in the living room, with a sheet pinned up around her space, so she had some privacy.

It was actually nice to have her help. I was able to get some sleep while Jamie was able to go check in with Killian and Wes, and his club. She cleaned for us and cooked and generally just did everything I ever hoped my mom would have done if she were alive and here to help me as I stepped into motherhood. When it was time for her to go, I was extremely emotional. More so than I ever anticipated.

She hugged Jameson, but when it was my turn, I pulled her in so tight, she started crying.

Then she whispered in my ear, “you put us back together, Penny. Made me feel hope again since I lost Mathias. I can’t ever thank you enough for letting me be a grandma.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond so I just kissed her cheek and thanked her.

Harris stepped into the cabin as Jameson drove his mom off the property and to the nearest airport.

“Want me to watch the little prince while you take a nap, Penny?” Harris asked, smiling down at my son.

“I think I could use a walk up to the Stone Riders, actually.”

He gave me that warm smile and then pulled the baby sling down from the coat rack and slid it over his shoulder. “Okay, I’m ready for him.”

I smiled because this was our new normal whenever Jamie had to leave. Harris would use the sling and carry my son around the cabin while I napped, or if we wanted to walk outside.

I set my son inside and followed the biker out, heading up to hopefully see Natty or Laura. I needed some girl talk.

We went into town several times throughout the week to visit The Drip where Natty worked. She loved our visits. Regardless that we could see her at the club, we liked surprising her. She always had a little box of goodies set aside for us when we came in. She also stole Connor from Jameson immediately and abandoned her post at the counter to get baby snuggles.

We’d also walk by the harbor, and just get fresh air.

One afternoon, Jameson was driving us around town when he suddenly pulled into an upper-class neighborhood with tall, wrought iron fences, a private park for the guests and houses that were bigger than even Wes and Callie’s. The long gate to enter the neighborhood opened after Jameson gave the guard a small wave, and my mouth practically dropped open.

“What are we doing here?” I leaned forward, looking outside. A three-story mini mansion passed by our window with marble columns and ivy crawling up the side of the house.

Jameson kept driving until we reached the very end of a cul-de-sac. There was a house secluded on its own piece of land, surrounded by beautiful green grass, weeping willows and fruit trees.

“What would you think about a house like this?”

I shifted my gaze from the window and searched his face. “What do you mean?”

His eyes slid to the house again and came back to rest on me in an almost nervous way.

“I mean living here…raising Connor here.”

A laugh bubbled up through my chest as my gaze swung back to the house. It wasn’t as tall as the others, a modest two stories, but it had the prettiest black shutters set against the white house, the front door was black, a wooden swing was already connected to the limb of the weeping willow.

Jameson put the car in drive and slowly moved us from the street to the driveway.

“Jamie,” I rasped, unsure why we were doing this.

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