Page 3 of A Forever Love

“You go to school? You look so big.” My gaze once again scans his frame, starting from those boots all the way up to the messy hair.

He chuckles. It’s a different sound. Not as deep as my dad’s laughter, but still nice. “I thank my family genes every day for that. But yeah, I’m sixteen.” He then surprises me by holding his hand out, waiting for me to shake it. “Would you like to be my friend? If your dad decides to work here, I’ll be seeing you often.” He raises one thick eyebrow.

“I don’t want to make new friends. Everyone just leaves,” I whisper softly, tucking my chin down.

Carter’s so quiet for a second that all I can hear is my own breathing, but then he finally says, “What if I promise to never leave?”

The burning ache returns in my chest. “You can’t promise that.”

If that was possible, Mom would be with us and not with God.

“You don’t know my secret, Merida.” He waits for me to look up, as if to make sure I’m following his words. “I’m a special person. Most of the rules that apply to others don’t apply to me. When I say I won’t leave you, I mean it.”

I didn’t know then that Carter King would become so special that I’d never want him to leave my life.

1

MERIDA

Present Day

“Daddy, she’s outside,” one of the twins calls, tugging at the curtain.

I turn and see Poppy, my half sister, peeking through the window. Moments later, Sage joins her.

Despite being born at the same time, they’re complete opposites. Poppy is a carbon copy of her mom, Clementine—always on a sugar high. Sage, on the other hand, is exactly like our dad—cool and composed. Them being fraternal twins makes it easy to tell them apart.

As I haul my suitcase up the porch steps, the front door swings open, and Dad walks out. “You were supposed to call me when your plane landed, Mere.” His hands rest on his hips, his towering six-foot frame looking even bigger.

I throw my arms around him. “I told you, I prefer taking a cab,” I whisper, closing my eyes and savoring the familiar scent of his cologne. Dad has used the same one every day for as long as I can remember. I was so grateful for that bit of normalcy amidst all the changes after Mom’s death.

He pulls me closer, sighing deeply. “Don’t grow up so fast, kiddo. I’m struggling to keep up. You’ve graduated from college and will soon be a career woman. Where’s my little girl?”

“Right here, Daddy,” Poppy interjects, popping her head to the side as she holds Sage’s hand.

I grin at them, standing behind Dad. As always, they’re in matching dresses—blue and white today—with purple ribbons in their hair. “And I’m so happy about that,” I say, dropping to my knees to greet my four-year-old sisters properly. I kiss them and blow raspberries on their cheeks. “We three can divide Dad’s overbearingness amongst ourselves.”

“Dad’s overbearing and also packing!” Poppy blurts out, stopping me in my tracks.

“What did you just say?” I definitely heard her wrong.

“Mom told Dad this morning, ‘You’re packing, Mr. Adams,’” Sage whispers.

“Girls! How many times have I told you not to eavesdrop?” Dad looks frazzled, while I struggle to hold my laughter.

“We weren’t eavesdropping!” Poppy retorts, her chin lifted defiantly, clearly offended by the accusation. “We came to your room for a morning story, and you and Mom—”

“Stop! That’s enough.” Dad places his palm over Poppy’s mouth, silencing her, while I dissolve into laughter.

“I’m worried about your well-being in this house, girls,” I say, pulling my sisters close. Oh, I’ve missed them so much.

“They’re just kids. They don’t know what they’re saying half the time.” Dad’s skin turns red—not just his face, but his neck too—as he strides into the house, effortlessly carrying my two suitcases as if they weigh nothing.

My sisters and I trail behind him, exchanging grins as we enter the living room.

I wrap my arm around Dad’s middle, resting my head on his chest. “I’m so glad to see you happy, Dad.”

It took a decade after my mother’s passing before Dad could open his heart again. Clementine, my stepmom-slash-best friend, entered our lives as a short-term tenant, but I knew from the first moment she was meant to stay with us forever.

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