Page 14 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 3

And as Emily dashed into her dad’s arms and hugged him tightly, I realized this time together was also so I could get used to being a part of an already established group.

A family.

My new family.

Holy shit. This was my new family.

Rhodes would be my husband, but that would make Emily my…

Emily pulled back from Rhodes, tears tracking down her sweet little face. Her gaze met mine and contained such longing I couldn’t look away. There was something there in that one look that pierced my tightly shielded heart and broke it wide open.

“You’re going to be mystepmother,” she breathed. “I’m going to have a real mom in my life.” She jumped up and down and then raced over to me, plowing into my arms.

I didn’t know what to do other than wrap my arms around her and hold on tight.

That opening in my heart filled up with the sudden and unbelievable burst of acceptance pouring from the young girl. I cupped the back of her neck as she sobbed in my arms.

Without a single word, Rhodes came over to our huddle and wrapped his arms around us both. I could hear the sound of Alana’s heels clacking on the title floor and the dressing room door closing behind her.

After both of our tears subsided, Emily shifted so she could look at me.

“Can I be a bridesmaid?” she asked.

Rhodes and I burst into laughter.

Episode 63

Live in the Now

JACK

“Hey there, TJ. How’s my big boy doing?” I waved at the video screen of my laptop.

Troy Jack’s face lit with the biggest smile as he slammed a chubby toddler-sized hand against the screen at home a few times.

“No, no, be nice to the expensive computer Uncle Jack sent us.” Ellen chastised the boy in a sweet, lilting voice.

“He’s getting so big. It’s been less than two weeks, and I can already see another tooth coming in,” I squinted at the screen, enjoying TJ’s slobbery smile as he gnawed on a cracker.

“Dada Yak!” TJ squealed into the screen, pointing a soggy cracker at me.

“That’sUncleJack,” Ellen corrected. “Sorry, Jack. He’s just started a play program and hears the other boys calling for their dads when they pick them up, and he’s somehow put the two together.” Ellen sighed and pushed a lock of her short blonde hair behind one of her ears.

“It’s okay.” I tapped on the screen and waved at my favorite little man. “It must be hard, all on your own. I’m sorry I’ve been out of town and can’t help.”

“Jack, it’s not your job to take care of me and TJ. You’ve been doing it nonstop for over two years, and I can’t begin to thank you for how much you’ve helped us.”

“No thanks needed. Troy was my family. You and TJ are my family. It’s my pleasure to help in any way I can.” And I meant every word. If the situations were reversed, Troy would have made an absolute nuisance of himself to my family, if I had one. I was only returning the unasked favor because that’s what you do when you lose someone you love. You take care of those that were left behind.

“Actually, Jack, there’s something I wanted to, um, mention to you. I’ve been avoiding it for a while now, but I need to come clean.” Ellen’s tone filled with a nervousness I wasn’t used to hearing from her. Especially with me.

I braced myself and sat up perfectly straight in one of the wooden chairs in Summer’s kitchen. “Okay,” I breathed. My biggest fear was that one day, she’d ask me to stop coming around so much. Obviously, that wasn’t happening this month, but when we’re back in Norway, I fully planned to integrate Summer into my extended families’ lives, which includes Ellen and TJ.

“I’m seeing someone,” she blurted, cuddling TJ on her lap.

A wave of relief flooded my system as I smiled and slumped in my chair, allowing the tension to escape in a long breath. “That’s great, Ellen. Truly.”

“He’s a school teacher at TJs play program. We met and kinda hit it off. He’s amazing with TJ and the other kids and…” Her cheeks pinked up, reminding me how beautiful Ellen actually was. I’d never looked at her as anything other than a sister to me, because Troy had been gone for her the day they met at the dance, and that had never changed from the time we were preteens, through adulthood. Now that I was looking at her as a real woman, I could see how attractive men would find her. Besides her athletic figure, blonde hair and blue eyes, her gentle nature and loving personality was something I could see a lot of men falling for.

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