Page 6 of Snowed In With The Second Chance Daddy

Kiefer, the youngest of the adult Hawthorn boys, has been roped into some weird game with his twin boys where he’s a horse or a bull, crawling across the floor, making the toddler twins explode with laughter. He’s transitioning into being a full-time stay at home dad so his wife, Dara, can run her baking empire.

Dara is nearby, chatting with June, who is nursing her and Jarred’s third child, Veronica, or Ronnie as we call her,.

Oliver is helping Hayden, the middle of Jarred and June’s children, hang up an ornament on one of the highest branches.

It’s a beautiful scene. Loud, but beautiful.

And one I’m not sure I fit into.

Where would I go? Who would even want me around?

Rowan’s voice echoes from the front hallway. “Iris is here!”

Shit.

I could try and hide. Ignore her arrival and preserve my peace a few moments longer. Or I could face it head on. I’m going to have to see her eventually. Might as well get over the initial interaction like ripping off a band aid.

Fine.I’ll do it.

I follow the flow of the Hawthorns into the front hall.

Rowan has already thrown open the front door, silhouetted by the darkness with Rose bundled in her arms.

A cold breeze flows inside. A harbinger.

I adjust myself back and forth until I can get a good view of the front driveway among the bobbling heads waiting to greet the newcomer.

And then, there she is. Straddling a motorcycle. Of course, she is. She would do that to piss me off. At least she’s wearing a helmet. A small consolation prize.

Iris grabs her helmet and pulls it over her head, letting a torrent of blue hair fall over her shoulders. Last I saw her it was purple to match her nickname. Violet.

It’s not surprising she’s changed it. Hell, she’s probably changed it a few times over since I last saw her.

It smarts in my chest, though, the fact I don’t get to be the first to see whatever whacky color combination she’s chosen now.

Then she turns to smile at us. A crackling lightning flash of teeth, her beauty as bright as a star.

She looks happy.

And that…hurts me more than I can say. Because that means my worst nightmare has come true.

Iris is better off without me.Happierwithout me.

I turn around and head back inside before I can greet her.

2

IRIS

My heart hasn’t stopped beatinglike a hummingbird since I left for the airport this morning.

It feels good to be back in Chicago, even if it’s frigid. But knowing that today I’m going to see Trevor for the first time in six months, speak to him hopefully for the first time in six months, has been driving me crazy.

I almost didn’t come. But Oliver and Rowan begged me to and, well, I can’t say no to them.

Red, Rowan’s online tag and the name I call her, is my best friend in the world. And the fact I’m the godmother to her daughter definitely connects us even deeper.

I try and facetime with baby Rose once a week. We can talk for hours, her babbling in half words and half sounds, me totally in love with her.

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