Page 54 of Faking It With the Single Dad
Bella exhales slowly, then looks at Luke. “Are you alright, honey?”
Luke moves to her side and wraps his arms around her. “I don’t want him here,” he says firmly.
“You won’t have to see him again,” I promise, my voice steady. “I’ll make sure of that.”
Bella looks up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude and something deeper—something that makes my chest tighten. “Thank you,” she whispers.
I pull her into my arms, holding her tightly as the weight of the moment settles over us. “I’ve got you,” I murmur. “Both of you.”
Luke leans into Bella’s side, and for a moment, the three of us stand there, united against the storm Caleb tried to bring into our lives. When Bella finally pulls back, she takes a deep breath, her expression resolute.
“He’s not going to ruin this,” she says, her voice steady. “He doesn’t get to have that power anymore.”
“No, he doesn’t,” I agree, taking her hand in mine. “We’ve got this. Together.”
And as I look at her and Luke, I know without a doubt that Caleb’s shadow will never darken our lives again.
Luke leans into Bella as Alice wraps her small arms around my leg. The four of us stand there in the middle of the café, holding on to each other like the family we are.
When Bella finally pulls back, she wipes her eyes and gives me a shaky smile. “Well,” she says, her voice wobbly but teasing, “I think Caleb showing up just proved we made the right decision to keep the guest list small.”
I laugh, relieved to see a bit of her spark return. “No drama, right? That’s the rule.”
She nods, glancing at Luke. “And no one gets to disrupt what we’ve built. Ever.”
Luke nods, and I see a flicker of pride in his eyes. “We’re a team,” he says firmly.
“That we are,” I agree, ruffling his hair. “Now, how about we finish planning the best wedding Cedar Ridge has ever seen?”
Alice perks up. “With sparkly dresses?” she asks again.
“Absolutely,” Bella says, her smile widening as she kneels to hug her. “The sparkliest dresses ever.”
As we sit back down to continue our plans, I can’t help but feel a swell of pride. Caleb tried to disrupt our lives, but he didn’t stand a chance. Bella and I have faced too much and fought too hard to let anything—or anyone—stand in our way now.
And as I watch Bella laugh with Luke and Alice, I know without a doubt that our future together will be worth every battle.
The End
