Page 4 of Stolen Holidays
I’m about to chase after her when Diana blurts, “Thank you.”
My head snaps back in her direction, stopping me from going after Callie. “For?” I ask, confused about why she’s thanking me.
She shrugs and nervously pulls the sleeves of her sweater over her hands. “For what you’ve done for our girl. For getting rid of S—”
“I did nothing. It was all Callie. She’s the one who saved you both,” I cut Diana off. Callie and I have a rule:sheshall not be named out loud, like Beetlejuice, for fear she might materialize from thin air.
While it still bristles me that Callie put herself at risk, I couldn’t be prouder of her for what she did to save herself and her mom from her half-sister. She is the strongest woman I know. And I will never admit this out loud, but Callie did the right thing. She did what she needed to do to get the evidence that sent Silla to jail for the rest of her life.
Diana smiles proudly. “She did. But you? You gave Callie something to fight for. Something I couldn’t give her.”
In the few times I’ve come with Callie, Diana hasn’t spoken to me directly. I know I told Callie that her mom would get better with time, but I love seeing it firsthand.
“Callie gave me something to fight for too. I plan on fighting for her until my last breath.” Emotion clogs my throat.
Guilt still lingers in the back of my mind when I think about how I should have fought for Callie earlier. Could I have saved her sooner if I hadn’t pushed her away? Would I have been able to stopSilla before the attacks? I don’t know, but the questions are there in the back of my mind. I just hope they don’t stay forever.
Callie and I have discussed what happened at length, and she doesn’t want to think about the past, only the present. We’re together, happy and in love, and that’s all that matters.
“I believe you.” Diana smiles at me, and it gives me hope.
This is the first time I’ve seen her smile at someone or something besides Callie. It gives me hope in what I’m about to ask of her. “Good, because I want to marry your daughter. I love her with every cell in my body. Callie is my everything. I promise I will take care of her, love her, and protect her. I will do anything to make her happy. But before I propose, I was hoping you would give me your blessing.”
Her eyes turn glassy, and my breath catches in my throat. “Andrew would have liked you, Eli. Of course you have my blessing. I trust you will take care of our girl.”
The breath I was holding whooshes out of me. “You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that. Family is important to me, and you are my family now. If you need anything, just let me know.” I look around, simultaneously wondering where my girl is and hoping I have another minute alone with her mother. “I have one more request.” I give Diana a detailed description of my plan for my proposal. “Do you think you’re up to being there?”
Diana hesitates and tugs at her sweater as the chilly ocean breeze whips around us. “Honestly, I don’t know, but I want to be.”
“You don’t have to decide now, but I need an answer soon. I can hire someone to accompany you or, and I hope you like this option, you could fly with my parents. I have arranged for them to take a private plane. If you join them, you will be safe and with the people I trust most in my life. If there is anything you need, let me know. I’ll take care of everything. The only way my plan works is if you’re there. You know that, right?”
Diana looks at her hands as they twist into knots. I give her a moment to collect her thoughts, but she surprises me with a quick nod. “Okay.”
“Okay, you’ll think about it? Or okay, you’ll be there?” I can’t help the shock in my voice.
“Both.” Diana chuckles. “You really aren’t giving me much of a choice.”
“Fu— Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so pushy. Callie would want you there.Iwant you there.”
Callie has fought hard to get her mom back over the years. I know for sure she would want her mom there for this special occasion.
Diana stops fidgeting and places her hands in her lap. “I appreciate you saying that. I don’t know why she’d want me there. For years, I’ve done nothing but let my daughter down.”
I place my hand on top of hers. Her deep brown eyes are as expressive as Callie’s and betray her thoughts. “No, you haven’t. You’re her mom. Of course she wants you there.”
“You’re being too kind. We both know I’ve let her down. Sometimes, I think I don’t deserve her forgiveness and love. I failed her. I haven’t been strong enough to do my job as her mother. To protect her. I can only imagine what you think of me.”
“I think you are strong. What you went through, I can’t even imagine. You and Callie were dealt a shitty hand. None of us knows how we are going to handle grief and loss. Callie doesn’t hold what happened to her against you, and neither do I. I love Callie so damn much, and to be honest, I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
Diana’s eyes shine with unshed tears. My heart pinches with affection for my future mother-in-law. She’s going to be just fine, and a great grandmother. Hopefully, sooner than later.
“Thank you. You’re a wonderful man, Eli Miller. You remind me a lot of my husband.”
My chest swells with pride, and the joke slips out before I can stop it. “I hope that doesn’t mean your daughter has daddy issues.”
I slam my mouth shut. Shit, I can’t believe I made such an inappropriate crack to my future mother-in-law, whom I barely know.
“Don’t we all?” Diana jokes back, breaking the tension. She throws her head back and laughs, and I join her. Her laugh is as infectious as Callie’s.
