Page 154 of The Widower
Yes, it was the right thing.
“As much as that tragedy tore us apart, I need to let go of the guilt I’ve carried… and I think you do too.” I stopped, taking a deep breath. “If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that you would never have hurt our daughter. You would’ve died for her—just like I would’ve. So, what I need to say to you, what I came here to say, is that I forgive you. I was never a man who could admit his own mistakes, and maybe our relationship fell apartpartly because of me too. The distance between us grew for many reasons—and I played my part in that. So… that’s it, Jeniffer. I forgive you. And I hope you can forgive me for all my flaws.”
I stayed in the cemetery a little longer, just standing there, staring at the two graves and remembering the good times we’d shared. There were so many—and they were real. Jeniffer had loved Joshua and Maddison as much as I did, maybe even more. I never doubted that.
“Daddy loves you so much, sweetheart,” I said softly as I turned away.
As I walked out of the cemetery, a strong gust of wind brushed past me, and a shiver ran through me. I didn’t know why, but in my heart, I felt it might’ve been Jeniffer and Maddison—letting me know they were there.
“Thank you for opening my eyes,” I whispered, looking up at the sky in gratitude.
CHAPTER 35
“Children are the foundation of a family…”
COLIN ADAMS
The moment I got back to the mansion, all I wanted was to take Isabelle in my arms and kiss her like there was no tomorrow. So that’s exactly what I did.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this sudden kiss?” she asked, breathless and half laughing.
“Nothing. Sometimes I just like to surprise you.” I pulled her close again, pressing my lips to her neck.
“Stop…” she gasped. “The kids might be around.”
“So what?” I kept teasing her, my voice low.
“You know…”
“I don’t know anything.”
I kissed her again, deeply this time. Isabelle hesitated for a second, but I didn’t care if someone walked in on us. Not anymore. For the first time, I could say it with absolute certainty—I loved this woman, and I wasn’t about to hide it. I’d made too many mistakes before, but this time I wasn’t running.
The bedroom felt miles away; it took us forever to get there, every step charged with anticipation.
“I want you so much it hurts,” she whispered, pulling me closer. “You’re the man who’s going to make me happy forever.”
She has no idea what those words do to me. Hearing them—for a man as broken as I was—felt almost impossible. I never thought I could make a woman happy again after everything that happened.I hadn’t even wanted to try.
“Love me,” she breathed. “It doesn’t matter how—just keep showing me what love really means.”
And I did. Because I loved her. I’d needed a thousand signs to understand just how deeply, but there it was.
Isabelle Campbell… what did you do to me?
That night, we made love over and over again.
I know now—it was a turning point for us both. The moment I’d waited for all my life, because I never thought I could love anyone again beyond my children.
When I got out of the shower, Isabelle came closer and rested her head against my chest.
“How about a trip?” I asked after kissing her.
“Just the two of us?”
“No. The four of us.”
“Colin…” She stepped back slightly, a bit flustered. “I don’t think Hanna really understands what we are to each other yet.”
