Page 103 of Moonlit Kisses

Theo nods, but Dad’s the one who responds, “Good thinking, Son.”

“I know Em and Sarah will help wherever they can. Sarah was a great help to Em. Em’s probably still got her wedding folder somewhere. She was incredibly organized, she had little pockets for everything.” Theo’s eyes seek Emma out across the park.

Dad hands Martin, Cristo, Theo and me a beer each and I take a drink, then respond. “Beth’s a wedding planner. I’m assuming the girls will probably have everything sorted out quickly.”

“Beth’s got all the contacts you two need. She loves planning a wedding, but I think this one will be special to her. She already thinks of Molly as her daughter,” Martin adds, then takes a long drink.

“Family is incredibly important to Molly.” I give Martin a meaningful look. I hope he doesn’t hurt her.

Martin returns my look. “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t plan on hurting her. Ever. She’s my daughter, whether or not I was with her while she grew up. I’ve got a lot of time to make up and I intend to do so.” He steps closer to me. “I’ll be talking to Molly about the wedding when I get the chance, but I’d like to give you a heads up. I’d like to pay for everything, including your honeymoon. If the two of you will let me.”

“That’s a mighty generous offer, Martin. If you’re doing it to win Molly over, you’re going about it the wrong way. She’s not about material stuff. She’s about time, care, and commitment.” I study him closely. “But that’ll be between you and her. I’ll go along with whatever she decides. It won’t be an expensive event. We’ve already discussed keeping it small with little fuss.”

He nods. “Fair enough. I’m not doing it to get in her good graces. I want to do it because I missed out on so much of her life.”

The afternoon is great fun, and we all agree to come back in the summer to allow the kids to enjoy the lake.

---