Destined To Be A Dad (Welcome To Destiny Book 9) (15 page)

Casey shook her head, her gaze rooted to the ground. “No, I want to go home. Now. Tomorrow. As soon as we can.”

Silence filled the air. Missy sneaked a peek at Liam and the misery on his face at their daughter’s declaration caused her stomach to clench.

He looked so lost and alone, even though he stood right here with them. Unlike this morning, when he’d looked ready to fight for his cause, now he appeared to have had the wind knocked out of him.

“Um, okay.” Nathan took a few steps back, picking up on the tension. “I’m sorry to see you go. We’ll stay in touch? Maybe you’ll come back to Destiny for Christmas?”

Casey shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

Looking almost as dejected as Liam, the boy only nodded, said goodbye to all of them and turned and walked away.

Confused, Missy placed her fingertips beneath her daughter’s chin and gently forced her to look up. “Hey, what’s going on? Where did this come from?”

“Nowhere. I just want to go home.”

“Because of what happened today?” Liam asked softly, drawing Missy’s attention. “No one blames you, Casey, for any of it. It was an accident, that’s all.”

A tiny hiccup squeaked from Casey, and Missy looked back in time to see her daughter’s eyes fill with tears.

“No, it’s not...about the mess I caused. I’m glad we came here, glad we all know the truth, glad that we met.” She spoke to Liam, but kept her back to him, her eyes pleading with Missy. “But I’ve had enough. I miss our home, my room, my school, my friends. I just want to go home. Please? Please, can we go home?”

Pulling her daughter gently to her, Missy tucked Casey’s head beneath her chin and began swaying back and forth, an instinctive gesture of comfort instilled in her the first time they’d placed Casey in her arms as a wee babe.

Missy looked up, her heart breaking for the agony Liam was going through, but she’d been serious this morning when she’d told him that she couldn’t just up and move her life—their lives—to Destiny.

Especially now, when she had to do what was best for her daughter. For their daughter.

“I’m taking her home.”

* * *

Liam’s world was falling apart and there was nothing he could do about it.

In the span of just over twenty-four hours, he’d gone from the high of being a man in love, overjoyed at the idea of making his claim to fatherhood official and planning for the future, to standing here at the security gates of the Cheyenne airport saying goodbye to the two women he loved most.

They’d returned from the clinic yesterday afternoon to a quiet homecoming as everyone stayed out of sight. Missy had gone to get Casey settled while he had the unhappy task of telling his family they were leaving, a full week ahead of schedule.

But first he’d had a talk with Abby.

She’d owned up to what had happened between her and Casey, even though Liam wasn’t convinced he had the whole story. The side of Abby’s face was swollen, and he was sure she’d have a souvenir from her English cousin that she wouldn’t soon forget.

When he’d gathered everyone together in the main house, he’d explained what happened at the clinic, and Casey and Missy’s decision to leave early, as best he could. He’d then tried to deal with their questions, most of which he didn’t have any answers to.

Missy had shown up with the news that she’d been able to get them on a late-afternoon flight to New York and then a red-eye to London the next day. He’d insisted she upgrade their tickets to first class on his dime. He wanted Casey to be as comfortable as possible.

When she and Casey had said goodbye to everyone earlier, Missy had been gracious and kind, especially to his parents, which meant a lot to him. Casey had seemed genuinely upset about leaving and he’d kept hoping she’d announce she’d changed her mind and wanted to stay, even if it was only for the additional week, but now that they were at the airport, she looked excited about heading home.

And Missy? He couldn’t quite figure out how she felt about all of this.

“Don’t be mad at me.”

Casey’s softly spoken request yanked Liam from his thoughts. He looked at her, still amazed that this wondrous creature was now a part of his life.

“I could never be mad at you,” he said.

“Only because you haven’t known me that long.” She smiled and he was glad to see the spark back in her eyes. “Just ask my mum.”

Liam glanced at Missy, loving the all-encompassing way she looked at their daughter and wishing desperately she’d look at him that way, too.

“Okay,” he said, turning his attention back to his daughter. “How about I promise that I’m not mad about this?”

“Truly?”

He nodded, pushing the words past the lump in his throat. “I know I told you yesterday, but I’ll keep saying it. I love you, Casey, and I only want what’s best for you. You’re the most important thing in my life and leaving doesn’t change that fact.”

“Oh, Dad, I love you, too!”

She flew at him and Liam caught her, taking care with her injury as he pulled her into his embrace.

He had to close his eyes, wanting to commit this moment—the first time she’d used the familiar moniker so many men took for granted—to memory, knowing he’d replay it over and over again in the coming days.

Opening his eyes again, he found Missy standing there, her fingers pressed to her lips and a bright sheen in her gaze as she watched them.

He gave Casey an extra squeeze before releasing her, and then reached inside his jean jacket and pulled out the stuffed buffalo he’d picked up at the gift shop while they’d been checking in. “Here’s a new friend to keep you company on the plane.”

“Oh, he’s bloody cute!” Casey squealed and gave him another quick hug. “And he’s the official state mammal for Wyoming. I love him, and I love you!”

She dropped to her knees, busying herself with finding room in her bag, allowing Liam to make his way to Missy.

“That was wonderful,” she said when he stopped in front of her.

“It’s just a stuffed toy.”

“I was talking about what you said to our daughter...and when she called you Dad.”

Damn, the lump in his throat was back and this time it matched the two-ton rock in his chest. “Yeah, I was pretty happy about that. Wasn’t sure I was going to hear that before—well, I thought the first time might be via a text message.”

Missy smiled, but the emotion didn’t reach her eyes, which remained solemn. “Liam, we need to talk, to figure out—”

“We will, just not here. Not now.”

He didn’t wait for her to come to him. Pulling her into his arms, he held her close, brushing his lips at her temple. Holding her felt perfect. As perfect as having his daughter in his arms a moment ago. There had to be a way to make sure this wasn’t the end for them. They were a family and families should be together.

His mind whirled, an idea catching hold so fast it stole his breath. Could he—?

Yes, he’d find a way.

“You need to get a move on.” His voice was tight with need. “Your plane is going to be boarding soon.”

Missy nodded in agreement. She got that familiar blush on her cheeks as she stared at him, clearly surprised by both his words and his actions.

Yeah, well, she hadn’t seen nothing yet.

Chapter Fourteen

A
video chat? Abby was freaking daft if she thought Casey was going to click on that link. Home for three days and every day there’d been a friend request she’d ignored, an email that got sent to the trash folder or now, an invite to talk face-to-face.

As if she was going to give that prissy American princess the chance to torture her from across the pond!

Hitting the cancel button gave Casey a bit of pleasure as a knock came at her bedroom door.

Her mum peeked her head inside a few seconds later. “Hey, there. Just checking in. How’s the arm?”

“It’s fine.” Casey spun her desk chair around and studied her mum more closely, noticing how tired she looked. Was that from sitting up with her?

It was taking Casey a bit longer to get her body back on London time, and the busted arm that ached like a son of a biscuit wasn’t helping. The two of them had been watching the telly late into the night, especially now that they had an on-demand streaming media account.

“How are you doing?” Casey asked.

Her mum looked down at the envelopes she held in her hand with a smile that seemed equal parts happy and sad. “I’m doing okay.”

“What’s that you’ve got?”

“Oh, just some...mail.” She paused for a moment. “Old mail...your grandmum has been holding onto for me.”

Casey thought her mum had gone through the stack waiting for them when they got back Monday night, but maybe she’d been wrong.

To say that things were a bit strained between her mum and Grandmum was putting it mildly. It still felt strange to be back here, knowing her grandfather was no longer around. Casey hadn’t yet said anything to her grandmum about the secret her grandparents had kept from her, only because her mum had asked her not to for the time being.

“So, any big plans for the night?”

Casey thought about the chat request she’d just deleted and wondered if she should suggest it the next time she spoke with Liam. It would be great to see him again. “I don’t know. I’m waiting to hear from Li—from my dad.”

Her mum raised an eyebrow. “You’ve talked to—uh, your dad? I mean, since the first night we got back?”

“Yeah. Every day. We either text or email or he calls.” She looked closer at her mum. “Is that a problem?”

“Of course not. I think it’s great.” She pressed the letters she held close to her chest. “Tell him h-hello from me the next time you talk.”

Casey nodded, wondering about the hitch in her mum’s voice but stayed quiet. And then she was alone again.

Swinging back around to her laptop, she found another video chat request, but this time it was Luke and Logan. She grinned. Now, this one she’d accept. She missed those guys more than she’d thought she would.

When she clicked on the link, the video opened and there sat Abby.

“You!”

“Please don’t hang up.” Her cousin held up a hand as if she could wave off Casey’s anger. “Using my brothers’ names is a crappy thing to do, but I couldn’t think of any other way to get you to talk to me.”

It took Casey a minute, but she found the button to end the call. “I’d think you would’ve gotten the hint by now.”

“Maybe I’m just stubborn.” Abby leaned in closer, her face filling the screen. “Or maybe you knocked something loose with your right hook.”

As much as she wanted to shut down the screen, Casey couldn’t look away from the multicolored bruise that marred the left side of Abby’s face. It ran from her brow to her jaw and Casey clenched her fingers against her cast at the memory of the pain when she hit Abby.

She hated to ask, but she had to know. “Did I...did I hurt you? The way your eye is swollen—”

“No. My eyesight is fine. It’s just the outside that looks bad.” Abby reached up and gingerly touched her cheek. “You should see the amount of makeup I need to cover this. I look like a cartoon character.”

Casey breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn’t done any damage. Then she remembered all the things Abby had done to her. “Well, what’s that American saying? If the shoe fits? Look, I’ve got to go.”

“Wait! Please, just give me five minutes.”

“For what?”

“To apologize.”

Surprised, Casey sat back in her chair. “You’re joking.”

“No, I’m not. I was a real...witch to you while you were here. Please, feel free to respell that. I was petty and jealous—and not just because Nathan chose you over me. He really misses you, by the way, and asked me to ask you to get in touch if I ever spoke to you.” Abby sighed. “Anyway, I want you to know that no one put me up to apologizing. What I did—everything I did to you—was wrong. I’m sorry.”

Was this for real? Casey didn’t know what to believe. Never in a million years had she expected this. Abby was a topic that she and her dad didn’t talk about at all. No one really knew the bullying her cousin had done during her time in Destiny.

“Do you think it’s going to be that easy?” Casey asked. “That I’m just going to forgive you?”

“No, I don’t, but I wanted you to know how I feel. I know I’ve got...some issues. I’ve been talking to...someone, but apologizing is completely my idea.” Abby tucked her long hair behind her ear, but then quickly pulled it back out as if trying to hide the bruising. “You should also know that everyone here misses you. Nathan, the kids at school, my brothers. My—our grandparents. And Uncle Liam—your dad, most of all. He seems really lost without you and your mom around.”

Casey’s throat tightened. She’d gotten that feeling too when she and her dad talked, but he never said anything.

“Look, I know you’re probably ready to hit the end button on me and I wouldn’t blame you. I’ve said what I wanted to say. I don’t know if you and your mom left because of me, but I’m sure my actions made the decision easier. Again, I’m really sorry. I hope you two don’t stay away from Destiny forever because of me.”

The screen went blank before Casey could say anything else. Not that she had any idea how to respond to everything Abby had just said. It was nice to hear that everyone there missed them, though. As comfortable as she was being back here, surrounded by her own things, she missed her dad terribly.

She got the feeling her mum did, too.

Abby had been the one who’d told her about catching the two of them kissing on the porch and yeah, at first it had seemed a bit strange. But the more Casey had seen them together, heard about what their relationship had been like all those years ago—

The special ring chime she’d assigned to her dad filled the air.

Casey grabbed for her phone and connected the call. “Hey! I was just thinking about you.”

“Well, this is good timing, then.” His low-timbered voice sounded happy. “How are you doing? How’s the arm?”

“I’m fine, every bit of me is. Oh, and before I forget, my mum said to say hello for her.”

Silence filled the air for a moment. “She did?”

“Yep, just a few minutes ago.” Casey decided the video chat between her and Abby was going to stay private for the moment.

“So, you’re both at home, then?” Liam asked.

“It’s almost ten o’clock on a Thursday night. Of course, we’re home. Grandmum is out with her bridge club and won’t be back for hours,” Casey blurted out, and then bit hard on her bottom lip. That was the first time she’d mentioned her to her dad, not wanting to upset him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t worry about it. Hey, did you get the package I sent?”

Confused, Casey looked around her room. There was nothing here. Maybe Reynolds had left it downstairs in the pantry. “No, I don’t think so. Let’s keep talking while I go check.”

She told him about the sleepover with her friends planned for tomorrow night as she walked downstairs. Nope, nothing in the pantry, kitchen or entry table in the front hall. “I don’t see anything. Do you know when it was supposed to arrive?”

“I’d think it could show up any minute. Maybe you should see if it’s on your front stoop.”

Casey giggled at his cryptic tone, and grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. “Well, seeing how I’m right here, let me check—Dad!”

* * *

Liam caught his daughter as she launched into his arms.

“I can’t believe you’re here! This is so cool!” Casey tightened her grip on him. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Liam returned her embrace. “I’ve missed you, too, sweetie.”

Simple words, but the truth.

It had been four long days since he’d said goodbye to her and her mother, and they had been the loneliest and emptiest days of his life.

Busy, hell, yeah, especially when he told his father and his brothers about the plan he’d come up with at the airport and fleshed out on the way home from Cheyenne the day Casey and Missy flew out. Things had been crazy around the office and they still didn’t have everything figured out, but nothing compared to the ache he carried from the loss of the family he’d found with Missy and their daughter.

An ache that disappeared the moment Casey opened the door.

“Hey, you’re wet. I didn’t even realize it was raining. Come inside.” Casey stepped back but didn’t let go of him entirely as she grabbed his hand and led him inside the posh town house that spoke of the wealth and dignity of Missy’s family. “Here, let me take your coat.”

Liam took off his raincoat, knowing his business suit looked as if it had spent the better part of the day on an airplane, which it had. He’d stopped at his brother’s flat after getting out of the airport, but only stayed long enough to greet Devlin and Tanya, drop off his suitcase, and grab a taxi.

“When did you arrive? How long are you staying? Are you here for work?”

He smiled at his daughter’s rapid-fire questions. “Just a few hours ago, I don’t know and no, I’m not here for work. I’m here for you.”

Reaching for Casey’s good hand, he held tight, knowing everything was
almost
right.

Something told him Missy was going to be a harder sell than his daughter. Still, it was important that their daughter know how he felt. “I’ve missed fifteen years of your life. I’m not going to miss another moment.”

Casey beamed. “So is it just me or do you feel the same way about my mum?”

“Hmm, another direct question. Do you mind if I answer that by speaking directly with her?”

“Straight down the hall. Last door on the left is her office.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll be upstairs in my room. Best of British to you!”

Liam smiled, watching her go. He didn’t know exactly what she meant by that last phrase, but he guessed she was wishing him luck.

He wondered if he was going to need it.

Unlike his daily interactions with Casey, he and Missy hadn’t talked once since they’d parted ways at the airport. He had no idea what kind of reception his unexpected arrival would get him. Being prepared to meet Missy’s mother, Elizabeth Ellington, for the first time had him feeling like a teenager again, but it was just him and Missy here.

If she was half as happy to see him as Casey had been, he’d consider himself a winner.

* * *

Liam loved her.

At one time, he truly had, and she now had the proof she’d once so desperately needed all those years ago.

Missy sat curled up in her favorite chair, in front of a low fire, with the three long-lost letters he’d mailed her resting in her lap. Her mother had shocked her tonight when she’d handed them over before she’d headed out for the evening, as casually as if they’d arrived in the post just today.

She’d told Missy that her father had instructed her to burn them, but she never had. She’d tucked them away, just in case. Just in case the secret they’d concocted ever came to light.

What exactly her mother knew and how Missy’s father had kept her quiet all these years were topics they still hadn’t discussed. Only four days home and with her clothing design business exploding thanks to the princess attending a charity event in the dress she’d designed, Missy was still trying to get her spinning world under control.

A feat that seemed impossible with Liam so far away.

But now he was here—or at least the boy she’d known, the boy she’d loved, was in his letters. Finally opened, finally read. Words written in his familiar scrawl about how they’d met, how they’d fallen in love and that last terrible fight.

In the first letter, he’d begged her to come back, to find a way to forgive him for hurting her, promising they’d figure out how to be together.

The second had been more subdued. He hadn’t heard from her. Did she still love him? Had anything he’d written to her meant anything? He’d told her about his victories on the rodeo circuits, but they were hollow without her there to share them.

The last one had been short, barely filling one page, written almost three months to the day after she’d left. He said he’d gotten the message. Her silence meant she’d moved on and he had to do the same. He wished her well, told her he’d never forget her and hoped she was happy.

“Happy? Am I happy?” Missy brushed the wetness from her face, her question echoing off the walls of the room. Her private sanctuary, decorated in her favorite colors, with cherished collectibles and floor-to-ceiling windows that flooded the room with natural light, even on the dreariest English rainy days. “I don’t know anymore.”

“Then perhaps you’ll let me help.”

Missy gasped at the words, the sound of his voice. She whipped around and saw the shadow of a man standing in the darkened doorway.

“I don’t—you can’t—” She stumbled over her own words, refusing to believe until he stepped deeper into the room. “Liam? What are you doing here?”

The small lamp on her desk was just bright enough to show his smile and the easy shrug of his powerful shoulders. He glanced down at the yellowed pages in her hand. “You never seem to get my letters. This time I decided to come in person.”

“Can you believe she kept them all these years?”

He stepped farther into the room. “I’m glad you finally got to read them, but I’m here to do what I should’ve done before you left.”

“What?”

“Tell you that I love you.” He crossed the room then, and seconds later knelt in front of her chair, his face fully lit by the glow from the fire as he took her hands in his. “That I never stopped. I’m hoping you feel the same. Tell me and we’ll find a way to make this work. To be the family we—you, me and Casey—were meant to be.”