His One Request

Chapter 20 -- Home Again

She doesn't say anything, and that's a shame, I really wanted to see her stand up for herself again. "Stop being an ass to my sister," I tell Edward, and he just stews over in his seat. Joel returns and takes his place at Addy's side, and then looks to me to find what he missed. It's obvious that Addy is on edge.

"Since we're all together for the first time in almost four years, why don't we go to the river? I can ask Cooper for the key to the house, and we can be lazy and fish or travel over to the lake with the jet skis?" I ask Edward to keep him from snarling at Joel and Addy.

"Yeah, it sounds good." He says and Addy informs me she already has a key to the place, we just need to let them know we're going to be using it.

"When are we going?"

"Tomorrow. We can leave about 5:30. We can get there as the sun rises."

"That sounds good." Addy turns back to Joel and asks, "You do know how to fish, right?"

Then, he did the damnedest thing. He started quoting the movie A River Runs Through It, Addy's favorite movie. I put a stop to it before it could get too out of hand, but I could tell just from the way they interact, Joel is good for her - not just good to her.

Chandler's POV-

"You know I have no problem shouting it from the roof top."

"I know. Sometimes you worry me with your enthusiasm." I tell Mason, and he pulls me to him and kisses the hell out of me. God, I love it so much.

"But, since you want to be left alone by all the groupies," he almost sounds serious until I laugh and repeats the word groupies. "Then, I'll keep my hand to myself for a few days, but I doubt I'll do so well at night." I waggle my eyebrows and I laugh, again.

"Fair enough." He kisses me lightly, and I push him off of my daddy's porch. "I'll see you bright and early."

"I love you."

"I love you more."

After spending a few hours with my dad just catching up, I pack for a three-day trip to Cooper's house on the river. The same house where I spent many weekends with Addy before Cooper and Emily ever met.

5:00 came too early, I think to myself as I roll out of bed. I dress quickly, opting to shower last night so I could sleep in, I make coffee for me and dad.

"I wasn't expecting you to wake up this early," I say to the big bear growling as he makes his way to the kitchen.

"I have to if I want to see my daughter more than five minutes while she's home." He wraps me in a hug, and no matter how big I get, I still feel small in my daddy's arms. With a kiss on my forehead, he pulls away. "So, I better enjoy this, it's all I'll get until the 4th."

I lean back into his arms, "Sorry, Dad."

"Now I know what my mom felt like when I used to do touch and goes at her house."

"Did she know you loved her?" I ask, making sure he know I love him.

"Without a doubt."

"Good."

I hear Ms. Emily's suburban pull into the drive, and I meet Mason at the door. "Keep her safe." My dad tells him.

"With my life." He answers in the same manner he always has.

As I sit in the front passenger seat, I turn to see the exhausted crew that woke early enough to venture out this time of morning. Behind me in the second row, Joel and Holden greet me; in the back seat Addy is ignoring Edward with her ear buds firmly in place.