Falling in Love on Willow Creek by Debbie Mason

Chapter Ten

Three days after their lunch date, Chase and his grandfather were still not talking. The only positive that came out of it was that Sadie no longer worried about Chase’s ex-fiancée. She’d actually felt sorry for the woman when they’d said their goodbyes. It had been obvious the judge had gotten Gwen’s hopes up. In the end though, it wasn’t only the other woman’s hopes that had been dashed. According to Ellie, Chase’s grandfather was barely eating and moped around the inn like he’d lost his best friend.

Sadie glanced at Chase as she buckled Michaela into her car seat. As much as he tried to hide it, she knew it bothered him that he and the judge were on the outs.

“Did you mention the tasting tonight at Highland Brew to your grandfather?” Sadie asked casually. “I’m sure he’d enjoy hanging out with you guys.”

“He won’t be here. His flight leaves at three,” Chase said, and slid behind the wheel.

Sadie kissed Michaela. “Be a good girl for Daddy,” she said before closing the door and rounding the car to come to Chase’s side.

He was meeting Hunter, Gabe, and Gabe’s sons at the tailor’s to pick out their kilts, after which they’d head to the pumpkin patch at Owen Campbell’s farm.

“I’m sorry, honey. Maybe he’ll be back for the wedding.”

Chase shrugged. “It’s probably for the best that he isn’t. I don’t want anyone to ruin our special day.”

“How could anyone ruin our wedding when you and your fellow groomzillas have thought of everything right down to the smallest detail?” she teased in hopes of distracting him from his disappointment that not a single member of his family would be attending.

The night before last, his brother had called to give his regrets. He had a conference that same weekend. But no matter what Chase had said after ending the call, he’d been disappointed. So disappointed that Sadie had been tempted to go bridezilla on both his brother and his grandfather. It didn’t matter that Chase was a treasured member of their family as far as her grandmother and brother were concerned. Or that he’d grown incredibly close to Gabe and Hunter. Chase’s grandfather and brother were important to him, especially the judge.

Chase raised his hands from the wheel, his lips twitching at the corners. “I had nothing to do with the candy apple stand. That’s all on Gabe. But in his defense, he was under a lot of pressure from his sons. The twins are addicted to candy.”

Sadie knew this to be true. She’d witnessed the twins’ candy addiction firsthand. “Actually, I was thinking of the menu change you guys tried to sneak through. Abby and her subscribers weren’t impressed.”

“Again, that wasn’t on me. But I think Hunter is right. A couple guy-friendly appetizers couldn’t hurt, could they? I mean, who doesn’t like grilled chicken wings and nachos?”

“Abby’s subscribers?” She kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry though, I defended you in our Abby Does Highland Falls video chat.”

“You mean your What Are the Groomzillas Up To Now? segment.” He gave her a raised-eyebrow look, but the amusement in his eyes gave him away.

Sadie laughed. “You wouldn’t believe how popular that segment was. It’s gone viral.”

Michaela banged her bottle on her car seat. “Dada, dada.”

“Okay, sweetheart, we’re going,” Chase said to Michaela before returning his attention to Sadie. “And we’ll see you later.” He curved his hand around her neck and drew her in for a kiss.

Which might have gone on longer if their daughter didn’t start banging her bottle again. Sadie withdrew her head from the window, blowing a kiss to Michaela as she did so. “You two have fun,” she said, adding as an afterthought: “And no more tweaks to the wedding plan.” Her eyes narrowed at the blank expression on his face. An expression she’d come to think of as his I’m up to no good tell. “Chase, I’m serious.”

“Have I told you how much your serious expression turns me on?”

“Not in the last thirty minutes.”

He grinned, calling out his open window as he backed out of the gravel drive, “Check your file before you go shopping. I sent you a few more wedding dress ideas.”

She bowed her head. Between Ellie, Abby, Mallory, and Chase, she had at least eighty wedding dress suggestions already. They were right though. She had to get on that today. Mallory had decided on her dress a few days ago.

However, as Sadie stood at the open door to the cottage, waving until Chase’s car faded from view, wedding dresses were the last thing on her mind. She kept seeing Chase’s face the other night when he’d told her no one from his family would be attending the wedding.

At least he had Nate. But then she remembered, Chase wouldn’t have Nate at his side. The NCSBI agent worked undercover more often than not and couldn’t afford to be seen by millions of people. It could be dangerous to him and the people he loved.

Sadie pulled out her cell phone and called Abby. There must be something they could do to ensure that Nate could take part in the ceremony. Five minutes later, she disconnected from Abby, who’d promised to figure something out. But she’d sounded far less optimistic than she usually did when coming up with a plan. If Nate’s attendance wasn’t a guarantee, Sadie had to somehow get Chase’s grandfather and brother on board.

Sadie walked into the cottage, glancing at Finn, who looked forlorn. “Don’t worry, boy. They’re coming back to get you for the trip to the pumpkin patch,” she said, and headed for her bedroom to get dressed. Her grandmother and Ellie were meeting her at a bridal boutique in Jackson County in an hour.

As Sadie pulled a cream-colored sweater over her head, an idea came to her. Ten minutes later, she hugged Finn goodbye, locked the cottage door, and headed for her SUV.

Sadie glanced at the time and called her cousin. “Hey, Ellie, can—”

“Thank goodness, I was just going to call you. The judge is leaving, and there’s nothing I can do to stop him. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

“I know, but do you think you can stall him? I’ll be at the inn in fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll do what I can. But his bags are packed and waiting at the door, and he just called an Uber.”

“Cancel his ride and hide his bags.”

Twelve minutes later, Sadie pulled into the parking lot at the inn. She spotted the judge on the dock, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out at the crystal-blue lake. The anger Sadie had been nursing on Chase’s behalf left her as she made her way across the damp grass and down to the dock. The judge looked dejected and incredibly sad.

“Jonathan,” Sadie said as she approached him.

Beneath his dark suit, the judge’s shoulders rose on a sigh. “If you’ve come to talk me out of leaving, it won’t do you any good,” he said without turning.

“I was hoping we could talk, just for a few minutes.” When he glanced at her over his shoulder, she gestured to the Adirondack chairs. “Please. Come sit with me.”

“I don’t have long. My driver should be here any minute now.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m taking it you’re the reason Ellie canceled my first ride and hid my luggage.”

“I plead the Fifth,” she said, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

It didn’t appear to work. He took the seat beside her, folding his hands neatly in his lap, looking every inch the Superior Court judge that he used to be. Sadie’s stomach danced with nerves.

She stiffened her spine. This was too important to Chase for her to cave under the older man’s steely gaze. “I know I’m nothing like the woman you’d hoped Chase would marry, but I’m also not the woman you seem to think I am.”

His only response was to stare at the waves lapping against the dock.

Sadie soldiered on. “Chase and I didn’t have the best examples when it came to our parents. But we were both blessed to be taken in and raised by grandparents who loved us, and who we respected and loved—love—in return. Despite what it might feel like right now, Chase loves you, Jonathan. He loves you very much.”

Again, he didn’t say anything, but Sadie caught the softening in his expression. “And while you and I have our differences, there are a couple of things we do agree on. We both love Chase and only want the best for him.”

He turned his head. “And you think that’s you.”

“Me and Michaela.” She nodded. “Yes, I do. I didn’t feel that way in the beginning though. At least about myself. I didn’t think I was worthy of his love. But Chase convinced me otherwise.” She took the photo album Chase had made for her and offered it to the judge.

He tapped the album’s cover. “And this is your evidence?”

“Yes. As a mother, I would protect my daughter with my life. You’ve been a father to Chase, as well as a grandfather, so I understand where you’re coming from. But as parents, all we really want is for our children to be happy. Isn’t it?”

“I thought he was,” the judge murmured, and opened the album.

As he slowly paged through the photos, she told him when and where each one was taken. When he reached the last page, she took out her phone, pulling up some of her favorite photos of Chase. “I took this one a few weeks ago. He’s become quite the fly fisherman.”

“My grandson fishing? I never would have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.”

“I don’t think he could either.” She smiled, bringing up a photo of Chase laughing with his head thrown back at a bonfire with Gabe and Hunter, another of him playing fetch with Finn in the meadow at sunset, and one of him dancing with Michaela in his arms under the harvest moon at last month’s Fall Festival.

“I’ve never seen him so happy. I thought I had, but I hadn’t.”

At the touch of sadness in his voice, Sadie decided to lighten the mood and played videos of Chase trying to teach Michaela to say dada. She ended with the video of Chase’s botched proposal on Lula Belle the day before. The judge laughed almost as hard as Sadie.

As he dabbed away his tears of laughter with a hankie, Sadie said, “I know all the changes Chase made this past year have been difficult for you to understand and accept. But none of them had anything to do with how he feels about you. He worries about you, you know. He wants you to move to Highland Falls.” She tentatively reached out to cover his hand with hers. “I’d like that too. I want you to be part of our family, Jonathan.”

He rubbed the corner of his left eye with his hankie and then cleared his throat. “I loved my wife. She was the best thing that ever happened to me. She was my best friend, the best life partner that I could have asked for.”

“You must miss her.”

“I do, very much so.” He handed her back the album. “She’d be disappointed with how I’ve behaved this past week. I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you, Sadie. I was rude and unkind.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry too. I should have come to you sooner. My only excuse is that planning this wedding has taken over my life.”

“And not only yours from what I understand,” he said with a touch of amusement in his voice. “Ellie was watching What Are the Groomzillas Up To Now? on your friend’s YouTube channel the other night and asked me to join her. It was…enlightening.”

Sadie smiled. “Living here has been good for him. Maybe it would be good for you too. The seniors in Highland Falls are very active in the community. I don’t know if you’ve heard from the mayor yet, but she mentioned that an opening is coming up on the town council, and she thinks you’d be a perfect fit.”

“I’ve heard from quite a few people in town, actually. Some with very interesting proposals.” His smile faded, and he looked down at his hands. “Only I’m not sure Chase wants me to stay here any longer.” He held up a finger when Sadie went to protest. “I know that he did. But he was also very clear that he wanted nothing more to do with me if I hurt you.”

“Trust me, he wants you here. We both do. And as much as I’d like to sit here all day and enjoy the view, we have things to do.”

“We do?”

“Yes. You need a tux if you’re going to be in the wedding party, and I think you should go to the pumpkin patch with the groomzillas. I don’t trust them not to change our wedding decor to pumpkins and bales of hay. And there’s the beer tasting at Highland Brew tonight. You definitely don’t want to miss that. Plus, who knows what those three will get up to? I need you to keep them in line, Jonathan. You have a way about you that I think they’ll respect.”

“My wife would have liked you, Sadie. Just now, you reminded me a little of her.”

“That’s the nicest compliment you could have given me. Thank you.” Her phone pinged, and she glanced at the screen. “Oh no, I forgot I was supposed to meet my grandmother at the bridal shop.”

“I thought you would have bought your dress by now.”

“You and everyone else. I haven’t found the one I want yet. They’re all so fussy and frilly. I just want a simple dress with elegant lines.”

“I may have what you’re looking for. I’ve kept my wife’s wedding gown. It’s very much like you described, and you’re a similar size. If you’d like, I can have it sent to you.”

Her throat tightened, and it took her a moment to get the words out. “I…I’d be honored.”

“You’re not going to cry, are you?” he said with a touch of alarm in his voice.

“No.” She sniffed. “I’m…” Despite her best efforts, she cried, throwing her arms around the judge. “Thank you. Now our wedding really will be perfect.”