Thank you so much for reading Against All Odds! It was so fun writing their story, watching them find each other again. Second chance is so my favorite trope to write and adding the element of pregnancy, but not his baby really upped the enjoyment for me. I wasn’t ready for these two/three to leave me, so I wanted to give you a deeper glimpse into Daddy Everett 😉
I hope you enjoy!
Everett
“Courtney, don’t touch that!” I say as my four-year-old daughter is reaching for the three-tiered wedding cake.
Dear Lord, if she knocks this over, Violet is going to kill me.
“Daddy, it’s pretty!”
I nod, taking her hands in mine. “It is, and Mommy loves it very much.”
“Mommy loves me and you,” Courtney declares with all the confidence in the world.
“She does. She also made me promise you wouldn’t get into trouble before the wedding.”
Which is comedy in and of itself.
Our daughter is . . . well, me at her age.
I was wild, unwilling to compromise, and trouble.
Which is Courtney.
“I love my dress, Daddy.” Courtney spins and the skirt flows around her.
I smile, loving how carefree she is in this moment. “I’m glad. You look very beautiful.”
She stops, coming to me and putting her hands on my stomach. “You look beautiful too.”
I squat down, coming face-to-face with one of the loves of my life. “Do I?”
Courtney nods. “Yup.”
“Good. Are you almost ready to do your very important job?”
Courtney is the flower girl who takes her job very seriously. Last night, before bed, she spent a good thirty minutes explaining how she was going to walk, put petals down, and then stand like a big girl next to her mommy and daddy.
I’m pretty sure it was all a part of her master plan to avoid going to bed. She’s very smart and manages to bend me to her whim when she’s got a goal, which is always avoiding sleep.
“Yes, and I can hold your hand?” Courtney asks.
“After you walk down the aisle with Colston,” I tell her. Lachlan and Ainsley’s little boy is our ring bearer and only six months younger than her, and they are best friends.
Well, as much as four-year-olds can be or until he takes her toy, then forget it.
“But then I can hold your hand?”
I smile. “Yes, honey, then you can hold my hand and Mommy’s.”
That last part doesn’t seem to excite her since she’s a Daddy’s girl through and through, which suits me just fine.
Courtney has brought more love and warmth into our lives than we could’ve imagined. She’s smart, playful, a handful, but she’s my heart and soul. I can’t imagine this world without her and I’m grateful I never have to.
“And who is this little girl?” My mother’s soft voice calls from the open door. She’s dressed in a soft blue dress and her hair is curled, the majority of it is now gray, but she looks beautiful.
“Hi, Mom, this is Courtney, my daughter.”
Courtney walks over to her grandmother and smiles. “You know me, Nana!”
My mother nods slowly. “Oh, yes, Courtney, hello, my sweet girl.”
We’ve done our best to make Courtney a daily part of my mother’s life and some days, she knows who she is immediately. Other days we have to gently remind her and wait for her to remember a piece of the past.
Courtney, even not fully comprehending the scope of the situation, knows that sometimes, Nana has a hard time remembering things and we always have to be kind when that happens.
“I’m going to walk down the aisle to Daddy and I have to walk with Colston and drop flowers.”
My mother smiles. “That’s a very important job.”
Courtney straightens her head with a grin. “I know.”
I chuckle. “All right, monster, why don’t we bring you to where Aunt Hazel is and you can wait with her until it’s time.”
“Can I go with Auntie Ana? She said she would do my makeup.”
Absolutely not.
“Of course she did,” I grumble. “No, Aunt Hazel is waiting for you since she’s going to walk in front of you.”
Courtney sighs heavily. “Okay, fine.”
On any other day, Hazel is Courtney’s most favorite person in the world. She spoils her rotten, gives her anything we say no to, and loves to take her to the park or anywhere she wants. There is no one in Ember Falls—other than me and Violet—who compares to Hazel.
Until Analeigh shows up.
Then, it’s hats off and we all rank below her absolutely unhinged aunt who has zero discipline when it comes to Courtney.
I knock on the door where all the bridesmaids are hanging out and the door opens a peek, Hazel’s green eye poking out. “What’s the password?”
Courtney giggles. “Boogers.”
“Boogers?” Hazel asks. “Yours or mine?”
“Yours!” Courtney says.
I huff. “Really, Hazel?”
Hazel opens the door a smidge more. “I think we should change the password to Daddy’s boogers.”
Dear God. “Don’t encourage her.”
She smiles and pulls the door open enough to grab Courtney and pull her close. “Says the man who would’ve done the same thing. Now, give me the girl and you go get to the front of the church.”
“Bye, Daddy!” Courtney says with a grin and then she’s gone.
I need new friends.
I walk to the front of the church where Miles, my best man, Lachlan, and Killian are standing in a circle.
“There’s the groom,” Killian says with a clap on my shoulder.
“Cold feet?” Miles ask.
“More like a lunatic best friend and a menacing daughter.”
Lachlan laughs. “I know that all too well.”
Yeah, he would. Rose is in that horrible teenage phase where she hates everyone and everything. I’m really not looking forward to that time in the future.
“I have to admit,” Miles says as he rests an arm on my shoulder. “I didn’t think you’d be the last of us to get married.”
I really didn’t either, but it wasn’t something Violet and I were in a rush to do. We’ve been honestly just happy and living our lives as though we already were married. It wasn’t until Courtney asked that we felt like maybe it would be a good time.
Violet had one shit-ass marriage and it was kind of a feeling of if it wasn’t broken, there was no need to fix it.
We were committed, happy, and raising our daughter.
“Well, we’re here now,” I say, slapping Miles in the stomach. “Is everything set?”
Lachlan nods. “The girls are with Violet, her parents—yeah—they’re settled over there. How the hell did someone so warm and wonderful like Violet come from them?”
I snort. “You would’ve loved her gran. She was the best.”
Miles bobs his head slowly. “She was.”
“Well, I think it’s time to get your wagon hitched,” Killian says as he’s looking toward the door.
Sure enough, the wedding planner, aka Tessa, is waving and tapping her wrist.
About fucking time.
I’m so ready for her to be my wife. Not that we haven’t spoken a form of vows in one way or another since we found our way back to each other a hundred times, but this is—official.
We line up, Miles turns me, brushing my jacket, and then gives me one curt nod. “Make her happy.”
“I already do.”
He grins. “Make her happier.”
I roll my eyes. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
I turn around and watch the procession of the bridal party. First is Ainsley who smiles at me as she turns in. Then comes Penny, who winks. Then Hazel who flips me off under the bouquet so only I see it.
Classic.
Then comes Ana who blows me a kiss.
After that, is the most important people in my life.
Courtney, in her white dress with lavender flowers, comes, dropping petals one at a time and actually placing them down where she wants them, and takes her time approaching.
The assembly laughs as Courtney puts a petal down and then goes back to it, adjusting where she wanted it, and Colston grabs her, now almost dragging her down the aisle.
Courtney, who does not do well with being told what to do, yanks her arm out and goes back to her task.
I squat down. “Courtney?”
Her soft amber-colored eyes find mine. “Daddy, I have to fix it.”
I smile. “It’s perfect, come on.”
This doesn’t seem to make her happy considering the pout on her face, but she takes Colston’s hand and now pulls him down and stops at me.
“You did great,” I tell her and she beams.
The music changes and the double doors open, revealing the most beautiful woman in the world.
Violet is there, in an ivory-colored silk dress that drapes around her chest. She didn’t want to be given away, since she isn’t anyone’s possession, she’s her own woman and she’s coming to me freely.
She stands there, like a fucking queen, holding court over everyone here. Her long brown hair is half up with a veil that’s longer than her dress behind her. She smiles at me and I return it.
Then she slowly makes her way to me.
My heart is pounding with each step she takes, a mix of excitement and desire thrumming through my veins.
Courtney glances up at me, her hand reaching for mine. “Don’t cry, Daddy.”
I didn’t even realize I was, but sure enough, there are tears leaking from the corner of my eyes.
She’s just so perfect. Everything about Violet is made for me. Her smile, her eyes, her soft heart, the way she loves without hesitation. She’s the sun and the stars and everything that makes up the world I exist in—for her.
I would die for her happiness and comfort.
After what feels like the longest walk ever, she’s in front of me.
“Hello, husband to be.”
I grin. “Hello, wife to be.”
She looks down at Courtney. “Your flowers are the best ones I’ve ever seen.”
Courtney shakes a little with glee. “Daddy made me hurry, but I wanted them perfect for you.”
Violet nods. “They were.”
I reach my hand to Violet and she clasps it, Courtney holding our entwined ones.
The reverend speaks and then we recite our vows, the ones that thousands of couples have said, and in what feels like an instant, we’re married.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he says. “You may kiss your bride.”
Violet eyes me, knowing that she didn’t want a spectacle, but also well aware I don’t give a shit.
She’s my wife. She’s the star of today and everyone is going to see just how much her husband loves her.
I reach for her, taking her in my arms and dipping her back. Her hands fly to my chest and she laughs. “I knew it.”
I grin. “Kiss me, wife.”
She moves her arms around my neck and laughs before we kiss each other.
After the catcalls die out, I put her back on her feet and we make our way out of the church.
When we get to the end, I kiss her again. “You have made me the happiest I’ve ever been, Violet.”
“More than when we had Courtney?”
“Not more, just even more, if that makes sense.”
It’s not that I’m happier than then, just that my scale for happiness has grown even more. I didn’t realize things could get better and then they just keep going.
“It does, I just wonder . . . what could top this?” Violet asks, her hands gripping my lapels.
I look around at my daughter who is running around outside in the sun, the church filled with our friends and family are starting to file out, and I have the woman I love in my arms.
“Honestly, not a damn thing.”
Violet smiles. “Nothing?”
I shake my head. “No, this . . . this is everything.”
“Well, I think I have one thing and it’ll be here in about seven months.”
My eyes widen. We’ve been trying for about two years now for another baby. It’s been hard watching her month after month not conceive. Dr. Cowles assured us that everything was fine after a battery of tests.
Finally, about four months ago, we decided to stop trying to try and just let our life be whatever it is.
“You’re serious?” I ask, the joy I didn’t think could become any greater builds.
Violet grins. “I am. I wanted to tell you a few weeks ago, but wanted to be sure.”
“You’re pregnant?” I require the words.
“I’m pregnant.”
I lift her up, kissing her and turning her around. I hear Courtney yell, “Me too, Daddy!”
I laugh, setting my wife down and hoisting Courtney up, wrapping my arms around them both.
I kiss each of their cheeks. “I love you so much.”
Violet rests her hand on my cheek. “We love you, more than you’ll ever know.”
Next is Killian & Tessa in Come What May!
You guys have NO idea what’s coming there. Just … yeah, buckle up because Killian and Tessa are … PHEW.
