Second Chance at Love

Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

JOHN'S POV

After they had finished breakfast, John drove Ella and Christopher to the wooden castle park. He felt like he was a kid all over again. Both of them ran around with their son. He knew he had missed Ella, but he hadn't realized how much until that afternoon as they ran around the playground. His son had so much energy. Ella hadn't been kidding when she said that Christopher could be a handful.

"Up here," Christopher shouted from atop the longest slide. "Catch me if you can!" He slid down the chute, laughing the whole way down.

The laughter was music to John's ears.

Just as John was about to make a dash for the slide, arms wrapped around his middle from behind, tackling him to the ground. He rolled over so that he was on his back, Ella lying flat on top of him. John groaned as she pressed down. He pulled her face toward his, pressing their lips together.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing to me here?"

Ella grinned. "Of course, I do, I still remember all of your weaknesses."

"You little minx."

Ella laughed.

"Mummy! Daddy!"

Both looked where the shout had come from to find their son balancing on the rope bridge. The kid looked scared as he held the rope in both hands and kept his knees in place, afraid to make any sudden movements.

"He's a bit afraid of heights."

"I'll take care of it," John said. "It'll be my first dad rescue."

John caught one last glimpse of Ella smiling before he headed up to come to his son's rescue. He got up there and instead of plucking Christopher up into his arms, he coaxed him to ease backward until he was back on the wooden planks. He figured it would be better to teach the boy how to be brave, rather than carrying him to solid ground. It proved to be a great idea.

When John got back down to where Ella was still standing he could tell he had done the right thing from the way she was staring up at him.

"I love you, you know that, right?"

"I love you more," John said. "Seriously, more than you can ever imagine."

"That's debatable," Ella said, standing on tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips. "But I dare you to prove it."

Now John had never been spontaneous. He had always been one to think about his actions, but when it came to Ella he had never needed to analyze over any decisions before diving straight into any situation. He also still, and this was a secret he had told no one else, carried around the engagement ring he had proposed to her with. The ring had become his kryptonite. The point was that John happened to have that ring locked in the center console of his Accord. He just hadn't been ready to get rid of it yet. There had also still been a small part of him that was hoping that Ella would change her mind, even years later. Then her father happened and they hooked up after the funeral. That had given him more hope to hold onto it tightly.

But it was in that moment that he realized he didn't want another opportunity to pass them by. He had to seize control of their relationship and his solution was by taking off in the opposite direction from where Ella stood. John wasn't running away from her, though. He was running to grab the ring from his car; he was running toward their future together.

"Where are you going?"

John ignored her shout as he unlocked the doors and pulled open the driver's side door. He practically threw himself into the car as he unlocked the console and snatched the velvet box from its depths. He didn't bother shutting the console back, just shutting and locking the car with his clicker. He stuffed his keys back into his pocket once he was back standing before the love of his life and mother of his son.