She Loves You

That information prompted Charlotte to pose some difficult questions to her grandmother.

"Grandma, if he adopted that girl, does that mean he's her father?"

"I guess it does, legally. I think Blake assumed all the rights and responsibilities of a real father when he was granted the adoption," Sandra answered thoughtfully.

"That means if he adopted me, he'd be my father, doesn't it?" Charlotte asked.

"Dear, he can't adopt you without your mother's consent. Plus he doesn't even know you, so it's really not possible," Sandra reasoned.

"He was married to my mother, just like he's married that girl's mom," Charlotte pointed out. "That means he could adopt me and be my father."

"It doesn't work that way. You can only be married to one person at a time. He's married to a woman named Beverly and adopted her daughter, Faith. He is not married to your mother. He doesn't even know you and will certainly not be adopting you," Sandra insisted.

******************************************************************

Blake found the training and testing to become a firefighter/paramedic very demanding. If it hadn't been for the constant encouragement and support of the group he had met his first night in Madison County, he thought it likely that he would not have succeeded. The men worked out with him religiously to prepare him for the physical part of the firefighter testing. He had always had a rugged build, but with an improved diet and proper conditioning, he was transformed into an impressive physical specimen.

Once he had passed all the requirements and joined the Madison County Fire and Rescue Squad, Blake quickly became a known and well liked figure around the county. His unflappable demeanor in the face of some very serious situations gained him the respect of his fellow firefighters and paramedics, as well as the community in general.

Blake had remained cautious around single women who were about his age, since his heart still carried the scars from his failed marriage with Angie. Sarah and a few others had made a few attempts to set him up with young women they felt would interest him, but nothing ever came of it.

That all changed when fellow firefighter-paramedic, David Wingate, introduced Blake to his sister, Beverly. Blake found himself attracted to a woman for the first time since he had parted from Angie. The fact that she came with a lovely little daughter only increased her appeal. Blake had always wanted to be a father and little Faith took to him immediately.

Blake was careful not to push things, since Beverly had suffered some emotional scarring as well. She had fallen in love with her high school sweetheart and gotten pregnant by him two years after she had graduated. The day she had learned she was pregnant was the same day her boyfriend and two others were killed in a fiery explosion, totally destroying a small but productive meth lab.

Beverly was left with the stigma of being an unwed mother as well as the former girlfriend of a local drug dealer. Her brother and parents helped support her and raise her daughter. They encouraged her to get a two year degree from a local junior college and pretty much steamrolled a friend of her father into hiring her as his bookkeeper. The man later declared it was the best move he ever made. He learned where his company's profits were generated and what parts of his business required more attention and policy changes.

Two years after meeting Blake at a Wingate family barbeque, Beverly became Mrs. Blake Reynolds. Faith was delighted when Blake adopted her and she became Faith Reynolds.

Blake and Beverly were actually on a delayed honeymoon when Blake garnered his fifteen minutes by saving the boy who had fallen over the edge of a precipice in a Montana state park. Beverly had wanted to bring Faith with them so they could continue to bond as a family. Blake completely loved the little girl, so he needed no coaxing into taking her with them.

Upon their return to Madison County, Beverly found the same people who had made her life difficult as a single mother were now the first to embrace her like a life-long friend.

Blake had already been popular when she had met and married him, but his heroics were seen and known intimately by the entire population of Madison County. Most residents felt Blake was a very positive image for their area. He was a tall, handsome man with an impressive physique and a kind demeanor, as well as an attractive young wife and daughter. He represented the best of the area and locals were proud of his accomplishments while helping others.

Blake came to realize that Angie's betrayal had been necessary for him to find Beverly and marry her. It had hurt at the time, but it had provided the impetus for him to leave the rat race of congested Northern Virginia and find a home and family in a place where he felt comfortable and welcomed.

Soon after his wedding, Blake purchased a log home that had been started a few years prior with the plan of serving as a bed and breakfast. The man developing the property suffered several severe fiscal setbacks before construction was completed. Reluctantly, the local bank had taken possession when the developer stopped paying the mortgage on the uncompleted home.

Blake wasted no time approaching the bank and striking a deal to purchase the building on ten acres in the foothills north of the town of Larsen. Blake had saved some money over the years. Beverly was doing well in her job and her family gladly gave Blake and Beverly the balance for a good down payment, allowing them to secure a reasonable mortgage they could manage and still have some money left to complete three unfinished bathrooms and two framed-in bedrooms.

Blake and Beverly spent hours working on their dream house, doing as much of the labor as they could themselves. Blake felt that his life was as close to perfect as it could possibly be, and then it wasn't.

They were attending the Wingate July Fourth barbeque the following year when Beverly suddenly groaned loudly and dropped to the ground. Blake, along with five other paramedics rushed to her side and immediately began life-saving efforts, only to see them fail. Beverly never regained consciousness.

An autopsy revealed she had suffered a badly ruptured brain aneurysm. It was unlikely that she would have survived it if she had been on the operating table at the moment it occurred. As it was, the highly skilled and motivated paramedics on the scene were faced with a challenge they could not win.

Blake struggled to get through the next week. His heart was well and truly broken. If it hadn't been for Faith needing him and the constant efforts and support of his fellow firefighters, he would have given up. As it was, he muddled along with little purpose or direction.

It was at the funeral reception that Blake realized he needed to stop thinking only of himself. Faith was being held by her Uncle Dave when she asked those gathered, "Will I still live with Dad, or isn't he going to want me now that Mom's gone?"

Blake immediately stood and rushed to Faith. He tried to wipe the tears from his eyes before he took her into his arms, but it was simply a gesture since the tears continued to flow.

"Sweetheart, you're my daughter," Blake choked out. "You'll always be my daughter and I'll love you forever. We're father and daughter. We'll always be together."

As he held Faith in his arms, Blake silently promised Beverly that he'd always take care of Faith and raise her to be a woman Beverly would have been proud to call her daughter.

*****************************************************************

Charlotte had turned nine and was now able to use her own laptop without her grandmother's constant supervision. Angie had placed software on the machine that restricted Charlotte's ability to access websites Angie and others felt to be unsafe or inappropriate for a girl her age.

"Grandma, I just saw where Faith's mom died last summer! She was at a party and just died. No one could save her, not even Blake. She's very sad and so is her father. She said he's still her father and he always will be.

"Can I have my own social media page? Faith has one and I'd like to be her friend," Charlotte asked her grandmother.

Sandra Wilson was stunned by Charlotte's information. Blake's wife had died and he had to be in pain. Sandra had read enough about Blake's family while ghost-following him with Charlotte to know his wife and daughter meant everything to him. Could having Charlotte as a friend make his little girl's life better, or just complicate it unnecessarily?

"I don't know about that, Sweetheart. I've heard a lot of bad things happen to young people, especially girls, when they use those platforms a lot."

"You can read everything I post and check up on all of my online friends, Grandma," Charlotte argued with passion. "I'll only have a few friends and Faith will be one of them, I hope. We don't have to tell Mom since she doesn't want to hear about Faith's family."

"I guess it'll be okay, but I'll be watching you like a hawk," Sandra promised. "Faith needs a friend, not someone who complains about her father. Don't tell her your mom was married to her dad. You have the same last name simply out of coincidence," Sandra cautioned even as she wondered if she was making a huge mistake.

Angie had done very well in her career as a lobbyist in Washington, but was growing tired of the high stress her life had become. The traffic around the DC area was a nightmare. The men she dealt with in her job seemed to become bigger pigs every year. More than a few had suggested that Angie would fare better if she treated the men 'better.'

They were all but telling her she would be more successful if she slept with them. While Angie had enjoyed two rather brief relationships with eligible single men over the years, nothing had come of it. Both men had eventually realized that Angie wouldn't invest emotionally in their relationship, so they moved on. Another man she thought had potential was ruled out when he made his feelings about dating women with children known on their third date.

Charlotte was rapidly growing up and Angie felt that she wasn't spending enough time with her daughter. With her commute taking so much of her time, plus the demands of her job, Angie was away from Charlotte ten to twelve hours every workday. That was too long. She needed to find a way to be more involved in her daughter's life.

She was suffering from burnout. She had worked for the same employer for ten years and had nothing left to prove. She had been successful and well compensated, but she had never felt any real fulfillment from her work. She often wondered if the situation would have been different if she and Blake had remained married and had a family.

Charlotte could barely contain her excitement when she heard her mother telling Aunt Carla and her grandparents about a job offer in Montana.

"I've been approached by the Montana forestry industry. They want someone to lobby for them in their state Capital of Helena, as well as Washington DC," Angie revealed.

"The irony of me considering taking a job in Montana, Blake's home state, doesn't escape me," Angie acknowledged when she saw the look Carla gave her. "I was pretty selfish and insisted Blake find a job here so we could be close to Washington. Now I hate the place."

"Does that mean you'd move to Montana?" Sandra asked. "I don't want to think about what my life would be like without Charlotte in it. She's such an adorable girl."

"I haven't even interviewed for it yet, so don't get all weepy on us, Mom. I feel I should tell you that if I get the job, I'd be spending most of my time out there with an occasional trip to DC. I'd bring Charlotte back with me whenever I could and she could spend time with you.

"I have to look to the future. I'm not enjoying the commute, the people I work with, or the constant pressure the management puts on me to produce results," Angie stated. "I have to discuss this with Charlotte. Her happiness is always a concern in everything I do."

"I can be ready to go by morning!" Charlotte announced as she rushed into the room. "I can't wait to see the mountains, valleys, cattle and horses and even the winters in Montana."

Angie allowed herself a small grin as she listened to her daughter. Charlotte had no way of knowing that Angie always monitored her internet interactions. She had heard too many horror stories to allow her nine-year-old daughter unsupervised access. Her mother had been doing a good job keeping an eye on Charlotte, but Sandra was getting up in years and had very little knowledge of the pitfalls of the internet.

She had no doubt that Charlotte was going to find a way to visit Madison County and meet Blake and Faith. Angie did have more than a few doubts on how that would turn out, but she felt her daughter needed to learn a few of life's lessons. She was certain that Blake would not be cruel or spiteful to a young girl, one who was the same age as his daughter.

Three weeks later, Angie, Sandra and Charlotte checked into a hotel in Helena, Montana. Angie had invited her mother to travel with them. She wanted someone to help keep an eye on Charlotte while she went for her initial interview and any possible follow-up interviews. She also wanted her mother along for emotional support when she and Charlotte met Blake for the first time, and Angie had no doubt they would meet him.

The interview went well and Angie was asked back for a second interview the following week. With some time on their hands, the three ladies decided to go on a road trip to see the sights in Big Sky Country. They were all properly impressed with the mountains, the ranches and the abundant wildlife.

Angie pretended to have no idea why Sandra and Charlotte both thought visiting Madison County would fun. As they neared the town of Larsen, Angie began to question her decision about allowing Charlotte to meet Blake. They had not parted on very good terms and Charlotte was the product of Angie's marital infidelity. Blake might think Angie was rubbing his face in her betrayal. Even after nearly ten years, he would want nothing to do with her. She had stabbed him in the back when she slept with Rick. She knew it was an unforgivably selfish, cruel act on her part.

Charlotte's fixation on how he should have been her father seemed extreme and unhealthy to Angie. She felt that if Angie met and interacted with Blake, she would realize he was just a man and not some sort of superhero who was destined to be her father. Blake would be cool to Charlotte and hostile to Angie, causing Charlotte to see how the image she had created in her mind did not match the reality of the situation.

Larsen had a small visitor's center, so Angie stopped there first. She was unsure how to continue but felt confident that Charlotte would have some ideas.

"Let's try that souvenir shop," Charlotte suggested once they left the visitor's center loaded down with brochures and maps. "We should get something to remember Montana and Madison County by."

Angie and Sandra followed Charlotte into the large building with two floors of souvenirs, shirts, games, books and games. Charlotte soon wandered away from her mother and grandmother and made her way down the block to a diner with sign proclaiming it to be 'Mom's Place' and numerous police and emergency vehicles parked in the lot.

Blake had just finished a shift and was about to have several days off. His in-laws had agreed to meet him at the popular diner. They were going to bring Faith who had stayed with her grandparents while Blake worked the past several days.

He was sitting at a table with two other paramedics he had worked with on the shift. He had ordered a lunch special and was waiting for it when he noticed the chatter in the diner seemed to drop off. An exceptionally pretty young girl about Faith's age was staring at him as she made her approach.

Like most of the other patrons, Blake could see that the girl wore a determined face, but fear simmered just under the surface. She stopped in front of Blake and her lips began to quiver.

"I'm Charlotte Reynolds. You were supposed to be my father," Charlotte declared in the now silent room. "My mom did something real stupid to mess it all up, but that doesn't change how I was meant to be your daughter."

Blake suddenly realized this young girl was Angie's daughter. She somehow thought he was her father? Didn't Angie ever explain the facts to her? The DNA test showed conclusively that he was not the girl's father. She should have been told that.

"Charlotte, you're a very pretty girl and any man would be proud to be your dad, but I am not your father. There was a test done. It showed a different man was your dad."

"I know what that test said, but that wasn't about us being together, or you being my dad. That test just showed how my mom had made a real bad mistake and hurt your feelings so much you had to divorce her. You were supposed to be my father," Charlotte once again insisted.

As she spoke Charlotte slowly raised her small hand and touched Blake's chin. Then she slowly slid her hand along his jaw and across his cheek. She nodded her head indicating she was satisfied with what she had seen and began to climb up on the surprised man's lap.

Blake realized he had no alternative but to help the girl onto his lap. Anything less would have been cruel to the girl. Once on his lap, the girl wiggled around until she was satisfied she was where she belonged.

"Faith told me how she wishes she had a mom. I brought mine so she could meet her. I think she still loves you and she's very sorry about hurting your feelings and getting divorced," Charlotte told a stunned Blake.

"You know Faith? How's that possible? Where and when did you meet her?" Blake asked.

"We're friends on Facebook. She told me you always eat here after you're done working. She told me what time you'd be here. We're like sisters."

Blake glanced around the room as he tried to frame a response. Everyone in the crowded diner was watching and listening to the interaction between Charlotte and him.

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage," Blake observed. "You've been talking to Faith and know a lot more about me than I do you. Can you tell me how you wound up here in Madison County?"

"She came with me, Blake."

Angie had watched Charlotte leave the souvenir shop and walk up the street to the diner. She had been standing in the small restaurant's vestibule, listening to her daughter introduce herself to Blake. Angie took a deep breath and faced her former husband for the first time in a decade.

Blake couldn't help but stare as Angie approached the table. The two men Blake had been sitting with quickly stood, nodded to Angie and moved to sit at the counter, unwilling to miss the unfolding drama.

Angie looked a bit heavier than the last time he had seen her, but the weight was in the right places. Her face was slightly fuller, her breasts looked larger and her hips flared more than they had when she was married to Blake.

Blake finally found his voice. Charlotte remained snuggled against his chest as he spoke.

"Angie, you're more beautiful than I remember. Your daughter favors you, especially around the eyes and mouth. She's going to be a heartbreaker, just like her mother."

"I guess I was, or am, a heartbreaker," Angie admitted. "I'm also foolish, selfish and extremely repentant. I did the absolute worst thing a woman can do to a man she proclaims to love. I can't undo the wrong I did to you."

"I thought the same thing at the time," Blake agreed. "Not so long ago, I experienced something far worse. A man's wife dying on him is the worst thing she can possibly put him through. I'd rather she had a dozen lovers than have her die like that. It put your little fling into perspective."