Chapter 20

Twenty

Harrison

W e spent all of Sunday in bed, only taking breaks to cook together, with me wearing sweatpants and her a long shirt and nothing else. I wanted easy access to her body. I wanted to make love to her repeatedly.

Occasionally, Everly would wander to the office to take it all in. When I found her, she claimed it was hard for her to believe that we’d done the work in such a short amount of time. I suspected it was more that we’d done it at all. She wasn’t used to people doing nice things for her. She was always taking care of everyone around her.

She’d certainly never had anyone create something like this for her. I was proud to be the man who listened to her and wanted to give her everything she ever wanted. A library and an office were a nice start, but it was me that was the real gift. Me and Wren. A family. People by her side, loving her and supporting her. I hoped she felt the depth of my feelings.

I didn’t want her to doubt anything or pretend this wasn’t real. Because it was the most real thing in my life outside of Wren.

I hadn’t done it to prove anything to anyone but her. I wanted her to feel special. Wanted.

At the end of the night, we lay in bed watching TV.

“I've been meaning to talk to you about something,” I said, shifting so that I was propped up on the pillows, and Everly moved to sit next to me. “Silas Sharpe called me during Remi and Colton’s wedding.”

Everly’s eyes grew big. “What did he want?”

“He had a business proposition for me. He wanted to hire my company on a trial basis. He wants to see how it goes for thirty days, and if it works out, he’ll give me a hefty bonus to sign a long-term contract with him.” I had so many ideas for ways to spend the bonus—not just on the business, but possibly on a vacation for Everly, Wren, and me.

Everly’s brow furrowed. “Can you do that with the contract you signed with Gia?”

“I read through it again, and there’s no non-compete clause. No rule saying I can’t work for other companies.”

Everly chewed her lip. “I don’t think she’ll like it.”

“We’re friends, but at the end of the day, it’s a business. With the additional stream of income Silas is providing, I can afford to hire another employee to handle the weekends that we have Wren.”

“I’d love to have you around more too.”

“It’ll work out. You’ll see.

“I hope so. It sounds like an amazing opportunity for you.”

“It’s an amazing opportunity for us . It will help our family.” And at the end of the day, that was what was most important. Gia was a businessperson; she’d understand.

Everly rested her head on my shoulder. “The only thing missing this weekend was Wren. She’s going to love the library. Did she know?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise for her too. But I talked to her about us getting engaged.”

“You did?” She sat up so she could see my face.

I paused the show on the TV. “Whomever I marry will be in her life too. I wanted to be sure she was okay with it.”

“And she is?”

“She was excited about it. Happy to have a stepmom.”

She hesitated before she finally asked, “So, it’s real? We’re really going to get married?”

Wondering where the doubt was coming from, I said carefully, “I asked you to marry me, and you said yes.”

She bit her lip. “There’s a part of me that thought it was an act. I remember your attorney saying it would look better if we were engaged.”

“The proposal was real. Our relationship is real. I care about the custody case, but none of this is an act for me.” I expected there to be a bit of doubt around it, but I wanted to ease her mind.

I grinned, rolling her so that she was on her back, and I hovered over her. “Do I need to show you how real it is?”

“Uh-huh.” We made love again, this time slow and easy. I wanted her to be present for each moment, touch, and kiss. Everly was it for me, and I wouldn’t let anyone come between us. I wanted more time with Wren, and Everly would fight for that beside me. We were a team. A family.

I whispered my feelings over her skin, hoping she’d feel the words embedded in her skin. When she came around my cock, I watched the play of emotions cross her face, the ecstasy, the pleasure, the love. I never wanted to forget this moment.

I’d been so scared to take this step, but it had been easier than I ever imagined. Because on some level, we were fated. Friends since childhood. This was our moment. The right time for us to be together.

The week after Thanksgiving, our lives were back to their normal pace. It was no longer the protected bubble we’d lived in all weekend. Everly was back at work, and I was busier than ever with holiday-related parties and events.

Basketball also started this week. I had a coach’s meeting and our first practice. My time was about to become a lot more limited. I knew it would be worth it, but I missed the alone time Everly and I had. When nothing else could penetrate.

I worried that Everly would get into her head and start doubting us again. She was the wild card in this situation.

I was happy taking Wren to and from practice. It was more time with her, even though it wasn’t entirely one-on-one. I still had to coach the team. A few of the girls had never played before, so it was challenging teaching them both the rules and the skills. But Wren loved it and made it worth it.

After practice on Saturday, I got a message from George that they were at the hospital.

“I think this is it,” I said to Wren as we walked out.

“What’s it?” she asked absentmindedly while dribbling the ball through the parking lot.

“Your mom’s at the hospital. They think the baby’s coming.”

Wren grabbed the ball, carrying it now.

“Are you excited? It’s okay if you aren’t.” I wasn’t sure how to navigate this situation. I just wanted her to know I’d always be there for her.

When I opened the rear passenger door to my truck, Wren climbed in. “You think he or she will like me?”

“How could they not? You’re lovable.” I tweaked her nose, which always elicited a giggle but not this time.

“You have to say that. You’re my dad,” she said, pulling the seat belt over her chest and buckling it.

I gave her a look. “I think everyone would agree with me on this. Besides, as long as you’re a good big sister, he or she will adore you.”

“Really?” Her nose was adorably scrunched up.

I loved that she was worried about her sister or brother liking her. It showed she was in touch with her feelings and wanted to be a good person.

“Aunt Sage adored me.” Despite our bickering over the years, Sage had looked up to me when we were kids. She followed me around, wanting to do whatever I did: hang out with my friends, stay up late, and eat junk food.

“It’s going to be different.”

I sighed, hating that she was going through this, but it was a rite of passage. Most kids had siblings they needed to adjust to. Their parents would be focused on someone who needed more immediate attention. It was an adjustment I was positive she could handle with grace. “Babies don’t sleep a lot during the night, and I hate to tell you this, but—” Wren looked at me expectantly. “They cry a lot.”

“Where will I go?” The worry in her voice concerned me.

“I’ll text your stepdad and tell him you can stay with me until they’re ready for you to visit.”

“I can?”

“I don’t see why not. You can’t be with them at the hospital.”

“Yay!”

Satisfied she was okay, I typed out a quick message as I rounded the hood and climbed inside. “Let’s go home.” I winked at Wren in the rearview mirror. It felt great to be taking her to my house and not her mother’s.

“Guess who’s home?” I called when we opened the front door.

Everly popped her head out of the office. “Wren. How was basketball?”

“Great. We played knock-out.”

“You’ll have to tell me what that is.”

“I can show you.”

“Absolutely. Let me grab my sneakers, and we can go out front to practice.”

“Can I get a snack first, Daddy?”

I ruffled her hair, pleased that she’d seemingly shrugged off the shock of her new brother or sister arriving into the world.

Wren dropped her ball and ran into the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” Everly asked in a low tone of voice. “I’m happy to see her, but—”

“Lola’s at the hospital. She’s in labor.”

“Oh. She said it was okay if we kept Wren?”

I checked my phone. George had replied with an oka y. “Yep.”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Where else can she go? And besides, I’m her father. Things should work this way. It shouldn’t always be black and white, every other weekend and every Wednesday for three hours. Kids have needs; things come up.”

Everly squeezed my arm. “I agree with you.”

“There should be more give and take.”

“Absolutely. It’s why we’re doing all of this. So you can request more time.”

What if a judge thought she should stay in her mother’s home because of the baby? That wasn’t something I’d considered before. What if I’d missed my window of time to request it?

“Let’s enjoy this extra time we get with her.”

Wren returned with a small snack cup of crackers. “What’s this?”

“Oh, that’s my new office. Want to see?”

Wren followed Everly into her space. Her eyes wide, she took it in. “Who did this?”

“I built it.”

“Can you do something like this in my room? Just one wall?” Wren asked hopefully.

“I don’t see why not.”

“That would be amazing. Maybe we could all help this time. I’d love to see how you did it,” Everly said.

Everly led Wren around the room, showing her the shelves and the rolling ladder. At her request, I helped Wren stand on it, and I pulled her around the room. “No riding on this when we’re not around, okay? It’s not a toy.”

“Okay,” Wren said, jumping down.

Everly showed her the portfolios she kept behind the desk. It made it so easy for her to have access to her designs when she was on the phone or with a client. Although I don’t think she’d met with anyone here yet.

“What’s that?” Wren asked when Everly’s hand stopped moving. “Do you have a new ring?”

Everly looked at me quizzically. We hadn’t discussed how to tell her, although Wren knew it was happening.

“Remember? I told you I was going to ask her to marry me.”

“You said yes?” Wren turned to Everly.

Everly smiled. “I did.”

Wren squealed. “You’re going to be my other mother.”

“Stepmom?” I asked, thinking she was confused.

“Stepmom doesn’t sound that nice, and I’ve always thought of you as my other mother.”

Everly’s eyes welled up with tears. “Well, that’s sweet. Thank you.”

“I love you,” Wren said as she hugged her.

“We’re a family now. A family of three,” I said, hugging Everly and Wren.

Everly swiped a tear from her cheek. “I’m so happy you’re here. Ready to play some basketball?”

“Yes.” Then Wren took off for her basketball in the foyer.

“Are you okay?” I asked Everly, who seemed overcome with emotion.

“Yeah, I just—wasn’t expecting her to be here today or to tell her about the engagement. I wasn’t sure how she’d feel.”

“We spoke about it ahead of time,” I said, confused about where this anxiety was coming from.

“I know. I just needed to see that she’d be okay.”

I pulled her into my arms, needing to soothe her. “She’s more than okay. She’s ecstatic.”

Her eyes filled with unshed tears. “It just makes me so happy.”

I squeezed her just as Wren popped her head in. “You coming?”

“Give us a second.”

“Can I go practice by myself?” Wren looked from me to Everly.

“Go ahead. We’ll be right out.” I didn’t mind if she played in the backyard, but I was more cautious about her being in the front. I didn’t like her to be alone for long.

“I told you she’d be happy.”

“She loves me.” Everly’s voice still seemed slightly taken aback by everything.

“But you knew that,” I said gently.

“It’s just nice to hear it.”

That got me right in the chest. Everly didn’t feel loved. Not after her father left, and then her mother was too caught up in her own grief to remember she had a daughter who relied on her for support.

“You’ll always feel loved. I’ll make sure of it.”

Everly smiled through the tears.

I wiped her cheeks and kissed her softly, my heart full. Wren was here, and Everly was too. The two most important people in my life. Nothing could go wrong. I felt the happiness seep into my soul. “Now, let’s go play some basketball.”

We showed Everly how to play knock-out, although it was easier to play with more people. With Lola delivering her baby, and seeing the families with multiple kids at practice, it made me want more kids. I wanted to give Wren siblings, too.

It wasn’t something I thought about because having one when we were young was hard enough. I’d struggled to finish college and work jobs to support Lola and Wren. But I was more established now. I could hire a manager to help with my business and maybe take a step back, just doing the scheduling and marketing. It was feasible, even if I was afraid of the risk it represented. There was no guarantee the business would continue to expand.

The more I watched Everly interact with Wren, the more I realized she’d be a wonderful mother, and I absolutely wanted that with her. I’d asked her to marry me, and she’d said yes, but there was still this otherworldly quality to it, like she hadn’t quite accepted it yet. That she was still acting out a role in a play directed by my attorney.

A part of me asked whether I would have ever made a move on Everly without Jackson’s suggestion of a fiancée. Would I have moved in with her so quickly or proposed so soon? I knew the answer was no. I was more cautious when it came to Wren. The only thing that propelled me forward was the custody case. That didn’t sit right with me.

A ball hit me in the face. “Hey.”

“Pay attention, Daddy,” Wren said with her hands on her hips.

“Make sure the person is looking before you throw them the ball,” I said gruffly.

“You were looking—”

“Maybe he wasn’t paying attention. What were you thinking about?” Everly asked, her head cocked to the side.

“Just wondering if Wren’s brother or sister’s here yet.”

“Why don’t you check?” Everly asked.

I went inside to check my phone. There weren’t any messages, but then that was to be expected. I wouldn’t be the first person they’d contact unless they wanted Wren to be there to meet the baby. I’d never been in this situation before and wasn’t sure of the protocol.

“You okay?” Everly asked when she came into the kitchen a few minutes later.

Wren’s footsteps sounded on the stairs to her room.

“Yeah, just thinking about how things will change, or whether they will.” It was only part of the truth.

“It’ll work out. You need to have faith.”

“Aren’t I the one who’s usually rainbows and sunshine, and you’re the pessimistic one?” I teased.

“Maybe you rubbed off on me. Or it’s that I removed the filter I was seeing the world through.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Dad left, Mom saw everything one way. It was like putting on shaded sunglasses and seeing everything in a negative light. Of course, Dad wouldn’t come back. Of course, he’d moved on. He never loved us. It might have been true, but then it bled into everything. The kids at school treat you differently because your father left you. If there were several ways to look at something, she always went with the worst-case scenario. And I absorbed it, taking it in.”

“You were just a girl, and you heard your mother’s words over and over again.”

“But now, I see that there are different ways to look at things. I don’t always want to look at the negative.”

“I love that.”

“Me too. I feel so much lighter. Happier.”

“That might be my influence too,” I teased.

“I think it’s a combination of things, but I’m so happy I’m aware of it now. I see how my mother is, and I know I don’t want to be her.”

“You could never be her.” I never saw Everly as an overly negative person, but maybe it was just the thoughts in her head.

“I love you. I’m so grateful for you and Wren in my life. Even your parents and Gran.”

“We’re the whole package.”

She smiled, and I wanted her to be my wife now. But I couldn’t talk about dates, not with the custody case looming over us. We needed closure on that before I ventured forward any more in our relationship. Everly might not believe it was real otherwise. And I desperately wanted her to.

Wren’s feet thundered on the steps as we broke apart. When she came into the kitchen, she said, “I’m starving.”

“Can’t have that now, can we?” Everly asked, ruffling her hair. “What do you think about spaghetti and meatballs?”

“Yum,” Wren said.

“Good. You can help me make the pasta. Can you grab the noodles from the pantry?” Wren grumbled but she did as she was asked.

“I’ll make my famous meatballs.”

“I haven’t had those in a while,” Everly said as she grabbed a large pot, filling it with water at the sink.

“You’ve been cooking so much I haven’t had to.”

“And that’s a good thing,” Wren said.

“Hey, you don’t think I can cook?”

“Some things, but Everly’s better. Sorry, Dad.”

It was quick with all three of us working together to make the meal. At Everly’s suggestion, we made garlic bread by adding freshly ground garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil to a crusty bread she’d bought from the store earlier in the week.

Sitting down together was everything. Especially since this wasn’t my weekend to have Wren. Before anyone dug in, I said, “I’m grateful we’re here together as a family. We miss you when you’re not here.”

“Daddy.”

“In case you didn’t know.” I didn’t want her to feel torn between two families, but it was important that she knew.

Wren came around the table, climbed into my lap, and threw her arms around my neck. “I love you too, Daddy.”

The best I could hope for was seeing Wren fifty percent of the time. I just hoped I’d get it.

I declared it game night after we’d cleared the dishes, and we got out a fantasy game I’d gotten Wren as a gift but that we’d never played. We watched a video to understand how it worked, and then we played for an hour. It was a cooperative game, so we weren’t competing against each other. It made it even better. We joked and laughed, giving each other tips for the best course of action. When I tucked Wren in at night, she asked, “Can I stay with you?”

“I know you’re worried about the baby, but I promise we’ll get through this, and you might even love being a big sister.”

Wren sighed long and hard. “I hope so.”

“I’m working on getting more time with you. These things take—”

She rolled her eyes. “Time. I know. You’ve told me.”

“It’s a grown-up thing. I don’t want you to worry about it.”

Wren sighed. “I won’t. I just wish I could stay here all the time.”

“But then your mom would miss you.”

Late that night, Lola sent a picture of her baby wrapped in the familiar pink-and-blue-striped hospital-issued blanket. The cap didn’t have a bow, so it was a boy. I wondered what that would mean for Wren. Would her stepdad be more into his son because he was a boy and one hundred percent his? Would Lola?

I responded with a congratulations .

Lola: When will you bring Wren by? I’ll be going home tomorrow.

Harrison: Whenever you’re up for it, but it will have to be after school.

I refused to take her out of school, even for her baby brother, Duncan. Wren needed consistency and routine. Now more than ever.

Lola: Monday after school.

Harrison: Sounds good.

I wondered if Wren would stay with them or go home with me, but I was too chicken to ask.