Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

KYLE

D ani lets go of my hand as she steps up to the door, but I take it back, glaring at her. "Together," I declare.

"I hope you live long enough to have a chance to regret that."

Her parents can't be that bad , I think. I mean, they made Dani and she's great, so surely, they're not that bad.

As we step inside, I realize I should've been more worried.

A man and a woman are sitting at the kitchen table. He looks ready to kill me even though I'm not sure he can get up from his chair. She looks ready to send Dani and me down the aisle, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a priest hiding in the back room.

"Papa, Mama, this is Kyle. Kyle, these are my parents, Eduardo and Flora Becerra."

I hold my hand out to Mr. Becerra first, and he looks from it to my eyes a couple of times before he takes it. His handshake is weak, but I'm careful to not be too gentle on him because a man like Eduardo Becerra would take offense to that. Mrs. Becerra shakes my hand politely, her eyes dancing from me to Dani with a sparkle.

"Such nice manners, right, Dani?"

Is she… yeah, I think she's trying to convince Dani to like me. "Thank you, Mrs. Becerra. I'm sure my mother would be thrilled to know her reminders actually worked and I'm not completely feral."

She smiles, and I think I'm making some headway when the door behind us opens again. Two kids come running in. " Abuelita ! Abuelo !" The boy and girl hug their grandparents, and then Xavier and who I'm guessing is his wife come in too.

"Sorry we're late," Xavier says, but he stops when he sees me.

I offer a hand. "Good to see you again, Xavier."

"Oh, uh… you too." He glances at Dani with a sudden hard set to his jaw. "I'm sorry, what was your name again? Kevin?"

I nearly chuckle at his obvious ploy for dominance. "Kyle," I correct as he shakes my hand finally.

"Right, Kyle. This is my wife, Mara, and the kids, Sarah and Michael."

"Nice to meet you, Mara," I say, inclining my head and then turning to the children, "Sarah, Michael."

"Are you Tia Dani's boyfriend?" Sarah questions.

I scrub at my lip with my thumb as I look at Dani because I'm not sure how much she's told them. She arches a brow, daring me to answer, so I go for it. "Yes, I am."

"Ooh, Tia has a boyfriend," the girl sings.

And just like that, it's out in the open.

"Let's have a seat and get to know one another," Xavier says, sounding like he takes his position as the man of the family seriously. He gestures to a chair at the table and I sit, obedient for Dani's sake.

She plants a kiss on my cheek and whispers in my ear, "Good luck."

I'm not surprised when Mrs. Becerra, Dani, and Mara start prepping lunch while Mr. Becerra, Xavier, and I sit at the table, since she told me that's their usual pecking order, but it's still hard to watch her work while I sit here. I do have another job, though, even if it's not helping to prepare the meal.

My job is to win over Dani's family to my side. Because for all her bravado about them, Dani loves her family dearly and she would never seriously date someone they don't approve of.

"What was it you do again?" Xavier asks.

"Install pools," I answer, grinning because I know what he's really asking, but I'm gonna make him work for it.

"Hmm, hard work, I imagine. Dirty, sweaty, hard work," he surmises, and I wonder if he knows that his nose is crinkled in distaste.

I nod. "Yep, I don't mind, though. I enjoy it. You sell cars, right?"

He puffs out his chest proudly. "Yes, top salesman of the quarter this month," he announces.

"Oh, congratulations, mijo !" Mrs. Becerra interrupts to say, and Mara plants a quick kiss to Xavier's cheek as she sets a stack of plates on the table.

"I'll get a bonus check so I think we're going to take the kids to the beach this summer," he brags. "Don't guess you get sales bonuses with pools, do you?" he teases, looking down his nose at me.

I could continue being intentionally obtuse to what he's asking, but there's no point in it. I understand, as best as I can, what security and stability means to Dani and her family, so there's no point in beating around the bush. Especially when this isn't a dick-measuring contest between bros but a very real feast or famine situation for them, and they want to ensure that Dani, who they love dearly, won't be dragged down by an anchor of a loser.

So I swallow my own pride and speak bluntly.

"Why don't we cut to the chase?" I offer. "Dani doesn't need a guy who can take care of her or afford her because she's doing great on her own, but if you're worried, yes, I can. I own my pool company, Dani has been to my house, and if you want, I can bring you my tax return from last year. So are we good?"

Dani's lips are pressed into a thin line as she fights hard to keep from laughing.

Her parents look glad to have their concerns addressed.

Xavier sputters but then says, "Make it three years of tax returns."

Dani steps forward at that. "Enough. You want to see his bank balance too, Zave? You're being ridiculous. And if you're gonna be rude, we'll just go."

"Xavier," Mara hisses, and he turns scolded eyes to her like he doesn't know what he did to warrant his sister and his wife's rebuff.

"The early years of a business are tough," Mr. Becerra says, his voice scratchy sounding. "It takes a lot out of a man and gives back very little." He seems to be talking from experience with the restaurant, and I realize that his concerns have not been fully addressed. "I think it's what made me so sick, so fast, and why I told this one" —he jerks his head toward Dani— "to do something else. Anything else." Dani grits her teeth, and I can virtually feel her swallowing down her hurt feelings over what her father's saying, but he keeps talking, unaware.

"I love her so much and didn't want her to be locked into that struggle the way I was. But she's stubborn and does what she wants, of course." He waves a hand like ‘what are you gonna do' but gives Dani a pride-filled smile, and I can see her starting to thaw a bit. "And like I feared, it consumes her, running her ragged, which worries me." He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table, and the sigh he lets out seems to be more from the small amount of activity than anything else. "I just wish for my daughter to have a freedom I never had and couldn't give her. I dream of a life for her without the constant stress of money worries, but if you are also a business owner, that responsibility will hang heavy over you both. It will be a hard life. Are you ready for that?"

"Papa," Dani whispers, her hands over her mouth. But she comes to his side, wrapping her arms around his frail shoulders. "I'm fine. My business is doing well. You don't need to worry about me."

I think Dani's father not giving her the restaurant might've had a lot more to do with protecting her from the all-consuming nature of owning a business and less to do with Dani's gender, and she seems to be realizing that now too as her father hugs her, patting her back gently.

"I will always worry. It's what a father does," he says, but then a coughing fit overtakes him. I think saying so much was a big ask of his lungs.

As we wait for him to stop coughing and find his breath again, I think about what he's said because I understand what he means. I do worry about my guys as much as I worry about my bottom line. I make a commitment to them and to myself every single day, with every single project, and I'm responsible for making sure those commitments are met.

I'm also suddenly realizing the similarities Mom says she sees in me and Dad. Our businesses might be on entirely different scales, but I have absolutely skipped out on family stuff in favor of completing a job so that my crew's bonus checks were available on time, as promised. That doesn't mean I forgive him for doing it so many times, but I have a deeper understanding for why he made the choices he did and respect him a bit more for making those hard calls.

As Mr. Becerra settles, he glances around the table. I feel like he's a man looking at the final grains of sand in his hourglass, worried about the legacy he's leaving behind and wanting to make sure that he's done enough to care for those he loves. For him, it's not about money. It's about the life those dollars and cents provide.

I look at Dani, who seems to be hearing the same thing. I don't brag or boast or need some sort of validation based on my income and bank balances. I don't tell anyone how much I make per job or discuss my savings strategies, which I consider to be my own private business. To me, money is no big deal.

To Mr. Becerra, it's peace.

So I do something I otherwise never would. For him, and for his daughter.

I pull my phone out, open my banking app, and log in. I wait for the screen to load and then give him a pointed look. He dips his chin, understanding the enormity of what he's asking of me, and it's that recognition that has me turning my phone around so that only he can see the screen.

His eyes widen at the number and then they tick up to me. I nod, affirming that he saw what he saw, and he lets out a shaky breath. He nods back, and like that, I have Mr. Becerra's stamp of approval.

"I told you that you'd find a nice boy one day," Mrs. Becerra says, bumping Dani's shoulder with her own. "And so handsome."

Dani's eyes haven't strayed from me. She doesn't know what her father just saw, but she appreciates my willingness to give him what he needed, nonetheless. She comes around the table, wraps her arms around my neck, and places a kiss on my cheek, much the way Mara did to Xavier.

"You're right, Mama. I did find a nice boy," she repeats, her eyes sparkling with laughter that I presume has to do with the idea of my being nice or a boy.

But with the elephant in the room addressed, we're able to have a nice lunch and even Xavier and I are getting along by the end of it, bonding over the new BMWs that'll come out soon.

As we leave, he shakes my hand. "Thanks for the tip about the cruises. I wouldn't have thought that'd be cheaper than flights and a hotel for our vacation."

I nod. "They can be, depending on where you're going and when. Worth looking into, at least."

While we were eating, he mentioned their family beach vacation again and I remembered Mom and Dad taking us on a cruise once. Though we weren't worried about finances, I remember Mom laughingly saying the all-inclusive nature was great for five boys who could eat a week's worth of groceries in one sitting and suggested that Xavier look into that as a possibility.

As we pull out of the driveway and wave goodbye to everyone, Dani sighs happily, her head laid back on the headrest of my truck as she looks at me.

"I think they liked me," I say, flashing her a cocky smirk.

She snorts out a laugh. "Are you kidding? I think they like you more than me." More seriously, she says, "Thank you for doing that with Papa. I don't want to know, and it's not my business, but whatever you showed him gave him a comfort I didn't know he needed."

I smile grimly. "He wants to know that you're in good hands, that's all." I reach over the console to rub her thigh. "And you are… in very good hands."

Her laugh is light and bright and full of filthy promises I hope she keeps when we get back to her place. She has work to do so she's ready for the week, but I've discovered that a little help goes a long way with Daniela Becerra, and if she's got the energy when everything's ready, then she's more than happy to expend it with me.

My phone rings in the cup holder, and I glance at the truck's screen. It's Mom, so I answer on the speakerphone.

"Hey, Mom."

Things have been better between us, but I feel like I'm still apologizing for going so far rogue. I'm honestly not sure I'll ever be able to make that up, but I'm going to do my best.

"Kyle, it's time. We're heading to the hospital," she says, her voice echoing in the truck.

"Alright, we're on our way too. Do you need anything? I can grab it on the way." I'm already changing directions to get to the hospital where Janey is scheduled to deliver.

"No, just come. Cole wants us all there for Janey since she won't have any family there."

I nod even though Mom can't see it. "We're about thirty minutes out. See you soon."

"Okay." She sounds distracted and stressed. Mom has become not a second mother to Janey, but an actual one because Janey's family is awful, and once she and Cole got together, she went no-contact with them. We're her family now, and if there's one thing we Harringtons are good at, it's coming together when it counts.

We've had times when we're all spitting mad at each other, even recently when they were mad at me for my major blowup at Mom and Dad, but Cameron and Kayla were there to set me straight. And other times too, where we've all shown up for each other.

Hell, sometimes, we're at our worst when things are going well. But when it goes sideways, I wouldn't want anyone else at my side.

"Hey, Mom," I say, grabbing her attention back. She hums, and I say, "Janey's gonna be fine. Cole too. But Janey's solid. She's got this. And we've all got her."

I can't imagine what must be going through Mom's mind as one of her children becomes a parent again. It's been so long since Cameron and his wife had Grace that it seems like a distant memory. And with me now knowing the difficulties Mom once went through with one of her pregnancies, I can understand how this would be a bit triggering for her.

"Thanks, honey," she says, her voice steadier but also thicker sounding. "We'll see you soon. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

Things aren't perfect between us, between any of us. But perfection isn't what makes a family. We're all fuckups in our own way, but we stand by each other, and that's what matters.

Dani

"Do you want to drop me off before you go?" I offer, not wanting to overstep with such an important family event.

Kyle jerks his eyes to me. "Fuck no. You're coming with me."

"Oh, okay," I reply nervously. "I just don't want to be in the way."

He looks back to the road, paying close attention since he's flying down the highway. "I want you there with me. Period." Kyle's hand lands back on my thigh, and I feel a sense of togetherness I can't explain.

I was fine alone. I was surviving and succeeding because I'd become exactly who and what I needed to be so that I could. I was hard and tough, through and through. But Kyle put everything I thought I knew about who I was and what I wanted into a blender, hit the pulse mode, and changed it.

As a result, I've become softer and more accepting of love, which doesn't make me weak or less than I was because at the end of the day, I'm still me—a mouthy, hot-tempered, stubborn woman who puts up with no shit, and I'm proud of that. And what I want now is… him. At my side, at my back, and maybe occasionally, stepping in front of me to take the hit for my own good.

I lay my hand on his, squeezing it, and he smiles.

"I love you," I tell him.

"Fair warning, I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that and I'm apparently ‘a needy bitch'." He throws his voice as he says that, making air quotes and chuckling at himself, and I wonder if Wayne and the guys have been giving him a hard time or if it's been his brothers. Guys are like that—happy for you when you find love, but also quick to give you shit about it. All in good fun, of course.

"Then I'll tell you all the time."

He tilts his head my way, like he's listening extra close, and I laugh. "I love you," I repeat.

His smile grows as he says, "I love you too."

At the hospital, we rush upstairs to the Labor and Delivery unit's waiting area. All the Harringtons are there already, except for Janey and Cole, who I assume are in a room.

"Took you long enough," Carter teases, a smirk on his face.

"We were across town at Dani's parents'," Kyle answers, falling into a chair after he makes sure I sit down. "How's Janey? Cole killed the doctor yet?"

I see Mr. and Mrs. Harrington give each other a quick look when Kyle says he was meeting my parents. But it's Carter who says, "Meeting the parents already? You're not wasting any time, are you?"

Carter grins as he glances my way, and for a split second, I think it's a dig at me and start to reply hotly. But Kyle laughs. "Nope, I've got to get Dani locked down before she realizes what a degenerate I am."

The brothers laugh, with Chance suggesting that Kyle ‘better get to it' because, as Cameron says, he ‘can't hide that for long', and I realize that Carter's comment wasn't to me at all, but rather to Kyle. It's the guys' way of teasing and making sure they're okay after everything that happened before.

It's also Kyle falling back into the jokester role in his family, but he seems more comfortable there now. Like it's not a ploy for attention, but rather, just who he is—an irreverent, funny, casual, dirty-mouthed man to their serious, staid propriety.

"How're Janey and Cole?" Kyle asks again.

Mrs. Harrington—Miranda, I remind myself, knowing it'll be next to impossible for me to ever call her that—answers. "She was doing great when they called to tell us it was time. Keeping Cole calm, mostly, because he was running around grabbing things they didn't need even though their go-bag has been packed by the door for weeks now. I heard her tell him they didn't need tongs." She covers her mouth, but it's still obvious she's laughing at her son's panic.

Kyle mutters, "Cole? Losing his shit? I can't imagine it. He's too stone-cold for that." He tilts his head, considering. "I would pay to see the footage of that, though. And the tongs." He makes a clacking motion with his fingers to demonstrate.

"Already on it," Kayla whispers out of the side of her mouth. "Put in your highest and best offer by tomorrow at five, and whoever's highest gets the video."

Kyle leans over and explains to me, "Cole's wired their place like it's an FBI safe house—cameras, microphones, security, the works. So it becomes a question of how much I want to see the video versus how much he doesn't want us to see it. Is it worth it?" he asks Kayla, who gives him a tight-lipped smile that doesn't reveal her opinion in the slightest.

"Why would I divulge the value of my assets when the price is still under negotiation?"

Samantha interjects, "If it's that good, Janey'll show us at girls' night."

Kyle points at her. "You're right." To Kayla, he shrugs. "Sorry, I'll wait for the late edition release."

Kayla throws a glare at Samantha, and she waves back at her with two fingers.

And they all seem… okay. Like the blowup at dinner is a distant memory they've worked through. I'm sure there are residual hurts and wounds that haven't fully scarred over yet, but they're a family, first and foremost, and today is a big deal as their family expands.

Back on track, Mr. Harrington says, "Cole texted when they got here, said Janey's already dilated to a six and that he hates their doctor because she's not doing anything about how much the contractions are hurting."

We go quiet.

Mr. Harrington puts his arm around Mrs. Harrington, murmuring, "She'll be fine, honey."

That's how we sit for hours.

I get up and start the coffee maker in the corner after a while, figuring everyone could use a pick-me-up, and Kayla comes over to help me pour the steaming liquid into the paper cups.

"Mom takes two sugars and cream, Dad takes one Splenda," she tells me, and I start Mr. Harrington's while she starts her mom's.

I'm stirring the coffee when she says, "Thank you."

I think I misheard her or imagined it because she's not looking at me, but rather, at the cup in her hand. "For what? Making coffee's no big deal."

She huffs a tiny laugh. "For bringing him to us. I'd say back to us, but I don't think Kyle's ever really been with us until now."

"I think he'd say the same thing about all of you. You weren't with him." It's not an accusation, but rather, the blunt truth.

Her nod is full of sadness and regret. "I thought I was. I did what I could while dealing with the rest of their bullshit, but it wasn't enough."

"It wasn't your responsibility. It still isn't," I tell her, sensing a kindred spirit. I think Kayla takes care of her family the same way I do mine, by taking it all onto her shoulders and into her heart. I frown, admitting, "I think I need to hear that too."

"Kyle said you help your parents?" she asks, and I nod.

"My dad's been sick for a while, so me and my brother do what we can."

"I'm sure he appreciates it." I scoff, and she laughs too. "They never do, do they?" I shake my head as we lock eyes, building a connection right here in this moment. More seriously, she says, "He's better with you. Like he had to go through the ugly, and drag all of us with him, to get here, but we're all better for it on the other side. I can see that he's the best version of himself with you."

I lick my lips. "Thank you. I think we gave each other a safe place to fall apart and heal some hurts we'd been Band-Aiding over for too long."

"A safe place to fall apart," she repeats wistfully. "That sounds amazing." She smiles, but her eyes look tired, and I can only imagine what she must go through to keep five brothers in check. I've only got one, and he nearly runs me to exhaustion.

"Well, I've got Kyle so you can take him off your list," I tell her warmly.

She pumps her fist, whispering, "Yes!" She meets my gaze, vowing, "I'm gonna hold you to that. Same as Luna, Samantha, and Janey. No take-backsies. Once you claim them, they're yours."

"Deal."

We deliver the coffees to Mr. and Mrs. Harrington, who are grateful, and then pour cups for everyone else too.

"Thanks," Kyle tells me when I hand him his black cup of steaming brew. "You and Kayla get me sorted out?" he asks, taking a careful sip.

"Something like that."

I'm not surprised he noticed us talking. I could feel his eyes on me the whole time, like he was ready to step up if I needed him. But I think Kayla was right. His family is better now. I won't take any credit for that. It's all Kyle's doing, his facing his childhood hurts and strained relationships and taking accountability to improve them as an adult. Along with his parents' willingness to listen to Kyle and make sure he knows he was and is wanted and loved.

Even now, it's different than it was at that fateful dinner. Kyle isn't on the outside of the family. He's right in the middle, included and involved with the conversation while we wait for news and talking about actual stuff, not only joking around and irritating them for attention.

Eventually, Cole comes out. He looks like he's been through hell, but his smile says it was worth it. We all stand instantly, waiting to hear…

"He's here. Emmett Nash Harrington. Seven pounds, fourteen ounces. Twenty-one inches long. He's beautiful, so beautiful." His eyes tear up, and he swipes at them. "He has red hair like his Momma."

I barely know him and Janey, but the excitement and happiness is so palpable that I'm crying along with everyone else. Mrs. Harrington wraps Cole in a hug, and I hear her ask, "How's Janey? Is she okay?"

Cole nods. "She's good, Mom. She was so amazing. Look."

He pulls his phone from his pocket and holds it up, showing us all a picture of Janey holding a teeny-tiny baby who's wrapped up like a burrito and wearing a knitted hat. The baby's eyes are closed and he's red and puffy looking, but Janey's smiling at him like he's the most gorgeous thing she's ever seen.

There's a chorus of exclamations about how beautiful they both look and then Cole says he has to get back. "Give us a few minutes and then you can come see them, Mom. Okay?"

Mrs. Harrington nods, and as soon as Cole disappears around the corner, Mr. Harrington grabs her up in a tight embrace. He rubs her back, whispering, "She's okay, honey. They're all okay."

She nods against his chest, and I feel Kyle wrap his arm around me. He brings his mouth beside my ear and whispers, "We're never having kids. It's too terrifying."

I can't help but laugh. "Then you'll have to tell my mom that," I whisper back.

"Shit," he hisses. "Fine, we can have kids if you want, because the only thing scarier than you is your mom."

I shake my head. Mama is not scary. Persistent, stubborn, strong-willed? Absolutely, just like her daughter. But scary? No, unless you piss her off.

" Tsk … She'd set you up on a blind date with some guy ready to pop out grandbabies on her timetable in a heartbeat."

"She might do that," I concede. But truthfully, she wouldn't.

Mama likes Kyle, and while we were cleaning up after lunch, she told me that I seem really happy and that's all she's ever wanted for me. For her, happiness comes from Papa, Xavier, and me. We are the best parts of her life, and she has only ever wanted the best for me.

I understood that finally and told her that I've found that… with Kyle.

I hadn't been able to argue when she'd arrogantly said that she'd had a hand in that too because if she hadn't set me up with Nick and made Kyle jealous, I probably would've never given him a chance.

So yeah, maybe her meddling and blind date pushiness was for the best in the end. Not because of Nick, but because of Kyle.

And me.