7. Chapter 7

Sig

Rachel's lower lip trembles, and I have the sudden urge to kiss away her tears. Focus, Duck!

Anna and Noah are openly bawling. Lisa looks like she's about to break down, too. And as for poor Reaper? The man keeps glancing longingly at Quackie Drop. I really wouldn't blame him if he decided to jump. Hell, if this wasn't my ducking problem, I would, too.

"You have to believe me," Rachel pleads, her beautiful face stained with tears. "I would never try to take you kids away from your nana. I can't do this on my own!"

"You're lying!" Lisa shouts.

Fuck a duckity duck.

This is all my fault. Why couldn't I leave well enough alone? The kids were happy. They were freshly showered. They were giving Rachel minimal trouble. Things were going well… and the four of them could have gone home with some happy quacking memories and rubber duckie memorabilia.

But I just had to butt in…

I take in the tear-fest, completely at a loss. Rachel would never force the kids to leave their nana. And she wouldn't lie to me about it. I'm sure of it.

Rachel is the person I'm meant to be with. My other half. The love of my life. My fated mate.

I'm already falling for her, and have been from the moment our eyes met and I knew she was mine.

I've dreamed of finding my mate since I first shifted. And the magic weaving between us tells me she's a good, kind person, who's perfect for me. Which means that whatever's going on must be a big misunderstanding.

I step closer to the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with and try to physically reassure since I can't do it with words. It might alienate the kids, and I need to fix things. "Kids, I think I'm going to need you to explain. What, exactly, did you hear Rachel say that makes you think she's trying to take you away from Nana?"

"We don't think she's trying. We know she is," Lisa snaps.

Anna sniffles, nods, and says something so softly I don't catch it. I lean closer, and she says it again. "She said she wants custody."

"Custody?" I repeat with a confused glance at Rachel.

She looks taken aback, and I'm honestly not sure what to think.

Lisa scowls at her. "She sent Nana on the cruise so she could get custody while she's away."

Rachel's eyes widen and her fingers fly to her ring, tracing its wavelike shape. "I would never do that."

"Nana told us you paid for her cruise ticket," Lisa accuses. "And we know she didn't want to go at first, but you convinced her to go."

Rachel nods. "Yes, but not so I could take you away. I would never, ever want to do that. I just thought Ada could use a few weeks to relax. And I wanted to take care of you kids to prove to her that I'm a responsible adult."

Responsible adult. There are those words again. The ones Rachel equates with giving up her own happiness and locking herself up in some office and working a job I know she'd hate.

"I just wanted to show Ada I'm ready to stay, so I could help her raise you kids. But I was wrong," she adds, her lower lip trembling. "What was I thinking? I'll never be responsible. I couldn't even get you to shower without Sig's help."

I hate to see her so sad, so I say the first thing that comes to mind. "Baths are better."

Not even a smile.

Rachel drops to her knees in front of the kids. "I would never, ever want to take you guys away from Nana. I just want to stay, too. I'm done traveling. I'm done packing up and leaving after each visit. I want to be your guardian. With Nana, not instead of her. Please say you'll give me another shot."

Her voice quavers, and ducking tears spring to my eyes. Duck stereotypes. Grown men cry. Especially during emotional moments with their fated mate and her kids.

But Lisa shakes her head. "If you really wanted to move in with us, you wouldn't need custody."

Rachel shakes her head. "Your parents left you in my care, Lisa. I gave up custody when I left. But I want it back so I can always be here for you. With Nana. Not instead of her. Never instead of her!"

Rachel's voice breaks, and I place a comforting hand on her shoulder, lending my silent support. Her skin is warm beneath my palm, and I have to fight the urge to pull her into my arms and hold her tight until she feels better.

She shoots me a half-smile, and that's enough.

She turns back to the kids. "Please tell me you'll give me a chance?"

The kids exchange looks, as if they're not sure what to think, and Rachel's shoulders droop.

I shoot Reaper a look that screams help, because I'm fresh out of ideas, and he glances at the pool. Is he telling me he wishes he could swim away? Or is he telling me that the best thing for everyone is a nice refreshing swim?

He's definitely not telling me to cannonball into the pool and duck in mid-air. Though if I did, that would distract everyone. And lighten the mood. Or seriously freak out Rachel, considering she didn't take it well last time. But a repeat performance might do the trick. And if I plan to make her and the kids my family, they'll need to know about my duck side eventually. So why not right here, right now?

I get ready to shift, but Anna beats me to it. Not by shifting, since she's definitely human. She's also far too young to have a shifted form even if she were a Bayan like me.

She speaks up, voice trembling, "So Nana really is coming back?"

"Of course!" Rachel nods emphatically. "When she calls tonight, she'll tell you so herself."

The kids exchange hopeful glances, and some of the tension seems to seep out of Rachel.

I forget all about shifting and let this moment be about them, not me.

Noah wipes his tear-stained cheeks with the back of his hand. "Does that mean you'll stay in our house?" he asks Rachel.

She nods.

"Well, you can't stay in my room." He pouts, and it's hard to keep a straight face. The kid is adorable!

Lisa rolls her eyes. "Rachel wouldn't take our rooms, Noah," she tells her little brother.

I don't miss the fact that a few minutes earlier, she was emphasizing Rachel's name the same way. Girl's got attitude, but she's a good kid.

She turns to Rachel, "Where will you stay?"

Rachel chuckles. "I'm fine on the couch for now. I'm planning to find an rental nearby."

"You don't have to do that. You can stay at my place," I blurt.

Her surprised deer-in-headlights expression tells me I'm coming on too strong.

"I have a spare room," I quickly add, even though that's not what I want. I want this woman in my bed. In my house. In my life. In my future.

I want us to break down the walls between our two houses and combine them so there's enough space for all of us, Nana and all the babies we'll have included. Or we could always buy a bigger house. After we get married.

But Rachel's human. I can't expect her to instantly be on board with our relationship like a shifter would be. She doesn't have the built-in faith that the magic would never steer us astray. I have to give her time to catch up.

And judging by the panic in Rachel's eyes, she's going to need a lot of it. But I'm up to the challenge, and I plan to romance her and make her mine.

For now, I shrug, like it's no big deal. "Think about it," I tell her.

Then I back off while she talks with the kids. After a lot more questions and hugs all around, I kneel in front of the kids. "Okay, you three. I want your word that you won't give Rachel any more trouble. And that means daily baths."

"Or showers," Rachel quickly jumps in.

"Baths," I repeat, using my no-nonsense voice.

Noah grins. "Showers are for chumps. Right, Sig?"

"Right. And I want you in school every day, no arguments, you hear me?"

They nod emphatically.

Rachel and I share a smile, and I get to my feet. "Now, who wants to stop by the gift shop before we head home? I think there are some rubber duckies with your names on them. One each. On the house."

The kids cheer, and the moment I point them in the right direction, they take off. A very relieved-looking Reaper follows. The man can manage a fully staffed kitchen, but give him an upset child, and he falls apart.

Rachel and I follow, and she grins up at me. There's a pep in her step that wasn't there earlier. It's like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders and the sun has come out from behind the clouds. Which just goes to show how exhausting fighting with the kids must have been for her.

Rachel's eyes twinkle, and that spark makes her a hundred times more gorgeous and irresistible. It takes everything in me not to pull her into my arms and claim her right on the spot.

She threads her fingers through mine, and my self-control almost snaps. "Thank you, Sig," she says softly. "Seriously. You don't know how stressed I've been."

"I can imagine." Because the difference really is like night and day.

I can also see this woman working on a cruise and traveling the world. And I don't want her to lose that joy. Not when she doesn't have to.

I pull her to a stop and turn to face her. "Rachel, I want you to be happy."

"I am happy, thanks to you!" She smiles broadly up at me.

"I don't mean right now. I mean always." I take her other hand in mine. "Being a responsible adult doesn't mean you have to give up your own happiness. Responsible doesn't have to mean boring. You can still travel. Have fun. Work by the pool. Those things won't make you a bad guardian. And an office job won't make you a good one."

"I know…" She sighs. "But I need a steady income. And I don't want to cruise anymore, not if it takes me away from the kids."

"Then come work at Rubber Duckie World."

It's the perfect solution. I own the most fun place in the world. But Rachel shakes her head. "You don't have to give me a job, Sig."

"I don't have to. I want to. And you'd be good at it." At her skeptical look, I add, "You have experience."

"Giving scuba lessons to adults isn't experience."

"Transferable skills, then. And you can learn to run the rides or give tours. There are so many different jobs at a waterpark, and they're all better than a desk job." The thought of being cooped up in an office all day makes my heart hurt.

Rachel hesitates, and for a second I think I've gotten through to her, but then she shakes her head. "Sig, I appreciate it. I really do. But I need to figure this out on my own. And I've spent a year studying IT. I'm actually kind of good at it. I don't know if I'll like it. Maybe I won't. But I at least want to give it a shot."

"Then I'm with you." And I am. I'll always support her, no matter what. It's just too soon to tell her. But it doesn't stop me from blurting out, "Would you give me a shot, too? Just to get to know you better. Please?"

I sound like a desperate fool and feel a sudden urge to jump into the Quackie River, shift, and let the current take me away. But I'm glad that I don't, because Rachel breaks into a huge grin.

Her next words floor me. "I'd like that, too."