23. Chapter 23

Grady

Five Months Later

“Looking good, Daddy,” Dallas says, chuckling as he wipes down the bar. It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for my weekly lunch with the boys.

I stare down at Callie in her carrier, strapped to my chest, sleeping as if the world around her doesn’t exist. “Enough with the Daddy talk, all right? Just remember, payback is a bitch.”

Penn snickers from his seat at the bar. “Yeah, it’s a little disturbing. Just wait until your son calls you that, and then you’ll think twice about using that nickname.”

Dallas nods, clearing his throat. “Noted. But seriously, how’s fatherhood treating you? That little girl looks so much bigger than she did last week.”

“Well, she’s five months now, so she’s definitely hitting milestones left and right, but I think we’re navigating our new normal pretty well.” I kiss the top of my daughter’s head. “Except the sleep deprivation. That still sucks, but she’s getting better.” Callie was waking up four times a night, but now we’re down to two. Scottie takes one and I take the other so we can both get sleep, and she gets to also spend some time bonding with our girl. It’s working well for us so far.

“It’s crazy how fast they grow,” Penn chimes in. “I remember watching Bentley and Lilly when they were babies, and it goes by so fucking fast. They continue to change now too, but in different ways.” He shakes his head. “Having kids is wild, that’s all I’m going to say.”

“I can’t fucking wait,” Dallas interjects. “Only three more months and I’m going to join the daddy club.”

Dallas and Willow got engaged last spring and married last summer, not wasting any time, and two short months later, they found out they were expecting their first child just after the Carrington Cove Games. Willow and Scottie have bonded a lot over pregnancy and motherhood, and selfishly, part of me is looking forward to having one of my closest friends be at the same place in life that I am.

Scottie and I got married on New Year’s Eve at our house, surprising everyone when they thought they were just there for a party, but I didn’t want to start the new year without her as my wife and her having my last name. I have a honeymoon planned for us over the summer after the school year is over. It will be our first trip away from Callie, but I think we both need it. Parenthood is rough, even if you approach it as a team.

But God, I love my fucking life. My girls and Chase—sometimes I still can’t believe how things all worked out. It’s a far cry from playing professional baseball, but it’s exactly what my life was missing.

Being a stay-at-home dad has been an adjustment, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a schedule is key. It keeps everyone happy .

Before Callie was born, I asked Scottie what she wanted to do about her job. Needless to say, with the money I made in the MLB, there wasn’t a need for her to work. And the garage does well, so it wasn’t like we didn’t have extra income. But Scottie was adamant about keeping her job because she loves working with the kids.

“So, has Willow entered her nesting phase yet?” I ask Dallas, taking a seat next to Penn. But Callie starts to stir as soon as I sit, so I stand right back up. It’s her naptime, and if I don’t let her rest, she’ll be pissed off for the rest of the afternoon.

“Willow has taken the reins, and I’ve learned not to argue. She asks for my opinion here and there, but ultimately, I told her that as long as she’s happy with the nursery and feels she has everything we need, I don’t really care too much about the rest.” Dallas shrugs, continuing to stock items behind the bar. “I just want to hold my son and hope to God the delivery goes smoothly.”

Before either Penn or I can reply, Parker comes storming into Catch & Release with metaphorical smoke coming out of his ears.

“Uh, you okay?” I ask as he approaches the bar, tosses his glasses down, and blows out a breath.

“I don’t even fucking know.” He looks up at Dallas. “Can I get a beer, please?”

Dallas furrows his brow at his brother. “A beer? It’s noon on a Thursday…”

“Just pour me a fucking beer, Dallas.” Parker closes his eyes as he pinches the bridge of his nose and waits for his brother to slide a beer in his direction. As soon as the glass is within reaching distance, he picks it up and drains half of it before saying, “Fuck. My. Life.”

Dallas comes out from behind the bar as Penn and I stand beside him, all three of us looking down at the youngest Sheppard, wondering what the hell is going on. But before any of us can say a word, a petite blonde comes smashing through the front door of the restaurant, her hair wild, her eyes scouring the room before they land on Parker leaning forward over the counter.

“Oh my God, Parker! There you are.”

“Who the hell is this?” Dallas mumbles to me out of the corner of his mouth.

“No idea,” I mutter in return as Parker spins around and meets the eyes of the woman who just crashed our lunch date.

“Cashlynn, what are you doing here?”

She brushes her hair from her face. “Well, you rushed out of the vet’s office so fast that we didn’t get a chance to talk.”

Parker huffs out a laugh. “I think you did enough talking for the both of us.”

“Should we say something?” I mutter as Dallas, Penn, and I continue to watch the conversation in front of us unfold.

Penn puts his hand on my shoulder. “Not yet.”

“I’m sorry, I just…” The woman blows out a breath and then finally meets our eyes, covering her chest with her palm. “Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt…”

“You’re not, although I think we’re all wondering how you know my brother here,” Dallas says, gesturing to Parker.

Parker glares at his friend and then turns to me, Penn, and Dallas. “Guys, this is Cashlynn O’Neil.”

“O’Neil?” I ask, wondering where the hell I’ve heard that name before. “Isn’t that…”

“As in Dr. O’Neil, my boss?” Parker nods. “The one and only.”

I turn back to the woman. “So you’re…”

“Dr. O’Neil’s daughter,” Parker finishes for me. He shoots another irritated look at our surprise guest and then says something neither Penn, Dallas, nor I was expecting. “And as of today, my fiancée.”