39. Kyle

“What’s wrong?” I spun to Harper.

She was white as a sheet. “Your hair.”

Yeah, based on the pile of clippings in front of me, I could imagine it was awful. At least until I got to my hairdresser, and hopefully that could be tomorrow.

“You don’t like it?” I joked.

Instead of laughing, she sniffled, and her eyes welled with tears.

“Aww, Crabby, come here.” I pushed to my feet and ate up the distance between us. “Don’t cry. I promise it will grow back.”

“I don’t care about your hair,” she stuttered. “You do. You’re going to hate us. We’re wrecking your life. We’re difficult. We’re loud. We’re messy.”

Taking half a step back, I tilted her chin so she was forced to look at me.

“Harper Wallace. You’re right.”

A tear crested her lashes and streaked down her cheek.

With my thumb, I wiped away the moisture. “You’re inconvenient. Everything I never wanted. Everything I avoided. And yet now I can’t stand the idea of you not being part of every tomorrow.”

She went rigid, blinking in a way that was so much like Piper. “What?”

I cupped her cheek. “My hair will grow back. The kids will grow up and become easier. They will break shit and ruin stuff. And we will get through it. Because the only thing that matters is us.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she sniffed twice. “How are you so perfect?”

A wry chuckle escaped me. “Oh, I am not at all perfect. Look at my hair, Crabby.”

She snorted a very wet laugh, leaning into me. “I can’t imagine you not being in my tomorrows either.”

That statement yanked hard at my heart. It was all I wanted to hear.

“So this is what we’re going to do,” I said, choking back the stinging sensation behind my eyes. “You’re going to finish filling the kids’ plates, then get them to the table. I’ll sweep up the hair. Then I’ll get rid of the gum from the machine for at least a few years.”

Thankfully, the rest of the night went off without a hitch. Piper ate without complaint, and by eight, the three of them were loaded into the Revs’ car service and headed back to their place.

I was putting the last of the Legos away when Cam walked out and froze in the middle of the room.

“Holy fucking shit.”

“That bad, huh?” I asked as he gaped at me. I hadn’t looked in the mirror yet because I really didn’t want to know.

“Yeah, that bad.” Blinking, he ran a hand over his mouth. “You’re going to need to get a buzz cut.”

“I think it will suit me.” Not really. They suited no one. I ran my hand through my hair, wincing when I hit the short spots. There wasn’t much I could do but wait for it to grow back.

“What the fuck did you do?” He was still staring.

“Pipe cut my hair.”

Eyes wide, he opened his mouth, then slammed it shut again. “You love her.”

It wasn’t a question. And he wasn’t talking about Piper.

I shrugged. “Yeah, man. I love all of them.” There was no doubt in my mind about that.

He shook his head and ran his hand over his face again. “I’m avoiding her because I’m afraid I’ll say something that tips her off. I’m not answering any of your family’s calls or even JJ’s. Everyone thinks I’m in a funk,” he said, huffing out a breath. “Really, though, I’m terrified of accidentally unraveling your web of lies.” Barefoot, he paced across the hardwood floor.

I frowned, my chest tightening. “That seems dramatic. I’ve never lied to Harper.”

Freezing in the middle of the room, he scoffed.

“I haven’t told her about my connection to JJ. That’s it. Just that one little thing.”

“It is a big fucking thing.”

I winced. Was it? Maybe he was right. But hopefully the relationship Harper and I were building was strong enough, stable enough, to get through that.

“You have to talk to them both.”

Swallowing back a wave of nerves that suddenly overtook me, I nodded. “I plan to text JJ. Find a time to meet up before I leave for spring training. After that, I’ll talk to Harper too. You’re right. It’s past time.”

“Thank God. I’m exhausted from stressing about it.”

“It’s going to be fine,” I assured him.

I guessed it was a good thing Harper thought I was perfect at the moment. Because when she found out, I’d need all the built-up points I had in my favor to get us through it.