The One Love Collection

by Lauren Blakely

  Tyler downs a gulp of his pale ale as music plays from the speakers above us. “Damn straight. And this might be the ballsiest, coolest move you’ve ever made, Travers.”

  I beam, pride bursting in my chest. “I think so, too.” I take a thirsty drink of my beer then set down the glass. “And by the way, your plan to win back Delaney is one hundred percent certified insane.”

  Tyler laughs and nods as a pair of women in slouchy tops and skinny jeans walk past us, one of them checking out my friend. He wiggles his eyebrows in their direction. “It is insane. Especially since I could, you know, start over with someone new.”

  “You could, but that’s not what you want.”

  He shakes his head with a sigh. “Not at all. I’m getting her back.”

  “I won’t bet against you, even though I’ve got a hundred-dollar bill that says you won’t make it through the front door.”

  He offers his hand to shake. “Oh, ye of little faith. You’re on.”

  After we seal the bet, I down more of the beer then point to our drinks. “In case you’re wondering, I did use the hundred I won from you for these brews.”

  He crinkles his nose. “Dude, this is my cousin’s wife’s bar. I’m going to lose my lunch, knowing where that’s been.”

  “I deposited it, dickhead. That was a credit card I used for these.”

  “Then you infected some poor bank employee,” he says, shaking his head as if he’s disappointed with me.

  “I’m the worst. Simply the worst.”

  “You’re the worst,” he agrees. Then he takes a deep breath and nods a few times, as if he’s thinking about something. “Your plan is epic, man.”

  And in a few hours, after Abby finishes her day with Hayden, I’ll take her out and tell her.

  “Thank you. And yours might very well prove to be epic, too.”

  He raises a glass one more time. “To our epic selves.”

  “And to the women who’ll have us.”

  “Bless those angels,” Tyler adds.

  Angels, indeed. That’s a perfect way to describe my Abby.

  27

  Abby

  That night, Harper pretends to make a pencil go through her nose and come out her ear. Hayden’s eyes widen, and she claps several times.

  “Again! Again! Do it again, and teach me, please!”

  Nick laughs from his spot on the couch. “She never reveals the secrets of her tricks.”

  Harper waggles her hands in a now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t style. “He’s right. But I’ll gladly do it again.”

  As my magician friend shows off more sleight-of-hand, I grab my purse from the coffee table. Meanwhile, Nick draws a cartoon of a pirate, as per Hayden’s request. The magician and the cartoonist—I can’t think of better jobs for a pair of babysitting friends to have.

  “Now, don’t let her trick you into thinking she can stay up late,” Simon tells Harper as he wraps an arm around his daughter’s little shoulder. “This little lady has an eight o’clock bedtime.”

  Harper winks at Hayden, then nods solemnly at Simon. “I’d never do that. We’ll make sure she goes to bed on time, and we’ll make doubly sure that she doesn’t eat any of the mint chocolate-chip ice cream that we didn’t bring.”

  “We have ice cream? You didn’t tell me that,” Nick says, playing along with Harper.

  “What about Skittles?” Hayden asks. “I love Skittles, too.”

  Harper waves a hand behind Hayden’s ear and produces a mini bag of Skittles. Hayden claps, and Simon shrugs happily. “Have all the sugar you want,” he says to his girl, then to Harper and Nick, “And you guys have fun when she’s bouncing off the walls.”

  “We absolutely will,” Harper says.

  I was blown away when Nick had offered to babysit at the bowling alley. Harper had seconded him and later told me, “I don’t want your relationship with His Hotness to be dependent on when his ex-wife has the kid. If you want to have a date during the week, you can count on us to help out with Hayden.”

  It was simply an offer we couldn’t refuse. Simon’s sister Kristy has offered to babysit for us, too, and I’m sure we’ll lean on her some night soon.

  Simon says thank you to Harper and Nick, and I love that he’s getting to know my friends better and hanging out with them, too. I want him to be a part of my “family” here in New York.

  We leave and walk in the warm summer night to a new fusion-cuisine restaurant off Park Avenue, which Eduardo has been raving about.

  After the meal, Simon raises a glass of wine and toasts to me then to us.

  He clears his throat. “There’s something I want to tell you. It’s not bad, I swear,” he adds, with that smile I adore.

  I run the toe of my black high heel along his leg under the table. “Better not be bad.”

  “So,” he says, setting down his wine and clasping his hands together. “I found a new nanny.”

  My eyes widen. “Already? You didn’t even let the body get cold.”

  “Hey, now! You left me.”

  “Who did you find? And how on earth did you pull that off so quickly? This is New York City. It’s not easy finding a good nanny, especially to replace, like, the best nanny ever,” I say, pointing at myself.

  “That’s true. You’re a tough act to follow.”

  “So, who is she?”

  He takes a drink of his wine.

  I park my chin in my hand and stare at him. “Waiting.”

  He points a thumb at himself.

  I frown in confusion.

  “You’re looking at him,” he says.

  My jaw drops. “What?”

  Reaching across the table for my hand, he continues, “Remember when I said I used to work too much?”

  I nod, flashing back to our conversation at the French café the day of our first kiss. “I do.”

  His voice turns soft and vulnerable as he laces his fingers through mine. “I don’t want to become that guy again. And I feel like I have a new chance with you, Abby. To do things differently. To be a better man.”

  A lump rises in my throat. “You’re already an amazing man. You don’t have to change for me.”

  He clasps my hand tighter. “Thank you. But I want to change some things. I want to make sure I can be that man for you and for my daughter. If I drive myself into the ground working too much, that’s no good for anyone. I want to be around for both of you.”

  “So you’re not hiring anyone? You’re going to do it all yourself?” I tilt my head to the side. “I don’t get it. That’s even harder, since you have all this work now with Gabriel’s venture. It seems like you’d be even busier.”

  “I would . . . if I were an active investor,” he says. “But I talked to Gabriel a few days ago and said I’d rather front the money and then take a backseat role. I told him I’d prefer not to be involved as much in the day-to-day, and he said he could deal with those terms. I’ll make sure he has all the right people in place to execute his plans, and then I can step back. Besides, he already has talented people working for him. Present company included,” he says, tipping his head to me.

  “And he was fine with that?”

  Simon smiles and nods. “Incredibly fine with it. Plus, Hayden will be starting kindergarten in the fall, so I’ll have a few hours each day while she’s in school to work on Gabriel’s business or on whatever new opportunity comes my way. I’ll still benefit from what I expect will be his success, he’ll still benefit from my investment, and in exchange I gain something invaluable,” he says, his blue eyes holding my gaze. “Time.”

  A tear slips down my cheek. I’m happy for him. For the choices he’s making. For the way he wants to live his life and raise his daughter. “I love that,” I say softly.

  “Time is the most precious thing of all, and the easiest resource to waste if we aren’t careful. I’m lucky because I already have more than enough money to pay the bills. Now, with this choice, I can have time to spend with my two favorite people in the w
orld—you and Hayden. I don’t need to hire someone to replace you, because I want to be there for my girl.”

  How can I not fall more in love with him for this choice? The fact that he’s such a great dad has always been part of the allure for me. It’s been massively appealing how good he is with his daughter. What can I say? I thought I was an everything girl, but it turns out one of the things I like most in a man is how good he is at taking care of his kid. That’s my penchant. Some women go for arms, some like humor, and some love a bad boy.

  Me? I’m drawn to this amazing, gorgeous, handsome single father. I want to smother him in kisses and then jump his bones. “You know it’s ridiculously hot how much you love your kid?”

  He grins broadly. “You’re just ridiculously hot.”

  “I mean it,” I say seriously. “You have to know that’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you.” I place my hand on my heart. I can feel it flutter. “The way you are with Hayden melts me.”

  A slow smile spreads on his face, and he whispers, “Thank you.”

  “And I can’t think of anyone more perfect for the job,” I add.

  “Yours are big shoes to fill, though.”

  I wag a finger at him. “Hey, handsome. Don’t think you’re ever wearing my shoes.”

  He cracks up, holding his hands in surrender. “I don’t want to wear your shoes. But I wouldn’t mind taking yours off and undressing you.”

  I survey the restaurant. “At this fine dining establishment?” I ask in mock surprise.

  He shakes his head. “Let’s get out of here, beautiful.”

  He pays the check and takes my hand, threading his fingers through mine. His touch is possessive, his firm grip reminding me how strong he is, and that strength turns me on.

  Outside, he quickly hails a cab, and on the drive to my tiny apartment, we kiss like crazy. His hands loop through my hair, and his lips claim mine. Then he travels to my neck, and my body hums with desire for him.

  Soon, but hardly soon enough, the cab arrives at my building. The instant the door to my apartment shuts, his hands are all over me. We frantically tear at buttons and zippers, undressing and stumbling to my couch. Shoes come off, socks, pants, my skirt, my top, and his shirt. My hands explore his chest, his firm muscles, and those arms I can’t get enough of.

  “We only have thirty minutes. The sitters need to go home,” I tease.

  He wiggles his eyebrows. “So much I can do to you in thirty minutes,” he says, as he strips off my bra and panties. We sink onto the couch, naked together, then he kisses me like he can’t get enough of me while his fingers glide between my legs. I moan and sigh and murmur.

  I’m in heaven with him. The way he touches me is everything I’ve ever fantasized about. I want to give my body to him, let him have me, take me, because he knows just what to do. I lift my hips as he strokes me, his mouth on my neck, my shoulder, my breasts.

  As my sounds grow louder, he groans hungrily, pressing his firm body to mine, his erection hot and heavy against my skin. His arousal turns me molten, and it’s not long before I’m shattering in his hand, calling his name.

  As I come down from my orgasm, I grab his shoulders and pull him on top of me, opening my legs for him. “I want you. I need you. I’ve missed you,” I tell him, because it’s been a few nights since we’ve been intimate. I’ve learned quickly that dating a single father means alone time is hard to come by. I’m not going to say that’s ideal. But I’ll say this—it makes me want him more.

  Right now, I ache for him. Exquisitely.

  “Missed you, too,” he says, as he clasps my wrists, pins them over my head, and rubs his erection against my center. I moan loudly and arch into him.

  “Condom,” he mutters. “Let me grab one.”

  I wrap my legs around his bare ass, not letting him go. I shake my head. “I’m on the pill. Are you safe?”

  He nods. “So safe,” he says, and that’s all I need to know.

  He sinks into me, and I’m in another world with him. Sheer, unadulterated pleasure spreads through my body as he makes love to me. He pins my arms above my head the whole time, and I love how he overpowers me, how he takes me, how he moves inside me, whispering sweet nothings.

  Love you. Need you. Crazy for you.

  Then the tempo shifts, and so do his words.

  Fuck. So hot. So tight. I want you to come all over me.

  He thrusts faster, harder, deeper, and now this is fucking, pure, carnal fucking, as the man I love is wild with me, exactly how I want him right now. He takes me to the edge, as all the white-hot pleasure in my body curls inward then bursts into a thousand fiery sparks.

  In seconds, he follows me there, groaning my name as he comes inside me.

  He breathes out hard, and I sigh happily. So damn happily. I wrap my arms tighter around him, savoring the afterglow.

  Our chests are sweat-slicked, but I don’t want to separate from him. Instead, I lace my fingers in his hair. I kiss his cheek, his eyelids, his lips. “Did you know I’m dating the hottest manny in New York?”

  He cracks up, and I laugh, too. He’s so much more than a manny. So much more than the hot single dad.

  He’s the best man I know.

  Epilogue

  Simon

  Three months later

  Hayden swings our hands together as we head down the tree-lined block in the east 80s, on the way to her first day of kindergarten. She skips, and to say she’s eager to start school is an understatement. My girl is fearless, and it’s one of the things I most admire about her.

  “And if the teacher asks how you spent your summer, what will you say?” I ask.

  “So much stuff! I learned how to fence, and I became awesome at it,” she declares, and that’s sort of true. Surprisingly, she’s stayed with the sport, attending lessons and classes a few days a week. Taking her to the club is one of my favorite things to do, partly because she enjoys it so much, and partly because Abby joins us at nearly every class and we watch her progress together. Abby cheers her on and gives her tips, and then we lean closer, talking about how great she’s doing. I’m sure if anyone paid attention to us, they’d gag over how adorably in love we are.

  Let them.

  Fucking let them.

  “That’s true,” I say. “You’re a regular pirate musketeer sword fighter. What else?”

  “We went to London and saw the big jewels,” she continues, and that trip was fantastic, too. The three of us rode the London Eye, visited Big Ben, checked out the museums, and admired the crown jewels.

  “And we were all perfectly fluent in the language,” I tease.

  “Except they talk funny over there. But funny good,” she says as we near the school entrance. “Oh wait! There was one more thing that happened this summer. The baby eagles left their nest. We watched the eaglets become eagles.”

  “We sure did,” I say, and that was yet another thing the three of us did together. Funny, how the eaglets in the poplar tree became matchmakers for Abby and me. Checking out “Eagle TV” every day, trading texts—experiencing little moments of those hatchlings growing into badass birds of prey—played a part in the two of us falling in love.

  Eagles and zebras, French braids and restaurants, angel food cake and language lessons, and so many stolen moments that turned real.

  At the school, I give my daughter a big hug goodbye, then I wave as she heads through the doors. As I walk away, I check the time.

  Abby’s at work and won’t be free until lunch, so I duck into a coffee shop and use my phone to catch up on a few small business items that need my attention. As I enjoy a coffee, I answer an email about a new project I’m dabbling in—dabbling is the way I like to work these days. A few hours while Hayden’s in school is all I need to satisfy the business itch.

  When I wrap up the email, I call it a day. I wander up Lexington for an hour, then back down, enjoying the September morning that rolls into noon, when I meet the woman of my dreams for lunch at a sidew
alk café on Seventy-Eighth Street, with a chalkboard menu out front.

  She greets me with a kiss, soft and delicious, which leaves me wanting more. Somehow, I manage not to turn it R-rated.

  “You look gorgeous,” I tell her.

  “As do you. So give me all the details,” she says as she sits down. “How was the drop-off? Was she nervous? Or fearless?”

  “Guess.”

  “Fearless, of course,” she says, beaming.

  I tell her everything, and then we talk about her morning teaching and her lesson plans for the rest of the week. When the meal ends, I walk her back to work, giving her another kiss that I hope leaves her longing for kisses later tonight that don’t stop.

  “Can’t wait till bedtime,” I whisper.

  “Me, too.”

  That’s because we live together now.

  We’re not the Brady Bunch family. Sometimes we argue. Sometimes we’re tired. But you know what? Somehow, it’s all working out, and I’m the happiest guy in the world with the two ladies in my life—the girl I love madly and the woman I adore to the ends of the earth.

  They are my everything.

  Another Epilogue

  Simon

  A little later . . .

  Lights twinkle on the dance floor as I take the woman in black into my arms.

  “This dress is gorgeous,” I tell her, my eyes raking over Abby’s basic black sheath. She wears heels that look to be four inches, and she’s still little, like she told me she would be. But we fit perfectly as she glides against me, swaying to the music at Harper and Nick’s wedding. “But it has nothing on you. You look amazing, my love.”

  “Thank you. It hardly looks like a bridesmaid’s dress,” she says, glancing up at me as she runs her fingers down my tie. “And you are as handsome as ever.”

  “Thank you. And your friends are so happy.” I nod in the direction of the bride and groom enjoying a slow dance.

  “They’re your friends now, too,” Abby points out.