When he says that, my throat clogs with emotions because I lived all those moments and they’re my most precious memories. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want us. If you’d want to be a family. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”
“You don’t fucking get it. Of course, I want you. I’ve always needed you.” Frissons rise along my skin. His words strike me all the way to the core of my being. “And River? I didn’t expect her but she is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’ve been searching for my purpose, Sophia. And here it is. I’ve finally found it—you and River standing right in front of me.”
His anger has melted now, leaving behind something soft, something like hope. I want to bathe in it. “Oh god, Archie. I’m so sorry.”
He breathes out roughly and rakes his fingers through his hair. “Look, it wasn’t your fault,” he says in a low voice. “I was on a different continent and you didn’t know you’d ever see me again. When I showed up in Copper Heights, you didn’t know if you could trust me. I get it. All I know is I’m done missing moments. I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere.”
My heart has disintegrated. It’s a puddle in my chest. I have No. Fucking. Words.
“The bottom line is this—you’re not getting rid of me, Sophia. I’m here to be a family. The parent my daughter. To love you. I know you’ve been hurt and you’re just trying to protect yourself.” He reaches up and cups my face, gently running his finger along my cheekbone. “Your little self-sufficiency act is cute but’s not gonna get in the way of what I have to do. The choice is yours. You can just drop it now and let me love you or I’m going to fight until you see things my way. Until you see that you can rely on me to take care of you, to be your friend, to be your man. You can either open the door for me or stand back and protest while I tear down every single wall around your heart. Brick by brick. But either way, I’m gettin’ inside."
Swallowing hard, I decide to stop fighting this. I lay my hand over his heart and I feel it raging with conviction beneath the surface of his skin. Brushing my lips over his feels so right. “I’m opening the door, Archie. I’m letting you inside. I want you in my life.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Archie
I stand in the doorway and stare as Sophia lowers River into her crib. I’m not surprised that the little girl could barely keep her eyes open at the dinner table. She played hard at the park this afternoon. I was committed to making sure she had the time of her life. After all, she and I have a lot of catching up to do.
I’m a father.
The thought puts a huge smile on my face. Finally, I have a purpose. I don’t need to wander around, searching for my place in the world. I’ve found it.
These two beautiful girls. Sophia and River. My family.
I would kill for them. I would lay down my life to protect them. I feel like my life is finally worth a damn.
Sophia’s breath stutters when she steps away from the crib and sees me standing there. “Hi…” she whispers.
“Hi…” My heart gallops just looking at her. She’s barefoot and wearing a tank top and tiny satin shorts with her hair flowing down her back. She couldn’t look more perfect if she tried.
I know she feels terrible that she hid River from me and I won’t lie—it stings. But my love for her is too big to hold a grudge.
I pull her to my chest and wrap my arms around her. I breathe in her scent. Beautiful wildflowers.
She kisses my collarbone and laces her fingers with mine. “Come. I want to show you something.”
I let her lead me down the hallway to her bedroom. Or our bedroom, I guess I should say. She instructs me to sit on the bed and she drops to her knees to dig into the back of her closet.
Finally, she emerges with a big shoe box, overflowing with papers. She sits next to me and pulls back the lid.
She hands me a small, clear plastic bag with a little brown thing inside. It looks like a piece of turd.
“What is this?” I ask skeptically as I accept it from her hand.
“It’s River’s umbilical cord stump.”
My eyes widen as I pinch the plastic between my fingers and hold it far away from me. “What the hell? Why would you keep that?”
She laughs and shrugs a shoulder as she takes it away from me. “Some cultures think it’s good luck. And personally, I think it’s special.” She holds it up and looks at it through the plastic. “This cord is what connected us to each other. For nine months, that cord was her lifeline. Maybe I’m just overly sentimental, but it means something to me.”
I nod in understanding as she sets the cord aside and rifles through the box again.
She hands me a string of black and white printouts of an alien lying on its back. I grin. “Ultrasound pictures?”
“Yeah.” She peeks over my shoulder to check the date. “These are from her twelve week scan. I should have more recent ones. Maybe at the bottom of the box.”
Sophia digs around some more. “Her birth certificate. River Antonia Gallo.” She wears a bittersweet smile as she hands the thick piece of paper to me. My heart splinters when I see the space next to Father’s name is empty.
Fuck, I’m so, so sorry.
I’m here now. And I’ll make that count. I’ll do everything in my power to be the father that little girl deserves. The partner Sophia deserves.
She shoves her hand to the bottom of the box and comes up with a simple spiral-bound notebook. The pale pink cover is falling off and the corners are dog-eared. She sucks down a big breath then turns to me and smiles. “Okay, this…this is personal.” She brushes her fingers along the cover. “This is my pregnancy journal. It’s basically all of my rambling thoughts, my worries, my hopes. Everything that I was thinking and feeling during my pregnancy.” She bites down on her lip and then confesses. “I was really lonely when I was pregnant. I was too depressed to talk a lot. So, I spent a lot of time journaling my feelings.” She sighs. “I’ve got to warn you—I never expected anyone to read this. Maybe River in 20 years. Aside from that, this journal was supposed to be private.” She takes my hand. “But I want to share it with you. Because it was the most important journey of my life and you weren’t there to share it with me and I just want to give you a glimpse into what it was like.”
I close my eyes and breathe in through my mouth. I can’t believe that she’d share this with me. I’ve been struggling to come to grips with how much of River’s life I’ve missed. It breaks me to know how many moments we’ll never get back but I feel so privileged that Sophia is willing to give me access to her thoughts in this way. It almost feels too sacred, too intimate.
“Are you sure you want me to see this?” I place my hand on top of hers and squeeze.
She nods, biting down on her lip as I take the notebook into my hand.
I look at her and smirk. “Are there any juicy tidbits about me in there?”
“Oh, yeah,” she says with a grin. “There are pages and pages and pages of stuff about you in there. All good stuff, though.”
I laugh and pull her close to put a kiss on her scalp. “Thank you,” I say. “Thank you, Daisy.”
She sits patiently beside me as I carefully comb through the journal, page by page. Together, we relive the good days and the bad days, the highs and the lows, the milestones and the fears. She shows me pictures of her pregnant belly and selfies of her with newborn River. And by the time we’re halfway through it, I’m so involved in it. Fully invested.
Sophia lays her head on my shoulder as I’m flipping through the final pages. “I know this doesn’t make up for all the time you lost but I just want to bring you into the experience in any way I can think of.”
Words at the bottom of the last page catch my attention. My gaze shoots over to Sophia. “You had to have an emergency C-section?”
She nods. “Yes, I was careless, I guess, and I ended up having a bit of an accident.”
“What do you
mean?”
“Let’s just say, I’ve been trying to open that daycare center for a very long goddamned time.” She laughs. “Back then, I’d found a really cheap location on the industrial side of town. I was putting the finishing touches on it so I could have the official opening. But there was a gas leak in one of the neighboring buildings.” She trembles as she tells the story. “My sister’s husband, Ben, found me unconscious and got me to the hospital just in time. When I got there, I was in such bad shape, they had to perform a C-section right away.”
Every part of me aches with regret just hearing that. I gather her up in my arms and hold her to me. I press kisses to her temple. “I’m so sorry, Daisy. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you through all this. I’m sorry you had to face it on your own.”
Her hands anchor my arms in place, like she never wants me to let go. “I’m just glad you’re here, now.”
“I love you.” Those are the only words that feel adequate right now.
I spread her out on the bed and I take off all her clothes. She grabs my hand and draws my fingers along the smooth faded C-section scar that I never even noticed. My heart catches in my chest. This woman had my baby. The thought is overwhelming.
I lay her bare and order her to grab hold of the headboard. I kiss every inch of her body. I take my time and with my tongue, I taste every part of her. She writhes and moans for me. Completely vulnerable, she lets me have every piece of her.
And then, I crawl on top of her and with my pants clinging to my hips, I fuck her. Nice and slow. I draw out every sensation just to see her drowning in pleasure at my hands.
When she’s come three times, I drop to the mattress beside her and hold her tight to my body.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks with her arms draped around my waist.
“I was thinking we need some time together. Just me and you.” I press a kiss to her scalp. “I don’t know how you feel about that?”
She looks up in my face and grins. “Next weekend? Yes. Yes, we should do that.”
“Good.” I press my lips to hers.
“Good.” She places her head on my chest and brushes her lips over my skin. “I love you, Archie.”
“Baby, you have no idea how much I love you.”
She hugs me tighter. “Now, sleep.”
The command is simple enough but I just can’t get to that on this restless night.
And as the moon peeks in through the curtains, I try to beat back the worry clawing into my mind, I convince myself that nothing could ever tear my family apart now that I’m here to protect them. Despite the shocks of electricity moving up and down my left side, I convince myself that we have a solid foundation. That the four walls around us and the roof hanging over our heads is more than just a house of cards.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sophia
Archie's got his arms around me and our lips are fused together. My hands smooth up the front of his chest to loop around his neck. It's so easy to get lost in this man and his spellbinding kisses. I'm not complaining one bit.
On the periphery of my consciousness, Reese hisses at Nova low under her breath. "Girl, pick your jaw up off the ground."
Archie only holds me tighter. I feel his lips twitching into a smile against mine. He abruptly tips me backward which causes my leg to lift up off the ground, just like in a movie. He's putting on a show right here on Reese's front stoop.
"Alrighty, then..." Nova mutters. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her fanning her cheeks with her hands.
When we pull apart, my man flashes me a wink that makes my insides quiver. "I'll be back in three hours, all right?"
I nod because my tongue is still recovering from being tangled up with his. “Be careful with River at Daddy and Baby yoga.”
"Of course I will.” He drops one last kiss on the bridge of my nose. Then, he throws my friends a quick salute. "Ladies, make sure you behave yourselves."
"Yeah, sure." Reese mutters sarcastically as we stand back and watch Archie jump behind the wheel of his car with River strapped into her car seat.
Charlie’s truck pulls away from the curb first. Then, Leo’s car. We wait on the porch until all three vehicles disappear at the intersection. Daddies and babies off to yoga class.
Then, Reese pulls me into the house, straight down the hall.
Cupcake Sunday time.
Nova hauls a chair away from the kitchen table and gestures for me to sit. "Explain!"
I grab a fresh strawberry cupcake from the tray on the table and fall into the seat with a flourish. “Ladies, I’ve found my Prince Charming. That is all.”
My girls jump and shriek all around me.
“What the hell?” Reese collapses in the chair next to me and starts portioning out wine by the gallon. “How did you not tell us about Archie? Why did I have to hear all the juicy bits from Leo? Two years you kept us in the dark. If I weren’t so damn happy for you, I’d be pissed.” She shoves a wine glass my way.
I shrug and take a sip. “I’m really sorry I kept it a secret. The story just seemed too crazy. Too wild. Think about it—we were all sitting together at that bar and the minute you guys walked away, some handsome stranger showed up and swept me off my feet. Next thing you know, I’m pregnant and he’s deployed to god-knows-where.” I release a heavy exhale. “It just seemed really irresponsible and kind of slutty. I guess I was worried what you guys would think of me.”
Nova drops to her haunches in front of me, holding my stare. “Are you fucking serious, bitch? We are Team Sophia, all the way. Whatever makes you happy, we’re on board. And I, for one, don’t give a damn what the country club etiquette police has to say about it.”
Reese grips my shoulder. “All that matters is that you, River and Archie are happy. You all deserve it. So much.” She pulls a deep sip from her glass.
“Really?” Tears build in my eyes.
Nova nods in agreement. “You sure do.” Her expression projects duh in my direction. “Because you're awesome…You've always been a wonderful friend. And you’ve supported us and pulled for us even when you were at rock bottom yourself. We love you for that.”
Reese nods as she speaks. "You realize that neither of us would have gotten our happily ever after if you hadn't been rooting for us?"
"So true," Nova squeezes my knee and snatches her wine goblet from the table.
Heat rushes to my cheeks. I can't take the credit for the fact that my friends found their soulmates. "Oh, you would have figured it out eventually," I say.
"Not without causing ourselves a universe of pain first,” Nova says confidently.
Reese agrees. "Leo and I definitely wouldn't be together if you hadn’t been in the background, nudging him along when he was full of doubts about us.”
"Yup. And you were the one pushing me to give Charlie a chance when Reese was trying to warn me off." Nova gives her sister-in-law the stink eye. Reese mumbles an apology.
"You've been living and loving vicariously through your friends for too long. You deserve some 'happy' of your own." Reese grabs my arm and wiggles it.
I feel their words on the deepest level. The three of us collapse into a hug. “So, you guys aren’t mad at me for being a sneaky bitch all this time?”
Nova tosses her head back and laughs. “Oh honey, you are forgiven. We all turn into a sneaky bitch when we find a good man and go crazy for the D.”
Reese’s lips quirk up with mischief. “Amen, girl.”
I burst into giggles when my friends’ hands connect in a high-five.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Archie
Las Vegas
Two years ago, 11:02 P.M.
My gaze stays on the side of Daisy’s face as Elvis speaks. “Daisy and Tony, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
At those words, she turns to me with the hugest smile and launches into my arms. I barely manage to keep upright as her mouth lands on mine. Her kiss is wet and sloppy and full of exuberance. And I
like it so, so much. Almost enough to forget about that crazy thing we just did.
Elvis clears his throat, “All right, folks. Congratulations but you’re gonna have to take all that kissing out to the lobby. You’re holdin’ up the line.”
Our mouths break apart and I check over my shoulder. A less-than-sober senior couple are going at it like zoo animals while they wait for their turn to exchange vows before the hip-swinging Elvis impersonator.
“Sorry,” I mumble when they break apart so the old man can steal a pump from his asthma inhaler.
Daisy yelps when I lean down and swoop her up into my arms in one fluid movement. Lace and silk and itchy taffeta and all. I carry my beautiful bride down from the platform and out through the gold-trimmed double doors of the Eternal Sunshine Chapel.
I smile at her. She looks so happy. Deliriously happy. And seeing her like this, my heart does a victory dance in my chest.
It was just four hours ago that I discovered her at the bar. Just four hours ago, her heart was broken and she was sobbing as if her world was coming to an end. And now, this…
Daisy nuzzles her face to my chest and sighs. “Well, when I woke up this morning, I never thought I’d end up married to you.” She nibbles at my throat.
I laugh. “Tell me about it. I made some good life choices today.”
“You and me both,” she offers sarcastically.
When we reach the reception desk, the weathered-looking woman in the small swiveling chair flashes us a grin. She reaches under her desk and hands us our fake marriage certificate, a string of condoms and a 10% off coupon for the motel across the street. “Congratulations. You two make the sweetest couple.” She adjusts her oversized gold-plated earrings and nods with conviction. “Y’all are gonna last.”
The Blue Collar Bachelors Box Set: The Complete Blue Collar Bachelors Series Page 120