Deacon sat beside her and handed her a gift. “This isn’t pretty, but I think you’ll like it.”
She opened that one then pulled out a softball mitt, but it wasn’t just any mitt. It was all blacked out, looking serious and unique, something perfect for Lizzie when she was on the field because she could be a tomboy when it came to sports. “Whoa, this is the coolest glove I’ve ever seen.” She put it on her hand and tested it out, trying to bend the stiff leather by clenching her hand.
Derek turned to me. “I told them not to do this.”
“Do what?” I asked, finding the whole thing adorable.
“You know, act like grandparents.”
“Oh, I think it’s fine.” Cleo took me under her wing and showed me warmth like I was her daughter. That was just how she was. And Deacon had the same qualities, very fatherly.
“Looks like you’re set.” The younger brunette sitting there with a glass of wine in her hand must be Daisy, and she was the prettiest woman in the world. She had her father’s dark hair, her mother’s eyes, and she was just gorgeous. “You’re gonna look cute walking around in that scarf with the pea coat, and then you’re gonna kill it on the field. Real women play hard, you know?”
Lizzie smiled at her but looked nervous because she didn’t know who she was.
“Sorry.” Daisy shook her head and set down her glass of wine so she could extend her hand. “I’m Daisy. The youngest of the Hamiltons. I feel like I was your age, like, yesterday. You got a boyfriend?”
“No!” Lizzie gave a nervous chuckle.
“I had two boyfriends at your age,” Daisy said with a smile.
Cleo shook her head. “She did not.”
Dex came over, wearing a long-sleeved sweater and jeans. “What’s up, kiddo? I’m Dex. I’m the best-looking sibling in this house.” He shook her hand. “You look just like your mom.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Lizzie held her gifts on her lap, all of them staring at her.
“People still tell me that Derek and I look like brothers,” Deacon said. “I take that as a compliment because my son is a pretty good-looking guy.”
Cleo placed her hand on Lizzie’s back. “Dinner is almost ready, but do you want some hot cocoa while you wait? I have these marshmallows in the shape of a moose, a rabbit, and a grizzly bear.”
“Yeah, that sounds great,” Lizzie said.
Cleo moved into the kitchen, and the rest of them continued to talk to Lizzie.
“Looks like I’m old news,” I said with a light chuckle.
His arm moved around me, and he pulled me close so he could place a kiss on my lips. “You aren’t old news to me.”
We sat together at the dining table and enjoyed a second Thanksgiving feast. A carved turkey was presented at the center of the table, and there were mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus with shaved almonds, and a lot of other good things that I couldn’t cook in a million years. The Thanksgiving I’d had with my parents was a much more casual event than this. Mom cooked her scalloped potatoes, and I managed to burn the turkey every single year.
I sat with Lizzie beside me, Derek on the other side of her. Daisy was next to me.
She cut into her turkey then rubbed it in the cranberry sauce. “Girl, I’ve got to ask. How do you put up with this guy?” She nodded to her brother on the other side of Lizzie.
I shrugged. “He’s not so bad.”
“Well, now he’s not so bad. But he used to be Mr. Grouch. I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time. You have a magic wand hidden somewhere in the back pocket of your jeans?” She smiled then grabbed her wine and took a drink.
“No, it’s just me.”
She turned back to her food. “You’ve got an A in my book. And your daughter is adorable. She’s gonna be a bombshell in a couple years…gotta keep an eye on her.”
“I know, I’m kinda dreading it. When I was around her age, I was…well, I was getting knocked up in the back seat of a car.”
She was about to drink from her wine but burst out laughing instead. “Oh my god, girl…” She grabbed her chest and cleared her throat. “Other than the getting pregnant part, that sounds pretty nice.”
I chuckled then cut into my food, liking that his sister was easy to talk to, just like the rest of his family.
“What did you do in the back seat of a car?” Lizzie asked incredulously.
Daisy gave a terrified look and quickly looked away, covering up her expression with a drink of her wine.
“Nothing, honey.” I rubbed her back. “How’s your asparagus?”
“Pretty good,” she said. “This is a lot better than the stuff you make.”
“Liz.” Derek turned to her. “Come on, your mom does a great job.”
I tried not to react to his reaction, but I loved the way he intervened, the way he came to my defense but also scolded her like a parent.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Lizzie said with a sigh.
“How’s your book doing, little man?” Deacon asked from across the table.
Derek shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Very well,” I said in his defense. “I just checked on the drive here, and his book is in the top ten.”
Derek continued to eat like he didn’t care.
“Wow,” Deacon said, visibly impressed.
Cleo dropped her utensils and gave a gentle clap. “Oh, that’s so great. I can’t wait to read it. I’ve just been so busy getting ready for Thanksgiving that I didn’t have a chance to go by the bookstore.”
“Does anyone die?” Daisy blurted.
Derek ignored her question. “Liz is only on book two, so no one ruin it for her.”
“You’re reading his book?” Cleo asked with joy in her face.
“Yeah,” Lizzie answered. “I really like it.”
“Derek has gotten my daughter to get A’s in her math class, interested in science, and now she’s reading. Pretty remarkable.” He did what I couldn’t, behaved as a strong role model with my daughter, and he had absolutely no idea.
Deacon looked at his son like he’d never been so proud.
Derek brushed off what I’d said by continuing to eat.
“Derek inspires everyone he meets,” Deacon said proudly. “Including me.”
Derek seemed embarrassed by the attention because he kept his head down and ate like he was starving.
“What’s the status on the rocket, little man?” Deacon seemed to change the subject on purpose to make his son more comfortable.
Derek immediately participated in the conversation once again. “We should be done shortly after Thanksgiving. Then we’ll pick a date for the launch.”
“So, where’s the rocket going?” Daisy asked.
“It’ll be dropped in the ocean, and we’ll retrieve it and recycle what we can,” Derek answered. “The purpose of the launch is to make sure that the design is flawless. If it’s a success, NASA will take the plans and utilize them for their missions. Our rocket is much more efficient, having a tenth of the weight of its predecessors, which means it needs to carry less fuel, or if it carries the same amount of fuel, it’ll be able to travel farther, which is essential for longer duration missions. There are other improvements as well, like the filtration system, the computer systems inside, stuff like that.”
“Why can it go farther than other rockets?” Lizzie asked.
Derek turned to her. “The heavier something is, the more energy it takes to move it. So, with a dramatic decrease in weight, that will require far less fuel. That saves money too. Making space exploration more economical will allow it to grow and become more convenient.”
Lizzie nodded like she understood then turned back to her food.
“I’m sure it’ll be a successful mission,” Deacon said. “You’re the brightest mind in aeronautics for this generation.”
Derek brushed off his compliment. “I don’t know about that, but thanks.”
23
Derek
Emerson and Lizzie see
med to have a great time at the cabin.
Emerson clicked with my sister, and Lizzie really liked my mom. They didn’t always need me around to make them feel comfortable because my family did that for me. I ditched the wine and made myself a hot cup of cocoa before I sat down on the couch by myself, watching Dex talk to Lizzie and make her laugh.
After all the turkey and wine, I was tired. I had to drive them back to the city, and I probably wouldn’t even go to my penthouse. I’d probably just sleep at Emerson’s place and lounge around the next day.
Dex excused himself to use the restroom, so Lizzie sat beside me on the couch. “You like the hot cocoa?” She held up her mug. “I already ate all the marshmallows.”
“I can hook you up with more.”
She beamed.
I went into the kitchen, maneuvered behind my mom, and grabbed a couple without her knowing, then came back to the living room. I opened my palm so Lizzie could take them.
“Sick. The moose is my favorite.” She dropped them into her drink and watched them start to melt. “Thanks, Derek.”
“Sure thing, Liz.” I held the mug between my hands and watched my family mingle with one another and Emerson.
“Why do you always get weird when people ask you about your job?”
I turned back to her. “Weird?”
“Yeah. It’s like you don’t want to talk about it.”
I shrugged. “I feel like I’m always the center of attention. There’re a lot of other people who deserve praise besides me. I know my parents are proud of my siblings too, but because my job is so unique, I get more praise than I deserve.”
“I thought people would love all that attention.”
“I’m sure most people do. But I’ve noticed that people who brag are usually insecure. People who constantly have to tell you how rich or awesome they are tend to be not what they seem. So, if you’re ever stuck around someone who brags a lot, stay away. And don’t be a braggart.”
She nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”
“And at the end of the day, your success shouldn’t be your entire identity. You’re a person like everyone else. You shit—I mean you poop like everyone else.”
Lizzie chuckled at my slipup.
“So, I guess that’s why I’m weird about it. When I’m out and about, sometimes it’s hard to tell if people actually like me for me, or if they just know I’m Derek Hamilton. A real friend will ride in the back of a taxi with you if your limo breaks down, but if people see you in a limo everywhere you go, they’re just going to want to jump in your limo.”
“Mom seems to like you for you.”
“Yeah, she does.” A slight smile moved on to my lips, and I was grateful I was out of that black hole and looking at the sun. “Have you had a good time? I know my family kinda smothered you in the beginning. They were just excited to meet you.”
“Your family is super nice…like, really nice. No one is ever that excited to see me, not even Mom.”
“I doubt that, Liz.”
“I mean people I don’t know. Obviously, Grandma and Grandpa are always thrilled, but that’s about it. And I never get presents unless it’s my birthday or Christmas, and they just gave me stuff. It’s nice.”
“Yeah, they’re cool.”
“You’re lucky to have parents like that.”
“You’re lucky too, Liz. Your mom is the best.” She juggled every role as a single person, and she still managed to spend enough time with her daughter.
“Yeah, she is pretty cool. But now that I see what it’s like to have two parents, it makes me realize how nice that is.”
I stared at her, unsure what she meant. Did she mean seeing my parents together? Or was she referring to me? I never acted like her father, so I wasn’t entirely sure. “Do you think about your dad around the holidays?”
She scrunched up her nose. “No. Mom told me he and his family didn’t want to deal with the responsibility of a kid when they were still in high school. I get it, but that didn’t stop my mom from raising me on her own and being awesome at it. What kind of excuse do they really have? Look at your parents. They’re so loving and nice toward me, and they don’t even know me. I just mean… I don’t know it’s…it’s stupid.” She looked down into her mug and stared at the marshmallows floating over the surface.
I could just leave it alone, let the subject fade and disappear. But I didn’t. “You can tell me, Liz.”
She lifted her chin and looked at me again, hesitation in her eyes. “I guess I just…like having you around. It feels like I have a dad. And I never felt like I needed a dad, but having you makes me realize how nice it is. You know, someone to help me with my homework, someone who teaches me stuff, makes me feel good about myself, someone who takes care of my mom when no one ever takes care of her…”
Stunned, all I could do was stare at her. I told her we could be friends, but the relationship had deepened for her into something more. She let me in, trusted me, saw me as a part of her family. I didn’t even try to make that happen…and it just did.
She continued to look at me like she hoped I would say something so she wouldn’t feel stupid.
I did one of those long obnoxious pauses that I wished I wouldn’t do, but they were necessary to think of the right thing to say. “You know, when Emerson told me she had a daughter, I was scared. I don’t have experience with kids. I don’t know anything about them. But then we started working together, and I came to develop a deep fondness for you, pride whenever you excel, protectiveness when someone treats you less than the way you deserve. I’ve come to care deeply for you, Liz. And not because I love your mother, but…because I love you.”
I drove back into the city late that night, Lizzie asleep in the back seat with her head against the window. The headlights lit up the dark road as we headed back to Manhattan, no other cars on the road because everyone was nestled with their families. Light music played over the radio.
Emerson turned to look at me, her jacket on her lap to keep her warm. “I really like your sister.”
“Good because I don’t.”
She chuckled before she smacked me on the arm. “You’re so full of it.”
“Alright, she’s pretty cool.”
“She seems smart like you and Dex, but she’s a lot better with conversation.”
“She gets that from my mom.”
“And she’s so pretty. Like, sometimes it’s hard to look at her.”
“Again, she gets that from my mom.”
“It must have been nice for you to spend time with them both,” she said. “I know you don’t see them a lot.”
“Yeah, it bums me out sometimes.” Daisy was at Harvard, and Dex was at Johns Hopkins. I only saw them during the holidays or over the summer. It sucked sometimes. It made me realize how much I took for granted when we were growing up. But Daisy was so much younger than me that we were never really compatible until she became an adult. Dex was a lot closer to her since they were similar in age.
“I love your family. They’re all super-smart and accomplished people, but they’re so humble and laid-back. When I imagine a room full of doctors, Nobel Prize winners, and rocket scientists, I imagine the most pretentious evening ever.”
“Definitely not us,” I said with a chuckle.
“Your parents did such a good job with you guys—parents of the year.”
“I don’t know about that. I think we just grew up to be like them, so it was natural.”
We spent the rest of the drive in silence, and then I pulled up to the curb outside their apartment.
Lizzie was snoring in the back seat, her jacket on top of her, her head rolled back and her mouth open. Even when I turned off the engine and the music had stopped, she still didn’t stir.
Emerson looked in the back seat and glanced at her. “Wow, she’s knocked out cold.”
“Too much hot cocoa.” I looked in the rearview mirror and watched her sleep, my eyes softening in affection.
W
e got out of the car, and Emerson opened the back door. “Time to wake up, honey.”
“It’s okay.” I came around the side and unfastened Lizzie’s safety belt. “I got her.” I scooped my arms underneath her and lifted her from the car, leaving her gifts behind to be retrieved later.
Emerson’s eyes softened as she shut the door behind her then walked with me up the stairs and into the building. We headed to her floor, and Lizzie slept against my chest the entire time, like she was so deep in sleep that none of the movements made her open her eyes.
Emerson got the door unlocked, and I carried Lizzie into her bedroom, stepping inside the room for the first time and seeing her pink pillows, her stuffed animals, and the book I’d signed for her on her nightstand.
I set her on top of the bed and rested her head on the pillow.
She immediately turned over and pulled her knees to her chest.
Emerson grabbed the blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over her so she wouldn’t get cold. Then we left the bedroom and headed back into the living room.
She faced me, her arms over her chest. “I know you’ve had a long weekend so you’re probably eager to go home, but you’re welcome to stay if you want.” She looked into my eyes with that heavy feeling, like every moment with me was a gift she didn’t deserve.
The feeling was mutual. “I’d love to.”
A soft smile moved over her lips before she took my hand and pulled me into her bedroom. The bedroom door shut, and she immediately slid her fingers underneath my shirt and pulled it over my head, slowly stripping me down. It was late after a really long day, but that didn’t seem to deter her from having me. Her hands glided up my chest before she looked at me. “Lizzie told me what you said to her.”
I stared into her eyes as I felt her touch me, felt her right palm move over my chest so she could feel my beating heart. My body was quiet, gentle and peaceful, like she brought me into this still and beautiful place. “I meant it.”
“I know you do.” She moved into me and hooked her arms around my neck, drawing me close as she rested her forehead against mine, her fingers lightly playing with the hair at the back of my neck. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me…you know that?”
The Boy Who Has No Belief (Soulless Book 7) Page 23