by M Andrews
Chapter Thirty-Two
Hunter
Tick, tick, tick. The clock on the wall next to my desk ticks away the seconds. Each one reminding me that the world around me is moving forward. The people walking the streets below me living their lives while mine stands still. On hold for a decision that will either destroy my heart or make me the happiest man alive. It feels like I am back to square one with Lucy. I finally got her to see how good we are together. We had so much momentum going, only to have it ripped away.
The image I have had in my head of the rest of my life has had Lucy in it from the moment we met. It took time to nurture that image, to become the man worthy of being by Lucy’s side. I want to be pissed at Colton for coming and destroying my dream, but how can you be angry at someone who had no control over his own life. Colton lost everything the second that bomb hit. No matter what Lucy decides, one of us is going to end up with a broken heart.
This waiting is killing me. I have gotten in my car, ready to go hunt down Lucy about twenty times. As soon as I go to start the engine, I hear Brooke’s voice in my head reminding me I promised to give Lucy time to clear her head and figure things out. My patience is wearing thinner by the minute. I just want to see Lucy’s face and hold her in my arms. I can’t take this not knowing.
The door creaks open behind me. “Antoni, I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed,” I snap.
“I guess I could come back.” Lucy’s voice sends me flying out of my seat and rushing across the small space of my office. I scoop her up in my arms, lifting her off the floor, and spinning us both around. God how I have missed her in my arms, the smell of her taking over as my oxygen. Breathing her in again…it feels like I haven’t taken a real breath since she left.
“I’ve missed you so damn much,” I say, taking a long slow breath. Her sweet scent fills my senses and breathes new life into me.
“I’ve missed you, too.” Her hands dig into my shirt, holding me tighter against her. “Don’t let me go. I just need you to hold me, please,” she pleads.
“I’m never letting you go,” I assure her.
“I told Colton I wanted a divorce,” she says, and a rush of relief floods through me. “I’ve spent the last few days weighing every option and they all lead back to you. You’re it for me.” She kisses my neck. My heart soars hearing her say the words I’ve been waiting to hear. “Colton will always have a place in my life. But my heart belongs to you.”
“I can’t tell you how much it means to me to hear you say that, but are you absolutely sure this is what you want?” I want to make sure she has really thought about this. What I don’t want is her regretting her choice later on down the road.
“This is what my heart wants, and this is what Colton wants too. We had a good talk and we realized that we aren’t the same people we were back then. He will still be in mine and Bailey’s life, because I want them to have a relationship. Colton is still her father and she deserves to get to know him. None of that will change what you and I have. I love you, Hunter. I want a life and a family with you.” Her tears drip down on my shoulder.
“I love you so much, Lucy. You are embedded in my heart and my soul. There is no me without you.” I set Lucy down on her feet and cup her face in my hands. “My beginning and my end,” I whisper against her lips before kissing her softly. Her tear stained lips taste like heaven. My life truly began the moment I saw Lucy standing in her coffee shop. I am nothing without her.
“My everything,” she murmurs between kisses.
“I think someone owes me a conversation about having kids.” I smile against her lips. Now that I know she is mine forever, I want her stomach swollen with my baby by the end of the year. I’m not waiting another minute to start my life with Lucy. As soon as her name is signed on those divorce papers, we are getting married.
“After what I put you through the past few days, we can have as many babies as you want.” She smiles up at me.
My arms loop around her waist and I tilt my head, pretending to think of my response. “Four kids it is then.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her.
“I think we can make that happen.” A sly grin slides across her lips.
“Speaking of kids, how did Bailey take the news about Colton being alive?” I ask. Losing Lucy wasn’t the only loss I was dreading, losing Bailey was also on the forefront of my mind. That little girl has brought so much joy into my world. I couldn’t imagine a life without that sweet girl.
“She took it surprisingly well. I think she was more concerned with how I was doing and hoping you and I were going to stay together.” Sweet Bailey, always looking out for her mom. It makes me happy to hear she wanted her mom and I to be together. “Bailey is one lucky girl to have two dads who love her so much.”
“I’m the luckiest man alive to have you and Bailey.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lucy
“Here is where it all began.” I hold the door to the shop open for Colton. I flick on the lights as Colton steps inside. He stands in one spot looking everything over. Colton has been asking to come see the coffee shop for the past week. I wanted him to see it at its quietest time of the day, before we open, so he could get a chance to really look the place over.
Colton lowers himself down to the floor and runs his hand over the dark herringbone floors and smiles to himself. Probably remembering all the design magazines I searched through trying to find a picture of this very pattern to hang on my coffee shop vision board. This was long before Pinterest came along. I watch as he examines every light fixture and built-in bookshelf. He even checks each of the souvenir coffee mugs, running his hands over the lettering stamped on the front that says Lucy’s Books and Coffee.
“You did it, Lucy.” He smiles proudly. “I always knew you could.” He reaches in his back pocket and pulls out his wallet. “I need one of these.” When he starts to open it, I stop him.
“Nope, I won’t accept your money. This coffee cup never would have happened if you hadn’t given me the courage to go after it. It was always a dream then you made it feel attainable, because you believed in me. Even after everything that happened, I could still feel you rooting me on. So, keep your money.” I smile and push his wallet away. “Come on I’ll make you your favorite latte to go in your new mug.”
“Oh, how I have missed your salted caramel lattes.” He hums as he says the words.
“I’ve made them even better since the last time you had one.” I slyly grin at him as we walk over to the coffee bar. I grab my apron from under the counter and slip it on before I collect my ingredients. Colton was my taste tester when I was developing my barista skills. He drank more bad coffee than good in those early days. It was a good year before he could eat anything with pumpkin after all the pumpkin spice lattes I made him try. Colton was a trooper. Eventually I found groove and created some pretty damn good coffee flavors. One of them being Colton’s favorite, Salted Caramel.
“How could you improve on perfection?” he teases and takes a seat at the bar.
“Well, I infuse the whipped cream with the caramel.” I flash him a wink as I turn on the milk steamer.
“Damn, Buttercup, that sounds amazing.” He catches what he just said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to call you that. You aren’t my buttercup anymore.”
“It’s okay. Old habits are hard to break. It took me a good two years to stop baking a cake on your birthday.” I spray a mound of whipped cream on top of Colton’s coffee. “We all have things to get used to. For me, it’s you being alive and for you, it’s us not being married. We will find our way through all of this. Until then, we have good coffee and caramel whipped cream.” I tilt my head back and open my mouth wide and fill my cheeks with the whipped cream.
“Give me a hit of that.” Colton opens his mouth and I spray the cream all over his mouth and his face. I almost choke on the whipped cream in my mouth from laughing. It feels good to laugh with Colton again. This is something I never thought I would ever get
to do again.
It’s going to take some time for all of us to adjust to this new way of life. There isn’t a guide for how to handle your dead husband coming back to life. I think if all of us work together as a team we will find our way.
Colton sweeps the cream off his face and down to his mouth. “Damn, that’s good,” he says, licking his face. I toss him a towel and he wipes the last of the stickiness off. “What would you think about me moving to Seattle?” he asks.
“I think that would be great. You’d get to see Bailey more, but what about Kara? I thought you were going to try and work things out with her.” I would love for Bailey to be able to see Colton more, but I don’t want him running away from something that could be so good for him. The way he talks about Kara, I know he still loves her deeply. They have already gone through so much, with him getting his memories back, that I wouldn’t want to see his moving away cause another rift in their relationship.
“Right now, I really need to focus on getting my head on right and getting to know my daughter again. I love Kara, but I am not in the condition to be the man she needs right now. She understands that I need this time to get my life in order.”
“I know how hard this has been for you. I just don’t want you to use this as an excuse not to be with the person who makes you happy.”
“I promise you, that is not what I’m doing. I just need a little more time. Kara has been strong for me for so long. I need to get back to where I can be that for her. Kara deserves the best, and I want to be that for her, but I’m not at that place right now.”
I can understand that. Hunter did the same thing before he pursued me. Granted, it was because he was a bit of a man whore before me, and not quite what Colton is going through, but he wanted to be his best self before we got together. “If moving here is what you want, then I support it, and I know Bailey will be happy to have her father here. What are you going to do for work?”
“I already talked to the Chief about getting a transfer to a house here in Seattle. It may take a few weeks, but I have savings to get me by until then. I’ve already started looking for an apartment.” Not surprising that Colton would already be getting his ducks in a row. Once he set his mind on something there was no stopping him from getting it. That’s how we got married so quickly.
“Until you get a job you can spend the afternoons with Bailey while I’m at work. I know she would love that.” Most of Colton’s time here has been spending time with Bailey. Hunter takes Bailey to school in the morning, and Colton picks her up after school and she spends the rest of the afternoon with him. Bailey is getting the best of both worlds with Hunter and Colton. She is one lucky girl to have them in her life.
“I would love that too. You’ve done an amazing job raising Bailey on your own for all these years. She is an incredible girl.”
“Some days I feel like I’m doing everything wrong, so to hear that makes me feel a little bit of relief. I just want her to grow up with a good head on her shoulders and make sure she keeps that big heart of hers. If I can do that than all the ups and downs will be worth it.”
“You have nothing to worry about. She has you as a mother, which makes her the luckiest kid in the world.” He warmly smiles. “Now, give me another shot of that whipped cream and try to get more of it in my mouth this time,” he teases.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Colton
I pace in front of the collectables cases at Golden Age Collectables, trying to pick a gift for Bailey. Bailey is coming over tonight for her first night with me and I want to get her a little gift, but I am feeling completely lost. Lucy and I came to a custody agreement as part of our divorce. I get Bailey every weekend and when I’m not working, she’ll spend the afternoons with me. Never in a million years did I ever think I would find myself getting a divorce and negotiating custody terms. Then again, I never thought I would lose my memories and end up living someone else’s life either.
My father demanded a full-scale investigation in my case. It was discovered that the triage doctor that mixed up my tags was already on thin ice for fucking up medical records because she couldn’t keep her patients straight, so she hid her mistake to cover her ass. She went as far as switching our personnel records and finger prints, which was why a red flag didn’t pop up in my background check when I applied to become a fire fighter. All of that just to keep the lie going. She caused a lot of people to get hurt because she couldn’t come clean about what she had done. Getting a dishonorable discharge and having her medical license stripped from her wasn’t punishment enough in my eyes. She destroyed my life. One bright spot, she is being prosecuted for malpractice for few other cases, one including killing a patient by administrating the wrong medication, that the patient was allergic to. The lawyer representing other families affected by her gross incompetence contacted my attorney to see if I would be willing to testify against her, and I said yes without hesitation. With any luck, she’ll be living out her days in a prison cell.
I’m trying to keep my focus on starting my life again here in Seattle and getting to know my daughter. My transfer to Engine Company 21 has officially come through. I found an apartment just a few blocks away from Lucy’s house, so Bailey can come over whenever she wants. Everything is coming together, but it still feels like something is missing and I realize that missing piece is Kara. Telling Kara I was moving to Seattle was the hardest thing I had to do. But I am happy she is coming to spend Thanksgiving with Bailey and me. It gives me hope that she is not going anywhere. She’s willing to give me the time I need.
“Found something yet?” Hunter asks, walking up behind me. I asked Hunter for his help with finding this gift for Bailey. Meeting Hunter was a little awkward at first. This is the man that is sleeping with my soon to be ex-wife. After seeing him with Lucy and Bailey, and seeing how happy he makes them, he was good in my book. Hunter is a great guy, and I know he is going to take good care of Lucy and Bailey.
“I’m struggling. I know absolutely nothing about my own daughter. Most fathers should know their kids favorite color and what toys they like.” I sigh, feeling frustrated and defeated.
“I know this is hard for you, but you are one of the lucky ones that gets a second chance at getting to be in their kids’ life. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t wish my mom was still here. Favorite colors, toys, books, will change. What matters the most is that you are here now. There are still plenty of big moments that you will get to share with Bailey. Don’t let what you’ve missed keep you from enjoying the present.”
“Thank you and you’re right. I do have plenty of moments to share with Bailey. I should also thank you for taking care of my girls.” I pause for a moment. “Not gonna lie, it feels a little weird saying that to the man who is sleeping with my wife.”
“It’s strange for me, too.” He chuckles. “This whole situation is a little strange to be honest. With that being said I will do everything in my power to take care of your girls.” I believe his promise.
“You’re a good guy, Hunter. I should probably hate you, but you’re too nice to hate.”
“Are we becoming friends right now?” Hunter chuckles.
“I think we might be.” This probably goes against divorce guidelines. Thou shalt not be friends with the man coveting thy wife, but this is a unique situation. If this is all going to work, Hunter and I being friends is our best bet.
****
“Hermione’s Time Turner necklace,” Bailey squeals and pulls the necklace from the small box and slips it over her head. “Daddy, I love it.” She leaps up from the couch and gives me a big hug.
“I’m glad you like it, Hunter helped me pick it out.” Hunter thought the Time Turner was a perfect choice, seeing as Bailey and I are getting our time together back. After we left the shop, Hunter filled me in on all things Bailey. From her favorite color, blue, to her love of Harry Potter, and that she needs the noise of a fan when she sleeps. I may have missed out on her discovering her first fa
vorites, but at least I am getting the chance to be here now and watch her continuing her discovery of the world.
“It’s perfect Daddy, thank you.” She kisses my cheek before taking her seat back on the couch. She happily spins the pendent with her fingers while I grab her bags and carry them into her room.
“So, what do think of the new place?” I ask, sitting on the couch next to her. My apartment is a little sparse at the moment. I have a table and chairs, a couch, a TV and a couple of beds and a coffee table. It isn’t much, but it will do until I get the rest of my stuff shipped from Charlotte.
“I like it. I can help you decorate,” she says sitting back against the cushions.
“What would you suggest?”
“Maybe some pictures on the walls and maybe some blue pillows for the couch. Mom says decorative pillows can do wonders,” she says.
“Maybe we can ask Hunter to print out some of the pictures you have been taking that I can hang up.” I poke her side with my elbow and she shyly grins. Lucy told me Bailey has been getting photography lessons from Hunter. I’ve seen some of her photographs and she’s actually really good. “Maybe he could even take some pictures of us.” I only have the one picture of me holding Bailey when she was a baby that my mom gave me when I came home. I would like some new ones of us together.
“He would definitely help with that.” She grins from ear to ear. “One of Aunt Lucky’s paintings would look good in here, too.”
“Yeah, I don’t know about that. The last time I saw one of your Aunt Lucky’s paintings there was a little too much naked lady in it for me.” Bailey giggles.