by Lilly Wilde
“I knew you did.”
“How could I not? That job was my life. I loved it.”
“It’s an option. But it means getting in bed with Raine Industries. Are you sure you want to do that?”
“It’s not the same as living here or having you run the company—I can definitely go for being hundreds of miles away from your family.”
“So we could move back to Boston, get a place of our own.”
“But I already have a place,” I said.
“True, but we need some place that’s conducive for a family. Someplace with a yard, and away from the Boston traffic.”
“So you’re willing to relocate to Boston? What about the businesses you have here in Chicago?”
“For the most part, they can be managed from any location. I could fly in from time to time.”
“Okay, that would give me something to do in Boston, but what about you?”
“I think I’m in the market to be a kept man. I could be the stay-at-home Dad,” he replied, laughing.
“Now that’s seriously funny. I can’t even imagine that.”
“And why is that?”
“It doesn’t fit the image in my head of Aiden Raine.”
“We can change the image you have.” He grabbed my hand and turned me to face him.” I can be whatever you want me to be.”
The soft velvet of his voice flowed over me, and when he looked at me like this, his eyes seducing mine, I had to remind myself to breathe.
“Just picture this,” he said.
“Okay.”
“You walk in from a long, hard day at work. Lyric is playing in his room. Dinner has been prepared, by yours truly. I greet you at the door with a long, deep kiss.”
“So far, I’m loving this.”
“I help you out of your clothes and carry you to the bathroom. You are welcomed by the soft sounds of music and a bubble bath that’s eagerly awaiting your beautiful body to grace it. I lower you into the tub and pass you a glass of your favorite wine and lean in to give you another kiss.”
“What happens next?”
“Whatever you want.”
Chapter Fourteen
Aiden, Lyric, and I had arrived home from China two days before Thanksgiving. While we were away, Aiden and I had a long talk about our living arrangements, and we’d decided to move back to Boston…together. In the meantime, Aiden had taken measures for us to move out of the main house into one of the smaller residences on the Raine estate. It was an acceptable temporary solution to placing some distance between ourselves and Aiden’s family.
* * * * *
I was at the Raine Industries hangar with Aiden and Lyric awaiting Lia and Bianca’s arrival. It had been almost four months since I’d seen my sisters—it felt like forever. As soon as the jet had come to a complete stop on the tarmac, I opened the car door and jumped out. Lyric had fallen asleep on the ride, so he and Aiden remained in the car.
We’d initially planned on having Thanksgiving dinner in Boston, but Connor and Sienna had made serious strides in repairing the broken state of their relationship with Aiden and me. We’d ultimately decided to give them a chance, starting with the holidays. It had been a very difficult decision, but in the end we’d decided that a family who was trying to work it out was better than a family that wasn’t.
Aiden and I would not immerse Lyric into the same life Aiden had. We were adamant about that. Family was important to both of us—which was nothing new to Aiden, but it had only become that way for me again over the last year or so. We wanted Lyric to know his family, but we planned to be very careful.
I didn’t know what had happened between Aiden and me, but I was more at peace now than I’d been in several months. We’d talked, listened, and shared—yet we’d made no mention of the state of our relationship. We just fell into place. I don’t think either of us was ready to unbottle hurt feelings. I knew we had to eventually, and I knew it would be painful on both sides.
For now, we were happy—insanely happy. Aiden was the perfect father, and I wasn’t too shabby as a mom. That was pretty good considering neither of us had the ideal role models as parents.
Nadia had been sent to a mental institution and would be there for an additional six months. I personally thought the bitch should be locked away indefinitely, but apparently the insanity plea still has merit. Allison and I had, yet again, placed ill feelings behind us and we were back on the track to sisterhood. April was still absent from my life. She had called my sisters to check on Lyric when she’d heard about his abduction, but I hadn’t heard from her at all, and didn’t expect I would. I missed her but not as much as I would have thought. My life was so full now, in so many ways, that I barely had time to think of her. And as sad as it may sound, that was probably for the best.
Nicholas was taking on more of the role he wanted with Raine Industries, alongside Sloan. Kellan and I were still in contact, and he had actually met someone. I was a little torn by it. It took me a while, but I had finally figured out why. It was because he was my safety net and if he was no longer available, it meant I had to let go—completely let go and trust my relationship with Aiden. A relationship that had yet to be defined. A relationship I wasn’t sure I could handle. I told myself to be happy for Kellan. I knew he deserved better than I ever gave or could give to him. I’d continued to send updates, pictures, and videos of Lyric to him. My heart hurt a little each time I did, though.
For Thanksgiving, Lia and Bianca brought along two of their closest friends, Jade and Morgan. They had become permanent fixtures at my place in Boston before they all ventured off to Ohio State. I was so happy that my sisters had secured those friendships. I wanted them to have happy, healthy experiences—not to avoid life like I had for so many years.
The steps from the jet were being lowered and moments later my sisters stepped into sight. I rushed over to hug them. Videos and social media enabled us to keep in touch and share our lives to a certain degree, but having them with me now made it seem as if I hadn’t seen them in years.
“How was the flight?” I asked.
“Amazing,” they all chimed in.
I reached to hug both Morgan and Jade. “Thanks for letting us join you guys,” Morgan said.
“You’re welcome. We’re glad to have you. What happened to Addison?”
“Her parents said no,” Bianca replied.
“Where’s my nephew?” Lia asked.
“He’s asleep in the car,” I said.
“I can’t wait to hold him.” Bianca was overflowing with excitement. “Thanks for sending us the pictures and videos. He’s fun to watch, and he’s gotten so big.”
The ground crew walked past us with the girls’ luggage.
“Everyone ready?” I asked.
“Yep. I need to message my parents and tell them not to worry. I had to literally beg and lay on a huge guilt trip in order to skip Thanksgiving at my place this year,” Jade said. “No way was I missing this trip. Thanksgiving at my house is always full of spilled secrets. I could so do without that drama this year.”
I glanced at Jade. You may have more of the same this year, only at a fancier house. Would there be any secrets revealed at the Raine house? That place, that family, was a never-ending drama.
We rushed to the car and clambered in. The girls greeted Aiden, but their attention was directed primarily at Lyric, who was still asleep in his car seat.
“OMG, he is gorgeous,” said Morgan.
“What do you expect? He takes after me,” Bianca said.
“Well, we are twins, B, so that means he takes after both of us,” Lia said.
“You guys, keep it down. He can be really cranky if he’s awakened from his nap,” I whispered.
We all chatted quietly as we made our way back to the Raine’s. Aiden told the girls about some local shows and other fun places to check out during their visit. And I was reveling in the feeling of having all of my remaining family together.
I wished my mother w
as here for all of this. I was quiet the remainder of the ride home. I couldn’t seem to quit thinking about Mom. What would we be doing for the holiday if she were still alive? Would she have come to the Raine house for Thanksgiving? Would we have all gone to Dayton? Would she have told me “I told you so” in regard to my relationship with Aiden?
Lyric started to awaken just as we pulled through the gates to the mansion. Bianca squealed, nearly startling him. She lifted him from the car seat and he began to cry. “It’s me, Lyric. It’s your Aunt Bianca.”
“Maybe he needs to see me instead. I FaceTime with him more than you, B,” Lia said.
“Lia, do you know how ridiculous that sounds? We look the same, and we nearly sound the same—he wouldn’t know the difference.”
“Let’s get inside and calm him down. I’m sure he’ll be gifting you both with a toothless grin in no time.” I reached for Lyric, and Bianca passed my wailing boy to me.
“It’s okay.” I bounced him and softly rubbed his back. Lyric immediately calmed. “That strange girl scared you, didn’t she Lyric?”
“Hey!” Bianca protested.
Everyone erupted in laughter as the car pulled to a stop. I bundled up Lyric and we all started up the walkway. Jade and Morgan oohed and aahed as they approached the entrance of the palatial estate. Aiden opened the door to start our Thanksgiving holiday, and we all trickled inside.
Allison was walking down the hall when we entered, and she rushed over to Lia and Bianca. After being introduced to Jade and Morgan, Allison dove into a discussion about a concert she wanted to attend. They started down the hall and Lia turned back toward me. “Find us when Lyric’s ready, Aria. We need to spend time with our nephew.”
“I will.” I was happy they were still so excited about Lyric. When I was their age, family was the farthest thought from my mind. I was sure that was the case for most college students, but even more so for someone who wanted to forget as badly as I had.
Aiden and I joined the rest of the family in the living room. As soon as we entered, Sienna reached for Lyric. Since our reconciliation, she’d been more of the doting mother, grandmother, and even a better friend to me. We’d actually gone shopping for Lyric recently. Of course, she’d had her own vision of how Lyric would dress. I went along with it because trying to convince her otherwise was futile. But geez, he’s just a baby. The fact that he was a Raine baby made things a little more complicated. I’d seen photographs of Aiden as an infant and toddler. He was dressed pretty similar to the way Sienna wanted to dress Lyric. Thinking back to when I’d first gone through Lyric’s closet, I could now see that some of the clothes had definitely been of her choosing.
We didn’t mention Nadia or the Lanes, which was a good thing because I was still bothered by the lack of fortitude Sienna had displayed. She’d attempted to justify her behavior, but her explanation meant less than nothing to me.
As usual, Lyric was eventually passed around to pretty much every Raine in the room, and had finally fallen asleep in his dad’s arms. Dianna had come in to check on Lyric and asked if Aiden wanted her to take him to the nursery, but he refused her offer. I caught myself watching Aiden as he ran his fingers through Lyric’s curls and smiled. The baby shuffled in his arms but he didn’t wake up. I absolutely loved seeing the two of them together.
Some of the other members of the Raine family had joined us—Connor’s brother’s family. They weren’t as uptight as Connor and Sienna, and I became fast friends with Connor’s niece, Brandy. She, too, had recently had a baby so we shared stories and scheduled a play date. Was it too soon for that? At Lyric’s age, a play date was probably more for the mothers to have grown-up time than it was for the babies to actually play together.
* * * * *
Thanksgiving with the Raines had come and gone. I didn’t quite know what I expected, but I’d learned that with this family you had to brace yourself for any and every contingency. I was relieved that it had actually gone much better than I’d anticipated. And there had been only one spilled secret—Allison announced she was moving to New York, and Sienna nearly had a coronary. I wasn’t sure why she was so surprised, Allison had always danced to the beat of a different drum.
The time with my sisters was over before I knew it. I’d said goodbye to them, and they headed back to Ohio with plans to meet at the Raines again for Christmas. In the short time they’d visited, they had grown to adore Lyric, and they were great with him.
He was a loved and happy baby, and I was a very happy mother. I was amazed at how quickly my views on life and love had changed since his birth. I was glad Lyric was able to spend his first Thanksgiving surrounded by family. Not that he’d remember it, but it meant a lot to me.
Aiden, Lyric, and I had flown to Boston after Thanksgiving to check on the new house. There were a few last minute changes I’d wanted incorporated into Lyric’s room and to the kitchen. Other than that it was almost complete, and if everything continued on schedule, we’d be able to move in shortly after Christmas.
While in Boston, we stayed at my condo. As soon as I walked through the door, my gaze fell upon my piano and my eyes watered as if on cue. I passed Lyric to Aiden and rushed over to take a seat on the bench. I was taken back to the memories of my first months with Aiden. That time was fraught with intense and overwhelming emotions. He’d taken my breath away. I remembered the first day I saw him. He’d breezed into the RPH conference room like the world was his. Confident, gorgeous, complicated, intelligent, controlled—that was the man I’d fought to resist, the man I’d ultimately fallen for. I traced my fingers across the piano’s inscription. Kingston and Virginia—Making beautiful Music Since 2014. I smiled wistfully as I reflected on the meaning behind the words. It all seemed like such a long time ago.
I’d also stopped by Raine Publishing House. It was like returning home after a too long journey. I’d missed the place but hadn’t realized how much until I’d actually walked through the turnstile.
It had been announced that I’d be resuming my role as CEO at the beginning of the year, and I couldn’t wait to get started. I’d reached out to Raina when I first returned to the States, and seeing her in person was like seeing a beloved family member. I was looking forward to working with her again. My project, The Writer, had been placed on hiatus when I resigned, so I’d be picking it up as soon as I was back in the saddle. There were also several other plans I was anxious to implement.
Aiden, Lyric and I stayed in Boston for only a week and then it was back to Chicago to start the incomprehensible list of Raine holiday festivities. Christmas was my favorite holiday, and if everyone behaved, this would be one I could look back on with the fondest of memories.
* * * * *
Christmas trees were tastefully dispersed throughout the snow-covered grounds of the Raine estate. Sienna and I had chosen a photographer to capture almost every moment of Lyric’s first Christmas, and we were outside attempting to get a smile from him but he wouldn’t cooperate. He was crying every other second, and we couldn’t be in the cold with him for much longer.
“When is Aiden expected?” Sienna asked.
I glanced at my phone. “He should be here by now,” I said, looking toward the house.
At that precise moment, Aiden stepped into sight. “I’m here,” he said, strolling toward us.
“What took so long?” I asked. I was starting to get just as irritated as the baby.
“Last minute Christmas gifts.” He reached for Lyric. “Hey, big guy. What’s going on? Are you fed up with this girlie stuff?” Aiden wiped Lyric’s tears and made a funny face at him until he was all tongue and smiles.
Shaking my head, I gawked at the two of them. “Are you kidding me? He’s been crying all day. Aiden, you’ve spoiled him.”
“No I haven’t. He just isn’t inclined to do this crap. Not that I blame him.”
“It’s not crap, Aiden,” Sienna chided. “Now let’s get a few more pictures of him near the sleigh, and then a few with y
ou and Aria, and we can get him inside.”
Along with the sleigh were actual reindeer, elves, and a jolly Santa. Once the photographer had gotten the last of her shots, we hurried back inside.
Everything was so busy. Decorations and floral arrangements were being placed throughout the house. Christmas trees were in several of the rooms, and there was one especially for Aiden, Lyric, and me in Aiden’s bedroom. Each member of the family had a tree decorated to fit him or her, with unique ornaments that had been added throughout the years, but since there wasn’t very much to add to a tree for Lyric and me just yet, they’d added us to Aiden’s tree. Aiden and I showed it to Lyric, and he lit up as he reached for the twinkling lights. Aiden also explained the history behind his tree. This was a great tradition that I hoped to incorporate into our own future Christmas holidays.
The Raines had a full calendar of events for the remainder of December. There were charity dinners, ballets, orchestral performances, and holiday dinners. They’d planned two tree-trimming events: one for a few friends and business associates, and another just for family. We’d survived the first one, and now we were knee-deep in round two with the family.
Lyric was almost five months old now. He was in his baby walker, trying his best to get to the tree. He’d just recently started making small movements, but he could only go backward so it was exciting to watch him. He would make a few small steps, then stop and bounce. He’d clap his hands, and then he’d start up again. When he got too close to the decorations, Aiden pulled him back. The last time Aiden pulled Lyric away from the tree, he burst into tears.
The first tree trimming was more of a formal gathering, complete with an award-winning string quartet and an exquisite five-star meal, courtesy of an amazingly talented chef who was flown in for the event. Of the two, I enjoyed the intimacy of our time today far more.