“Hey, Ben. Did you find anything?”
“Yeah, she used her debit card at a coffee shop in SoHo two days ago. I ran a check on the card, and I have an address for you. Do you want me to go check it out? It isn’t in the best neighborhood.”
Chills ran up and down my arms. “No, but thank you. If you could send me the address, that’d be great.”
“You got it. I hope it helps. Take care, Chambers.”
“Thanks for everything, Ben.”
I rubbed my temples as I waited for the text. Once I had it, I forwarded it to my attorney.
“He found her, didn’t he?” Julie’s voice was laced with concern.
“Yes, he did, but I’m going to leave it up to my lawyer. I’m not going near her.”
“Okay.” She went back to packing, her tension showing on her face.
I’d have done anything to make that go away, but sadly, I couldn’t.
Once we had everything packed and the movers came to take Maddie’s crib, we headed to our new home.
Each day was filled with the stress of wondering when or if Nikki would resurface. It had been a few weeks since Ben found Nikki, and we still hadn’t heard anything. I’d never seen Brett so tense, and I couldn’t do a thing to alleviate any of his anxiety.
My phone dinged with a text from Alex.
Alex: We’re at the hospital. Aubrey’s being admitted.
Oh my God! I needed to get there! Then I looked into the living room at the baby gliding back and forth in her swing.
Me: I’m with Maddie. Brett isn’t here. I’ll get a sitter and meet you there.
Alex: It’s okay. Who knows how long it will be?
Me: Okay, but you better call me later. Kiss Aubrey and tell her I love her.
Alex: Will do.
I was so excited for Aubrey. Every single one of her dreams was coming true. Mine had as well, but I still had to deal with the vile woman who’d abandoned her baby. Maddie was so perfect. Her hair was coming in, and it had the cutest waves. Thank God she looked like her father and, more importantly, seemed to have his disposition. Maddie didn’t complain about anything. She was a wonderful baby—after she’d gotten out of her nocturnal phase.
Brett called and said he needed to go to the club to cover for Alex. He told me to call his mom if I wanted to go see Aubrey, but I told him what Alex had said. Not to mention, every time I thought of leaving the house, I got an eerie feeling that something would go wrong. It was completely ridiculous, but I’d have felt better if Ben had told Brett that Nikki was out of the country rather than a borough over.
A few hours later, Maddie was in bed, and I was reading when Alex called to tell me that they had a little boy. He sounded so elated and proud.
“Mom and baby are doing great,” he said.
I kicked myself for not being there, and even though I knew Aubrey understood, I should have gone to see her. “I’m so glad. What’s his name?”
“Jackson Alexander. He’s eight pounds, twenty-one inches long. He has ten toes and ten fingers and a head full of dark hair.” He chuckled. “Everything is perfect, Jules.”
“I’m so happy for you guys. Tell my godson I love him, and tell his mom I can’t wait to see her. Congratulations, Alex.”
“Thanks. Will you let Brett know? I need to get back in.”
“Yes, I’ll be happy to,” I said.
“Great, love you.”
“I love you too.” I clicked off and sent Brett a text. Instead of replying, he walked into our room. “Shit!” My hand covered my chest. “You scared me. I didn’t expect you so soon.”
He looked at me as though I was crazy. “Jules, it’s after two in the morning.”
“Oh, I must have gotten too caught up in this book to notice the time. Alex called.”
Brett stripped out of his clothes and got into bed with me. “Did she have the baby?”
“Yes, a little boy. Jackson Alexander, and according to Alex, he’s perfect.”
He took my Kindle and set it on the side table. “I think you’re perfect.” A giggle escaped me as he pulled me close. “How was our angel tonight?”
“She’s great and asleep.”
A low rumble escaped him. “We should probably sleep.”
“Probably.” I bit my lip and sighed.
“I think I’ll make love to my fiancée first.”
“Mmmm… okay.”
“I’m glad we didn’t go forward with our ‘take it slow’ plan.”
I sighed. “I do prefer this plan much better.”
His smile was radiant as he brushed my hair away from my eyes. “Me too.”
Brett stripped me of my clothes and grabbed a condom. “I can’t wait until we don’t need to use these anymore.”
“You don’t need to use it now if you don’t want to.”
His eyes lit up then darkened with desire. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve been on the pill for years, and the doctor said you were clean. So yes, I’m sure.” I laced my fingers through his hair and stared up at him.
His hand traveled down my flat stomach until it was between my legs. “You’re always ready for me. I love that I can do that to you.” He slid one finger in then two. “So wet…”
“Only for you.”
The dizzying current that flowed through me with every stroke of his finger was pure bliss. His body shifted, and he slowly slid inside me. My head rolled back. I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him closer… deeper… until my body was filled with him.
“Fuck, Jules, you feel so good. I never knew it could feel like this.”
As our hips moved in unison, our mouths met, and our tongues did a dance of their own. Desire ran through me with each thrust of our bodies. We picked up our pace. The yearning in his eyes sent me over the top as he flipped us over. I slid up and down his length as his hands gripped my ass, steadying my movements. He controlled the pace until I was ready to explode.
“Brett…” I could hardly speak. My body trembled and leaned forward so we were chest to chest.
He rolled us over, and I held onto his muscular back as he quickened his speed. He swallowed my moan while he groaned in ecstasy.
“That was incredible.” His warm breath caressed my ear, and all I could do was nod. He chuckled as his dick bobbed inside me. “Have I rendered you speechless?”
“A little, yes.”
When our eyes locked, it was different. The love we’d had before seemed to have been amplified by a million. When he slid out of me, I instantly missed him.
“Let’s get cleaned up before our daughter wakes up,” he said.
“Our daughter… I love the sound of that.”
“Me too. It’s perfect.”
When Aubrey came home from the hospital, I took half a day off work to visit her and the baby. My godson Jackson was absolutely perfect.
“Aubrey, you look amazing. If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t be able to tell you just gave birth.”
Alex walked into the room. “My wife is a MILF, but only for me.” He kissed her on the head. “Right, baby?”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure, honey. Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
He shook his head while I snickered. “Don’t encourage her, Julie. The only reason I’m leaving is so you two can have girl time. I’m headed to your house to chat it up with your man.”
“Speaking of which.” I held out my left hand.
Aubrey squealed and startled poor Jackson. “Oooh, sorry little man.” She readjusted him, and he started eating again. “When did this happen?”
“Right before you went into labor.”
She gasped. “Why didn’t you call to tell me when I was in the hospital?”
“Because this is a special time for you. I knew I’d tell you when you were home and settled.”
“Wow, that ring is nothing short of spectacular.” She moved Jackson up to her chest and rubbed his back. “So what’s the latest on Nikki?”
The sound of her name
made me feel as though an elephant was sitting on my chest. “Brett wants me to adopt Maddie after we’re married. So he found her address and sent it to his lawyer, and she’ll be served with adoption papers.” I leaned back into the leather chair. “I’m so scared. What if she doesn’t sign off on the adoption papers?”
“Try to stay positive. She hasn’t been in Maddie’s life since she delivered her.”
“I know, but I’m nervous. That little girl is Brett’s life. She means absolutely everything to him. If anything should ever happen, I don’t know if he could handle it.” Shit. I know I couldn’t handle it.
Aubrey stood and placed a sleeping Jackson in the blue gingham bassinet. “He’d never let anything bad happen. Brett’s pretty tenacious. Look at the two of you.” She smiled as she looked at me. “He’s a fighter, and so are you.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just hard. All the uncertainty. I’m so scared. The last time things felt this perfect, it all fell apart.” I let out a breath.
“Guess what I made, and I didn’t even know you were coming over.” She crossed into the kitchen. When she came back, she was holding a plate.
I couldn’t contain my smile. “Muffins?”
“It was as if I knew you would be coming over and in need of comfort food.” She extended the plate to me.
“They look great.” I glanced at her, my lips quirked up. “Out of a box, right?”
“Is there any other way?” We both laughed. “I guess I can blame Jackson now for not having time to bake anything that isn’t in a box.”
“Hey, don’t go blaming my godson for your shortcomings in the kitchen!” I popped some of the muffin in my mouth while trying not to laugh.
“Fine, I’ll blame Alex.”
We laughed.
“Thanks for being a great friend. I feel better already.”
“You should,” she said. “So when are we all going to get together?”
“How about for Thanksgiving? I’ll talk to Brett. We’ll host his family and you guys, unless you have plans with your family.”
“My parents are still in Paris, and Alex’s dad is in Tokyo. He left for a business trip right after the baby was born, so we’ll be there. Can I bring anything?”
“Yeah, muffins.”
When Julie told me we were having Thanksgiving at our home, I was thrilled. Then I asked her if she had ever cooked a turkey, and her face paled.
“Don’t worry, I’ll call my mom,” I said.
“Thank God, because I haven’t the first clue what to do.”
I took Maddie from her. “Hi, beautiful girl.” I gave her a squeeze and spun her around. “I missed you today. I’m not working tonight, so we can plan our first holiday as the future Mr. and Mrs. Chambers.”
“Yay! I’m so excited!” Her face scrunched up. “Wow, I think someone needs a new diaper.” She took Maddie from me. “I’ll be right back.”
I called my family and made sure we were all set for Thursday. My mom was planning on hosting at her home, so all we needed to do was change the location. I was happy Bentley and Andi were able to come as well. I thought having a family Thanksgiving at our place was a great idea. It would be the perfect opportunity to announce our engagement and that we planned on Julie adopting Maddie.
Thanksgiving morning, I was greeted by a wonderful aroma, and clanging, coming from the kitchen. I went downstairs and stopped at the sight of Julie holding a wooden spoon while reading a cookbook to Maddie, who was obviously her assistant.
“So what’s the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?” She looked at Maddie. “Do you think that’s important?”
Her little feet kicked as her chair bounced, and she let out a squeak of happiness.
“Me either.” Julie let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead.
I burst out laughing.
Julie’s lips twisted, and she glared at me before returning her attention to Maddie. “Daddy thinks he knows everything.”
“Daddy doesn’t know everything. I thought they were the same thing, but I’m probably wrong.” I took a deep breath. “It smells great in here.” The room was filled with familiar holiday scents, and I couldn’t wait to start making our own traditions.
“Your mom came by earlier and prepared the turkey, so all I needed to do was put it in the oven. I took off my ring so she wouldn’t see we were engaged.” She held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. “It’s back on now.”
The doorbell rang.
“Let’s do this.” I picked up Maddie and grabbed Julie’s hand.
“Brett, are you sure I look okay?”
“Yes, babe, you’re perfect. Now come on. Let’s go say hi to our guests.”
I opened the door and was greeted by my brother and Andi.
“There’s my goddaughter.” Bentley took Maddie from my arms and kissed her head. “You look so pretty. Wait until Grandma sees you.”
“Does someone want her Grandma?” My parents walked in. My mother kissed Maddie on the head then walked over to me and kissed my cheek. She pulled Julie into a hug.
Julie embraced my mom. “Hi, Madeline.”
“You know, you could call her mom.” I held up Julie’s left hand.
Everyone bombarded us with hugs. The women were all in tears, and my dad and brother congratulated me with a few bro hugs.
“Welcome to the family. It’s good to meet you.” Bentley kissed Julie, and Andi followed suit.
“Knock, knock.”
The door opened and Alex, Aubrey, and Jackson came in. Alex handed me two bottles of wine from Calabrese Vineyards, and when I showed Julie the labels, she smiled. I knew she missed Luca, but I also knew they still chatted when she was at work. I was banking on him being gay. It made me feel better about their relationship.
Aubrey handed Julie a plate of muffins, and they burst out laughing. Alex and I shrugged. Those two spoke their own language, and we didn’t dare try to decipher it.
“Come on in and sit down,” I said.
The men congregated in front of the TV while the women headed off to the kitchen. I looked around my home, our home, and joy filled my heart. My entire family was together, and that included Julie. She completed the picture.
In a little while, we all sat around the table to enjoy the wonderful meal. The doorbell rang. I couldn’t imagine who it could be since everyone we knew was there, except Tyler.
My goofy smile vanished when I saw Nikki on my porch.
“Hi, Brett.” She flashed me a smile.
I was waiting for venom to leak from the corners of her mouth. “Nikki. What are you doing here?”
“I came for my daughter.”
I was sure my heart stopped. What the hell was she talking about? “Excuse me?”
She walked in and stood in the family room. I closed the door and tried to gather my wits. Nikki was in my house, and she wanted Maddie. Over my dead body, and not even then would she take Maddie away from us. When I turned, she looked oddly calm. I was anything but.
“You need to leave. You’re not welcome here. We’re having a family dinner.” I crossed my arms and tried to remain steadfast.
“It’s been long enough. I decided I want her back. I am her mother after all.” She adjusted her shoulders and stood straight while she looked me right in the eyes.
Something was off, but because she was Nikki, I couldn’t pinpoint it. All I knew was my dinner was about to revisit me.
“She doesn’t even know you, Nik. You can’t come here and think you can walk out with her. It’s not going to happen. You need to go.”
Before I could say more, Julie walked in, laughing, with Maddie in her arms. “Brett, you should have seen what this one did with her sweet potatoes.” Julie’s laugh ended abruptly, and the color in her cheeks drained when she saw Nikki.
Nikki gasped. “There she is.” She strode toward Julie, who tilted her body to shield my little girl. “Give me my daughter. I want to hold her.”
&nbs
p; Julie’s eyes widened, and a look of terror flashed across them. “Brett?”
I hurried to her side and took Maddie out of her arms. “Go get my parents.”
When Julie walked away, Maddie twisted her body and reached out to Julie.
A brief look of discomfort crossed Julie’s face as she came back and kissed the top of Maddie’s head. “I’ll be right back, sweet girl.”
I turned to Nikki, who had her hands on her hips, then she held them out. “I’m her mommy, not her. Now let me hold her.”
I saw the vein in her neck throb. There was no way I would comply with her request. Julie walked back in with not only my parents but all our guests. We were a united front, and I needed that.
“So is this is how you’re going to play it?” Nikki looked at the small crowd behind Julie as my mother came forward. Nikki tossed her hands on her hips and tilted her head.
My mother was not amused or affected by Nikki’s stance. “I don’t think this is the time or place for this discussion. Why don’t you leave your number, and Brett will call you in the morning.”
Maddie began to cry, and the room fell silent.
“Can’t you see you’re upsetting her?” my mother said. “I won’t stand by while you attempt to destroy this family—my family.”
“I’m her family. I’m her mother, and you of all people should understand that. What if someone wouldn’t let you hold your child?” She was toe to toe with my mom, who wasn’t backing down.
“Listen, young lady, I didn’t abandon my child. We all stood by you and Brett when Maddie was born and told you we’d be there for her for the rest of our lives. So don’t you speak to me or anyone in this room that way.” My mother’s face reddened, and my dad put his hand on her shoulder.
I handed Maddie to Julie. “Please take her to her room.” I kissed them both and looked at our friends. “If you all can give us a minute?”
Jackson was asleep in Alex’s arms as my guests walked toward the kitchen.
“How did you know where we lived?” I hit the red button on my cell to record our conversation and placed it back in my pocket.
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