“As for today, do what you need to do. The schedule’s light,” Harrison tells us.
“Thank you. I don’t really know where we go from here.”
“I think a social worker is the best bet,” Gabby says. “Although, my fear is that until you are proven to be the father, that they might take him and put him into foster care.”
“No. If he’s mine, he’s not going to some damn foster home when he can be at home with us.”
“Okay.” It’s a simple reply, but her willingness to support me could bring me to my knees. “I’ll make some calls. See what our next step should be.”
“Maybe you should think back on that night?” Harrison suggests. “Surely something might trigger your memory?”
“You think I haven’t been doing that?” I ask him. “My fucking mind won’t shut off.” I wince and give Gabby an apologetic look at my profanity.
She shrugs. “He’s too little to understand just yet, but you need to work on your mouth, Daddy.” She puts me in my place.
Daddy.
This isn’t the first time she’s referred to me as such, and I admit the thought isn’t as scary with her being by my side. However, with that said, I still wish I could remember. I look down at the sleeping baby and think about what to tell him when he’s older. Yeah, son, your mom and I hooked up one drunken night. I didn’t know about you until you were three weeks old and she left you on my doorstep. How will that make him feel? My gut twists at the thought of this little guy, or any kid ever feeling unwanted. If he is mine, I’ll make damn sure that every day he knows he’s wanted and loved. But what if he isn’t mine? What then? Where will he go? So many unanswered questions swirl in my mind.
“Chase.” Gabby’s soft hands and soothing voice pull me out of my mental panic attack.
“Sorry, what?” I shake out of my thoughts.
“Harrison told me to just take off for the day. Are you okay with me keeping him?”
“Are you serious?” Turning to face her, I cup her face in my hands. “You are the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. You could run, Gabs. Hell, you should be running, but you didn’t. You stayed with me, saved me, and helped me through last night. Yet, this morning, you’re still here, standing tall.” I smirk because we all know she’s not anything close to tall. “Supporting me, and…” I swallow hard. “…my son.”
I shake my head as I continue. “I just… I don’t know what I would do without you, and I’m scared as hell once all this sets in, that you’re going to change your mind. Then I have a baby I’m not even sure is mine and the woman I love gone from my life. I don’t know that I can handle that, Gabby. I can’t lose you because of this,” I confess.
“I’m just going to give you two a minute.” Harrison grabs his coffee and scurries out of his office.
“Tell me I’m not going to lose you?” I say, leaning my forehead against hers. When her hands wrap around my waist, I can breathe easier. She’s not pushing me away.
“If I remember correctly, you told me once that we were just getting started. Sure, that might have been with all the sexy times, but I like to think that it’s us. Sure, this little guy wasn’t a part of the plan, but that’s no fault of his, or yours. She knew who you were and didn’t tell you.” She pauses, and I don’t say a word, giving her time to process what she wants to say. “I’ve been fighting my feelings for you for far too long, Chase Callahan. We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface to see what this could be. What we could be.” Pulling back, she peers up at me under long lashes. “So, no. I’m not giving up on you. I’m not giving up on us. We’ll take this one day at a time. And this little guy—” She looks down at Milo. “If he’s yours like we think he is…” She shrugs. “You’re a package deal now, Chase. It’s more than what we started with, but it’s not a game changer. Not for me.”
“I love you.” The words escape my mouth before I can stop them. She opens her mouth to speak, but I place my index finger over her lips to prevent her from speaking. “I love you. For so many reasons, I love you. There are not enough hours in the day to list them all, so I’m going to do you one better.” Her eyes glisten with tears, but she remains silent. “I’m going to show you and tell you every day for the rest of our lives what you mean to me. Then, and only then will it even come close to the depth of my feelings for you.” Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I pull her into a hug. Her arms snake back around my waist and her head rests against my chest. I take a minute to just feel her, to just be.
Milo whimpers, and she pulls away. “He’s probably getting hungry. I’m going to take him home. I can feed him there.”
Home. Pulling the keys from my pocket, I hold them out for her. “You want me to drive you home, then come back?”
“Not unless you’re afraid I’ll hurt your baby?” she teases. She looks down at Milo and grins. “Both of them.”
“I’m not worried about the truck, but the cargo it’s carrying. If you feel comfortable driving my beast, then I’m good with it.”
“I can handle it,” she says, taking the keys I’m offering.
I lean in and kiss her. “I’ll carry him out for you.”
“I can do it,” she argues in typical Gabby fashion.
“I know you can, but I want to do it.” Reaching for Milo, I pick up his seat with one hand and lace my fingers through hers with another.
“You want to walk out there like this?” She glances down at our joined hands.
“Fuck yes, I do. I’m not hiding you, or what you mean to me.”
“Your fans will be disappointed.” She bites her lip to keep from smiling.
“Gabby,” I warn.
“Sorry, old habits die hard.” With her hand in mine, she leads us out of Harrison’s office, through the gym and out to my truck.
“We really need to get a base for this seat. I’m not sure this is safe or legal,” she says.
Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out my credit card. “Take this and get whatever we need. Order it online or go out if you think you want to with him, or hell…” I run my fingers through my hair. “…maybe meet me for lunch and we can go together?” I offer. I hate that I’m putting this on her.
“How about I go home, get this little guy fed, and make some calls to find out our next steps? We’ll come back and do lunch with you. We need diapers and formula for sure, and a safe place for him to sleep. That, along with the car seat base, are our immediate concerns.”
“Okay. I’m out of my element here, so we’ll go with that.” I open the back door and strap Milo into the middle section of the back seat. “All set,” I say, climbing back out of the truck. “Drive safe.” Reaching up, I cup her face in my hands. “I’ll see you in a few hours?”
“Yes.” She stands on her tiptoes and I meet her halfway in a kiss. It’s far too short for my liking, but I know she needs to go so she can feed the baby.
Opening the driver’s side door for her, she climbs behind the wheel, adjusts the seat, then puts on her seat belt. “I love you.” I kiss her quickly and close the door before she can reply. It’s not that I don’t want to hear her say it. I do, more than just about anything. I’ve hidden the depths of what I feel for her for far too long. Being able to openly tell her what she means to me, to not have to fight and bicker with her to gain her attention, it’s new, but I crave it. I crave her. I couldn’t handle her telling me she doesn’t feel the same. I’d rather pretend that she did. So, for now, it’s best if I not give her the chance to burst the bubble I’m living in.
When I get back inside, Harrison is waiting for me. “Gabby leave?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I plop down in the chair next to him at the reception desk. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“Letting her leave today. For being so understanding about all of this.”
“Chase?” He waits for me to look over at him. “We’re best friends, and partners in this business. Sure, it’s mine, but I couldn’t have built it to what it
is without you. That aside, I’ve had my own messes to work through, and you were there. We’ll figure this out,” he says. My guess is he can see the worry in my eyes.
“Yeah. Gabby’s going to make some calls.”
“Things are….” He trails off, waiting for me to fill in the blanks.
“More than I ever could have hoped for. Finally, we were on the same page, and then the doorbell rings. I was certain she was going to leave. I practically begged her not to, but she assured me she wouldn’t.” Last night filters through my mind. I couldn’t have done it without her. “I love her.”
“I know.”
“What?”
He shrugs. “I know you, man. I might have been wrapped up in my own life, but not so much as I didn’t see it.”
“I told her.”
He nods. “Good.”
“I don’t know if he’s mine, Harrison. I swear to you, I don’t remember that night. No one even struck my interest but Gabby. I was over casual hookups, have been for a long-ass time. I remember them joining us and Colton soaking up their advances like a sponge. I was content to let him. They weren’t Gabby. Then there were shots, so many fucking shots. I woke up alone in my room.”
“You do that.” He laughs. “Trust me, I’ve been blinded enough times that I’ve learned my lesson.”
I chuckle. “Yeah. But then there’s Milo. He looks like me, man.”
“I didn’t get a good look, but I can tell you this. Being a dad…” He stops and shakes his head. “Nothing like it, Chase. Sure, this isn’t how you imagined your life to go, but look at me. I never imagined Gwen and I would be divorced, then pregnant and remarried, but that’s how our story was told.”
“I thought it would be her. I thought it would be Gabby.”
He shrugs. “It still can be. Milo doesn’t have to be your only one. Besides, sounds like the mom is giving up all of her rights. Gabby can adopt him.” He holds up his hands to stop me. “Before you spout some bullshit about not putting that on her, you’re wrong. Trust me on this. If you love her, invite her into your life. All of it. Don’t hold back in fear she’s going to run or because you think it’s too much for. Learn from my mistakes. Share it all, be an open fucking book with her. She’s going to surprise you when you do.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just that. She’s a strong woman, my sister-in-law. She can handle it all if you let her. Enough chitchat; there’s my client.” He motions his head toward the door where an older gentleman is walking into the gym.
Right behind him is my first client of the day as well. Her name is Selena, and she’s handsy and flirty. I smile when necessary, and ward off her roaming hands, but today, all that changes. Today, I’m a new man. I’m Gabby’s man. No more pretending.
“Hey, handsome,” Selena coos.
“It’s Chase,” I say matter-of-factly.
“Oh, he’s broody today. I can help with that.” She runs the nail of her index finger down my arm.
I move abruptly. “My girlfriend wouldn’t like that much.”
“Girlfriend?” she asks, surprised. “Well, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
“Not happening. Please keep your hands to yourself, and enough of the flirting. I can find you a new trainer if you want, but it’s not happening.” No way in hell would I risk losing Gabby over this chick, or any chick for that matter. Referring to her as my girlfriend seems insignificant for how I feel about her, but we’re on our way. Baby steps and all that.
Baby steps.
Milo.
I’m a father.
I’ve looked at the clock for what seems like a million times since she left. I’ve texted her a few times and she sent me a picture of Milo sleeping in her arms.
I didn’t hate it.
In fact, the idea of a baby with her excites me in ways I never dreamed possible. My mind drifts to my conversation with Harrison, and he’s right. If Laura, Milo’s mother, relinquishes her rights, he’s ours. Then again, Gabby’s mine, so Milo is hers too by default. I refuse to have it any other way.
I’m going to be an open book.
“There’s Daddy.” I hear from behind me and I don’t need to turn and look to recognize the voice. I’d know her voice anywhere. However, I do turn, needing to set my eyes on her. It’s been way too long.
“Hey.” I smile when I see her with Milo in her arms, wrapped in a soft blue blanket. Bending, I kiss her lips and run my finger over his cheek.
“Hi. You ready to eat? We brought lunch.”
“Starving,” I admit, just not for food.
“Good. I thought bringing lunch would be faster. You can eat while I fill you in on what I found out.”
“Perfect. You, uh, want me to take him?”
“No, he’s fine. You need to eat.” She turns on her heel and heads toward her office. I follow her like the lovesick fool that I am. I would follow her anywhere.
She points to the bag on her desk from the sub shop just around the corner. “I got one for Harrison too. He’s already devoured it.” She laughs.
“Thank you. This is perfect. So, what did you find out? What should we do?” I ask, opening up the sub and taking a healthy bite.
“Well, you don’t need a physician’s order for a DNA test. So I called the lab at the local hospital, and they’ll do it there. It’s a simple procedure. They’ll swab your cheek and his.” She looks down at Milo. “So, painless,” she adds.
“Okay. When do we do it?”
“I just need to call to book an appointment. I didn’t because I wasn’t sure what you wanted to do. It can be costly.”
“What’s costly?” I ask. Not that it matters, it has to be done.
“Around five hundred dollars.”
“Do you mind giving me the number so I can arrange that for you? I need to know.”
“Sure, or I can call them back and schedule for you.”
“I’ll take the first available. Don’t worry about my schedule; we’ll move whatever we have to, to make it happen.”
“Done. I’ll text you the information.”
“Or just tell me when I get home tonight.” I love that I get to go home to her.
She smiles. “I called a local attorney to ask about rights, but I’m waiting for a call back.”
“Thank you, Gabs.” I reach out and give her leg a gentle squeeze. “How has your day been? Anymore blowouts?” I ask, shoving the last of my sub into my mouth.
“Nope. We’ve had a productive day, me and this little guy. I went home and fed him, and he conked out on me. I made him a bed in the middle of yours, surrounded by every blanket and pillow I could find. I know he’s too young to roll off the bed, but you can never be too careful. Anyway,” she continues, “I swapped out the laundry, made the phone calls, unloaded the dishwasher, and then he was awake again. After a diaper change, we headed to the store. I picked up a new base for his seat, which was illegal to not have by the way. I found a Pack ’n Play on sale and it has a bassinet on the top for him to sleep in at night. I went ahead and bought it. I was thinking worst-case scenario, I could use it when Sophia comes over so Gwen and Harrison don’t have to pack theirs.”
“You used my card, right?” I ask.
“For the base, diapers, wipes, formula, and a few extra bottles I did.” She adds, “The Pack ’n Play, blanket, and burp cloths I paid for. He didn’t really need them, but they were too cute to pass up.”
“Gabby.” I sigh. “I’ll pay you back.”
“No, you won’t. You let me live with you for free. I wanted to do this.”
“You’re no longer a guest in my home, Gabrielle. You live there. With me. It’s your home too.”
“I—” she starts, but I talk over her.
“No. You’re mine, and you’re already living there. If you insist on keeping your own room, fine, but I want you there.”
“I’ll help with him regardless.”
“It’s not about that. Yes, I asked you to stay, but we bo
th know it wasn’t because I needed the help. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know what I would have done without you, but my request for you to stay was with me. For me. My home is your own. No resisting, no talks of moving out. It’s a done deal.”
“Okay,” she concedes, her voice soft.
Harrison is on to something with this open-book stuff. “What else?” I ask.
“There is so much more he’s going to need. We still need to pick up some extra clothes, but we have what we need for now.”
I glance at the clock. “You want to go now? To get some clothes?”
“It’s almost time for him to eat again,” she says, reaching for the diaper bag. I stand and hand it to her.
“What can I do?”
“I have a bottle made up; it’s in the side pocket. Can you grab it and a receiving blanket?”
“Do I know what a receiving blanket is?” My brows dip low.
She laughs. The sound is soothing. “It’s right on top. I found it at the bottom of the bag when I was packing more diapers.”
Unzipping the bag, I find the soft, thin blue blanket right on top like she said. Grabbing the bottle from the side, I hold them both. “Um, do you want me to do it?” I ask her.
“Do you want to?”
“Yes.”
She nods and I take a seat in the chair. “Here you go.” She hands him off to me. His tiny little body weighs nothing. Taking the blanket from my hands, she places it over my shoulder, then shakes up the bottle, removes the cap, and hands it to me. “I picked up some bibs as well, but I haven’t washed them yet. I feel like I should before we use them on him. Lucky for us, he’s not really a messy eater. Not yet. Just wait until he gets to be Sophia’s age and gets baby food.”
I place the nipple at his lips, and he opens his little mouth and goes to town. “Gabby,” I say, looking up at her.
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 39