“You could’ve,” said Shayla, nodding. “You could’ve done the right thing and made your case. Put all this on the table like you’re doing now.”
“And would it have worked?” he asked. “Would you have turned Colton down?”
“No,” Shayla said, not a trace of doubt or hesitancy to her voice. “I would’ve made the same decision. But you have to understand that there’s only so much you can do. Instead, you lied. And it’s only because Colton was bold enough to come find me that we’re even together now. If he hadn’t…” She trailed off.
“We have a kid, Richie,” I said, gesturing to Lucas, who was still happily cooing in Shayla’s lap. “And I missed out on his birth, the first few months of his life because of the lies you told, and there’s nothing Shayla and I can do to get that time back. I could take you to court for all you’re worth.”
Shayla picked it back up.
“I thought I was going to raise this boy all on my own, that he was going to grow up without a father. And if you’d had your way, he would’ve. Here you are, making it sound like you’re some suffering mentor trying to do the right thing, still trying to get sympathy. It’s disgusting.” She bit her lip, apparently to stop from saying anything else.
“I’m not lying about how important you were to me,” said Richie. “I knew the company wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Shayla took in a slow breath through her nose, shaking her head as she did.
“Whatever,” she said. “It’s done. Like Colton said, you took that away from us, and there’s nothing to be done about it.”
Then she leaned forward. “But there’s still the issue of the fraud you pulled. You sold my design to Colton under false pretenses. And I’d bet anything his lawyers would have a damn field day with that.”
Richie’s expression, on a dime, turned from something pitiable to one of frantic concern.
“No!” he said, his eyes wide. “Please! I know what I did was wrong, and I’ll do whatever I can to make it right. But don’t take me to court over this—you’ll ruin me!”
He shot out of his chair and dashed over to his briefcase on the kitchen counter. Then he pulled out a small brown folder and a pen before hurrying back to the table. It was a checkbook, and I watched as he quickly filled out the lines in one of the checks. Once done, he ripped the check out so hard that I thought he might tear it in half.
“There!” he said, shoving the check in Shayla’s direction. “That’s the amount for the design, plus interest. Take it!”
Shayla shot me a glance, as if not sure what to make of this. I shrugged, and she took the check, her eyebrows rising as she saw the amount.
“No,” she said, tearing up the check and letting the scraps of paper flutter out of her hands and land on the table.
“W-what?” asked Richie, now totally defeated. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”
He clasped his hands together and held them out. “Please,” he said. “I know I screwed up. But let me do something to make this right.”
“Open that checkbook again,” said Shayla, her voice cold and professional.
Now I was confused, wondering if she was going to take him to the cleaners. Richie, knowing he didn’t have any other option, complied.
“Write out that same amount,” she said, “but leave the recipient line blank. You’re going to give me that check, and I’m going to donate it to a foster charity. I don’t want your money, but maybe they’ll be able to do some good with it.”
He nodded, his chin jerking up and down before he turned his eyes back to the checkbook and did as she asked. When it was filled out, he ripped out the check and handed it over. Shayla took it from him and slipped it into her pocket.
“What else?” Richie asked.
“I don’t want anything else from you,” Shayla said. “Just consider yourself lucky that I’m more interested in spending the holiday with my family than getting in the mud with you.”
A tinge of happiness ran up my spine at the word “family.”
“Thank you, Shayla,” Richie said, total supplication to his voice. “Thank you so much.”
But Shayla wasn’t moved by his gratitude. She turned to me and spoke.
“You ready to get the heck out of here?”
I couldn’t help but smirk at how, despite everything, she was watching her language around Lucas.
“More than ready,” I told her.
The two of us got up and started toward the front door.
“Oh,” said Shayla over her shoulder before we left, “and in case it wasn’t clear, I quit.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, the three of us were seated at a small, window-side table at a nearby coffee shop, steaming cups of coffee and a couple of pastries in front of us, the streets of Brooklyn bustling on the other side of the window.
“Well,” I said, tearing off a chunk of blueberry scone and tossing it into my mouth. “How are you feeling?”
She shook her head as she bounced Lucas on her knee.
“Part of me still wants to go back there and punch him in the face for what he did.”
“And you’d be one-hundred-percent in the right for that,” I said.
She let out a snort of a laugh, a half-smile on her lips.
“Maybe so. Either way, he got off easy.”
“He did,” I said. “But it’s not too late to take him to court if you still want to.”
She shook her head slowly.
“No,” she said. “The last thing I want is to spend the next few months in court. Richie’s taken enough time from us already.”
She reached into her pocket and took out the check. “This is what I’m more interested in,” she said.
“You’re going to be able to do a lot of good with that money,” I said. “And how about this—you pick the charity, and I’ll match the amount.”
Shayla’s eyes went wide.
“Are you serious?” she asked. “That’s…so much money.”
“Consider it a late Christmas present,” I said with a smile.
“Thank you. It’s more than I could’ve hoped for,” she said, reaching across the table and taking my hand. “But I don’t have anything for you.”
“Yes, you do,” I corrected her.
As if on cue, Lucas giggled, and Shayla laughed as she caught my meaning.
“Now,” I said. “If you’re ready to go, we have some shopping to do. You have a new family to meet.”
Shayla nodded. “Let’s do it.”
Chapter 32
Shayla
Dressed in our winter clothes, the air crisp and cool, the three of us made our way down Fifth Avenue. The streets bustled with activity, the many shoppers out on the streets eager to return gifts and pick up items from the after-Christmas sales.
I held Lucas close and tight, dressed in a warm winter coat and tiny beanie cap. On the drive in, Colton had suggested that we pick up some last-minute gifts.
“I have no idea what anyone in your family is going to want,” I told him.
“Of course,” said Colton. “But I think they’ll be okay with the idea of you having helped with picking out gifts.”
I chuckled, but I knew I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t more than a bit nervous about meeting his family. And picking up on this, Colton wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close.
“You’ll be fine,” he said. “They’re all really easy-going. And they’re so excited to meet both of you.”
“I know,” I said. “It’s just…families are kind of a weird thing to me. I never know how to act around them.”
“I’ll be right there by your side all night,” he assured me. Then, he grinned. “Besides, you’re in a family right now.”
A broad smile slowly spread across my face, and tears formed in my eyes.
He was right. Just standing here on this bright winter’s day in Manhattan, I was part of a family. And I would be for the rest of my life.
“Now,”
Colton said. “We need clothes for tonight and presents for the family. Which do you want to do first?”
“Clothes,” I said. “For the little guy and me.”
As if knowing he was being talked about, Lucas clapped his hands and laughed.
“Then let’s get started,” said Colton.
Over the course of the next couple of hours, Colton and I ducked into some of the many boutiques on Fifth Avenue, picking out all sorts of things for me to wear during the many family events planned for the holiday season.
I eventually settled on a lovely dress of red satin for that night, along with an adorable Christmas sweater outfit for Lucas. Once the clothes were taken care of, the three of us stopped for lunch in Bryant Park. The small green space, surrounded on all four sides by the towers of Midtown, was alive with activity. Colton and I ate our lunches as we people-watched, simply happy to all be together.
When we were done, it was time for present-shopping. Colton took me through a few stores, letting me know what sorts of things his family was into. His father was a tech guy, so the two of us stopped into one of the big electronics stores and picked up a few gadgets. And his mother was apparently into home décor, so he brought me to a small boutique where we had a gift basket created with flowers and decorations and scented candles.
The gifts were finished off with some treats from a few local bakeries, and when we were all done, I was beyond pleased with what we’d put together.
“They’re going to be thrilled with all of this,” said Colton. “To be honest, though, you could be showing up with the Crown Jewels, and they’d be far more interested in that little guy you’ve got on your lap.”
“Can’t hurt to come bearing gifts either way,” I said. “What time are they all getting there?”
“Around six,” he said, checking his gold watch. “So we’re making pretty good time.”
We arrived back at the penthouse just in time to greet the small team of caterers who were going to be preparing dinner that night. Colton directed them where to go, getting them all set up before he and I sat down at the dining room table to wrap the presents.
“Dang,” I said, stepping into the living room where a towering tree covered in ornaments and lights shot up toward the high ceilings. “I thought the tree at the cabin was big.”
“You should know by now that I go all out,” said Colton with a smile.
The next hour passed with the two of us wrapped up in warmth from the fire, delicious smells, and, of course, Christmas songs on the stereo. We sang along to the tunes we both knew, Lucas happily seated in a bouncy chair next to the table.
“Now, Shayla,” Colton said, a smile on his lips. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you were full of Christmas spirit.”
I shook my head in disbelief—he was right. The songs and the smells and the lights and the togetherness and everything else were all working together, casting their spell on me.
For the first time in my life, I was full of something during the holidays that I could only call joy.
“I guess I just needed the right person to bring it out of me,” I said before leaning over and giving Colton a kiss on the cheek.
Lucas let out a squeal as soon as I took my lips away from Colton’s freshly shaved cheek.
“Sorry,” I said to Lucas. “The right people.”
Before too long, the presents were all wrapped and placed under the tree. Lucas was ready for a quick nap before the festivities, and it was time for Colton and me to get ready. We grabbed the bags of clothes we bought and headed into the bedroom to get changed.
The two of us stood on opposite sides of the bedroom, taking off the clothes we’d worn that day and standing in nothing but our underwear. I could tell by the looks we gave each other that there was something other than getting ready on both of our minds.
My attention back on the mirror, Colton stepped behind me and wrapped his thick, strong arms around my body. He was in nothing but a pair of skin-tight boxer-briefs, something solid pressing against my rear.
“How much time do we have before your family gets here?” I asked, tingles spreading across my skin.
He began kissing my shoulder, his lips moving up along the slope of my neck until he reached the sensitive skin behind my ear.
“Enough for me to open one more present,” he said, his hands starting at my hips and making their way up to the clasp of my bra.
“Then you’d better not waste any time,” I said, flashing him a coy smile.
He didn’t.
An hour later, the two of us were dressed and ready to go. I was in my satin dress with matching pumps and new sparkling earrings from Colton. He was in a sharp, dark gray suit, a red pocket square giving him a subtle festive accent.
“Just got a text,” he said. “They’re almost here.”
The tension was tight in my belly as I sat at the kitchen bar with a glass of club soda, the caterers bustling around me. But as soon as Colton kissed me and looked into my eyes, I knew I was going to be fine.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, a loud chime echoing through the vast expanse of the apartment just as I arrived back into the living room with Lucas.
“Let’s do this,” I said.
Colton took my hand and led me to the front doors. I took one last breath before he opened them up, revealing a half dozen well-dressed and handsome men and women, all decked out in Christmas finery.
“Merry Christmas!” Colton said, happiness in his voice as he greeted his family.
The group came into the apartment, all of them saying their hellos to us as they entered. And, of course, going absolutely crazy over Lucas.
“Is this the boy we’ve all been hearing about?” asked a good-looking man in his sixties with a clean-shaven head and small paunch that stretched the fabric of his gray sweater.
“No,” quipped a woman about his age, a gorgeous blonde with a bright smile and Colton’s mint-green eyes. “It’s the other baby.”
She gave the man a warm smile and soft pat on the shoulder before they began lavishing Lucas with attention.
“Shayla,” said Colton, as happy as he could be, “let me introduce you to my family.”
He introduced them all one by one. The man was his father, Lionel, and the woman his mother, Sandra. They both greeted me with warmth, taking my hand and telling me how pleased they were to meet me.
Then there were Colton’s cousins, a brother and sister, both in their late twenties. They were followed by his aunt and uncle, and by the time introductions had been finished, another group of family members showed up.
Soon I was in the middle of a whirlwind of activity, and before I knew it, at least two dozen family members were there, all of them eager to meet Lucas and me. I flitted from one conversation to another, trying to keep my bearings and remember all of the names.
But as overwhelmed as I felt at times, every single member of Colton’s family was accommodating and friendly and warm—just like Colton. And though I was only meeting them for the first time that night, they all went out of their way to make me feel like part of the family.
A couple of hours of festivities later, I was ready for a brief bit of alone time. I poured myself a mug of hot cider and, seeing that Lucas was currently in the middle of a frenzy of doting, decided then would be a good time to get some fresh air.
I wrapped myself in my winter jacket and stepped out onto the huge, sweeping balcony. The city twinkled and glittered before me, a chill in the air. Up from this height New York was something magical, and I was overjoyed to be here surrounded by love and my new family.
I sipped my cider, thinking about how far I’d come. Only a year ago I was alone in my little Brooklyn apartment, thinking that I didn’t need another soul to make me feel complete. But now that I’d know what it felt like to have a family, to have people who loved me, I couldn’t imagine living any other way.
“Room out here for two?”
I turned to see Colton step
out onto the balcony, the party visible through the tall windows behind him. A chuckle escaped my lips at Colton’s joke—there was enough space out here for an entire second party.
“I think there might be,” I said.
He came to my side and slipped his arm around my waist, holding me close against the chill air. I rested my head on his shoulder, and for a time, we said nothing, both of us simply looking out onto the city.
“How am I doing in there?” I asked. “This family stuff is still all pretty new to me.”
“You’re doing great,” he said. “They love you. And Lucas is the star of the show. We might have to fight for him when we get back in there.”
“What do you think about coming back to New York?” he asked. “As charming as Holly Lake might be, I’m not sure that I’d be able to pull off running my business from there.”
“Hmm,” I said. “And give up my charming lakefront cabin?”
Colton smiled and raised an eyebrow.
“Who said anything about giving it up?” he asked. “Having a little place upstate to get away to is one of the most important parts of living in the city.”
A huge smile spread across my face.
“Here’s what I’m thinking,” he said, holding me close. “You and I work our butts off during the year, and when we need to get away from it all, Holly Lake is just a quick drive away.”
“Mmm,” I said. “I love it.”
“It’s picturesque during the winter,” he said. “But have you ever seen it during the summer?”
“No,” I said. “Just during the winter.”
“I bet it’s even better,” he said. “I can picture you and me sitting near the water, Lucas on your lap. The air’s warm and calm, no sounds but the crickets. Just the three of us watching the sunset, not a care in the world.”
“Sounds like heaven,” I said, my heart warming at the idea.
“It’ll be a nice break from work,” he said.
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