9. Drew
Despite the storm and the tree crashing through the roof, our last morning at the vineyard seemed almost normal. Mark had called Tristan and reported that they had a baby girl. She was in the NICU but was doing well, as was Kay.
Kylie and her men handled breakfast, and I ate next to my new buddies, Kenji and Daisuke. They were two cool guys about my age who’d helped out a lot last night when the shit hit the fan. And then later, we’d broken out some whisky by the fire and talked baseball. I hadn’t even realized that baseball was played professionally over in Japan, but Parker filled me in.
Mark’s father, the old owner of the winery was finally able to get through. His face was grim when he surveyed the damage in the nursery, but Alyssa and Mason had stopped the rain from coming in. And then a bunch of us had worked to get the baby’s furniture and things out of there and clean them up. There was now a temporary nursery set up in the corner of Mark and Kay’s bedroom.
“You guys sure helped us out,” Mark’s dad said for the fourth or fifth time. “Wish we could hire all of you.” His eyes were on Kylie and Jude when he said that.
“We’ve got a place to run back in Denver,” Jude said.
“But we’re going to take a case of your wine. Our customers will love it,” Kylie added.
“I can’t believe you drove all the way out here,” I said to them later.
“It wasn’t that far. Especially not with four drivers,” Parker said.
“And we’re going to stop and visit my uncle on the way back,” Kylie said. She took a deep breath and then looked at her guys. “There’s something I want to tell him.”
“I hope he feels better soon.” Sierra had told me a little about her situation.
Speaking of Sierra, I found her signing autographs for her new Japanese fans. One of them had finally figured out that she was in The Thrill of the Chase and now they all wanted autographs and selfies with her. Despite the fact that the power hadn’t come back on until early this morning, she looked fantastic. Of course, she always did.
As I watched her interact with her new fans, I saw how encouraging she was. How friendly and kind and nurturing.
Which were some of the qualities needed to be a mother. The thought scared me, but it also excited me. I’d always wanted kids. Once I entered this unconventional relationship with Sierra, Tristan, and Carter, it seemed like a traditional family and a white picket fence weren’t in the future. But maybe they were.
Supposedly, it took a village to raise a child, and between the four of us, we sure had one. Plus there were the others… Alyssa and Kylie and their men. Even if they didn’t live close by, they were our friends. They understood what this kind of relationship was like. They’d always have our backs.
So maybe it was possible. I didn’t even know how it would work—like who would be the biological father. But in spirit, we all would. Sierra was ready, and I liked to think that we would be too. Even Carter. He, Tristan, and I each offered Sierra something different—and we could for any children she had as well.
It was definitely something to think about, and I was pretty sure that Sierra already was.
Probably because of Alyssa. Even though she was one of the youngest ones here, it was clear she was crazy about those kids back home. Sierra saw how happy she was and wanted that for herself.
And why wouldn’t she? It was hard to have it all these days. There was a lot messed up in the world. But when you had people you loved, people you could count on, anything was possible.
I couldn’t wait to see what the future held for Sierra, Carter, Tristan, and me. And for our friends as well. And hell, even for Kay and Mark and our new Japanese friends. The changes in my life over the past year or two had taught me that anything was possible.
Even starting a family with the people I loved.
Especially starting a family with the people I loved.