Chapter 46 – Juliana
I t’s a chilly Sunday morning in late January when we venture out for the first time for something other than a doctor’s appointment, family visit, or to fetch some necessity just to get me out of the house and keep me sane.
Eight weeks of never ending feedings, diaper changes and sleep deprivation, it’s an endurance test without a doubt.
But, Liam’s been by my side through the bulk of it, and the baby slept for five hours straight last night, allowing her very tired parents to do the same.
Liam places the floral stocking cap on Archie’s head, something stylish Ivy chose, and her little brow scrunches up. “I know, I know, but we’re not catching a chill, little lady,” he says, firmly.
Her blue-green ocean eyes stare deep into her father’s matching ones for a moment, as if she intends to argue. Instead, she stuffs her chubby little fist into her mouth, and his answering grin turns my heart to a puddle for the millionth time.
“Ready, honey?” he asks as I’m slipping on my boots.
“Absolutely. Brunch at Twisted Anchor sounds heavenly.” Time alone with Liam might sound even better, but there’s only so many hours in a day. He takes my hand and holds Archie in his free arm before leading us out the door.
Everyone’s had a chance to meet her by now, including Liam’s mother. Sylvia is quite taken with her granddaughter even if things are still stiff between the three adults. Maybe in time we’ll grow into a comfortable relationship… before Archie’s headed off to college.
Liam’s father has kept his distance since their argument and he was booted from his CEO position.
Perhaps he’ll one day realize the error of his ways and the Culver Family might someday converge under one roof again.
The three brothers tell me to keep my eyes peeled for when hell freezes over first. But, Archie has plenty of aunts and uncles who adore her, so I can’t lament the absence of one disagreeable grandfather.
My parents adore their two granddaughters and talk of moving back to San Francisco.
“Lord, give me patience,” Nell had quietly commented when she heard that.
They’d still be welcome if they go through with it, especially now that they’ve finally accepted what a piece of trash Chad turned out to be. Only took them four years.
Liam’s continued therapy, and I do a zoom chat with Becca every week. It’s not some magic elixir, and it doesn’t fix what’s happened in the past, but it does help us bravely face our future.
We climb into my car to head out, it being more family friendly than either of Liam’s.
He drives while I keep Archie company. I glance at my phone and smile, seeing a text from Ivy, though Liam might be less than pleased by its content.
“Hudson’s coming to brunch, too.” His hands tighten on the steering wheel, and I catch his eyes narrowing in the rearview mirror. “Are you ever going to forgive him?”
At Dean and Tabitha’s Christmas party, Liam discovered the identity of Ivy’s husband from her oopsie Vegas marriage at long last. To say he was angry to learn Hudson has been secretly married to his sister for years and never told him would be a massive understatement.
“She left the country over it. She left us for years. Because of him .”
“I think it was more complicated than that.” He grumbles something under his breath. “They were both very young.” More grumbling. “Fine, go on hating one of your oldest friends and drive your sister away while you’re at it if you insist on being this stubborn, Mr. Culver.”
His shoulders relax and, when our eyes meet again, he gives me a resigned smile. “I won’t do that. She says they’re working things out, so maybe I’ll forgive him for lying to me. Eventually.”
I decide not to mention that Ivy meant that more as in they’re working on it like a business agreement rather than working on their marriage. It’ll only make Liam angry again, and I can’t tell what Hudson’s intentions are at this point. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Tabitha, Dean and Ethan are waiting at Twisted Anchor, eager for their chance to love on Archie before anyone else arrives. “Nice hat, kid,” Dean comments, grinning at his niece in her floral cap.
“Oh, thank God. It’s official now. You called her kid, and she’s my kid, so neither of you can call me kid ever again.”
Ethan and Dean exchange a look over Liam’s logic and promptly laugh in his face. “Good try… kid.”
“No violence around the baby,” I say, sternly to the three of them, before passing Archie to his Aunt Tabitha. I recognize that giddy, glazed look in her eyes - Baby Fever.
“Okay, I want one,” she sighs, cuddling my daughter and sniffing her little head.
Dean looks like a deer caught in headlights. “But, we’re going back to Maui to surf next month, spitfire. Like we do every year.”
“Well, we can surf and work on getting me pregnant there then, can’t we?”
Chuckling, we give the married couple a chance to discuss – all three of us quietly agreeing Tabitha will definitely get her way – when Wendy and Nell walk in swinging Amelia between them.
She shrieks every time her feet leave the ground.
A few patrons turn their heads, scowling.
Nell shoots them a look. “What? You’ve never seen a happy child?
It’s a bar at night. At brunch, it’s family time. ”
“That’s right,” Ethan agrees, plucking a feather from his jacket pocket to show Amelia. My niece oohs and ahs as he tells her about the birds that visit his lake house, and the strangers return to minding their own business.
Miles strolls in, asking about the pancake special and hoping blueberries are involved.
“Juliana loves all kinds of blueberry flavored things,” Liam says with a wink before he pulls out my chair.
My cheeks warm up, thinking of the blueberry-flavored lubricant hiding in my underwear drawer with my forgotten vibrator.
We’ve not had sex since Archie was born, but I think I’m ready.
Hudson and Ivy arrive together. Being privy to their secret for a few months now, I’ve noted a frostiness between them at times and a fiery energy that crackles between them at others.
Today, it’s the latter. Sure, Ivy looks like she can’t decide if she’d rather flay him or fuck him at the moment, but Hudson is undeniably in favor of option two.
Good for them, I suppose, but I’m glad I fell in love with my best friend.
I’m not sure I’d be cut out for whatever it is that makes those two tick.
Liam greets Ivy and, after a not so subtle glare from me, greets Hudson, too. They shake hands. Awkwardly. Men.
Santi is the last to join us, looking uncharacteristically ruffled.
“Bring us some champagne, darling,” he tells the server.
“Whatever the hell you have here and glasses for everyone.” Then, he sinks into the chair next to me with a loud, forlorn groan that causes Amelia to giggle and Archie to stir from the nap she was about to take in her carrier.
“If she gets fussy, you’ve got to hold her while I eat,” I warn him.
“Hand her over. It’ll keep me from searching for a convenient bridge.”
“Well, that’s not at all melodramatic,” Liam says.
“The Golden Gate’s a few blocks that way,” Hudson adds, dryly. “Bad night at the hospital, doc?”
“No, bad dinner with my parents. They’ve got themselves into a bind and now I’ve got to pay the price to get them out of it.”
“If it’s money…” Dean offers before Santi can shake his head.
“I wish it was just a matter of money. I’d sell my portion of the club if it was that simple.”
Liam and Hudson’s jaws drop in sync, and I get it. Santi loves being a co-owner at Sable almost as much as he loves being a doctor. Even if Hudson handles the bulk of the business, he relies on them, too.
The server returns with the bottle and glasses. Santi takes over pouring when Ivy says, “You’re acting like your life is over but you ordered champagne?”
“My dear, Mrs. Raines,” he drawls, making Ivy flush, Hudson smirk and Liam fume in one fell swoop. “I’ll have you know my life is over. I’m getting married.”