Chapter Eighty-Six
Emily
The house is pure chaos, but in the best way possible. First, Jake’s family showed up, and then, ten minutes later, my mom and brother arrived, and Grace has been the center of attention ever since.
I sink lower into the sofa, easing against Jake’s chest and lying my head on his shoulder. With Grace’s every need attended to, I can relax.
Supper has been cooked, food is eaten, and dishes are being done. The scent of dish soap fills the air as glasses clink against the sink.
“Well, tonight didn’t go as I anticipated,” Jake says against my hair.
“What? You didn’t intend for half the town to show up and skip your plans to ravish me against the kitchen island?”
“No.” Jake’s booted foot slaps against the floor as he eases forward. “But no one is at your mom’s house.”
“Stop,” I say with a laugh and elbow him in the gut.
“Ouch.” He clutches his stomach. “That’s completely uncalled for. I was only thinking of your needs.” He pulls me tightly to his chest again and relaxes against the cushions. His steady heartbeat is a balm to my still heightened anxiety.
“As much as I appreciate the thought, this is our house, and we’re parents now. We can’t just up and disappear.”
“I know.” He twirls a stand of my hair until it’s tightly wrapped around his finger. Even my hair is ready for everyone to leave, and Grace to go to sleep.
Mackenzie…. Everything has been so crazy, I forgot to update him on our visit.
I shift my position on the sofa until I’m facing him. “I need to tell you something.” I gnaw on my bottom lip as his eyes go wary. “I don’t think you’ll be upset, but it’s something I should’ve discussed with you first before saying it.”
“Okay?”
“When the girls and I were helping Mackenzie settle in with Josephine….” My stomach cramps.
I’ve violated his trust. We’re a couple.
We should talk about things before I make decisions.
I lick my lips as a casserole dish clatters against the counter.
“Please, don’t get mad, but I told her that we’d be open to her being involved in our and Grace’s lives. ”
He frowns at my declaration. We’ve fought over the years, but this is different. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything without talking to you first.” The words tumble out in a rush.
“Why would I get mad?” He shakes his head as if he’s trying to figure out my line of thought. “It would be difficult to not be involved in each other’s lives. We live in a small town, and everyone is going to know she’s Grace’s biological mother.”
“Thank God.” My shoulders slump in relief at his matter-of-fact response. “I was afraid you’d get mad that I spoke without consulting you. Or considering your feelings. I’m trying to not do everything on my own, and I went and did it again.”
“It’s fine.” He cups my cheeks. “I trust you enough to know that when you make a decision for us, for our family, that it’s not a rash decision.” His mouth quirks upward. “That you’ve thought things through. Besides, you know how I feel. I want whatever is best for Grace.”
“I know.” How did I find the perfect man? One who not only trusts me but has the biggest heart imaginable? Especially considering the disappearing act my father did when I was growing up.
My gaze travels to the kitchen, where everyone continues to tidy up the mess from dinner while chatting animatedly about the day.
My brother is now the one holding Grace.
She’s nestled against his chest with her mouth slightly open in sleep.
He looks good with a baby in his arms. Maybe he’ll find someone he can settle down with, too.
“Is Mackenzie going to be okay?” Jake drapes his arm along the back of the sofa.
I turn sideways to face him with my legs crossed on the cushion.
“She’s doing as well as can be expected.
I think Chad as done a lot of damage to her emotionally as well as physically.
” My hands ball into fists at the rage building inside of me on her behalf.
“To think that he’d drug her and then let his loser friends take advantage of her… .” I trail off, unable to say the rest.
“I always knew he was an ass, but I had no idea how sick of a man he is. Sadly, narcissists don’t care about other people, other than for what they can get from them. I’ve seen too much of it. I wish….” He stares absently at the wall.
“Don’t.” I grip his hand in mine. “You couldn’t have known. So don’t beat yourself up. You were the only one who kept going to Mackenzie, trying to get her to leave.”
His eyes bore into mine. “I love you, Em. Thank you for always being in my corner. And if you have any issues, nightmares, anything after what went down today, let me know. The department has great resources for therapists. I’ll be talking to someone next week to deal with seeing you and Grace being held at gunpoint.
” His jaw flexes as if he’s back in that moment again. “I’ll never get over seeing that.”
How did I even think that Jake was shallow and only became a cop to control people or to get women? Those were the most ignorant thoughts that ever crossed my mind. This man is the best man I’ve ever met.
“I will. Thank you. But as an EMT, we have great resources as well. I’ve seen some things that stuck in my head as well.”
He smiles wryly. “Look at us, we’re quite a pair.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I lace my fingers through his.
“Yeah, me either.” He tips his head toward the kitchen where everyone’s still chatting and laughing. “What do you say we get rid of these people and get naked?”
“I think that sounds like a fabulous idea.” I unlace my legs and stand.
As if my mother senses my movements, she retrieves Grace from my brother’s arms. “You two relax. I’ve got Grace tonight. Your brother moved the bassinet into the spare bedroom.”
I stop in mid-step. How did I not notice that? And more importantly, the walls are not exactly soundproof. Shit.
“Thank you. We appreciate that.” Jake beams at my mom. “As a matter of face, Chief Carter just messaged me and said he needs another statement from Em.” He snatches his keys off the coffee table. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“No worries.” My mom waves her hand toward us. “We’ve got everything under control here.”
“Thanks.” Jake places his hand in the middle of my back. “I’ll drive. But grab your purse. I think Chief needs a copy of your license.”
“My license?” I wrinkle my nose while retrieving my purse from the table by the front door. They took copies of my ID earlier at the station. And when did Chief Carter message him? I was sitting beside him the entire time.
When the door shuts behind us, Jake gives me a quick once over and bites his bottom lip as the cat climbs out of his soft bed, arches his back, and stretches. “Keys to your mom’s house?”
A huge grin spreads across my face as I pat my purse. “Right here, next to my ID.” I give him a wink. I have to blame a long day for why I didn’t automatically catch on to what he was doing when he grabbed his keys. “Big Boy, show me what you’ve got.”
“Any time, Pretty Girl.” The deep timber of his voice causes goosebumps to scatter across my skin. “Baby, I’ll show you what I have for you every damned day if you’ll let me.”
I fan the front of my shirt as heat floods throughout my entire body. Leave it to this man to make me melt in all the right places.
The cat rubs his side from head to back flank against Jake’s leg before moving to mine. His purr sounds like a miniature chainsaw. “You do realize we’re going to have to name the cat, right?”
“Right.” He slings his arm over my shoulders and kisses my temple. “Snowball?”
“He’ll be the laughingstock of the cat neighborhood. A yellow cat with the name Snowball.” My heart sings with happiness as we jog down the steps. “That basically means someone peed on the snow.”
“Kevin?”
“Kevin?” I laugh louder and shake my head. “Try harder.”
As he opens the passenger side door, I stare up at the stars twinkling above us. This day didn’t start out as we intended and there were more bumps than the craters on Main Street, but I couldn’t have asked for a better man to end my day with.
When I look back down, he’s staring at me with the same wonder I studied the stars, and my stomach rolls with a long tumbling somersault.