Chapter 29
Griffin
I don’t think I’ve ever driven these roads so slowly. Although I’ve never had the precious cargo that I do now.
“We’re here.” I keep my eyes on the road, but I notice Savannah sitting forward and looking out the window.
“You weren’t kidding about the privacy…” she murmurs, seeing my house surrounded by high stone fences. As the solid timber gates open, I roll past, making our way down the long driveway lined with large oak trees on each side.
“I like to remain unseen,” I tell her, and her gaze swings to me.
“But you’re so pretty to look at.” She grins, and I huff a laugh.
“Hmmm… pretty isn’t something I’ve been called before.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” she quips as I pull up to the front of my place.
She’s still tired, but I’m starting to see her confidence shining through.
I witnessed it before Tommy arrived, but it’s almost like the baby has given her an extra boost. Like she knows her place in the world and is stepping into it.
I haven’t been here at home for days. Either at the bakery or in the hospital with Savannah, but I’ve had people here, setting up the nursery, stocking the fridge and pantry, and Mother Maven delivered so many baby things, I could probably open my own store and become one of her new franchisees.
“It’s so pretty here,” she says as she starts to open her door.
“Wait,” I whisper-bark, then jump out and run around to her side. She’s getting around okay, but my truck is big, and her body went through one of the most traumatic things it probably can. I don’t want her falling on my watch.
“I’m fine.” She might want to deny my help, but she’s smiling anyway. Looking at the car seat, I notice Tommy stirring. My voice obviously wasn’t quiet enough.
“He woke up?” I place her on her feet in front of me, my hands not wanting to leave her.
She pats my chest, leaning up to kiss my cheek. “Babies tend to do that…” She’s relaxed. Her eyes shine, and her smile is warm. I move my hands around her waist, wanting to hold her for a moment. The past couple of days have been a whirlwind.
“Are you feeling alright… after the drive?” I look over her. Beautiful, as always.
“I’m feeling good. Not one hundred percent, but good. Being with you makes me happy,” she says, humming against my chest, and I defrost a little before we hear Tommy again. “Are you ready for this?” Pulling back, she looks up at me expectantly.
“For what?” I rub my hand up and down her back, keeping her close.
“For Tommy and me to be here. In your space…”
“I can handle it.” I nod, my lips quirking a little, and her grin widens. “I want it. I want you.”
Her hands run up my arms, and her fingers curl slightly around my shoulders, like she’s anchoring herself. Or maybe anchoring me.
“You sure?” Her voice is softer now. “It’s not just about the nursery or the fridge being full.”
“I know.” I meet her gaze. “It’s about you. Him. Us. I’m ready. I want it.”
Her breath catches, just a flicker, and I feel it like a punch to the chest.
I cup her face. “I know the minute you walk in, the walls will stop echoing.”
She swallows, eyes glinting with something I can’t name. “That’s dangerously poetic for a man who claims he likes to remain unseen.”
“Hmmm, don’t get used to it,” I murmur, which makes her giggle.
Leaning down, I place my lips on hers and almost groan at the contact.
While I’ve held her, rubbed her back, placed kisses on her forehead and tried to bring her comfort through her labor and the time after, days between kissing her like this have felt far too long.
Tommy’s fussing has us stopping before we can get carried away, and we both turn and look at the back seat, where he looks comically small for the luxury car seat I had professionally fitted yesterday.
It’s one of the things that kept me from her for a longer time than it should’ve when that so-called pastor walked into her room and made the birth of a beautiful boy all about him and his beliefs. My jaw tightens thinking about it now.
“Time for a feed, I think…” I reluctantly let her go and move to open the back door.
Leaning in, I see him as snuggled as he was when we left the hospital.
Earlier than what the doctors wanted, but after the visit from the pastor, who looked more like a serial killer, I didn’t want to stay another night.
I unclip the seat belt as Savannah stands nearby, looking over my vast green lawns and my Whispers house.
“So you designed and built this? From scratch?” she questions, and I hug Tommy to my chest.
“I did.” I nod as I steer her inside, my hand at the small of her back, Tommy held tightly in my other. She’s moving slowly, but she’s in perfect health. Tommy’s restlessness has stopped now that he’s in my arms. The kid is cute. He has Savannah's big eyes and button nose.
I look at my place and try to imagine it from her eyes.
Two stories, stonework, and timber. Large windows allow a lot of natural light inside and a picturesque image of the outside.
It’s a little cold. Certainly no color, no flowers or decorations of any kind.
I open the front door, and we step inside.
“Wow.” She stops suddenly, taking it all in. I stand a little taller at her reaction. “You have a chandelier!”
Glancing up, I spot the large crystal light Victoria said I just had to have. The one I forget is even there.
“Oh my God, your sofa is white!” She whips around to face me, her expression alone telling me that I’m crazy. I can only nod, because it is. It’s yet another thing Victoria said I just had to have. “Griffin!” she whisper-yells at me this time, and I frown in confusion as Tommy starts to fuss again.
“What?” Brow furrowed, I watch her take a few tentative steps, like she’s too scared to step inside.
“Have you lost your mind?” she asks me seriously, hand on her hip.
My eyebrows shoot to my hairline. “What? Why?”
“This is the most amazing, luxurious place I’ve ever stepped into. And you brought a new baby in here!”
I shake my head. “I’m not following…?”
“You have floors so clean I can literally see my face in them…” She walks around, looking down at her feet as she moves across my polished timber floors, seeing her reflection.
“That's good. No germs,” I tell her simply. I called in a cleaning crew while we were at the hospital. They were tasked with removing every speck of dust they could find.
“That rug in your living room… it looks expensive…” She swallows, looking at the living room like there’s a barricade between her and that open space and she can’t walk in.
“It’s soft. Soft enough for Tommy to lie on when he needs tummy time.” I’m pretty sure Victoria sourced that Persian Rug exclusively for this space.
“Lie on?!” Her eyebrows find her hairline.
“Oh my God.” She slaps her face, and if I wasn’t so confused, I’d grin.
She’s so damn cute. “Griffin, we’re going to ruin your beautiful house.
Babies puke, spill things, throw food. Not to mention, diaper explosions…
and then, there’s me… Have you seen me bake?
I literally spill flour everywhere… all the time! ”
I shake my head, not concerned with my material things being ruined.
“Let me show you his room.” Taking her hand, I lead her up the stairs, going slow, ensuring she’s not in pain and moves slowly.
“In here,” I tell her, opening the door and stepping inside.
I hear her gasp behind me, and I turn to look at her.
Her eyes are glassy and open wide as she looks around.
“This room is bigger than the whole apartment at the bakery…”
Decorated in whites and soft blues, the windows are large and let in a lot of daylight. I didn’t know what she would like, so I have a few basic furniture items. I'll get her more, though. Whatever she wants.
She moves straight to the crib and looks over it.
“This is beautiful…” she murmurs, her hands running over the curve of the timber.
I swallow roughly. “I made it.”
Her head whips around so quickly she almost stumbles. “You made this?” Seeing her in awe like this makes my chest expand. Fuck, now I want to make her more things.
“I did.” I nod. “I started a few weeks ago. Before I left…” I don’t need to explain myself; she remembers me leaving for a week or so. Running. Like I always do. Like I always used to.
“It’s amazing…” Her voice drifts off as she takes another look around the room.
I have a changing table set up, fully stocked.
There’s a walk-in closet, full of baby clothes, blankets, and other items. Off to the side is an en suite.
I got baby shampoo and soaps and those little bamboo washcloths.
Inside the enormous tub, I have a baby bath ready to go.
“If there’s anything missing, anything you need…”
“It’s all here. I mean, there’s literally everything here…
” She huffs a laugh, and Tommy fusses a little.
I hold him close, not believing that I have this little human in my arms. I haven’t held a baby before, not really.
The kids of my friends climb all over me, but a newborn.
A baby only days old. This is new. Completely frightening, yet it feels so natural.
“I need to feed him.” Hearing his little whine, she walks over to us.
“Take a seat. Put your feet up,” I tell her and she sits down in the new rocker I got her, and I pass her Tommy.
“Oh gosh, this seat feels like a cloud…” she moans as she gets comfortable.
“I’ll go get your bags and things. I’ll be back.” I start to walk out, feeling good. Feeling like I’ve finally got my shit together and I’m doing something right.
“Griffin,” she says, and I pause at the door and look back.
“I can’t…” She stops and swallows. “I don’t think…
” Pausing again, she takes a deep breath as Tommy settles on her breast. “I’m never going to be able to repay you.
I’ll never be able to replace something if it gets broken.
I’m going to have to go on a payment plan to pay the hospital fees… ” She rubs her weary eyes.
“You don’t need a payment plan. I paid,” I tell her, and she looks up before she frowns, thinking about it.
“Is that what you did when I saw you at the nurses’ station?” She pieces our morning together.
“I paid it all.” I nod, not wanting her to worry. I’ve got the money. I’ve got more than enough money for me to live a hundred times over.
“You didn’t need to do that. I had it handled…” I can see her shoulders tighten, clearly not happy about it.
“Yeah, well, when you get back to work, you can make me some of those cinnamon buns I love so much.”
“That’s not… I can’t…”
“Savannah,” I say abruptly as I slowly walk back to her. Her eyes widen as I get closer and lower down to her level, making us face-to-face.
“I haven’t always believed in God after everything I’ve been through.
I prayed often, hoped that something bigger than me could put me on a path that was paved with gold instead of the one I was dealt.
For the most part, prayer worked. I have money.
I have a skill. I enjoy my work, and I have good friends.
But finding a good woman who understands me, having a family, a safe haven with someone else, was never something in the cards for me.
But I know God brought you right to me. He’s been listening.
Knowing what I need. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.
Let me take care of you. I want you with me.
I want Tommy too. I want you here, to live here together.
Be… together.” I inhale a deep breath and watch it all finally sink in exactly what I mean.
“I think God brought me to you too. I’ve never been more grateful to Him than I am right now.
” Her eyes are glassy as she watches me.
It’s a lot. She’s tired, her body sore. Kissing her forehead, I brush my thumb across her cheek before I stand, taking in another full breath to calm my surfacing emotions and settling into myself again.
“I’ll go get the bags,” I start to step out before I say anything more.
“Do you have sweet pickles in your kitchen?” She rolls her lips like she’s trying to tame a smile while my lips curve.
“You still got a craving?” I don’t tell her that I had a carton of them delivered here while we were at the hospital. I wasn’t sure if her cravings would continue or not. That wasn’t something the app or any internet sleuthing could tell me for sure.
She nods, and I huff a laugh. “That and ice cream.”
“Good thing I have both. I’ll get the bags, and then the two of you can rest. I’ll bring you up a little snack on my way back.”
“Griffin…”
“Yeah, sweetness?” I look at her adorningly, stepping closer to her again.
“I’m so glad you walked into my bakery all those months ago.” Her voice is a mere whisper.
“Walking into that bakery was the best damn decision of my life.”