CHAPTER 7
KNOX
Wilde is adorable, and I’m so glad he was one of the first people I got to see today after stepping inside Safe Home. I’ve been thinking about him and how talented he is all week. And I haven’t been able to get the glimpse of his mom out of my head.
Now I know her name.
Haven.
Her name is fitting because even being around her for only a few seconds makes me feel a sense of peace I’ve never experienced before. I can see the wariness in her eyes when she looks at me, but it’s easily eclipsed by joy shining there whenever she looks at Wilde.
It’s obvious how much she loves her son. As it should be.
This morning, I got to see so much more of her than last week when she stuck her head into the space we’re using as the classroom. And, fuck me, she’s gorgeous.
Her hair is long enough to hang past her shoulders, but I’m still not sure if it’s dark brown or if it’s black. She has the cutest nose that sits atop her perfectly plump lips. I desperately want to kiss those lips.
I just know she would melt in my arms as her lips soften against mine in the most perfect way. The thought of kissing her makes me wonder what she tastes like. Would she be as sweet as she looks?
Her blue eyes are fucking mesmerizing. I could get lost in them for hours. They’re the kind of eyes you could look at over and over and still find something new in them. Maybe a speck of color you didn’t notice before. Maybe an expression that brings you to your knees.
Her eyes were one of the few things I got the full effect of last week and I’ve spent far too much time drawing them ever since. I’m not at all ashamed of it; I have no reason to be.
Two days ago, when I was waiting for my next client after finishing up a consultation, I found myself sketching at my station in Vibrant Ink. I was so caught up in what I was doing, I didn’t notice anyone looking over my shoulder.
That changed as Travis breathed out, “Whose eyes are those?”
I jumped a few feet out of my seat as he asked the question. Since I didn’t hear him approach, there was no way I was going to be able to hide my drawing.
I glared at him and gritted out through my teeth, “None of your business.”
Travis, who rarely takes anything seriously, chuckled. I could see the mischievousness in his eyes before he even said anything. “Come on,” he needled, “you have to tell me now. Whose eyes are these? I’ve never seen you draw them before.”
“Why should I tell you?” I huffed out the question, annoyed at being called out.
“Knox,” he whined loudly which caused more attention to turn my direction.
Suddenly, I had Bridger, Wyatt, Monroe, and Ellis paying attention to our conversation. I’m sure Dallas would have been eavesdropping as well, but she probably couldn’t hear Travis and his bullshit from the reception desk in the front of the shop.
“What’s going on?” Wyatt, the owner of Vibrant, asked curiously. He sat up straighter in his chair like it would make it easier for him to see what I was drawing. He didn’t even care about the client in his chair, but that was probably because his client looked just as nosey as he did.
“Nothing,” I growled.
“Not nothing,” Travis teased, his grin reminding me of a villain.
For a moment I wondered if I was trapped in what would be the start of my own villain origin story. That curiosity only increased as my coworkers, the same people I consider my family, jumped right in on bugging me about what I was doing.
“If it’s not nothing, you should tell us,” Monroe, the only female tattoo artist in the shop, prodded me. “You aren’t working on a sketch for the client you just finished your consultation with?”
“No, these eyes definitely have nothing to do with the consultation,” Travis answered for me.
Yeah, definitely the start of my villain origin story.
“Eyes?” Bridger asked, clearly curious.
It’s only a one-word question, but the impact of it was huge.
Before Avery came into his life, he wouldn’t have asked even that much. She’s so damn good for him. He was struggling with thoughts of her for months after he spent one night with her, but he never confided about how much he was still thinking about her to any of us.
Then her life imploded and she showed up at Vibrant Ink five months pregnant. When it happened, I really didn’t know what was going to happen. All I could do was look between Avery and Bridger like I was witnessing a tennis match.
I kind of expected Bridger to lose his mind and push Avery away.
He didn’t. Instead, he accepted Avery and the baby as his in a way which made it seem easy.
If it was difficult at first, which it didn’t seem to be, it’s obvious that they’ve found their footing since she showed up at the shop and are working on their relationship.
The love between them is clear to see. Honestly, it’s kind of nauseating. But, then again, the same can be said for Wyatt and Tenley.
Avery helping Bridger open up to us, his family, over the last few months has been a blessing. If that wasn’t enough, she’s an amazing woman with so much love to give. She’s fit right in with our family and we’re not letting her go.
Soon enough, we’ll be adding their baby to our family. I can’t wait to meet her. Bridger calls the baby his little heart and that is the most accurate nickname I think I’ve ever heard.
Bridger showing interest is what broke me. “They’re the eyes of the mom of one of my art students,” I admitted and could feel my cheeks heating.
I’m not sure when the last time I blushed was, but I was blushing that day.
Silence descended in the shop. At first, I couldn’t look anywhere than my sketch pad, but the longer everyone was quiet, the more curious I became about what they were thinking.
When I finally did look up, everyone was staring at me like they had never seen, met, or spent time with me before.
I huffed out a breath, my voice going to the edge of shrill, “What?”
“You realize what this means, right?” The voice Travis used to ask was tentative as he waved his hand to encompass my sketch pad.
Even though I rolled my eyes, I still asked, “What does this mean?”
“You’ve joined the club. The bitten by love club,” he clarified while wiggling his eyebrows after I shot him a look filled with confusion.
I sat back in my chair and found myself staring down at the eyes I had been drawing because I couldn’t get them out of my head. Questions filled my head about those eyes, but what didn’t scare me was the thought of Haven being mine, really mine, and spending forever with her.
With her and Wilde.
The questions I had were about who Haven was and if I could fit into her life. But the thought of claiming her felt completely right and natural.
And not really knowing her wasn’t scary.
It probably should have been.
“I guess I have been,” I admitted.
“Just be careful,” Ellis spoke up, his voice gentle as he studied my face closely.
“I get it, Ellis,” I shot back, trying not to sound as defensive as I was feeling. After letting out a breath slowly, I forced my shoulders to drop and to calm the fuck down. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
And I didn’t. The last person who would ever deserve defensiveness and negativity would be Ellis. The man is Zen in the best way possible. He’s calm and steady when the entire world can feel like it is falling apart.
“I already know I’m going to be trekking uphill to make this happen. I don’t even know her name,” I admitted softly. “But what I do know is her son, Wilde, is a talented kiddo. He’s only four and when I tell you he blew me away, I am really downplaying it instead of the other way around.”
“Just,” Wyatt winced and then shrugged, “you know, take it slow. Get her story, as much of it as she’s willing to give and let it help you find the right path.
Every woman, especially one who hasn’t had the best experience with a man, deserves to be loved and to find a place to belong.
” His voice took on a warning tone, “And you better know her son makes them a package deal.”
I narrowed my eyes at Wyatt, not giving a single fuck about him technically being my boss, and growled, “Wilde is an awesome kid, and I am very aware I’m getting a two for one special with them. It’s a damn bargain as far as I’m concerned.”
Travis let out a low whistle and my family froze around me before big smiles started to slowly form on their faces. “Well,” Travis conceded like he hadn’t been the original shit stirrer and clapped me on the back, “our work here is done.”
Today, I had the opportunity to see more of Haven and even got the introductions out of the way. It’s a small step, but it feels important.
She might not be aware of it, but Haven’s face is easy to read. She’s attracted to me but isn’t sure what to make of the feeling. It makes me wonder how long it has been since she left whatever situation she walked away from.
The thought of someone harming her, of a man putting his hands on her, has me seeing read.
“Did you see that I brought a pear as my fruit?” Wilde’s innocent question pulls my thoughts away from the man who hurt Haven. And just in time. I can’t be filled with rage as I start class with these kids; they don’t deserve that kind of vibe.
“Are pears your favorite fruit or do you just like the way they look the most?”
“I love pears,” Wilde yells as we step into the room where our class takes place.
I look to where a clear, iridescent bowl with subtle fluting is waiting for me and intend to head that way to put my pastels and sketch pad down next to it. Just as I take a step, a hand on my arm stops me. I turn to find Wendy standing next to me.
I’m unable to stop myself from cringing because I didn’t realize she walked with us from the kitchen. I mentally face palm myself because Haven must have seen her follow me.
The last thing I need right now is drama. I won’t be happy if I lose the chance to explore the spark between Haven and me before we’ve even tried.