CHAPTER 15 #2
“Bud,” I crow, “you have no idea how excited I am. I haven’t been to the museum in over a year and haven’t seen the special exhibits there right now. I can’t wait to see my favorites there along with new pieces.”
He nods eagerly, his little hands reaching for me in a way that tells me exactly what he wants. I open my arms for him, not surprised when he closes the distance and hugs me tightly. Even though I’m always careful to give him the chance to initiate any affection, I live for this kid’s hugs.
Once he lets go, I do too and stand up to shuffle us into the house. Haven looks a little haggard, like she’s had to spend a while chasing after him already this morning. Being tried does nothing to make her any less stunning. She’s looking at her son with eyes filled with love.
The fact that she didn’t step in and allowed me to remind him about the importance of the rules here might seem small to a lot of people, but I know how monumental it is.
When I walk up to Haven I want to kiss her, desperately. She’s not ready for that to happen in front of Wilde yet. I settle for kissing her forehead. And if I take a deep breath of her berries and sunshine scent when I’m close, no one else needs to know.
Because I definitely do.
“You good?” I keep the question quiet and just between us.
“Yeah,” she breathes out, “just nervous.”
“You have nothing to be nervous about. Everyone is so excited to meet you and Wilde. Just be yourself and everything will be just as it is meant to be,” I reassure her.
Her body relaxes against me for a moment, but then it’s like she remembers where she is and straightens up. She flicks her gaze over to Wilde who is watching us closely. He doesn’t look upset, mad or surprised. Honestly, he looks more relieved than anything else.
But I could be wrong about that.
Knowing Haven is extra cautious when around Wilde, I change the subject with immense grace, “Did you two have breakfast?”
One side of Haven’s mouth twitches because it was about as graceful as an elephant in a tutu. Wilde smiles and leans closer before taunting me, “We had pancakes. Did you have pancakes?”
“Oh man,” I declare, a whine in my voice, “I missed out on pancakes?” Wilde nods and giggles. “Let me guess,” I pout, “you didn’t save any for me either.”
“Cold pancakes aren’t worth being saved, Knox. You know that,” he deadpans without a hint of remorse for eating all the pancakes.
“It’s a good thing I’m a grown man and could make myself pancakes anytime I want,” I grouse.
Wilde gasps, his eyes wide and his mouth open slightly. “You could make yourself pancakes anytime you want? Like you could make pancakes for dinner? You could have them three times a day?” His last question comes out close to a shriek which has me cracking up while I nod.
I’m not the only one, Laura and Haven are both chuckling softly.
Wilde then turns toward his mom with his eyes narrowed in accusation. “Why do we have to eat anything other than pancakes?”
Haven sighs and shoots me a look filled with annoyance. The only thing I can do is hold up my hands because he asked me a question and I’ll always be honest with him.
“Just because you can have pancakes three times a day,” Haven explains, “doesn’t mean you should. You’d be missing out on things your body needs to function if you were on an all-pancake diet.”
“What about pancakes for meals and then nuts for snacks? You always tell me how good nuts are for me and how many nutrients they contain,” Wilde points out, his face a picture of pure innocence.
“Maybe for your next birthday,” Haven negotiates, “we can talk about having a pancake only day.”
Wilde’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. “You’ve got a deal, Mommy,” he exclaims and then sticks his hand out for a shake.
It takes everything in me not to burst out laughing as Haven slides her hand into his and he shakes it like they’ve just closed a multi-billion-dollar deal and not a pancake for three meals day of excess and syrup.
I clap my hands together before pointing at Wilde. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes,” he shouts and jumps up with his fist in the air.
I look toward my woman, wishing I could kiss her right here and now, but hold myself back. “How about you, little storm?”
Even though Wilde giggles softly, I don’t look away from Haven. On the surface, it may seem as if I’m only asking about her being ready to go to the museum. But my words are much deeper than that.
Today is a big deal. She’s meeting the people I consider family. And, if she’ll let them, they’ll become her family as well. Not only is she putting a lot of trust in me, but she’s putting a lot in herself.
That she can judge someone’s character, even with her past. That she can forge relationships after the trauma she endured. That she can exist within a family who values her and then thrive.
“Yeah,” her voice breaks, “I’m ready.”
“Let’s get going then,” my voice is bright. “Tenley told me that Wyatt will be wearing Kessler for the first time for this outing and I don’t want to miss it. Kess is going to look so tiny strapped to his chest.”
Haven’s eyes soften and she looks at my chest for a moment like she can see a baby strapped to me. If she only knew how many times I’ve dreamed of the same thing. I’d happily put a carrier on and wear my little one. Sounds like a damn good time to me.
I help Wilde with his jacket while Haven pulls one on as well and then I’m hustling them both out to my truck, hoping my woman doesn’t think I’ve overstepped. Even though she never mentioned a booster seat to me, Tenley pointed out that he will probably need one.
Right before we get to the truck, Haven stops and shoots me a sheepish look. “I need to grab his booster from my car. I’m sorry, I almost forgot.”
Fuck, I want to kiss her. Again.
I reach over and grab her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Don’t worry, I got him covered.”
She blinks at me a few times before nodding with a look of disbelief and uncertainty on her face.
That look disappears when I open the backdoor to my truck and reveal a booster already in place for him.
The little gasp that comes out of her would be comical if she weren’t looking at me like I hung the moon.
I haven’t, but I’ll take that look. All day, every day. It makes me feel like I’m the fucking king of everything and I rule my domain fairly. It’s a damn good feeling.
Once I help Wilde into the truck, he’s more than happy to get himself buckled in. The look of pride on his face when the buckle clicks into place melts my heart.
I love this kid. So damn much. My hope is I’ll be able to tell him just how much soon. But I’m more than willing to wait as well.
I close the door, careful not to slam it too hard, and turn toward Haven. Her beautiful blue eyes are glassy with unshed tears. Her voice cracks as she asks, “You got him a booster seat?”
“I did,” I admit, “although it was Tenley who thought of it and told me he probably needs one.”
“But then you bought it,” she repeats, not seeming to care that I wasn’t the one who thought of it first.
“Of course.”
Before I can say anything else, she closes the distance between us, grips the sides of my unzipped jacket and tugs me down toward her. When I’m close enough, she slams her mouth against mine. It’s the first time she’s initiated kissing me and, fuck, I fall even deeper for my woman.
If my toes curl inside my boots, I’ll never tell.
I can feel her gratitude on her lips and when I grip her hips to hold her steady, she melts into me. The kiss doesn’t last nearly long enough, but I still feel it reverberate through me with its meaning.
“Thank you, Knox,” she murmurs, her mouth still touching mine.
When I stand up, she lets me go and my lips spread into a huge smile. “I’ll keep showing up and putting the two of you first,” my words are a vow.
Instead of looking away from me, she holds my gaze. I can almost see my words sinking into her soul and settling in. The fact that she doesn’t shy away from me and my promises is a huge step forward.
Maybe by the time this day is over, she’ll be open to the idea I had to get her out of Safe Home. Time will tell.