Chapter 14
Flynn
A s the celebration begins to wind down, my dad asks for a minute with me. We find a quiet corner in the tent, and he hands me a folded piece of paper. “What’s this?”
“The NDA Vivian Stevens signed as a condition of our divorce.”
“Oh wow. Why’re you giving it to me?”
“I talked it over with Mom, and we decided we like the idea of you asking for a meeting and presenting it to her. I know there’s not much time until we leave for Utah, but if you can squeeze that in before we go, we’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll make it happen.”
“Thank you, son, for all your support during this difficult situation.”
“Whatever you guys need, whenever you need it.”
He hugs me tightly, bringing a huge lump to my throat.
“Love you so much,” he whispers gruffly. “You’ll never know how much or how proud of you we are.”
“I know, Dad. I’ve been blessed to always know that.”
When he pulls back from me, he has tears in his eyes that gut me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m better than I was, that’s for sure.”
“And things with Mom…”
“We’re working it out.”
“Thank God for that. There’s a whole tentful of people who need you two to keep showing us how it’s done.”
“I made a huge mistake keeping this from her for so long.”
“No, you didn’t. Like you said, if you’d told her back then, she wouldn’t have given you a chance.” I gesture to the room full of loved ones. “Look at what you would’ve missed out on. Not that I’m any kind of proponent of secrets in a marriage, but in this case, the truth would’ve done more harm than good back then.”
“Yeah, for sure. The funniest part—if any of this is funny—is that I hadn’t given Vivian a thought in years until I read about her memoir. She never crosses my mind.”
“Why would she?”
“When you show up there, she’s going to think you want to work with her.”
I smile. “I thought of that.”
“Make sure she knows we both sent you to take care of this for us.”
“I’ll do that. If she plans to run my parents through the wringer, I’ll make sure to thoroughly ruin her fun.”
My dad’s smile lights up his eyes. “We’ll look forward to a full report.”
“You’ll have it as soon as the deed is done.”
“Thank you again for everything these last few days, including this glorious party with all our favorite people.”
“The girls had more to do with that than I did.”
“I’m sure you had a hand in it.”
“A little bit, when they’d let me. Between them and Addie, I didn’t get much say in any of it.”
He laughs, knowing how bossy my sisters and Addie are with me. “It was a beautiful celebration.”
“Of a beautiful couple and marriage.” I glance over to where Natalie is dealing with four kids about to melt down since it’s way past their bedtime.
“Hey,” Dad says, “while I have you, let me ask you something else that’s been on my mind since our frank discussion the other day.”
“What’s that?”
“The lifestyle…”
I cringe. “Are we really going to talk about that again? Once was more than enough for me.”
He laughs at the face I make. “Me, too, but I’ve been wondering… If one is Flynn Godfrey, superstar, how does one go about procuring the… items… needed to practice said lifestyle?”
“A fake name and a PO box,” he says bluntly.
“Ah, I see. Well, that’s a relief. I had nightmares about a warehouse employee somewhere telling the world what he was shipping to you.”
“Please. No chance of that.”
“I should’ve known you had every base covered.”
“Always. Got to protect the ones I love. Speaking of that, I’d better go rescue Nat from the kids. They’re running on fumes.”
“Time for bed.”
“It was time an hour ago, but we weren’t ready to leave yet.” I tuck the document into my inside coat pocket and then pat my chest. “I’ll reach out to her in the morning and get the ball rolling.”
“Thank you again, son.”
“Love you, Dad. Anything for you.”
He kisses my cheek and walks away, leaving me feeling emotional about one of the greatest blessings of my charmed life—being born to him and my mom. So many of my closest friends grew up in turbulent homes with parents constantly at each other’s throats, such as the Remingtons, who are all here tonight to support my parents when theirs have been the exact opposite of mine.
I’m sad for the people who didn’t get to grow up with parents like Max and Stella. Natalie and her sisters had the opposite of them, as did Hayden, Kristian and Jasper. Although Jasper’s mom is awesome, his dad was a freaking monster. Marlowe’s father refused to support her desire to move to Hollywood and become a star. Her mom brought her, and the two of them lived out of their car for a year while Mo chased the dream. No sooner had the dream begun to come true than she lost her mom to cancer.
Sebastian’s dad wasn’t in his life for most of it, Kristian watched as his mom was murdered, and Hayden’s parents have been married and divorced so many times, none of us can keep count. It’s nice to see his mom, Jan, healthy after a long struggle with addiction and happy with Addie’s dad, Simon, who was widowed young when Addie’s mom died suddenly. We sure as hell didn’t see Jan and Simon coming, but the relationship has been great for them and everyone who loves them.
When Natalie comes toward me, carrying a sleeping baby with three little ones trailing behind her, I realize I tuned out for a second into my own thoughts. “Everything okay with your dad?”
“Yep.” I bend to pick up Rowan, who’s asleep on his feet. “Let’s get this crew home to bed, shall we?”
“Yes, please.”
After we say good night to my parents, sisters and many friends, another half hour has gone by, and the kids are all but asleep as we buckle them into car seats in the Mercedes SUV.
We wave to Marlowe and Sebastian as they walk to Graciela’s car with Domenic and Delaney passed out on their shoulders. They told us they’re excited to have a night alone together since his parents are taking the twins.
“Looks like everyone ran out of gas around the same time as ours did,” Natalie says. “The kids had the best time. Addie got an awesome picture of all of them together before they lost the suit coats and bow ties.”
“I was hoping someone got a pic.” The minute we clear Hayden’s gate I take her hand.
She cradles my hand between both of hers, the way she always does. “That one will be historic.”
I chuckle. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“I look at them all and wonder what they’ll grow up to be and which of them will follow their parents into show business.”
“None of them if I have my way about it.”
“I’m sure they’ll listen to you the same way you listened to your parents’ warnings when you wanted to be an actor.”
“They were totally opposed to it at first.”
“Your mom said they were until the first time they saw you onstage in the eighth grade and realized how wildly talented you are.”
“I had the lead in the middle school production of Guys and Dolls . That was the start of it. After that, all I wanted was more of it. I didn’t want to play sports anymore or surf or do anything but perform.”
“So you know there’s no stopping a child with a dream, even if you might want an easier life for them.”
We’ve gone to enormous lengths to keep our kids mostly out of the media, which is easier said than done. Photographers have managed to get the occasional photo of them, but for the most part, they’re leading private lives, at least for now. We’re under no illusions about what our entire crew of kids is in for as they get older. My parents asked for permission to release the family photo to the media, and we gave it, somewhat reluctantly.
“I want them to have a normal life.”
“They’re having a very normal life, full of all the things childhood should be about.”
“All thanks to their amazing mother.”
“Thanks to both of us. You’re every bit as wonderful with them as I am.”
“This is my favorite time in my life.”
“Driving the family SUV rather than the Bugatti?” she asks, smiling at me.
“Hell yes. As great as the Bugatti is, there’s nothing quite like having the whole family riding shotgun.”
“Aw, that’s nice to hear. Sometimes you must look back at the Bugatti days and wonder what became of your orderly, sensible life.”
I look over at her, surprised to hear her say that. “I never, ever look back at those years with any kind of yearning. You know that, right?”
“I do, but still, we have to be a huge shock to your system. You went from never wanting to be married again to having a wife and four kids.”
“Best years of my entire life, hands down.”
“Mine, too.”
“Don’t ever, ever think I wish for my old life, because I don’t. When I’m not with you guys, all I want is to get home to you as fast as I can.”
“We all look forward to Daddy coming home, no one more so than Mommy.”
“Because she can’t wait to turn the wild ones over to me.”
“That’s not the only reason.”
“Oh no?”
“I still get all fluttery in the belly when you walk in and look at me the way you do.”
“How do I look at you?”
“Like I’m your whole world and you’re so happy to see me.”
“You are my whole world, and I’m always thrilled to see you. That hasn’t changed one bit since that first day.”
“We’re so lucky.”
“And we know it. Working on Valiant has brought it all back, the thrill of those early days, the madness that followed the Golden Globes, getting married in Vegas and shocking the world.”
“Sometimes I still can’t believe it all happened to me.”
“The best day of my life was the day Fluff brought you to me, topped by every day since then. Being with you is like living my dream come true—a dream I didn’t even know I had until I had you.”
“That’s very sweet of you to say, but I’m still annoyed with Fluff for biting you. How funny is it that you’re the only person she’s ever bitten? Three times!”
“It’s hilarious.”
She cackles with laughter.
“What’s so funny, Mommy?” Cece asks.
I can’t believe she’s still awake.
“We’re talking about the day that Fluff bit Daddy—the first time.”
“But that’s how you met Daddy,” Cece says.
She never tires of hearing about how we met and fell in love.
“So it was a good thing that Fluff bit him.”
“It was a very good thing,” I tell my baby girl.
“Biting is naughty,” Natalie says, “and Fluff was in big trouble for biting Daddy. All three times.”
“She’s the goodest girl,” Fluff’s attorney, Cece, says emphatically. “She’s not naughty.”
Natalie and I dread the day when Fluff crosses the rainbow bridge. Cece will be devastated—and so will we. But the old battle-ax is going strong, despite her advanced age, so we’re not worried yet.
“That’s right, honey.” I glance in the mirror to catch her sweet smile. “We love Fluff for bringing Mommy to meet me.”
“As long as we all agree, biting is bad,” Natalie says.
“Biting good,” Rowan says sleepily.
“Honestly,” Natalie mutters as I silently laugh my ass off. “That boy is going to be the death of me, just like his Daddy.”
“I bet Benny’s gonna be just like him.”
“Heaven help me.”
Jasper
With our kids fast asleep inside, Ellie and I hang out for a bit at Hayden’s after most of the guests have departed. Hayden lights the firepit, and we gather around, most of us with baby monitors in hand so we can listen for our kids.
“The front door is locked, right?” Addie asks her husband.
“I checked it twice. Everyone is gone, and the gate is locked. All good, hon.”
We’ve helped ourselves to drinks and the fresh-baked cookies the caterers brought out as a late-night snack.
“What a party,” Hayden says.
“It was everything we’d hoped it would be—and then some,” Ellie says.
My love is exhausted but exhilarated after a successful evening—and from the relief of seeing her parents together and happy. We’re all grateful for that.
“I loved the video,” Aileen says.
Joy is asleep in Kristian’s arms. Logan went home with Annie’s boys for a sleepover and Maddie with Aimee’s girls.
“The video was all Annie’s doing,” Ellie says, “with some help from Hayden.”
“I just edited what she did and added music.”
“According to her, you brought it to life.”
“I was just so freaking happy to see your parents laughing and having a great time,” Leah says.
I suspect she’s breastfeeding baby Holt under the blanket that’s over him.
“No kidding,” Aileen says. “I didn’t know what to expect tonight.”
“I think the timing of the anniversary helped us avert potential disaster,” Ellie says. “They knew they had to get it together in time for this weekend.”
“That may be true,” Hayden says, “but they would’ve figured it out sooner rather than later, anniversary or not. If any two people belong together, it’s them.”
“And us,” Addie says with a grin for Hayden.
“And us, babe. That’s a given.”
“Good save, my man,” Kris says, laughing.
Hayden grins. “I like to think I can be trained.”
Addie pats him on the head. “You’re my very well-trained house pet.”
That sets us off into hysterical laughter that disturbs the sleeping kids.
“Simmer down, y’all,” Kris says as he soothes Joy.
He’s so gone over his little girl. I love watching him in daddy mode. No one deserves a happy life more than my best friend does after a horrific childhood. The man who killed his mother more than thirty-five years ago was convicted and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. While it was agonizing for him to testify about the murder he witnessed as a three-year-old, getting justice for her has helped Kristian put the past behind him where it belongs.
Nights like this, spent with my closest friends, the family of my heart, make all the hell and heartache I went through with my father blackmailing me worth it. My sister Gwen has done an amazing job running Kingsley Enterprises since our father retired, while I continue to live my dream here in LA with Ellie, Harry, Matilda, and our Quantum family. I’m still in line to be the tenth Duke of Wethersby when my father passes away, but I don’t waste any time worrying about the future when the present is so sweet.
“Can you guys even imagine being married for fifty years ?” Leah asks as she burps Holt.
Emmett gives her a playful scowl. “Not thinking you can stand me that long, honey?”
“I wouldn’t be able to,” Hayden says to more laughter.
“I never said that,” Leah replies. “Fifty years, though. That’s just incredible.”
“My dad’s parents were married for sixty-five,” Ellie says.
“Longevity runs in your family,” Leah says. “You’re lucky.”
“And we know it,” Ellie says. “I have no idea what any of us would be without Max and Stella leading the way.”
I raise my glass. “To Max and Stella, the best parents, grandparents, in-laws and friends anyone could have.”
“Cheers.”