Chapter Twenty-Six Gavin
Chapter Twenty-Six
Gavin
There was a time in my life when it hurt to smile, when the only thing that brought any happiness to my heart was my son. But even when I looked at him, the hurt was still there. Because his eyes, cheeks, the roundness of his beautiful face, and those plump lips reminded me of Sarah.
Even though the resemblance was still there, the hurt was gone.
Seven years had healed it.
And as I glanced across the table, Emily sitting opposite me in this dark, candlelit restaurant, her fingers wrapped around the stem of a wineglass, her lips glossy from whatever she had swiped over them, I couldn’t stop smiling.
A smile that wasn’t just on my lips—it owned my whole fucking face.
“New York City looks gorgeous on you.”
She fanned herself as she laughed. “Yeah? That’s what happens when you get me away from being on call and my wardrobe of scrubs.
I clean up well.” She tucked a blond chunk behind her ear.
“Even though I love this”—she glanced down her body at her dress—“if I didn’t have a pair of scrubs in my life, I’d miss them. ”
“You would?”
The candlelight flickered across her skin, and there was plenty of that showing tonight, given that the dresses I’d bought her for this trip were sexier than what she normally wore.
This evening’s was a deep blue, several shades darker than her eyes, and it showed off the curves of her body that I loved so much.
“I would.” She nodded. “I was meant to be a nurse.”
“But what if you cut back?”
Her head dropped. “Gavin . . .”
“I mean it. Do you even realize how many hours you’re putting in a week?”
She sighed. “I know.”
“Juggling your schedule is impossible. Just to come here for Maya and Jordan’s engagement party, you had to take on double shifts for next week, which means Ben and I won’t see you at all when we get back.” I leaned into the chair’s cushion, holding my scotch close.
“It’s the only way I can have it all—my bills paid, money added to my savings account every month, my—”
“I will give it all to you, Emily.” I put the glass down and held on to the edge of the table. “I’ll give you everything.”
Her mouth opened and her head shook and not a single word came out.
“You know, you still haven’t answered me about moving in.” I picked my glass back up and took a sip.
She bit her lip. “I wasn’t sure if, when you asked me, if you were really asking or if you were just suggesting or . . .”
“It was an ask.” I chuckled. “And if you ask me if I’m sure, don’t. I’m more than sure. I’m fucking positive.” I winked.
She laughed. “I just . . . like to be sure.”
I waited until she quieted. “Live with us, Emily. Let me buy you out of your lease. Toss everything you own or put it in a storage unit that I’ll pay for, and be with us every night and every morning.
I don’t want to wake up without you anymore.
I don’t care if you only spend a few days a week at your apartment—even that’s too much. ”
She took a long drink of her wine, holding it in her mouth even after she set down her glass. “You love me, don’t you?”
“I do.”
She exhaled. “Because it takes an epic amount of love to want to spend every morning and evening with me. And to make the kind of offers that you have. My lease. My things. Gavin, you do realize how much that is, don’t you?”
“Money-wise, it’s nothing, I assure you.”
She glanced down at her plate, empty since the appetizers hadn’t come yet.
When she finally looked up at me, I saw the answer in her eyes.
“I want nothing more than to live with you. As for the other things, like my bed and bedroom furniture, I’m willing to put them in storage, but I don’t know that I’m willing to let you pay for it. ”
“And your lease?”
Her shoulders slumped. “It would be thousands of dollars, Gavin—”
“Baby, please stop worrying about money when it comes to me. Do you have any idea how much I make at Worthington Enterprises? Or how much money I made in the NFL?” I knew she didn’t, so I didn’t bother waiting for an answer.
“Let me put this in perspective. Paying off your lease wouldn’t even dent what I make in a day.
I wouldn’t even notice the amount missing from my bank account.
And what it would cost me, I probably spent that on custom suits last month. ”
She held her chest. “Jesus Christ.”
“Emily, I’ve got you.”
She went silent, staring at me. “I love that you do. No one ever has before. But I’ve worked so hard, Gavin. Two jobs for so many years to provide the things I want and need—I can’t just forget all of that.” She went quiet. “I have too much pride.”
“What are you saying?”
“I need to contribute. Or I need to at least feel like I’m contributing.
Utilities, groceries, the expense of your chef—whatever.
” She reached across the table, and I lifted my hand from my lap, setting it on the tablecloth, her fingers instantly covering mine.
“It’s who I am and who I need to be, and I don’t want to lose that. ”
“I hear you. It’s not going to be easy for me to let you pay for anything, but I respect that you want to contribute to our home. We’ll come up with a plan that works for you.” I kissed her hand. “Now that we have that out of the way, are you telling me that you’re moving in with Ben and me?”
She was trying to mask her smile. “Yes.” And then she gave it to me, full teeth, wide lips. A beauty like no other woman I’d ever seen. “I’ll move in with you and Ben.”
“Do you know how excited that’s going to make him?”
She clenched my fingers before she released them. “I can’t wait to see him tomorrow night at the engagement party. It was really nice of your parents to take him with them to New York and let us have a couple of days here by ourselves.”
I nodded at her. “What are you going to do about work?” I smiled, letting her know I was bringing the conversation right back to her. “Did you think I forgot that part of the equation?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“What do you want, Emily?”
She turned silent. “I have everything I want. That’s you and Ben.”
I pounded my heart with my fist. “Damn it, that was hot, but I was talking about work.”
“It’s funny, it was so easy to give Maya advice when it came to her situation with work.
I even came up with the per diem idea that solved all her problems.” Her head briefly fell back.
“But when it comes to me, I can’t make a decision to save my life.
I know the amount of time I’m putting in is wild. I can’t maintain it forever.”
“What if I told you I already made an inquiry?”
Her brows rose. “What type of inquiry?”
“I spoke to Dr. Kaplan. He’s a family friend, as you know.
He made it clear you could work as much or as little as you want.
He loves you, Emily. He called you one of his top nurses.
You just have to work with scheduling and communicate what you’re looking for, and they’ll give you whatever hours you want.
” I laughed as I took in her expression.
“Let me guess . . . you don’t know if you just fell harder in love with me or if you want to strangle me. Am I right?”
“You’re right.”
“I spoke to him because I care. Because Dr. Kaplan and I have that kind of relationship where I can be honest with him. And I thought if I didn’t take the initiative to do something about your schedule, I didn’t know if you would.”
She flattened her hands against the table. “Honestly, I don’t know if I would either. I’m so used to going, going, going . . .”
“But you don’t have to anymore.” I finished the rest of my scotch. “Working with only him, that would give you more time doing pediatrics, which is what you wanted anyway.”
She slowly nodded.
“One day, you’re going to have to tell me why you gave up labor and delivery at the hospital and went to work at the rehab center.”
“Not today.” Her voice was a little above a whisper. “Today’s too happy for that story.” She finished the rest of her wine. “And one day you’re going to have to tell me what happened to Ben’s mom.”
“Today’s too happy for that story.”
“I understand, trust me. I just want you to know I’m never going to try to take the role of being his mother.
He had a mother. But Ben will always be extremely important to me, and I’m grateful I get to be in that little boy’s life.
” She wiped the corner of her eye. “And when you’re ready to tell me that sad story, I’ll share mine, too, and we can have a sob-fest together. ”
“Deal.”
“Tonight’s going to end on a positive note.” She nodded toward me. “Because of you.”
I let out a soft moan of pleasure. “You’re saying yes to moving in and you’re leaving the rehab center and you’re going to work part-time for Dr. Kaplan.”
“And because I’m so in love with you.”
“Look at them together,” Grandma said, standing next to me in the private dining room of the restaurant Jordan had reserved for his engagement party.
She was referring to Ben and Emily. Emily had just taken Ben to the restroom, and now that they’d reentered the room, Emily was kneeling down, fixing Ben’s tie.
Ben was laughing at something Emily had said, both of them smiling. “He’s dazzled by her.”
I murmured, “That makes two of us, Grandma.”
“Oh, my darling boy. You have no idea how happy I am to see you in love.” She looped her hands through my arm and held on.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.
I knew it would come. But I’m beyond thrilled that it’s with Emily.
” She gave me a side look and a side smile. “She’s quite the gal, Gavin.”
“She is.”
“You’re going to marry her, aren’t you?” She released me to adjust the ruffled collar of her dress, clinging right back on once she was done.
“I am, Grandma.”
“And you’re going to give me more great-grandbabies, aren’t you?”
I laughed. “As long as Emily wants that, which I believe she does, then yes.” I stared down at her. “You’re not demanding or anything . . .”
“I’m eighty-four, my darling. I’m not getting any younger.”
“But you’re not looking any older either.”
She tapped my arm. “There is a reason I love you, and that right there is one of them.”
I chuckled as Maya made her way over to us.
My soon-to-be sister-in-law was holding a glass of beer, smiling at Grandma before she focused on me. “Future brother-in-law, I have something extremely important to tell you.”
“And that is?” My brows lifted.
“If you hurt my girl, I will hurt you.” Even though she was stopping herself from grinning, I knew she was serious.
Maya and Emily had an indestructible friendship. I wasn’t at all surprised that Maya was threatening me. I would be disappointed if she didn’t.
“You have nothing to worry about,” I told her. “That woman is going to be mine forever.”
Maya waved her finger at me. “She better be.”
“You know,” Grandma started, “if he hurts her, I’ll also be hurting him.”
Maya put her hand on Grandma’s shoulder. “I love that you have my back and Emily’s.”
One of Grandma’s arms released me so she could clasp fingers with Maya. “Always, my gal.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Emily asked as she and Ben joined us, Jordan not far behind them, my brother putting his arm around his fiancée.
Maya glanced up at Jordan. “I was just threatening to hurt your brother. You know I take my bestie duties quite seriously.”
“Maya!” Emily gasped. “You went deep, girl.”
“You knew I was going to say something. I mean, let’s face it, it was inevitable.” Maya laughed at Emily. “He’s lucky I only threatened to hurt him. I could have gone even deeper.”
“Don’t mess with my girl.” Jordan pretended to punch Maya’s chest. “She might be small, but she’s mighty.”
“No one is hurting anyone.” I raised my glass of scotch. “You’ve got Dad’s back, don’t you, Ben?”
Emily kissed the top of Ben’s head. “No, Ben’s on my side.”
“I’m on Fenway’s side!” Ben shouted.
Of course, only Emily and I chuckled since no one else knew who Fenway was.
Jordan lifted Ben in his arms. “I wish we could take you to LA with us, little man. It’s too bad you have school.”
Jordan and I were leaving next week for a three-day trip to the West Coast for a little bit of business, but mostly pleasure. When it had been planned, Emily hadn’t agreed yet to move in, so Jenny was staying the two nights at my place.
“I wanna go.” Ben pouted.
“At least you have me.” Emily put her hand on Ben’s back and slowly looked at me and smiled.
“I have an idea.” I nodded toward Emily and then at Maya. “That is, if the ladies are up to it.”
“I hope you’re about to tell us that Emily and I get to have a two-night slumber party with Ben at your house?” Maya announced.
“That’s exactly what I was going to suggest,” I replied to Maya.
“Yesss.” Maya smiled as she looked at Emily. “We’re so in, aren’t we, babe?”
“That’s a hard yes.” Emily continued to rub Ben’s back while Jordan held him. “Do you want Maya and me to spend the night with you while Dad’s gone?”
“Yes!” Ben jumped in Jordan’s arms.
Emily laughed. “It’s settled, then.” She looked at Grandma. “How about you and Melinda come over for dinner one of those evenings, and we’ll have a girls’ night with Ben?”
Grandma lifted her arms in the air and danced, her new knee holding up just fine. “Count us in, darling.”