Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Nolan
" S he's what ?" I grip the phone tighter, my knuckles turning white as Colt's words register.
"I'm looking at them right now from the hardware store window," my best friend repeats. "Lisa's got Annabelle and Ashlynn cornered outside the dance studio, and it doesn't look friendly. Thought you'd want to know."
"Fuck." I grab my keys from my desk, already heading for the door. "I'm on my way."
I end the call and barrel past my crew, muttering something about a family emergency. The drive that should take fifteen minutes I make in eight, my mind racing faster than my truck.
Lisa showing up three days ago threw me completely off balance. Years of nothing, no calls, no visits, not even a birthday card for our daughter, and suddenly she's back, claiming she's changed, that she wants to be a family again. As if she can just erase walking out on a baby.
And then there's Annabelle. Beautiful, kind Annabelle who came into our lives when we most needed it, and slowly, without me even realizing it, became essential to both of us. The woman whose kiss and caresses I can't stop thinking about, even as I'm kicking myself for crossing that line.
I screech into the parking lot of Miss Laurie's Dance Academy just in time to see Lisa's silver Audi pulling away. Annabelle stands by her car, helping Ashlynn into her car seat. Even from here, I can see the tension in her shoulders, the careful way she's holding herself together.
I park haphazardly and jog over to them. Ashlynn sees me first, her face lighting up through the car window.
"Daddy."
Annabelle turns, surprise flickering across her face. "Nolan? What are you doing here?"
"Colt called me. Said Lisa was giving you trouble." I peer at her face, trying to read what happened. "Are you okay? Is Ashlynn okay?"
"We're fine," she says, but I can tell she's not. There's a tightness around her eyes, a forced quality to her smile. "Lisa was just... being Lisa."
"What did she say to you?" The protective surge I feel surprises me with its intensity.
Annabelle glances at Ashlynn. "We can talk about it later."
I nod, understanding. "Why don't I take you both home? We can pick up your car later."
"I promised Ashlynn ice cream," Annabelle says.
"Even better. Ice cream first, then home."
Twenty minutes later, we're sitting at a picnic table outside the Frozen Cow, Ashlynn happily occupied with a chocolate cone that's dripping faster than she can lick it. Annabelle nibbles at her vanilla scoop, her eyes downcast.
"She told me to look for a new job," she finally says quietly. "Said when she moves back to town, I won't be needed anymore."
Anger flares hot in my chest. "She has no right to say that to you."
"Doesn't she? She's Ashlynn's mother."
"Who walked out. Who hasn't fucking been here." I reach across the table without thinking, taking her hand. "You have been. Every day."
Her eyes meet mine, filled with an uncertainty that makes my chest ache. "Nolan, about the other night,"
"I'm sorry," I blurt out, the same words I've been repeating for days. "I shouldn't have,"
"Stop apologizing," she interrupts, surprising me. "Unless... unless you regret it. Is that it? Do you regret kissing me?"
The question hangs between us, weighted with everything unspoken. Ashlynn giggles nearby, oblivious to the moment unfolding.
"No," I admit finally, the truth breaking free. "I don't regret it. I regret that you passed out, and then I ran away like a coward."
A hint of a smile touches her lips. "You were kind of a coward."
"I'm terrified," I confess. "The last time I felt something for someone, she left me with a baby and a broken heart. And you... you're important to us, Annabelle. To Ashlynn. To me. I was afraid of messing that up."
"And now?"
I look at my daughter, chocolate smeared across her cheeks as she chatters to a nearby sparrow. Then back at Annabelle, this woman who came into our lives to care for my child and somehow found her way into my heart too.
"Now Lisa's back, threatening what we've built, and all I can think is that I don't want to lose you." The words come out raw, honest. "Whatever that means, whatever comes next, I just know I don't want you to go."
She squeezes my hand, and I see tears shimmer in her eyes. "I don't want to go either."
We're quiet for a moment, the weight of the confession settling between us. "What do we do about Lisa?" she finally asks.
"I'll handle Lisa," I say firmly. "She can't just waltz back into our lives and make demands. She has visitation rights, yes, but that's it. You're not going anywhere unless you want to."
"I don't," Annabelle whispers. "Want to go, I mean."
"Good." The relief I feel is palpable. I reach across the table and stroke the palm of her hand.
After finishing our ice cream, we head home, Ashlynn falling asleep in her car seat. The house is quiet as I carry my daughter to her room, Annabelle following behind to help get her changed into pajamas for her nap.
Once Ashlynn is settled, we find ourselves in the hallway, the air between us charged with possibility.
"Thank you for coming today," Annabelle says softly.
"I should be thanking you. For everything you do for us."
She takes a step closer. "Is that all this is? Gratitude?"
"No," I answer honestly. "It's a lot more than that."
This time, when I lean in, there's no hesitation. My lips find hers, and unlike our other kisses, there's nothing tentative about it. Her arms wind around my neck as I pull her closer, deepening the kiss, years of loneliness and months of longing pouring into this moment.
She makes a small sound against my mouth that drives me crazy, her body soft and warm against mine. I back her gently against the wall, my hands at her waist, hers in my hair.
"Nolan," she breathes when we break apart for air, and my name has never sounded better.
I'm about to kiss her again when we hear it, the creak of Ashlynn's bedroom door opening down the hall. We spring apart just as my daughter appears, rubbing her eyes, her favorite stuffed bunny dragging behind her.
"Daddy? Anna? I'm thirsty."
I clear my throat, trying to compose myself, aware of Annabelle doing the same beside me, her cheeks flushed.
"Coming, sweet pea," I say, my voice rougher than normal.
As I move to help Ashlynn, I catch Annabelle's eye. The look we share, equal parts promise and frustration, tells me one thing for certain: whatever this is between us, it's just beginning.
And this time, I'm not running away.