Chapter Twenty-Four
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Nolan
T he morning sun filters through the blinds, casting stripes of gold across Annabelle's bare shoulder. I trace them with my fingertip, still marveling that I'm allowed to touch her like this, that she's here in my bed, in my life, in ways I've only dreamed about.
Her breathing changes, and she stirs, turning to face me with sleep-soft eyes. "Morning," she murmurs, voice husky.
"Morning, beautiful." I press a kiss to her forehead, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. "Sleep well?"
The smile that curves her lips is answer enough, but she stretches languidly against me anyway. "Better than I have in years."
It's been three days since our cookout, and I'm enjoying discovering her body, learning what makes her gasp and what makes her laugh. It still doesn't feel quite real.
"What time is it?" she asks, glancing toward the window.
"Early. Ashlynn won't be up for another hour at least." I pull her closer, my hand sliding down the curve of her spine. "Any ideas how we might pass the time?"
Her laugh vibrates against my chest. "You're insatiable."
"Only for you," I murmur against her neck, and she melts into me with a sigh that sends heat coursing through my veins.
After breakfast, I kiss Annabelle and Ashlynn goodbye. "I need to run to the hardware store. That bolt on Ashlynn's swing set is still loose. Might need Colt to come out and fix it. I know concrete, but this shit is pissing me off."
"Be careful," Annabelle says, wiping syrup from Ashlynn's chin. "The way she swings, I'm worried it might come apart."
"Exactly why I'm going," I reply, dropping another kiss on the top of her head. "I'll be back in an hour, tops."
The hardware store is quiet for a Saturday morning. I head straight for the nuts and bolts aisle, searching for the right size to secure the swing set's top beam. I've been working on this project for weeks now, determined to give Ashlynn the backyard playground she's been begging for.
"Nolan? That you?"
I turn to see Colt one aisle over, a shopping basket filled with painting supplies as he stocks them.
"Hey man," I greet him, extending my hand. "How's it going?"
Colt shakes his head, his expression tired. "Court date's coming up. Still trying to get my shit together to show the judge I deserve more time with Jake."
"How's the housing situation?" I ask, remembering our conversation last month about his cramped apartment.
"Still looking," he sighs, leaning against the shelf. "Every decent place in my price range gets snatched up before I can even put in an application. Judge isn't gonna be impressed with my current setup."
I consider for a moment, then make a decision. "You know Mackenzie Reynolds? She's a real estate agent, friend of mine from college."
Colt shakes his head. "Don't think I've met her."
"She's good. Really good. And she specializes in helping people in tough situations." I pull out my phone, scrolling through my contacts. "She mentioned a property to me last week that might be perfect for you and Jake. Three bedrooms, fenced yard, same school district."
Hope flickers across Colt's face. "Sounds way out of my price range."
"Worth checking out at least," I counter, finding Mackenzie's number and showing it to him. "Tell her I sent you. She owes me a favor after I helped her brother with a home improvement project last year."
Colt takes out his phone, typing in the number. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate this."
"No problem. All us single dads gotta stick together, right?" I clap him on the shoulder. "Let me know how it goes."
"Will do." He pauses, then gives me a curious look. "Hey, I heard something about you and Annabelle.. That true?"
I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. "News travels fast in this town."
"So it is true," Colt grins. "About damn time. Even I could see how you looked at her, and I only see you once in a blue moon."
"Yeah, well," I rub the back of my neck, feeling a flush of heat. "Sometimes it takes a while to see what's right in front of you."
"Happy for you, man," Colt says sincerely. "You deserve it after everything with Lisa."
The mention of Ashlynn's mother sends a familiar twinge through me, but it's duller now. "Thanks. It's... it's good. Really good."
I find the bolt I need, and we exchange goodbyes, with Colt promising again to call Mackenzie. As I head to the checkout, I feel a lightness in my step that has everything to do with knowing I'm heading home to Annabelle.
When I return home, Annabelle and Ashlynn are in the backyard. I stand at the window for a moment, watching them. Ashlynn is running in excited circles while Annabelle lays out a blanket on the grass, a picnic basket beside her. The swing set frame I've been working on stands half-finished in the corner of the yard.
I step outside, holding up the bag from the hardware store. "Got the bolt we need. That swing will be secure by tonight."
"Daddy." Ashlynn launches herself at me, and I scoop her up into a hug. "Anna says we can have a picnic and then build fairy houses. Can you help?"
"Absolutely," I say, setting her down. "Nothing I'd rather do."
Annabelle approaches, her eyes warm. "How was the hardware store?"
"Good. Ran into Colt." I lower my voice slightly. "He's still struggling with the custody situation. I gave him Mackenzie's number, she might be able to help him find a better place before his court date."
Her expression softens. "That was thoughtful of you."
"Single dads club," I shrug, but her approval means more than I let on.
We spread out the picnic lunch Annabelle has prepared, and the simple joy of sitting in the sunshine with my two favorite people fills me with a contentment I'd forgotten was possible. As we eat, Ashlynn chatters about her plans for elaborate fairy dwellings, complete with furniture and gardens.
"We're going to need supplies," Annabelle says, ticking items off on her fingers. "Twigs for the frame, moss for the roof, shells for decoration..."
"And tiny rocks for the fairy path." Ashlynn adds, bouncing with excitement. "And flowers for the fairy garden."
"I think we can manage that," I laugh, ruffling her hair. "After lunch, I'll finish up that swing set, and then I'm all yours for fairy construction."
Annabelle meets my eyes over Ashlynn's head, and the understanding there warms me from the inside out. She knows how much I cherish these small moments, how the weight of being both mother and father to Ashlynn has sometimes felt crushing over the years.
"We'll wait for the important parts," she promises, and I believe her.
After lunch, I spend an hour securing the swing set while Annabelle and Ashlynn collect building materials from around the yard. Every few minutes, Ashlynn runs over to show me a particularly special find, an unusually shaped twig, a perfect pebble, a flower petal soft as silk.
When the swing set is finally secure, I test it thoroughly, tugging and pushing with more force than any three-year-old could manage. Satisfied, I join my girls on the blanket, where an impressive collection of natural materials has been sorted into neat piles.
"We're ready to start building," Annabelle announces, her cheeks flushed with sunlight and happiness.
Annabelle looks up at me, her cheeks flushed from the sun, a smudge of dirt across her forehead. She's never been more beautiful.
"We saved the garage for you," she says with a smile that's just for me.
I loosen my tie and kneel beside them, taking the twigs Ashlynn offers. "Well then, let's get building."
We work together in the dappled shade, Ashlynn directing my every move with the authority of a tiny construction foreman. As the afternoon stretches on, I find myself mentally rearranging the future I'd envisioned. It's no longer just Ashlynn and me against the world, but something richer, fuller, a family in the truest sense.
Later, after dinner has been cleared and Ashlynn is tucked into bed with dreams of fairies dancing in her head, I find Annabelle on the back porch, nursing a glass of wine.
"Room for one more?" I ask, sliding the door closed behind me.
She shifts over on the porch swing, making space beside her. "Always."
I sit, draping my arm around her shoulders, and she leans into me with a contented sigh. For a while, we simply exist together in the quiet, watching fireflies begin to dot the darkening yard.
"I've been thinking," I say finally, breaking the comfortable silence. "About us. About the future."
She turns slightly to look at me. "That sounds serious."
"It is." I take a deep breath. "I know things are moving fast between us. On paper, anyway. But the truth is, this has been years in the making, hasn't it?"
Her smile is soft in the twilight. "Apparently everyone but us could see it."
"I saw it," I admit. "I just didn't think I was allowed to want it. To want you."
She takes my hand, tracing the lines of my palm with her fingertip. "And now?"
"Now I know better." I bring her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "I know that what we have is real and rare and worth fighting for. I know that Ashlynn adores you, and that you've loved her like your own from the beginning."
Annabelle's eyes glisten in the porch light. "I have. I couldn't help it."
"I know that I want to build a life with you, not as Ashlynn's nanny, but as my partner. In every way." My heart pounds so hard I wonder if she can hear it. "It's too soon to talk about forever, I know that. But I need you to know that's where I'm heading. Where I hope we're both heading."
A tear slips down her cheek, but she's smiling. "I thought I was the only one thinking that far ahead."
Relief floods through me. I pull her closer, brushing the tear away with my thumb. "So we're on the same page?"
"We're reading the same book," she confirms, leaning in until her lips are a breath away from mine. "And I can't wait to find out how our story unfolds."
I close the distance between us, pouring everything I can't yet say into the kiss. The night wraps around us like a promise, the distant sounds of crickets and rustling leaves providing the soundtrack to this moment, this beginning.
When we finally pull apart, I rest my forehead against hers. "Stay with me tonight?"
Her answer is a whispered "Always" against my lips, and I know with absolute certainty that whatever challenges lie ahead, we'll face them together, me, Annabelle, and Ashlynn. A family forged not by obligation or circumstance, but by choice. By love.
And for now, that's more than enough.