Chapter 65
CHAPTER 65
DIXIE
I woke up the next morning to the soft sound of Hayes’s breathing. I propped myself up on one elbow, taking a moment to just look at him. He was sprawled out on my bed, the sheets tangled around his waist, his body looking like it had been carved out of marble by some divine sculptor. It was so unfair. Here I was, about to expand in every way physically possible, becoming a whole new version of myself, and he got to look like that .
He was effortlessly gorgeous. His hair was mussed, and he had a five o’clock shadow. But he could roll out of bed and walk into the world and every woman would still find him drop-dead sexy. I supposed I was a little jealous. How nice to just wake up hot. No fuss, no muss. In fact, the messier the better in his case.
Despite the unfairness of it all, the knot of worry that had been tight in my chest yesterday had begun to loosen after last night with Hayes. Maybe there was hope for us still. I was willing to give it everything I had to make it work. That way, I would never have to wonder what if .
My child was going to be very lucky to have him for a daddy. I knew things wouldn’t be perfect, but that was okay. We didn’t need perfect. I was kind of looking forward to the messy bits of parenting. My dad admitted they messed up with me. I didn’t want to make that mistake. So, I supposed their mistakes were a good thing. I was going to get to learn from them.
I was sure I would make a million mistakes of my own, but I would always, always make sure my child knew he or she was loved. There would never be any question in their minds whether I loved them.
And I had a feeling Hayes would be the same way. Lord knew his massive family was going to be right there to catch any mistakes Hayes and I made. They would make up for our shortcomings. I trusted Kathy’s maternal skills. I was going to learn from her. My own mother wasn’t horrible, but she did leave a little to be desired. And I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to trust her again. I hoped time would heal that wound but it hadn’t yet.
I slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to wake him. It was late morning. Last night, we had passed out cold after the sleepless night before. It had been some of the best sleep I had in a long time. Being in his arms was always soothing.
I padded into the kitchen to start my day. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room. I put on a pot of coffee and quietly loaded the few dishes from the night before into the sink. The mundane tasks helped to clear my mind.
Hayes and I said a lot and it felt like we had gotten a lot of our issues resolved, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my mom and her role in things. She had nearly cost me a man I cared about. Loved. The father of my child.
But she was still my mom. I loved her. I did want her to be a part of my child’s life. I just wasn’t sure what that looked like. The more I thought, the more furious my scrubbing became. I sprayed some disinfectant on the tiny countertop and attacked it with gusto.
While I was scrubbing, my phone buzzed. It was Frankie.
“Hey,” I said, answering the call and putting her on speaker. I quickly turned down the volume to keep from waking Hayes. The man needed his sleep after the things he had done to my body.
“Hey, how are you doing?”
I hadn’t talked to her since unloading the morning after the wedding. After leaving our parents’ house, I called her and let her know just how horrible our mother was.
I sighed, leaning against the counter. “It’s been a lot. But things are better now. Hayes and I talked. Well, we did more than talk, but?—”
Frankie laughed. “I don’t need the details. But I’m glad you guys are working things out.”
“Me too,” I said, a smile tugging at my lips. “It’s not perfect, but we’re getting there.”
“That’s all you can do,” Frankie said. “I guess the double date is off the table. My side this time. We can’t seem to be dating at the same time. Fucking Simon, that psycho.”
I laughed. “Yeah, screw Simon.”
“Agreed,” Frankie said. “Good riddance.”
“I’m sorry,” I told her. “But you’ve never had a hard time finding a man that wants to date you.”
Frankie laughed. “Well, at least you’ve got a good one. From what I can tell, Hayes isn’t going anywhere. You two just need to stop overcomplicating it. And stop hiding things.”
“Easier said than done,” I said. “I think we’re on the right path, though.”
“Good,” she said. “That’s all anyone can ask for. Now, I need to tell you something. Mom called me yesterday.”
My hand froze mid-scrub. “What did she want?”
“To talk about what happened at the house. She says she’s sorry. Says she didn’t mean to cause so much drama.”
I snorted. “She never means to, but she always does. She didn’t apologize to me. She just stared at me like I was crazy.”
“She’s been doing some reading… about being a better mother or something.”
“Reading? Mom doesn’t read self-help books.”
“She does now, apparently. She mentioned something about wanting to be a better grandma for your baby.”
My heart twisted at that. I wanted my child to have a good relationship with their grandmother, but I also didn’t want to set myself up for more disappointment. “I don’t know, Frankie. I believe she means it, but she’s let me down so many times before. I’m not worried about her. If she wants to come around, fine, but I’m not going to let her disrespect me, my baby, or Hayes.”
“I get it. Just don’t shut the door completely. For your sake, and for the baby’s. You’ll figure out what kind of relationship you want with her, and that’s okay. If you need a break from her, that’s okay as well.”
“You’re right. I just need to take it slow. She’s just always been like this. I can’t deal with her. Maybe one day, but she’s too stubborn. She’s not going to change overnight.”
“If she starts acting up again, I’ve got your back,” she said with a laugh.
I smiled. “Thanks, Frankie. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Yes, you do. You’d probably be in jail for murdering Mom. Your baby would be born behind bars.”
We both laughed.
Just then, Hayes wandered into the living room, wearing nothing but his boxers. I couldn’t help but grin at the sight of him in all his glory.
“I have to go,” I said to Frankie, hanging up before she could respond.
Hayes raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Who was that?”
“My sister,” I said, putting my phone down. “She was just checking in.”
He nodded, stretching his arms above his head. I nearly swallowed my tongue at the sight of him. It had to be the hormones. I wanted to climb him like a tree and take him right back to bed.
“Good,” he said. He casually scratched his chest. “I’m glad you two are talking.”
“She’s cool with things. She’s actually happy for us.”
“Great.”
“Want some coffee?” I asked.
“Are you drinking coffee?”
“Decaf,” I said with a sigh.
He chuckled. “I’m sorry. I’ll stand in solidarity with you and drink decaf.”
“Only around me, right?” I teased.
He grimaced. “I’ll try to cut back.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “I don’t expect you to give up alcohol and coffee and all the other things I have to refrain from.”
“Do you need to work today?” he asked.
“I do. You?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t resist him. I stepped forward and pressed my hands against his chest. “Come on, let’s take a shower before we start the day,” I said. “I’ll wash your back. And front. And every inch in between.”
His arms wrapped around me. “I like the sound of that.”
I took his hand and led him to the bathroom. Within seconds we were naked and standing under the water.
Hayes’s hands were gentle as he rubbed the lathered loofah over my body. Hot water ran over us. I closed my eyes, letting the sensation of his touch wash away the lingering tension. His hand traced the curve of my shoulder and down to the dip of my waist. He continued down over the swell of my hips. Every movement was tender, almost reverent, as if he were memorizing every inch of me.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice low and husky against my ear.
I opened my eyes to meet his gaze, finding the intensity in his stare almost overwhelming. There was so much unspoken between us. I reached up to cup his face, my thumb brushing over the stubble on his jaw.
We washed each other until the water ran cold. I got dressed in my work clothes, thinking about skipping work to spend the day with him. Unfortunately, my client wanted their project soon.
Hayes dropped me off at my workshop on his way to his place before he went into the office. I gave him a kiss and waved goodbye as he drove off. I unlocked the door and let myself into the shop. The familiar smell of paint greeted me.
It smelled like home.
I put on my favorite playlist, the music filling the space as I got to work. My mind wandered as I sanded and painted, daydreaming about the future. About Hayes, about the baby, about the life we could build together. There was still a lot to figure out, but it felt like we were on the right track.
I was so lost in my work that I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I yelped, turning off my sander and yanking off my safety goggles to blink at the person standing behind me.
It was my mother.
She looked disheveled. Her hair was slightly messy, her clothes wrinkled, and there were dark circles under her eyes. It was a stark contrast to her usual put-together appearance. I couldn’t remember my mother ever looking so messy. I swore she woke up in full makeup looking fresh as a daisy.
“Mom?” I said, my voice tinged with surprise. “What are you doing here?”
She frowned, her eyes scanning the workshop. “Should you be doing this kind of work while you’re pregnant? I can smell the chemicals.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s how you’re going to start our conversation after how bad the last one went? Really, Mom?”
“I’m just concerned, Dixie. This isn’t exactly a safe environment for a pregnant woman. There are plenty of studies that say you shouldn’t even paint the nursery when you’re pregnant.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I’m fine, Mom. I’m being careful. And I’m not going to stop working just because I’m pregnant. I’ll talk to my doctor about it. If I need to wear a respirator, I will.”
“Why is Hayes allowing you to work, anyway? You’re pregnant. He’s rich.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Mom, seriously. I don’t have time for this. I don’t need Hayes to tell me when I can and can’t work. You don’t get to tell me that either. I’ve been a grownup for a while now. But thanks for popping in and lecturing me. My day is complete.”