21. Ivy #2
“Anytime.” His grin is gentle, warm in that way that makes my chest ache. He sets the plate in my lap like I’m someone who needs taking care of, not someone who should have been helping.
I tuck my legs beneath me and pick up a piece of toast. Rhett’s voice drifts in from the kitchen where he’s leaning against the counter with his phone in his hand. “Landon texted. Said he dropped off the NDA earlier.”
The words make me freeze mid-bite. Heat floods my face, spreading down my neck. “Right,” I manage, chewing quickly. “Yeah, he did. I went through it. Looks solid.”
Hunter’s eyes are on me when I finally glance up. His gaze is steady, sharp, like he can see straight through me. Then, without warning, he says it. “You fucked him again, didn’t you?”
The toast stills halfway to my mouth. My cheeks flame hotter, betraying me even before I can get a word out. I open my mouth to deny it, but the heat in my face is too obvious, and my silence answers for me.
My eyes drop to the plate.
Rhett doesn’t look up from the stack of papers in his hand. He’s already pulled the NDA free, flipping through pages. His tone is even, calm. “Well, at least he moves fast. Got this put together overnight.”
Hunter shifts, leaning an elbow on the back of the sofa, watching me. I can feel the weight of his attention, heavy and steady, and I hate how my pulse stumbles under it. I try to focus on the way Rhett turns each page, his brows pulling together in thought, but my heart won’t settle.
I set the plate aside and scoot forward, brushing my hair back with one hand.
“It’s straightforward,” I say, clearing my throat.
“Confidentiality clauses, penalties if the doctor leaks anything, personal liability attached to the physician in case of breach. It’s tight.
The doctor named in here is local, which makes things easier. ”
Rhett hums in approval but doesn’t look up. His eyes skim the legal jargon.
Chloe’s on the rug, babbling to herself in that sweet nonsense language that’s half squeals and half giggles. Storm is stretched out beside her, chin resting on his paws, his eyes half-closed in lazy dog contentment.
I glance down at her, ready to reach for her if she tips sideways. But then something changes.
Her little hands grip the edge of the low coffee table. She pulls.
At first it’s a wobble, the way she’s done before, knees locked and trying. But this time, she doesn’t crumple back down. This time she pushes, muscles straining, tiny brows furrowed.
And then she’s up.
Actually up.
Chloe is standing.
My breath catches, tears instantly springing to my eyes. “Oh my god.”
Storm lifts his head, ears pricked. Hunter sits forward, eyes wide, and Rhett finally drops the NDA onto the table with a thump.
“She’s—holy shit, she’s standing,” Hunter says, his voice cracking with excitement.
Rhett is already grinning, his whole face lit up like I’ve never seen before. “Look at you, baby girl. You’re doing it!”
I’m on my knees on the carpet before I even realize I’ve moved, my hands hovering just in case she tips. “Come on, Chloe. Look at you. You’re so strong.” My voice is trembling.
She beams at me, her cheeks flushed, hands gripping tight to the edge of the table as though she knows how big this is.
She lets out a squeal, proud of herself, and we all burst into laughter and cheers at the same time. Storm barks once, tail wagging, like even he knows this moment matters.
Rhett kneels beside me, clapping softly for her. Hunter runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head in amazement.
“She’s incredible.” His voice is thick, almost reverent.
My chest feels too small for my heart. Tears slide down my cheeks as I clap along with her, unable to stop myself.
“This is huge,” I whisper. “This is—oh my god, this is everything.”
And it is. It’s everything. Her first real stand. Proof she’s not just growing, but thriving. Our little girl.
Theirs, I forcefully remind myself .
The three of us sit there watching her, clapping when she squeals again, encouraging her even as her legs tremble. She lasts maybe twenty seconds before plopping back onto her diapered bottom with a little bounce.
But it doesn’t matter. It happened.
She did it.
I glance up through blurry eyes to find Rhett already looking at me, his expression soft and serious now. Hunter’s watching too, his jaw set. The joy of the moment lingers, but underneath it is something heavier.
This changes things.
“This,” Rhett says quietly, nodding toward Chloe who’s now clapping for herself, “is why we need to make sure everything is settled. The sooner the better.”
Hunter nods, his hand rubbing circles on the back of Storm’s head as if grounding himself. “We were talking,” he admits. “About what you said. About how custody could work. How we’d make it official.”
I sit back slowly. “Okay.”
Rhett leans forward, picking up the NDA again but not looking at it, just holding it. His eyes are on Chloe. “You were right. She deserves stability. If this is going to be her home, she needs to be protected from every angle.”
“I know that, but have you thought this through? Maybe you do this after the season has begun. I don’t want this jeopardizing your position with the team.”
Hunter’s gaze shifts to me, steady and unwavering.
“We’ll have to risk it. We can’t do that without the truth, Ivy. Not just between us, but legally. We need to know who her father is. We need to follow through with the test. Then we can build from there.”
I swallow hard, staring at Chloe who’s now gnawing happily on a teething toy like she hasn’t just changed our entire world. My throat tightens as I watch her, love and fear colliding.
I know they’re right. I’ve known it for weeks. But seeing her stand—seeing how quickly she’s growing—it makes the urgency hit harder.
She won’t stay little forever. And if we don’t lock this down now, if we don’t fight for her while she’s still small, the chance could slip away.
I nod slowly, pressing a shaky hand to my chest. “Okay.”
Rhett exhales, some of the tension in his shoulders easing. Hunter offers me a small smile, soft and reassuring.
The three of us sit there in the living room, the morning light spilling over Chloe and Storm, the sound of her delighted babble filling the silence.
The path forward doesn’t feel like chaos. It feels like a plan.
And watching Chloe, clapping her little hands, cheeks glowing with triumph, I know exactly why it matters.
She’s worth all of it.