5. Easton
Easton
Vail braved the storm and brought us a supply of diapers and wipes after we determined we could make do with what we have on hand for the baby’s first night with us.
We’ve fed the little guy, burped him and changed his diaper again—twice. Now Vivi is rocking him to sleep.
Watching the two of them has my heart aching with a want I’ve never experienced.
I won’t lie. Kids haven’t really been on my radar. I figured I had plenty of time to be a dad. And until I met Vivi, I wasn’t interested in dating a woman longer than a few weeks, never mind spend the rest of my life with.
She’s the only woman I’ve ever chased. The only woman to reject me—repeatedly. You would think I’d be humbled or humiliated by the number of times the woman turned me down.
But no. It only spurred me on, made me want her more.
With any other woman I would have given up after the second attempt. Shit, I can’t recall one I even made a second attempt at.
And I can’t blame proximity for my continued interest. There’s something about her, something that pulled me in from the minute I met her, something that draws me closer every time I see her.
Her age is insignificant. Over a decade between us seems of little consequence and don’t get me started on her intelligence.
Vivian Lenore Garnett is a genius.
From what I know, and what I’ve gathered through listening to conversations between her, Laney, and Hadley, Vivi graduated with her first degree at sixteen. And when her parents tried to cash in on her brains, she left them in the dust.
According to Vail, she left home at seventeen and has been walking the line between lawful and lawless for years, but she has a code of ethics she’s never stepped over.
And with everything she did for Vail’s son, Van, I know she has a heart of gold.
The drama with Van put her on a drug dealer’s hit list and the authorities’ watch list, and now she’s biding her time here in Love Beach. Until tonight I was under the impression she had a home to return to.
Knowing she packed up her life in LA to come here gives me hope I can convince her to stay in Love Beach. Make this her new home.
Getting her to move in and help me locate Lisa will give me time to pursue a relationship with her. Living under the same roof, I’ll have plenty of time to work on talking her into staying.
Keeping my hands off her might prove difficult but the effort will be worth it.
My attraction goes beyond physical. I can’t explain it except it feels essential to be near her. To align myself with her. In the last few months, it’s been a tangible connection I’m powerless to deny.
“I think he’s asleep.”
Vivi’s whisper pulls me from my thoughts and I push to my feet with a smile. “I made up a bed for him,” I say, my voice equally quiet.
She doesn’t speak again and when I move toward my bedroom, I don’t have to look back to know she follows. I feel her behind me.
When we get to my room, the drawer I pulled from my dresser is on the floor, the interior padded with blankets. Luckily, the drawer is deep and wide and easily makes an impromptu cradle for the baby.
When she sees what I’ve done, I get a raised eyebrow. It is strange, a baby bed made from a drawer, but beggars can’t be choosers and the little guy will be all right in there for one night.
We’ll get a proper bed for him tomorrow. When the storm isn’t causing havoc and we’ve put a list of necessities together with the help of our friends and the internet.
I watch her lower the baby into his makeshift bed and hold my breath. We haven’t put him down since I pulled him from his carseat hours ago. If he’s not in my arms, he’s in Vivi’s. Or getting a diaper change.
As I step back, I hope everything I’ve read is true, and he stays asleep.
We’re guessing at his age, but everyone agreed because his cord hasn’t fallen off, he can’t be more than a couple of weeks old which means night feeds. Most likely every couple of hours.
Vivi and I haven’t talked about it, but I assume we’ll both get up to feed him during the night. My gaze moves over to my bed.
Will she sleep in here with me?
When she’s happy he’s comfortable, she straightens with a triumphant smile. With a hand wave in my direction, she shoos me out of the room, following close behind me.
“I think he’s out,” she whispers when we’re in the hallway and the door is pulled to behind us.
“Seems like it.”
“I don’t know how long for though,” she adds with a frown.
“Wouldn’t expect you to.”
“Good, because I’m winging this.”
“Same. Well, except for what we’ve found online.”
“Right, yeah, that’s definitely saved us so far.” Glancing over her shoulder, she grabs my hand and says, “Let’s get something to eat in case he wakes up.”
“We should sleep when he sleeps.” At her questioning look, I shrug. “That’s what all the advice online says.”
“Probably. But if I don’t feed my growling belly it’ll get so loud it’ll wake the dead, never mind a sleeping baby.”
“I’ve got frozen pizza.”
“Too long.” She heads for the kitchen, towing me behind her. “What have you got we can slap together in five minutes?”
“Bread. Peanut butter. Jelly.” When she looks at me over her shoulder with a confused expression, I shrug. “What?”
“I just expected your tastes to be…”
“More expensive?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Nothing beats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
“Really? Like that’s your last meal choice?”
“Yes.”
“Huh.”
“Good huh, or bad huh?”
“Neither. Weird huh.”
“What’s your favorite last meal choice then?”
“Peanut butter with apple slices. A sandwich if it’s the only option. But no jelly.”
“You don’t like jelly?”
“I like it. Just don’t like it mixed with peanut butter on bread.”
“Weird.” I grin at her.
“Oh, you have no idea how weird I can be.”
Her words have images flickering though my head. Images that are definitely not PG and things I’ve never thought about before.
What the hell is it about this woman? She provokes thoughts and feelings I’ve never had, has me thinking about a future that until now was a hazy vision.
“Where did your head just go?”
I refocus on Vivi. “Um… Not sure you want to know.”
To stop her from pushing for an answer, I tug on her hand and head for the pantry. Letting go of her, I pull out what we need for a quick meal and pass each item over.
“How old is this bread?” Vivi opens the bag and looks inside. “I’m not sure there are supposed to be green bits…”
“Fuck. Really?” I try to remember the last time I went food shopping. “Fucking hell. I think that’s two weeks old.”
“Wow. Cutting away the mold and toasting what’s left won’t help then.” She bundles up the loaf and tosses it in the trash. “Okay, what crackers do you have? Cheese?”
“To be honest, I haven’t a clue what’s in the cupboard or fridge right now. I’ve been eating out a lot lately, or I’ve been at Vail’s or Quade’s.”
I’m not usually this disorganized but flying back and forth to LA and New York for the last few months to help pick up the slack from my two business partners has left my cupboards bare.
Not that I minded all the travel. In the last year they’ve both changed their priorities, and our business has taken second place to their growing families. Which is how it should be.
How it will be for me too now that I find myself taking care of a baby.
My gaze moves to Vivi as she burrows deeper into the fridge muttering to herself. Having her here eases the tightness in my chest, makes me feel like I can handle what’s happening, and puts a smile on my face.
Being around her made me smile before, but now, with a baby sleeping down the hall and the two of us putting together a meal, it makes me content in a way I’ve never been.
I hadn’t thought about my future wife—or family—they were off in the distance somewhere, waiting for me to find them.
Or for them to find me.
Vivi found me when she followed Vail and Laney home from the west coast.
And…damn, Vivi’s right, the little guy really does need a name. Something to honor his mother, but I can’t think of anything that would. Especially when all I have is her first name.
“What are you thinking about over there?”
Snapping to attention, I focus on Vivi. “About names that would honor his mother.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, he needs something of her to carry with him always. Whoever she is, she loves him. Loves him so deeply she knew the best thing for him wasn’t her.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“No?”
“No. Like she said in her note, she’s got no money, or not much, and no job, no family. But if she trusted you to take care of him, why didn’t she trust you to help her take care of him?”
“You said it before. She’s young. Her whole life ahead of her, juggling a job and raising a child on her own…” a niggle of memory tugs at my mind. “Working, taking care of a baby…”
“What? What is it? Do you remember something?” Vivi rushes over, wraps both hands around my upper arm.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” I scratch the back of my head. “I can’t quite…”
“Don’t worry. It’ll come.” Pulling on my arm, she steers me over to the island. “Now. Dig in. It’s not much but it’s protein and veg.”
While I’d been lost in thought, Vivi put together a plate of food. Cut carrot and cucumber, sliced peppers and meat, cheese cubes, and a dipping pot of…
“Is that ranch dressing?”
“Yes. With some chili powder mixed in to give it a little punch.”
“And peanut butter?”
“Yep.”
“It looks good.”
“Should fill us up enough to get through the night. Tomorrow we can head into town to get groceries.”
“We should order tonight, get it delivered. Save taking the baby out.”
“Oh. Yeah, probably not a good idea to take him out until we know what’s happening with him.”
“He’s staying here. With us.”
“Maybe.”
I straighten. “No. He stays here. And if we can find Lisa, she can stay here too.”