Chapter 33
THIRTY-THREE
Addison
“ L ook at my girl,” Rhett said as he stood beside me in the back of Brady and Lily’s Edinburgh home. His elbow was resting on the corner of my shoulder—a position that was more out of convenience than endearing—and the two of us were facing the grass, where Ridge and Daisy were dancing to the band. “She’s going to be one hell of a heartbreaker when she gets older.”
Daisy was in a light-pink dress that matched Rayner’s, who she’d pushed down the aisle while sprinkling flower petals. And of course, there were daisies weaved into her hair and along the edges of her dress.
A wedding that had been perfect in my eyes—small, special details that stood out because nothing was too elaborate to overshadow them. And now that the ceremony was over, the backyard had been transformed into a magical, twinkling, starlit paradise, where everyone was either dancing or drinking or eating.
I grabbed his fingers and squeezed them. “As long as her dad never gets that title, Daisy can break all the hearts she wants.”
“Ridge? Shit.” He sighed loudly. “You’ve got nothing to worry about there. I’d be the first to tell you you’re fucked, but you’re not. That motherfucker is crazy for you. That man has one mission, and it’s to make you his wife.”
A conversation that lined up with the one we’d had on the plane on the way over here.
But we had plenty of time for that to happen—I wasn’t ever going anywhere, and neither was Ridge.
I turned toward Rhett, taking in his profile. His black hair and beard, eyes that were ice blue—a reflection of his personality at times. What caught my attention the most was the tattoo on his thumb. It was the face and mane of a lion.
I reached for his other hand and held his thumb so I could get a better look at it. “It’s beautiful and so fitting.”
When we locked eyes, he stared at me silently for a few seconds. “He told you everything, didn’t he?”
I nodded.
“Don’t look at me like that, Addison. I know what you’re thinking …”
“You’re misreading my expression, Rhett. What you’re seeing is how blown away I am by you. You’re just misunderstood—but not by me. I get you. But by everyone else.” I offered a simple smile. “You’re inspiring—I hope you know that.”
He whistled out a mouthful of air. “Hell, I know who to call the next time I need a little pick-me-up. How about I phone you instead of guzzling a whole bottle of whiskey? Can you be my phone-a-friend?”
I laughed. “Asshole.”
He pretended to punch my shoulder. “You know something? I like you. You’re fucking perfect for him. A little spicy, a little sassy, and a whole lot of kindness. You’re just what he needs.”
I glanced toward the dance floor. “He’s everything I need. If you had asked me if something wonderful could build from where we met, I would have told you you’re nuts. And here we are—he saw past all of it.”
“That’s because Ridge was a stripper in college.”
I craned my neck back. “He was?”
“He didn’t tell you? He used to dress up as a cop and do bachelorette parties.” Within a few seconds, his balled-up fist was covering his mouth, and he was laughing behind it.
“Dick.” I slapped his chest. “I’ve never been more thankful to have a sister and not a brother. I wouldn’t have survived your kind of teasing every day.”
“Ah, but you just inherited yourself a brother, Addison.” He clenched my shoulder before he released it. “Another sister too.” He nodded toward Rowan. “I’m going to go get a drink.”
As I watched him walk away, I realized the power in what he’d just said. Ridge’s family was becoming mine, and that meant Rhett would hopefully be in my life forever, and so would Rowan. She was standing on the other side of the lawn with Cooper, who was holding their little girl. I needed to spend some more time with Rowan. The past two days, since we’d arrived in Scotland, had been full of wedding festivities and sightseeing, and Rowan was a bit limited with what she could do because of Rayner.
With Ridge and Daisy still occupied by the music, I set my destination on his sister, smiling to everyone I passed on the way. This wedding had introduced me to so many of Ridge’s friends and colleagues. There were the Daltons—the group of lawyers who the Coles and Spades hired for business and personal affairs and hung out with regularly. There were also the Westons, who were friends and business associates. And then there were the Spades, who I got to really know, along with all of the incredible women they were dating, engaged to, and married to.
A group that seemed large due to their personalities, but one so tight and loyal, and they had welcomed me with open arms.
I was just walking around one of the tables when I noticed Jana. She was sitting halfway between where Rowan was standing and I was heading, and it seemed, due to the way she was positioned, she was watching Daisy and Ridge dance.
We’d been in each other’s presence multiple times over the last couple of days, and during every instance, she was cordial. She didn’t embrace me with a hug, and neither did I, nor did we go out of our way to speak to one another, but when words were exchanged, the mood wasn’t stormy.
There were things I felt I wanted to say to her.
Things I felt I needed to say.
And I felt it was my responsibility to make the effort. Even though I didn’t technically do anything wrong and I hadn’t purposefully set out to date a student’s parent, I couldn’t help but feel it was my place to break the official ice.
So, instead of going over to Rowan, I stopped at Jana’s table, waiting for her to notice my presence and look up at me. I’d expected the nerves. I just hadn’t anticipated them coming on so strong.
I attempted to calm my voice when I said, “Do you mind if I sit?”
“I was just going to go get a cocktail”—she adjusted her hat—“but sure, take a seat.”
I pulled back the chair and carefully scooped the bottom of my dress before I settled on the cushion. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you. I don’t totally know what to say about all of this—my head is a cluster of thoughts—but I feel like you should at least hear things from me even if you’ve heard them all from Ridge.” My head was so jumbled that words were flying out and I couldn’t stop them. “As Daisy’s teacher—I don’t know—I feel it’s important.”
Jana’s stare wasn’t hard, like I had anticipated. It also wasn’t warm and fuzzy. But she looked at me with respect, with eyes that didn’t feel as if they were judging me.
I waited for her to say something, and when she didn’t, I continued, “I want you to know that all I ever wanted to do was be a teacher. I have this immense love for children and the desire to educate them and mold them—that’s the biggest, most vital part of my life.” I folded my hands in my lap and immediately unfolded them. “When it comes to your daughter, she’s my only focus. To be everything she needs as an educator. Regardless of what happens or what’s happening in my personal life, her schooling will always come first to me.”
“I just worry.” She traced the outer edges of her lips as though she was wiping away any smudged gloss. “I worry about everything, if I’m being honest. If something goes wrong with you and Ridge, Daisy is the one who will suffer.”
I stole a quick glance at Ridge and was surprised to find his eyes already on me. I didn’t keep my gaze on him for long. I wanted to give Jana the full attention she deserved, but in Ridge’s expression, I saw that he was appreciative that I was speaking to her.
As I stared back at Jana, I said, “And I can completely understand where that worry would come from. I realize giving you my word doesn’t mean much. You don’t know me at all; therefore, you don’t know how I’m a woman who stands by my word, but I promise you, Jana, nothing will interfere with Daisy’s learning. She will receive the best education that I’m physically and mentally capable of giving.” I set my hand on the table, rubbing it over the cloth to work off some of the sweat. “You know, before I left for this wedding, I had a meeting with the principal of my school. Did Ridge tell you?”
She shook her head.
“I’m not required to tell the administration that I’m in a relationship with Ridge despite him being a parent of a student. Still, I told my principal anyway. I just didn’t want there to be an issue at any level, and I wanted him to be aware of the situation in case something did happen and you or Ridge wanted to transfer Daisy to a different classroom.”
Her stare grew as she watched me.
“The last thing I would want was for anyone to be caught off guard—like the night that went down at Ridge’s house.” My hand flew to my chest, my heart pounding as I thought of that evening. “The principal assured me that if either of you ever wants to change classrooms or anything like that, he will work with you to make it happen. I just want you to know you have options.”
She rubbed her hands over her bare arms. “Thank you for doing that.”
“Of course. Like I said, Jana, Daisy is my priority. Always.”
She glanced away, and I followed her stare around the backyard, even up at the sky, before it returned to me.
“I’ve had some time to reflect on everything I said to Ridge that night after I put Daisy to bed and we hashed everything out. I realize now how unprepared I was for that conversation. I was shocked by what I saw. I was angry as hell at him for not telling me. My head was full of assumptions, and none of them were accurate.” She broke eye contact again to look toward the dance floor. “I couldn’t understand in that moment why he hadn’t told me, but I do now.”
“We talked about it often,” I admitted. “He wanted nothing more than to come clean. It was eating away at him.”
“I’m sure it was.” Her gaze dropped to my necklace and lifted again. “He’s not the kind of guy to withhold information of any kind. He’s not secretive or sketchy or anything like that. If anything, he’s probably too honest.”
“I need to tell you”—I took a deep breath—“that I’m horrified by what you walked into that evening.” I pushed harder against my chest. “If I could change anything, it would be that.”
She slowly nodded. “I’m just glad Daisy doesn’t remember any of it.”
“Same.” I winced as it replayed in my head.
She had a long fishtail braid that hung to her chest, and she began to play with it. “When Ridge told me about your other job, I want you to know, there was a moment when I didn’t think too highly of you. I’m not sure if he told you that part or not.”
“He didn’t.”
And I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
When Ridge had recapped their talk, he’d glazed over Jana’s reaction to me stripping and said it wasn’t what they really focused on. But hearing that she hadn’t thought too highly of me made me glad he hadn’t told me.
Was that fucked up?
I didn’t even know at this point. I just knew that had to have been an extremely difficult line for him to walk when things were already cluttered and a bit chaotic.
Her chest rose and fell a few times. “I shouldn’t have done that. I should have understood why you took on that job and where you were coming from because I’d been there too.” She spread her lips wide, a modest smile without showing any teeth. “Ridge reminded me of that and what I’d done to come up with the down payment for my parents’ house. Our choices weren’t the same, but that doesn’t make yours bad. You did what you had to do, and that wasn’t easy.”
I lifted my hand off the table and put it back on my lap, linking my fingers together. “I want you to know it’s something I still struggle with. I never in my life ever thought I’d get on a stage and take my clothes off, but what’s weird about the whole thing is, I don’t regret it. Because had I not done it, then I wouldn’t have gotten to see my parents’ faces when my sister and I gave them their gift. That’s something that meant absolutely everything to me.”
And maybe, had I not stripped, then I wouldn’t have connected with Ridge—a detail I wasn’t going to mention, but I was sure she was thinking that too.
“Girl, I wouldn’t have done it.” Her hand went to my arm, and I was surprised by the warmth of her skin. “I’m saying, I wouldn’t have the nerve or the confidence to follow through.”
“Years of cheerleading helped, but, yeah, I’m with you. It wasn’t easy—that’s for sure.” Her fingers left me, and I let several seconds of silence pass before I said, “I want you to know that when it comes to Daisy and her education, you can come to me and talk to me about it. If you’re not comfortable doing that, I understand that, too, but I’m here and I hope at least a small part of you knows that.”
She nodded. “I do.”
I went to stand, and she set her hand on my shoulder and stopped me.
“I need to ask you something.” Her gaze returned to Daisy and Ridge. “Taylor Swift is Daisy’s idol, and going to her concert is all she talks about. I don’t know if Ridge mentioned it, but I’m not able to go—a work thing came up, and it’s a dream gig that I just can’t miss.”
I waited for her to look at me before I said, “He didn’t tell me.”
“When I told him I couldn’t attend, he said he was going to bring Rhett.” She rolled her eyes. “We both know Rhett would rather stab his eyes out than go to that concert.”
I laughed. “Truth.”
I could see the hesitation in her gaze, the build-up, the courage that moved through. “Will you go with them?”
A question that definitely wasn’t easy for her to ask. In fact, I bet it was harder than I could even imagine.
I put my fingers on top of hers. “Yes. I would love to. Thank you, Jana.”
She gave me a slight nod and pulled her fingers away, and I took that as my cue, leaving her to go to the dance floor, where Daisy was turning in circles with the help of Ridge’s hand.
“Everything okay?” he asked as I joined them.
“Better than okay.”
He put his arm around my shoulders and kissed the side of my head. “Damn it, you amaze me.”
“It was something I had to do, Ridge. She’s Daisy’s mom.”
“Some women wouldn’t, and some women couldn’t—and then there’s you.” His eyes dipped down my body. “The most beautiful woman here, looking positively stunning in that rose-gold dress.”
I gave him a smile and an air kiss, and I grabbed Daisy’s other hand. “Look at you with all the moves,” I said to her. “Who knew you were such a good dancer?”
She held up her other arm. “Twirl me, Addy.”
“I have a better idea.” I scooped her up in my arms, her six-year-old body almost too big to hold the way I wanted, but I found a way to make her fit against me, and I held one of her hands and turned with her. “Tell me when to stop, okay?”
“Faster, faster.”
She laughed as I picked up speed, and during one of the rotations, I noticed Ridge had his phone in his hand and appeared to be taking pictures of us.
Daisy gave him a huge grin before she said, “Stop!”
I slowed and began to swing us instead.
That was when she cupped her hands over my ear and whispered, “You’re my daddy’s friend, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. Why?”
She continued to whisper, “I wish you were his girlfriend, not his friend.”
I let out a small laugh that I could no longer contain. “Do you think I should ask him to be my boyfriend?”
Daisy’s nod was exaggerated.
“Will you help me ask him?” I said to her.
“Yes!” She looked at her father and waved him over. “Daddy, come here!”
Ridge put his phone away and put one arm around Daisy and the other around me. “What can I do for you ladies?”
“Daisy has a very important question to ask you,” I said.
He looked at his daughter. “And that is?”
Her grin was so wide as she wiggled in my arms. “Will you be Addy’s boyfriend?”
Ridge chuckled.
“It was Daisy’s idea,” I told him, smiling. “And since it was, I thought she should be the one to ask you.”
Ridge leaned into Daisy’s ear and whispered something I couldn’t hear.
Daisy giggled just before he pulled away, and she put her hand on Ridge’s chest and another around my hair.
“Tell her,” Ridge nudged.
“Daddy says yes.”
“And what else did I say?” Ridge pushed.
“That he loves the both of us very much,” Daisy sang.