Chapter 37 #2
Beau and Shelby share a look before each turning on their heels, storming off in separate directions of the bakery. Beau charges back to the kitchen. Unfortunately for Shelby, she doesn’t have very far to go, but instead of admitting defeat, she decides to walk out of the bakery.
She’ll be back. I think. I hope. We made her favorite dessert—carrot cake—and we haven’t even cut into it yet.
“Thank you for inviting us,” Kitty says as I step behind her, because apparently, I’m incapable of being out of reach of my child for more than five minutes. “We already love this little guy.”
“He’s easy to love. And like I could have a baby welcome party without you two.”
“You really couldn’t,” Phyllis says. “Oh! And let us know when you’re going to be back to work. We have booties for him.”
“You two already got us gifts. You didn’t need to do that.”
“We would’ve brought them today, but they aren’t ready.”
I’m confused. “What do you mean they aren’t ready?”
“It’s a hundred pairs of booties,” Kitty says. “Oh! And some blankets.”
I had to have heard them wrong. “A hundred?”
“We asked the girls at the assisted living facility to start knitting. They got a little carried away. The last sewing meeting is next week to finish them all up.”
I laugh because that’s too sweet. But also, what the hell am I going to do with all of those? “Thank you. I’ll make sure we send you guys back with treats for everyone.”
“See! I told you!” Phyllis says as she smacks Kitty’s arm. “She didn’t believe me that I thought we could work on trade. Booties for bear claws.”
“Now that sounds like something I can get behind,” Maddox says as he steps behind me, wrapping his arms around my midsection. “I hate to interrupt, but the little guy is being requested. Asher’s daughter really wants to hold him.”
“Oh absolutely,” Phyllis says as she gives Ace to Maddox. “Now, let’s talk about this trade deal.”
“Never mind her,” Kitty says. “You go enjoy your party. And thank you again for inviting us.”
I give each of them a hug before stepping back and looking around my bakery, and inside it is every single person I love.
Mom and Dad flew to Nashville the day after Ace was born and were able to come back now three weeks later for the official welcome party for Ace Jacob Gallagher.
Maddox’s mom, sister, and niece were also able to fly down from Iowa, and even Hannah got away for a day to be here.
I believe her words were: “The kids and husband can fend for themselves. I need to meet my nephew.”
Of course, our Nashville contingent is in attendance.
Josie, who helped prepare everything and has been my rock while I’ve been gone on maternity leave.
Shelby, if she ever comes back after her dramatic exit.
Beau, Theo, and Asher, and of course, his daughter, Adalyn, who looks adorable right now in her pig tails and blue dress as she holds Ace with the help of Asher supporting his head.
We have Linc and Ainsley, and obviously, we had to invite Maddox’s new best friend, Simon, and his wife Charlie.
They brought their daughter, Lainey, who has fit right in with Adalyn and Maddox’s niece.
It’s a sight to see. And I love every minute of this.
“Everything good boss?”
“Quit calling me that, at least today,” I say as I nudge Josie’s shoulder. “Your work is done. Just enjoy it now.”
“That I can do,” she says as she picks up a chocolate peanut butter brownie. “I get why you craved these. They are really good. Did you do something different though? There’s something different about them?”
“I didn’t bake them,” I say. “I thought you did?”
“Me? You know I can’t get the peanut butter sauce right,” she says. “Whoever did it, I’m glad they’re here. Because I can’t make them, but I sure as shit can eat them.”
Maddox sends me a wink like I’m supposed to know what that means. Wait, is he signaling me to the brownies? He didn’t make these. He couldn’t have.
Right? Right.
Maddox laughs and I make a mental note to talk to him later about whatever that was.
Josie went all out when I told her that I wanted to have everyone at the bakery to officially meet Ace.
And she didn’t disappoint. Cookies, cupcakes and mini cheesecakes.
Scones, cherry danishes and apple tarts before they go out of season.
Carrot cake for Shelby. Cinnamon rolls for Beau.
And of course, bear claws for Maddox.
The dessert that started it all.
I felt bad I couldn’t help her more, but I did try a little.
It’s been three weeks since Ace came into the world, and while I know I’m not ready to come back to the bakery full time, it has been nice to get in here every once in a while to remember the life I have outside of feeding, changing diapers, and washing bottles.
Seriously, how does a baby who now weighs a whopping eight pounds, three ounces go through so many diapers? I was ready for it—at least I thought. It only took me two days to realize I vastly underestimated how many diapers we’d go through in a day.
And how many outfits he’d wear.
And how many showers I thought I’d take.
But I wouldn’t trade any of that for the world. And neither would Maddox.
With the timing of Ace’s arrival, Maddox was able to miss a few days of practice before he reluctantly went back.
Luckily, it was a home game, and Coach McAvoy gave him a waiver to spend the night with me and Ace instead of the team hotel that Saturday.
I’m so glad he’s with a team that values family like the Fury, because I don’t know what I’d do if he hadn’t been there with me that first week.
I can’t ever believe that I had a single worry that Maddox wouldn’t want to be part of this child’s life. I know we’re only a few weeks in, but no way could you ever convince me that this man won’t be one-thousand-percent in our child’s life in any way he can.
And I think he’s starting to believe it, too.
I know he was worried that he could be like his dad.
That when the baby came, he’d be scared and eventually panic and leave.
That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Maddox regularly takes the nighttime feedings, even if he has practice in the morning, and always takes care of bath time.
When I told him once that I could do it if he wanted to relax after practice, he told me to go lay down and rest. It was only after I walked past the bathroom and heard Maddox talking to Ace—like he did the day he was born—that I understood why.
It’s their time. The time for the two of them. I know something like that only goes on for so long, but I hope they always have something like that.
Because if there’s one thing I haven’t underestimated is how much Maddox is not like his father. Not even close.
“You okay?”
Maddox’s arms snake around me, his lips next to my ear before he kisses my cheek.
“Yeah. Just taking it all in.”
Maddox stands with me, doing the same, as we watch our family and friends love on our little guy.
Theo is holding him now, and I laugh as Kitty and Phyllis are literally drooling over the tattoo-covered baseball player holding a baby.
At some point, Shelby has come back in, her eyes going from loving when she’s looking at Ace, to daggers when she’s looking at Beau.
And sure, there might be a touch of hatred between my best friend and my brother, but it doesn't outweigh the love that is in this room. Nor does it cover the love I feel every day from the man standing behind me.
“How did we get so lucky?” Maddox says as I fall back into his hold. “Sometimes this doesn’t feel real.”
“I ask myself that every day.”
And I do. Maybe not that exact phrase. But each morning when I go to feed Ace, I look at him and think about how much my life has changed in less than a year.
At this time last year, I was in the middle of an ugly divorce. The bakery had just opened. I was trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t know what was next.
I surely never expected this.
Having a thriving business. Being with a man who loves me endlessly. A son who will one day call me “Mommy.”
Who knew all I had to do was go to Vegas, take a dare, and put on a sequin dress, for the rest of my life to come into shape.
“Oh fuck!” Shelby yells and we quickly turn our attention to her. At some point, it looks like she took hold of Ace, who has his “yup. I pooped” face. And judging by Shelby’s reaction? It’s a blowout of epic proportions.
“Shelby! Bad word!” Adalyn yells, which makes Beau laugh harder than he ever has.
“Make her pay Adalyn!” Beau says. “Actually, she called me a really bad name earlier. Can she pay for that too?”
“Oh fuck you Devereaux,” Shelby says before walking over to us. “Here. Take your child.”
Maddox takes Ace from Shelby. and yup, upon further inspection, our son ruined another onesie.
“This is our life, huh?”
“Damn right it is,” Maddox says, giving me one more kiss on the cheek. “And I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Neither would I. Not one bit.