Chapter 19
NINETEEN
EDDIE
With the early morning sun filtering through the blinds and Pearce’s warm body draped over me, I smiled. Legit full-on grinned.
Maybe the story of how Pearce proposed to me would have to change slightly for public hearing, but with every beat in my heart, I knew it wasn’t a question asked in the heat of the moment. One asked in lust or the panic of the stress and disappointment of yesterday.
No. When Pearce had asked me to marry him, I’d looked into his hazel eyes and beyond the heat in them. I’d felt his love encompass me, reflecting my own.
There was no confusing that with misplaced passion.
The gulf of what would happen next remained between us, but having the next step, the knowledge he’d be my husband, settled the worry that had refused to be at peace since I’d admitted that Pearce was so much more than my best friend.
Foolish or not, I wasn’t even concerned about telling Lottie. I trusted that I knew my daughter well enough that while she may initially be surprised by this development, she’d be happy for me. For us.
“You’re grinning.”
Pearce’s sleep-heavy voice licked against my skin. I angled to see him as he moved his head off my chest and reached for me, seeking out my mouth.
I kissed him, slow and sweet, barely able to keep the same grin he’d pointed out off my face.
“I’m happy,” I said easily, so matter-of-factly that there wasn’t a hint of embarrassment in me for saying something so honest aloud.
“Thank fuck. I was worried about opening my eyes in case I dreamed it.”
When he sighed, I realized he spoke the truth. There wasn’t a hint of teasing in his breath. I shuffled down so we lay on our sides, face-to-face, and stroked his messy hair from his forehead. He practically preened at my touch, edging in even closer.
“No dream.”
Opening his eyes, he studied my face, his emotions front and center for me to absorb. “How do you want to tell Lottie?”
“Over breakfast.”
“And about you being my fiancé?” Pink flushed his cheeks as he followed up with a chuckle. “Fuck, that sounds weird, but so fucking amazing.”
I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. “We tell her everything.” His brows shot high, amusement glinting in his eyes. “The PG stuff that she needs to know.”
“And then we need to figure everything out.”
My heart beat a fast tattoo in my chest at his word. “Damn…”
“What?”
“Being engaged makes you all assertive and a certifiable grown-up.” I bounced my brows. “It’s hot.”
In response, he licked my face. “Yep, totally grown up.”
“Ew.” I shoved at him, laughing loudly. “I take it back.”
The wind was knocked out of me before I could bat an eye. He had me pinned, hips and arms trapping me.
“Take that back.” He narrowed his eyes at me, though he couldn’t disguise the humor filling them.
“No chance I’m taking back my yes, but the official grown-up status is on hold.”
“Fair enough.” A sweet kiss followed, one that thickened my cock. “Mmmm.” He rocked against me. “Morning frottage sounds like an awesome way to wake up.”
I squeezed his ass cheeks, only to pause when I heard movement down the hallway. “We’re going to have to put a pin in that amazing idea.”
His gaze softened, a nervous smile tugging at his lips as he peered down at me. “She won’t freak out, right?”
I wrapped my arms around him, finding his nervousness ridiculously adorable. “You know she loves you. It’ll be fine.”
“You really think that?”
“Let’s go find out. She’ll be finished in the bathroom in a tick.” Leaning up, I traced his lips with mine for the briefest of kisses. It was time to get dressed and speak to Lottie. I wanted to get this out there. That way we could work out what came next.
Once we both pulled on tees and shorts, we left my room. Nervous excitement fizzed in my stomach. But before I plowed right in with our announcement, I needed to check she was feeling okay and wasn’t in pain.
During the night I’d paid a couple of visits to her room, relieved to find her sleeping solidly. With a fresh new day, I hoped she’d be feeling brighter after her awful night.
“Hey, kiddo,” I greeted, dotting a kiss on her head. The TV blared out sports reports, and her gaze remained fixed to it as she sat on the couch with her feet tucked under her. “How are you feeling this morning?”
When she pulled her attention away from yesterday’s League game overview, which I winced at, she bobbed her head. “Okay. My arm hurts a bit, but not as much as yesterday.”
I examined her face, happy to see no dark rings under her eyes, amazing since she didn’t get to bed till midnight.
It reminded me that I needed to call her school.
Lottie had missed so much school already this semester, which she wasn’t that cut up about, but I didn’t like the thought of her falling even further behind.
“Let me get you some anti-inflammatory pills, then I’ll make a quick call to your school. Back at school on Monday for your final week, though, if you’re up for it.”
“It’s the last week so we only play games, so it wouldn’t matter so much if I didn’t go.”
I chuckled. “Uh-huh, but I think it’s best if you go in anyway.”
“Fine.” She dragged the word out, and Pearce’s chuckle caught my attention. Standing in the doorway, he looked so fucking delectable and at home.
On seeing him, Lottie grinned. A split second later, her smile slipped, and she glanced at the TV. “I can turn it off.”
God, I loved this kid so damn much.
Moving away from the doorway, Pearce shook his head. “It’s okay. Watching this stuff helps me improve my game.” He took a seat next to her, and whether she realized it or not, she shuffled closer to him, leaning in enough that she made her intentions clear.
Pearce sent a quick look my way, his eyes soft as he wrapped his arm around her. Immediately, she leaned against him, injured arm away from his body.
“That’s good. It wasn’t all bad. Jetts were the stronger team in this game.
” She angled to peer at his face. “But you made it all the way to the conference finals, Pearce.” Her brows lifted high.
“That’s incredible. I’m proud of you.” Lottie followed up with a pat on his chest, near where her head leaned.
The sweet gesture, the compassionate words were more than I thought any ten-year-old capable of. Emotion flooded me, and from the expression on Pearce’s face, he battled with emotion of his own.
“Thanks, kiddo. That means a lot.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head, flicking his gaze at me.
I shot him an emotional smile before huffing out a breath and clearing my throat. “Okay. Breakfast?”
“Yes, please,” Lottie answered. “Pancakes. They’ll make my arm feel better.” There was no missing her crafty grin.
“Uh-huh. In that case, pancakes it is.”
“I’ll come help.” Pearce made to move but I waved him off.
“You stay here with Lottie. I’ll call you when food’s ready.”
Snuggling back next to Lottie, he shot me a grateful smile. “Thanks. I’ve already put a pot of coffee on.”
“You’re the best.”
I left them to it and set about making breakfast while trying to think about what to say to Lottie.
When Pearce and I spoke about it earlier, I’d pushed confidence into my response.
Wanting to reassure him and ease his anxiety had been easy.
But it didn’t stop my stomach from twisting or my heart from galloping.
There could be no sugarcoating what was happening. Not that our news needed sweetening. How could it, when it made me so happy? The shock factor would be there, though. It was the surprise of it all that had me dropping an egg on the floor and burning one pancake.
Once I finally managed to make a decent stack and crisped up the bacon without incinerating it, I called Pearce and Lottie, figuring we’d sit around the smaller kitchen table just off to the side rather than at the breakfast bar. This way I could read Lottie’s reaction.
They filed in.
I placed a couple of pancakes and bacon on Lottie’s plate, cutting everything up for her.
“This is so annoying,” she grumbled.
“It hasn’t even been a day.” I quirked my brow at her. “Your pills are there too.”
Anyone would think I was offering her something toxic by the way she scrunched up her nose, but she dutifully swallowed them with her juice, knocking her head so far back to swallow that I had to work to not laugh.
“You’ll be able to cope with cutting your own food. I promise. You’re just sore and a little awkward at the moment. The weeks will fly on by,” I said sympathetically.
“And at least you won’t be stuck in Alabama,” Pearce supplied, cutting off a large piece of pancake. “You have time with your mom, then get to come and spend some time with us.” He finished with a flourish of his fork and crammed the syrup-dripping pancake in his mouth.
I had to look away, too tempted to lean in and swipe a drip of syrup from his mouth.
“That’s true. And at least it’s my—” She looked at her hands and made an L-shape with her pointer finger and thumb. “—left hand.”
“True.” Pearce winked at her before glancing at me. The expression told me enough. He was nervous and wanting to get this done. Giving a barely perceptible nod, I cleared my throat and placed down my utensils.
“Lottie, I’ve… that is, Pearce and I have something we want to talk to you about.”
As she chewed, she bobbed her head, eyes bright and so unaware.
With my pulse picking up speed, the sound drummed loudly in my ears. Jesus, my nerves were ridiculous. “Actually, there’s also something we want to tell you.” I swallowed hard and opened my palm toward Pearce.
His cheeks flushed immediately, but he quickly placed his hand in mine and squeezed.
A small, nervous smile lifted his lips, and he turned his attention to Lottie.
My gaze followed in the same direction, landing on Lottie.
Wide-eyed, her head moved as she drifted her focus from our faces to our hands and back up again.
“Pearce and I—”
“For real?” she interrupted. While her face was hard to read, I didn’t hear anything bad in her tone.