Chapter 24
The streets of downtown Cleveland glittered beneath a soft snowfall.
The flakes caught the glow of the streetlamp as if the city were sprinkled with tiny diamonds.
Tachina watched the flakes swirl through the car’s window as Vic reached for her hand.
He gave it a light squeeze. His thumb brushed over her knuckles in a slow, tender movement.
The feel of him touching her gave her comfort.
One thing about Victor Maxwell, he always ensured she felt loved and safe around him.
Two months had passed since the mayor’s dinner, and life had settled into something she’d never thought she’d have again. Peace and stability. The new rhythm that Vic had set for them was so easy now. More so than it was before.
The Artisan Avenue was moving forward beautifully.
Her vision was underway, and it was shaping up exactly how she had imagined it.
Every day she went down to the building, she was rendered speechless to think that it was her dream and her sketches that were now being made into a reality.
Her email inbox was full of praises from other developers wanting to collaborate with her.
There was even a difference with Vic’s parents.
Not only had Nancy been kind and gentle, but so had his father, Graham.
The patriarch of the Maxwell family had always been a silent, gruff man when she was around.
Now he asked questions about herself or tried for a conversation when they were in the same room together.
Vic had been an amazing partner. He’d been attentive, protective, affectionate, and loving.
Tonight was supposed to be a simple date night for just the two of them.
With her entering her second trimester, and the nausea was sort of at bay now, Vic had insisted they celebrate with a night out on the town.
He’d chosen the most exclusive restaurant downtown, of course. It was perched on the top floor of a historic building with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. It had an intimate ambiance with flickering candles at every table and waiters in crisp black uniforms.
Violins played through the discreet speakers. The hostess offered to take their coats. Vic helped Tachina out of hers. She wore a deep-burgundy sweater dress that hugged her in all of the right places and highlighted her small bump peeking through.
“You look incredible,” Vic murmured. He handed her coat to the young lady waiting, then removed his.
“You’re just saying that.” Tachina smirked. She tried not to melt at the way he openly admired her.
He was dashing in his charcoal sports coat over a crisp button-down shirt.
He’d left the top two buttons open. His slacks were tailored perfectly for him.
His cologne was woodsy and made her want to tuck her face into the crook of his neck so she could breathe him in.
Everything about the man was powerful, rich, handsome… and hers.
“Come here.” He snagged her hand and bought him near him.
He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead that sent her knees weak.
Once the hostess checked in their coats, she handed Vic a small claim ticket. Another young lady escorted them through the establishment to a secluded table near the windows. It was a breathtaking view of the city. Her eyes widened as she stared out at the lights below.
“It’s beautiful out tonight,” she murmured as they took their seats.
The hostess ensured they had their menus before leaving with the promise that their waiter would be over soon. The candlelight highlighted Vic’s features and brought a sigh to her lips. She reached across the table and entwined their fingers together.
“It is,” he agreed. He tossed her a wink. “But I’m looking at the wrong thing if I’m looking outside.”
“Oh, please.” She snorted.
“What?” He chuckled. He raised her hand and kissed the back of it.
The waiter soon arrived and was wonderful in helping them choose their meals. Vic was brought his bourbon, while she was brought her Diet Coke. She would love to have a glass of wine, but Diet Coke would have to do for now. She sighed and reached for her glass and took a sip.
It didn’t take long for their dinner to arrive. The aromas had her mouth watering. Filet medallions with herbed butter for Vic, while she had chosen the pan-roasted chicken with lemon risotto. She could feel Vic’s eyes on her even when he was cutting his food.
Her appetite wasn’t huge yet, but she managed small bites here and there. Thankfully, no nausea.
“So…” She sat back in her seat and stirred the ice in her drink. She was taking a breather from her food. She didn’t want to eat too much too fast and risk getting sick. “Should we talk about how we are going to tell Kian?”
Vic leaned back and smiled. The candlelight flickered across his face. He reached for his drink and took a small sip before clearing his throat.
“We should just be straightforward,” he said.
“What? No, we have to make it fun for him.” She giggled.
Vic grinned and shook his head.
“Okay, so what would you suggest? We can tell him in the morning when he wakes up.”
“And what are we going to say?” She smiled at him.
His smile made the butterflies in her stomach go into overdrive.
“I was thinking…” He paused and stared off into space for a moment. His eyes softened as he blinked. He focused on her with a wide grin. “We can tell him that he’s getting a promotion.”
“A promotion?”
“Yes. He’s being promoted to Big Brother,” Vic said, nodding. “It’s a very important job. Comes with new responsibilities. A snack privileges increase. Can even get bedtime negotiation leverage.”
Her laughter bubbled forth. She could see Kian now and how excited he was going to be about gaining a sibling.
She thought of the conversation they’d had before and she laughed even harder.
They hadn’t had the ultrasound to learn the gender yet.
She just hoped her poor little son wouldn’t be disappointed.
“You had me at ‘promoted to Big Brother.’ The rest, you are just doing too much.” She sighed.
“Becoming a big brother is a job. I took it seriously,” Vic said.
“Yeah, and look how Logan turned out now,” she muttered.
The Maxwell brothers were close, and Kian did love his uncle.
What Vic had with his brother was what she wanted for Kian.
She had never imagined just having one child.
She’d always wanted Kian to have a sibling.
Someone who he could always depend on and have if something were to happen to her or Vic.
“I believe I heard something about how much you used to boss him around.”
“That’s what big brothers do.” Vic shrugged.
“Whatever.” She gave a giant side-eye at that notion.
He tossed his napkin at her. She caught it mid-air with both of them smiling.
She set the napkin down and sighed deeply. “He’s going to be so excited.”
“He’s going to be the best big brother,” Vic said.
“I know.” Her chest warmed at the thought of her baby not being a baby anymore. He constantly reminded her that he was now five. He wanted to do more things for himself, and all she could do was sit back and allow him to try.
She hadn’t wanted to get too far ahead of herself, but right now, everything felt right. Their family was growing. Their love was strong. All the fears and doubts she’d had at one point were left in the past. She was only focusing on their future.
“What about my parents? How do we tell them?” she asked.
It was unfortunate that Nancy had learned early by mistake. Vic had made her swear she wouldn’t tell anyone else.
Tachina reached for her fork and took another small bite of her chicken. She savored the taste and was thankful that her stomach was agreeing with her tonight.
Vic wiped his mouth with his napkin and took a sip of his drink. He thought for a moment before answering.
“Let’s have dinner at the house, then we can get Kian to be the one to tell them,” he said.
“Your house or mine?”
“Whichever home you want to be our home,” he said matter-of-factly.
She blinked and tilted her head to study him.
“What are you saying?” she asked. Her heart raced at the notion of what he was implying. Was he asking for them to share a home?
“I’m saying…” He paused and reached across the table and took her hand in his. “What I’m saying is that you should pick which house you want to be our home. Us together. All under one roof.”
Her breath froze. She stared at Vic to make sure he wasn’t joking. His gaze was steady, and the man was dead serious.
“I want us under one roof,” he said. “No more back and forth. No more living half a life. I want you, Kian, and the baby in one home. Our home.”
“Oh, Vic,” she breathed. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation. He squeezed her hand tight. “Unless you are not sure.”
Tachina’s head jerked in a nod before she could even think. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted them to have only one home. It had been a bit much to go back and forth. She was sure Kian would benefit from only having one home and not getting juggled around with their hectic schedules.
“I am sure,” she whispered.
“Then you decide. Do we move you two into my home, me into your home, or do I purchase a brand-new home for us all to move into?” he asked.
A familiar blonde head caught Tachina’s attention. She glanced over to her right and froze.
Sydney.
Her heart dropped as she noticed the blonde in her tight little dress and painful smile was making her way to their table. She walked awkwardly toward them as if she was hesitant to do so. Tachina would have been pleased if she’d ignored them the whole time she was here.
Out of all the restaurants in this city, they just had to run into her here, of all nights.
Behind Sydney stood an older man who appeared to be late fifties, distinguished and balding slightly. He seemed to be her date. He stayed back with the body language of a man who did not want to be a part of drama.
Vic tensed the moment he saw her.
When Sydney reached their table, she tried to smooth her expression into something polite. Instead, it appeared brittle and strained.
“Victor,” Sydney said quietly. “Tachina.”
Tachina gave her a slight nod, while Vic’s hardened glare was locked on the woman. Tachina stayed silent for the moment. There wasn’t anything she needed to say to the woman.
“I…um…I wanted to say something to you.” Sydney tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She forced a small smile.
“Make it quick. We are trying to enjoy our meal,” Vic snapped.
“Since you are here, I figured I would come and tell you first that I accepted a job in Chicago. I’m relocating,” she said.
Tachina blinked in surprise. That wasn’t what she’d been expecting.
Who was this woman standing in front of them?
Whatever had been said in that office that night had certainly changed Sydney.
Tachina eyed Vic and wouldn’t have been surprised if he had threatened her or something.
He must have something over this woman that had made her change her tune.
“Good for you,” Vic said flatly. His face was expressionless, almost bored-looking.
“And I…” Sydney swallowed hard. Her gaze flicked to Tachina before turning back to Vic. “I hope you’re happy. Truly. I hope this is everything you want.”
Ah, there goes the woman Tachina had come to know all of these years.
“Believe me. It is,” Vic growled.
Sydney tilted her chin upward. Her eyes darted to her date who seemed embarrassed that she was over here speaking with them. He must have known the situation between Sydney and Vic.
“Well, I need to go. Enjoy your dinner.” Sydney spun around, but she must have done it too fast. Her heel caught slightly on the carpet.
Her date rushed forward to steady her.
She waved him off. “I’m okay.”
Together, they stormed away toward the lobby.
What the hell was that all about? There was no need for her to feel compelled to tell Vic that she was moving. Tachina shook her head and was glad that chapter of their lives was done and now officially in the past.
She blew out a deep breath and turned back to Vic. He reached for her hand immediately.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m actually better than okay.” She smiled.
“Good.”
The waiter brought them refills, and the moment of Sydney’s intrusion faded. Vic lifted his glass and tilted it toward her.
She leaned her glass on his and smiled. “As I was about to say before I was rudely interrupted… We should move into your home. It’s perfect for us.
It has plenty of room, and Kian already has a bedroom there.
” She would have to decide what to do with her home.
Would she sell it or rent it out? She’d have to think about it.
But moving in with Vic was the sensible thing to do.
“You can renovate whatever you want,” he said. “I’m sure you already have ideas for the baby’s room.”
“You bet your ass I do.” She giggled. She had drawn out plenty of plans for a new nursery years ago when she’d first started getting baby fever. Her smile slowly faded. “But seriously. Your home is perfect already. It’s where my family already is.”
“Our family,” Vic murmured.
She nodded.
Their glasses clinked gently as if sealing the deal between them.
“I love you,” Vic said quietly.
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
In that moment, Tachina realized that she had everything she’d ever wanted. Her son, a new baby on the way, and a man who loved her fiercely. She finally had the future she had once dreamed of.