Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
GRANT
“Are you sure you want to do this with me?” Georgia asks, not for the first time.
“Relax, Cowgirl.” I kiss her, because I know it’s the fastest way to get her to stop talking. “I wouldn’t be here if I was worried.”
“Is there a reason I had to come?” Luke asks from the couch.
“Because you want to hang out with us?” It comes out as more of a question than anything.
“Try again, Dad,” he says.
Georgia drops down behind her couch, batting her lashes at him. “Because little boys think teenagers are cool, and if Max gets bored, you can help entertain him.”
Luke tries to play it cool, but he’s smiling at her. “Fine. But only because Dad promised to make gnocchi.”
“Only because you ate all the leftovers last week. And you know that I can make something else besides gnocchi, right?”
“Yeah, but I love your gnocchi,” Luke says.
“Me too,” Georgia agrees.
After Georgia’s confession the other night about her past, it all makes sense to me. Why she is so closed off to others. About why she didn’t want kids.
It made me fall for her even harder. How could I not? The soft smile she’s casting my direction makes my insides swirl.
Fuck.
I’m damn near in love with this woman, but I don’t want to scare her off. For now, I’ll show up for her in every way. Prove to her I’m not like the family who left her behind.
We let the dinner go and ate cereal in bed. It was just what she needed. And I’ll give this woman anything.
“Will Max like gnocchi?” I ask.
“It’s like pasta.” She laughs. “He’s four and will eat anything.”
“Good.”
A knock sounds from the door, and Georgia goes to answer it.
“There’s my favorite guy,” she says.
“Aunt Georgia!” Max wraps his arms around her as Joey and Sam follow him inside.
“You are seriously the best for watching him tonight,” Joey says.
“It’ll be good practice for us,” Georgia says.
“Grant.” I extend my hand to Joey’s boyfriend.
“Sam. Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“Thanks for giving us the night off,” he says. “Max is really excited.”
“I am too.” I smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve been around kids his age.”
Sam spots Luke, who’s eyeing us. “It’s been a while since I’ve been around teenagers, so if you need a night off, we can always watch him. Prepare us for what’s coming.”
“Hey,” Luke interjects. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I know.” I laugh.
Sam passes me a backpack. “Max packed everything he wanted to bring tonight, and I threw in pajamas and a change of clothes in case he makes a mess.”
“Thanks.”
“We won’t be too late,” Joey says. “But if Max gets tired, we brought some books if you want to put him to bed.”
“Who are you?” Max asks Luke, moving around the couch.
“I’m Luke. You’re Max. Remember I helped you make your s’mores at the ranch a few weeks ago?”
“They were yummy.” Max smiles at him. “Are you going to play with me tonight?”
“Uhh, I can. What do you want to play?”
“Tag?” Max asks.
“Sure.” Luke stands and takes Max into the backyard.
“Well, it looks like they’ll be friends,” Georgia says.
Joey kisses her cheek. “Thanks for tonight, babe. Text me if you need anything. You’ve got this.”
“I know. Have fun.”
We wave them off and close the door. Happy laughter filters in from the backyard. Going to the window in the kitchen, I see the two of them chasing after one another.
“You think it’s going to be this easy with our kid?” I ask.
“I hope so.”
The two of us work together making dinner while we watch the boys play outside. I’ve missed this feeling. Having someone by my side to help with the little things. To talk about our day together. To cook together.
It’s nice not being on my own.
It’s even better that I get to do these things with Georgia. She slathers the butter on a French loaf for garlic bread when a wail cuts through the contented quiet.
“What’s wrong?” I drop the gnocchi in the sink, not caring what happens to it.
“I have a boo-boo,” Max cries.
“Let me see.” I hoist him up onto the counter. It’s a small scrape, a tad red, but no blood.
“Sorry, Max,” Luke says, coming up beside him.
“It’s okay,” he says, wiping his nose.
“I’ll clean it up and then why don’t we have some dinner, okay?”
Max nods. Georgia passes me a warm washcloth and I press it against his knee. He lets out a small whine, but he handles it like a champ.
“What were you guys doing out there?” I ask.
“Luke was teaching me baseball,” he says.
“You were?” My eyes shoot to Luke’s.
He shrugs a shoulder. “We had a ball and some sticks. I figured it’d be easy.”
Georgia nudges me from the side. I know exactly what it means.
Play it cool, you idiot.
Because if I give any attention to Luke having interest in baseball again, I’ll kill it before it takes hold.
“Did you score a run?” I ask Max.
Max looks to Luke who nods. “He did. He won the game.”
That brightens Max’s face. “Yay.”
“I think you’re all set. Why don’t you two go set the table and I’ll bring dinner out.”
Luke grabs the bowls and has Max help him. It’s hard not to watch the two of them work together.
“They’re really sweet together,” Georgia whispers, helping me finish dinner.
“I don’t want to jinx it, but Luke is going to be a really good big brother.”
“Nothing to jinx. Max already adores him, and I have a feeling our baby will be just the same.”
I kiss her before ewws hit our ears.
“You kiss like Mommy and Dad,” Max says.
“Yeah, it’s gross.” Luke laughs.
“Kids these days.” I shake my head.
Max makes an absolute mess of his dinner, telling us all about his day at school and the horse he got to ride at the ranch last week. Luke takes an interest in that, asking different questions.
I love that he’s interested in something new. In something that Georgia can bond with him over.
I clean up dinner while Georgia, Max, and Luke go outside to play another game of tag.
I join them after. All four of us are chasing each other well into sunset.
When the fireflies start, we head inside to make popcorn and watch a movie.
Luke stretches out on the chair, while Max curls up between me and Georgia on the couch.
Max giggles at the dogs chasing each other and Luke mimics the noises. I would have been happy with a girl, but I can’t wait to see Luke with a little brother. They’re so damn cute together and I love it.
Max falls asleep in Georgia’s arms while the movie plays softly in the background. Luke is snoring soundly from the other side of the room.
“I guess they both wore each other out,” I whisper.
Georgia nods. “Should we put them to bed?”
“Let’s leave them be. I don’t want to wake Max up.”
She brushes the hair off his head as he curls farther into her side.
If I wasn’t in love with Georgia before, I sure as fuck am now. Watching her love on Max—one of her best friend’s kids—makes it easy to see how great of a mom she’ll be. I knew this already, but seeing it is an entirely different thing.
I rub her feet as the movie plays on. This is what I want. The two of us, falling in love together. Georgia might not be there yet, but I know she’ll get there.
Because it’s the two of us.
And I’m not going anywhere.