Chapter 39
DASH
Iwas gripping the door handle so hard I thought I might rip it clean off.
“Shit, Krista, that was a red light!”
“It was yellow,” she said, not even glancing at me as she took the corner like she was auditioning for Fast and Furious.
“Yellow means slow down, not accelerate through the intersection like you’re trying to break the sound barrier.”
She grinned, that wicked little smile that told me she was absolutely enjoying terrorizing me. “I thought you liked spontaneity. Living on the edge.”
“There’s spontaneity and then there’s a death wish. I like my body the way it is. I don’t want it mangled.” My phone buzzed in my hand. Callum. I answered, trying to sound casual instead of like a man begging for rescue. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Dash, hey. I wanted to—what’s that noise?”
The engine roared as Krista shifted gears again, weaving between two taxis with approximately three inches of clearance on either side.
“That’s just Krista driving my Porsche like she stole it.”
“You gave me the keys.”
“Under duress! You were naked. You cannot ask me for things when you’re naked!”
Callum laughed. “Sounds like you’ve got your hands full. Listen, I wanted to run some things by you. I’ve been talking with Cleo and we’ve got some ideas about the wedding line launch. Thought maybe you could consult since you crushed Santorini.”
I watched Krista blow past another car. My stomach did a complicated flip that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with how fucking hot she looked behind the wheel of my car.
Her hair was down, blowing in the wind because she insisted we put the top down.
She had one hand on the wheel, the other on the gear shift, completely confident and in control. It was doing things to me.
“Yeah, absolutely. I’d be happy to help.”
The car lurched forward as she accelerated onto the highway. I grabbed the handle again.
“You still there?” Callum asked.
“Barely. What did you have in mind?”
“Well, that’s the thing. It’s pretty involved. Probably better to discuss in person. Can you make some room in your schedule? Maybe later this week?”
“Sure. Just text me some times that work.”
Another sharp turn. I was going to have words with her about this. Many words. Possibly while naked because apparently my brain had decided reckless driving was foreplay.
“Will do.” I let out a very unmanly squeak when she switched lanes and floored it by a truck.
Callum was laughing now. “Okay, I’m going to let you go. Talk later?”
“If I survive, absolutely.” I hung up and turned to Krista. “You’re insane. You know that, right? Completely and utterly insane.”
“I’m a very good driver.”
“That’s not the point. This is a Porsche, not a goddamn tank.”
“Exactly. It’s made for performance. I’m just using it the way it was intended.” She downshifted smoothly, the engine purring as we took another turn. “You should see how I drive a Humvee.”
“I absolutely should not. I’d like to live long enough to see thirty-five.”
She reached over and patted my thigh, her hand lingering just long enough to make my pulse jump. “Relax. I’ve got this. I’ve driven in much worse conditions than Manhattan traffic.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“It should. I’ve never crashed.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
She shot me a look, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Are you really complaining? You look like you’re about to climb over the console and jump me.”
She wasn’t wrong. I shifted in my seat, trying to adjust myself without being too obvious about it. “That’s a separate issue.”
“Is it?” Her voice dropped lower, her hand inching up my thigh. “Because you’ve got that look. The one you get right before you—”
“Eyes on the road!”
She laughed, but she did focus back on driving. I did not want to show up to family dinner looking traumatized. This was the first real sit-down dinner with my family with Krista as my girlfriend. They all knew her on some level, but this was a whole new context.
We’d only been back in New York for three days, and most of that time had been spent in my apartment, naked, ordering takeout and talking about the house we were going to buy.
She’d already started researching neighborhoods, making spreadsheets comparing school districts and commute times.
Meanwhile, I’d been sketching out ideas for the creative space I wanted, thinking about how to set up a proper studio.
We were doing this. Actually doing this. Building a life together. She pulled to a stop behind the Range Rover I knew belonged to Adrian. It felt strange to not be moving at breakneck speed.
“See?” she said, turning to me with a smile. “We made it in one piece.”
“Barely.” But I was smiling too. I couldn’t help it. “You’re never driving my car again.”
“You say that now.”
“I mean it.”
“We’ll see.” She leaned over and kissed me, soft and sweet. “I bought this cute little scrap of lace that I was planning to wear later.”
“Oh shit,” I groaned and adjusted myself for the second time. “Just don’t ask me to burn anything down. I won’t have the strength to tell you no.”
She winked. “I know.”
I followed Krista up the steps to my mother’s brownstone, my hand on the small of her back as we reached the door. I could hear Buck’s delighted shrieking from inside.
This was home. Real home. Not the sterile apartment I’d been living in or the hotel rooms I’d bounced between. This was where my family gathered, where memories were made and life actually happened.
I knocked once before I pushed open the door. The smell of Mom’s cooking and the sound of chaos greeted us.
“Ready for this?” I asked Krista.
“I am.”
Buck was sitting on the floor playing with what looked like a toy fire truck, making siren noises that were probably giving everyone a headache but were somehow also adorable.
Elizabeth and Adrian were on the couch, heads bent close together, watching their son with matching expressions of pure joy.
Pride and joy. That phrase had new meaning for me.
Adrian’s hand rested on Elizabeth’s knee.
In the dining room, Sebastian and Bernadette were whispering to each other, both of them wearing goofy grins that made me think they were up to something.
Briggs and Mandy were in the kitchen with Mom, helping her with last-minute dinner prep.
Mandy was filling wine glasses while Briggs chatted with Mom about something that was making her laugh.
The sound of Mom’s laughter felt right. I hadn’t heard her laugh like that in years.
Real laughter, not the fake version she’d been using since Dad died.
“Dash!” Mom spotted us and immediately rushed over, pulling me into a hug before doing the same to Krista. “I’m so glad you’re both here. Come in, come in.”
Buck abandoned his fire truck and launched himself at my legs. I scooped him up, holding him against my hip. “Hey, Buckaroo. What’s this I hear about you learning new words?”
“Seff!” he announced proudly, pointing toward the dining room where Sebastian was still whispering with Bernadette.
“That’s right. Uncle Seff.” I kissed the top of his head and set him back down. He immediately ran to Krista and grabbed her hand, tugging her toward his toy collection.
I watched her crouch down to his level, letting him show her the fire truck. She was a natural with him. The thought of her holding our kid someday made my throat tight.
“You good?” Adrian appeared beside me, handing me a beer.
“Yeah. Really good.” I took a sip, watching Krista smile at some nonsense words Buck said. “This feels right, you know?”
“I do know.” Adrian clinked his beer against mine. “Welcome home, brother.”
The words settled over me like a blanket. Welcome home. Not welcome back. Home. Like I’d finally arrived at the place I was supposed to be all along. Like all the times I had attended dinner in the past were me visiting.
We all gathered around the dining table a few minutes later. Mom had gone all out—roasted chicken, vegetables, fresh bread, all the things she used to make when Dad was alive. The table was loud with conversation and laughter, everyone talking over each other.
“So,” Sebastian said, turning his attention to me. “Now that you’ve had some time to think about it, will my little brother be leaning more into his creative talents?”
I felt everyone’s eyes turn toward me. I took a sip of wine, letting the moment stretch out just long enough to make Sebastian squirm.
“Yeah, I think I’d like that,” I said finally.
“Great news,” Briggs said. “You should be doing more creative stuff.”
“I agree,” Adrian added. “We’ve been talking about expanding the creative team anyway. This makes sense.”
My brothers were backing me up. Trusting me to take on more responsibility. That was not something I ever would have expected.
“So who’s going to handle logistics?” Mom asked. “That’s a big role to fill.”
Everyone turned to look at Krista.
She set down her fork, her expression calm. “I would be honored to work with the Blackwell family again. If you’ll have me.”
“If we’ll have you?” Elizabeth laughed. “Krista, you’re a miracle worker. We’d be lucky to have you.”
“I’ll draw up a contract,” Briggs said. “We can make it official by the end of the week.”
My family. My girl. My future. All of it coming together in ways I never could have imagined when they first thrust the idea of a consultant at me.
“We have something to tell you all,” Sebastian said.
The table went quiet. Bernadette was blushing. Sebastian’s grin was so wide I thought his face might split in half. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to guess what they had to say.
“We’re pregnant,” Bernadette said softly.
The table erupted. Mom started crying immediately, rushing around to hug Bernadette. Elizabeth was squealing. Adrian was clapping Sebastian on the back. Buck seemed confused by all the noise but joined in the excitement anyway, shrieking and clapping.
I got up and pulled Sebastian into a hug. “Congratulations, man. You’re going to be a great dad.”
“Thanks. I’m terrified and excited.”
When I sat back down, Briggs was grinning at me across the table. “So it’s a race then. Me and Mandy versus you and Krista. See who gives Mom her next grandkid first.”
I felt Krista tense slightly beside me. I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles.
“I’m in no rush,” I said, meeting Briggs’s eyes. “I want to take my time for once. Slow down. Savor the moment.” I turned to look at Krista. “We have time. And for once in my life, I’m going to do things the right way.”
She smiled at me. “The right way sounds perfect.”
“Besides,” I added, turning back to Briggs with a grin. “Someone has to be the cool uncle. Can’t do that if I’m changing diapers at the same time as everyone else.”
“You’re just scared,” Briggs shot back.
“Terrified,” I agreed. “But I’m okay with that.”
Mom raised her glass. “To family.”
We all raised our glasses. I looked around the table at the faces I’d known my whole life and the new faces that had become just as important. My brothers with their wives. My nephew. My mom. And Krista, fitting into this chaos like she’d always been meant to be here.
I thought about Dad. He would have loved this. And I had a feeling he would have probably fallen at Krista’s feet thanking her for putting me back on the right path. I think he would have been proud of the man I was becoming. I had finally figured out what mattered.
I turned and pressed a kiss to Krista’s temple. “I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you too.”
This was home. This was everything I’d been running from and everything I’d been running toward. And I was finally ready to stop running and just be here.