CHAPTER 13 #2
She giggles softly as she answers, “I don’t know about favorite, but I perfected homemade mac and cheese. It’s one of Wilde’s favorite foods, but he never wanted the kind in a box with powdered cheese sauce. He wanted cheese flakes, as he called them.”
“Cheese flakes?”
“Grated,” she informs me with amusement dancing in her eyes.
“Well,” I concede, “homemade mac and cheese is always better than the box.”
“Yeah,” she chuckles, “but it takes a lot longer to make. I always cooked it for him when he asked, but there were times when it would have been nice to just be able to pull the box out and have it ready in under ten minutes for him.”
“I bet it’s delicious. I find kids of that age have very discerning palettes,” I tease her.
Haven snorts out a laugh. Fuck, her laughter is a beautiful sound. My gut is telling me she hasn’t had enough laughter in her life, at least not before a year ago. I’m going to make sure that changes.
“Oh yes,” she shoots back, “very discerning. Chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and, of course, boogers.”
“Ugh,” I exclaim and screw up my face in disgust. “You just had to bring up boogers.”
Haven’s eyes sparkle and she doesn’t look the least bit sad about what she’s said. “You learn quickly to not be bothered by a lot of things when you become a parent.”
I scrunch my face up and my voice drops, “Like poop?”
“I was not prepared for how worried I would become about poop or how many conversations I would have about it,” she admits while cringing. “You good with poop talk?” The challenge in her question is clear, but I’m not one to scare easily.
I scoff, “I love poop talk. Are you kidding me? I live for it.”
Haven’s head falls back as laughter bubbles out of her. It’s not just laughter, it’s so much more. It’s joy. It’s pure and unfettered fucking joy.
The purity of the sound has me staring at her in wonder. She’s gorgeous all the time, but when she laughs? Fuck. I thought I was a goner before. Now I’m sure there’s no way I’ll ever get my heart or soul back.
Not that I want them. They’re Haven’s now.
To stop myself from launching over the island and claiming her body, I focus on getting everything ready for dinner.
It won’t take long to cook and I’m competent in the kitchen but doing it in front of her is a little nerve racking.
If I screw up, will she count it against me? Would it be enough to give up on us?
Anything could have her running scared at this point.
“I’ve already heard a lot about baby poop,” I tell her honestly. “Tenley and Wyatt are not shy when it comes to Kessler’s poop,” I warn her.
She giggles, “They’re desensitized. Or in shock. Probably a little of both.” Her voice softens slightly, “How old did you say Kessler is now?”
“Both Wyatt and Tenley talk about him in terms of weeks,” I scrunch up my face, “which I think is very weird. Still, he’s six months now.”
“Six months,” she breathes out, and her face goes all soft.
When she looks away from me, I can tell she’s not really seeing anything in front of her. No, she’s remembering something.
“Six months is such a great time with a new baby,” her voice is wistful. “Every day you can see more of the toddler and person they’re about to become. But they’re not quite there yet, either. But the peeks inside become longer visions.”
“Kess is a cute baby,” I tell her honestly.
“I hadn’t spent a lot of time around babies because no one had any.
Then one of the guys who used to work with us at Vibrant Ink before he went out and opened his own shop, Beckett,” I explain, “met the woman he ended up marrying. They started the whole kid thing, and his shop is filled to the gills with them. Amelia’s an awesome person and a great mom. You two would get along.”
Haven blushes softly, but her eyes are intent. She’s curious. Having her eyes on me makes me want to tell her everything and anything. It’s the best, or worst, kind of torture.
“They grew the people in their family, but we were more acquaintances in the same business and town.” I explain, “Like we’d grab a beer somewhere but wouldn’t go to their house for a kid’s birthday.”
“It sounds like that changed?”
I snort, “You could say that.” Haven rests her elbows on the island and cradles her chin with her hands, settling in for the story. “It all started two and a half years ago,” I start, “when Wyatt’s son, Ian, was dropped off on his doorstep.”
Haven’s eyes go wide with horror, and she gasps, “What?”
As I nod, I remember that day and how it changed all of our lives, Wyatt’s most of all. “He didn’t know he was a father and Ian was ten already.” I swallow hard and shake my head. “Wyatt was not prepared to become a father like that, but he stepped up. Not like he really had another option.”
“Some people would consider putting him in the system as an option,” Haven murmurs softly.
“That wasn’t something Wyatt was ever going to do,” I tell her, my voice firm.
“He just needed a little help from his family and the ability to process everything. We would have helped him as much as we could,” I admit, “but it’s not like we really knew what to do with a kid, considering none of us have one.
Wyatt went to Beckett and Amelia for help, and he got it.
” I chuckle and go about getting the water on the stove to boil for the noodles.
“Just like that?” There’s something like hope in Haven’s eyes and I know she needs more than just me at her back. I’ll be almost enough, but she also needs women who understand and friends who won’t think twice about showing up.
“Just like that,” I assure her. “I’m pretty sure Amelia had ordered everything Wyatt would need before he even got home.”
The smile that takes over Haven’s face is pure fucking magic. “At least he didn’t have to deal with the diaper stage,” she points out.
“Not with Ian,” I concede, “but he’s been making up for it with Kessler. I don’t think Tenley has changed a diaper unless Wyatt is at work.”
“Holy shit,” Haven breathes, and I almost choke on air because hearing her curse feels wrong…and right at the same time. “He’s a unicorn.”
“Although I will be telling him you said that,” I tease which earns me the privilege of watching her blush deepen, “he’s not a unicorn. He’s just a man who loves his woman and kids.”
Haven gets a thoughtful look on her face before she nods once as if she’s accepting my explanation. It’s a damn good feeling.
“Anyway,” I move the story along, “somewhere along the way it became obvious that Wyatt needed a nanny for the summer. He couldn’t reschedule all of his appointments, and a tattoo shop isn’t where Ian should have been spending all his time.
Needing a nanny brought Tenley into his life.
She’s the younger sister of Troy who works for Beckett and is part of their gigantic ass family.
” She giggles at my description, and I can’t help but tell her, “You should know their family, our family, consists of the security firm guys who help out at Safe Home and the rock band Suburban Outcasts.”
She sits up as her mouth falls open. “You’re joking.”
“Nope,” I assure her, popping the p, “but that’s a story for another day.”
“I have met some of the security guys,” she tells me softly. “They’re big and a little scary, but I know they would never hurt any of us. They’re intense and protective.”
“They’re good men,” I agree. “All of the main guys are former military. But you should see them with their women and children. I’ve never seen bigger teddy bears.”
I look around, making sure none of them are going to pop out from behind a corner or something. Haven doesn’t miss the action and covers her mouth with her hand to hide her laughter. I send her a mock glare, but her shoulders only shake more.
After clearing my throat and glancing around one more time, I turn towards her fully while getting my pan warmed up and everything laid out. I’m so glad I cut everything up earlier because I just need to dump and cook.
“Tenley needed a purpose. Wyatt needed a nanny. The rest went down pretty much how you would expect, I’m sure.
Wyatt tried to fight his feelings because she’s Troy’s sister and half his age.
” I shrug and get ready to cook. “It didn’t work, and they’ve been blissfully happy for two and a half years.
Ian is thriving and now Kessler has rounded out the family.
We’ve also all been pulled deeper into Becket’s family and are now expected at all birthday parties and family functions. ”
“Doesn’t sound half bad,” Haven muses.
She isn’t looking at me; she looks a million miles away with her gaze focused on the pan in front of me. As much as I want to know all her secrets, I know she’s not ready to tell me. And, honestly, she shouldn’t be.
I change the subject to music and bad reality television which she hasn’t watched in a while. We laugh over the sound of sizzling garlic and clinking ice after I get her a drink.
It’s exactly what I knew it would be.