Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
Deacon
I’ve never looked forward to a Sunday before. But tonight, I get to see Aurora for the first time in days. We’re having dinner and then I’m going to take her to bed and take us both to places we’ve never been before.
Aurora and I have exchanged texts while I’ve been at the townhouse, but we haven’t managed to speak to each other.
I’ve tried her a couple of times and she’s been at work.
Once, she was out to dinner with “friends.” I tried not to act like a deranged, jealous prick and demand she tell me who her friends were.
And she didn’t offer up any more information.
I know our chemistry is undeniable. I just have to be patient.
As I’m zipping up my carry-on that I take to the hotel, my mobile rings. It’s Gabby.
My heart begins to pound. She never calls me. And it’s eight. Isn’t she meant to be arriving any second? She could just speak to me when she gets here. Maybe it’s urgent.
“Yes?” I say when I pick up.
“Hi, Deacon,” she says. “I have a favor to ask you.”
“What?” I snap.
I can hear Willow calling out from downstairs, and I don’t know if it’s me she’s asking for or Lucia.
“I have a vomiting bug,” Gabby says. “I’ve been up all night.”
My shoulders sag with relief. I don’t know what I was expecting her to say, but it was worse than that.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I say.
“Ray has it too. I don’t want to spread it to Willow or Lucia. I wondered if you’d stay with her tonight? Until I feel better.”
“Of course,” I say, without thinking.
“If you have plans, I’m sure the nanny will babysit.”
“I don’t have any—” Then I realize I’m meant to be having dinner with Aurora. “It’s fine,” I say. “Of course I’ll stay with her.”
“Thank you. Oh, and I’ve been thinking about things since our conversation. I agree that it’s a good idea for you to stay in the townhouse. I’ll get the lawyers to draft up our new agreement.”
My stomach churns. I knew it was coming. I agreed to the change and I get to stay in the townhouse. But I still feel sick at the thought of everything changing for Willow. She deserves better. She deserves not to have to worry about where she’s sleeping every night.
“I gotta go,” Gabby says, her voice strained. The phone goes dead.
Jesus. Thank god she’s not coming over and giving whatever she has to Willow.
“Hey, Willow,” I call, going out onto the landing. “You get Daddy for another night,” I say.
The squeal I get in response tells me she’s heard me. I lean over the banister, exactly how I’ve told Willow not to do, and see her on the ground floor staring up at me.
“Really?” she says. “We get to spend the whole of Sunday together?”
“The whole of Sunday.” I could get Lucia to sit tonight, but I don’t want to miss a moment with Willow. Plus, she might be upset that her mother is unwell. I don’t want to leave her if she’s discombobulated already.
Willow sticks both her thumbs up at me. “Will you come and play Lego with me? And can we go to Serendipity? And the park? The big park?”
I chuckle. “We’ll talk about it when I get downstairs. I have to make a quick phone call.”
“Don’t be long,” she says, and I shake my head.
“Never has a woman been so demanding,” I mutter to myself.
I turn back to my bedroom and dial Aurora’s number.
“Hey,” I say as she answers.
“Hey,” she replies, her voice croaky with sleep.
“Did I wake you?”
“I have to be in at ten. What time is it?”
“Eight,” I reply.
The rustle of covers comes down the phone. “Okay, now I’m awake. Oh. You’re calling me. You’re canceling.”
Disappointment swirls in my gut. “I’m sorry. Gabby has a vomiting bug, so she can’t come and take over here.”
“It’s okay,” she says. “I understand.”
To someone who doesn’t know her, she sounds like she gets it. Like she’s unbothered. But there’s a hint of forced breeziness that tells me she’s disappointed.
“I’m disappointed,” I say.
“You get to hang out with Willow. I think you’ll live.”
“What are you going to do?” I say.
She pulls in a breath. “Go to work.”
“Tonight though?”
“I don’t know,” she says. “Something. Don’t worry about me.”
“I’m not worried. I’m just…” I want to split myself in two and spend the evening with Aurora and also not leave my daughter.
Actually, maybe I could.
There’s an obvious solution to this.
Aurora could come here.
I swallow. Can she? Do I want her to?
I’ve never come close to introducing a woman to Willow. Never even considered it. A romantic relationship has just not been a focus for me. I’ve been focusing on my business and how to be the best dad I can be. All I’ve cared about for years is my daughter.
But now? Now I hate knowing that Aurora is upset.
And I want to spend the evening with Aurora. Willow will be in bed anyway. Not that I would sneak Aurora in. I would hate for Willow to wake up and find a stranger in her house.
No, if Aurora came round, she’d have to meet Willow. Of course, I’d have to get the okay from Gabby, but I know my ex well enough to know she wants me to meet someone, settle down, and be happy.
Introducing Aurora to Willow feels big.
But it doesn’t feel wrong.
“Come over to the townhouse tonight,” I say.
Silence.
“Tonight?” Aurora says finally.
“Tonight. If you come at six thirty, you can meet Willow, and then after bedtime, we can order in and have dinner at home.”
I can hear Aurora’s breathing down the line. I just want to see inside her brain. What’s she thinking?
“I don’t know,” she says.
“What don’t you know about?”
“I don’t want you to introduce me to your daughter because you feel bad about canceling our date.”
“That’s not it,” I say. “At least that’s not all of it. I want to see you. And…I think it might be…nice.” As I say the words, the idea forms in my head more clearly. I bet Willow and Aurora will like each other. The two of them are the most likeable people I know.
“I’m leaving in three months, Deacon. Not even. It’s less than two months now.”
I’ve always known that Aurora wasn’t in New York permanently, but I didn’t really think much about it.
Until now.
I hate the idea that she’s going back to the UK so soon.
“I know you like Willow to have consistency and stability,” she continues. “Are you sure you want to introduce her to someone who will disappear soon?”
Willow’s already said that she wants me to have friends. She can meet Aurora. They’re not going to get attached in an hour. It might even mean that Willow feels happier about me being on my own three nights a week.
“There are no blood oaths to take. You won’t see her for long before she’s in bed. I’ll send a car for you.”
More silence, and I can see Aurora’s face as she tries to make the decision.
“Okay,” she says. “I have to go or I’m going to be late for work.”
“I’ll see you later.”
I can hear her smile when she says, “I’ll see you later.”
I end the call and try to bite back a grin. Aurora’s going to be here tonight. I get to have the best of both worlds.
“Daddy,” Willow screams from downstairs.
I shove my phone in my pocket and pad out of my bedroom.
I’ll call Gabby later, but I know she’ll be fine, if for no other reason than it takes pressure off of her and Ray.
And I know she trusts me to have Willow’s best interests at heart.
I would never do anything that I thought would upset our daughter.
Aurora makes me happy, and the thought of Aurora and Willow being together in the same room fills me with some kind of peace that I’m not quite sure was possible.