Chapter 20
LINCOLN
We’re only in the car for a mile or so before Cameron conks out in the backseat. My eyes flick up to the rearview mirror, seeing him fast asleep with his new vintage car clutched to his chest.
I chuff at the thought of Josephine Lannister. That old woman is pretty tough, but she’s not all bad. Or maybe she just has a soft spot for cute kids. Hard to say. But overall, I’m feeling good with how things went this evening at family dinner.
Jules’s great grandmother believes our upcoming nuptials are the real deal. She’s even offered to host the wedding.
In two week’s time, Jules and I will be a heartbeat away from achieving everything we need.
We’ll be successfully paving our futures and our financial stability.
But first, there’s a very important issue we need to broach.
I glance over at Jules in the passenger seat, as I pull my car into a parking space outside her building. As soon as she unbuckles her seatbelt, I blurt out, “You have to move in with me.”
It hit me during dinner earlier, when that mean sister of Jules’s was eyeballing us closely. Hilary seems suspicious. We need to up our game, and married people certainly wouldn’t live in separate houses.
Jules’s head swivels toward me, her sleek black bob swaying as she turns. “What?!” When she sees Cameron snoozing in the backseat, she lowers her voice. “Why?”
“You’re moving in with me, Jules,” I say definitively.
“I like my current living situation,” she retorts.
“Well, if we’re getting married, we’ll need to live together.”
“Not all married people live together.”
“That nosy sister of yours already caught me doing the walk of shame out of your bed once. If she already thinks we’re sleeping together, she definitely won’t buy our Little House on the Prairie living-separately thing now.”
Jules rolls her eyes at me. “Okay, but even if we have to live together, why would you automatically assume we have to live at your place?”
I can’t help but smirk. “Do you suggest that my kid and I both move into the four-hundred square feet you share with your roommate? Boy. Splitting that tiny bathroom between the four of us will be fun.”
“Ugh,” she growls.
My phone rings suddenly, and I quickly peek at the screen. “I’ve gotta answer this,” I say, climbing out of the car.
Jules dashes out of the vehicle, too. She looks like she wants to get far, far away from me, but I’m not done with our conversation yet.
I jog after her, grabbing her hand and trapping her in place. “Hold on,” I mutter. “Don’t leave.”
She scowls at me, and after I lace my fingers with hers, she stares down at our joined hands with a befuddled expression.
Honestly, I’m befuddled, too, because what the hell am I doing? But at least Jules doesn’t run away. She reluctantly stands still as I answer the call from my newest babysitter.
“Karen, it’s late. What is it?” I snap across the line.
“Hi, Mr. Raines.” The babysitter’s voice is a hoarse squeak, and immediately I’m wondering whether I should start panicking. “Look, I don’t know how to say this, but I just found out I’m pregnant.”
Yup. I should start panicking.
“Now I’m moving across the country to meet up with the baby’s father—some guy I met when I was vacationing in Tulum a few months ago. And don’t ask me if that’s a good idea, because frankly, I don’t know. I don’t know anything. My life is a huge clusterfuck right now.” She breaks down in sobs.
I toss my head up to the sky as my anxiety climbs higher. Here we fucking go. Again.
My finger begins to absently brush back and forth over Jules’s engagement ring as I speak. Somehow, my future wife’s proximity is having a calming effect on my fried nerves. Right now, I don’t have the mental bandwidth to psychoanalyze what that means.
“Well, congratulations,” I grind out as Jules watches me curiously, trying to figure out what’s going on.
“The sarcasm is uncalled for, Mr. Raines. My life is in shambles.” Karen whimpers. “Please deposit my last paycheck into my bank account.”
I let go of Jules’s hand and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Yeah, sure.”
There’s a pause, and then she sighs. “Cameron’s a great kid. I’m going to miss him.”
“Thanks,” I mutter. “Good luck with everything,” I add, but the phone has already gone dead in my ear.
…And another babysitter bites the dust. Wow.
“Everything okay?” Jules asks.
“Huge surprise. Babysitter number one zillion just quit on me.” I rake both hands through my hair, and for once, I don’t even care that it’s probably sticking up all over the place. “At least this one lasted almost a full school week.”
“Ouch.” Jules flinches.
I lean back against my car, rubbing my pounding forehead and growling in frustration. “What are the freaking odds?” I mutter out loud.
Jules is silent for a few moments. She shifts from one foot to the next. Then she says, “I could babysit Cameron…”
“Huh…?”
I wasn’t expecting that.
“I could be Cameron’s babysitter,” she repeats.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” I’m not even sure I trust Jules for the job. She doesn’t seem to know anything about kids. But I don’t say that to her face.
“You’re wrong. It’s a fantastic idea,” she announces as she starts listing off her justifications on her fingers.
“One—I’m about to be Cameron’s stepmom. It only makes sense that I would help take care of him.
Two—I just lost my restaurant job, and I could definitely use the extra money.
Three—we’ll be living together, so me taking care of Cameron would make things really convenient for all of us. ”
Wait? She’s agreeing to move in with me? She’s actually going to do it?
I just stare at her, unable to hide my skepticism.
She ticks off a fourth finger, speaking before I can object. “Four—I’m great with Jagger. Ask Alba. She’ll vouch for me.”
Still, I hesitate, not immediately jumping on her offer.
“You don’t have anyone else, Lincoln. This will obviously help you out. So, I guess that’s five reasons why this is a good idea for all three of us.”
I stand there, staring at the sidewalk and weighing a dozen different pros and cons.
I don’t like spur of the moment decisions, but it’s hard to refute the logic of most of Jules’s points.
Plus, letting Jules get involved with Cameron might be one of the easiest ways to help prove that we’re a legit couple, a legit family.
And most importantly, Jules will be in my house. Day in, day out. I’ll get to see her everyday.
My skin buzzes. I’m getting excited about this.
Head in the game, Lincoln. Focus.
My poker face makes an appearance. “Okay. Fine,” I agree. “I’ll hire you to babysit. But only…” My gaze shifts to Cameron, who’s still asleep in the back seat. “Only for now.”
In other words, only while we’re playing house. Jules nods once, indicating that she understands what I’m saying.
“Fine. We’ll talk later about arrangements,” Jules says, wobbling up the sidewalk to her house. She looks back and her expression softens. “Thanks for making it through family dinner tonight. You did good.”
“Sure.” I climb back behind the wheel.
I sit in the car long after she opens her door and disappears inside her house. I’m fighting off a smile the entire time.
Jules is moving in with me. Jules is moving in with me. Jules is moving in with me. And I sort of like that.