Chapter 40 #2
Giggling, I slap his ass. “I was hungry.”
“I am, too, sweetheart. Starving. That’s why we’re heading to the bedroom.”
Ohhh! My appetite grows. I’m now famished and not for pancakes.
He joked that he wanted seven figures and a stake in the team prior to starting, but Harbor didn’t blink an eye. I don’t even know how to process that information.
I just know he’s been working for months now, building the marketing team, making connections with sponsors, and putting together the blitz material for the reveal of the team drivers and the first car off production for next season.
After consulting for a few months on corporate accounting, I took a chance and applied to the team under a pseudonym.
I made it through three rounds of interviews before I ended up on a zoom with Noah.
I recognized the pride in his eyes as he discussed that I’d been winning HR over, and he was looking forward to meeting me. They like my ambition and enthusiasm.
As for him, he took it seriously and interviewed.
I was upfront that I have a family I have every intention of expanding and am currently only looking at the part-time position they have listed.
I sealed the deal that day. I now work twenty hours a week, currently out of Manhattan.
But based on the email I just received, that could soon change.
I jump up from the dining chair. “We got it.”
“We got what?” He glances up from his laptop but looks back to finish typing.
“The property in Beacon. Oh my God, Noah. We got it.”
That grabs his attention. His eyes widen in surprise when he asks, “We got it? We got it!” He launches from his chair and kisses me.
I’m lifted, and we’re turning as our lips stay connected.
The spinning slows, and he carefully sets me down again.
The reality of what this means for our family sinks in by the change in his expression and the ease I see in his body. “We’re going to build our dream home.”
“We are.” As I caress his cheeks, my eyes well. I feel like I’m always crying these days, but dammit, there’s a lot to celebrate. The neighbors next to Delta and Port were selling ten acres that bumped up to his parents’ house. We jumped at the opportunity, and now we’ll own that piece of serenity.
The peace that place possesses. The clean air. The wide-open spaces. It’s paradise in my eyes.
This feels like the perfect time to share the good news I was saving for later. I get up to retrieve it.
“Oh shit,” he says, “finally.”
“Shit,” Max says, not breaking his playtime with his cars. I gave him a replica of Noah’s Aston Martin, and he is addicted to that toy. Boys and their cars . . .
“Noah!”
He cringes. “Sorry. I forget he’s at the mimicking stage.”
I huff with a quick roll of my eyes. “What finally?” I ask, walking to my bag in the entryway.
He’s staring at his screen but looks at me, our gazes linking across the distance, and then says, “It’s official. You’re an equal owner of this apartment.”
“What? Since when? How?” I return with the large envelope and set it between us.
“I added your name. We just need to sign the paperwork.”
I don’t sit in the chair, though. I make myself at home on his lap with my arms draped around him because it’s my favorite place to be. The shock of what he’s saying isn’t seeping in fully. What does he mean by equal owner? “I don’t understand. Why’d you do that, babe?”
“Because I never want you to feel less or trapped in any way. What’s mine is yours. You can take all of it as long as I get you. I’m all in, baby.”
Pressing myself against him, I stare into his eyes. No lies are detected. I hug him so tightly, needing to be as close as I can to this man. “I don’t know how to thank you. Thank you doesn’t feel like enough.”
“This is it. That’s all that’s needed. You and me together.”
I kiss his cheek and then whisper, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Keeping the good news rolling, I say, “I have a surprise for you, too.”
“Does it involve my old baseball jersey and nothing else?”
I grin. “No, is that something you would be into?”
“Fuck yeah, I’d be into that.” He licks his lips, and I kiss them just to steal a taste of him. I’m becoming him, and I don’t mind that he’s rubbing off on me or rubbing on me, either.
“All right. When we go to bed, I’ll give you a few minutes head start, and you can put it on.” I’m dying of laughter inside, but I hold my expression as neutral as I can.
“Wait.” He’s shaking his head. “No. I meant you would be wearing it with nothing else underneath.”
Tapping his chin, I pout. “But now you have me fantasizing about seeing you in your jersey.”
He rubs the back of his neck, and confusion pinches his brow. “How did we get so off track?”
“Right.” I hop from his lap and get Max from the living room. “Ready, big guy?”
He takes my hand and holds the car in the other while I lead him back to Noah. Handing Maxwell the envelope, I say, “Give this to Daddy.”
“What is it, buddy?” Noah takes the envelope and then sets our son on his lap.
This isn’t something I took lightly before doing. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I sit across from them again and watch with rapt fascination as he opens the envelope and pulls out the papers.
His eyes scan the top page several times before he drops his head to the side and into his hand. Noah and I have gone through so much, more than many couples, and have always come out together.
What feels like an obvious gesture to show our love has him struggling to even look up. I get up. I felt the same emotions earlier, but I haven’t regretted it. I know it was the right decision. I come behind him and wrap my arms around them.
He asks, “When did you do this?”
“The appointment was today to change his name and add yours to his birth certificate.” I move around in front of him and rest down on my knees. Rubbing his legs, I say, “I hope that’s okay.”
“Okay?” he asks, looking at me like I’m asking if the sky is blue on a sunny day. “I’m his father on paper. A recognized parent and guardian now. This is more than I could ask for, Liv.”
“That’s why I did it. I knew you wouldn’t. Not because you didn’t want it but because you still feel indebted to me when it comes to Max. You’re not. We’re Max’s parents. Together. Anyway, he’s more a Westcott than he’ll ever be a Bancroft.”
Tears well in Noah’s eyes. I didn’t expect this reaction over the name change. I don’t know what I thought would happen, but I knew I wanted this for our son, for Noah, and for me.
Noah reads the paper aloud, “Maxwell Noah Westcott.” He looks at me. “The best gift I could ever have. It’s fucking beautiful.”
Max says, “Fuc—”
“Max. No.”
He giggles, looking at Noah like he has no intention of listening.
I sigh. “Oh good lord, help us.”
Noah kisses Max’s head, not putting weight in the swear word because we know it will backfire, but he then slides off the chair to kneel on his knees in front of me.
Although Max’s feet are now on the ground, Noah still holds him with one arm. Taking my hand with his free one, he adds, “Thank you for doing this. Thank you for giving him my last name.”
“You’re welcome. He was always meant to have the Westcott name, and now he does, officially.” Our kisses are gentle, and our smiles are wide for each other.
“There’s only one greater gift you could give me.”
“What’s that?”
“Your hand in marriage.”
I gasp, now the tears are really threatening. I blink, and they begin to fall. “Noah,” I reply, half in caution and partly in awe.
“I don’t want to waste another minute without strings fully attached to you.
You’ve given me your heart, your trust, and your unconditional love.
” Noah’s smile still shines as he tickles Max.
“You’ve given me this guy. I want nothing more than to be married to you, to spend my life loving you every day and night while we raise our family, and then rock ourselves in chairs in our old age.
” He kisses my hand, and then says, “I’ll honor our love in duty but with care.
I’ll cherish you emotionally and physically because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I was born to love you, babe. Will you marry me, Liv?”
Max jumps up. “Yes.”
“There’s your answer.”
I never denied my attraction to Noah, six-feet-something of sexy man, a face I was drawn to with his natural handsomeness, those hazel eyes that the sun reached down to personally bless, and lips that I find myself kissing not only because I can but because that’s where so much love is given.
His broad shoulders and muscular build protect the gentle heart that he’d sacrifice in a heartbeat for me if asked.
When it came to us, he was never guarded. He knew exactly what he wanted.
So do I.
Taking his hand, I kiss his palm with my eyes locked on his.
There’s no reason to hide how I feel about him.
He’s always allowed me to be exactly who I am, to grow into who I want to be, and to pursue exactly what I want as well.
“Yes, babe. I’ll marry you and I’ll love you deeper than the ocean and longer than forever.
” I kiss him and then again for good measure and just because I want to.
I let the tears fall where they may because I’m going to marry my soulmate.
“Yes. Yes. Yes, Noah Westcott. I cannot wait to be your wife.”