Chapter 41 - Spencer
Chapter Forty-One - Spencer
I’m glancing out the kitchen window just in time to see a car pulling into the drive, but it’s not Charlie’s truck.
As Andie gets out, I notice she’s been crying—hard.
Her beautiful face is puffy and reddened.
The sight hits me like a physical blow, this strong woman being reduced to tears feels like someone took a knife and twisted it in my gut.
“Evan, I’ll be right back.”
Making my way to the porch, I pull open the door to witness Andie being held by her father. Clinging to him as she soaks his shirt with her tears. She looks completely shut down, like someone took what last little happiness she had left. I move closer, catching snippets of their conversation.
“You’ll get through this, Peanut,” her father murmurs. “You’ve got a good man that loves you. It’s a bump in the road, but you’ll find your way to the other side.”
She still doesn’t know I’m behind them. Her father has spotted me over her shoulder. His eyes meet mine, but he keeps my presence our little secret a moment longer.
“How do you know that, Daddy?” Andie asks, her voice small and broken. “How do you know that he will stay with me for this?”
What is she talking about? I thought we were past this. What happened with the lawyer?
“Because if he didn’t love you, he wouldn’t have come out here the moment he saw you crying,” her father explains gently.
“He wouldn’t have flown here to be by your side.
You know me, Peanut, I’m a pretty good judge of character.
And I can tell that the man standing right behind you, who’s ready to take you in his arms, loves you. ”
Andie’s head whips around, her tear-filled eyes finding mine. The pain in her expression causes a physical ache in my chest. Her father gently releases her, guiding her into my arms, where I hold her until she’s ready to move.
Thank you, I mouth to him as he kisses the side of her head and makes his way to his car.
"Are you okay?" I ask, touching the side of her face as I slide my thumbs under her eyes, wiping away tears as she shakes her head, unable to speak her pain.
This house is no longer home for her. Everything is different now, and I can tell from her expression that she’s mentally planning her next step.
Whatever happened at the lawyer’s office . . . it was bad. It was brutal, and Andie has already started rebuilding all those walls and shutting down behind them. Hopefully she’ll tell me when she’s ready, but right now, she needs a little space.
I lead her to her bedroom and get her settled, stroking her hair as she drifts off to sleep.
Closing the door to the bedroom, I join Evan, Maddie, and much to my dislike, Abby. They’re waiting in the living room, hoping to get answers for Andie and her mood.
“Okay, so what’s going on?” Evan asks, his usual playful demeanor subdued by the tension in the house. He’s lounging in an armchair, one leg thrown over the arm, trying to appear casual, but I can see how Andie is now becoming a fixture in his life, and someone he wants to protect from harm.
“I don’t know exactly, but I’m worried about her,” I admit. “I’ve seen her upset before, but this is different. Something big happened at that lawyer’s office today, I just don’t know what.”
Maddie looks over at Abby, not accusing, but hopeful for answers. “You’ve been here in town, do you have any idea what could have happened? Why there would be any kind of issue with Cody’s will or anything?”
“No, I haven’t heard a thing other than all the chatter she stirred up when she brought her new man to town.” She glances my way indicating my presence is possibly one of the issues.
“Damn it, Abby!” Maddie explodes, the loyal friend rising to battle. “She’s been beating herself up about falling for Spencer, and now you’re telling her how wrong she is? What the hell is wrong with you? Can’t you just let her be happy?”
Evan raises his eyebrows at me. “Yikes,” he says, clearly impressed by Maddie’s fierce defense.
“I can’t believe I even bothered asking if you’d heard anything .
. .” Maddie continues, her voice rising as she leans forward, eyes flashing.
“We all know you want the perfect life, and you’ll do anything to one-up Andie.
I mean, come on—you held a fucking photo shoot on the day of Cody’s funeral. ”
Evan and I were taken aback by that last comment. “I’m sorry, you did what?” Evan asks. But Maddie continues like she didn’t just drop that fun little nugget. “She just wants to have people accept her, and you shit on her every chance you get."
“Whoa there, Rocky,” Evan interjects, sitting up straighter. “Maybe we should all take a breath before someone says something they’ll regret.”
“It wasn’t Abby, or Charlie.” Andie’s voice comes from the doorway. She’s standing there wrapped in a blanket, listening to us talk about her. We all hold our breath as she makes her way to the couch, taking a seat next to me.
“It wasn’t Abby or Charlie,” she repeats. “Their comments didn’t help anything, but they aren’t the reason I’m upset.”
“Tell me, Sweetheart,” I plead, taking her hand. “What has you so upset?” She takes a deep breath. Then another. And another.
“I’m going to be a mom.”
I swear my heart stops when she says those words. Time stands still. Of all the things I thought might be troubling her, that was not one of them.
“Whoa, what? That’s great! Congratulations, you two,” Evan says, giddy with excitement.
“Sweetheart. Are you . . . pregnant?” I ask, my mind spinning.
Realization dawns on her face. “No, oh no. I’m not pregnant.”
“Then . . . I-I don’t understand,” I stammer through my words. Still not sure if I’m relieved or saddened by the fact that I won’t see this woman carrying my child anytime soon.
“The lawyer let me know that Cody took out a second insurance policy,” she explains, her voice unnaturally steady. “He named me and his son as the beneficiaries. Which was news to me. I didn’t know he even had a son.”
The room fills with silence as our shock freezes us in place.
“A few weeks ago, Henry’s mom died in a car wreck.
Apparently, they named me as his guardian in the event of their deaths.
So, I either take him in, or he goes into the system.
He has no other family. He’s been staying with a temporary guardian as they navigated the will and were trying to reach me. It’s the whole shebang.”
“Holy shit. I did not expect that,” Maddie says, voicing what we’re all thinking. She reaches out and squeezes Andie’s hand, her loyalty evident in the protective way she positions herself.
“This is why I’ve been telling you to watch how much unprotected—" Evan starts, but I silence him with a look that could melt steel. “Sorry, bad timing,” he mutters, but his expression softens as he looks at Andie. “Just trying to lighten the mood. Personally, I think it’s amazing. You’re going to be a great mom, Andie. ”
Leave it to Evan to say exactly the wrong thing and then somehow salvage it with unexpected sincerity.
We sit there in stunned silence for a while longer. My throat goes dry as the weight of her words hit me. A baby. Cody’s son. Everything changed in the span of thirty seconds for me.
“Sooo . . . what are you gonna do?” Evan couldn’t stay quiet. He just has to say something. I narrow my gaze at him, pressing my lips together.
“I don’t know . . . I can only process one thing at a time right now,” Andie continues, her voice steady, but strained.
“Cody cheating, this little boy’s mom dying—those are problems for tomorrow.
What I know right now . . . is that Henry has no one.
” I watch as she squeezes her eyes shut to work through her emotions.
“I’m beyond hurt. I’m so fucking betrayed. But Henry is innocent in all this. I at least owe it to him to really think about taking him in.”
The room falls quiet again. Even Abby, who seems to always have something to say, looks stunned into silence for once.
Part of me wants to run, part of me wants to pull Andie closer, and all of me is absolutely terrified.
I can’t breathe. This isn’t just about dating anymore, this is about becoming an instant father to another man’s child.
Am I ready for that? Does Andie even want that?
“I think I’ll go for a drive,” I say, choking through my words. Standing abruptly, I notice Andie walking towards me. I hold my hand out, signaling her to stop. “Alone—I just need a minute to think. Can I borrow your car?”
She freezes mid-step, hurt flashing across her face before she masks it with understanding. She nods wordlessly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. The silence between us is heavy— she wants to help, to comfort, but knows right now I need space more than her touch.
I drive aimlessly through the unfamiliar streets, my hands threatening to warp the steering wheel. Every word Andie said floods my mind, and I can’t shake the worry for what’s to come.
When I get back, Andie is already asleep.
I slide next to her carefully, not wanting to wake her, and relief washes over me as she rolls into my arms on instinct.
She’s still choosing me even though I walked out when she needed me most. My fingers find her, tracing along her cheek as my mind continues racing with millions of questions, complications, and tomorrow’s problems.
Knowing Andie the way I do, it would kill her to leave Henry in foster care. So, the question isn’t whether she’s keeping him. It’s whether she wants me to be part of it, and if I’m ready to be a father.