39. At Least Two
AT LEAST TWO
Oliver
We’d finished unloading Ivy’s stuff—much to her dismay—all in my home. A plan that was carefully crafted by my inability to slow down when it came to this woman. She wanted to rent a storage unit, and I’d laughed at her, telling my brother to drive the truck to my house.
I’d fought her for almost an hour, pointing out that out of everyone, I was the one with the most unused space. It paid off, being in the main house we all grew up in where a great deal of space still went unused since it was only Hudson and me.
So her clothes were upstairs in the guest room—a fact that would be changed very soon—and the rest of her things, mostly books, were in the empty room on the main level.
Another fact that would be changed soon.
Aspen was upstairs, helping her get everything unpacked and organized, which left my brother empty handed and free.
I walked past him, clapping him on the back as I went. “Come on.”
He perked up, eager to be busy, just like I knew he would. “Where to?”
“I need your help with a project. Well, you and your fiancée, but you can fill her in later when Ivy isn’t around.
” I pushed open the door, walking into the still mostly empty room.
All of the totes filled with her books were set in one corner, a few boxes beside that filled with knick knacks and art.
Rowan looked around the room. It had one large picture window on the far wall that overlooked the front of the house. The other three walls were just white.
“I know Ivy helped you with Aspen’s paint studio. I figured maybe you two would want to help me return the favor.”
When Rowan was in the process of trying to woo Aspen, he’d had the idea to convert his barely used home gym into a paint studio for her. Ivy had spent countless hours researching and helping him pick out paint colors, supplies, and I helped him put it all together.
He smiled. “I would’ve done it for her in general, bro.” His hands clapped together and he nodded. “Let’s get to work.”
This fucker still hadn’t given up. I shook my head, reading over the latest spree of text messages.
The Devil
It was cute at first. You ignoring me? It isn’t now though.
The Devil
Where’d all your shit get stored? Not at your parents. Went by and didn’t see a truck anywhere.
The Devil
How is fucking the boss?
The Devil
He offer you a spot in his bed too?
The Devil
Bitch. That’s where your shit is, isn’t it.
The Devil
Answer or you’ll regret it Ivy.
The Devil
I know you’re getting these messages, which means you haven’t blocked me. Admit it babe. You miss me.
The Devil
We’ll see each other soon enough.
I desperately wanted to text him back and tell him to fuck off. Maybe send him a video while I fucked her brains out. Something, anything, to make this manchild get a life. He was going to be a father in roughly six months. Shouldn’t he want to just be present with his child’s mother?
On top of that, did he understand how those messages sounded?
Locking my phone, I shoved it back in my pocket and focused on the sketches I’d done for my side project. As the front door clicked open, though, I closed the folder and leaned back in the dining room chair.
Hudson came bolting into the kitchen first, a smile on his face.
“Dad! Guess what happened today at camp!” He was literally jumping in place, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“No idea, little man. What happened?”
Ivy chose that moment to walk in, her canvas tote thrown over her arm as she leaned against the archway that led into the room, a smile on her face too. Our eyes met, and Hudson spun around.
“Don’t show him yet! Or should we show him instead?” He was still jumping, even though he was looking to Ivy for an answer.
She shrugged casually. “Your choice, Sunny.”
He groaned before turning back to me. “I can’t hold it in anymore. I scored the winning shot for our team!! My first goal ever!” The jumping returned as he turned back to Ivy. “Okay, show him! Show him!”
I didn’t even have a chance to speak before he shoved her phone in my face, the video already brought up and playing.
Hudson’s little finger peeked over the phone, pointing at the number forty-one. As if I didn’t already know his number. “That’s me. In the gold. Watch close!”
“He’s watching, Sunny,” Ivy said quietly, the smile still clear in her voice as she came closer, setting her hand on my shoulder as we watched the video together.
I watched as Hudson skated along with two other boys, way in front of everyone else.
Number eighty-nine shot it to Hudson, and Hudson shot it back to him, only for eighty-nine to send it back to him one more time.
Hudson waited until he was right up on the goalie to send it into the net, right between the goalie’s skates.
The look of elation on his and eighty-nine’s face was unmatched.
A buzzer sounded, and I could make out Beck’s voice in the back, yelling that they’d won, which just seemed to fuel the fire even more between the two boys.
The video lingered on them holding their sticks in the air and throwing an arm around each other.
I could make out Ivy’s hollering on the camera now, mixing with some of the others around her.
The video cut off then, and my gaze returned up to my son.
“Well?” he questioned, his excitement barely contained within his small frame.
I leaned back in my chair, my hands clasped up behind my head, as I let out a sigh.
His face began to fall, but I smiled. “I guess I need to start saving up some money. I hear the NHL jerseys are expensive, and I’ll need at least two with your name on it.
Home games and away games. Plus I’m sure Ivy will con me into snagging her a pink one somehow as payment for all the practices she’s bound to drive you to. ”
No sooner were the words out of my mouth than he was in my arms, wrapping me in a tight hug that I gladly returned.
“So damn proud of you, bud.”
After that, the three of us made dinner together, Hudson giving me the breakdown and play-by-play of how it happened and how him and Colby—who was number eighty-nine—planned out the play with the rest of the boys on his team.
By the time dinner was finished and cleaned up, and he was showered and changed, it took him all of two minutes to fall asleep. He didn’t even try to open a comic book before he passed out.
I found her lying in the middle of the guest bed, but I didn’t say anything as I scooped her up. Ignoring her soft shriek, I carried her into my bedroom, dropping her down in the middle of my bed—now our bed.
Pulling off the soft cotton shorts she’d thrown on after practice, I set her Kindle on the side table and started kissing along her hip and up along her ribcage.
“You’ve been quiet tonight,” I mumbled between kisses.
Her hands sank into my hair, pulling me up so I was eye to eye with her, a soft smile playing on her lips.
“Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by how much I love him. Is that weird?” she whispered.
I leaned down, pressing a slow kiss to her lips, one she immediately returned, her hands back in my hair and my palm cupping her jaw. It took true effort to pull away as I focused on her once more.
“I know you aren’t his mom, Ivy, but I know without a doubt that Emily is happy he has you in his life.
That we both have you in our lives. I don’t think she could’ve picked out a better bonus mom for him if she tried.
” My thumb caressed along her cheek, quickly wiping away the small tear that escaped her eye.
Her arms slid back around my neck, pulling me in tight for a hug.
We stayed like that for a long time, and I realized all those months ago, I was right. A hug from Ivy Tinsley really did fix a piece of me.