by Kaylee Ryan
“You poor thing,” Amelia coos. Well, she tries to. Her laughter wins out.
“Finny, you see the way they treat me?” I ask, leaning in close. Her reply is to laugh dramatically and shove her spoon in my mouth.
“That’s one way to shut him up,” Amelia quips.
I swallow my bite and grin at Finley. “Thanks, Finny.”
“Anks,” she replies.
We laugh and talk while eating our breakfast, and it’s after eleven, later than we wanted to leave the house. Amelia declined our invite to join us, claiming she had to help her mom with a few things. So, me and my girls headed off to buy a big-girl bed. If you had asked me a year ago if this is where I would be, I would have denied and laughed at you. Now, there is no other way I’d rather spend my day than with the two of them.
Chapter Eight
Mara 8
* * *
It’s hard to believe today is my third week at Beckett Construction. These past few weeks have flown by, but I must admit I’ve loved every minute of it. I love my job. Ridge is great to work for. Kendall’s mom, Sonia, has my daughter on a pedestal, and she’s thriving because of it. She’s always babbling about whatever it was they did during the day. I went from it just being the two of us to feeling as if I have this huge support system.
Every day since the day he helped us move in, I’ve seen Seth. He’s been a constant in our lives the last few weeks, and already I know I don’t want that to change. Tonight, however, he had to help his dad move some things around in the garage, so Finley and I had dinner just the two of us. She asked for Seth multiple times. That alone speaks volumes that I’m not the only one growing attached to him.
“Time for bed, Fin,” I say, turning off the TV. I let her watch about twenty minutes of her favorite movie after her bath.
“No.” She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts. “I want Sef.”
“Honey, Seth had to help his daddy. He couldn’t come and see us tonight. I promise you’ll see him tomorrow.”
“No.”
At two and a half, there is no reasoning with her. “It’s bedtime.” I stand and lift her from the couch. She begins to cry. The closer we get to her room, the louder her cries are. “Look, you get to sleep in your princess bed Seth made you.” He didn’t really make it, but he did assemble it and that’s all she cares about.
“Sef,” she cries, her bottom lip quivering with her tears.
My heart splinters when I see her big fat tears roll over her cheeks. I try to put her in her bed, and while she clings to me, her cries are for him. For the first time, I’m not who she wants, and that’s a hard pill to swallow. I rock her back and forth in my arms, but it does nothing to console her. My mind races with how to calm her down. How can I console her? Then it hits me. Reaching into my back pocket, I grab my phone and swipe at the screen. “Finley, how about we call Seth? You want to talk to him?”
Her cries quiet and she nods. Deciding that a video call is the better option, I tap on the screen and it starts to ring.
“Hello.” His face appears on the screen and Finley calls out for him.
“Sef,” she says in her pitiful, heartbroken voice.
“Finny? What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he asks soothingly.
“Night night.” She shudders as she tries to catch her breath.
“Mara?” he asks, his eyes darting to me.
“She’s upset that she didn’t get to see you tonight. She’s been asking for you since we got home.”
“Finny. I miss you so so much,” he says, focusing back on her. “I’m sorry I had to miss tonight. I’m helping my daddy. You want to see him?” She nods and he turns the phone toward his parents. It appears that they’re in their kitchen. “Finley, this is my mommy and daddy, Steve and Shannon Jennings.” My heart stutters in my chest as we’re introduced to his parents for the first time. From their expressions, they know all about us. I don’t know why that surprises me; he’s been open and honest about not hiding this relationship from the very beginning.
“Hey there, Finley. Why the tears?” Steve asks.
“My Sef,” she says, pointing at the phone screen.
That small declaration does something to him. He stands and our view becomes the floor. I hear him tell his parents he has to go, then he’s back on the screen. “Finley, I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes. Pick out a book and I’ll read you a story, okay?” he asks softly.
“’Kay,” she replies, sniffling.
“Babe, I’m going to head your way. I’ll see you soon.” With that, the screen goes black.
“Sef story,” she says with another shuddering breath.
“Yeah, sweetie. Seth can read you a story.” She wiggles out of my arms and runs to her bookshelf and takes her time digging through her books. In the end, she chooses her Five-Minute Princess Stories and races back to her bed. I watch as she pulls her soft princess blanket over her and up to her chin. She hugs the book to her chest and looks up at me.
“Sef story, Mommy.”
“He’s on his way. How about I read you a story until he gets here?” I offer. Again, reasoning with a two-and-a-half-year-old is not the easiest thing in the world.
“No. My want Sef.”
“Okay,” I say, holding back tears of my own. “Well, we need to go wait for him to get here. Mommy has to unlock the door.” Just as I say the words, lights shine on her bedroom window as a truck pulls into the drive. “There he is,” I tell her. “Let’s go let him in.” She launches herself in my arms and I carry her down the hall and to the front door. Just as his hand is up to knock, I’m pulling the door open to greet him.
“Sef!” Finley cheers and jumps from my arms to his. Luckily he was ready for her.
“Hey, Finny. What’s going on? You giving your mommy a hard time?”
“Sef story.” She pouts, and I know that look alone will have him giving her anything she wants. Not that he wouldn’t otherwise. Seth is a big ole softy when it comes to my daughter.
“Do you have a book picked out?” he asks. Her reply is a nod. He pulls his attention from her to me. “Hey, baby.” He surprises me when he snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me into him, landing a kiss on my lips. “I missed my girls.”
I lean into him just as dazzled by him as Finley is. He never kisses me like that in front of her, so I’m a little shocked, but I’m not angry. My daughter, on the other hand, she’s not impressed as she pushes at my arm to get me away from him.
“My Sef.”
“I’m your Seth and Mommy’s Seth,” he tells her. “And it’s past your bedtime, little lady. Let’s go read you a story.” He kisses the top of my head, giving my hip a gentle squeeze before releasing his hold on me, and disappearing down the hall to her room.
In the past when he’s done this, I’ve stood at the door and even lain in bed with them, but tonight I do neither. Instead, I head to the living room and curl up on the couch, throwing a blanket over me as I lick my wounds. I’m not hurt that she wants him. I want him too. It’s just hard to see her not want me. I have to process the fact that he’s just as big a part of her life as he is mine. This is happening fast and I should be worried, scared for our hearts, but I’m not. Instead, I want to race toward him, jump in his arms just like my daughter does, and beg him to never let me go.
“She’s out,” Seth whispers, taking a seat next to me on the couch. “You good?”
“Thank you.”
“Never thank me for needing me, Mara. You didn’t ask me to come over. I made that decision on my own.”
“I know, but it would have been a crying fit until she wore herself out, so thank you.”
“Those tears and the little lip get me every time.” He places his hand over his chest.
“I’m afraid you’ve created a monster. She’s going to want you every night from now on.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“About her wanting you?” I shrug. “You’re the first man in her life an
d you treat her like a princess. Of course she’s going to latch on to you.”
“That’s not what I asked you, Mara.” He waits patiently for my reply.
“It hurts, but not for the reasons you might think. If anything, I’m glad she has you. That we have you. She and I have been a twosome far too long, and suddenly we’re surrounded by more. It’s a lot to process, but at the same time, it’s welcome. I’m not mad. It’s just hard to see her want someone else. There has never really been anyone else in our lives for her to want. Until now.”
“I’m glad it’s me. When I got that call… I can’t explain it. It’s as if there were a million butterflies dancing in my gut. She was crying for me. That little girl—” He pauses. “And her momma—” He reaches out and cups my cheek. “—you’re both under my skin. I want nothing more than to be the man who you both turn to, no matter what the situation or the reason.”
“She’s really bonded with you.”
“Yeah, I’m glad. I’m just as attached to her.”
“It’s unexpected, but it makes me happy.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. I’m just an emotional momma bear who just realized her baby has other people in her life she can count on. I love that for her. It’s just going to take some time to get used to it.”
“I love that for both of you.” Leaning in, he kisses me. It’s slow and soft, and he makes no move to take things further.
There’s only one problem with that. I want him too. “Seth,” I murmur against his lips. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Will you stay?”
“Stay as in here? Tonight?” he asks for clarification. I’m sure he’s wondering what the hell is wrong with me when all I keep telling him is that he can’t be here when she wakes up. However, that’s exactly where he needs to be. It’s where all three of us want him to be, so why fight it?
“You sure you want that?”
“I’m sure. I’m too raw right now. My emotions are a mess, and well, I just want you here.”
“Then I’ll stay. Go get ready for bed. I’ll lock up.” He stands and offers me his hand to pull me up from the couch. I go to my room while he locks up the house and turns off the lights. By the time he’s standing in the doorway of my bedroom, I’m already under the covers. I’m fully clothed in the same pajamas as when he got here, but I feel naked. Exposed. The only light in the room is a small bedside lamp. My eyes follow his every move as he walks to the side of the bed with the lamp, the opposite side I’m lying on, and unbuttons his jeans. I watch as they slide to the floor, leaving him in nothing but boxer briefs and a T-shirt. Turning off the light, he climbs into bed.
“Come here,” he whispers.
With no hesitation, I slide as close to him as I can get and rest my head on his chest. He wraps his strong arms around me, and I melt into him. I can’t remember the last time a man held me. In fact, I don’t recall it ever happening. My hookup in college were just that, and Blake, Finley’s dad, that was… different. He wasn’t a loving, let me hold you close kind of guy. We spent one whirlwind week together before he had to ship out. At that time, I didn’t think I needed that. Besides, our time was so limited we didn’t get a chance to get to this point. Now, over three years later, it’s exactly what I need, and I’ve been lucky enough to find a man willing to give it to me.
“Night, baby.”
“Night.” I whisper my reply as his strength surrounds me, and the steady rhythm of his heart lulls me to sleep.
When the alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m., I will it to stop. Unfortunately, my superpowers must be on vacation because the blaring sound refuses to relent until I roll over and shut it off. Flopping back on the pillow, I hear heavy breathing.
Seth.
Turning to take him in, my heart flips over in my chest at what I see. Seth is curled on his side facing me, and my daughter is snuggled up tight against his chest. He has his arm around her, cradling her to him almost protectively. I don’t know what transpired that she’s in bed with us, but I do know that seeing him with her like this, knowing that sometime in the middle of the night he took care of her, that little tidbit of information, their unexpected bond is what pushes me over the edge. It’s the fine line between falling for him and knowing that this man owns a piece of my heart.
I’m in love with him.
I’ve been falling for him for months.
Careful not to wake them, I grab some clothes and make my way down the hall to the bathroom. My shower is quick as I rush through my morning routine. When I open the bathroom door, I hear giggles. Not just any giggles, but Finley giggles. Pure joy and happiness radiating in the sound.
“There’s Mommy.” Seth indicates to where I stand in the doorway of my bedroom.
“Mommy, Sef.” Finley points to Seth.
“I see. What are you doing in here?” I ask her.
“Monsters.” She scowls, and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
“She woke up around one crying. I went in to check on her and she latched on and wouldn’t let go, so I brought her in here. I was just going to wait for her to fall back asleep and then take her back to her bed. I’ve heard Kendall preach routine enough to know sleeping in your bed, let alone with both of us, is a bad idea, but I fell asleep,” he says sheepishly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear her.”
“She was barely whimpering when I heard her. I had to use the restroom so I was awake, waiting as long as possible to climb out of bed, not wanting to leave you when I heard her.”
It’s as if he fell from the pages of a book. Is this guy for real? “Thank you.”
“We had a sleepover, huh, Finny?” he asks. “Now, how about you go with Mommy to get ready and I’ll make us some breakfast.” He looks up at me. “Eggs and toast okay?”
“You don’t have to cook for us.”
“Are you kidding? The thought of taking care of the two of you makes my day. You ladies do what you need to do. I’ll handle breakfast.”
“Don’t you have to get ready?”
“Yeah, but I can shower and throw on some clothes in no time. Don’t worry about me.” He kisses the top of Finley’s head and climbs out of bed. My eyes rake over him as he bends over and slides into his jeans. “Mara,” he growls.
My head jerks up to his face. “Seth,” I counter.
“Baby, you can’t look at me like that. Not when Finny’s in the same room.”
“Sorry.” I shrug. I’m not. Not even a little bit am I sorry for looking at what the good Lord gave him.
“This weekend. I don’t care if it’s Friday or Saturday, hell, it can be Sunday. My parents offered to watch Finny so we can go out just the two of us. Will you consider it?”
“I don’t know. She’s only met them once and that was months ago.”
“They’ll spoil her rotten while we’re gone, that I can promise you. It’s not that I don’t want her with us. I do. It’s the look you just gave me and how that makes me feel. I can’t… touch you like I want while I know she’s here.”
“Married couples do it all the time.”
“Yes, but they have time to grow used to it. I need time with you, Mara. Adult time,” he says, emphasizing the word adult.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Thank you. Call Amelia, ask her about my folks. She’ll vouch for them.”
“It’s not that—” I start, but he holds up his hand to stop me.
“She’s your daughter. It’s your right and job to be cautious of who she spends time with. I understand that. If you’re not comfortable with my parents, then maybe Amelia?”
Amelia would be a good choice, but she’s been acting so strange lately. I guess strange is the wrong word. She’s more… closed off. There’s something going on with her, and no matter how many times I ask, I get the same “nothing’s wrong” reply.
“How about Saturday afternoon? That way we can pick her up in time for bedtime here?”
> “Perfect. Or if you wanted, the two of you could stay at my place. I know all her stuff is here, but I’d like my girls to be in my space too. I want to see your hair splayed out on my pillow, and I want Finny’s toys all over my living room.”
“Okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes.” I’m too far gone to pretend otherwise. Besides, I’d like to spend more time at his place. Finley and I have been there a couple of times for dinner, but this is different. We’re both going to be staying with him.
“Thank you.” He kisses my cheek and disappears down the hall to start breakfast.
“Sef,” Finley says, smiling and pointing where he just disappeared down the hall.
“Yeah, sweetie. I know. You love him too.” Lifting her into my arms, we go to her room to get her ready for the day. All the while, Seth’s deep timbre flows down the hall as he sings “My Girl” while making us breakfast.
Chapter Nine
Seth 9
* * *
It’s been two months since she moved here, and it’s hands down been the best two months of my life. Mara and I grow closer every day, and Finley… well, that little angel has my heart on a string. Who am I kidding? So does her momma. They make my life better. They make me better.
“Yo, Seth, you home?” Kent calls out.
“Back here,” I call back.
“This the one?”
“Yeah.” I pull my phone from my pocket and open my Pictures app. “This is her room at their house now. I want to create that here.”
“This is an awful lot of work to get them to move in with you.”
“It’s a couple of cans of paint, and you get beer and pizza out of the deal. What are you complaining about?”
“Oh, I’m not complaining. I’m just curious as to why you’re going through all the trouble. Not to mention, you’ve rehabbed this entire house the exact way you wanted it. Now you’re changing it.”
