Slowly, I removed my body from his, a rush of warmth sliding down my inner thighs as we separated. I stared deep into his eyes, and my heart jumped into my throat. The look on his face surprised me. It was one of vulnerability, of a man who had opened himself up to me. I never thought Grant would allow me to get this close to him, yet here we were.
I slipped my panties on and went into the kitchen to clean myself up.
Now that I was clearer headed, my head less foggy, I was scolding myself.
What have you done? He’s Grant. He’s your best friend’s brother. If this doesn’t go well, you could ruin everything.
I came back into the living room and sat down beside him, hoping he might be the first to speak. He wasn’t.
“I, umm, well, I should get going,” I stammered. “I told Tabby I’d be back no later than nine.”
It was just after 8:30. We still had some time, but I needed to think about what we’d just done and what it meant. Grant seemed to be feeling the same. He didn’t push for me to stay, but he didn’t appear eager for me to leave either.
“Alright, sure. Will you text me when you get home? Just to let me know you made it back okay?”
I couldn’t help but grin. He’d always looked after me, so I wasn’t sure why it felt any different than before.
“Sure,” I said, grabbing my purse and rushing toward the door. “And thank you for dinner, and everything else.” Noticing the slight grin on his face, I quickly added, “I meant Caleb’s doctor stuff, not the sex stuff.” I cringed as I realized how it sounded. I wasn’t making things any better. “Oh God.”
Grant laughed, rubbing a hand over his face as he pulled his pants back on.
“I’ll make an appointment for Caleb tomorrow and let you know when we can take him.”
He walked me to the door, and we stared at each other for a long moment, as if trying to decide the proper way to say goodbye. Grant leaned closer to me, as if for a kiss, but I kissed him on the cheek instead.
I was scared. Especially after having sex with him, I was still scared of getting even more attached to the idea of us being together. Until Grant could prove to me that he was all in, I didn’t want to keep pushing for more than he could give me.
I left his house and rushed to my car, my heart racing from everything that had just happened. My teenage self would be squealing so loud right now. But the grown-up me knew that while the sex was mind blowing, things had just gotten a whole lot more complicated between us.
And I wasn’t so sure I liked that.
Ooo000ooo
After the evening with Grant, I went home, showered, and went to bed. I laid there for a long time, my emotions running wild. I couldn’t decide if I was ecstatic that we’d hooked up or overwhelmed by what it might mean for our little “family”.
I checked my phone since it had been on silent for many hours and found I had a new voice message.
“Hi, this is Ashley Sutter, I’m incredibly sorry for the loss of your cousin, Andy. I’m calling to discuss the next steps regarding Caleb, since both of his parents are now deceased. Please give me a call back at your earliest convenience.”
My heart sunk. Next steps? I knew we’d have to make things official, but part of me hoped we wouldn’t really have to do anything just yet. She’d looked over my house, talked to both of us, checked my background. Wasn’t that enough?
I was so lost in my thoughts, that it scared me when the bedroom door opened. I sat up in my bed and saw Caleb standing in the doorway. He rubbed his eyes like he’d been crying.
“Ah, what’s wrong, buddy?” I asked, climbing out of bed. “Another bad dream?”
His lower lip trembled as he nodded.
“Come here,” I said, picking him up in my arms and carrying him to my bed. I sat him down next to me as I wiped the tears from his eyes. “You wanna talk about it?”
Caleb hesitated, but then nodded again. “My daddy, he—” he hiccupped.
As if my heart couldn’t ache enough already, those words were like a spear that went straight through me. My throat tightened. “Yes, sweetie? What about your daddy?”
I feared he’d overheard something, or maybe one of the kids had heard something from their parents and repeated it. That’s not how he should find out about his father. He needed to hear it from me, in a way he could understand.
“I miss my daddy,” Caleb said. “Can I see him, please?”
God, no. I knew I had to break the news to him. But he was three years old. How could he possibly comprehend what had happened? Tears welled in my eyes, and I couldn’t find the words at first.
Pull yourself together, Piper. You have to be strong for Caleb’s sake.
Everything I’d learned in school about this subject went right out the window. I couldn’t remember any of it when I needed it the most.
“I miss your daddy too, Caleb. I wish we could see him again, but we can’t.” My voice cracked.
“Why?”
“Well, sweetie…” I needed to tread carefully. The wrong word, a slipup, might cause anxiety or confusion in the little guy, and I didn’t want that. I thought about my next words for a moment. “Do you remember when Aidan’s grandpa went to Heaven?”
Aidan was one of my preschoolers who had lost his grandfather a month before. It was the only instance of death Caleb might remember. We hadn’t made a big deal out of it, but we did explain why Aidan seemed to be sad.
Caleb nodded his head.
“Well, sweetie, your daddy went to Heaven. He’s not coming back, but I’m here for you,” I said in a rush. “And I’ll always be here for you.”
I reassured him that he’d never be alone, hoping it would take the edge off the news. I knew it would be scary for him that his parents were gone.
Caleb looked up at me with sad eyes and the tears began to fall immediately. “I want my daddy,” he sobbed.
I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him close, crying with him. I wanted him to know that grieving was okay, that it was fine to cry. I didn’t want to force him to be strong, so I let him cry, while reassuring him that I would take care of him. And I prayed that I was telling him the truth.
Ooo000ooo
“I don’t know what to do, Tabby.” I kept my voice low so I didn’t wake Caleb. He was asleep in my bed. He’d cried until he couldn’t cry anymore and passed out in my arms.
My sister was still awake, thankfully, and set up in the living room. I broke down and confided all of my fears to her.
“Take it one step at a time, sis,” she advised me. “Deep breaths. You’re the strongest person I know. You’ve got this.”
Her words sounded like empty platitudes, even though I knew she meant well. I leaned back in the chair and rubbed my temples. My head was aching from the crying and the stress.
“I mean, should I take him to the funeral? He’s three. Would he even understand what was happening?”
“I think you should, and you wanna know why?”
“Of course.”
My sister was a few years younger than me, and sometimes, I still thought of her as a child. I’d pretty much raised her after our mom died, since our dad was injured and struggling with his mental health too. But she had grown into a beautiful young woman, one I was proud of. She was also sometimes too smart for her own good.
She offered me a sympathetic smile and continued, “I was a little older when mom died. I didn’t really understand what I was seeing. I thought Mom was sleeping and couldn’t understand why everyone was crying. Do you remember?”
“I do,” I said, my chest aching with the desire to cry. “And that’s not convincing me to take him, you know.”
“Do you remember what you told me when I asked why everyone was crying?”
“No, not really.”
“You said it’s because she was loved by so many people. And even though I didn’t understand what it meant for her to be dead, I knew that Mom had touched so many lives. I didn’t understand it fully at th
e time, but later, it gave me peace knowing how many people loved her. She might be gone, I would never see her again, but I wasn’t the only person who felt sad about her being gone. I wasn’t alone.”
I was closer to nine when our mother passed away, and I remembered her funeral differently. I remember feeling my mother’s loss so acutely that it was a physical pain in my little chest. But she was right. Seeing our family and being surrounded by them had brought some measure of peace.
“What if it he asks questions I can’t answer?”
Tabby leaned over the coffee table and took my hands in hers. “You’re not alone here, Piper. You have me. You have Leah. You have Grant. We can all help you with Caleb, and help you answer those hard questions if needed.”
It surprised me that she’d mentioned Grant, but I didn’t say anything about it.
“But what if it’s too much for him? What if he can’t handle all the sadness?”
“Then we leave. We take him home the minute he shows signs of distress. If anyone can read a child’s emotions, it’s you, Piper. You’ll be able to handle the situation and determine what’s best for him as it happens.”
“And if not, I have you to fall back on, huh?”
“Exactly.”
Tabby knew as much about kids as I did. She was almost finished with her Master’s in education. She was right about there being no one better to handle the situation. The two of us were a team and we’d both be with him.
“Not to pile on at the worst possible time, but I have something to tell you.” Tabby cringed as she spoke, almost like the words hurt her to say.
“What is it?” I sat upright in my chair, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“A lawyer stopped by today,” she said, reaching for an envelope on the table I hadn’t noticed. “He dropped this off.”
I realized I was holding my breath as she handed me the envelope. As soon as I opened it and scanned the first line, I let it out and relaxed a bit. “It’s just the reading of Andy’s will.”
“Yeah, but do you see who else is invited?”
I looked at the list of those to be included. Obviously, Tabitha and I were to be there; we were the closest family he had. But in addition to our names were names of people I hadn’t heard in years.
I tried to play it cool. “Andy had a lot of assets, I’m sure they’re going to get a piece of the pie. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.”
“I’m sure you’re right, it’s just— well, Andy had a lot of money, and his property is probably worth millions, just like Grant and Leah’s.”
“You think our family might try to snatch it up?” I shrugged. “I really don’t care about Andy’s money. It might be nice, especially since it could help with raising Caleb, but it’s the least of my concerns right now.”
“Good,” Tabby said with a nod. “But since we’re both supposed to attend, what should we do with Caleb?”
Good question. “I’ll ask Leah to watch him.”
“Or Grant,” Tabby commented with a coy smile.
“Or Grant, I guess. He is good with him, but I’m not sure he’d want to watch him for that long.”
“I think he’d do anything for you and that little boy.”
My cheeks flushed, and I couldn’t look my sister in the eye. “Yeah, he’d do anything for Caleb,” I agreed.
ooo000ooo
My phone buzzed with an unfamiliar number from Los Angeles. I had a feeling I knew who it might be before I even picked up. Tabby had just left, and Caleb was down for a nap. I was relaxing on the couch and not really in the mood to talk to anyone. Still, I answered.
“Hello,” I said hesitantly.
“Piper? It’s your aunt, Grace.”
I knew I had an aunt Grace, but I couldn’t recall ever having met her. Funny how a death in the family will bring out distant relatives.
“Oh, hi there, Grace,” I said. “I don’t believe we’ve ever talked before. How are you?”
“I’m good,” she replied. “I’m sorry we couldn’t make it back for your father’s funeral. You know we were never that close.”
“I understand.” I didn’t really, but it didn’t seem to matter much at this point.
“Anyway, I should get to the point. My husband and I have always wanted a child of our own, but I was unable to have them naturally. I’m sure you understand how hard that is for a woman.”
My chest tightened. “I can only imagine. I’m so sorry to hear that, Grace.”
“Well, we know Andy had a little boy who’s now without parents, and I was thinking we might take him in.”
“Oh, were you?”
“We have a nice home here in Los Angeles. A large house with a yard and a pool. We have plenty of room for a child, and we’re both retired now. I can’t think of any better place for him, can you?”
“Well, honestly, I think it might be best if he stayed with me. I’ve helped raise him and he’s comfortable with me already.”
There was a silence on the other end of the line. “You want to take in the little boy?”
“His name is Caleb, Grace. And yes. That’s the plan.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Piper. I know you operate a daycare, but are you in any shape to raise him?”
“What do you mean?”
“Financially. Children cost money.”
“I understand that, but I think we’ll be just fine.”
I had some concerns, of course, but Andy likely had life insurance to handle this situation. I wasn’t in it for the money, but I felt like we’d be able to survive on it. And I’d make sure Caleb had enough for his future as well.
“Oh, Piper, dear. If you’re thinking that his insurance and everything will take care of Caleb and you for the rest of your life, I’m sorry, but I doubt it’ll be that easy. Besides, you have to work and run your business. Do you really have time for a child in this stage of your life?”
“What do you mean this stage of my life?”
“You’re a single woman. You’ll probably want to have children of your own in the future. What will that mean for the boy?”
“What are you insinuating, Grace? That I’ll push Caleb aside if I decide to have kids of my own one day? I already love him like my own—”
“So you say now, dear. Until you actually have your own.”
“This conversation is over, Grace.” I hung up the phone, my hand trembling as I pushed the button. I felt the tears in my eyes but wiped them away before they could fall. I couldn’t let her get to me. I loved Caleb more than anything, and I would never push him aside. Never.
The idea that someone might fight me for him, however, scared the daylights out of me. And those were tears I couldn’t fight.
Chapter 11
Grant
“Hey, Piper. I scheduled Caleb’s appointment for tomorrow afternoon. They had a cancellation and could squeeze us in. Let me know if there’s a problem.” I left her a voicemail since she hadn’t answered. Getting ahold of her hadn’t been easy since the night at my place. I had a feeling that I’d fucked up. I tried not to think with my dick, but I’d failed.
I thought everything might be fine, that maybe we could move slowly, but Piper seemed to want some space. I gave her that space, but I also wanted Caleb taken care of. I knew his appointment had been last minute, but the sooner we could get him checked out, the better. I knew Piper would agree.
She called me right back. “Hey, so yeah, I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?” I scratched my chin. “Sure, ask away.”
“Tabby and I both need to meet with Andy’s lawyer tomorrow. You mentioned Caleb’s appointment was tomorrow afternoon, and I wouldn’t be able to go, but—”
“But you want to know if I can take Caleb on my own?”
“If you wouldn’t mind?” she said pleadingly. “Otherwise, we need to reschedule, and I can ask Leah to watch him instead.”
I didn’t want to reschedule, but I also had no experience being alone wi
th a toddler. I’d watched Matilda for Kellen and Leah a handful of times, but she was an infant and all she did was sleep and eat.
“I don’t know. Is there any way to reschedule with the lawyer?”
“No, unfortunately not. We have distant relatives who are coming down from Vegas and even Los Angeles for this.”
I didn’t even know she had relatives in L.A. I knew a lot of things about her, but whoever these people were, they weren’t her family - because I don’t think she’d ever met them.
I sighed. “What’s this meeting about?”
“They’re reading his will, talking about his assets, and discussing who Andy wanted to raise Caleb. It’s important I go.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll take care of Caleb while you do that.”
There’s no way Piper could miss this meeting, and I didn’t want her to stress about it. I also didn’t want Caleb to miss the appointment.
“Thanks, I know you’ll take good care of him.”
I nodded, not wanting to tell her that even though I was a big, burly, former Marine, my growing attachment to that little boy scared the shit out of me. We both fell silent for a few beats, clearly needing to say something but neither knowing exactly how to begin.
Since she wasn’t bringing it up, I decided I should. “So, about the other night—”
She cut me off. “Grant, now isn’t the time. I really can’t handle this right now.”
“Alright.” I wasn’t about to push the issue. “Just know we can talk about it whenever you’re ready.”
“Listen, I have to go. But thank you again for all your help with Caleb. You’re doing me a really big favor and I appreciate it.”
She hung up before I could get another word in.
The next day, I stopped by the daycare an hour before the appointment. Piper was still closing for the day. Thankfully her meeting with the lawyer was after most of the children left for the day. Frannie was staying to watch the remaining children while Tabby and Piper went to their meeting.
I tried to talk to Piper, but she was rushing around, clearly stressed. I didn’t want to add to it. Caleb also didn’t seem like himself. He didn’t rush over to me when I entered, nor did he drag me over to play. He sat with Tabby at a table, and the two of them were speaking in hushed voices. I only heard part of their conversation as I approached.
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