A Lie for a Lie

by Hunting, Helena

  “I believe you. I’m just trying to reconcile my semi and the fact that your boobs aren’t my toys and they’re meant for Kody. It’s a weird thing to try to wrap my head around.”

  I laugh again and groan. “Please don’t be funny—my stomach hurts too much for that.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll be serious from here on out.” His phone buzzes, and he checks it, thumb typing a message in response.

  “Who’s messaging you at six in the morning?” A sudden spike of irrational jealousy hits me. He’s been here almost every night since I introduced him to Kody, and we woke up spooning the other day. Sure, he might be ogling my boob—but he’s a man, and they don’t have boobs, so of course they’re fascinated by them. Just like women are fascinated by the penis and all the interesting things it does.

  “Your mom. She and I have been messaging back and forth all night.”

  “Oh my God. Did you tell her I was sick?”

  RJ looks up from his phone. “Well, yeah, I wasn’t going to lie to her. She wanted me to wake you so she could talk to you, and there was no way in hell I was going to do that, so I told her you were sick.”

  “She must have flipped her lid.” I can’t even begin to imagine how she would’ve reacted to him denying her.

  “She was concerned about your well-being, like any mother would be.”

  His tone tells me more than his words. “So you—what? Told her you’d text her hourly updates?”

  “Every couple of hours,” he mutters.

  I almost want to laugh. I can just picture my mom bargaining with him for updates. “It’s the middle of the night there—why is she still up? Maybe you should give me the phone. I should call her.”

  “She’s packing right now.” RJ makes a weird face, sort of a cringe and an oh shit look.

  “Packing? Are they going somewhere?”

  He rubs the back of his neck. “Uh, well—”

  Of course this is the exact moment Kody decides he wants to switch boobs. I set him on my shoulder and pat his back, waiting until he burps before I go ahead and make the switch.

  Once he’s latched and I’m sure he’s not doing a keg stand on my boob, I refocus my attention on RJ. “Uh, well, what?”

  “I might have invited your parents to come for a visit.”

  I scoff and wave that off. “My mother will never get on a plane.”

  “She’s planning to, for you.”

  “Are you serious?” My high pitch startles Kody, and I shush him, stroking his hair, which helps tone down the anxiety a little.

  “I wanted to reassure her that I wasn’t some douchebag looking to screw her daughter over. I figured the best way to do that was to show them exactly how much I care about you and Kody.”

  “So you decided to fly them out here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where are they going to stay? I don’t even have a spare room or a pullout couch.”

  “I can set them up in a hotel if you’d like, or we can make alternate arrangements.”

  “Alternate arrangements?”

  “I have lots of space in my house. You could all stay there. I can even stay in a hotel if that would make you more comfortable.”

  I can’t believe he’s managed to convince my mother to come out here—on a plane. Once again my heart does that fluttery thing, and this time I allow that feeling to spread instead of trying to keep it contained. I can see in his expression and actions that he’s serious about making this work. He wouldn’t have spent the night taking care of us or offered to fly my parents out to visit if he wasn’t. Since he’s come back into my life, our lives, he’s proven time and time again that he sincerely wants both of us. Last night was a true testament to how committed he is. Little by little he’s erasing his lie and earning my trust with everything he does.

  “I would never kick you out of your own house—that’s just silly. It would actually be great for my parents to see us together.”

  “Like a family?” RJ looks so hopeful.

  I nod as I smooth my palm over Kody’s silky hair. “Thank you for taking care of us last night. It means a lot, RJ—and for convincing my parents to get on a plane and come visit. I’m warning you, though, they can be a lot to handle.”

  “I think I’ve got your mom covered.”

  “Yeah, well, she’s the easier of the two to win over.” But I’m hoping that when they see the way he cares for me and Kody—and how much I care about him—they’ll come around. That he’s willing to face them and the choices that have brought us to this point tells me everything I need to know.

  CHAPTER 24

  HOUSEGUESTS

  Rook

  It’s been a very, very long time since I met the parents of a woman I was dating. Like, all the way back to high school. And this isn’t just a regular meet-the-parents scenario, because the reality is I’m not a regular guy. Being a professional hockey player in Chicago is like being Britney Spears in Vegas. It’s not the low-key image I painted of myself when I first met Lainey, and that lie is going to be a huge issue with her parents. Which I can understand.

  Lainey seems to want to pack the entire contents of Kody’s bedroom, so I finally admit that I’ve already converted one of my bedrooms into a nursery and she just needs the basics.

  Lainey stops stuffing a bag with clothes and diaper cream and gives me an incredulous look. “When would you have time to set up a nursery? You’ve been here more than you’ve been home the past couple of weeks.”

  I shove my hands into my pockets. “I ordered a bunch of stuff and had painters and a decorator come in.”

  She sits down on the edge of the bed, looking tired again. “It’s not easy to get used to the fact that you can afford to hire people to do all these things for you.”

  “I’ll work on conditioning you slowly. In the meantime, can you let me take care of this? We don’t have to pick your parents up for another five hours. You spent a good part of yesterday reenacting that scene from The Exorcist into the toilet bowl. You might feel better, but you’re not really in any kind of shape to be doing much other than lying around, getting better.”

  “We’ll pack Kody’s bag. Then I’ll lie down.”

  I’d like to argue with her, but I can see that she’s not going to be able to relax until his bag is packed too. And I know without her having to say another word that she doesn’t trust me to pack it without her supervision.

  I force her to take a seat in the rocking chair, from which she calls out all the things he’ll need. I don’t bother to tell her I have almost all the same things at my place already.

  After a few minutes she stops calling out items. I look over to find her passed out in the chair. I leave her there while I change her sheets, then carry her back to her bedroom. Since we’re all underslept, I use one of her nursing pillows to surround Kody and set him in the middle so he’s flanked on either side, and the three of us have a nice long nap.

  When Lainey wakes, I run her a bath filled with Epsom salts for the aches and pains while she nurses Kody. Lainey looks significantly better than she did twenty-four hours ago, and she’s ready for a trip to the airport.

  I’m a bit of a mess, still wearing my shirt Lainey sprayed with breast milk and Kody spit up on earlier. I’m also still unshaven and unshowered. At least I have a jacket to cover the shirt stains, and my ball cap covers my hair.

  We head down to my SUV, which already has a baby seat installed, and load all the bags. I park at the airport, and Lainey straps Kody to my body with the straitjacket carrier. She wanted to wear him, but I thought the extra weight and exertion wouldn’t be good for her. It’s impressive how quickly she can manage to get four hundred yards of fabric wrapped around me.

  I’ve learned that just because we won’t be at the airport long doesn’t mean we should leave the baby bag in the car, so I shoulder that too. At least it’s blue with little airplanes, so it’s sort of manly-ish.

  My palms are sweaty as we walk from the parking garag
e to the arrivals area. Lainey slips her hand in mine and gives it a squeeze. “They’re going to love you as soon as they see how hard you’re trying.”

  “Fingers crossed.” I squeeze her hand back. “Should I get you a wheelchair? Do you feel well enough for this? Maybe you should’ve stayed in the car.”

  “I’m fine. Just a little tired, and this won’t take long.”

  As soon as we’re at arrivals, I make Lainey sit down. Then I find the closest airport café and grab her a bottle of water, a mint tea, and a buttered bagel to nibble on while we wait.

  I take the seat beside her, adjusting Kody’s legs so he’s comfortable. He’s also managed to pass out again. Lainey eats half the bagel before her parents arrive. Her mother and father pull her into a group hug, murmuring how much they missed her and how happy they are to be here.

  I can see, in just that one hug, how much they truly do care, even if sometimes that love has been stifling for her. And I get it, because Lainey comes across as delicate at times, when in reality her innocence and sense of adventure are exactly the things that make her stronger and more resilient than people give her credit for. And if that’s not convincing enough, then the fact that she came to Chicago to raise a baby on her own should do it.

  Having Kody strapped to my body functions a lot like a shield.

  “Oh! Isn’t this a picture? All this handsomeness is almost too much to handle!” Lainey’s mom pinches Kody’s cheek with one hand and pats mine with the other. “And you’re not bad looking either.”

  Her father stands behind her mother, mouth set in a grim line—at least until his gaze shifts from me to Kody, and then his eyes light right up. Lainey unstraps Kody from my body and passes him to her dad. He’s not allowed to hold him very long before her mom swoops in and steals him away.

  I shake her dad’s hand and introduce myself, not at all surprised by his wary expression and the very tight grip.

  “How was the flight?” I take both suitcases off their hands, and we head back to the parking garage.

  “Well, it was just lovely. My doctor gave me something that was supposed to help with the anxiety, and it worked like magic! I wasn’t nervous much at all, and I slept most of the flight because the seats were so comfy. And they served us the nicest breakfast. If I’d known flying would be like that, I would’ve gotten on a plane a long time ago!”

  “We flew first class, Elaine. For most people it’s not that nice,” Lainey’s dad, Simon, says.

  “Well, then, I guess first class is the only way to go, then, isn’t it?”

  Lainey and her mom sit in the back seat. Her mom fusses over her, telling her how she looks pale, and asks if she’s taking care of herself. Meanwhile, I try to drag conversation out of Simon. I would liken it to a tooth extraction, without freezing, done with a set of rusty pliers.

  I ask him about his farm, which gets little more than grunts in response. I can feel the confrontation brewing.

  My nerves ratchet up a few notches once we arrive at my house. I wonder if this is how Lainey often feels—and if it is, I’m even more amazed by her, because it’s exhausting to be this amped up.

  My house isn’t ostentatious, but it’s big. I’ve seen pictures of Lainey’s family home, and while it’s bigger than average—to accommodate all her brothers and sisters when they were growing up—it’s a traditional farmhouse.

  “Oh wow! This is just . . . a lot of house. Is it just you here?” Elaine asks as I show them through to the living room.

  “For now, yes. I have a brother who lives in LA, and he often comes to visit with his wife and son during the holidays. My mom and sister will come visit as well.”

  “You could lose a person in here!” I’m not sure if Elaine is joking or not.

  I turn to Lainey, who’s propped herself up against the wall. I press my lips to her forehead. She’s not warm like she was yesterday, but we’ve had a lot of excitement for someone who was tossing her cookies less than twenty-four hours ago. “You should lie down—you must be wiped.”

  “Maybe just for a bit.” She gives me a grateful smile.

  “Why don’t I show you the bedrooms, and everyone can get settled?”

  I carry both suitcases to the second floor and bring Lainey’s parents to one of the guest rooms, taking Kody from Elaine. We leave them to unpack, and I shift Kody to one hip so I can take Lainey by the hand, guiding her farther down the hall. “I have something to show you.”

  “Okay.”

  I open the second door on the left and flip on the light. Lainey’s palm covers her mouth, and her eyes go wide. “Oh, RJ, this is just . . . amazing.”

  The nursery is decorated in a hockey theme, because, well, it’s my life. The crib is designed to look like a hockey rink, an idea I got from Alex and Violet, and the bedding boasts our team logo.

  I set Kody in the new crib. He reaches up, as if he’s trying to grab the mobile hanging over his head. “I figured it would be good to introduce Kody to hockey at an early age. Maybe he’ll have the same love for it as I do. But he might be more like you, so I figured it was good to have a bit of both of us in here.” I turn on the sea creature mobile and motion to the mural of Kodiak Island. It’s a decal, rather than painted, so we can switch it up whenever we feel like it.

  Lainey wanders around the room. She takes a seat in the glider and rocks back and forth a few times before she moves on to the dresser and changing table. Eventually she comes back to stand in front of me, eyes bright with unshed tears.

  “I didn’t do this because I want to take him away from you, Lainey—you understand that, don’t you? I did it because I wanted you to see that I care about both of you and I want to be part of raising him. Together or apart, he’ll always be ours.”

  She smiles, a little sad, a little wistful. “You were right, you know.”

  “About what?”

  “You’re exactly the man I thought you were.”

  “Is that a good or a bad thing?”

  “Good. It’s good.” She wraps her arms around my waist and rests her cheek against my chest.

  I fold her into an embrace, relieved that she’s here and that she seems to understand and believe that I genuinely want to right my wrong. “I made some big mistakes, Lainey, but I’m trying my best to make up for them.”

  “You’re doing a great job.” Lainey pulls back and tips her chin up. She settles a palm against my cheek and smiles softly. “I understand it better now, why you omitted the truth at first.”

  “I’m still sorry I didn’t tell you when I had the chance.” That I missed all this time with them is a punishment I’m not sure I’ll ever really get over.

  “I know you are, but I can also understand how it became harder to tell me the longer we were together. And I’ll be honest with you—I don’t know how the version of me you knew then would’ve handled all of that, because so much has changed.” She exhales a shaky breath. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Kody right away.”

  “I understand why you waited. I blindsided you with the truth.”

  “And telling you had the potential to change my entire life, and at the time, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a good or a bad change—so thank you for being patient with me while I figured all of this out.”

  “Thank you for giving me a chance to prove I’m the same man I was a year ago.” I press my lips to her temple and hold her, grateful for this second chance.

  Since Kody seems content in his crib—for now—we leave him there while I show Lainey the bathroom connected to the nursery. There’s another door leading to a bedroom on the other side, so all three rooms are connected.

  “If you want to stay in here, you can.” I don’t want to push Lainey for more than she’s prepared to give.

  Lainey nods and bites her bottom lip. “Where’s your bedroom?”

  “I’m actually connected to Kody’s room too, through the closet.” It was a design feature I didn’t understand at first. But I realized later tha
t the guest bedroom I’d planned for Lainey to stay in was actually meant to be a nanny suite. I take Lainey through the walk-in closet full of new clothes for Kody to the door on the other side, which takes us to my bedroom.

  She crosses over to the bed, which is exactly like the one from the cabin in Alaska. Even the comforter is the same. She runs her hand along the edge of the footboard. “What if . . . I want to stay in here instead?”

  “I can take the other room if this is what you prefer.”

  She glances over her shoulder, lip caught between her teeth, looking shy and nervous. “No. I mean, what if I want to stay in here with you?”

  I bridge the gap between us and wrap her up in my arms. “I missed you every day for more than a year. I missed the smell of your shampoo, the way you feel in my arms, the sound of your voice, the softness of your skin—and even though your dad might kill me if you stay in here with me, I’m willing to take that risk.”

  Lainey chuckles. “I’m a twenty-six-year-old woman—and a mother. I think we all know I’m not the innocent little girl he would like to pretend I still am. And I’ve missed the way my heart feels when you’re close to me—so please, be careful with it this time around.”

  Despite the fact that Lainey might still be a little on the right side of fluish, when she tips her head back and her gaze settles on my mouth, I dip down with the intention of kissing her.

  She turns her head a few inches so I make contact with the corner of her mouth. “I don’t want to make you sick.”

  “My immune system is stacked—I’ll chug a bottle of vitamin C and chase it with hand sanitizer if I need to.”

  Before I can make a move to kiss her properly, Kody lets out a loud cry.

  Figures I end up cockblocked by my own son. “I’ll get him—you lie down.”

  “What about my parents?”

  “I can handle entertaining them. You need rest, and they’ll want to visit with Kody.” I make an adjustment in my pants on the way to Kody’s room. I close the door behind me so Lainey has some quiet and enter the nursery at the same time as her dad. He reaches the crib before I can and picks up Kody. “Where’s Lainey?”