“For sure. Jennifer’s amazing. I’m so happy for you guys.” Rick looks at his front door as if seeing Jennifer through it.
“Thank you. She has no idea how wrapped around her finger I truly am.”
“I know the feeling,” Dakota says, chuckling. There is a comfortable silence between them for a few seconds. Dakota clears his throat. “Can I ask you something weird?”
Rick nods. “Sure, anything,” he says, folding his arms to protect himself from the late December wind.
“When did you know that Jennifer…was the one? That you didn’t want anyone else and she was it?” Dakota’s face is serious as he watches Rick process the question. He strokes his chin.
“I don’t think there was ever an exact moment. I just…knew. I looked at her and I pictured my life without her in it and I just didn’t like it. I just knew that no matter what happened, I wanted her to be there with me.”
It’s Dakota’s turn to process. He nods his head, slowly going over the words in his head a couple of times.
“Hm,” he responds softly.
“Why do you ask?” Rick says, smirking.
Dakota shrugs nonchalantly. “Just curious,” he says.
“Is my former-juvenile-delinquent-almost-brother in love?” Rick asks, the smirk not leaving his face. Dakota rolls his eyes.
“Goodbye, Rick. Thanks for the lovely evening.”
“You are, aren’t you? That is so cute,” Rick teases further. Dakota punches him playfully in the shoulder and heads to his car.
“See you New Year’s!” Dakota calls, waving at him. He can still see Rick’s smirk as he settles into his car and lets the engine warm up. But no matter how annoyed he was at his friend, he can’t help but smirk too. He is in love, and he doesn’t think it’s going away any time soon. Or maybe, he admits to himself, it isn’t ever going to go away. Period.
***
Harper
Harper comes from the bathroom changed into her PJs. The bottoms have bunny rabbits on them, and her white T-shirt smells like Dakota. Her face is thoroughly flushed red from her goodnight conversation with Dakota. Jamie is lying on his back on his twin bed dressed the same minus the bunnies. Aiden booked two connecting rooms for them, one for Harper and Jamie to sleep in, and one for himself. Harper was grateful for it and, honestly, surprised. She expected a lavish suite of some sort. She was actually surprised by Aiden’s actions the entire day. He was…pleasant. She might even say…nice. When they arrived, they immediately went to get breakfast at a place Aiden loved. He had a car available to chauffeur them around for the day. After breakfast they went sightseeing, pizza at another one of Aiden’s favorite places, and then in the evening they went to see something on Broadway that neither Harper nor Jamie were interested in but were excited to see just because they were in New York. They went to see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, and for dinner they went to Aiden’s favorite restaurant, which should have been named after him because of the way it catered to him.
It was all very exciting—sometimes weird—but mostly fun. Harper wished she could have captured every expression on Jamie’s face. Every moment was priceless, and she was happy she got to experience it all with him. She still wasn’t completely sure about Aiden’s intentions, but she had to admit she didn’t regret coming along and she couldn’t have asked for a better day. Harper knocks on the door connecting their rooms. She hears Aiden call out to come in and walks into the room. It isn’t much different than the one she shares with Jamie except for it only has one big bed. Aiden is lying on the bed on his stomach, flicking through television channels. He sits up when Harper comes in. Harper stays loitering by the door.
“I just wanted to say thank you for all of this. Jamie had an amazing day.”
Aiden nods his head. “You’re welcome, but you don’t have to thank me. Just get used to things like this happening. Jamie deserves moments like this, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure he gets them.”
“I’m happy that you decided to move back, Aiden. Jamie got used to you not being around, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t always want you around.” Aiden nods. There is a comfortable silence between them for a few seconds.
“Did you call Dakota?” Aiden asks. “Let him know everything’s okay?”
Harper’s eyes narrow in suspicion. “Yes,” she says, stretching out the ‘s.’ Aiden nods.
“Good,” Aiden says. “I want to be honest with you about something, Harper.”
Harper suddenly feels like she should bolt. This was the moment she has been dreading all day. “Okay.”
“I had bad intentions inviting you here.”
Harper rolls her eyes. “No…” she says sarcastically.
Aiden grins. “When I heard that you and Dakota had started dating, I didn’t like it. Not just because of you, but because of Jamie too. Dakota is a constant source of annoyance because he has everything I want. You, an amazing relationship with Jamie—my family, essentially.”
“Something you could have had, had you chosen us and not your career,” Harper says, folding her arms across her chest.
“I know…” Aiden says softly. “And I regret not making the right decision. I moved here to mend my relationship with Jamie but also to win you back somehow.”
“I can’t be won back.”
“I know that now…” Aiden says, hanging his head. He looks back up at her. “I know. And I want to apologize for thinking you could be. I apologize for everything, including the last fifteen years that you had to deal with everything alone. And believe it or not, I am grateful for Dakota filling in the space I left. All I want from this point on is to become a part of the family you have created. I want to be in Jamie’s life, and I want to be able to come over and be there for the little moments without a fight breaking out. I just want to be there if you’ll let me.”
Harper runs her fingers through her wet hair and stares at Aiden, flabbergasted. She never in a million years expected this to happen. She was prepared, however, for punching him in the nose or bolting out of the room after setting him straight.
“If you promise to respect Dakota and his relationship with Jamie, I won’t stand in your way of having a relationship with Jamie. It’s all I ever wanted. You also have to respect the fact that I love Dakota and he isn’t going anywhere…ever. He’s it for me. He’s in this family indefinitely. Accept it and we can move forward.”
“I promise,” Aiden says. “You have my word.”
“Okay,” she says.
“Okay,” Aiden says, back smiling slightly.
“I’m, uh, going to go to bed now,” Harper says, walking toward the door. Aiden chuckles, nodding.
Harper stops. “Can I just ask…what brought all of this on?”
Aiden laughs. “Casey said some things to me that were really…eye opening. I kind of felt like I was verbally smacked in the face.”
Harper nods. “Yes, that’s her super power.”
Aiden laughs. “She just put some things into perspective. She’s…something else.”
Harper nods. Her eyes narrow at the expression on his face. She grins as she heads back to her room to sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Dakota
“Oh my God. I’ve been so bored!” shouts Dakota as Jamie and Harper enter the house the next morning. Harper laughs and throws her arms around him.
“Merry Christmas,” she says, kissing him sweetly.
“Merry Christmas,” Dakota says, smiling widely. Jamie sets his suitcase by the stairs and hangs his coat on the rack by the door. He walks into the living room and plops down on the sofa, shaking his head at Dakota.
“You are pathetic, D. You couldn’t last twenty-four hours without us?”
Dakota shrugs. “What can I say? I’m lost without you,” he says.
Jamie laughs.
Aiden is standing awkwardly in the living room.
Dakota turns around and looks at him. “Thanks for getting them home safe,” he s
ays seriously.
“No problem,” Aiden says, smiling. “Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you before I go.”
The room is silent as all eyes are on Dakota. Dakota clears his throat.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll walk you out.”
“See you later, Dad,” Jamie calls out.
“All right, Jam. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Dakota and Aiden walk to the front door and stand there awkwardly. Aiden clears his throat.
“I wanted to—” He stops and clears his throat again. Dakota looks at him, suspicious. “Why does everyone give me that look?” Aiden says, looking offended.
“Because you’re always up to something,” Dakota says.
“I’m not up to anything.” Dakota raises his eyebrow at him. Aiden chuckles.
“What’s up, Aiden?” Dakota asks.
“I want to apologize,” Aiden says through a sigh.
Dakota looks up at him. “For what?”
“For what I said to you at Jamie’s birthday.”
Dakota stands up straight, alert, and ready to bolt at any moment. “Oh yeah?” Dakota says.
“Yeah,” Aiden says.
“Suddenly not ready to steal my girl?”
“No. I was angry then. I was jealous. It was out of line. So I’m sorry, and I honestly just want to get past all of it.”
“Get…past it?” Dakota asks.
Aiden nods. “I’ve faced the fact that I won’t stand a chance with Jamie if I keep fighting with you or trying to break up you and Harper. He loves you and he respects you. And being as you’ve been doing my job for the past six years or so…I should respect you too.”
“Why the sudden change of heart?” Dakota asks.
“I want to be a good father to my son, and I want to be there for him. No restrictions. And I want to be able to come over here and hang out without you and me being at each other’s throats.”
Dakota’s eyes narrow as he goes over what Aiden just said in his head. He tilts his head to the side slightly. “And this has nothing to do with you trying to get closer to Harper?” Aiden shakes his head sternly. “I don’t believe you, Aiden.”
“Dakota, I’m not up to anything. And even if I were, do you think I would stand here in front of you admitting my shortcomings and swallowing my pride? No diabolical plan is worth that.”
“Harper is worth that,” Dakota says. Aiden scoffs and shakes his head. He runs his fingers through his unkempt hair.
“Yes. Yes, she would be. But all I care about at this point is being there for Jamie. I’m not saying I want to be friends. I’m just saying…let’s not be enemies. For Jamie.”
Dakota swallows thickly. Aiden holds out his hand. Dakota looks at it. He looks at Aiden’s face, and for some annoying reason…he believes him. He shakes his head and then shakes Aiden’s hand. Aiden exhales.
“Don’t make me regret this truce, Aiden.”
“You won’t,” Aiden says.
“I still think you’re up to something.”
“Well, I’ll just have to prove you wrong then.”
“Nothing else helped you with this realization?” Aiden folds his arms across his chest.
“Casey might have verbally slapped me and…it made me go home and reevaluate what I was doing and why.”
Dakota nods his head, feeling like it all makes sense now.
“Casey, huh?”
Aiden clears his throat. “Mmhm…” he says.
“Hm…” Dakota says.
Aiden rolls his eyes. “Bye, Dakota.” Aiden heads out the door.
Dakota laughs, shaking his head. He walks into the living room with his face still pensive. Harper is sitting by the Christmas tree.
“What did Aiden want?” Harper asks when he sits on the floor next to her.
“He wanted…a truce,” Dakota says.
“A truce?” Harper asks.
“Yep.” Dakota nods.
“Wow,” Harper says. “You know he apologized to me too. Last night before we went to bed. I think he might want this to work.”
Dakota’s eyes narrow slightly. “It annoys me to say it, but I think I agree with you,” Dakota says.
Jamie enters the living room with a plate of cookies and plops down across from them on the floor. Harper and Dakota retire their conversation for now and decide to spend their Christmas focused on each other.
***
Harper
“Isn’t Tanner Andrews the jerky kid you got into a fight with?” Dakota asks as they all sit eating lunch outside of a small cafe’. It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The air is chilly but not unbearable. They are grateful for the air after spending four hours in a warehouse with no open windows or ventilation for a calendar photoshoot Dakota had scheduled in the morning. Jamie asked if he could assist, now collecting experience for when he’s ready to become a photographer himself. Harper couldn’t think of anything she could do while they were gone, so she decided to tag along. She observed the two guys working in harmony, laughing when Jamie took an awful picture and Jamie listening intently as Dakota instructed him on what he could do better. They had a great system going.
“Yeah, Tanner is the kid Mason tried to kill,” Jamie says before taking a bite out of his chicken finger salad.
“Why would you want to go to one of his parties?” Harper asks.
“Well, it’s not just his party. Mason’s friends with a bunch of the guys on the football team and they invited him to go. Bianca wants us to experience every aspect of high school life, so she’s making us go.”
“And since you are obsessed with her, you agreed,” Dakota says. Jamie glares at him. Dakota laughs.
“So it’ll be you, Bianca, and Mason?” Harper asks before sipping on her iced tea.
“Yep.”
“No parents?”
Jamie swallows slightly. “No.”
“Alcohol and drugs?” Dakota asks before biting a French fry.
“Possibly,” Jamie says reluctantly. Dakota strokes his chin pensively.
“That doesn’t sit well with us,” Dakota says, looking at the concern on Harper’s face.
“I know, but I was hoping you could do the whole trusting me to make the right choices thing. I’m a teenager. I have to experience life. Make mistakes. Listen to the color of the wind.” Dakota raises one eyebrow, amused. Harper still isn’t convinced.
“Couldn’t you do all of that in our living room?” Harper says, pouting slightly.
“Dad said the exact same thing,” Jamie says, chuckling. “Don’t I get any points for being honest about it?” Harper nods reluctantly.
“Do you promise to be back at Mason’s after the clock strikes midnight?” Harper asks.
“Yes.”
“No drugs,” Dakota says.
“I’ll watch fifteen of those commercials with the chick frying an egg.” Dakota laughs.
“Are you going to drink?” Harper asks. Jamie’s eyes narrow, not sure if he should answer that question. He sighs.
“I was thinking about trying a beer,” he says. Harper takes a deep breath.
“Okay. But don’t let anyone but Bianca or Mason get your beer for you. Drink slowly. Maybe one every hour. And do not drive. Walk there and walk back to Mason’s after the party,” Harper says.
“Okay,” Jamie says.
“We trust you, Jam. And we would rather talk to you about this stuff than have you try to go out there and learn it on your own. Be safe, watch out for your friends, and…have fun.”
“I’m putting your names down for coolest parents ever, just so you’re not shocked when the nomination comes in the mail.” They all laugh.
“So what are you guys going to do tonight?” Jamie asks. Dakota pushes his plate back, finished with his lunch.
“We’re going to go to my friend Rick’s. He and his fiancé are having a little New Year’s get together, and they invited us.” Jamie nods.
“That should be fun.”
“Yeah, who would have thought we�
�d all have social lives this year?” Dakota says.
“I know. It’s weird.” They all chuckle. Harper checks her watch and realizes the time.
“We should get going home. I promised Casey I would do a girl’s day and get nails and hair done for tonight.” Dakota and Jamie nod. Jamie gathers their trash and heads to a trash can to throw it away as Dakota and Harper walk to the car.
“So tonight’s going to be fun, you think?” Harper asks.
“For sure. You’re going to love Jennifer. She’s really funny and sweet. And she’s dying to meet you.” They reach Dakota’s car down the block, and Dakota opens the door for her. Jamie is a few steps behind them and jumps into the backseat. He sticks his earphones in his ears and starts bobbing his head to whatever is spilling through the speakers as Dakota gets into the driver’s seat.
“You know this is the first New Year’s we are celebrating as a couple,” Harper says, smiling. Dakota pulls out onto the road.
“I am aware of that, yes,” he says. “Pretty cool.” Harper nods her head. She looks back at Jamie, who is sitting, eyes closed, silently mouthing the words to a song.
“I don’t know if you know this but…” She grabs his hand that is laying in his lap and laces her fingers through his. “I am extremely happy.”
Dakota stops at a red light and looks at her. “Good. I am too,” Dakota says.
“What did you say about me to Jennifer that makes her so excited to meet me?”
“Just that I love you and you’re amazing.”
“I never get tired of hearing you say that.”
“I never get tired of saying it to you.” Dakota smirks as he makes a left at another light.
“Is it okay that I invited Casey? I didn’t want her to spend the night alone.”
“I don’t mind at all. Jennifer said she’s inviting a bunch of her colleagues. She has a new boss at work, and she said he’s pretty cool. Maybe she’ll meet someone.”
“That sounds promising,” Harper says. She likes that idea. Dakota pulls in front of their house and they all get out ready to prepare for the eventful night ahead.
Maybe Forever (Missing Pieces Book 1) Page 9
