by Lane Martin
“What the hell are you doing here?” Nat asked the angry brothers.
“Can we please not do this here.” I pleaded. The last thing I needed was for Edward to see this three-ring circus.
“There’s a donut shop around the corner.” Nat offered.
“You think you’re fucking cute Natalie.” Mark, the older brother grumbled.
“Donuts sound good.” The baby mama announced and just like that the hulk of a man turned into a gentle giant.
Mike tossed his car keys to his brother, “I’ll drive these fugitives. You drive Tilly, and we’ll meet you at Dunken.” None of us missed the kiss he gave her before Mike took her by the hand and led her back to their car.
The car was silent as we all piled back in it. Mark chuckled. “I never thought I’d live to see the day Natalie Sutherland was speechless.” Me either.
I sat forward in my seat, asking the question that was burning through me. “How did you find us?” It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Gabe or Eric tracked their wives. I wasn’t prepared for Mark’s answer.
“You really think Logan would just sit back and do nothing when you ran off with his kid?” His kid. And as much as I tried to tell myself I was doing this for my daughter, I knew. I was doing it for her daddy too.
Mike gave me the ready signal. Once I’d explained my plan, they were much more open to helping me. I’d just had to promise not to go inside, and they were going to wait in the hallway out of sight. Honestly, it might also have had to do with wanting to get us back on our way home. Once the shock wore off, Natalie had a million questions for Tilly. Tami Medina was going to flip her shit when she found out her two sons were hiding a very soon to be born grandchild from her. I tried to tell them it wouldn’t matter who the father was. Logan was all the proof I needed of that. I mean the guy had a tracking device on Aria’s car seat and her stroller. If it were legal, he probably would have had a device implanted in her body.
I knocked on the door. The apartment was an upgrade from the place above the garage Edward used to share with me. I impatiently knocked again. “Hold your damn horses,” Edward cursed. Aria began to fuss beneath the cover of her blanket. Not that I ever wanted her to be unhappy, but her cries would most certainly add to the effect I was trying so hard to give.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I couldn’t believe I was ever attracted to this man. Now he just reminded me of a slimy used car salesman.
I stepped toward him, and he moved behind the door, nearly closing it. Perfect. “I heard you were looking for me. I mean us.” I lifted a bag and pushed the door seeking entrance.
“Who’s that baby?” A woman asked from within. Yuck. Mike and Mark confirmed that Logan and Eric had arranged for Edward to end up here and for them to keep an eye on him. They even anonymously “helped” him find a place to live and a job. What they hadn’t helped him find was a replacement for me. He did that all on his own, and he didn’t seem all that interested in introducing his baby mama to his new flame. “Just a holy roller. Get naked, I’ll be right in.” I think I just puked a little. Edward came into the hall and closed the door behind him.
“What’s all this shit, Libby? And what is that fucking racket?”
“I had a baby, Edward. They need a lot of stuff.” No way in hell was I going to say we had a baby. I wasn’t going to tell him anything.
“Can you tell your friend to go and invite me inside so I can get the brat on my tit?” As hard as it was at first, Aria and I were getting the hang of breastfeeding. Truth be told, I loved it; the connection I felt as I nourished her. I also loved the way Logan looked at me when I nursed her. He looked at us like we were the most beautiful things he had ever seen. Calling Aria a “brat” was part of my plan, but it still hurt to say. Edward couldn’t know how much I loved my daughter. He would try and use it against me. That was who he was.
“You’re not coming in unless you’re naked too and that noise maker sure as shit isn’t welcome.”
“You want us to leave?” Gladly.
“Fuck yes. Take all this shit and get the hell out of here.” A neighbor poked her head out her door. Perfect. Edward gave her a “what the hell are you looking at” glare, and she slipped back inside her apartment.
“But when I filed for assistance I told them I wouldn’t need child support because I would be living with you. But you still might get some paperwork at your job.” Mike and Mark offered to step in with their brass, but I told them this was something I had to do on my own.
“You what?” Aria really wasn’t happy. It was time to wrap up this reunion.
“You really want us to go.”
“Fuck yes, and I better not get anything claiming that thing is mine.” He pointed his finger at my daughter, and it took everything in me not to snap it in half.
“They said you would just have to sign off that you are waiving your parental rights.” Sheldon had warned me I couldn’t mislead Edward on what he was signing and thanks to Mike and Mark, I now had witnesses that I didn’t.
“Do you have the form?’ He asked as another neighbor looked out into the hall that was full of baby stuff. Had I ever mentioned Edward wasn’t very bright? I also had a feeling Edward was going to have “help” losing his new job and apartment very soon. Poor baby. Not.
I knew something was off the second I stepped foot in the apartment. It was too quiet, too empty. It reminded me of the life I was living before Libby Barnes came into my life and mixed everything up in the best way possible. It didn’t take long to notice so much of Aria’s stuff was gone, but when I looked around our room, I noticed none of Libby’s stuff was gone. It didn’t take long for me to figure out where she had gone. And it pissed me the hell off. Last night had been a disaster. After I asked Libby if the idea of us being married was that repulsive, I asked our driver to stop the car and got out. I couldn’t bear to hear her answer. When I got back to the apartment, she was already asleep in bed. I slept like shit. Remnants of a dream about her fucking ex-boyfriend had me out of the apartment before the sun rose. Libby and I were both hot-tempered. Maybe it was what made us so passionate. Not that we fought a lot, but when we did, it was loud and hot. She yelled. I yelled. We voiced what needed to be said, and then we fucked. We couldn’t do that right now, and I didn’t think either of us knew how to deal with all this crap; my brother, her father, my niece, Aria’s sperm donor, the restaurant, and the surprise I was working on for her. Wasn’t it enough that we just became first-time parents?
I spent today making arrangements for our future. A future I hoped Libby wanted. I was feeling better until I got back to the apartment and figured out where she had gone. As Eric, Gabe, and I sped out of the city to collect our mischievous women, they both tried to calm me by reminding me Mike and Mark were on the job and that the only reason Libby had gone to Edward was to get him to waive his parental rights. It still pissed me off that she faced him without me. Just because I couldn’t fuck her, didn’t mean I would spank her stubborn ass.
He’d signed it. Edward no longer had any rights to Aria. I nearly collapsed the second the door slammed in my face. I just hoped the saying about when one door closes another one opens was true. Did Logan really believe I didn’t want to be with him? When he asked the driver to let him out of the car last night, I’d completely lost it. I’d pretended I was asleep when he finally came home, and he’d left early this morning when he’d thought I was still sleeping. Between being up to care for Aria and being worried about things with Logan, I had hardly slept a wink. I knew what I had to do before he’d called out Edward’s name in his sleep. Our life was one of those games with the building blocks, where you pull the blocks out one at a time, stacking them higher and higher. Everything was about to tumble over. What scared me most was not knowing if he would want to rebuild our blocks once everything came crashing down. I’d meant what I declared in the car about not having anything “worth any value,“ but not in the context he took it. I mean look at me. I was a singl
e mother. When I got here, I didn’t have two nickels to rub together, shit I still didn’t. I paid Logan rent he insisted he didn’t want every month. Why? Because I promised my baby girl the moment, I found out I was pregnant that I would do right by her. Mooching off your boyfriend wasn’t exactly a shining example of superb parenting. Was it? So no, I didn’t have money, but I was richer than Jeff Bezos in all the ways that mattered. I had a happy and healthy child, a family that loved and supported me, friends who I could count on for anything, my dream job, and a man who loved my daughter and me. Did we have a lot on our plates? Absolutely. Would I change anything? Not anymore.
“Whoa,” One of the brothers caught me before I landed. I knew we were busted when they showed up, but I was glad to have them here as back-up. I didn’t even remember getting to the car. I didn’t remember anything until the bed dipped and I opened my eyes. Logan looked as tired as I felt. When did he get here? Where was here? Aria was in his arms, and both her cry and the tingles in my boobs told me she needed to eat. How long had I been out? I sat up on the bed and held my hands out to take her. When he kissed her before handing her to me, it was as if one of our blocks were put back in place. The room was homey, I assumed we were at Mike and Mark’s house. Once I got Aria settled, Logan handed me a glass of water.
“When was the last time you ate Libby? You scared the shit out of me?” Another block. He still cared.
“I couldn’t.” My appetite had left with Logan when he’d snuck out of his own apartment that morning.
“Why?” He asked after offering me a grape.
“Because I hurt your feelings, Logan.” He placed another grape to my lips before I could continue. I ate it, not just because I was hungry, but Logan taking care of our daughter and me fed both my body and my soul. It gave me hope that together we could face anything. If we worked together on building a strong foundation, we could withstand anything that came our way. He shook his head and began to speak. “No, let me finish. I need to say this.” I pleaded, and he waited for me to continue. Where should I begin? Aria grunted, and we both laughed. It was amazing how she could ground us both with just one little noise.
“That’s my girl.” Logan smiled and held out a finger. She wrapped her tiny fingers around his giant one, and I swooned, letting out an audible sigh of happiness at seeing the way he looked at her.
“You need to stop doing that Libby.” He wanted me to stop being happy? To not love the way he loved her? Us?
“Doing what?” I needed Logan to clarify what he meant.
“Acting like I’ve done something miraculous every time I call Aria mine or even you for that matter. Nothing will ever change that.”
“I know it’s just that sometimes I don’t believe it. It takes my breath away to know you love Aria like a father.”
“Not like a father, Libby.” Logan was her father in every single way that mattered. No matter what happened between us, I knew he always would be.
“How?” My voice trembled as I asked.
“Was that why you came here today?” I knew he wasn’t happy about me coming there without him. “Did you think a piece of paper would make her more mine?” In my heart, I knew it couldn’t, but my brain and my heart weren’t exactly on the same page which was silly because even a piece of paper between Logan and me would make me love him any more than I already did. And I knew it was the same with him and Aria.
“No,” It was the truth. I hoped Logan heard it in my voice. Aria was now asleep in my arms. I slipped her onto the bed beside me and took both his hands in mine. “I came here today because I didn’t want him to have any power over us. He has no right to either Aria or me Logan. We both belong to you.” I never wanted to belong to anyone before. I think it was why I always ended up with guys like Edward. There had never been a chance of my ever falling for him or the others before him.
“And I belong to you Lib, but it doesn’t change the fact I’m mad as hell at you for pulling this stunt.” Not that I could blame him. I would be pissed too.
“I’m sorry Daddy,” I crooned as seductively as possible.
“Don’t ever call me that babe.” He groaned as he squirmed a little. It was nice to know I still had an effect on him.
“Yes, sir.” What could I say? I liked living dangerously. I might have been a mother now, but I was not dead. If my lady bits still weren’t a hot mess, I’d let him have his way with me right then.
“Fuck, I need a cold shower.” I kind of like being a MILF.
“Where are we going?” Logan hadn’t arrived in Syracuse alone. Gabe and Eric had joined him to collect their errant wives. We ended up with Aria and all her stuff in one car while Nat, Suzie, Gabe, and Eric were in the other.
“You’ll see.” Logan hadn’t asked about my meeting with Edward. I’m sure Mike and Mark told him all about it while I was passed out. I was kind of glad he didn’t. While I was relieved Edward no longer had any rights when it came to Aria, I didn’t want Logan to feel like I expected anything from him. He was already more than I ever expected. Logan stopped the car in front of an apartment building in the NoMad area, not far from my sister and the restaurant. Logan handed the car keys to the valet and gave him an apartment number before he showed us inside the building. He held Aria in her carrier in one hand and my hand in his other as we rode up to the fourteenth floor.
“Do you know someone who lives here?” Other than the friends Logan shared with my sister and Declan and his staff, he didn’t ever mention anybody else. Other than his niece, Clara, Chris was his only family, and he was in jail.
“You could say that.” He grinned when he stopped in front of 14C and put a key in the lock. “Welcome home.” He gestured for me to go inside. What the hell? When had he done this?
“I, I, I, …” The view was incredible. To our left was a kitchen. I could see Logan making us breakfast while we sat at the bar watching him cook. Past the open kitchen was the living space. French doors opened onto a private patio. “We don’t need all of this Logan.” The apartment was gorgeous, but I couldn’t help but think about the price tag that came with a building with a valet and doorman. I couldn’t afford it.
“Don’t Lib.” He must have seen me running the numbers in my head. “I can afford it. Plus, I know a guy.” Declan, of course. “He happens to want what’s best for his future niece and sister in law.” I might have had a girly moment when I squealed. I knew he was going to ask my sister to marry him. “Don’t say anything yet. I don’t know if he’s popped the question yet. Plus, if you’re alright with it we’ll need more room for Clara.” I motioned zipping my lips and tossed the key over my shoulder before I launched myself into his arms. I knew this amazing man would do right by his niece, even when he didn’t. Just like he had for Aria.
“Have I told you that I love you, Daddy?” My lips crashed down on his before he could caution me.
“You’re pushing it Lib.” He warned once we finally came up for air.
“God, I hope so.”
Was it bad that I had one of those countdown clocks on my phone for when we could make love again? Don’t get me wrong, I loved the blowjob that Libby just gave me in our new apartment,
But nothing in the world beats being completely connected with my woman. Things were starting to look up for us. We had a new place to call home. Edward was no longer a black cloud hanging over us, and Declan assured me he would “handle” the Grant Barnes situation. Not that I needed Declan to take care of my shit, but he did disappear for six months. He owed me this one.
“Are you really okay with this?” Logan asked once we reached the water’s edge. It was the Fourth of July, and we were out at the Hayes beautiful Hamptons house which was right on the water. Declan proposed to my sister Emily, and of course, she said yes. He also invited everyone we knew out for the day. I didn’t think I’d ever heard so many toasts to the “happy couple” before in my life. Declan convinced his bride-to-be to marry him as soon as possible. The guy didn’t fool around when
it came to negotiations.
I really was happy for my sister, and I wasn’t jealous. Trust me I knew the difference between sibling rivalry and what I was feeling now. Don’t get me wrong, mom always did her best to make us feel special on our birthday, but let’s be real, sharing your birthday with a sibling was like sharing it with a holiday. I felt sorry for kids who were born on Christmas. They must get screwed every year. What about those poor as seen on TV sextuplets? Jesus, no mom could plan six different parties and what kid doesn’t want to be the center of attention, even if it’s just for one day out of the year. This year, I was looking forward to us spending our special day together. We hadn’t done it in a long time, and now we were adults. I could recognize how lucky I was to have such an incredible sister. We weren’t the mild one and wild one anymore. We weren’t even the smart one and the crazy one anymore. She was my best friend, and I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather share a birthday with.
Mom offered to watch a napping Aria while we took a walk. Logan stopped, and we watched boats decked out in red, white, and blue go by. It was incredible how he just knew I needed to get away for a little bit.
“This is going to sound silly. You’re going to laugh.”
“I won’t laugh,” he solemnly promised as we faced each other and he took my other hand. As he faced me holding both my hands, I envisioned it was another day. Me in a white dress and him, but instead of a monkey suit, he was wearing a crisp white shirt and a vest. His shirt sleeves were rolled up showing off his muscular arms and ink. He looked incredible. Whoa. Where the hell did that come from? My sister and I might have been twins, but she was the one that dreamed of her wedding day, not me.
