It’s been a week, and I’m in way over my head.
But I like it. Since Piper and now Noel have come into my life, I feel more alive than I ever have.
And I refuse to lose this feeling. I’m going to marry this woman. Holy shit, I’m the consummate bachelor, the man who swore he’d never be tied down, and here I am, sitting here planning to marry a woman I just met.
But nothing in my life, aside from Piper, has ever felt so right.
“You’re frowning,” Noel says. “Do you not like it after all? You can save it for Piper. I’m sure she’ll love it.”
“No, it’s great.” I reach over and squeeze her hand. “I was just thinking that I want to spend the day with you. I know you need to go home for a bit, and I need to go get my girl, but I’d still like for you to be with us today.”
She sips her coffee. I love the way her pinky curves out as she holds her cup.
“I just need to change and freshen up, so by the time you get Piper and circle back this way, I’ll be ready to go. What do you have in mind?”
“Actually, now that we’re allowed back in our home, I’d like to spend the day just hanging out. We can watch movies or play board games. Read. Whatever you want. I know all of that probably sounds boring.”
“Actually, a laidback day sounds good. But I’ll have to bring my computer because I have a couple of things to finish up. It won’t take me long, though. I can even do it while a movie plays or something.”
“Perfect.”
We finish our breakfast, bus our own table, and wave to Shannon as we walk back out into the cold. Winter seems to have decided to visit Seattle over the past couple of days, turning the damp air bitter and biting.
“You don’t have to walk me home,” Noel says, but I stick by her side, take her hand in mine, and push them both into my pocket.
“I’ll walk you home.”
“So chivalrous,” she says.
We both sigh in relief once inside Noel’s building.
“Which floor?” I ask inside the elevator.
“Twelve,” she replies and leans her cheek on my biceps as the elevator climbs to her floor. “I thought I’d be more tired today. After all, I think we only slept for about two hours total.”
“You’re not tired?”
“No more than usual.” We step off the elevator, and she leads me to her door. “But a relaxing day sounds great.”
“Good.” When her door is open, I poke my head in and smile. “This is gorgeous, just as I suspected. It suits you.”
“Thank you. I’ll give you a tour, if you like.”
“Later. I have to go get Piper, and if you lead me to your bedroom, I won’t be going anywhere. I already want you again.”
I grip the lapels of her jacket and tug her close, lowering my mouth to hers. The kiss starts lazy and sweet and quickly escalates to hot and frantic.
“I better go,” I whisper against her mouth. “But pack a bag because you’re staying at my place tonight.”
“Piper—”
“Will be fine.” I kiss her once more and then let go while I still can. “I’ll see you in about an hour.”
She nods, and I turn to leave.
“Lock this door behind me, please.”
“Yes, sir.”
I laugh as she shuts the door, and wait until I hear the snick of the lock being turned.
The drive to Elijah’s parents’ place takes about thirty minutes from downtown. I’ve barely rung the bell when the door swings open, and my little girl, already in her coat and boots, smiles at me with excitement.
“You’re finally here!” she exclaims, launching herself into my arms. “I waited all day.”
“It’s only ten,” I remind her as I laugh and smile at Betty, Elijah’s mom. “How did everything go?”
“Oh, she’s an angel,” Betty says. “We had a good time. She’s just happy to see her daddy.”
“I appreciate you keeping her.”
“Any time. And I mean that.” She smiles at Piper, who’s laid her head on my shoulder. “Thanks for staying with us last night, sweet girl.”
“You’re welcome,” Piper says, making me laugh again.
We say our goodbyes, and when we’re headed back to the city, I glance at Piper in the rearview mirror.
“What do you think about spending the day with Noel?”
“Is she gonna babysit?”
“No, she’s going to hang out with both of us.”
“Oh, yay!”
“Before we pick her up, we should buy her some flowers.”
I pull into the parking lot of a florist and help my daughter out of the car.
“Why?” Piper asks.
“Because that’s what men do. They buy flowers for women they like.”
“I like flowers,” she says. “I’ll help pick them out.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” I reply and lead her to a glass case with bouquets already assembled and ready to be purchased. “What color do you think we should get?”
“Lellow,” Piper says, pointing to a bouquet of yellow roses and sunflowers.
“Not pink? Or red?”
“Hmm.” She looks as if she’s thinking really hard as she examines all of the flowers. “I like the red ones with the pink.”
“Red roses and pink lilies it is,” I say. I pay for the blooms, and once we’re settled in the car and headed to Noel’s condo, I decide now is a good time to have a conversation with my daughter. “Do you like Noel, honey?”
“Yeah. She’s pretty.”
“Yes, she is.”
She’s absolutely gorgeous.
“Do you like it when Noel spends time with us?”
“Yeah.”
“Would you like for Noel to spend even more time with us?”
Piper frowns. “I don’t know.”
She’s four. Maybe she doesn’t understand what I’m asking her.
“I think it would be nice if Noel was with us all the time. She could spend the night, and maybe, someday, she could live with us.”
She seems to think it over. “Will I have to share my room?”
“No, honey, she’ll share my room.”
“Okay.”
That easy? I decide to leave it be for now. I’m sure Piper will have questions as time passes, but for now, I know that she likes having Noel around, and that’s the most important part.
I park in my parking garage, which happens to have easy access to Noel’s building as well, then I help Piper out of the car, and we make our way upstairs.
“Do you want to carry the flowers?” I ask.
Piper nods and holds out her hands for the blooms. The bouquet is almost as big as she is.
Noel opens the door, looking fresh from another shower, and smiles down at Piper.
“These are for you!” my daughter announces.
“Well, thank you so much,” Noel says and squats next to my daughter. She takes the flowers, sniffs them, and then kisses Piper on the cheek. “This is the best surprise ever.”
“Dad says that girls like flowers.”
“Well, this girl does. What about you?”
“I do, too. I picked them out.”
“Thank you,” Noel says again before standing and smiling at me. “And thank you, too.”
“You’re welcome,” I reply and turn my head, waiting for my kiss. Noel chuckles, then kisses my cheek.
“I think I’ll take these with me to your place, so we can all enjoy them.”
“Good idea. Where’s your bag?”
“On the chair,” she says, pointing to the dining room. “I’m ready if you are.”
“Let’s go.”
I’m more than ready to have both of my girls tucked into my house for the day. There’s no other way I’d rather spend it.
“Oh, I talked to my sister after you left. And, well, long story short, you and Piper are invited to join us for family dinner tomorrow.”
I watch her face closely as we stan
d in the elevator.
“Is that what you want?”
I can tell she’s trying to school her features.
“Sure. I mean, I wouldn’t invite you if I didn’t want you there. They won’t bite.”
“I’d love to come.”
Her body sags as if in relief.
I lean in and kiss her cheek. “We’re on our own timeline. Don’t forget that.”
* * * *
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Larry.” I shake the older man’s hand, meeting his gaze.
“It’s a surprise to meet you,” Larry replies and then hugs his daughter. “But then again, Noel has always been full of surprises.”
“Funny, Dad,” Noel says, rolling her eyes.
“I’m Piper,” my daughter says and holds out her hand to shake.
“Well, hello there, Piper,” Larry says, bending over to smile at my daughter. “It’s lovely to meet you. Why, you look just like your daddy.”
“Yup,” my daughter says, nodding. “You have a puppy!”
“This is Nancy,” Noel says and scratches the one-eyed bulldog behind the ear. “She used to belong to my sister, Joy, but Nancy loves being here with my dad.”
“And who wouldn’t?”
We glance over to see a man and a woman walk out of the kitchen.
“I’m Jase,” the man says.
“And I’m Joy, the other daughter. You know, the selfless one who gave up her dog for her daddy.”
“She’s also humble,” Jase says with a laugh.
Noel takes our jackets and hangs them up in a hall closet, and we move into the living space.
“Your home is lovely,” I say and turn to Noel. “Did you grow up here?”
“We did,” she says and grins. “Dad bought the house shortly after I was born, and we’ve been here ever since.”
“I love that,” I say as I take a seat in the living room. Piper and Nancy are getting acquainted, playing nearby. “It’s what I want for Piper, as well. That’s why I bought the house as soon as she came to live with me.”
“She hasn’t always been with you?” Larry asks.
“No, sir.” I take a moment to fill Noel’s family in on how Piper came to be with me and when. “So both of our lives were turned on their ear, but I think we’re coming through it just fine.”
“It looks that way to me,” Joy says, a soft smile on her lips. “Noel, would you please help me in the kitchen?”
“Is that code for leave Reed alone to fend for himself with Jase and Daddy?” Noel asks.
“No, it’s code for I want all the details, so come with me right now.”
Noel laughs and looks over at me. “Are you good here?”
“I’m great.”
“Okay, then. Come on, Piper, the girls are going into the kitchen. But I want you to know, right now, that a woman’s place is not always in the kitchen, okay? You can be whatever you want to be.”
“I want to be a princess!” Piper exclaims as she follows Noel and Joy into the kitchen, Nancy hurrying along behind them. Once the swinging door shuts, I look at the two men sitting across from me.
“I guess it’s a good thing that I never remodeled that kitchen like the girls always pestered me to, for moments like this one.” Larry crosses one ankle over the other knee and levels his gaze on me. “Tell me about yourself, Reed.”
I’m in the most important interview of my life. I want to make a good impression. I want Piper and me to belong here.
Because the woman I love loves them. And I’m old enough to know that when you fall in love with a person and want them to be your family, you automatically get their family as well.
“I’m from Issaquah,” I begin and tell Larry and Jase about my family. My business. My daughter.
“I’ve heard of your firm,” Jase says. “I’m the chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Seattle General. Several of my colleagues are your clients.”
“I can’t confirm or deny that,” I say, smiling.
“I’ll be honest,” Larry says, leaning forward, “I am impressed by your resume, and I like your sweet daughter very much. You seem like a nice man. But I want to know what your intentions are with my daughter.”
“I think they just started dating,” Jase reminds him. “It might be early days for this conversation.”
“I have eyes in my head,” Larry says. “And I’m looking at a man in love.”
“You’re not wrong.” I brace my elbows on my knees and lean forward, looking Larry right in the eyes. “I’m in love with her. And, yes, it’s early days, but I don’t care. I plan to have Noel in my life for as long as I’m breathing, if she’ll have me. I know it’s asking a lot because I have a child. It’s a big commitment, but I’m going to ask it of her anyway because the thought of being without her is devastating.”
“You hardly know her,” Larry points out. “What happens when she spends too much money on one of those shopping sprees she enjoys?”
“With all due respect, sir, your daughter is incredibly successful. She can buy whatever she wants, whenever she wants.”
“Not a very responsible way of thinking for a financial planner,” Larry says.
“Noel doesn’t give the impression of an irresponsible woman. She owns her home, has a nice car, a successful business. She takes care of things, and I don’t need to see her bank balance to know that. I’m also successful, and not that she would need me to, but I’ll always take care of my family, Mr. Thompson.”
“I like you,” Jase says, leaning back in his seat with a grin. “Our little Noel finally met her match.”
“Your little Noel?”
“I’ve known her since she was a kid,” he says. “And I can tell you, she’s never met anyone as good for her as you are.”
“That we know of,” Larry says and sighs. “I’m being difficult. I like you, too. But she’s my baby, and I’m going to just say, here and now, that if you hurt her, I’ll hurt you.”
“Understood,” I say immediately. “I have a daughter, sir. I’m not here to hurt anyone. I’m here because I can’t stay away from Noel.”
“Dinner’s ready,” Joy calls as she and Noel begin setting platters and bowls on the table, bustling in and out of the kitchen.
“And now that you’ve drilled poor Reed, we’re going to drill you about your date last night,” Noel adds with a satisfied grin as she helps Piper get settled at the table, dishing up her plate.
In a matter of days, she’s become as easy and comfortable with Piper as I am.
“Now, there’s no need to go into that,” Larry says.
“Oh, there’s every need,” Joy says as she takes a seat. “Tell us everything.”
Chapter Eight
~Noel~
“Dad, we want to know everything,” I inform my father before eating a bite of lemon chicken. This whole visit has been disconcerting. Not only did I introduce Reed and Piper to my family, but as I gaze around the house, I see that Dad has started to clear some of our mom’s things away.
After she passed, he left everything exactly the way it was. There was even a dust rag on the mantel. He refused to change anything.
But the dust rag is now gone, and he bought new kitchen towels. It doesn’t sound like a big thing, but for our dad, it’s huge.
“Her name is Martha, and I met her at the senior center. She kicked my ass at poker.”
Joy and I share a glance and then laugh. Mom always hated when Dad went out for poker night.
Now he’s met a woman that can beat him!
“And how did the date go?” Jase asks.
“Fairly well, I suppose. I haven’t been out on a date in forty years.” He sighs and sets his fork down. “Now, I don’t want you girls to think that I’m trying to replace your mother or anything like that.”
“Dad,” Joy says, reaching over to pat his shoulder, “we’re all adults here. Trust me, we know how much you love and miss Mom. Replacing her isn’t what this is.”
“It’s just ni
ce to have a conversation with someone who answers me,” Dad says with a grin. “Nancy’s a good listener, but not a great conversationalist.”
“I’m happy for you, Dad,” I say. “When do we get to meet her?”
“Well, I guess Sunday dinners are for introducing new people,” Dad says, smiling at Reed. “How about next Sunday?”
“I’m on call,” Joy says, a frown turning down her lips. “We can plan it, but if there’s an emergency at the clinic, I’ll have to duck out.”
“We can do it in two weeks, then,” Dad says and nods.
“Can I come?” Piper asks, speaking for the first time. She’s been watching us with wide, brown eyes, soaking in the conversation.
“Well, I sure hope you will,” Dad says. “I’ll need someone to protect me from these two.”
He points to Joy and me, and Piper giggles.
“I’m just a little girl!”
Reed reaches for my hand under the table and gives it a squeeze. I was so nervous about bringing them today, but they’re both fitting in as if they’ve been coming to family dinners for years.
I can’t help but wonder when the other shoe will drop. Is this too good to be true?
* * * *
It’s Wednesday afternoon, and I haven’t seen Reed since Sunday evening. Since I took the past few weekends off, and because I squeezed Reed’s project into my schedule, I’m now chained to my desk, buried in work.
Ali’s been working late with me. I think I can almost see the light at the end of this tunnel. Finally.
“Hey, Noel, your four o’clock is here,” Ali says, poking her head in my office.
“Great, thanks.”
Alex Fisher and I go way back. He lived in our neighborhood growing up, and we played together almost every day. He’s like a brother to me.
And he recently hired me to decorate his new office space in Tacoma.
“Hey, girl,” he says, walking around my desk to give me a hug. “How’s it going?”
“Pretty good, actually.” He sits on the other side of my desk. “Sorry I had to postpone our meeting.”
“No biggie. I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with it.”
We spend the next hour looking at 3-D images of his office with different options for seating, desks, colors, and other details.
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