by Witt, L. A.
Aaron pushed himself up onto his elbow and absently petted the dog. “How did they take it?”
“I don’t know how much the boys even understood. They were really young. Desiree . . .” That wasn’t a pretty memory. To this day, it made my chest hurt. “She was old enough to understand that parents weren’t supposed to abandon their kids, and she was still feeling like her stepmother had abandoned her like her own mother had. For months, she was furious with me for bringing someone else home so they could leave us again.”
Aaron winced. “Jesus. How did she feel after the divorce?”
“Honestly, it would’ve been a lot worse with pretty much anyone else on the planet, but Leo was a saint. We agreed to put the kids first. Focus on making it as painless as possible for them. When they realized he and I were breaking up but Leo wasn’t leaving, it was a lot easier.” I paused, cautiously meeting his gaze. “He’s still going to be part of the picture going forward. He’s—”
“Of course he is,” Aaron said quickly. “My God, I would hope he is.”
I searched his expression. “So you’re . . . you’re okay with that? With my ex-husband being around?”
“Even if the kids weren’t a factor, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. The fact that you can be that friendly and civil with your ex speaks incredibly well of you. I’ve . . . To be honest, I’ve always preferred dating guys who have exes as friends.”
“Me too,” I said. “But, I mean, he’s a pretty big part of their lives. So a big part of mine.”
“That’s okay.” Aaron smiled cautiously. “Guess that means I’d better get along with him, right?”
I laughed. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. You two will probably like each other.” Wagging a finger at him, I added, “Long as you don’t gang up on me.”
Aaron chuckled. “Well, I can’t make any promises, but . . .”
I rolled my eyes. Then, sobering, I said, “So, um, is it too soon to suggest meeting my kids?”
“You tell me.”
“Well, I’ve met yours.”
Aaron glanced at the cats and dog scattered across the room, and he chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you have.” Facing me again, he sobered. “But it’s up to you.”
I absently played with the edge of the sheet. We’d crossed the line between casual and not—or rather, admitted we’d crossed it a long time ago—but was I ready for that? Were they? “If you’re on board with it, let me talk to them. See if they’re ready. Then we’ll see what happens, I guess.”
He nodded, but the uneasiness was written in the creases in his forehead. “How do you think they’ll take it?”
“They . . . might need to warm up to the idea.” I slipped my hand into his. “They’re good kids, but they’ve been bitten a few times by my relationships. So if it takes them time to warm up to you . . .”
“We don’t have to rush them. Into any of this.” He leaned over Jack and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “It’s still kind of new to me too.”
“No rush,” I whispered. “I don’t think there’s anyone involved in this who doesn’t want to proceed with a lot of caution.”
Aaron nodded. “Yeah, we’ll see how things go.” He paused, eyes down. “But to be honest . . .”
My heart sped up. “Hmm?”
Aaron pulled in a breath and met my gaze. “I’ve never had any desire to have a family before. Never really appealed to me, I guess.” He touched my face. “But I kind of like the idea of us being family.”
And my heart fucking melted. “Really?”
Laughing softly, he nodded. “It didn’t sound quite as corny in my head, but—”
“Not corny at all.” I leaned in to kiss him but remembered there was a very large speed bump between us.
Aaron patted Jack’s shoulder. “Jack, down.” The dog immediately got up and jumped over Aaron and onto the floor with a heavy thud. There was a grunt and another thud, so he must’ve lain down.
Aaron grinned and slid closer to me. “Much better.”
“Oh, I agree.”
He brushed his lips across mine, then cupped the back of my head and kissed me full-on. “Your kids okay for the night?”
“They’re at their stepdad’s.” I snaked my arm over his waist. “You’ve got me until you want to get rid of me.”
Aaron grinned against my lips and combed his fingers through my hair. “I don’t see that happening.”
“Thank God for that.” I drew back a little, cheeks burning. “After everything I—”
“Don’t.” He touched my face. “We’re good now. I promise.”
“I know, but I—”
“I love you, Shane,” he whispered. “I don’t know how this is going to work, and I don’t know the first thing about even thinking about being a stepdad.” Tracing my cheekbone with his thumb, he looked in my eyes. “But if you’ll show me the way, I think we can make this work.”
“I know we can.” I kissed him. As I went in for a second, longer kiss, I murmured, “And I love you too.”
He rolled me onto my back, and there was nothing left to talk about.
There would be more bumps. If I was sure of anything, it was that. No relationship was all sunshine and roses, and even introducing him to the kids would be complicated. After that, they’d test him like they’d tested Leo and like Desiree had tested my ex-wife. He’d get frustrated. They’d get frustrated. I’d get frustrated.
But we could do this. I knew we could.
And more than anything, I wanted to.
Chapter 28
Aaron
It took Shane another week or so before he finally sat down with his kids to talk about our relationship. Of course, Desiree had already figured it out, and the boys had started suspecting something was going on, but now they had a name to go with it.
A couple of weeks after that, they’d decided they were ready to meet me. I wasn’t sure who the holdout was, or if they’d come to the decision together, and I didn’t ask. They had every right to be wary of me and of their father’s newest relationship.
But they’d come around, and today was the day.
I wasn’t just meeting them, though. Shane and I were at the Sunrise Café, and the kids would be here shortly . . . with their stepfather. Shane was worried about the kids thinking Leo would be exiting stage left after I came onto the scene, so we’d decided I should meet him and them at the same time. Hopefully, that would make it clear I was joining the family, not edging him out.
I flagged down the waitress to get a refill on my ice water. Normally, Shane and I would be drinking coffee this early in the day, but we stuck with water for now. I was way too jittery for anything else, and he probably was too. There was too much riding on this.
In theory, we were going to eat once everyone was here, but I wasn’t holding my breath. I’d been nervous to the point of queasy since last night. This was a lot of firsts rolled into one lunch. I’d never dated a father long enough to meet his kids. I’d sure as shit never met their ex and kids all at once. So, while we waited for them to arrive, I was more nervous than I remembered being in a long time. Funny how a simple thing like having lunch with someone could be this nerve-racking, but it wasn’t a simple lunch. This could make or break what I had with Shane. Or, at the very least, give us a clear glimpse of the future we had. Or didn’t have.
I was too jittery for coffee, and it was too early for a beer, so I settled on some ice water. Holding the glass in both hands, I tried to talk my nerves down, but it wasn’t happening.
Shane put his arm around my shoulders. “Hey. Relax.”
I laughed. “Easy for you to say.”
“They’ll love you.” He kissed my cheek. “Trust me.”
I turned to him and managed a smile, but I was still jittery. And no matter how much he encouraged me to relax, he wore his nerves on his sleeve too. I put my hand over his, and he gently clasped our fingers together.
I hope this goes well, his eyes said.
Yeah. Me
too.
Signing up for a package deal like the Andrews family—lonely dad, three amazing kids—was terrifying in its own way. Not in the life-flashing-before-my-eyes, knowing-a-change-in-the-wind-could-literally-kill-me, what do you mean we landed a mile closer than we were supposed to? kind of way. Smoke jumping had been all about immediate danger and split-second decisions that could have catastrophic consequences.
This was a subtler fear. There was no rush of adrenaline to distract from the nagging questions and constant worries. What if we didn’t get along? What if Shane and I didn’t really have a relationship that was made for living together, dividing household chores, squabbling over minor pet peeves? What if the kids and I butted heads, and Shane sent me packing to keep the peace in the house? Or, worse, what if he kept me around and resented me for the growing divide between him and his kids?
The bell on the door jingled, and we both straightened. I couldn’t even see them yet, but I already knew.
Oh fuck. Here goes.
Shane stood. Then I did.
I knew right then and there I was never going to be able to tell the twins apart. They were absolutely spitting images of each other. Smaller versions of their father, from the somewhat unruly dark curls to the incredibly blue eyes. Desiree was almost as tall as I was, and though she had blonde hair and brown eyes, she had Shane’s angular features. Yeah, these were definitely my boyfriend’s children.
Sometimes I’d questioned Shane’s taste in men for being into a guy like me, but wow, he’d certainly had good taste at some point in his life. His ex-husband was beautiful. Easily six two or six three with long braids tied neatly behind his head.
I could see why Shane was so concerned about his kids thinking Leo was going to be nudged out of their lives. They stayed close to him as they approached us. One of the boys damn near ducked behind him, hunching close as he eyed me uncertainly.
“So.” Shane cleared his throat. “This is my daughter, Desiree. The boys, Michael and Christian. And this is their stepdad, Leo.” He gestured at me. “This is Aaron.”
The kids regarded me uncertainly.
Leo hesitated, then extended a hand. “Good to finally meet you. Heard a lot of good things about you, Aaron.”
“Likewise.” I smiled and shook his hand. “Great to put a face with the name.”
All three kids watched us. One by one, starting with one of the two boys, they started to relax.
Leo gestured at the table. “All right, let’s get some food coming.”
That woke everybody up. We all took our seats and opened up the menus.
While we perused the menus, I stole nervous glances at the kids, and they stole nervous glances at me. Stressful as this was for me, it must have been especially hard on them. And I liked kids, but didn’t have a lot of experience with them, so hell if I knew how to break the ice.
I studied the menu, but my appetite was definitely MIA.
Shane looked at me. Then he turned to his daughter. “You were interested in taking one of the mechanic courses next year.” Nodding toward me, he added, “Aaron’s got a garage. He said he’d be willing to show you the ropes if you want to have a look before you sign up for the course.”
Desiree sat up. “Really?”
“Sure.” I smiled. “Come by anytime. I might have Reese show you around, though—I know what I’m doing, but she’s like a car prodigy.”
Her eyes lit up. “Cool. Yeah, that’d be fun. Thanks.”
Michael, however, looked disappointed. To his dad, he said, “I thought you said he was a firefighter.”
“I am,” I said. “Part-time.”
“Oh.”
“But I could tell you some stories about when I used to do it all the time. You know what a smoke jumper is?”
His jaw dropped. “You’re a smoke jumper?”
“Used to be. Did it for almost ten years.”
“Whoa.”
Shane chuckled. “I’m sure he can tell you some stories about that too.” He raised his eyebrows at me.
“I’m sure I could come up with a few,” I said. Maybe I’d skip the one about a fire coming down a hillside at breakneck speed while I frantically called for a medevac because I couldn’t walk. That shit still gave me nightmares. But yes, I had some stories.
And, hey, I’d managed to score points with two of the three kids. Christian was . . . tough to read. Shy? Guarded? Was he this way with most people he’d just met, or just those his father was dating?
Shane laid his menu down, but didn’t close it. “Hey, Christian. Remember that dog our neighbors had before they moved away?”
Christian nodded. “The Great Dane?”
“Yep.” Shane put his hand on my arm. “Aaron’s dog is almost as big as that thing.”
“Oh come on,” I said. “He’s big, but he’s not that big.”
“What kind of dog is he?” Christian asked.
“Boxer and . . . well, we don’t really know. But mostly boxer.”
Shane smiled. “Guess which kid is the animal lover.”
“Hey,” Desiree said. “We all are.”
“Okay, that’s fair,” he conceded. “My kids are all animal lovers.”
“Good,” I said.
“Do you have pictures of them?” Christian, who seemed to have lost all interest in his menu, craned his neck toward me.
“I do, actually.” I pulled out my phone and opened up my photos. “This is Jack, my dog.” I showed the picture to the kids.
“Aww!” Desiree smiled. “He’s so cute.”
“Thanks.” I smiled back, then swiped to a rare photo of all three cats together on the bed. “And these are the cats.”
I thought Christian was going to melt at the sight of them. I glanced at Shane, then cautiously said, “Um, if you want to, we could go to my place after this. Meet the animals.”
All three kids turned to their dad, eyes wide.
He shrugged. “Sure, I don’t see why not.” He looked at Leo. “I mean, if you don’t mind if—”
“Of course not.” Leo waved a hand. “I can’t go with you because those little furballs will kill me, but I think it would be nice for everyone.”
“Okay.” Shane tapped his menu. “Now how about we all figure out what we’re eating?”
We picked up our forgotten menus, and as we perused the pages again, I glanced around the table. I wasn’t the only one—I caught Leo’s eye, and we exchanged smiles.
Something in my stomach settled. Kids? Hadn’t run screaming in the opposite direction. Shane? Still in a good mood. Ex-husband? Perfectly friendly and pleasant.
Okay, this was going well. So far, so good.
Next step—meeting the pets.
* * *
After lunch, Shane and I split the check, everyone said good-bye to Leo, and we piled into Shane’s car to head over to my house. As we were getting out of the car, Shane got a call from work that he needed to handle—that was happening a lot now that he was working under another key grip—and he stayed by the car while I took the kids inside.
As I unlocked the front door, Jack nearly lost his mind as always.
Carefully, I pushed open the door so I couldn’t catch one of his paws under it. “Jack.” I gestured downward, and he dropped to his haunches. Of course, his tail still whipped from side to side and he could barely keep his front feet on the floor, but he sat. “Easy, buddy.” I patted his head. “He’s totally friendly, but be careful of that tail. He bruises himself with it.”
Desiree was a little cautious. The boys weren’t intimidated by his size at all. When he got excited and started spinning around, they wisely kept an eye on that damn tail, but they laughed and encouraged him.
Christian peered around. “You have cats too, right?”
“Yep. In fact, they’re probably—yeah, they’re in the living room,” I said. “Just be careful of the orange one if you see her. She’s not really a people cat.”
Christian turned to me. “Why not?”
He nodded solemnly. “Okay.”
Tiger wasn’t around, but the other two definitely were. As Christian and I stepped into the room, Oreo watched disinterestedly, and of course Snowball was immediately front and center. She jumped off the couch and trotted over to us, purring like a tommy gun with her tail up and back arched.
Christian held out his hand, and once she’d sniffed it and bumped against it, he petted her. She purred even louder as she flopped on her back.
Christian glanced up at me. “Does she like her belly scratched?”
“Oh yeah. She’ll let you know when she’s had enough.”
While he and Snowball bonded, Jack was in seventh heaven with Desiree and Michael. If he didn’t whip somebody with that tail before this day was over, I’d be shocked.
“If you guys want to,” I said, “you can take him outside and let him run around.” I nodded toward the sliding glass door. “He’s got toys out there. As long as he stays in the backyard, you’re welcome to it.”
Their eyes lit up, and they hurried outside with Jack. In seconds, Jack had convinced them to throw one of his bones so he could chase it.
After three or four throws, though, Desiree handed the toy to her brother and came back inside. She approached me shyly, hands clasped in front of her and her chin down slightly, though she was obviously trying to make and keep eye contact. “Hey. Um . . .”
I smiled, hoping my nerves didn’t show. Was this like encountering a deer in the wild? They’re more afraid of me than I am of them?
Shane, I could really use your guidance so I don’t blow this.
But he was still out of sight, so I cleared my throat and said, “Hey.”
She chewed her lip, glancing in her father’s direction as if for reassurance. “So, you’re serious about letting me come to your shop?”
