Love Rekindled (Love Surfaced) (30 page)

Doesn’t everyone? It made Sports Center.

“He’s clean, Wes. He just needs a chance to prove himself. What exactly did he ask you?”

He tilts his head to the side. “So, you don’t know?”

I shake my head, and he mimics me, chuckling lightly to himself.

“He asked me for a cut of the business. That he’d find us an investor, but he wants a part.”

So, he really is finding his place. The tears shouldn’t be ready to tumble out of my eyes, but I can’t stop them. He’s not only finding happiness with Em and me, but also in his career. He’s struggled for so long.

“Are you crying?” Wes springs up, grabs a tissue, and hands it to me. “Why?”

I wipe my eyes. “I’m just happy.” He wouldn’t understand if I told him.

“You don’t have to cry, Tay. I’ll do it. Not like I have much choice anyway. Plus, he’s got some good ideas, and he’s a damn Einstein with business plans.”

I smile like a proud mother at my boyfriend’s mad skills in the business world. He always tries to portray himself as the dumb jock, but a few conversations with him and people realize differently.

“Yeah, he’s perfect.”

“Oh, damn, your opinion means nothing. You’re fucking in love with him.” He shakes his head, but his grin says he’s happy for me.

“So, are you going to bring him into the business?” I choke out the question past the tears streaming down my face. Everything is falling into place.

“Most likely. We just need to agree to a few things.”

I clap my hands, unable to hold back the excitement buzzing through me. Wes gives me the stern, fatherly look, and I sulk back into my chair. “I mean, that’s cool.”

“Get out, Tay. Go admire your man, because he’s about to call it a night. All his other lessons cancelled due to the weather.”

I stand from my chair and close the distance to him. Bending over, I kiss his cheek. “You won’t regret taking a chance on him.”

He flashes a genuine grin at me. “Neither will you. He’s crazy about you both.”

As I walk out of his office, I inhale the deepest breath I can muster in the humidity-filled space.

Brad

“SHE’S BEING STUBBORN AGAIN,” I
yell into the kitchen where Taylor is finishing preparing some trifle dessert thing to take over to my parents.

“You can only blame yourself,” she calls back, and I hear a bowl crash to the floor.

Once I wrangle Emerson into her coat after five attempts, I rise to my feet to investigate the commotion.

Taylor is sitting on the floor with chocolate pudding at her feet. “Tay,” I sigh, taking a seat next to her.

I swipe a finger full off her arm, placing it in my mouth. “It’s awesome.”

“It’s ruined.” She sobs into her hands, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders, persuading her reluctant body to move to mine.

“I told you, my mom doesn’t expect you to bring anything.”

Taylor was more than happy to go to my family’s house for Thanksgiving when I asked her last night. Maybe because her dad’s a jackass, her sister is a druggie, and who the hell gives a shit about Sam. That elation that came over me when she accepted was short-lived when I was sent out in a snowstorm for supplies to make this trifle, which turned into this fiasco that has ruined my entire Thanksgiving morning.

“You don’t show up empty handed, Brad.” Her voice is muffled in my button down shirt.

Thinking there’s not much I can say in this moment, I place a kiss on her head with the hopes it will calm her down.

“You aren’t a guest; you’re family,” I insist, but her response is a huff. “You and Em are family.”

Well, this is not how today is going to go, not on our first Thanksgiving.

I draw back, my finger resting on the bottom of her chin, urging it up so I can see her eyes. Those ocean blue hues are filled with despair.

“We are showing up as a family. You and Em are my family. Maybe not on paper yet, but in my heart. So, I never want to hear that again, got it?”

A slow grin spreads across her lips, but still she says nothing.

“Got it?” I repeat.

A slow nod matches her grin. “Okay.”

“Settled. Let’s clean up and get this girl in the car so she can sleep.” I grab a roll of paper towels to wipe up the mess.

“What about the trifle?” She stares down at the discombobulated disaster spilled on the floor.

“It can stay here. Go finish getting ready. I got this.”

She leans into me, her breasts rubbing against my arm. I reach around, gripping her ass when her lips meet mine. She falls back on her heels, and suddenly, I’m not thinking about cleaning, but rather getting messy.

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs against my lips.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” I smack her ass and she scurries out of my hold and out of the room.

An hour and a half later, my daughter and girlfriend are asleep as I pull my truck into my parents’ driveway. Wasn’t I the one at Creadle’s at six this morning with Cayden?

I park my truck alongside a rental sedan, and when I glance over to the McCain’s driveway next door, I see Dylan’s GTO is there. I’m guessing we’re the last to arrive. Not that it matters, Thanksgiving around here is pretty casual.

I nudge Taylor lightly on the arm, but she only rolls her head to face the window. The two consecutive nights of lovemaking are taking their toll on both of us, but how am I expected to sleep next to her without being inside of her? Not possible. Seeing my nice attempts aren’t working, I slowly and gently move my hand between her legs. The leggings are going to make this much easier on me. Moving my head to the curve of her neck, I kiss the smooth flesh as my finger slides along her center. After I apply a bit more pressure, she springs awake, almost hitting me with her flailing arm.

“Brad!” she screeches. “Em’s in the car.” She glances back to a comatose little girl.

“She’s asleep, and I tried to be nice. You should be happy I didn’t go further.” I venture over to my side of the car, turning the ignition off.

“Should I be happy or disappointed?” she flirts back, surprising me every time she opens her mouth.

“Don’t worry, I have plans for you tonight.” I wink and her cheeks flush pink.

“We’re at your parents’; Em will be in the room with us.”

“She’s going to spend some quality time with Grandma and Grandpa,” I counter, and she rolls her eyes.

“That didn’t work out so well last weekend.”

“Then her aunt.”

She shakes her head, probably not believing it can happen. I can’t deny that a small part of me agrees with her line of thinking.

We both exit the truck and she rounds the back to retrieve Em while I grab our bags. Looking at the closed garage door, I’m surprised it hasn’t been sprung open before I parked. Then again, the golden child is home.

I key in the code to the garage and the door opens. Taylor looks at me, and I give her a reassuring nod. She overthinks my family. We walk through the door, and in that moment, I hear Piper’s scream.

“They’re here!” She rushes over to us, punching me in the shoulder. Tanner arrives in the doorway, leaning on the frame, watching the scene unfold with a damn ‘told you so’ smirk on his face. It’s still nice to see my best friend, especially when I’m no longer the fuck up I used to be.

“Nice to see you, too,” I say, dropping our bags along the wall to pull her in for a hug. I wrap my arms tightly around her shoulders and sway back and forth.

She fights me, her small fists punching me in the stomach. “I’m mad at you.”

“Oh, come on. You always forgive me.” I release her and she stumbles back, right into her Prince Charming’s arms.

“Oh jeez, you two. Let them come in first.” My mom shows up in the doorway of the small hallway from the garage door.

Piper and Tanner back up, never taking their eyes off Taylor and Emerson. I wait for Taylor to step up to me, and then we walk in together. Emerson is tucked into her neck as normal, but when I hold my hands out for her, she easily switches spots.

“Taylor,” Piper says and steps forward into an awkward hug. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too.” Taylor’s arms weirdly move around my sister.

“What’s up, man?” Tanner holds his hand out for me, and I shake it with my free one as I shift Emerson in one arm. “Hi, Emerson.” He peeks to get a good look, but she quickly tucks her head into my neck.

“Just give her some time.”

He backs up and nods.

“Hey, Taylor. You look great.” Tanner shifts his attention to her, and again, an awkward hug is exchanged.

They part, and I’m surprised she could wait this long, my mom swoops in. “Taylor,” she gushes, holding her tight to her body. “I’m so happy you could join us.”

“Thank you for inviting us. I had a dessert, but there was a mishap.”

I exchange a look with her and we laugh. Piper glances back and forth between us.

“Ewe. You two haven’t changed a bit,” she groans.

“We have a two-year-old. One of the ingredients fell on the floor. Keep your dirty mind to yourself in front of my daughter.” I pretend to cover her ears and walk into the kitchen.

“Whatever,” she sneers.

All their footsteps follow and my dad walks out of his study to meet us. After some quick hello’s, which lucky for Taylor do not include hugs, we settle in the family room, letting Emerson roam and play.

“She’s a really good mix between both of you,” Tanner comments, and I smile, thanking him for breaking the subject first. He’s more tactful than Piper.

“That’s kind, Tanner, but she’s mostly Brad, even her demeanor,” Taylor chimes in, and her body language more comfortable now that we’re all seated.

“Don’t say that. We do not need another Brad in this world,” Tanner jokes, and I throw my candy wrapper at him. The demise of my parents’ house, the candy dish.

Piper just sits there, inching a little closer to Emerson, wanting some of her attention. Figuring I need to make up for the fact that I kept the secret from her for so long, I intervene.

“Emerson,” I call out, and she turns my way, her shopping cart in her hands. “Come here.” I wave her over and she follows, her eyes in tunnel vision right to me.

Once she’s secure in front of me, I twist her around to face Piper. “This is your Aunt Piper.” I point to my sister, who shares our matching brown hair and eyes. “Can you say hi?” I ask her.

Emerson back steps into my lap, and I see why Taylor’s always apprehensive when we meet new people with her. She makes them feel like they’re venom.

“Hi, Emerson.” My sister’s usual voice turns sweet and welcoming. “Is this your shopping cart?” she asks, and Emerson does nothing but stare at her.

Seeing we aren’t getting anywhere, Taylor slides up on the carpet and pulls something out of the shopping cart.

“Piper loves apples. Can you give her one?”

Emerson looks at her mom’s hand, grabs the apple, and throws it at Piper, knocking it on her head.

The room laughs and Emerson slinks back into me.

“That’s okay. Aunt Piper is used to people throwing stuff at her. See.” I pick up an onion and it pings off her head.

“Your daddy is right. You can throw anything your little heart wants at me.” She grabs a bunch of plastic grapes and bounces them off my head. “Your daddy likes it too.”

“Ouch.” I place my hand on my head and Emerson laughs.

Piper reaches in again, pulling out a potato, handing it out for Emerson.

She looks down at it and up at Piper. Twisting her small waist, she whips it at my face. I stare down at her stunned, and she laughs.

“Way to teach my daughter bad things.” I jokingly glare at her, but she only hands Emerson another piece of plastic produce.

I urge Emerson off my lap and defensively grab my own piece, lightly touching her. She laughs, and then I chuck a cucumber at Piper’s head. Soon all three of us are throwing plastic fruit and vegetables around the room. Once it’s scattered along the floor, Emerson is in cahoots with Piper and a relationship has blossomed between the two.

I sit with my back against the couch next to Taylor, my fingers weaving figure eights in her palm. Tanner has now joined Piper on the floor and is pretending to play basketball with them. Emerson hasn’t looked back at us in a few minutes, and it’s nice that she’s warmed to the people I love most in my life, after her and her mom.

Five o’clock strikes too fast, and we’re all off to the McCain’s. Tanner already left to spend some time with his parents and brother while Piper firmly told him she wouldn’t be leaving her niece’s side the entire weekend. Knowing my sister the best, he shrugged, kissed her, and left.

Taylor grabs the stack of my mom’s desserts and I get the bag of wine while Piper dresses Emerson in her coat and hat. I’m actually surprised how much the little girl is letting her aunt do, but thankful at the same time.

The six of us file out the front door and trudge along the makeshift path Tanner’s left for us to their driveway. We stand on the porch, waiting for the door to be answered. A second later, Tanner’s mom, Laney, opens the door, her smile wide and welcoming.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” she says loudly, as though we’re in a wind tunnel. Piper walks in first with Emerson in her arms.