Love Rekindled (Love Surfaced) (31 page)

“Hi, Laney,” she says, toeing out of her shoes before putting Emerson down.

We all follow, greeting her with hugs and kisses on the cheek. Patrick, Tanner’s dad, steps into the room, taking the pies and wine from our hands. I briefly introduce him to Taylor and pleasantries are exchanged.

“Hi, Emerson.” Laney claps her hands in front of Emerson’s face, and her bottom lip quivers.

Her eyes seek me or her mom out, and she runs away to hug Taylor’s legs.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Laney comes over and Taylor’s already shaking her head.

“Don’t be. She’s just a little quiet at first. Give her some time and she’ll be running circles around us all.” Taylor swiftly picks up Emerson and soothes her with small back rubs.

I smile over at them. She’s an amazing mom.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been staring at them, but Piper elbows me in the ribs and I’m snapped from my little bubble.

“You have it bad,” she whispers, and I take my hand and give her a little push into the banister.

Tanner quickly rises from the couch to meet Piper as football blares from the television. Dylan joins us in the kitchen around the island where all the appetizers are, and I’m shocked there’s no Bea.

“Thank God, she does have a family.” I act like I’m praising the big guy upstairs.

“I was in the bathroom, jackass.” Bea smacks the back of my head as she walks by on her way over to Dylan’s side, no doubt.

“Hi, Emerson.” She sticks her face millimeters from my little girl, and I watch her small hand fist her mom’s sweater.

“She doesn’t like you.” I lean in close, smiling at Emerson to ease her discomfort.

“Some things never change.” She narrows those cloudy eyes at me.

I grab a hold of a piece of her now all-blonde hair. “What, no orange for Thanksgiving?”

“Let’s eat.” Patrick interrupts the fight that’s already brewing between me and Bea.

“Sounds like a great idea,” my dad chimes in.

We walk into the dining room, and I see Emerson’s high chair from my parents’ house in the corner. On the plates are holders where each of us are supposed to sit. Nice new tradition the McCain’s are doing, especially since I’m on the opposite side of Bea.

“Thank you for bringing her high chair.” Taylor searches out Maggie and they share a smile.

“Chris remembered, actually.”

My eyes move to my dad’s, and he nods to us. I can’t ask for things to go more smoothly right now.

We eat, and somewhere between the meal and dessert, Creadle’s comes up in discussion. I talk about what I’m thinking and Tanner brings up new ideas he has that could help, including him doing a commercial saying that’s where he works out when he’s home. The man is a saint I tell you.

“What does he do for advertising?” Bea asks, and I really don’t want her involvement in this venture, but truthfully, she did come up with some pretty good moneymaking ads at Deacon.

“Not much, because he doesn’t have the money.”

“You have to spend money to make money.” A classic Advertising Exec answer. “He could start small, but precise. Make sure his advertising dollars are spent effectively. Like placing cards at pediatrician offices for the swim lessons, or better yet, a coupon flyer.”

Damn, she’s got a point.

“Yeah, my doctor would totally do it. Plus, they send out this newsletter twice a year, maybe you guys could ask to be included on the back,” Taylor chimes in.

“You guys?” my dad asks. “Brad are you a part of this?”

“Um, I was going to talk to you later about it.”

For some reason, my eyes instinctively move to Tanner’s, who leans back in his chair, a smile quickly forming on his lips. He nods in approval to me.

“Are you thinking about getting involved in a failing business?” My dad picks up his wine glass, his eyes dead centered on me.

“I think it can be revived quickly. I’ve looked at his financials, his profit and loss since he first opened. He just needs to tweak a few things,” I might be more liberal than I should be.

“A business doesn’t fail if they only have to tweak a few things,” he counters, guzzling down a hefty gulp of his wine. My mom’s hand rests on his forearm.

“I have to agree with your dad, Brad. The last thing you want is to put money into something already sinking,” Patrick adds, and I inhale a deep breath.

“Wes really is a good guy. He’s knowledgeable, and I think they’d work well together.” Taylor squeezes my knee under the table.

“I, for one, think it’s a good idea too.” Tanner comes to my rescue, because if he thinks so, it could turn the tables.

“I’d gladly help with the advertising thing, for a minimal fee.” Dylan winks, leaning back and placing his arm on the back of Bea’s chair.

I’m not sure my heart could swell any more. It’s like the Grinch on Christmas. But without my dad’s blessing and loan, it’s never a done deal.

“We can talk later about it,” he says, ending the discussion.

“Oh, you know what? I have this friend in physical therapy. They might be interested in renting some time. I’ll text her tonight.”

“Thanks, Bea,” I say begrudgingly, because it sucks that she’s the one helping me.

“Act more grateful, otherwise I won’t.” The table laughs except for Taylor next to me.

I lift my head, pinning her gaze with mine. I widen my mouth as big as I can get it. “Thank you, Bea. You’re the best.”

She throws a roll at me, but it falls short. “Jackass.”

“Little ears at the table,” Laney says, her eyes pointed right at Dylan.

Taylor

BRAD’S BEEN HOLED UP IN
his dad’s office for most of the afternoon. I felt like Chris was just waiting for him and Tanner to return from Creadle’s this morning. Tanner and Patrick were sequestered briefly, but have been dismissed now.

Brad gave me a sweet kiss before he went in, but I felt the tension in his body. I wish I could put him at ease, but it’s out of my control. My only hope is for his dad to see how much he’s changed recently.

Em is asleep on my lap because she refused to nap in her Pack ‘n Play. Since I have to be at work tomorrow, this is her last day with Brad’s family, and I think I’m as sad as she is to have it end.

“Hey, Taylor.” Piper comes in, handing me a Diet Coke.

“Thank you. When she sleeps, I act like a mannequin, not even moving a finger.”

She smiles, reaches over, and cracks open my can.

“She’s really great.” Piper stares down at Em on my lap with so much love, I’m grateful for who she’s surrounded by.

“Yeah, she is,” I agree, tempting my peace for a sip of Diet Coke.

“How is he?” She pulls her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her hands. Oh, the sibling bond that I never truly was blessed to experience with my sister.

“He’s doing really well.” I nod. “Really well,” I confirm because she has to notice it.

“I can see it. Love looks good on both of you.” She smiles and I’m glad she’s witnessing it. “I’m sorry about what happened in college. I was a bitch.”

I shrug, because truthfully, she wasn’t that bad. “You thought I was just one of his conquests. You were right to a point.”

She vehemently shakes her head. “Taylor, you were never one of his conquests. Well . . .” She cringes. “Maybe the first night, but then he fell so hard for you. I was completely surprised.”

“Wasted years.” I stare off over her shoulder, hoping she doesn’t notice how much I hate that we weren’t a part of each other’s lives.

“Hey, you and I are similar on that front. I spent way too much time regretting Tanner and I splitting, but honestly, all you do is waste the time in the future. Put all that shit behind you.”

She’s right. She and Tanner were split for years over what he did. I can’t change it, so might as well accept it and move on.

“You’re right.” I glance at her ring, gleaming from the sun shining in the window. “Things worked out for you.”

“And they will for you too. I bet you’ll be wearing one of these by year’s end.”

I shake my head. We don’t need to rush into anything.

“Okay, but you know my brother. Irrational and impatient. He’ll want everyone to know who you belong to.” Piper’s eyes light up in the direction of the hallway, and I follow her gaze to find Tanner talking to her mom in the foyer.

“Hey, before we get interrupted.”

Her lusty eyes come back to mine. “I’m sorry I hid Em from you. It was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done it that way.”

“No, don’t apologize. Like I said, the past is the past.”

Tanner walks into the room and her eyes overflow with love.

“Love looks good on you, too,” I whisper, and she smiles over to me.

“I think so, too.” Tanner sits down next to her, his hand resting on her leg.

“Still in there, huh?” His head nods to Chris’s office door.

“I figure there’s no yelling, so that has to be a good sign,” I say, and Piper nods quickly with wide eyes.

“Very good sign.”

Tanner looks down at Emerson on my lap and then to Piper. “What do you think? It looks like fun.”

“Are you talking about the kid on her lap, who’s making her afraid to take a sip from her Diet Coke?” Piper raises her eyebrows at Tanner and he laughs.

“I guess we aren’t there yet.”

“Let’s just get through the Olympics first.” She pats his thigh and he nods. So easygoing, I wonder what it’s like to date someone so smooth sailing.

The door opens and Brad walks out, papers in his hand, his computer nestled under his arm. His lips spread into a huge smile, and I’m hoping that’s good news. He glances down at Em on my lap and nods when I know he’d rather scream.

Closing the distance, he leans across Em and gently kisses my lips.

“You got it?” I ask, wishing I could scream for both of us.

“I did.” He backs up. “I’ll be right back.”

His footsteps steadily walk outside the back door. His arms flex to the side and just as I guessed, a roar of a scream escapes his lungs.

“He looks like the Incredible Hulk,” Piper comments.

I laugh because he does, but his absurdity doesn’t phase-out the fact that he’s found his place. The best part is, I’m a part of it.

Two weeks have gone by, and if I thought raising a kid alone was hard, try it with two parents who have careers. Holy shit, Brad’s had no choice but to pick Em up and take her back to Creadle’s with him.

Tanner flew in and out in one day to shoot the commercial with the people Dylan hooked him up with. Of course, it was after hours on a Sunday, but it’s going to air tonight. It turns out one of the guys who owns the company has five kids of his own, so in exchange for free swim lessons, billboards are being put up along the highway.

Brad’s dad and Tanner both invested in Creadle’s, but Chris demanded that Brad be equal partner, which was hard for Wes to swallow, but in the end, he agreed.

Everything seems to be looking up for us, and Christmas is just around the corner. Em and Brad’s first together. Of course, we’re going back to his parents’ house, since my dad has currently cut off any contact with me completely. I have to work Christmas Eve, but I’m off Christmas Day. I knew there was a reason I’d worked last year.

I’m wrapping Brad’s gift, which I’m hoping might be his favorite. The good thing is, it cost me nothing. My phone rings on the table and I stretch over Em’s sleeping body to grab it before she wakes up. She’s crawled out of her crib, so now naps are a struggle because she refuses to stay in her toddler bed.

“Hello?” I answer without even looking at the caller ID.

“Hey, Tay. I have great news.” It’s my friend Vivian from Arizona.

“Are you getting married?” I ask.

“No, but you’re moving to Arizona.” I choke down the lump in my throat. In all this chaos, it slipped my mind that I had asked her if I could get a job at her hospital. “I mean, you have to interview, but that’s just a technicality. The girl you’ll be replacing walked out with no notice, so they want to fill the position as soon as possible. I think you’d have to be here after New Year, can you swing it?”

I sit there, looking down at Em on the ground, the princess Brad bought her securely in her arms. I glance around and find his computer resting on the dining room table next to his bottle of water. Yesterday’s baseball cap is hanging on the knob of the banister. All these things are making this home his too.