With Brave Wings (14 page)

"Way too pricey."

It wasn’t the first time Sophie had heard that today, and not only when it came to Brooklyn, either. One of the girls working for Brooklyn quit a while ago because she couldn’t afford the commute. Another had to turn down a promotion because her commute was already taking her away from her daughter, and adding hours to an already busy schedule would be too much—regardless of a raise.

Their industry came with demanding schedules for everybody, not only the ones who became millionaires. It wasn’t fair, and neither were Brooklyn's choices. If she wanted a good school district for Maliah, she had to either move out of the city or go with a neighborhood she couldn’t afford. The latter was impossible, so that left her with…well, no choice at all.

Unless…

Sophie tapped the wheel absently, thinking. "I may have a plan. I'll get back to you."

This could work. Shit, this could actually work.

She made a turn for the nearest Starbucks, in serious need of caffeine. She'd joined a silly drinking game at the party after that whole Josh thing, and she hadn't fully recovered yet—despite that the party had been the day before yesterday.

Her old self would've laughed.

Her new self wanted to strangle her old self with a pair of yoga pants.

Sophie had simply changed. Getting tipsy with her friends, dancing a little with Brooklyn—that had been a blast. But she wasn’t the same girl she once was.

"That’s cryptic." Brooklyn side-eyed her.

"I have my moments. But seriously, we'll figure it out." Sophie paused as she parked the car. "Can we talk about my birthday next week now? I wanna plan something low-key because evidently I've turned into a grandmother."

Brooklyn laughed.

Chapter 12

"You haven't read a single script all week, Tee."

Tennyson hummed in acknowledgment, busy studying the plans for the new ranch they were going to buy together. It was a warmer evening tonight, so they had covered the fire pit on the patio, the four stand-alone corner heaters sufficient.

The makeshift table was full of lists for what they'd need and blueprints for kennels and a rehab clinic.

"Daddy." Kayden was literally climbing on Tennyson's back, and he giggled every time he fell back down against the couch. "Ky Mommy?"

"Not now, Kayden." Tennyson grabbed the list of properties they'd look into and began highlighting the ones they were most interested in. "It's almost bedtime for you."

"What's ky?" Ash asked.

Tennyson grinned and highlighted another property. "It's Skype. Took us forever to figure out." Capping the pen, he set it down before reaching around him to pick up Kayden. "We can Skype Mommy tomorrow before we drive home." He blew a raspberry on Kayden's stomach. "We gotta buy a big gift for her, too."

Sophie turned twenty-four the day after tomorrow, and he'd received an extremely fancy invite via text today. Which simply read,
Reservations made at Carlo's for my b-day. You're hereby required to come. No gifts.

Asher had received the exact same message.

"Boys?" Mom walked out on the patio, wearing the same careful smile she'd had every time she'd approached Tennyson after their fight earlier this week. "I was wondering if you want me to tuck Kayden in."

"What do you say, bug? Want Grandma to tuck you in?" Tennyson asked. He barely even glanced at his mother, still upset with her. But at least she understood now that nothing was ever going to happen between him and Trisha.

He wasn’t quite sure where he stood with Trisha; it wasn’t what he'd call even the beginning of a friendship. They hadn't made any plans, though they'd parted on good terms. And that was—if he was completely honest—all Tennyson wanted. He'd moved on a long time ago, and he hoped Trisha had gotten closure now, too.

Of course, the media thought they were back together, but he couldn’t give two shits about that.

"No!" Kayden clung to him like a monkey, rubbing his cheek to Tennyson's bearded one. "No, Daddy. No sweep."

Tennyson chuckled. "You always act like going to bed is the worst thing in the world." He stood up with Kayden in his arms and walked over to Mom. "We both know you'll be out within five."

"You and Asher were the same," Mom noted, amused. "Sleep was never fun."

Tennyson planted smooches all over Kayden's face. "Have sweet dreams for Daddy. I love you."

Of course, Kayden started shouting and crying as soon as Mom carried him inside the house.

"I'm such a pussy," Tennyson muttered and sat down with the plans again. "Only Sophie can handle that without feeling like the worst parent in history."

"That’s because she goes through it every day." Asher quirked a brow. "You really love parenthood though, don’t you?"

"Best job I ever had." He inclined his head and reached for his beer. "You said earlier I haven't picked up a single script this week. Kayden's why. I've decided to take on fewer projects, and I'm done producing. I don’t even know why I brought the scripts."

Asher looked him over, thoughtful. "How many fewer?"

Tennyson didn’t have a number. "My next one will be
A Killer's Walk
." Which said a lot, because it still hadn't been green-lit, so it could take another year or two before pre-production started. Then an additional few months before filming.

Shit in Hollywood could take time.

"I'm never giving up directing, but I've missed too much. Both with Kayden and hobbies I used to enjoy. I want to have a more active role in Fight for Fighters, be there for Kayden, and…" He trailed off with a one-shouldered shrug. "I don’t know."

Asher smiled ruefully and dipped his chin. "I can't say I'm too surprised. I admit I got a little jealous when you sent me the videos of the problems you climbed in Australia." He sighed and took a swig of his own beer. "And not to rain on your parade, but
Killer
has gone from having zero interest to two studios considering it, one of which wants to turn it into a TV series."

"Fuck." Tennyson clenched his jaw. "That script is mine," he told Ash. "If there's the slightest risk of a bidding war, let me know. I'll buy the goddamn rights myself."

Asher smirked. "You'd produce it, too? I thought you were giving that up."

"That’s the only exception." He knew exactly how that film should play out, and the thought of someone else stealing it… "I'm serious. Keep me posted."

"Will do." Asher nodded.

They returned to working on Fight for Fighters' future, but with shoptalk on Tennyson's mind, he remembered what Sophie had told him about her father. And he was curious himself.

"Sophie mentioned that Peter was fired. You know something about that?"

"He wasn’t fired," Asher answered. "He sold his shares and quit. I don’t know the details, but I think there was a big argument between Peter and two other chairmen. It got heated and Peter went behind their backs and started looking for a way out."

Tennyson grunted, not satisfied. "I was hoping the other chairmen had joined forces to sack him."

After how Peter had treated Sophie, Tennyson had nothing nice to say about the pretentious prick.

*

It was late the next night when Tennyson took the elevator up to Sophie's loft. Kayden was asleep in his arms, and Max seemed tired, too.

Tennyson already wished he could be back in Mendocino.

Exiting the elevator, he walked toward Sophie's place but there wasn’t any time to knock. She ripped the door open, as if she'd been standing on the other side looking through the peephole.

So there she was, in her messy mommy glory, wearing her favorite yoga pants and his University of Michigan T-shirt, and she still managed to look perfect to him.

His gut twisted as the image of his future got clearer and clearer.

Damn his conversation with Trisha for giving him clarity.

"What took you so long?" Sophie scolded, though any trace of hostility melted when she laid eyes on their sleeping boy. "My sweet kiddo, Mommy's missed you
so
much." She gingerly took Kayden from Tennyson then quirked a brow. "This was fun—let's never do it again."

He grinned faintly and followed her into the loft. "When did it become unbearable?"

"Couple days ago," she admitted, and they walked toward Kayden's room. "I don’t know how you do it."

He didn’t either, and it was all over now. A few days here and there were doable, but months? Never again.

Standing in the doorway to Kayden's room, Tennyson watched in silence as Sophie checked Kayden's diaper before putting him to bed. When she was done, she tiptoed out of the room, and he closed the door before they ended up in the kitchen.

"Was there a lot of traffic?" she asked. "Last we spoke, you said you were an hour away."

"Ah, sorry about that." Tennyson sat down at the kitchen island while Sophie flitted around to make coffee and fill Max's water and food bowls. "I forgot I was dropping off Pup at Asher's."

Asher had flown back this morning, so he'd been home a while already.

"Oh, all right." She started the coffee maker before sitting down across from him. "When do I get to see the little guy?"

"I'm picking him up again in a couple days." He shrugged out of his leather jacket and hung it on the chair next to him. "He can't be left alone yet, so I figured since we're going out tomorrow, he might as well stay with Ash. Speaking of tomorrow." He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and retrieved two poorly wrapped gifts. Kayden had loved helping out with the tape.

"
Tennyson
," she warned, "I told you not to give me anything this year."

"And I still don’t understand that," he chuckled. "But these are from Kayden, so if you want to complain, bring it up with him." Sophie mock-glared before rolling her eyes in amusement. "So why no gifts?"

She shrugged and piled the two gift boxes on the countertop. "Just easier that way. I've turned into a bum. I come home from work—bra flying off like magic—shower, disappear into PJs, and the thought of sending out thank-you notes for the gifts or calling everyone and pretending I want to chitchat…it's like running a marathon. I don’t wanna."

"Yeah, I can see why that would make you not want birthday presents." Tennyson smirked wryly, too damn amused by her adorableness. "Sending thank-you notes—even if it's a quick text—would get in the way of being lazy."

"Exactly. You get it." Sophie walked over to the coffee maker again and poured two mugs. "Besides, I already have a gift for the three of us that will fill my quota of being sociable and making an effort."

"Oh?" He smiled as she poured milk into his mug and sweetener into her own.

It struck him how much he enjoyed these moments with her. It was domesticated and perhaps insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but he loved every minute of it.

He also loved that she was so comfortable around him that she could be herself. And to him, it was when she was the most beautiful.

Like most men, Tennyson could lose his shit over sexy lingerie and come-hither eyes, but he didn’t always want his partner on her A-game. He wanted the everyday things that came with stained yoga pants and no makeup. A side his woman would show only him.

Shaking his head, he snapped out of it and focused on what Sophie was saying.

"…so yeah, I asked my publicist for help." She brought their coffees over and sat down. "I haven't been fair—I know that now. Whenever you've asked me to come with you and Kayden to the beach or whatever, I've stayed hidden."

She definitely had his attention now.

"Did you come up with a plan, then?" He took a sip of his coffee, wondering why the fuck his never came out this great.

She nodded. "I'm not interested in going to some club, but I'd like to go out with you and Kayden. So Sage told me to take the regular Hollywood route. It's safe, she says."

"What's this Hollywood route I've never heard about?" Tennyson grinned, confused.

Her mouth twisted into a smirk. "Courtside floor tickets at the NBA playoffs."

Tennyson's brows lifted, and he chuckled because, now that he thought about it, he'd certainly seen many celebrities show up at sporting events. Celebrities who'd never shown interest in the sport before. He wondered idly how many had done it to announce something, be it an engagement ring, a pregnancy, or a new partner.

"You don’t even like basketball, sweetie."

He couldn’t say he was a big fan himself, though he didn’t change the channel if there was a game on. He'd played a little when he was young, but Asher had been more into it than he.

"I know," she said with a sheepish grin, "but it might be a good way of coming out, so to speak. I mean, it's obvious. Everyone knows we're Kayden's parents, but we've never confirmed anything whatsoever. And at a game, paps wouldn’t shove cameras in our faces."

"True." Tennyson set down his mug. "How did you manage to score tickets?" The playoffs were only weeks away, and he knew Asher was pulling all sorts of strings to get seats. But floor tickets?
Christ.

"Sage is good at what she does." She shrugged and grinned impishly. "So, what do you say? Wanna go to a game with me and Kayden?"

Tennyson couldn’t quite express just how much he did, but he managed to chuckle a
hell-fucking-yes
.

"Great! And I have one more thing I'd like to run by you before I let you go to bed."

"What's that?" He drank more of his coffee, refraining from saying he was in no rush.

"Brooklyn's looking for a new place for when Maliah starts eighth grade in the fall." Sophie reached over to the fruit bowl and snatched up an apple. "She doesn’t like the school district they're in now, but it's slim fucking pickings out there. I swear, I had no idea it was that bad." She bit into the fruit. "But anyway, Pali's a great place for kids, but it's expensive." She paused as she swallowed. "So I was wondering if you could help me buy a condo that I can sublet to her. It would help lower the costs, but I know nothing about real estate. I didn’t exactly have to look for this place, and Daniel took care of everything."

"Of course I can help." He smiled, constantly reminded of what a sweetheart she was. A few years ago, she wouldn’t have cared about anyone other than herself, and now she wanted to make sure a friend of hers could live in a good school district. "You're a good friend, Sophie."

She shook her head. "She's always been there for me. I'm just trying to even the score a bit."

Fucking sigh.
When would she stop putting herself down? He had to come up with something that would make her see.