Not Quite Over You
Page 36
Drew finally moved away from the window. She could see his stunned expression. “Our daughter is going to be here for a week and you’re going to babysit her?”
“Yes. That’s about it. There were a lot of reasons to tell you but the biggest one is that Autumn really wants to meet you.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DREW STEPPED OUT of his shower to find Mr. Whiskers had made his way to the master bathroom. The rabbit had no trouble going up and down stairs, which was a little startling. Drew had assumed that Mr. Whiskers would keep to the first floor, but he seemed to enjoy running amok in the entire house.
Although Drew kept the rabbit in a large cage while he was at work and when he went to bed, the rest of the time Mr. Whiskers had free run of the house. The lady at the pet store had sold him a couple more litter boxes to keep things clean.
Drew had put cord protectors on every electrical cord he could find. Mr. Whiskers loved to chew and Drew didn’t think rabbit teeth and electricity were a good mix. At least having the rabbit around was a distraction of sorts—not that anything could stop him from thinking about his daughter.
In the past couple of days, he and Silver had talked a few more times. She’d shown him pictures of Autumn and he had tried to process the fact that she really was a part of him. That one sultry summer night, he and Silver had created a child. It was a lot to take in but he was going to have to figure it out.
He dressed in a suit, then went downstairs. Drew had already fed Mr. Whiskers, so he made his own breakfast before cleaning out the rabbit’s hutch. He made sure there was plenty of water and fresh hay before going to look for his houseguest. After about fifteen minutes of catch-me-if-you-can, he managed to get the rabbit back in the cage and carefully locked the hutch door. Shortly after, he was on his way to the bank.
He got through his morning easily enough. Meetings kept him busy. Around noon, Libby stopped by.
“It’s so lovely to have your mother up at the house,” Libby said, her smile anything but happy. “It reminds me of what it was like when we were girls together.”
Drew had heard plenty of stories about how the two sisters had hated each other, so he wasn’t sure how to respond. Fortunately—or not—Libby kept talking.
“We’ve been catching up on old times. Irene must be happy that you’re finally settling down.”
Drew looked at his aunt. “What do you mean?”
Libby feigned surprise. “Aren’t you and Silver a couple? I’ve seen you together all over town.” She touched her fingers to her mouth, then lowered her voice. “Is it a secret? Do you need me not to tell? Because, to be honest, Silver isn’t at all who your mother had in mind for you. She owns a mobile bar, although the fact that it’s on wheels may not matter to your mother. Silver’s beautiful, which helps, I suppose. But she doesn’t have family or connections and you know how important those are to Irene. Oh dear. What are you going to do?”
He held Libby’s gaze for several seconds. “Tell her or not. It doesn’t matter to me. Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s the truth.”
He walked away thinking that dealing with his mother about Silver was nothing when compared with actually meeting his daughter for the very first time.
* * *
“THANKS FOR THIS,” Silver said as she pulled the worn bike out of the garage. “Autumn still loves riding a bike, so having this for the week is going to be great.”
Wynn smiled. “No problem. Let’s all be grateful that I have trouble getting rid of things. Besides, Hunter is looking forward to hanging out with Autumn again.” She sighed. “He’s at that age where girls are stupid, interesting or scary, depending on the day. But he and Autumn had such a good time when we spent the weekend together that he seems to be more excited than anything else.”
A couple of years before, while Silver had been in Los Angeles with Autumn for a long weekend, Wynn and Hunter had joined them at Disneyland. The four of them had gone to the amusement park together and the kids had gotten along great.
“Just think, in a few years Hunter will see girls as conquests,” Silver teased.
Wynn shuddered. “That is not happening. I won’t let it.”
They put the bike in the back of Silver’s truck, then went into Wynn’s small house. Once they were in the kitchen, Wynn poured them each a cup of coffee.
“You doing okay?” Wynn asked.
“I’m trying. Drew’s still in shock. He texts me questions when he thinks of them and says he’s looking forward to meeting Autumn.”
“Isn’t that what you want? Them to meet?”
“Sure, but wanting it and having it happen are two different things. I just want the week to go well. For all of us. Leigh’s getting married. That needs to be a happy day for her.”
“It will be. Deep breaths. You’ll get through it. Drew’s a good guy. He’s processing but in the end, he’ll come around.”
Silver hoped her friend was right. “At least I told him. That’s something.”
“You were very brave.”
“I was running out of time. I got scared, which drove me to action. I tend to respond to emotions with energy. I want to be like you. You’re always so Zen.”
“On the outside. On the inside I’m as messed up as everyone else.”
Silver doubted that. “How are things going with Jasper?”
Her friend raised her eyebrows. “Is this you changing the subject?”
“Yes. I’m so tired of my life. Let’s focus on yours.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“But Jasper. He’s yummy. Are you two talking marriage yet?”
Wynn laughed. “We’re not talking marriage at all. Jasper and I have an understanding.”
“Ah, so it’s still just about sex.” Silver grinned. “Because we all know what the word ‘understanding’ means.”
“Yes, it’s about sex and hanging out every now and then, but nothing more. I’m not the marrying kind and neither is he. What we have is fun and easy, but that’s all it is.”
“Don’t you want something more?”
Wynn glanced away. “Nope. This is plenty. I have my son and I have my business and that’s all I need. Everything else is gravy.”
Silver sensed there was a lot that Wynn wasn’t telling her. Not that she was going to ask. She was in no position to deal with a big hairy secret these days. She was barely hanging on as it was. Not that anything was specifically wrong. Mostly it was anticipation that was killing her. Waiting for Leigh and Autumn to arrive. Waiting for Drew to meet his daughter. Waiting for the wedding.
Wynn surprised her by unexpectedly hugging her. “It’s going to be okay. Drew is going to love his daughter and she’s going to adore him. What happened, happened. You’re not the bad guy.”
“Sometimes I feel like the bad guy,” Silver admitted. “Maybe I should have—”
“No.” Wynn’s voice was stern. “He didn’t want your baby when you were pregnant. The fact that he’s sorry now doesn’t change the past. You were a kid and you made good decisions. You’re not responsible for Drew feeling all weepy. He had his chance and he didn’t want to take it. These are his consequences, not yours.”
“I had no idea you were so tough.”
“Yes. That’s about it. There were a lot of reasons to tell you but the biggest one is that Autumn really wants to meet you.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DREW STEPPED OUT of his shower to find Mr. Whiskers had made his way to the master bathroom. The rabbit had no trouble going up and down stairs, which was a little startling. Drew had assumed that Mr. Whiskers would keep to the first floor, but he seemed to enjoy running amok in the entire house.
Although Drew kept the rabbit in a large cage while he was at work and when he went to bed, the rest of the time Mr. Whiskers had free run of the house. The lady at the pet store had sold him a couple more litter boxes to keep things clean.
Drew had put cord protectors on every electrical cord he could find. Mr. Whiskers loved to chew and Drew didn’t think rabbit teeth and electricity were a good mix. At least having the rabbit around was a distraction of sorts—not that anything could stop him from thinking about his daughter.
In the past couple of days, he and Silver had talked a few more times. She’d shown him pictures of Autumn and he had tried to process the fact that she really was a part of him. That one sultry summer night, he and Silver had created a child. It was a lot to take in but he was going to have to figure it out.
He dressed in a suit, then went downstairs. Drew had already fed Mr. Whiskers, so he made his own breakfast before cleaning out the rabbit’s hutch. He made sure there was plenty of water and fresh hay before going to look for his houseguest. After about fifteen minutes of catch-me-if-you-can, he managed to get the rabbit back in the cage and carefully locked the hutch door. Shortly after, he was on his way to the bank.
He got through his morning easily enough. Meetings kept him busy. Around noon, Libby stopped by.
“It’s so lovely to have your mother up at the house,” Libby said, her smile anything but happy. “It reminds me of what it was like when we were girls together.”
Drew had heard plenty of stories about how the two sisters had hated each other, so he wasn’t sure how to respond. Fortunately—or not—Libby kept talking.
“We’ve been catching up on old times. Irene must be happy that you’re finally settling down.”
Drew looked at his aunt. “What do you mean?”
Libby feigned surprise. “Aren’t you and Silver a couple? I’ve seen you together all over town.” She touched her fingers to her mouth, then lowered her voice. “Is it a secret? Do you need me not to tell? Because, to be honest, Silver isn’t at all who your mother had in mind for you. She owns a mobile bar, although the fact that it’s on wheels may not matter to your mother. Silver’s beautiful, which helps, I suppose. But she doesn’t have family or connections and you know how important those are to Irene. Oh dear. What are you going to do?”
He held Libby’s gaze for several seconds. “Tell her or not. It doesn’t matter to me. Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s the truth.”
He walked away thinking that dealing with his mother about Silver was nothing when compared with actually meeting his daughter for the very first time.
* * *
“THANKS FOR THIS,” Silver said as she pulled the worn bike out of the garage. “Autumn still loves riding a bike, so having this for the week is going to be great.”
Wynn smiled. “No problem. Let’s all be grateful that I have trouble getting rid of things. Besides, Hunter is looking forward to hanging out with Autumn again.” She sighed. “He’s at that age where girls are stupid, interesting or scary, depending on the day. But he and Autumn had such a good time when we spent the weekend together that he seems to be more excited than anything else.”
A couple of years before, while Silver had been in Los Angeles with Autumn for a long weekend, Wynn and Hunter had joined them at Disneyland. The four of them had gone to the amusement park together and the kids had gotten along great.
“Just think, in a few years Hunter will see girls as conquests,” Silver teased.
Wynn shuddered. “That is not happening. I won’t let it.”
They put the bike in the back of Silver’s truck, then went into Wynn’s small house. Once they were in the kitchen, Wynn poured them each a cup of coffee.
“You doing okay?” Wynn asked.
“I’m trying. Drew’s still in shock. He texts me questions when he thinks of them and says he’s looking forward to meeting Autumn.”
“Isn’t that what you want? Them to meet?”
“Sure, but wanting it and having it happen are two different things. I just want the week to go well. For all of us. Leigh’s getting married. That needs to be a happy day for her.”
“It will be. Deep breaths. You’ll get through it. Drew’s a good guy. He’s processing but in the end, he’ll come around.”
Silver hoped her friend was right. “At least I told him. That’s something.”
“You were very brave.”
“I was running out of time. I got scared, which drove me to action. I tend to respond to emotions with energy. I want to be like you. You’re always so Zen.”
“On the outside. On the inside I’m as messed up as everyone else.”
Silver doubted that. “How are things going with Jasper?”
Her friend raised her eyebrows. “Is this you changing the subject?”
“Yes. I’m so tired of my life. Let’s focus on yours.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“But Jasper. He’s yummy. Are you two talking marriage yet?”
Wynn laughed. “We’re not talking marriage at all. Jasper and I have an understanding.”
“Ah, so it’s still just about sex.” Silver grinned. “Because we all know what the word ‘understanding’ means.”
“Yes, it’s about sex and hanging out every now and then, but nothing more. I’m not the marrying kind and neither is he. What we have is fun and easy, but that’s all it is.”
“Don’t you want something more?”
Wynn glanced away. “Nope. This is plenty. I have my son and I have my business and that’s all I need. Everything else is gravy.”
Silver sensed there was a lot that Wynn wasn’t telling her. Not that she was going to ask. She was in no position to deal with a big hairy secret these days. She was barely hanging on as it was. Not that anything was specifically wrong. Mostly it was anticipation that was killing her. Waiting for Leigh and Autumn to arrive. Waiting for Drew to meet his daughter. Waiting for the wedding.
Wynn surprised her by unexpectedly hugging her. “It’s going to be okay. Drew is going to love his daughter and she’s going to adore him. What happened, happened. You’re not the bad guy.”
“Sometimes I feel like the bad guy,” Silver admitted. “Maybe I should have—”
“No.” Wynn’s voice was stern. “He didn’t want your baby when you were pregnant. The fact that he’s sorry now doesn’t change the past. You were a kid and you made good decisions. You’re not responsible for Drew feeling all weepy. He had his chance and he didn’t want to take it. These are his consequences, not yours.”
“I had no idea you were so tough.”
