Not Quite Over You
Page 41
The place settings were layers of plates and chargers, all done in cream and gold. A champagne fountain stood in the corner, the stacked glasses ready for the champagne. The centerpieces were arrangements of flowers woven with strings of pearls and huge feathers. More pearls hung like streamers around the room. There were gilded mirrors and tables with fancy, feathered masks and flameless candles in glittering holders.
Renee greeted him at the door, a tablet in her hand. “You’re with Silver? Because you’re too early to be a guest. The bride’s room is that way.” She pointed to a hallway. “Everyone is already dressed. Just knock once and go in.”
Without waiting for him to respond, she hurried off as if she still had a thousand things to do. He would guess she very well might. Weddings seemed to be a big deal and a lot of work. He didn’t want to even begin to imagine what his mother would want his wedding to be.
He found the bride’s room and knocked. Rather than simply entering, he waited for the door to be opened. When it was, he saw Autumn standing on the other side.
Her dress was a flapper style with rows of pale pink fringe. She had on a headband with a feather and some kind of netting made into gloves. She grinned when she saw him.
“This is so much fun! We had mani-pedis and I got my hair done.” She turned to show him the tight curls pinned up in back. When she faced him again, she rolled her eyes. “Still no makeup and I totally begged, but it was a really good morning. Mom looks beautiful.”
Drew followed her gaze to where Leigh stood in a white wedding down. It was sleeveless, with a deep V, and fitted to just below her waist. From there it flared out with rows and rows of ruffly, fluffy material that cascaded to the floor. Her hair was up and she had on a triple strand of pearls. Silver was adjusting her dress as a photographer got into place.
Silver was wearing the dress he’d seen her in before. It looked different with her makeup and with her hair pinned up into fancy loops and curls. Her only jewelry was a simple pair of silver hoops.
He should have bought her jewelry. The thought surprised him. Jewelry? For Silver? When? They’d been teenagers when they’d been involved before and since then, it was hardly appropriate. Still, he couldn’t shake the sense of wanting to give her diamonds and sapphires and bangles and rings.
Leigh saw him and smiled. She waved Autumn over. Her daughter rushed to her side and snuggled close for a picture. Silver joined him.
“How’s it going?” she asked. “You going to be able to deal with all this?”
“I don’t have anything to do. I’m just a guest.”
“I meant later. When Leigh and Denton are gone and people realize you’re hanging out with an eleven-year-old girl who looks a lot like you.”
“I’m going to tell them I’m her biological father.”
Silver looked at him. “Do you mean that?”
“Absolutely. I want to get to know her and figure out where I fit in her life. You’re the one who had to give her up. How did you do that?”
“She was never mine. The second I picked Leigh and Paul, I knew that our baby belonged to them. I’m not saying it was easy, but it wasn’t hard, if that makes sense.”
It didn’t, so he would file it away with everything else. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. I’d say you clean up well, but you always wear a suit so this isn’t that different.”
He chuckled. “If there’s a compliment in there, thank you. If not, I’ll be quiet.”
“There was a compliment.” She watched the photographer. “Leigh is so happy. I’m thrilled she found Denton. They’re going to be great together.” She glanced at him. “Autumn is very excited about spending the week here and getting to know you.”
“I look forward to getting to know her, too.”
Silver’s gaze was steady. “And then she goes home, Drew. We made our decision a long time ago. She’s not ours.”
“I know. That’s not where I’m going.”
“I just want to be sure. For both your sakes.”
Because if he pushed on anything, Autumn would be hurt. He had no legal standing anymore—he was just the guy who gave up his kid one afternoon a million years ago. Now she belonged to someone else and he was one of three dads in her life.
They were where they were and if he didn’t like it, well, he only had himself to blame.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SUNDAY MORNING, SILVER and Autumn slept in. They’d been up late at the wedding. The cushions on the sectional sofa folded up and out of the way, making the couch wide enough to be a bed. Autumn had brought a sleeping bag and was happy to camp out there.
They got up and made breakfast. They were going over to Drew’s about eleven to hang out. Silver wondered how the preteen would react to the fluffy Mr. Whiskers.
When they’d showered and the breakfast dishes were put away, Autumn pulled out her homework and Silver went through the budget on the remodels. Walter would be finishing up the larger of the trailers in a day or so. While she was excited to see the finished trailer, she knew he would be expecting payment that day. It was sad to watch her bank account dwindle, even for a good cause, she thought with a chuckle. If only there were a way to have the trailers and keep all the cash.
“What’s so funny?” Autumn asked. “I’m doing algebra and that isn’t funny at all.”
“Algebra? Already?”
“It’s just the intro class. I’ll get more into it next year. Math isn’t that hard for me. I like it. And science. I’m thinking maybe I want to be a doctor, like Denton. Or do hair.”
Silver smiled. “You could do both. Doctor by day, hair stylist by night.”
“Silver, you have to have life balance. I couldn’t have two big jobs like that.”
“An excellent point. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now what was so funny?”
“I was thinking it would be nice to have my new trailer and not have to pay for it.” She held up a hand. “I was laughing because it’s a ridiculous idea.”
“You have to pay for stuff. Stealing is wrong and you end up in jail. No one wants that.”
“True enough.”
Autumn focused on her homework for a few minutes, then said, “I’m all caught up with school. I’ll bet I could just work really hard a couple of days and take the others off.”
“Not happening.”
“But Mom’s in Hawaii.”
“Lots of people are on vacation this week. Lots of people are on vacation every week, which is nice for them but has nothing to do with you.”
“You’re very tough on me.”
“I know.”
Autumn sighed. “Fine. I’ll go to the Learning Center, but I won’t like it.”
“I’m okay with that.”
The corner of Autumn’s mouth twitched. She turned away as if she didn’t want Silver to see her smile.
A few minutes before eleven, they headed to Silver’s truck and drove to Drew’s house.
“I like your loft a lot,” Autumn told her. “It’s more fun than an apartment. When I’m a grown-up, I want a loft, too.”
“There’s not a lot of privacy or storage. So you have to think about that. Although I guess some have more storage than others. Lofts are about open living plans. Some are really industrial with concrete floors and open ductwork.”
Renee greeted him at the door, a tablet in her hand. “You’re with Silver? Because you’re too early to be a guest. The bride’s room is that way.” She pointed to a hallway. “Everyone is already dressed. Just knock once and go in.”
Without waiting for him to respond, she hurried off as if she still had a thousand things to do. He would guess she very well might. Weddings seemed to be a big deal and a lot of work. He didn’t want to even begin to imagine what his mother would want his wedding to be.
He found the bride’s room and knocked. Rather than simply entering, he waited for the door to be opened. When it was, he saw Autumn standing on the other side.
Her dress was a flapper style with rows of pale pink fringe. She had on a headband with a feather and some kind of netting made into gloves. She grinned when she saw him.
“This is so much fun! We had mani-pedis and I got my hair done.” She turned to show him the tight curls pinned up in back. When she faced him again, she rolled her eyes. “Still no makeup and I totally begged, but it was a really good morning. Mom looks beautiful.”
Drew followed her gaze to where Leigh stood in a white wedding down. It was sleeveless, with a deep V, and fitted to just below her waist. From there it flared out with rows and rows of ruffly, fluffy material that cascaded to the floor. Her hair was up and she had on a triple strand of pearls. Silver was adjusting her dress as a photographer got into place.
Silver was wearing the dress he’d seen her in before. It looked different with her makeup and with her hair pinned up into fancy loops and curls. Her only jewelry was a simple pair of silver hoops.
He should have bought her jewelry. The thought surprised him. Jewelry? For Silver? When? They’d been teenagers when they’d been involved before and since then, it was hardly appropriate. Still, he couldn’t shake the sense of wanting to give her diamonds and sapphires and bangles and rings.
Leigh saw him and smiled. She waved Autumn over. Her daughter rushed to her side and snuggled close for a picture. Silver joined him.
“How’s it going?” she asked. “You going to be able to deal with all this?”
“I don’t have anything to do. I’m just a guest.”
“I meant later. When Leigh and Denton are gone and people realize you’re hanging out with an eleven-year-old girl who looks a lot like you.”
“I’m going to tell them I’m her biological father.”
Silver looked at him. “Do you mean that?”
“Absolutely. I want to get to know her and figure out where I fit in her life. You’re the one who had to give her up. How did you do that?”
“She was never mine. The second I picked Leigh and Paul, I knew that our baby belonged to them. I’m not saying it was easy, but it wasn’t hard, if that makes sense.”
It didn’t, so he would file it away with everything else. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. I’d say you clean up well, but you always wear a suit so this isn’t that different.”
He chuckled. “If there’s a compliment in there, thank you. If not, I’ll be quiet.”
“There was a compliment.” She watched the photographer. “Leigh is so happy. I’m thrilled she found Denton. They’re going to be great together.” She glanced at him. “Autumn is very excited about spending the week here and getting to know you.”
“I look forward to getting to know her, too.”
Silver’s gaze was steady. “And then she goes home, Drew. We made our decision a long time ago. She’s not ours.”
“I know. That’s not where I’m going.”
“I just want to be sure. For both your sakes.”
Because if he pushed on anything, Autumn would be hurt. He had no legal standing anymore—he was just the guy who gave up his kid one afternoon a million years ago. Now she belonged to someone else and he was one of three dads in her life.
They were where they were and if he didn’t like it, well, he only had himself to blame.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SUNDAY MORNING, SILVER and Autumn slept in. They’d been up late at the wedding. The cushions on the sectional sofa folded up and out of the way, making the couch wide enough to be a bed. Autumn had brought a sleeping bag and was happy to camp out there.
They got up and made breakfast. They were going over to Drew’s about eleven to hang out. Silver wondered how the preteen would react to the fluffy Mr. Whiskers.
When they’d showered and the breakfast dishes were put away, Autumn pulled out her homework and Silver went through the budget on the remodels. Walter would be finishing up the larger of the trailers in a day or so. While she was excited to see the finished trailer, she knew he would be expecting payment that day. It was sad to watch her bank account dwindle, even for a good cause, she thought with a chuckle. If only there were a way to have the trailers and keep all the cash.
“What’s so funny?” Autumn asked. “I’m doing algebra and that isn’t funny at all.”
“Algebra? Already?”
“It’s just the intro class. I’ll get more into it next year. Math isn’t that hard for me. I like it. And science. I’m thinking maybe I want to be a doctor, like Denton. Or do hair.”
Silver smiled. “You could do both. Doctor by day, hair stylist by night.”
“Silver, you have to have life balance. I couldn’t have two big jobs like that.”
“An excellent point. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now what was so funny?”
“I was thinking it would be nice to have my new trailer and not have to pay for it.” She held up a hand. “I was laughing because it’s a ridiculous idea.”
“You have to pay for stuff. Stealing is wrong and you end up in jail. No one wants that.”
“True enough.”
Autumn focused on her homework for a few minutes, then said, “I’m all caught up with school. I’ll bet I could just work really hard a couple of days and take the others off.”
“Not happening.”
“But Mom’s in Hawaii.”
“Lots of people are on vacation this week. Lots of people are on vacation every week, which is nice for them but has nothing to do with you.”
“You’re very tough on me.”
“I know.”
Autumn sighed. “Fine. I’ll go to the Learning Center, but I won’t like it.”
“I’m okay with that.”
The corner of Autumn’s mouth twitched. She turned away as if she didn’t want Silver to see her smile.
A few minutes before eleven, they headed to Silver’s truck and drove to Drew’s house.
“I like your loft a lot,” Autumn told her. “It’s more fun than an apartment. When I’m a grown-up, I want a loft, too.”
“There’s not a lot of privacy or storage. So you have to think about that. Although I guess some have more storage than others. Lofts are about open living plans. Some are really industrial with concrete floors and open ductwork.”
