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Stone jumped from the latter and groaned. “Yeah man, it looks good. Really good. Didn’t you see those tears pooling in her eyes? She was touched, man.” He clapped me on the back with a smile. “Don’t worry.”
“Easy for you to say,” I groaned and took one last look at the corners to make sure there were no streaks.
“Hell yeah it is.” He laughed and stood beside me. “We did a good job.”
“We did. Thanks.” My phone rang before I could say more and I pulled it from my pocket, answering without looking because I assumed it was Olive. “Hello?”
“Liam, my boy, how the hell are ya?”
I frowned. “Dad? I’m good, how are you and Trish?”
“We’re good but, ah, we decided to surprise you with a visit but maybe we should have called first. Got a surprise of our own.”
Shit. I’d been putting off the call to my dad to tell him about the baby and he must have seen the nursery. “Sorry Dad, I planned to tell you.” Stone’s brows disappeared into his hair and his mouth formed a shocked ‘o’, which I waved off.
“Tell me that you were living with a sweet little thing? You’re a Reyes, I could’ve guessed that myself.” He barked out a laugh and I could just see him in my mind’s eye, laughing merrily. “Did she call already to tell you we showed up on her wearing nothing but a smile?”
Stone choked on a laugh at the same time I did. “What?”
“Oh yeah,” he said, oblivious to the distress in my voice. “She was really embarrassed. Screamed at the top of her lungs and fled upstairs. Hasn’t been back down since.”
“Diego, it’s not funny,” Trish admonished sweetly in the background.
“Sorry, babe.” His apology was another sign that this wasn’t the same man from my childhood and it gave me hope that I no matter what, I could be a good dad to my kid. “Anyway, we’re here and I think she’s too embarrassed to come down. Want us to grab a hotel in town?”
“No, Dad. There’s enough room for everyone. I’ll be there soon.”
As soon as the call ended, Stone laughed his ass off. “Man that is just…great.” He could hardly talk through his laughter and when I flipped him off, his laughter exploded. “Go, I’ll wash the brushes and lock up.”
But that’s why we were friends, because we gave each other shit all the time but jumped in easily when help was needed. “Thanks man. I owe you one.”
“Dinner with the famous Diego will do it.”
“Fine,” I grumbled and raced out of the house, eager to get to the lake before Olive did something insane, like leave.
I didn’t know what I expected when I pulled into the driveway and headed inside, but it wasn’t to find Dad and Trish having a beer on the deck, watching the lake as the sun sank behind the horizon. “Hey Trish. Dad.”
Trish surprised me when she stood and wrapped me in a hug and kissed my cheek. “This place is beautiful, Liam. So gorgeous and relaxing. Well done.”
“Yeah, very well done Liam. No trace of your screw up dad in this place. It’s a real home.” He clapped my back and pulled me into a bear hug. “Good job.”
“Uh, thanks.” I didn’t know where that moment of introspection came from and though I appreciated it, I was worried about Olive. “I haven’t figured out dinner yet but I will, as soon as I check on Olive.”
Dad laughed. “Nice girl,” he said around a wide smile. “Pretty too and if she’s surprising you like that, I say hang on to her with all you’ve got.”
I turned away and went in search of Olive, the sound of my dad’s laughter echoing behind me. “Olive?” I knocked on the door of my own damn bedroom and pressed my ear to listen for the sound of tears. Or breaking glass.
“Yeah, I’m in here.” Her voice was small and I hesitantly pushed the door open, not knowing what I would find.
What I found was almost comical and I probably would have laughed if not for her red eyes and puffy cheeks. Olive was completely dressed in a baggy t-shirt, yoga pants that showed off her curves, big fuzzy socks, sneakers and a hoodie. “You all right?”
“No I am not all right, Liam! Your dad and stepmother saw me naked. Completely and totally butt ass naked!” Her face grew redder by the moment and I stepped inside and rested my hands on her shoulders, rubbing them to keep her calm. She looked to be about a moment away from another crying jag. “First I’m knocked up after a one night stand and now they caught me trying to seduce you in the middle of the day like some damn…cat in heat!”
It was hard as hell to keep a straight face but I knew I had to because she was really bothered. And more embarrassed than I thought she’d be. “Olive, it doesn’t matter what they think.” I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight because that’s what she needed.
