Chapter 24
Oak
It had been rough, settling into the idea that my grandparents knew. I hadn’t expected it to be that difficult, if I were honest. I talked it through with my therapist and that helped, but she told me I’d keep working through it for a while with the way I’d been raised. I accepted that, just as I accepted the unconditional love of my grandparents.
In the couple of weeks after Law told Caitlyn, everything started to settle into a new normal. We stole moments together when we could. Sometimes someone distracted the kids so Law could sneak away to my cabin for a while, or I’d go to the Yellow House after the kids had fallen asleep.
We also started to take enough lunch breaks together and spend them decidedlynotat the Inn that our friends and family began to tease us about it. I had to admit that some midday delight was very welcome and spiced up my life more than I’d expected.
I also hung out with Law and the kids more. I couldn’t say that we did things “as a family,” but it was starting to feel a littlebit like that. I knew Harper was starting to realize I was around more, but she hadn’t put anything together yet.
When we were both scheduled off work the last weekend of March—the weekend after Tristan’s birthday—I made plans with Caitlyn. Yeah, I went behind my boyfriend’s back to contact his ex-wife, and she arrived on Friday afternoon, just before Law was to go pick up the kids from school. She wasn’t able to make it to his party during the week, and though she’d managed to FaceTime in, it wasn’t the same. So she’d rearranged her schedule to make it as close to his birthday as she could.
We’d timed it so that when Law went out of the house to go to his SUV, Cait stepped out of her rental, smirking at him.
“W-What?” Law sputtered.
I stood behind him on the porch, very satisfied with my post-quickie relaxation, and grinned at her.
“Surprise?” she said, meeting him halfway and hugging the life out of him.
“How are you here?” he asked as he leaned back to look at her. “You look…radiant.”
She did look radiant but also tired. I could see the shadows under her eyes and while she did have that aura of a person who was happy with their life, she clearly needed to chill, too.
She smiled widely. “Thank you. You look…,” she started, then raised a brow at him.
He blushed, and I cackled.
Cait walked around him, and I went down the front steps to hug her tightly.
“Hey, you,” I murmured.
“Thank you for suggesting this,” she said quietly. When she pulled back, I could see in her eyes how much she needed this. She hadn’t seen her kids in person in about three months, after all.
“I feel like you’ve been plotting behind my back,” Law accused us.
“No, really?” I snarked. “We wouldnever.”
Cait guffawed, turning to Law. “What he said. Also, I’m taking the kids and I have a rental cabin in Landry’s Fall until Monday morning. I’ll make sure they get to school on time, and I’ll even take Ranger to the doggie daycare.”
He went back to sputtering for a moment, then he threw his hands up. “Well, then!”
Again, my fucking upbringing perked its ugly head and I looked at him hesitantly. “I’m sorry I went behind your back, I just—”
“No, baby,no,” he said quickly, coming to sweep me into his arms. “This is good.”
“Give me your keys; I’m going so I’ll make the pickup time,” Cait said, holding out her hand, likely so that she didn’t need to worry about the car seats yet.
Law handed her the keys without looking at her, his attention still firmly on me.
“We’ll be back soon to pack their stuff,” she called out and jumped into the SUV.
I still felt out of sorts. It had seemed like a good idea, but I’d also taken liberties—
“Baby, look at me,” Law said gently, lifting my chin with his fingers. Once I made eye contact, he smiled. “Did you do this so we can spend the weekend together without having to worry about the kids?”
I shook my head. Then I nodded slowly. “Kind of.” I sighed. “Look, I’m not going to lie and say that wasn’t a thing; of course it was. But I mostly wanted them to have time with Caitlyn, too. And Harper mentioned to Charlie that Cait had seemed more tired than usual lately, and Charlie told me and….”
