“I’m going to say something, but I don’t want you to think I’m trying to blame you for anything again. I just want to say that if I’d known . . . God, Ali. I would’ve been there every step along the way. You wouldn’t have had to do it all alone. Even if we couldn’t work things out between us, I would never have abandoned you.”
I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the heel of my hand. “I think on some level, I knew that. But I couldn’t let myself really believe it. So many times I came close to calling you . . .” A particular memory burned against my mind for a nanosecond. I winced and pushed it away. “I was so afraid. I kept the possibility of you as my last resort. But at the same time, I was terrified of what would happen if I did call you and you didn’t come. Or refused to believe me. Or said you didn’t care. If that had happened, I’d have truly felt like I was on my own.”
Flynn sighed. “I wish I could go back and change what happened, Ali. We can’t do that, but I promise, from here on out, we’re a team.”
It’d made me glow, that promise. Sharing my daughter—ourdaughter—was going to take some getting used to, but the idea of not shouldering the entire job of parenting her made me a little giddy. I loved being a mom. I adored Bridget beyond the telling of it. But having another person to help me make decisions and take some of the responsibility was something I’d scarcely dared to dream I’d ever have.
Keeping that in mind, I made it through the next day, when Flynn came by to take Bridget to his mother’s house. She was excited, hopping first on one foot and then the other as we waited on the front porch.
“Do you think they’ll like me?” Her sudden question was the first indication that she might’ve been more nervous than she let on.
“Oh, sugar, they’ll adore you. How could they not? You’re the prettiest, smartest, most talented little girl who ever walked God’s green earth. You just remember that. And remember, too, that you’re a Reynolds. So you hold your head high.”
Bridget glanced up at me, mid-hop. “Am I still a Reynolds? Even though my daddy has a different name?”
Crud.I hadn’t expected this issue to pop up so soon. “Well, honey, legally you don’t have your daddy’s name.” I bit my lip. Bridget’s name, on her birth certificate, was Moss, and Craig was listed as her father. When I’d registered her for school, though, I’d asked that they list her as Reynolds, since it was my last name. I’d never gotten around to changing my name on anything legal after Craig and I’d gotten married, and we hadn’t been together long enough for it to matter. “Not yet, anyway. We’ll see what your dad wants to do, okay?”
“Okay.” She frowned. “But will I still be a Reynolds even if I have a different name?”
“Always, sweetie pie. You’re part of me, and you’re part of Uncle Sam, and we’re both Reynolds. Nothing can change that.”
I heard a car on the gravel of our driveway, and a moment later, Flynn’s gray sedan appeared. I didn’t know much about luxury cars, but I knew this was one. He opened the door and stepped out, and I tried not to stare. It was warmer today than it had been the last week, and Flynn was wearing faded jeans that fit his fine ass to perfection. And the blue T-shirt on top hugged his broad chest, showing off arms that had taken on quite a bit of muscle definition since he was eighteen. My mouth went dry.Hot damn.
Flynn grinned up at us. Well, mostly at Bridget, but I was claiming some of that smile, too.
“Morning, ladies.” He stopped at the bottom of the steps and stuck his thumbs into the front pockets of those sinful jeans. “Miss Bridget, you ready for a good time today?”
As hyper as my daughter had been moments before, she was suddenly shy now. She nodded, her eyes wide, before repeating the same question she’d asked me a few minutes before. “Will they like me?”
“Honeybunch, they already like you. Your grandma and your aunts—they can’t wait to meet you for real.” He leaned in as though sharing a secret. “In fact, and don’t let on I told you, but there just might be presents with your name on them at my house.”
That brought out a smile. “Really? How come? It’s not Christmas, and my birthday already happened.”
“I think we have a little catching up to do on Christmases and birthdays.” He glanced at me and winked. “Don’t worry, nothing outrageous. And they’ll rein it in after this.”
“That’s fine.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Yeah, I didn’t like the idea of Flynn becoming the indulgent dad who could afford to give our daughter everything I couldn’t, but I wasn’t going to argue with the fact that they had years to make up. As for it becoming too much . . . I’d deal with that if and when.
“Okay, well, you all set?” He stretched out a hand for Bridget. “Grandma’s chomping at the bit for you to get there.”
Bridge took his hand and jumped down the two steps. “Yep!” She paused and turned back to wrap her arms around my legs. “Bye, Mama.”
“Bye, sugar.” I knelt down in front of her and hugged her tight. “Be good. Mind your manners. Have a nice time, and I’ll see you tonight.”
“Okay if I have her back around eight?” Flynn took hold of her hand again.
“Sure. Of course.” I managed what I hoped was a good approximation of a genuine smile. “Enjoy yourself.”
“We will.” He tossed the words back over his shoulder as Bridget dragged him toward the car. “Thanks, Ali. See you later.”
I watched as they moved slowly down the driveway and out of my sight. And then I dropped to the top step and buried my face in my hands.
“Hey.” Meghan’s hand squeezed my shoulder at she sat down next to me. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” My voice was muffled by my hands. “It’s just . . . harder than I thought.”
“Ali, you’re not losing Bridget. Just because she’ll have more people to love her doesn’t mean she’ll forget those of us who loved her first.” She bumped against me. “Besides, if anyone should be freaking out, it should be me. After all, she’s not going to meet a new mom. She’s going to meet new aunts. What if she likes them more than me? I mean, I’m not even a blood aunt.” She sighed. “I’m not even an aunt by marriage. I’m just . . . her uncle’s girlfriend.”
I wrapped my arm around Meghan’s back. “Don’t be silly. Bridge loves you. You’ll always be her coolest aunt, no matter what. And the marriage part is just a matter of time.”
