Page 88 of Miss Manage

Chapter Forty-Eight

CHARLOTTE

The house was finally quiet in the early morning hours with the kids blissfully sleeping. I’d hoped to drop them off at Steve’s place once his parents arrived, but a storm in the Midwest had delayed their flight. At least Steve himself would return later this morning. We’d traded a few late-night emails, enough for him to know to come straight here.

Having the kids and the two small dogs at my place was easier in some ways. My kitchen was stocked, and I had the comfort of being in my own space. But it had also been a crash course in learning just how un-childproof my house had become in the last decade. We’d been forced to corral them into confined rooms like my family room and kitchen. Add in to everything else two nights of broken sleep, and it felt like the longest weekend of my life.

The baby had fought sleep on and off all night but had finally given in, her tiny fists still balled against my chest as she hiccupped herself into a restless doze. My shirt was damp from her tears, but I didn’t dare move from the loveseat I’d dropped into an hour ago. She’d fought sleep so hard, missing her mom with an ache only a baby could voice. The least I could do was hold her steady while the world felt anything but to her.

Gabe shifted across from me, pushing up from the couch with a groan. His T-shirt clung to his shoulders, his hair was a little wild, and the scruff shadowing his jaw made him look unfairly sexy for someone who was also running on fumes.

“Morning,” he rasped, his voice gravelly and warm.

“Morning,” I whispered back, hardly believing he’d stayed through it all.

“You get any sleep?”

“A couple of hours. You?”

“More than that.” His gaze softened, lingering on the baby. “I wish I could take her from you.”

“You do that, and she’ll wake up the whole house.”

“Noted.” He dropped into a sitting position, his eyes steady on mine. “I’ll make coffee and walk the dogs in a bit. Can I ask you something?”

I raised a brow. “Really? The old trapped-beneath-a-sleeping-baby trick?”

He chuckled, low and rough. “Not that talk. Not yet.” His expression shifted, more serious now. “You ever think about having another baby? You know…if you ever remarried?”

The question jolted through me. “Honestly?”

“Please.”

“There are moments I miss it,” I admitted, glancing down at the tiny girl sprawled across me. “Like this. But no. Austin’s sixteen and about to start looking at colleges. The idea of starting over… I can’t imagine it. Being a mom is the best thing to ever happen to me, but I don’t wish to do it again at this age.” My throat went dry, wondering if having another child was a dealbreaker for him. “What about you?”

He leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees. “There’s a part of me that would love to have a baby inside a healthy relationship, building the kind of family I always wanted. A second chance to do it right. But then I think of Samantha and what she needs from me right now. And I think maybe my job is to focus on being the best dad I can be to her. She deserves all of me. I also can’t imagine having another baby at this point in my life.”

I let out a slow breath, something easing inside me.

And maybe it was the lack of sleep, maybe it was the baby’s weight anchoring me, but for the first time in days, I wasn’t thinking about what had gone down the other day with the CEO title. I simply felt…grateful for his unwavering help. And maybe a little shocked at how much I wanted him to keep showing up like this.

Speaking of showing up, the slam of a car door echoed in the driveway.

“That would be Steve,” I muttered.

Gabe smirked. “How about I take the dogs outside and let him know you’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Appreciate it.”

It took me five minutes to settle the baby into her pack-and-play. Finally too tired to fight, she conked out without protest. I brushed my teeth, ran a comb through my hair, and started the coffee.

When I walked outside, I found Gabriel and Steve faced off in the driveway. Not in an aggressive way, but in the way that said they’d already exhausted small talk and had nothing left to say.

“How’s Stassie?” I asked, walking toward them.

Steve’s face fell. “She’s in treatment. Do we need an audience for this conversation?”

“Considering Gabriel’s been here helping me with your kids, I’d say he’s earned a seat at the table.”