AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m still working on it,” he said. “But it’s fun. Mister Thompson lets us use any media we want, so I’ve been using paper and glass.”
“Is that the dragon, bud?” Blake asked.
“Yep.” When he said that, he sounded just like Blake, and Lauren once again smiled at him.
“That’s awesome,” she said.
He cut a look to his dad, and then he asked, “How’s the new website coming along?”
“Good.” She’d been building it herself, and she added, “I’m waiting on the logo, but it should be done next week.”
“Did you tell him about your first client?” Blake asked, giving her a side-eyed look.
“No,” she said.
“She actually has two,” Blake said.
“No,” Lauren said as she faced the front of the car again. Her neck ached from twisting it like that. “I don’t. Not a single person has actually signed with me yet.”
“I’ll sign anything you want, sweetheart,” he said, and Lauren’s heart melted into her ribs. “And you’ve just got to go down to Island Sweets. Bill’s ready to sign too.”
Yes, he was, and Lauren was glad for the connections Blake had on the island. He knew everyone, as he’d lived here for a while, and he’d spoken to Ryan Shaffer’s parents first about Tommy and his concerns there, and then Lauren’s new marketing firm.
Bill Shaffer had called Lauren himself, wanting ideas and a marketing strategy to keep their sales going now that tourist season had ended. Lauren had been talking to him, getting the details, and preparing contracts for her new business, but she hadn’t officially launched anything yet.
Cass was helping her with permits, licenses, and all the legalities of working from home, something Lauren wanted to make sure was in place before anyone signed anything. Plus, she’d been dealing with her house in Texas—which had sold the day it had been listed—and trying to support Blake as he dealt with new obstacles in Tommy’s life.
As if all of that weren’t enough, she’d had to keep making the drive to the job she hated, and she’d been working on her new marketing venture in the evenings. Afternoons, mornings, whenever she had a spare bit of time.
“Look,” Blake said, and Lauren pulled herself out of her thoughts. “Aunt Lindsey put in the bushes she’s been talking about.”
“They look nice,” Tommy said, completely disinterested.
Blake pulled into the driveway of a classic, well-taken-care-of house, and Lauren’s anxiety grew. “I really don’t do families,” she said.
Blake took her hand again. “Honey, this is why we’re here.” He met her eyes, some nervousness in his now. “You want to have your own family…right?” He glanced into the backseat as Tommy got out.
Once the door slammed, he leaned toward her. “I mean, if we’re not going to be a family, and work on building a family, whatarewe doing?” He searched her face, and Lauren started to calm. “I thought this was part of your seaside strategy. To find yourself and what you wanted—and you said you wanted those close family connections.”
Lauren nodded. “You’re right. I do.” She took a deep breath. “I’m so bad at this, Blake.”
He gave her a kind smile and touched his forehead to hers. “You can’t be good at everything, Lauren. But now is not the time to retreat, okay?”
“Yes, okay.” She touched her lips to his quickly, stealing some strength from him before she got out of the SUV.
Tommy disappeared through the dark brown door, and Lauren took another breath of fresh air outside Blake’s sister’s house. A little girl ran out of the still-open door, calling, “Uncle Blake! Uncle Blake, come see my new bunny!”
The blonde child flew toward Blake, who bent, braced himself, and lifted her into the air. He laughed with her and set her back on her feet as she was far too old for him to hold on his hip.
Lauren wondered what he would look like with a baby in his arms, and her heart softened completely. She might not be able to ever be a mother, but she could be an amazing step-mother and aunt, and she grinned at the girl and Blake as he turned toward her.
“Jilly,” he said. “I have to introduce my new girlfriend around first.” He extended his hand toward her, and Lauren hurried the few steps to him and slid her fingers between his. “This is Lauren. Isn’t she so pretty?”
Jilly curtsied and said, “She sure is. Nice to meet you.”
“And you,” Lauren said, nodding her head as if meeting a princess.
“Mama says we only have a few minutes before dinner,” Jilly said. “So hurry, Uncle Blake.” She actually moved around behind him and started pushing him toward the house. He laughed, as did Lauren, and she calmed as they moved into the house ahead of the little girl.
