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I almost smiled at his disgruntled voice, and shook my head. “I meant it. I’ll go back with you, and we’ll make this work. But there’ll be rules…” I trailed off, because the smile he gave me was heartstopping. Literally, I felt like I’d swallowed my tongue. The dark-eyed moodiness completely transformed, making him look way younger.
He sucked in a deep breath, bouncing slightly on the spot. “I promise you won’t regret it, Nova. It’ll be better for both of you.” He looked at me like I’d given him a gift, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Happy, I guess. Apprehensive, maybe?
“There’ll be rules. And I want to see all that contract stuff that Rigby promised me. And only for three months, just to see. If it doesn’t work, I’m coming back here, so I want it in writing that you guys will let me and Huey return if it doesn’t work for us all.”
Devan nodded. “Whatever you need to feel safe, we’ll give it to you.”
I chewed my lip. “And I don’t want the money. Put it in a trust for Huey or something, but I don’t want it. I don’t want you guys to think you can buy me,” I said firmly. I was turning down twenty-five million dollars, and the opportunist in the back of my brain was screaming that I was an idiot. I should take the money. Set myself up for life.
I wouldn’t, though. I worked for what I had. I’d take what they offered for Huey, so he’d have the best possible chance in life, but he wasn’t my meal ticket and I wouldn’t exploit him like that.
The man across from me narrowed his eyes, tilting his head as he stared at me, like he was trying to figure out my angle. I just held my chin higher. Finally, he nodded. “Okay. We’ll figure out the logistics. I’ll call our lawyers now, get them to contact yours. We’ll make an agreement so airtight in your favor, you won’t have any opportunity to doubt our intentions.” He stepped around the kitchen counter, moving toward me. He didn’t walk like a normal male; he swaggered like a man who was entirely in control of himself. It was a little intoxicating. He held out his hand. “You’re making the right choice.”
I wrapped my palm around his and shook. God, I could only hope he was right.
Mr. Lief called me that afternoon to say he’d received word from the personal lawyers of River Cooper. Together, they’d drafted up an agreement that definitely leaned in my favor, including financial and punitive repercussions for any wrong-doing on their part. If I felt uncomfortable or harassed in any way, I could sue the shit out of them for breach of contract or something. I didn’t understand the jargon, but Mr. Lief said they were contractually shackling themselves to my whims. He said it with a bit of disapproval, like he couldn’t even fathom someone signing a contract where the terms were so one-sided.
Whatever, as long as they sided in my favor, I was okay with it.
I’d given Devan my email address, and within hours, proof started pouring into my inbox. First, there were the criminal checks from all three men. Rigby had a speeding fine from three years ago, but that was it.
Then came the testimonials. I wasn’t sure what they’d done, but I soon had emails from all their teammates, business associates and most of the coaching staff of the Ann Arbor IceCaps, as well as three of River and Rigby’s ex-girlfriends. River’s all said the same thing. He was a good guy, loyal to a fault, but when it came time to get serious, he ran away like his tail was on fire. Rigby’s were a little kinder, but most of them said they couldn’t stand being second to ice hockey. I could understand that. I didn’t want to date them, though; I just didn’t want them to murder me in my sleep.
There were no ex-girlfriend testimonials for Devan. When I asked about it that night, because he brought me Vietnamese food for dinner, he just shrugged. “I don’t have any ex-girlfriends. I’ve been busy growing the business.” There was probably more to it than that, but I wasn’t here to psychoanalyze the man.
All the references said basically the same thing. They were good guys. Men of their word. They were a close-knit bunch, but they would give you the shirt off their backs if you asked for it.
I stopped short of asking Rigby’s mother for a reference. For some reason, the idea of talking to his mother terrified me. No, in all honesty, I would date a man for years with less background information than these guys had willingly handed over in twenty-four hours.
I just had to take a leap of faith now.
Well, that, and tell Chloe and her parents. I’d actually be closer to Chloe, kind of, because she worked at Virginia Tech. It didn’t stop her from telling me I was absolutely fucking insane. And then calling her mom, who marched over and demanded to meet Devan in person.
That’s what I was doing right now. Holding Huey while Rita gave Devan the third degree. She asked him where he grew up (in foster care in Minnesota, along with River), what he did for a job (he was an investor, and when he told me how much his company was worth, I might have swallowed my pho the wrong way), and did he drink or take drugs?
His parents were both alcoholics, then later drug addicts, and his mother had died when he was ten, overdosing on sleeping pills. I tried to keep the pity from my face; I’d only known him a couple of days, but I had a feeling that he’d hate it if I felt sorry for him.
Finally, after Rita had grilled him better than the CIA ever could, she tilted her head for me to walk her out. Handing Huey to Devan, I followed her outside. Even that had been a relief—being able to just hand the baby to someone. I’d never underappreciate the joy of having two free hands again.
Rita looked out over the lawn, and my mom’s flower garden. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
I chewed my lip. “I think so.”
She nodded. “And what does your gut say about them?”
I’d thought this over, and despite the fact they were all big enough to snap me like a twig, I didn’t get any bad vibes from them. My parents had been all about trusting your gut. “It says this is the right decision.”
She sighed, resting her forearms on the porch railing. “I’m not going to lie and say I’m not worried, Nova. You barely know them, and you’re moving so far away from anyone you can reach out to for help. But on the other hand, I can understand why you feel you need to do it. I’m struggling with this whole situation, and they were only my friends.” She didn’t need to elaborate on the fact she meant my dad’s illegitimate love child now being mine. That one was pretty obvious. “Just know, this isn’t your only choice. I can help you more if you need it—you just have to ask.”
I gave Rita a smile, this woman who’d somehow stepped into a maternal role without hesitation, right when I’d needed it the most. “I know.”
She straightened. “I’ll miss you. I’m going to text you the number for my brother Greg in Detroit. He’s ex-Army, so if you need help, you call him and he’ll come and get you, okay? His wife is scary too, so don’t fret. They’ll have your back. I want you to memorize that number until you can mutter it in your sleep, got it?” I nodded, tears pooling in my eyes. “And you better message me every two days or I’m sending him to your house whether you need it or not.” She reached out and pulled me into a hug. “You’re so damn brave and strong. I wish I’d been half the woman you are when I was your age, Nova Stone. You’ll be the best damn mother to that baby anyone could ask for. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.”
ChapterSeven
RIGBY
I paced around,making sure everything was perfect. I’d even called someone in to redecorate two rooms, one into a nursery and the attached room into something a little more feminine than the general rooms in our house.
