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It wasn’t that I had no experience—I was thirty for fuck’s sake. It was easy to have a one-night-stand with zero effort when you were a tech genius with plenty of money. Relationships? Right. I was awkward as hell, though it was getting easier not to be so speechless and geeky around her.
I kind of wondered how today would go, though. I’d just finished a meeting, and hearing her coming from Noa’s room, I got up and made her coffee. I was setting it on the table when she came in.
“Thanks!” she said with a wide smile. “I really need that this morning. The baby was up four times last night. It’s a little early, but I think she might be teething.”
I winced. “Does that take a long time?”
“It can. She’ll be okay. It’s just something you’ll cycle through for the next couple years with her. She’ll get used to it. You’ll get used to it.”
“And you’ll get used to it,” I added. If I had my way, she’d be around for all Noa’s firsts from now on.
She didn’t reply, but the sweet color I loved tinted her cheeks. I wondered if her face flushed liked that during sex. I’d find out someday, somehow.
“So I just got done with a meeting,” I started after we’d lapsed into silence for a long stretch.
“I heard you talking—not what you were saying or anything.”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t anything top secret. I need to tell you about it anyway. I have several commitments scheduled for the next few weeks that I’m going to have to travel for. One in Minneapolis, one in Seattle then several in San Francisco.”
“Okay…” The single word came out in a long, drawn-out breath, and she slowly lowered the mug she’d lifted to her lips after sitting in her usual spot.
“You and Squid will come with me, of course,” I hurried to add. “I know it won’t be easy traveling with a baby, but I don’t want to leave her here.”Her or you.“We’ll stay at my house in California. I know you love Lake Michigan, so hopefully you’ll like my place on the bay.”
“You want me to travel with you…to your meetings and then to California?”
“Yeah. My assistant already arranged things so we can leave the day after tomorrow.”
If I’d expected Em to be thrilled at the prospect of traveling, I’d be sorely disappointed. She licked her lips and stared down at her coffee.
Once, she’d confessed she was a homebody, but…I wanted her to be at home with me and Noa, no matter where we might be.
“If you need to go buy anything—”
“No, I have everything I need. Sorry, I’m just…um, startled, I guess. There will be a lot of packing for Noa—be prepared for baggage fees.”
I took hope in her attempt at humor. “Not a problem. We’ll be taking my plane.”
“Your…plane.” I couldn’t miss her shocked tone, and a little caveman bit of me hoped she was impressed.
“Yeah. A Challenger 650. We’ll be comfortable.”
She just blinked at me.
“You…have your own plane?”
“With traveling here to see my mom and regularly going all over the world for meetings, it made sense. So a couple years ago, I bought it then had it retrofit to my specifications.” My brow furrowed. Was this going to be a problem? I’d sell it if it bothered her. “Are you okay?”
She forced a smile then lifted her cup. “Yeah. Like I said…I really need this coffee this morning. I guess I didn’t expect to travel so soon.”
My brow furrowed. “When I contacted the agency, I specifically told them there would be some travel—at least, I’m pretty sure I did.”
She shook her head. “I forgot Ardith mentioned it. It’s fine. Travel’s fine. I’ll make sure Noa is ready to go.”
That was a relief. For a second, panic had started to squeeze my chest. I’d thought she was about to quit.
“So…your company is based in California, right?”
I nodded. I’d been away for over five months now, doing all my work remote and while I was there, I was going to have to make a decision. Move back home to my house overlooking the bay, or stay here in my hometown and move my operations to Michigan. Not optimal, but doable. I wanted my mom to be close to Noa, but as she was traveling and her only homebase wasme, I didn’t think she’d mind me buying her a little place near mine.
