AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She nodded slowly. “And how will it work?”
“They seem very open to shared custody, and it’s a big relief.” I smiled, noticing an elf outside jangling bells at people. “I do great with the bar, but if they’d wanted a custody battle, yikes. I don’t have unlimited resources like that. But, like I said… Nick seems like a very understanding man.”
“I’d imagine.” Daisy looked at me in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re a dad, but I promise I won’t call you Daddy.”
“Well, you could…”
“Then maybe I will.” She giggled, and the sound filled me with joy. On the entire ride up to Buttercup Lake, I'd feared how Daisy would take it.
Anger. Confusion… never wanting to see me again.
But as I watched her process the news, her expression only seemed to soften with each passing minute.
She scowled. “So, did Nick think Tate was his?”
I nodded, taking a sip of coffee. “It sounds like he did at first but then started to hesitate as Tate got older. Brielle had mentioned he saw an old photo of me on her phone and had a heart-to-heart talk with her about things, especially the timing of things.
Daisy grimaced. “Yikes.”
I nodded. “Yeah, it could have gone south really quickly. But Nick understood and felt like they hadn’t been serious enough to warrant getting after her, but he did ask for a paternity test, and he knew Tate wasn’t his.”
“This is all just mind-blowing.” She shook her head. “Like, I can’t even believe that you have a son.”
I continued, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I needed time to process it myself. I just never expected to hear I had a son. I'm still trying to wrap my head around being a dad and what that will mean."
She nodded, studying me. But she didn’t say anything.
“I didn’t feel like it was something to just text you or tell you over the phone, either.”
Daisy smiled, her eyes staying locked on mine. “I appreciate that, and I’ll confess that having some schnapps in my morning mocha has probably taken the edge off.”
I laughed, glancing at Abby. “Maybe I ought to try a little of that too. These last couple of days have been some of the best of my life, but I can’t stop worrying about losing you. This is a lot to ask of you.”
She reached across the table, her hand gently covering mine.
“I plan to be a very involved parent, and we’re just starting our relationship. I won’t blame you if—”
“We both said we saw a future with lots of kids.” She drew a deep breath. “We’re just starting early. You know, before we even say the L word.”
“No, Daisy. I love you. I’m saying it right now.” I laughed, shaking my head. “In between taking in Tate’s little arms and legs and his coos… all I wanted to do was share it with you. I missed having you there so badly, it hurt.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “The only thing that would have made finding out I was a dad better was finding it out with you.”
Relief washed over her, and she nodded. “I held onto the hope that what we’d shared was magical that night, and I just knew in my heart that this was my Christmas of Love. I could see it in your eyes, and to know that now I have even more of you to love…” She smiled. “Just melts my heart, and I love you, Hunter Knox, and Tate too.”
“I was so afraid I’d lose you,” I confessed.
A smile tipped her lips. “You won’t ever lose me. I’m impossible to shake.”
The door opened widely as the sound of jingles exploded into the coffee shop. I spotted an overly enthusiastic elf wandering in, setting his sights on our table and ringing his bells with gusto.
“Be careful. The elf is a little tipsy. He already tripped over a table earlier.”
I snickered as the elf’s gaze found mine and he scowled.
The elf made his way over. “You'd better be good to our Daisy, Hunter.”
