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15
Will
“Will? Will! Wake up!”
I groaned and tried to roll over, but I’d forgotten I was sleeping on the couch and tumbled onto the hardwood floor.
“Ah, fuck.” I grunted at the way my shoulder jarred a little, adding to the crick in my back. “What’s the problem?”
Abbie sat back on her heels while I dragged myself upright, raising my legs and setting my elbows on my knees, then dropping my face into my palms. The past week was a blur of bottles and bedtimes, calls and emails about the poker tournament and warehouse repairs, and late nights behind the bar. Seb had woken at five a.m. I’d changed his nappy and given him a bottle, and he’d woken again an hour later. He didn’t want his formula, didn’t seem fussed with the applesauce—though when I’d texted Noa about it, he’d told me to warm it up next time—and Seb had been wide awake andsmilingthe whole time. It was confusing as fuck.
I’d finally gotten him to sleep about five minutes ago, and then I’d closed my eyes for a minute before I had to meet a contractor downstairs to talk about fixing up the old warehouse. I’d hoped Logan could manage the job, but he was backed up with work of his own, so he’d called in a favour from a colleague in Scarborough Cove.
“There’s a guy on the street downstairs asking for you.” Abbie picked my phone up off the coffee table and flashed the screen at me. “He said he’s called you three times, and he’s not wrong.”
I scrambled to my feet, snatching my phone and hunting for my shoes, hopping around while I tugged them onto my feet. “Shit. Shit. Shit. Is he still there?”
Abbie collected my keys from the little table by the door and shoved them at me as she pushed me towards the door. “I said you’d be right down, and he promised to wait another five minutes. Go!”
I stalled in the doorway, rubbing my eyes as I tried to think. “Um, Seb’s asleep. He had a bottle about”—I checked the time on my phone before sliding it into my pocket—“ninety minutes ago. I have no idea when he’ll wake up.”
“Don’t worry.” Abbie shoved me into the corridor. “I’ve got it under control.”
I hesitated. “Are you sure?Fuck. I feel awful. I have to meet with this contractor or I’ll lose him, but I hate running out on you like this.”
“Would you just go already? Seb and I know what to do. And I like the little guy. He’s cute, and he’s got a great attitude. A lot like his dad.”
Jesus, I was lucky to have Abbie in my life. I’d always known it, but she was saving my arse right then, and even in my panic, I had to pause to take in the familiar lines of her face, the warmth behind her eyes, the tilt of her perfect cheekbones, the graceful slope of her neck.
She dropped her head to one side, a questioning furrow on her brow. “What—”
My phone rang in my pocket, jolting me out of reflection and re-agitating my frayed nerves. I had to move. Fast.
I slid my hand behind Abbie’s warm, supple neck, pulled her towards me, and kissed her full and fast on the mouth. “Thanks, Abs.”
Racing down the stairs and praying I hadn’t already screwed up my new business, I burst onto the street and spotted the contractor standing out front of The Stop, his truck pulled to the kerb. I hurried the last few steps to close the distance between us, my hand stretched out towards him.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m Will.”
The contractor—an older, rounder guy short enough for me to spot the bald patch in his dark hair and with a red pencil balanced over one ear—shook my hand with a tight smile. “Ramoun. Nice to meet you. Your wife explained that you’ve just had a baby. I’ve got four of my own, though they’re old enough that the youngest asked for my car keys last night, so I understand what you’re going through. Congratulations.”
“She’s not my…” The words died on my lips. That was the first time a stranger had congratulated me on becoming a dad. Running a hand through my hair, I glanced up to the loft window where Seb was sleeping inside, and a swell of pride rose in my chest. I couldn’t explain it, but Abbie was part of that feeling, too. “Thanks. It’s a steep learning curve for both of us.”
“But worth it.” Ramoun hitched at his pants and pointed his thumb at the building. “So, you want to show me what we’re dealing with here?”
I dug the warehouse keys out of my pocket and led the way to the entrance, my phone buzzing again as I worked on the locks. I gestured for Ramoun to go in first, and when his back was turned, I checked my notifications to be sure Abbie wasn’t tryingto get a hold of me. It was my mother calling—for the second time. I sent her call to voicemail and dropped my phone back into my pocket.
It took about forty-five minutes to do a thorough assessment of the building, and my phone rang twice more—both times my mother, and both times without a text to let me know if whatever she needed to tell me was important. I fired off a quick text to make sure she was okay—she responded with a thumbs-up emoji—then I followed Ramoun as he recorded measurements and made recommendations that seemed reasonable. Given the tight turnaround I required and no interest in making concessions on the quality of materials, I was anticipating a significant investment, and still, I had to suppress a wince when he gave me a ballpark figure to prepare me for the final quote I’d receive later in the day. I assured him cash flow was no problem, but the amount settled heavily in my stomach. The more I borrowed, the more money I needed to make at this tournament. Otherwise, God knew how long and hard I’d have to work to clear the debt. And the success of the event would come down to me and how I managed my life over the next few weeks.
But I could do it, couldn’t I?
That old recording started up in my head again, the one that told me even if I tried my hardest, it wouldn’t be enough. But then I thought about Seb, and the voice faltered. I had to work harder. That was all there was to it. Smarter. Learn to delegate. Set my fucking alarm. And I had Abbie—
Holy fuck. I’d kissed Abbie.
“I’ll send the quote through in the next few hours, and if it all looks good to you, we can get started as early as tomorrow.”
I raised my head and blinked at Ramoun, who stood across the doorway where I waited to say goodbye. “Huh?”
