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I took a generous sip, so they’d hopefully move on from me, but both their gazes fixed on me, encouraging me to continue.
“Okay, yes. I’ve been sleeping with him at night ever since he came back. And a little bit before he left. But we’ve still been taking it slow. He just recently told the girls, and that’s huge. He said he loved me.”
Now their gazes softened as they both stared at me.
“Do you love him?” Rae asked, lifting her eyebrows.
I nodded, smiling into my drink. “So much.”
“If we play our cards right, ladies, and make them wrap that shit up at the appropriate time, we can potentially plan our pregnancies.”
“That’s assuming we can get pregnant. Neither one of us have siblings, and Haley’s mom only had her.” Nora lifted her eyes to me, then looked down at the floor.
“I don’t even know if I want kids,” I said offhandedly but then it slid into place, making the most sense of anything I had ever wanted.
Both women stared at me with curious expressions.
“I mean, Liam’s girls are enough for me. I already love them like my own…I never really wanted to be a mom, but if I get to be theirs, it would be enough.”
They both gave me a big hug while cooing and laughing.
I smiled into their shoulders, ready to go home and see my family.
* * *
Liam toldme that he needed another hour, so I decided to drive over to the local coffee shop and work for a little while. If I was going to be helping Liam with his gym anonymously, I would have to start prepping things now. Pulling out my laptop, I got to work creating an Excel sheet for the gym that would include my to-do lists. I wanted to talk to Rae about marketing ideas as well, see if she had any experience with sports marketing. I knew we would need to get Liam’s gym on social media. It would be even better if he’d be a part of it, but I already knew that wouldn’t be likely.
Maybe there would be a way to pull old footage of his fights and trim them to fit within the videos we’d need for social media. I was so focused on my laptop I didn’t even notice when someone pulled out a chair from across from me and took a seat. It was when they cleared their throat that I looked up.
And then immediately slammed my laptop shut.
“Lacey.”
She sat there in a thin leather jacket with a V-neck tank top that hugged her body like a glove. Her leg, clad in pleather, was crossed, her back relaxed into the chair and a devious smile tugged her pink lips up just the smallest bit.
“I can see why he likes you.”
My fingers wrapped around the edge of my thin laptop, the metal cold against my skin. I didn’t reply, but I didn’t stop her from talking either. Was there some sick part of me that wanted this conversation to happen?
“What can I help you with, Lacey?” I asked, dipping to grab my laptop bag. I secured my mouse, charger and phone.
She bounced her leg a few times then clicked her tongue.
“You’re going to be in my daughter’s lives…from the way he pulled you away from that crowd and how Maddy hugged you, you’re already in deep. I want you to promise you’ll help me get a way back in.”
I laughed, feeling it bubble in my chest like she’d genuinely said something funny.
“Why would I do that?”
Quick as lightning she leaned forward and jammed her pointer nail into the table.
“Because they’re my goddamn kids, and you’re a teenager who thinks she can take my family.”
“I’m twenty-one.”
She rolled her eyes and then sneered. “Doesn’t make a fucking difference. You’re too young for Liam.”
I didn’t want to get petty, but this woman had the other day, so I felt like maybe it was deserved.
