234

Chapter 22

PIPER

Two weeks later...

“Mommy! Watch!” “I’m watching!”

Seated on the back patio of our home, I watched as Maddie, Mick nearby, threw the little basketball she’d been playing with, hurtling the little orange orb with all the strength she had. The ball sailed through the air in a tall arc, making it all the way to the other side of the yard.

“Nice throw!” Valentino called out, the ball still in the air. Maddie spun around on her little feet. “It’s not me! Watch Mick!”

Valentino and I shared a smile before turning our attention back to the show. The ball hit its zenith, then came falling down. Before it could land, however, Mick rushed over and leaped into the air with an impressive flourish, snatching the ball out of the air with his teeth and landing gracefully.

“Wow!” I said, applauding. “That was cool!”

“Mick is so smart!” Maddie replied, beaming as if she were the one who’d trained him. “I think he’s the smartest dog ever!”

“He might be,” I called back.

“I’m going to teach him some more tricks!” Without waiting for a reply, Maddie turned her attention back to Mick and began chasing him around, laughing wildly as Mick let out a bark and ran off, happy for her to give chase.

“More wine?” I asked, reaching for the bottle of red close at hand. “Please.”

I took the bottle and topped off Valentino’s glass. We’d developed something of a routine over the last couple of weeks, Valentino bringing over one of the bottles of wine from his gift box, the two of us splitting it after dinner and watching Maddie play with Mick. It was a simple routine, but I couldn’t think of a better way to spend those warm summer nights other than sipping something good while my, our little girl had the time of her life with her new best friend, the cool evening breeze washing over us and the sounds of cicadas in the air.

Sometimes Valentino and I talked, going over the workdays that had passed. But other times we simply sat, sipping our wine and sharing a smile as something wonderful grew between us.

Even in the silence, however, I knew there was something huge that needed to be discussed. We still hadn’t told Maddie the truth, after all. Valentino had shared the news with his family over the last couple of weeks, and since then all he’d been hearing about was when the big meeting would happen.

The subject had been brought up, but never fleshed out. That evening though I could sense something, Valentino wearing that narrow-eyed expression he always did when he had a matter on his mind.

“We need to tell her.”

His words carried through the air, blending with Maddie’s laughter in the distance.

I pursed my lips and sat back, not knowing exactly what to say.

“I get what we’re doing,” he went on. “We’re easing into it, not rushing matters. But Maddie deserves to know. It’s easy for us since we know it’s a matter of time until we break the news. However, every day that goes by without us telling her is a day that she doesn’t have a father.”

“She does have a father,” I said. “You’re here, you’re doing all the things a dad would be doing with her.”

The moment the words left my mouth I knew they were BS. Valentino lowered his eyes, letting me know that he knew it, too.

“You know that’s not even in the same ballpark.” He reached over and took my hand, his touch sending relaxing, calm energy through my body the instant his skin touched mine. “I’m here for her, sure. But that’s a hell of a lot different than her actually knowing I’m her father.”

I frowned, rubbing the back of his hand with my thumb. “Yeah. I know. It’s just... it’s scary, is all. The moment we tell her, everything’s going to change.”

He smiled. “And that’s fine. Hell, it’s better than fine. It’s going to be amazing.”

“Don’t tell me you want to do it now. No way I'm ready for that.”

“We could, you know. Just call Maddie over here, tell her that I'm her dad. She’d probably be thrilled. It means that she’d get to spend more time with Mick, after all. Hell, it’d meant that Mick was technically hers.”

Maddie let out another squeal as she reached for Mick, who was in the process of running circles around her.

“There’s still all the other stuff,” I said, shifting in my seat and taking my hand out from under his. “Where do we live? What about custody? There are a lot of messy details that can come from something like this.”

“We’ll figure it out. I mean, we live right next door to one another.

Maybe we can just build a tunnel from one house to the other.” He grinned, his suggestion getting a laugh out of me.

“Hell,” he went on. “There’s always that gate that connects our backyards. Just open that up and let Maddie have the run of the place.”

I laughed once more. “Imagine what the neighbors would think when they watch us tear that stone fence down and turn the two lots into one. Might get some zoning people from the city up our butts for that one.”

“We’ll take them on together. That’s the nice thing about this—we’re not alone in it. Whatever happens, it’s you and me together.”

His words sent a thrill up my spine. It was true that over the years I’d gotten so used to handling things on my own that I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it’d be like to have someone by my side. Sure, Grandma Bets had been there for me, but a supportive family member wasn’t the same as a true partner.

Still, that only recalled the issue of what was going to happen between Valentino and me. He and I hadn’t slept together since that last time, and there’d been no conversation about the matter. It was as if we’d both decided without discussion that we needed to keep a bit of distance between us, to not overcomplicate an already complicated situation by making sex a regular part of it.

But damn, was it hard. That night, Valentino was dressed in a pair of blue golf shorts that showed off his powerful legs, along with an off-white Polo that hugged his thick biceps. Every time he’d bring his wine glass to his lips for a sip, the muscles of his upper arm would tense in a manner that was impossible not to stare at.

“Mommy!” Maddie’s voice snapped me back into the moment. She and Mick ran over, climbing up the stairs of the patio. “I have an idea!”

“What’s the idea?” I asked.

“Can me and Mick have a sleepover tonight?”

The question made my eyes go wide. “Uh, Maddie, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Valentino doesn’t have too many guests over, and it’s not polite to invite yourself like that.”

“No, it’s fine.” Valentino spoke the words with a tone of total calm. “As a matter of fact, the last time I was inside, I found myself thinking of how, ah, let’s call it not very homey the place is with all those boxes still unpacked. And I'm pretty sure you’re still sleeping on a mattress and box spring, Piper.” A tinge of embarrassment ran through me. “I mean, maybe. But that’s just because I've been so busy. Here I was, thinking that I’d have some downtime while I got my business off the ground. Nope. I hit the ground running so fast

that I barely have time to eat.”

“That’s all the more reason,” he said. “How about you both come over, then tomorrow morning we can go to my favorite pancake place, so we don’t need to worry about cooking. And Maddie, if you’re good, we can even hit up the dog park on the way there.”

Her eyes flashed with the sort of manic excitement that she reserved for dogs and pancakes. “Can we Mommy? Please?”

I pursed my lips, not sure of the right call.

“Oh, and there’s one more thing,” he said with a grin. “Maddie, I might have a little surprise for you over at my place.”

Maddie’s excitement reached a new level. “A surprise?” “What kind of surprise?” I asked.

“You’ll both have to wait and see. Come on, let’s get you both packed and ready to go.”

Without another word, Valentino hopped out of his seat and headed inside.

“You heard him,” I said to Maddie. “Run upstairs and get some clothes together, OK?”

“OK!” She sprinted into the house, with Mick at her side. Normally, I would’ve reminded her that no running in the house was allowed. In those moments, however, I was so preoccupied with the night ahead and Valentino’s offer that I didn’t have the mental space for anything else.

Valentino was in the kitchen, taking the last few sips of his wine. “You sure about this?” I asked. “I don’t want to impose.”

“Not imposing if I'm the one who suggested it.”

“You know what I mean. I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

Valentino shook his head. “Not in the slightest. Besides, we’ve been talking about easing Maddie into what’s been going on between us. I’m thinking having a little sleepover might be a good way to do it. Now, go on and get some clothes together.”

I hurried out of the kitchen and went upstairs. Fear and excitement brewed inside of me in equal measure, and even though I knew this might be a complication, I couldn’t help but have a big grin on my face as I made my way to Maddie’s room.

“I’m ready!”