Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
“Perfect.”
I’m given a satisfied grin before he turns to my mom. “I appreciate the offer, but I’d really like to spend some time with him before he goes to bed.”
My mom rubs Max’s back. “That’s the sweetest.” Turning to me, she says, “I will see myself out then.”
“Thank you for the help, Mom.”
“Of course, anytime.” Tickling Max, she adds, “Good night, Maxie.” She smiles at Noah. “Nice to meet you.”
He replies, “It was really nice to meet you, Mrs. Bancroft.”
She heads for the door. “You can call me Trudy or Mimi, but not Mrs. Bancroft.”
He laughs. “Understood, Mimi.”
Her own laughter fills the hallway as she walks to the door. “He’s a keeper, Olivia.” I know she doesn’t mean to imply that I get to have him as part of some package deal since he’s Max’s father, but I still smile and glance at Noah.
Chuckling, he says, “She’s not wrong.”
We’re starting to feel like we’re a team—not only with us and our deepening relationship but also with our families coming together. Turning toward him, I wrap my arms around him and look up. “No, she’s not.”
He rubs my back. “You know how I feel about you and Max already, but it bears repeating. You’re the best things to ever come into my life.”
I could swoon, and my knees are already weakening on impact, but I stand taller this time, not fading away but toe-to-toe with him. “You are the best thing to come into our lives, Noah Westcott. And I’ll always be grateful you’re so hot.”
Victory! He rolls his eyes. I’m quick to continue, “Because if you weren’t, we wouldn’t have this little guy.”
“Nice save, Bancroft.”
“I try. Anyway, it’s not like you were just hooking up with any old hag. Right?”
“If this is a ‘fishing for compliments’ expedition, let me reassure you. You’re not a hag, babe, and to prove it was raw physical attraction, your intellect was the last thing I cared about the night we met.”
“Geez, thanks.”
Chuckling, he adds, “Works both ways, sweetheart.” He sets Max down to run around and then plants himself on the back of the couch, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “What won you over once we reconnected in the office?”
“Your ass.” I laugh as I’m tugged in between his legs. “And your heart. Your arms. Your smile. Your eyes that told me I was more than a one-night stand.”
Rubbing the outside of my thighs, he asks, “How’d they tell you that?”
“The first time you laid eyes on me, you were genuinely happy to see me again.”
“It’s true, I was.” He cups the bottom of my ass. “And you couldn’t have been more the opposite.”
I brush the tips of my fingers through the hair above his ears. “I thought you didn’t call me on purpose. I thought that night was all in my head—how good it was. The physical connection was obvious, but I felt something deeper with you from the moment we met. I’m sorry for treating you so badly.”
“I don’t need an apology. It’s in the past.” He stands, his hands gliding up my arms and stopping on my shoulders to rub. “Like I said today, I’m happy. I feel it in my soul, and that’s because of you and Max.”
“Me too,” I start, “But we need to have that conversation and work out the details. Since it’s Max’s bedtime, should we do that first?”
“You relax. I got this.” He scoops Max into his arms and sends him into a fit of giggles right before disappearing into Max’s room.
I bide my time by getting a glass of water and thinking about what we should cover and what can be left for another day. I know we won’t solve every problem, but knowing where each of us stands will help.
I hear Max’s door open thirty minutes later, and then Noah appears. I ask, “How’d it go? I didn’t hear any crying.”
“No, he was good. We read a book, and he was ready for bed. Went down with no problem.”
He probably thinks that’s how it always is. Poor guy. He’s going to have a rude awakening. I laugh to myself.
Sitting next to me on the couch, he says, “I’ve been thinking about it. I don’t want to shake up his world. I just want to be a part of it.”
I couldn’t have found a better partner. “An equal part of it. You and he both deserve that.”
“I’d like that. What kind of arrangement works best for him and you?”
Noah always puts himself last in the equation. And although I appreciate him always thinking of me, I don’t want him to feel like a backup parent, so I say the words I never expected to come from my mouth. I won’t be the one to deny him this opportunity, the same one I’ve had all along. “As much as it will pain me, just being honest, as a parent, I think he should stay with you sometimes. You two deserve time to build your bond even stronger. I want him to know we’re both in his corner, and he has two parents equally invested in his life and well-being.”