Page 99 of Their Forever Daddy

But then she’d hesitated, waiting outside the bedroom as Jesse wept in their Daddy’s arms. She’d almost gone in then, but Grant’s questions had stopped her.

It wasn’t until she heard Jesse asking if she’d really meant what she’d said, in that sweet, trembling Little voice, that she’d finally moved.

Jesse jerked upward, her short hair a mess, her eyes swollen and red and still leaking tears. And still the most beautiful woman Edie had ever laid eyes on.

“You did?” she asked, her tone a mix of hope and fear. “Really, really?”

“Really, really, baby.” Forcing her feet forward, she lowered herself to the bed. With them, but apart, just like she’d felt from the moment they’d asked her to be theirs. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I don’t think I really knew for myself that I’d made up my mind until I said it.”

“Made up your mind about what?” Grant asked, his steady, watchful gaze locked on her.

“About us. The three of us. I’m still not sure how the hell it’s going to work, but when I think about you two leaving at the end of the month, I can’t breathe.” She blinked back tears, determined to get through this without breaking down. “I don’t think you ever stopped being mine, Jesse. I think that’s the real reason I was so angry for so long. I never stopped loving you, not really. And the thought of losing you again…”

The tears she was battling against so valiantly clogged her throat. But apparently she’d said enough, because a moment later Jesse was in her arms, squeezing her so tight she could barely breathe. “It’s always been you, Edie. Always.”

“Thank god.” Closing her eyes, she held Jesse close, relief washing over her so strong it made her tremble.

“Are you very mad I called you Mommy?” Jesse asked, her voice so quiet Edie almost didn’t hear it.

“No, baby. I’m not mad at all. I’m actually so happy you trusted me enough to be that vulnerable with me.”

“Really?” Hope, so bright and pure it was nearly painful to look at straight on, shined in Jesse’s eyes when she pulled away. “Really, really?”

“Really, really, baby. If you’re ready for me to be your Mommy, then I’m ready, too.” As soon as she actually said the words, everything inside her seemed to settle into place. It just felt so right.

“I, um…” Jesse twisted around to look over her shoulder. “Daddy?”

“If that’s what you want, baby, we can give it a try. I don’t have a problem with Edie being your Mommy.” He smiled in a way that had butterflies exploding in Edie’s stomach. “As long as Edie is still planning to be my little pixie.”

“Always.” Echoing the promise she’d made to Jesse, she reached for him, linking her fingers with his and allowing herself to be pulled toward him. Their babygirl ended up trapped between them, her sweet giggle soothing some of the ache in Edie’s soul.

“Does this mean you’re going to come to California with us soon?” The hope that had been shining in her eyes now filled her voice, and Edie couldn’t bring herself to squash it.

“I suppose I’ll have to. It really isn’t fair to ask both of you to uproot your entire lives for me. Not when you have whole careers on the other side of the country and I just have…”

“Your family,” Grant finished quietly. “Do you really think we don’t know those girls downstairs are your family, little pixie? They’re your sisters, just as much as if you’d been born from the same womb. We can’t ask you to leave them.”

It was a relief, because the thought of leaving her girls was too painful to even contemplate. But it was also another roadblock she had no clue how to scale. “So, what do we do?”

“Well, as our babygirl pointed out back when we first started discussing a relationship, she’s on the go a good portion of the time, anyway. And she wouldn’t be the first celebrity with multiple homes. I don’t see any reason she can’t be here when she’s between projects and other responsibilities.”

That was true. But Jesse wasn’t the only consideration. “What about your company?”

He shrugged as if they weren’t discussing uprooting their entire lives. “I can run it just as efficiently from here as I can from anywhere else. I’ll travel to California with Jesse as needed, so I can check in on things there, and otherwise I’ll be here. If you don’t mind me converting one of the bedrooms into an office.”

Her head was spinning. “You’ve given this some thought.”

“I’ve been working it out in my head since day one, little pixie. And if you want to come with us to California on occasion, I have ideas for that, as well.”

“Of course you do.” Because that was what men like Grant Carter did. They took care of the people around them. “I guess it’s settled, then. We’ll split our time between here and California and… wherever else our Little girl ends up.”

“Hooray!” Giggling wildly, Jesse threw her hands over her head.

Edie took advantage of the move, gripping her babygirl’s wrists in her hand and pinning them to the pillow. “We should celebrate. Are you still feeling so very Little, babygirl?”

Those golden eyes turned molten at the question. “N-no, Edie.”

“Good. Because Daddy and I have a surprise for you.” Sliding her free hand up the sensitive inner skin of Jesse’s thigh, Edie let her lips curve in a slow, wicked smile. “Would you like your surprise now, baby?”

---