Page 38 of A Baby For Her Billionaire BFF

Instead, she leans in a little closer, her eyes shining with genuine interest. “That’s beautiful,” she says. “You’ve lived your whole lives together. Not many people can say that.”

I observe the exchange in stunned silence. Nora has always been open-minded and accepting, but her ease amidst this raw ruggedness catches me off guard.

My mom seems spellbound by Nora too. She studies her for a moment before declaring, “I think I like you, dear.”

“What’s not to like?” Dad quips from his chair, earning a light smack on his arm from Mom.

Everyone looks to me — for some reason. I take a long drink of my tea.

Mom stands. “Come on out back, Nora, and I’ll show you the garden.”

“I’d love to see it.” Nora gives me an encouraging smile before disappearing into the sunlight with Mom.

Dad clears his throat, breaking the silence that blankets the room like dust on an old bookshelf. I turn my attention to him, finding the same steel blue eyes that used to dissect every dream I dared to share. But today, they’re softer, edged with something like regret.

“Been fixing up that old Chevy?” I ask, grasping for the familiar, however thin it may be.

“Ah, she’s long gone.” He shifts in his recliner. “Sold her for parts last summer.”

“Sorry to hear that,” I reply, not sure how much I mean it. The car had been one more thing we didn’t see eye to eye on. A symbol of a time when I was supposed to follow in his footsteps, not jet off to build skylines.

“Life’s full of surprises,” he mutters, then falls silent again, his fingers tapping against the armrest.

I watch him, this man who is my father yet feels like a stranger, mapped with wrinkles and weariness. When he finally speaks, his voice is almost drowned out by the hum of the old refrigerator.

“Oliver…” He pauses, struggling with words that don’t come easily. “I’ve been thinking… about things.”

“Things?” I echo, half-expecting another lecture on practicality over pipe dreams.

“About you. About how wrong I was.” There it is, the crack in his weathered facade. “Never thought someone like me would raise a son who’d fly higher than these tired hills could ever dream of.”

I swallow hard, the weight of the years of arguing with my father when I lived in this house pressing down on my chest. This is uncharted territory; vulnerability was never welcome in this house.

“You’ve done good for yourself, boy. More than good. And…” His eyes meet mine, holding a sincerity that was absent in my youth. “I’m proud of you, Oliver. Proud of all you’ve become.”

The words hang heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the flippant dismissals of my childhood ambitions. Pride wasn’t a currency we traded in, yet here it is, offered without expectation. For the first time, I see the man behind the calloused hands and stern frowns. A man shaped by a life of hard choices and harder consequences.

“Thanks, Dad,” I manage. “That means a lot.”

We sit in the dim light of the living room, the divide between us bridged by a few simple, heartfelt words. Slowly, the shadows cast by the past begin to recede, leaving room for something new to grow in their place.

CHAPTER 20

NORA

Istand on the cabin’s porch, watching Oliver and his father share a moment that feels both monumental and overdue. There’s a softness between them now, something that seemed impossible when we first arrived two days ago. It’s as if the years of tension are unraveling before my eyes, leaving threads of understanding in their wake.

“Ready to head out?” Oliver’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. He looks different somehow — lighter, maybe.

“Almost,” I say, turning back to the house for a moment.

His mom is there, her eyes misty with a mother’s bittersweet farewell. She gives me a tight hug, whispering a “thank you” that tells me she thinks I’ve somehow played a part in this family reconciliation, even though it was all of Oliver’s own doing.

“Take care of him.” She pulls back to look at me.

“I will,” I promise, feeling the weight of her trust like a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Goodbye, Mr. Wolfe,” I call out as Oliver takes my hand, leading me down the steps to where our rental car waits.

---