Page 48 of In All My Dreams

I check the time on my phone and see that it’s nearly 8:00 p.m. “Honestly, if we leave now, we can probably watch the fireworks from the dock at the house. How do you feel about a little wine, and maybe we can read some more of my mother’s diary once Auden is tucked in?”

A soft smile tugs on Ian’s lips before he leans over and places a kiss against my temple. “That sounds great. I’ll go grab Auden.”

“Make sure she washes her hands!” I remind him.

Watching Ian walk with Auden over to the handwashing station, laughing when he splashes her with his wet hands, her smile wide as she stares up at him and splashes him back...it cements something in me.

When he hates me after this, I just hope he remembers how much he adores her.

Because I can’t put this off any longer.

Tonight I have to tell him that he’s her father.

When we arrive back at Crane Manor, the house is brightly lit from the inside. We can see Mrs. Foster moseying around in the kitchen.

“Hey, Auden, why don’t you run and grab a jacket from your room before we go sit at the dock and watch the fireworks,” I tell her as I help her out of the back seat.

Ian glances down at his watch. “The fireworks should start any minute, so hurry up, ladies!” He flashes me a smile and ruffles Auden hair as she runs by. “Let’s get some snacks before we head down to the lake.” He holds his hand out for me, and grabbing it is almost like a muscle memory now as I slip my fingers between his.

We watch Auden run into the house; she waves hi to Mrs. Foster before disappearing through the doorway toward the staircase.

Ian heads toward the back steps, but I pull him back. “Thank you for today, Ian. I loved every moment of it. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a day like this,” I say. “Auden and I, I mean. A day of just fun and seeing her laugh and light up the world like she does. The hussle of the city doesn’t allow for days like this very often. Most days, we are just rushing from one thing to the next. I loved having this day with the three of us.”

“I told you, Georgie, I’m all in. I want you. I want Auden. I want this, this little family. Today just made me realize how much I screwed up by leaving you in that bed six years ago. I would do anything to rewind the time, change the past and all that. But then you wouldn’t have Auden.” He reaches up and cups my face, running his thumb softly over my cheek. “And I can’t imagine not having her in my life. It’s been less than a week, and that girl has me completely wrapped around her finger, just like her mom always has.”

A warm tear slips down my cheek. I don’t know if I’m crying because today was perfect, minus my mother’s ghost haunting me from afar, or if I’m crying because I know after tonight, he may not look at me the way he is now. Like I’m everything he’s ever wanted, the girl he’s always loved. So instead of responding to him, I press my lips to his, hoping I can convey every feeling, every thought, and every apology that he deserves through our lips.

Ian pulls his lips away and rests his forehead against mine. His breathing is as rapid as my own. “Have you given any thought to what I said earlier?” he asks. “About you and Auden staying?”

I shake my head against him. “I want to stay, but there are things I need to tell you before we commit to this, to us. Whatever this is,” I whisper. “You may not want me here after I tell you some...things.”

He pulls back and gives me a confused look, his eyebrows pinching together with worry. “I don’t know if there is anything you can say to make me stop wanting you, Georgia. To stop wanting this. But let’s talk tonight after Auden goes to sleep. Deal?”

I give him a weak smile. “Deal,” I tell him. My stomach is twisting in a thousand knots as he smiles my favorite smile down at me. “Let’s go grab some snacks and a blanket before Audencomes down and yells at us for taking our sweet-ass time,” I joke, pulling Ian toward the back door with me.

Mrs. Foster opens the back door for us with a strange smile on her lips, almost as if she’s displeased.

“Hi, Mrs—Lydia,” I correct myself quickly. “ How is your night going?” I ask her as I take a seat on one of the barstools before watching Ian disappear into the walk-in pantry.

“Oh, you know, just staying busy keeping this house in order while your father is at the hospital,” Mrs. Foster muses. “It’s been quiet today, a little too quiet with you three gone all day. I don’t know what I’m going to do with all the silence once you and Miss Auden leave to go back home next week.”

I swear I can feel her eyes on me, questioning me from across the island. I fail to meet her gaze, instead looking down at my clenched fists that are resting on the countertop. “Yeah, I uh, I’m not sure when we will be heading back yet. With Dad being in the hospital and everything, I’m not sure if we should go back yet. I’m debating pulling Auden out of school in California and transferring her to a school here so I can keep a closer eye on Dad.”

Mrs. Foster clicks her tongue, forcing me to look up at her. She’s leaning against the sink with her arms crossed and the oddest look on her face.

“Is everything okay, Mrs. Foster? Are you okay with us staying a bit longer if needed?” I ask gently.

She lets out a loud laugh. “Oh, dear, even if I didn’t want you here, which isnotthe case, I wouldn’t be the one to make those decisions. Those decisions would fall on Mr. Harris. And we both know how much he would kill to lock you and Auden up here forever,” she says. “Plus, you don’t think I’d ask you to leave after going through the hassle of making sure you came home to see your father. He was nowhere near as ill as he is now, so it wouldseem silly to want you gone now. Right?” She shoots me a wink and lets out another loud laugh.

Now I know where Ian got his penchant for sly winking.

Speaking of the devil, Ian steps into the kitchen with a bag and the yellow quilt from the couch, both slung over his shoulder.

“What are you ladies laughing about in here?” Ian asks with a smirk as he leans against the counter next to his mother.

“Oh, nothing important. Just that Georgia here is trying to stay forever, did you know?” Mrs. Foster sneaks a peek at Ian, and the smile that was on her face moments ago completely disappears.

Ian lets out a surprised breath. “Yeah, I keep trying to convince her to stay, but she’s tough to tie down.”

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