Page 1 of Snowed In With The Second Chance Daddy

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TREVOR

I hate Christmas in Chicago.

Unpopular opinion, I know. But I’ve seen enough of them not to be fooled by the sparkly lights and holiday cheer. It’s all a front, trying to conceal the underbelly of overspending and expectations.

The happy families lining up for ice skating or cider at the Christmas market are a front. Because, let’s face it, how many of them can actually bethathappy?

I brace myself against the cold as I exit the revolving door of my office building, shoving my hands into my pockets and dipping my face behind my woolly scarf.

They might not have named it Windy City for the actual wind, but they may as well have. There are few things worse than wind-burned cheeks.

Other than going to work or going home, I’ve been trying to stay inside as much as possible. However, Oliver and Rowan won’t let me live it down if I skip our weekly midday lunch, especially this close to Christmas.

I love them like family, but I have to say I’m not looking forward to all their bubbly excitement. Now that they have a baby, Christmas is more of an event than ever.

As their daughter’s godfather, last year’s Christmas was one of the best of my life.

Rose’s godmother was still in the picture, though.

This year’s just going to suck being around the Hawthorns and all the bliss of their relationships and parenthood.

I’m a Grinch now. And I won’t apologize. I think I’ve earned it.

My brain is on autopilot as I navigate downtown Chicago and, before I know it, I’m at our usual diner.

Oliver and I have been coming here weekly since we started our respective jobs, him as the operations officer at his family’s company, me as a portfolio manager at a hedge fund.

The door dings open as I enter.

Rowan and Oliver are already at our usual table. They don’t even notice I’ve come in, cuddled up on the same side of the booth together, her hand rubbing circles on his chest, alternating between whispers and tiny kisses.

I ignore it and go up to the table. “Sorry I’m late.”

They break apart.

“Trevor, we didn’t see you come in!” Rowan says, a breathless smile on her face.

“How could you have when you’re using your lunch break to get started on baby number two?” I smirk as I shrug off my coat and slide into the booth across form them.

Oliver’s face contorts. “Gross, dude.”

I laugh. “Tell me I’m wrong!”

Oliver’s cheeks go red, turning his attention to the window while Rowan giggles, rubbing the back of her husband’s neck. “Life is busy! We have to take every second we have.”

Hard to believe Rowan was once mine. Even harder to imagine I was so utterly broken up over her breaking up with me.

Don’t get me wrong, finding out Rowan was not only working for my best friend butdatinghim was a blow to my ego, but that was years ago.

So much has changed. Oliver and Rowan are the perfect couple, and I genuinely feel blessed that we’re as close as we are. Best friends.

Difficult to not feel like a third wheel these days, though.

We order our usual, cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes all around.

Now that I’m in my thirties, I’ll feel the milkshake the rest of the day, which is why I’m glad now that I’m at the top of the totem pole at the fund I can take the rest of the day off.

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