Page 82 of Everything We Left Unsaid

Jacob

When we enter the kitchen, I grab Chloe’s food from the cabinet while my mother situates her in the highchair. Abby stands to the side, watching nervously. For a moment back there, I was afraid Abby was going to take her from my mother when she first jumped into her arms. Chloe surprised us all, especially my mom. She seemed so distant and uninterested in her at first, I was worried she wouldn’t be able to connect with Chloe. I realize now that she was probably just anxious and didn’t know how to express herself. That’s something she struggles with at times.

Chloe and I gobble up our snacks while Abby nibbles on some fancy concoction my mother offered her. If I know her as well as I think I do, then she’s too nervous to eat. Dad makes small talk with Abby, asking about her job and education. When he starts probing about her family, I come to her rescue.

“Why don’t we check out the gardens next?” I suggest, wrapping my arm around her waist.

“Okay,” she agrees easily, gratitude shining in her eyes. I retrieve Chloe from her chair, fruit snacks in hand, and lead Abby outside. Mom and Dad stay behind, though they promise to meet up with us for dinner.

“You looked overwhelmed,” I tell her, placing Chloe on my shoulders, who promptly giggles and pats the top of my head.

“I was,” Abby confesses apologetically.

“I get it,” I assure her. “This is a lot to take in. And my mom…” I let out an exasperated sigh. I hate that she treated Abby and Chloe so coolly, only offering shallow courtesies. This is my daughter and the woman I love more than anything! They deserve better than what they got. “I’ll talk to her.” She needs to warm up to them. They’ll only be here a few days, and I want to make sure they’re willing to come back once the weekend is over.

“No, It’s fine. I really don’t want to cause a fuss.”

“Abby,” I begin, pleading.

“No, really. We just need time to get used to each other.”

We stroll around outside for a long time, letting Chloe down to run and play. She splashes her hands in the fountain and tries to climb in when she thinks no one is looking, but we snatch her up before she gets too far. Once back inside, I offer to show Abby the second floor and our rooms.

“Okay, just let me grab my bags from the car.” She starts to walk away but stops short when I fail to release her hand.

“No need,” I inform her, and she tilts her head to the side. “Your bag has already been brought up.” She gapes at me then glances toward the door.

“By whom?”

“Our butler.”

Her brows lift in surprise. “Oh, wow,” she says as though she can’t quite wrap her head around the idea. “That was nice of him.”

I chuckle and shake my head. That wasn’t him being nice. That was him doing his job. He gets paid a healthy wage for everything he does around here. But Abby’s not used to that and doesn’t expect someone to wait on her hand and foot. She’s too damn independent to ever allow that. It’s refreshing to be around someone like her.

We head upstairs and I lead her to her room. Her bags are sitting next to the queen-sized bed with its whitewashed frame and pale blue and white duvet. She sucks in a breath as her eyes skim the room. It’s at least three times the size of her bedroom back home and furnished much more richly. Tall windows line the far wall, allowing sunlight in through the open curtains, with window seats just waiting to be nestled into with a good book.

“Mommy, dump,” Chloe announces, wiggling from my arms.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Abby stops her in her tracks and swings Chloe up into her arms before she can make a mad dash for the bed. “This is not the kind of bed you jump on, sweetie,” she warns.

“Check this out.” I pad toward a wide pocket door on the left side of the room. Abby follows, holding a squirming Chloe in her arms. When they draw near, I push open the door to reveal what’s behind it. The adjoining room is a nursery equipped with everything my girls could possibly need while they’re here. There’s a crib that converts to a toddler bed, a changing table, a rocker, toys, books, and a high-tech video monitor.

“This is amazing, Jacob,” Abby praises. “You didn’t have to do all this.” She turns to me, tears brimming in her eyes, causing the green to shine even brighter than usual. “We’re only gonna be here a few days. She could have just slept in here,” she explains, motioning to her room. “You really didn’t need to go through all this trouble.”

“See, that’s the thing,” I begin, taking Chloe from her arms and settling her on the rug in front of her new toy box. Pulling Abby against my body, I continue. “I’m thinking long term here. I didn’t buy all this just for this trip.” Her eyes widen at my confession. “I plan to move all this to Chloe’s room in my house once it’s finished. That way, she has everything she needs when you guys come back to visit.” She gives me a wobbly smile, appreciation alight in her eyes. “You guys are a permanent fixture in my life now, and I need you to have a place in my home that feels like yours.”

“Thank you.” She wraps her arms around me and rests the side of her face against my chest.

“You’re welcome.” I kiss the top of her head and tilt her face up to meet mine with my finger under her chin. My lips press to hers in a gentle, promising kiss. Then, we give Chloe a few minutes to explore the room and her new playthings before moving on.

“Come on, I’ll show you my room.”

“Your room? You mean, you’re not staying with me?” Abby glances back at her bed as we step out into the hall, confusion marring her pretty features.

“Oh, I’ll be staying in your room, alright. I’ll just have to sneak in there after everyone else is asleep.” I shoot her a wink and a devious grin before offering an explanation. “My parents aren’t clueless or naive. We’ve obviously slept together. We do have a child, after all.” Her cheeks flush a deep shade of pink at the thought of my parents knowing we’ve had sex. “But they also don’t want us flaunting that around since we aren’t married. We’ll most likely have other guests staying here this weekend, not to mention my brother. And if he sees that I have a girl staying with me, he’ll expect the same allowances for himself, even though our situation is completely different. So, they requested that we keep separate rooms. I’ll stay in my old room, and you two have the nursery and nanny’s quarters.”

“Nanny’s quarters?” she questions, unable to hide her surprise.

---