Page 32 of Make Your Save

My eyebrows pull together. “What?”

“Come,” he says, motioning for me to follow him.My footsteps are soft and light as I follow him into the kitchen. There’s a basket sitting on top of the island, along with a bouquet of flowers in a clay vase. “I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to get you something for today being your last day.”

Rolling my lips between my teeth, I bite back my smile as I blow a soft breath through my nostrils. “You didn’t have to do that,” I tell him, excitement bubbling in my stomach. “If I’m being honest, I do love gifts, though.”

He tilts his head to the side, watching me for a moment before he slowly nods. I can feel his gaze on me as I sit down at the island, pulling the basket closer. Inside, there’s a soft blanket, a pair of slippers, and some chocolate. Just a few things that make me smile.

I reach for the vase, moving it closer to me so I can smell the flowers. The clay is so smooth and the gloss covering it makes the surface almost slippery. I lift it up, looking at the swirling shades of gold and brown.

“This is beautiful.” I pause for a moment, feeling something etched in the bottom of it. I lift it higher, seeing there’s an RT etched in the bottom, along with the year. My eyes flash to Rowan’s and I remember how into sculpting he was in high school.

Beau used to talk shit about it, but I always thought it was pretty cool.

“Did you make this?”

He drags his top teeth over his bottom lip. “I did.” He tips his head forward. “I have a pottery shed out back.”

“I didn’t know you still did that.” I smile at him, setting the vase back down and wrapping my hands around it. I remember how his mother proudly displayed the things he made around their house even after he left home. “What all do you have in your shed?”

A smirk lifts his lips and mischief dances in his eyes. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Well, yeah.” I laugh, shaking my head at him. “That’s why I’m asking.”

“Maybe I’ll show you one day and you can find out for yourself.”

“I’d like that,” I admit, looking down at Lucy as she stirs in Rowan’s arms. “May I?” I ask him, meeting his eyes again.

“You never have to ask, Hadley,” he says softly as he moves over to me. He moves the baby away from his body, holding her out to me. The backs of his hands brush against my palms, sending a spark of electricity, lighting up my nerve pathways. My heart tumbles over itself and I catch the scent of his cologne.

Oakmoss and cedar.

I’ve decided that’s my new favorite scent.

He moves his hands away, turning away from me as he walks over to the fridge, pulling out a drink. “I talked to my lawyer this morning.”

The sentence comes out of nowhere and I stare at the side of his face. “Oh?”

“Turns out if I don’t legally have custody of Lucy, her mother can come back and essentially take her anytime. Even though she left a note, we still need it to be in writing.” He pauses, taking a sip of his drink. “Okay, it would be a little more complicated than that, but I would have to fight her in court for Lucy then, essentially.” He leans back against the counter, planting his hands on the surface as he crosses his ankles.

“How do you legally obtain custody? Does her mother have to sign over her rights?”

He ducks his chin, removing his hands from the countertop as he crosses his arms over his chest. A deep breath escapes him. “I’m paying my lawyer to serve her with the papers and to get her to sign, but it’s more than just that. I have to prove to the courts that I’m suited to have full custody.”

“How do you prove it?”

The muscle in his jaw tightens as he drops his arms away from his chest. “They’ll look at my finances and my living conditions to make sure I can provide for her.” He moves, closing the distance between himself and the island I’m sitting at. His hands grip the edge of the counter. “The only concern is my job and how much time I have to spend away from her.”

“You have to show them that she’ll have a stable home life,” I muse out loud, my eyes dropping down to Lucy. A gentle smile lifts her chubby cheeks and my heart warms.

“Right...” His voice trails off and I look back at him, only to find his gaze solely focused on my face. His expression gives nothing away. “I lied to my lawyer.”

My forehead creases. “About what?”

“About you.” He lifts his hand, running it through his hair as his eyelids fall shut and he sucks in a deep breath. I watch his shoulders fall as he exhales and looks back at me once more.

“I told him we’re engaged.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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