Page 64 of Hard To Leave

Chase caught the football, turning it around in his hands. “Is there a reason why we’re tossing a football around instead of throwing baseballs?”

“I want him to relax tonight. He can practice and worry about baseball tomorrow.”

Chase looked at me as if he were seeing me in a new light. Probably sensing how protective I was over Chloe’s kid.

“Dessert’s ready!” Chloe called over the railing off the back deck. Her long hair was flapping in the wind, and just the sight of her blinding smile caused my heart to kick up a notch.

Tanner ran through the sand, pulling on my hand. “Come on. After the cake, Mom said you can open your gifts.”

Once everyone was done singing “Happy Birthday,” we dug into the vanilla cake Chloe and Tanner made for me. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a homemade cake for my birthday. My mother always had a fancy store-bought or custom-made cake for special occasions like this, but I don’t ever remember her making one from scratch. There was something about knowing that they took the time and effort to make this for me that made my chest tighten.

Chloe was the perfect mother—the kind every child would be lucky to have.

“Are you ready to open presents now, Jack?” Tanner asked, carrying the bags and gift boxes into the living room and placing them in front of me.

“I sure am.” I ruffled his hair then sat back in my chair as he placed a small square box in my lap. “This is from me.”

He was so excited he was practically bouncing on his feet.

I laughed. “Let me guess, you want me to open yours first.”

He nodded his head with a smile, showing off his missing tooth. “Okay then.” I started to unwrap the box and saw Chloe twisting her hands around in her lap. Once I made it through the tissue paper, I could see why she was so nervous.

I held the coffee mug up in the air and studied the picture of the two of us. On the bottom, in big bold letters, it read “Best Buds.” I felt my throat close up. This gift was beyond words.

Tanner inched closer to me. “I thought you could keep it on your desk at work. My friend bought one for his dad for Father’s Day last year, and he loved it. Do you like it, Jack?”

I swallowed the nerves in my throat. The word father buzzed through my brain. Is that what he thought of me? I scrambled to make sense of what this gift meant to me. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea, so I forced my wobbly lips into a smile.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I could feel everyone’s gaze on me, but no one spoke a word. I clutched the coffee mug in between my fingers and studied it some more.

For such an inexpensive gift, this meant everything to me. My family wasn’t strapped for cash, and I’ve received many overpriced, extravagant gifts over my lifetime. Nothing—and I mean nothing—compared to this.

I reached my hand behind his neck and drew him into me. “I love it, Bud, thank you.” I tried to keep my voice steady because I was close to losing my shit and crying like a damn baby.

“Really?” He beamed up at me with so much vulnerability I wanted to squeeze him tight and never let go.

“Best gift I’ve ever gotten.”

“I knew you would like it.”

We all laughed, but I still caught the tears leaking from Chloe’s eyes as Emily pulled her into her side for comfort. Seeing my two favorite girls bond after receiving such an incredible gift was too much to take in.

“You guys mind if I open the rest of the gifts in a couple minutes?” I asked, standing up from the table. “I have to hit the john.”

I made my way down the hall and closed the door to the bathroom. I rested my head up against it and closed my eyes.

I wanted to make promises to both of them and build a future for the three of us, but I was scared because I didn’t even know if that was possible. I’ve spent my whole life preparing to take over my father’s company. I wanted to be fair and let this play out, but how much more time did I have to figure things out?

My mind was like a ping-pong going back and forth. I was living two separate lives, and something had to give.

A soft knock sounded on the door. I moved aside so Chloe could peak her head in.

“Come here,” I gestured for her, opening my arms. As soon as her body molded into mine, everything shifted back into place. This woman was my calm, my center, my home.

She buried her face in my chest. “I didn’t mean to overwhelm you. That coffee mug was his idea. I didn’t want to tell him no.”

I jerked my head back and lifted her chin in my hands. “I love it.”

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