Page 5 of Deception & Daylight
Miles
? Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
Ifollow Luca through the front door of the new five-hundred square foot in-law cottage at the back of Cade’s property, nestled between a copse of trees with the lake providing an idyllic backdrop. The main living area is spacious, considering the overall scope of the building. It’s open plan, with a cozy living room containing a small loveseat and matching armchair, and a wall mounted tv above a modest horizontal bookshelf. It’s bright and airy, with plenty of natural light cascading in through the picture windows. The rest of the space is taken up by an expansive kitchen complete with double ovens, and a large island with minimal seating for guests. Straight ahead is a narrow hallway leading to the simple bedroom and attached bathroom with a stand up shower and soaker tub.
The cottage belongs to Paige and Luca’s grandmother, baby Sofia’s namesake. Her only request was for the kitchen to be the main focal point, and I think we’ve accomplished that for her. She movedhere last year after she unexpectedly lost her husband to a stroke. The initial intention was just to visit, but Oak Ridge has a way of drawing people in.
Eventually, she needed a place of her own where she could get away from a teething baby and, in all likelihood, the sounds of Cade thoroughly pleasing his wife. It’s no secret they like to get it in whenever and wherever they can, and I can imagine that might be difficult with your grandmother living under the same roof.
“When’s the big reveal?” I ask, running a hand over the new marble countertops.
Luca looks up from where he’s been typing something on his phone. “Once we’re finished installing the washer and dryer, our work here is done and the rest is up to my neurotic sister. And you know Paige. She wants to make a big deal of it, as usual. She’s coming in this afternoon to add a few decorative touches here and there. Family photos, flowers, that kind of thing. She wants to plan a breakfast bar with mimosas in the morning, and we’ll bring Nana over then.”
Letting out a single bark of laughter, I clap Luca on the back. “Sounds like Paige alright. Let’s get this finished so she can have her way with it.”
The delivery truck arrives right on time, and the washer and dryer is installed within the hour. Not ten minutes later, Paige barrels in through the front door with a baby strapped to her chest and Cade hot on her heels, carrying several boxes. She stops beside Luca, and his height instantly dwarfs her. Paige is short and curvy, with a mess of brown curls and dark brown eyes. While Luca has about a foot on her, the fact that they’re siblings is undeniable. His hair is the same shade of brown and their dark eyes are damn near identical.
“I couldn’t stop her,” Cade says a little breathlessly. I sincerely doubt he tried. His wife could say jump and he’d ask how high. And if, by some miracle, he did make a feeble attempt to deny her, she clearly has other avenues of persuasion. His light brown hair is disheveled, and his fly is down, leaving little to the imagination. She shoots him a look, half amused and half exasperated as she pulls out her phone. After a few rings, the line clicks over and a familiar face fills the screen.
“Holy shit. Is that Nana’s place?”
Paige holds up the phone and does a slow spin, showing off the modest living area. “Yes! Isn’t it gorgeous?”
Maggie’s nose scrunches with her smile, and I’m mesmerized by the way her caramel eyes catch the light, even through the small screen. “Now who’s drooling?” Luca snorts, leaning into my space, echoing something I said to him last year when he married his sister’s friend on a whim.
Snapping myself out of the Maggie-induced haze, I snag my toolbox off the island and head out to the truck. Cade follows me out, stepping over to where his truck is backed up in the lot. “Mind getting your head out of your ass long enough to help me with a few of these boxes?” he taunts, snagging a large tote from the tailgate.
“My head might be up my ass, but at least I didn’t leave the barn door open,” I retort. Cade instantly drops the bin and tugs on his zipper, narrowing his eyes in a silent fuck you.
I chuckle, picking up the bin he dropped. “Come on, dipshit. Let’s go get our marching orders.” I might like to heckle him about being wrapped around his wife’s little finger, but it comes from a place of love. Besides, she has the rest of us in her pocket, too.
When we re-enter the cottage, Paige is leaning over the island, with her phone propped against a mile high stack of books while Luca bounces Sofia in his arms. “Where do you want these,Sunshine?” Cade glares at me when I use the endearment, and my lips twitch with barely suppressed laughter. It’s just too easy to rankle him.
Before she can respond, her daughter lets out a wail, thrashing in Luca’s hold. “I feel you, Sof. If I had to be in the same room as Uncle Miles, I’d cry, too,” Maggie says, amusement evident in her voice.
Not one to back down from an obvious challenge, I carefully place the bin on the countertop and step into frame, smirking at her through the screen. I lower my voice an octave, infusing it with a gravelly tone. “I’m not your uncle, but you can call me Daddy if you ask nicely.” Popping a pacifier into her shrieking daughter’s mouth, Paige thrusts the hostile infant into my fumbling arms, but not before I catch sight of Maggie’s flushed cheeks.Mission accomplished.
“Here, Uncle Miles. Make yourself useful while I unpack,” Paige says.
Cradling her in my arms, I stare down at the tiny version of Paige, her glassy brown eyes staring back at me briefly before she carefully rests her head on my chest with a contented sigh. I don’t even like babies, but this one is the exception. I’d die for this kid. I walk over to the loveseat, relaxing into the cushions with Sofia tucked securely against me. I hear the distinct shutter of a camera, looking up to find Cade taking a picture of us. “Send that to me.”
“You sure you don’t want one of these?” he asks, eyeing Sofia with adoration as her eyes start to close. “She’s pretty great.”
“Nah. I like that I can give this one back.”
Cade reverently smoothes a hand over her curls before excusing himself to the kitchen, leaving me alone with a sleeping infant, her tiny fingers wrapped around one of mine as I drift off to sleep alongside her.
When I wake up sometime later, we’re still in the same position but there’s a soft blanket draped over us, and the living room has been brought to life with baby blue curtains, a vase of peonies on the bookshelf, and family photos interspersed withbooks and other decorative accents. I don’t know how I slept through it all.
“Welcome back,” Luca says with a chuckle. “Good nap?”
I hold up a middle finger in response. “Mind taking her? I need to use the bathroom and she smells like she already did.” She lets out a brief sound of protest before he repositions her against his shoulder, his nose wrinkling in disgust when he gets a whiff of her scent. “Get used to it, brother. You’re gonna have one of your own soon.” He’s already in deep with Ivy’s four-year-old daughter, Rylin, and the smile on his face tells me he’s more than ready for the next one. Fatherhood isn’t something I’m interested in, but I’m happy for him. He’s a good guy, and their family went through a lot of shit last year. They deserve every bit of happiness they can get.
When I return from the bathroom, Paige is packing up the rest of the boxes. “Do you need help with anything else?”
“We’re good. Thanks for everything, Miles. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Anytime. Just leave a yelp review, would ya?”
