Page 5 of To Build a Home
He holds out his hands and accepts the carrier. With no struggle at all, my brother lifts the carrier closer to his face.
“Well, hello there, beautiful! This might just be the best part of my day, getting to see you.”
I’m knocked off my axis, seeing my brother smile like that. But if anyone could get him to smile, it’s his niece. Since the day she was born, Gabby has had him under her spell. In her presence, the man who has basically become the town’s resident grump with a permanent scowl on his face disappears.
“Wow, I didn’t realize your voice could even get to that octave,” I tease, earning me a scowl over his shoulder.Ahh, there he is.
“Come on, Pay. This shouldn’t take long. I got everything for you set up in my office.” With one arm linked around the car seat’s handle, he wraps his other arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him, leading us toward the front door.
Once inside, I can’t help but smile. I still can’t believe that this space used to be empty, and now, even when it’s closed, it’s still so full of life. Tilley’s is proof that there is life after divorce. I must cling to that and hope there will come a time where I won’t feel so lost. Although the demise of my marriage versus my brother’s are two totally different stories—not even really in the same genre.
Archer leads us past the bar to the hallway that leads to the kitchen, storage space, and the back offices. I follow Archer into his office and walk over to his desk, where he sets Gabby’s car seat down.
“I’ve got her, sis.” He waves me off before unbuckling her. My heart hurts for just a second before I swallow it down as I watch him carefully lift her out with such grace and care. Love swirls in his eyes as he doesn’t take his focus off her, bringing her to his chest. I never once saw Joel treat her like that.
“Here, you might need this.” I grab a burp cloth out of the diaper bag before setting both the bag and carrier on the floor beside us.
“Thanks,” he mumbles, leaning down so I can place it on his shoulder while he never takes his gaze away from Gabby. “Everything is in that folder.”
I take a seat in the chair in front of his desk and grab the folder, bringing it into my lap. My fingers dance over the blue-and-peach anchor logo. I’m so proud of both of my brothers and what they’ve turned this business into. And now, I get to be a part of it.
“It’s all standard shit. You know if we could go without all this jazz, we would. But it’s all a formality. The job is already yours. But I need to put an application on file.”
“Yeah, no, it’s fine. I get it.” I flip through the standard hiring packet and find the blank application.
Archer paces his office with my daughter in his arms.
“Hey, just a heads-up. Careful with the bouncing. She ate just before we got here. And she’s been a little spit-uppy lately.”
“We’ll be fine. Won’t we, sweetheart? You wouldn’t spit up on Uncle Arch, would you?” He mimics a fake baby voice. “Of course. You’re my favorite uncle.”
I laugh and shake my head. Gabby is a very easy infant, but I feel like she can sense everything going on around her, and that has caused some of the additional spit-up lately. They always say dogs can smell fear and changes in health. Well, I think it’s the same with babies. The sooner I get this paperwork done, the quicker we can get out of here and go back to Mom’s.
Swiping a pen from the mug on his desk, I get to work on the application. The first few questions are simple: first, middle, and last name, date of birth, and address.
It’s the next block that I struggle with—status. It may have been a sham, but my pen still hovers over the box that says “Married.” My gaze darts to my left hand, where the ring used to sit. My fingers flex, and my breath quickens as a memory assaults my mind.
I flopped back on my mattress, giving up trying to study while I waited for Joel to arrive. He had gone to share the news with his parents. I told him I would go with him since we were in this together, but he said it would be better if he delivered the news alone. I’d met his parents a few times when they visited campus. They were always nice to me—at least, I think they were.
Honestly, I was still processing that we were having a baby. It’s not that I didn’t want kids—of course I did. They were always part of my plan, but I thought it wouldn’t be while still in college.
A knock at my dorm room door had me flying off the bed.
“Hey,” I said as Joel stood on the other side with his hand gripping the back of his neck. I couldn’t tell from his expression how the meeting with his parents went.
Joel didn’t respond, and he hesitated before he entered the room.
As I closed the door behind him, I prepared myself for this conversation. Well, the best I could prepare myself. I had no idea what to expect. But based on his mood and the fact that he was typically all over me when we were together, I wasn’t sure it could be good.
I turned around to find Joel pacing the small space, chewing on his thumbnail. A surefire way to show that he was nervous. Instinctively, I placed my hands over my stomach as if I were protecting my unborn child. I didn’t care what his parents’ opinion was—I was keeping this baby.
“Joel.” I closed the distance.
“Let’s get married,” he blurted out, and I froze in place.What the hell?
A laugh slipped from my lips. But when my gaze met his and I saw the seriousness in them, I wasn’t so sure this was some prank.
Joel reached for my hand and pulled me over to the bed. “Come on, Pay. Let’s do it.”
