Page 67 of Bonus Daddy
“Girls, I think we need to get inside and listen to the pilot.” I dropped my focus to the floor in front of me, hoping Brian couldn’t see the color staining my cheeks. Their excitement and their affection for Brian tugged at my heartstrings.
He’d been so sweetly sheepish when he’d delivered the news. The girls had screamed and jumped around wildly, waking Tia from her nap.
Now, as he carried our bags out onto the helipad, I truly had no idea how I would ever thank him.
Okay, maybe that wasn’t completely true. My dirty mind had a few ideas…
And said mind had been on overdrive these past few weeks. Because while Brian, ever the gentleman, always professional, could control his lustful urges, I could not.
I was a woman starved. Every time I saw him at the end of the workday, with the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up, I swooned a little.
When I stepped into the apartment and found him building Legos with Greta or helping Kit multiply fractions, my attraction grew.
Because not only was Brian objectively handsome, he was also objectivelygood. I’d known it back in college and I knew it now. He was serious, and sure, he could be a grump, but he took care of hisclients, his colleagues, and the little family that had formed in the old building in Jersey.
He’d even grown to love that monster cat, no matter how annoying he swore it was.
The girls were animated, squealing often as we flew to Boston. Every few minutes, Brian would look back from his seat in front with the pilot and smile at me.
The girls were busy watching the scenery and taking helicopter selfies with my phone, so I sat back and tried to focus on enjoying the views. The whole way, my stomach jumped with anticipation. My friendship with Brian was changing and evolving every day, and for as good as it felt, it was also confusing and overwhelming.
It certainly didn’t help that my kids were so attached to him and our new friends. Nights spent with them in that strange building had become precious to me. The whole crowd had enthusiastically embraced Wednesday dance parties, and we’d taken to stopping by even on my day off, when the girls didn’t need to be watched, just to visit. I’d worked so hard to insulate and support my little family that I hadn’t even considered how much fun it would be to welcome others into the fold.
As we landed on the roof of the Greenbriar Hotel in Boston, the harbor stretching out in front of us, Kit pointed wildly out the window. “We can see Lang Field from here.”
Sure enough, the outside of the stadium was adorned with Lake’s signature pink bows, marking her arrival. Seaport Boulevard had been temporarily renamed by the mayor of Boston to Lake Paige Boulevard in honor of her.
Once we’d disembarked and were inside, away from the wind the chopper’s blades created, Brian grimaced down at his phone.
“I was hoping to get out of this part, but my sister is here, and she’s threatening to call the Boston Police Department to detain me if I don’t bring you guys to meet her right now.”
“Dylan?” I frowned in confusion.
Brian had always talked about how laid-back she was. Yet she was making threats?
“Yeah.” He scratched the back of his neck. “It may actually be her friend Delia, but I can’t tell. They’re here with their daughters, doing hair and makeup for the concert.”
“Hair and makeup?” Kit’s eyes bulged. “Mom only let me pack sparkle eyeshadow.”
That was how we found ourselves headed up to the hotel penthouse.
It occupied the entire top floor of the hotel and was easily bigger than both my apartment and Brian’s apartment combined.
There were kids everywhere, and I hadn’t made it through the door before I was being hugged by a beaming redhead.
She pulled back, and as she cupped my cheeks, she said, “Jess,” like my name was a sacred prayer.
Too stunned to respond, I stood frozen to the spot, letting her study me.
“Just as I suspected. Totally purple. And totally perfect for my brother.” With a pat to my cheek, she stepped back and greeted my kids. “Hello, girls. I’m so excited to meet you. Kit, Brian sent me a video of your piano performance. You are so talented. And Greta, my husband really wants to meet you so he can convince you to be a Revs fan.”
The girls were truly charmed by her sweet, friendly face and were eagerly peering around at the bright space. Light streamed through the massive windows as Boston’s skyline spread out in front of us.
Dylan gestured widely. “Come on in. The gang’s all here.”
Everywhere I looked, children were running and playing, and Lake Paige music was blaring through the speakers.
As Dylan led us deeper into the room, two young boys darted in front of us with rushedsorrys as they blew by. We met Liv and Delia, whose tween daughters immediately guided my girls to the hairstylist who’d been hired for the occasion.
