Page 20

Lillian

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I ’ve been a nervous wreck about the court date all day, then having to rush out to grab Avery before even getting information is giving me the shakes. Is he divorced? Did Brittany cause any issues or drama? Did she even show up?

I know that he had to rush to practice afterwards, so I wasn’t expecting much, but a phone call or a text would have sufficed.

Now I sort of know how he felt when I didn’t talk to him at all last Sunday, or let him know when I got back to Minnesota…

much less that I was around to watch the girls since he was still out of town.

My phone rings when we’re a few minutes away from the house, I frown at the screen when I see Mackenzie’s name pop up.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

My friend sniffles and I frown in the rearview mirror at Avery who is listening with wide eyes.

“Hey before you start, I have little ears in the car with me.”

“Oh… Okay. I was… Shoot. Lil, I need help. Can I come stay with you for a few weeks?”

I lick my lips and wave at Tony as he opens the gate for us and I start speeding up towards the house. “Let me talk to Morgan, worst case I can pay for a hotel close by.”

She sighs and clears her throat. “I have the money for that, girl. I just… I can’t be alone right now.”

I frown as I pull up into the driveway, opening up the garage so that I can park. “Are you in trouble?”

She sniffles. “Not legally. But let’s call it that. Call me when you don’t have little ears, okay? I’m packing up and want to fly out in the morning… I already bought my ticket…”

I chuckle under my breath. Of course she did. “All right, give me a few to talk to Morgan, okay? Will you be safe here?”

“Oh… yeah… There’s definitely the cops involved… I’m… I just need to get out of here.”

I close my eyes after I park and my heart breaks for my friend. What the hell happened? “I’ll call you right back.” I hang up and blink over my shoulder at Avery. “So, how was school?”

She rolls her eyes and hops out of the car with her backpack in her hand. “Fine. Is your friend okay?”

I purse my lips. “I sure hope so.” We look for Morgan and the other two girls and find them in the playroom.

“I’ll get snacks ready… Morgan, can you come with me really quick?

” He jumps up and follows me down the hall and I groan internally.

I really need to stop looking at him. “I want to hear all about court today… but I also got a call from my best friend. She lives in Vegas and wasn’t able to get into much of what’s going on since Ave was in the car, but is it okay if she comes to stay here for a few weeks? ”

He shrugs and steps closer to me. “I don’t see why not, I trust your judgment. If she’s safe around the girls?”

I snort. “Oh definitely. She’s just loud and obnoxious… outspoken. Opposite of me.”

He pulls me close and hums. “Well… I have news. Brittany didn’t show up and the judge signed off on everything we presented to him.

I’m officially divorced, the restraining order is valid…

and the pre-nup is, too. I don’t owe her a dime but he did say he wouldn’t be surprised if she opens up a case here soon trying to sue me for money eventually. I doubt she will go after the kids.”

I blink up at him wide-eyed. His hazel eyes are so clear, so bright. His normally tense shoulders are relaxed… What a difference. “So no show at all? Any idea where she is or what she’s scheming?” I wince and he chuckles.

“No… Andy said he was going to get our PI involved.” He clears his throat and backs away. “Speaking of the PI… he sent Andy some information. I haven’t looked at anything yet, but he forwarded it all to me. Do you want me to print it out for you to go through?”

I look away as the tears build behind my eyes. “Um. Maybe not yet, please.”

“No worries. Are you up to going out to celebrate tonight? The girls are going to pick the place.”

I smile softly over at him and nod. “Sure. Sounds great.”

After the girls have their snack, I leave them with their dad and head to my room to call Mackenzie back. I sit on my bed as I wait for her to pick up, running way too many scenarios in my mind.

“Hey,” she answers and I let out a relieved breath.

“Morgan said you’re welcome here… Are you okay?”

She sighs and sniffles, I wince with the sound. I’m terrified for my friend. I don’t remember the last time she’s ever been upset about… anything. “No. I’ll tell you in person… I should be getting in around two PM tomorrow. I’ll grab a rental car.”

I blink up at the ceiling and feel my chest constrict. “In person? M, please tell me something. I’m worried.”

“Please, Lil.” Her voice cracks and I close my eyes.

“I’ll call you a little later, okay? I’m packing up and throwing the rest of my shit in storage…

I can’t be here anymore. I’m not going to mooch off of you or anything.

I’ll find a job and be out of your hair.

Maybe Minnesota will be good for me, too. ”

“Oh, Mack. Anything you need. Worst case, there’s some great apartments or rentals just down the road. I’ll ask Morgan if any of his friends know of someone hiring.”

“Thanks… I’ll call you later.” She hangs up and I head to the bathroom to wash my face.

Holy shit, she wants to leave her glamorous, fun life.

I never expected anything like that from her, and now I’m dreading the phone call later and what she will tell me hopefully tomorrow.

I’m expecting the worst and am terrified for her.

The rest of the night I’m out of it, but still stay involved in easy conversations with the girls and Morgan. They chose the pizza place that has an arcade again, and we played for hours.

Luckily he called ahead this time and we had a private room with a separate arcade entrance and exit so he could hide if he needed to. I don’t think I’ll ever be used to that, to this life.

The girls all pass out in the car on the way home and I jump when Morgan sets his hand on mine. “Are you okay?”

I slowly nod and blow out a slow breath. “I will be… We’ll talk after we get the girls in bed, okay?”

He nods and focuses on the road, wrapping his fingers through mine. Gosh, his hands feel so warm and big in mine. I breathe in a deep breath and let it out.

Why do I feel like a teenager around him? Is it the age difference? No. Bradley was a little older than him.

Will he still reject me even though the divorce is final? Does he still want me at all? And why me in the first place? Because the girls and I get along? So it could have been any nanny?

I hate how I feel so wishy-washy about this, but I mean, he’s technically my boss and I still freak out about what Bradley put me through. Morgan travels a lot. He’s high profile, in the tabloids, and paparazzi follow him around. Even his best friends are famous.

He’s a multimillionaire and can have any woman he wants, yet he’s holding my hand? Tells me he wants to know more about me, he says he wants me. It freaks me out and fills me up with so much excitement that my stomach is on fire.

He squeezes my hand after we park and he sends me a wink. “I’ll pop open the wine once they’re all in bed.” I nod and I grab Tilly and Nessa while Morgan carries Avery. She looks so small in his arms, even at ten years old. Or Morgan is just… big.

I snort to myself as I head to the girls’ room, waking them up so they can use the bathroom and brush their teeth before I help them change.

Tilly cries and I cuddle her, carrying her over to the changing table so that I can put her in a new diaper.

The one I put her in before dinner is still dry, so she’s getting there. She’s trying.

I rock them for about ten minutes, singing them songs, keeping the room dark instead of reading them a book since they’re already so tired. After I set them down in their beds, I step out and close the door softly before heading over to Avery’s room to make sure she’s settled.

All three girls are asleep and it’s not even eight o'clock yet.

I shuffle down towards the kitchen where I hear Morgan closing cabinets and I take a seat at the island, watching him silently.

You would think someone so tall, so toned would be less graceful.

Or maybe it still hasn’t clicked that this man skates on a pair of thin blades on ice for a living.

I don’t think I’ve ever ice skated in my life.

My first adoptive parents never had me in sports. Betty and Francis let me figure out what I liked on my own, and it was definitely not sports.

Morgan slides a glass of white wine towards me and takes a long sip from the glass, settling his dark eyes upon me. I smile and nod my thanks as I smell the liquid, groaning under my breath. It smells sweet, not quite as sweet as a Moscato though, thank goodness.

“Let’s head out to the back porch, we won’t have many more warm nights.

” I follow him to the sliding glass door and grumble when I move over to the table and chairs.

He tsks at me and places a hand at the bottom of my back, barely an inch above my ass, and we walk deeper into the yard.

“This… is a fire pit. I’ll set it up and light it. ”

I chuckle and glance around, still holding both of our glasses as he grabs firewood that’s all chopped beside one of the nearby trees.

He jogs over to the shed that’s beside the house, grabbing better kindling and a lighter.

I bite on my lip as I watch him bend over, then squat down.

His muscles in his ass, thighs, and back pull and tense with every movement.

Fuck he’s magnificent. With his thick brown hair, his tanned, sunkissed skin… There's no way this man is mortal.

He stands and stalks over to me with a wicked smirk lining his lips. Stepping in close to me, he leans over me, stealing the glasses out of my hands and pulls me up into his arms.

I gasp and freeze, not knowing what to do. Is he helping me up to stand with him closer to the fire? Do I wrap my arms and legs around him? Can he… hold me?