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Chapter Twenty-Nine

T ate

“What are you doing in here?” Mimi asks, groaning as she settles into her recliner. A party hat is perched on top of her head, and a string secures it around her chin. She’s adorably ridiculous.

I’m stretched out on her sofa, listening to the partygoers celebrating my birthday as they laugh outside by the pool.

“Thought about taking a nap,” I say.

I tilt my head, so I look behind me and catch her giving me the strangest look.

“I could use a nap,” she says. “Want to get in bed with me?”

My chest shakes as I laugh even though I don’t feel like it.

Last night was the first time I’ve seen Aurora mad. It was also the first time that I felt like a fucking asshole and regretted it. I’ve never not known how to fix a problem with a woman until she stormed out of my house … and refused my calls.

I cover my face with my hands and groan.

“Either tell me what’s wrong or get out of my house,” Mimi says, her tone teasing.

“I fucked up.”

“I gathered that. How?”

My hands slide down my face, pulling my lip as they go. “I showed my ass.”

“Nobody’s going to be mad at that.”

“You’re not helping, Mimi.”

“I’m old. If you don’t get to the point fast, I might croak.”

I sit up, sick of myself.

“Here, I’ll help,” she says. “You messed up with Girlfriend #2. Take it from there.”

Despite my shitty mood, I can’t help but smile at Girlfriend #1.

“I had this image of what my life was going to be like now that I met her,” I say, realizing just how much of a jerk I sound like when I say it aloud. “She disagreed. I pushed. And last night, she walked out on me.”

Mimi whistles through her dentures.

“ Yeah .” I nod as I exhale. “Like I said, I fucked up.”

“Well, you don’t lie. That’s a plus.”

I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She’s grinning.

“First of all, what hill was this you were willing to die on?” she asks.

“Marriage.”

“Oh, Tate.” She sighs as if this might kill her. “You’re proof God can’t give brains and beauty to the same person.”

He did to Aurora, but I don’t want to argue that point now.

“I just want to marry her,” I say. “I love the fucking shit out of her, Mimi. I want to take care of her and spoil her rotten. I want to have a family with her. What’s wrong with that?”

She groans. “Let me see how many crayons I have lying here so I can draw you a picture.”

“You’re so funny.”

“Look, she put you in your place. She looked into those beautiful eyes and wasn’t dazzled. And good for her.”

“Whose side are you on?”

“This time? Not yours.”

I stare at her. Traitor .

“It’s time you learned the art of compromise,” she says. “That’s where you take a little. They take a little. You give some, and they give some.”

“I know what it is.”

“Then why didn’t you do it?”

My thoughts drift back through my conversation with Aurora.

Why didn’t I compromise?

I bury my head in my hands as my words ring through my brain.

“So I waited my whole life for the one girl who I want to spend my life with, and then I get told to hang on. She might want to be with you. She might not. She might have your children. She might not.”

There were alternate ways of fixing this besides demanding that I get my way. Why would she even want to marry me if I’m going to be such a dick about it?

“Have you talked to her since she left?” Mimi asks.

I shake my head.

“You should’ve had your ass over there and been on your knees before she got home,” she says. “Didn’t we just have a conversation about this—about showing her what you mean?”

“You’re really mean today.”

“Somebody has to be. Someone must remind you that you can’t be a brat.”

My face pops up to face hers, my eyes wide. “A brat?”

“ A brat .” She crosses her frail little arms over her chest. “You can’t always get what you want.”

“I know that, okay? Chill out.”

“No one says that anymore.”

“How do you … Never mind.” I sigh, my face turning red. “I got scared. That’s the truth of it. I felt rejected. I panicked. I’ve been making all of these plans and all I could see was my whole life falling down—because it started with her. And I hurt her in the process.” I hang my head. “Fuck.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere.”

“I gotta fix this.”

“Well, right now, there’s a party going on out there, and a bunch of people traveled a long way to see you. Spend some time with them and then stop pussyfooting around and go get your girl.”

I wipe my hands down my jeans. “Thanks, Mimi. I love you.”

“Aw, Tate. I love you, too. But this round of your bullshit about killed me. You owe me one shirtless trip around the neighborhood next week.”

Laughing, I press a kiss to her cheek. “You got it.”

“Close that door behind you. I’m going to take a little nap.”

“Okay.”

I let myself out of Mimi’s cottage and step into the warm sunlight. My eyes scan the crowd, looking for Aurora in the off chance she shows up. But I don’t see her.

I really don’t expect to.

“There’s my boy,” Mom says, pulling me into a hug. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Mama. I’m glad you came, even if it’s really to see the babies.”

She laughs like I’m kidding.

“You look good,” I say. “You look happy.”

“I am.” She beams. “I really, truly am. And it’s nice to be back home. I miss Nashville.”

There’s a twist in her eye that pulls on my heart. She has too many memories here—both bad and good. She had to give up so much because of Dad.

“Lookie there, Ives.” Ripley stops alongside us, holding Ivy.

“Hey, watch this,” I say, letting Ivy grab my finger. “Ivy, say Tate!”

“Ta!”

“Oh, my goodness,” Mom says, giggling. “That’s so precious.”

I look at Ripley and wink.

His smirk grows deeper than mine. “Watch this.” He bounces Ivy around until she’s facing him. “Ivy, say Rip!”

“Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrip!”

“Sucka,” Ripley says, walking away with the baby and a victory. On my birthday.

“Hey, Tate!” Jason’s wife Chloe yells from the back porch. “Gannon wants to see you in the house.”

Oh, great. This day keeps getting better.

Aurora

Voices and music drift from the back of the massive home with the long driveway. Cars worth more than most people’s gross income line both sides of the street. I’d second-guess this is my destination except there’s a sign on the front lawn that says Happy birthday, Tate !

I’m not sure I should be here. Actually, I’m pretty sure I should go. But this is Tate’s birthday, a day he loves, and I want to wish him a great year.

And hopefully not goodbye.

I should’ve taken his calls last night. But every time the phone rang, my stomach would knot, and I’d convince myself we needed a little breathing room to think. In reality, I was just too nervous to come up with the right words to say.

“Aurora?”

I turn to my left and see Carys standing on the porch. She immediately comes down the stairs and crosses the lawn.

“Hi,” I say, my smile wobbly.

Before I can say anything else, she pulls me in a big hug.

“It’s so good to see you,” she says. “I’m glad you came.”

“I wasn’t sure if I should.”

Her eyes are crystal clear and full of joy. I’m happy for her.

“How have you been?” I ask. “How is your baby?”

“Ivy is her name, and she’s wonderful. Growing so fast. How about you?”

I laugh nervously. “I’m good. Been busy.”

“Tate keeps you hoppin’. There’s no doubt about that.”

My smile falters, and Carys doesn’t miss it.

She stands with me beneath the warm sun, feeling the wind dance across our skin. Neither of us speaks for the longest time. We just exist in the same space, and it’s all I could ask for from her.

“This family is loud,” she says softly. “They’re tactile—definite huggers.”

I grin. “They’re a little overwhelming.”

“Oh, girl, I know. But it’s worth it. Trust me. They will fight for you,” she says. “They will move mountains for you. Because if you’re Gannon’s, or Renn’s, or Chloe’s, or Tate’s —you belong to us all.”

Tears fill my eyes as she looks at me.

What a sweet, wonderful girl. Her father didn’t deserve her, and I’m so glad she’s found a safe, soft spot to land.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” she says. “But I did see Tate a bit ago, and he looks like a wounded puppy.”

I chuckle, wiping my eyes.

“Be tough with him,” she says. “But be ready to forgive him too. Because, unlike other men that we know, this guy is one of the best. I know. I have a slightly older version of him.”

I smile, pulling her into another hug.

“Thank you,” I say.

“Of course. Now let’s really meet for drinks this time.”

I laugh, and it feels so good. “Yes. Let’s do that.”

“Come on. I’ll show you to the party.”

My breaths are strangled as my nerves get the best of me. A part of me wants to hand Carys the card and run like my life depends on it. I’m already emotional. What if I see Tate and we cause a scene?

I can’t do that to him.

Fuck. I shouldn’t be here.

“Hey, Carys,” I say, stopping in my tracks.

“Yeah?”

I hand her the card with Tate’s name on the front. “Can you give this to him for me? I just, um … I need to go.”

“Sure. We’d love for you to stay.”

I shake my head as the tears start to well again. “Thank you. I’ll call you for drinks next week.”

Before I turn into a blubbering mess, I turn and walk down the street toward my car.

Tate

“Tate!” Carys runs to me like a dog is chasing her. “I have been looking everywhere for you.”

“And I’ve been standing here talking to Bianca.”

“Hi, Bianca,” Carys says, then immediately turns her attention to me. She slams an envelope in my hand and then shoves me toward the side of the house. “Go.”

I’m so confused. “Where?”

She stands in front of me, panting. “Aurora is here.”

“What?”

“She was here. I saw her out front. She panicked, asked me to give you this, and is headed to her car. Go!”

I take off running to the front of the house.

“Go left on the road!” she shouts.

I sprint down the driveway, my heart pounding. Perspiration gathers between my shoulder blades as I trek onto the road. I look to my right, then to my left.

“ Where are you ?” I ask, scanning every driveway until I spot the last car in the line. And, just in front of it, is my girl.

“Aurora!” I shout, my jog turning into a sprint. “Wait!”

She jumps, looking over her shoulder. Her eyes find mine.

Even from this distance, and in this situation, I can see her love for me. I can see the pain inflicted on her. I can see the rest of my life.

Somehow, someway.

“Hey.” I pant, stopping a few feet from her. “Carys said you were here.”

She’s beautiful in a pale blue dress that shows off her delicate shoulders. Her hair is piled on top of her head. There are bags beneath her eyes.

I want to touch her—to reach out and pull her close. But I don’t deserve that. I broke our trust.

“I’m sorry,” I say, holding her gaze. “I tried to call and apologize. Then, when you didn’t answer, I figured coming by your house wouldn’t be a good idea.”

She almost grins.

“I was wrong. Selfish. Childish. Mimi called me a brat.”

She bites her lip to keep from smiling.

“I have no right to tell you what to do, or to pressure you into doing anything,” I say. “No matter my intentions, it was wrong. And I will never do anything like that again.”

“Mimi called you a brat?”

“She did. And she was right.” I shrug. “I want you in whatever way you’ll consider letting me have you. I should’ve been more considerate of you, and I wasn’t, and I hate myself for it.”

“So what are you proposing?”

“Whatever you want. You call the shots. You’re in control.”

Her eyes soften.

“I want you to know that marriage is always on the table. Fifty years from now, it’ll still be there. But I won’t bring it up again,” I say. “I’m not going to hurt you by making you think about terrible things. How stupid was I?”

“So no marriage?” she asks.

“I love you, Aurora Johnson. I’d rather have you in my life and arms and not be married, than not have you at all.”

She nods, her breaths coming in deeper. “Did you read your card?”

“What card?” I look down at my hand. “Oh, no. Carys shoved it at me, then hurled me toward the road.”

She fights a giggle. “Open it.”

The top of the envelope is tucked into the back. I free it and pull the card out of the sleeve. Aurora watches me nervously as I open the card.

Her handwriting fills up most of the blank space.

Happy birthday, Tate.

You’re impossible to shop for because you have everything a man could want. Well, except for two things.

First, I love you. I might have some hang-ups regarding pieces of paper proving a relationship, but I give you my heart. It’s yours.

Second, I know you want a family, and I do, too. And there’s no other man in the world that I trust to be my child’s father.

This setup is a little unconventional, but the idea of starting a family with you fills me with happiness.If I don’t have kids with you, I likely won’t have any. And I really want to be a mother.

The choices are yours.

Love,

Aurora

“Are you fucking serious?” I drop the note to my side and look at Aurora in disbelief. “You’re serious?”

She stands in front of me, our chests nearly touching. She peers up at me through her thick lashes.

“You don’t think having a baby together is going too fast?” I ask.

She laughs. “I’m forty, okay? I don’t have much longer left.”

“Forty?” I make a face, and she slaps me on the chest. “Damn, girl. We better skip the party and get busy.”

“Keep it up and I’ll rescind my proposal.”

“It’s written down. It’s pretty much a contract at this point.”

She lifts up and tries to kiss me. Instead, I pick her up and wrap her legs around my waist.

“I love you,” I say, pressing soft kisses on her lips. “I missed you so much last night.”

She hums as I continue to kiss her.

“We have a lot to talk about, huh?” I ask, brushing strands of hair off her face.

“There’s no rush,” she says, grinning up at me.

I kiss her again. “That’s right. No rush.”

My phone interrupts the moment by buzzing in my pocket.

“Can you get that?” I ask Aurora.

She slides it out and hands it to me.

Renn: Everyone to the back patio, please. We have ice cream melting.

Oh shit. “We have to go back.”

“Me?”

“Yup, you, too.”

She pulls her brows together, but I don’t say anything more.

I start down the road with her still wrapped around me.