Page 11 of Falling for You (Balsam Cliffs #2)

My fifth dropped pint slams to the floor, shattering in all different directions.

“Fuck!” I yell out in frustration.

Jasmine, my waitress that caught me and Emma earlier, comes back to the kitchen. “Rome, go home. Whatever was happening earlier is obviously messing with you. We’re good. Go get your girl. Or your baby. Or both.”

She slyly fishes for information from me to see which I’ll respond to. But I don’t. “Yeah. You’re right. Thanks, Jas. I’m going to talk to Clark. You’re in charge of the front of the house tonight, okay?”

She salutes me and walks back out to the dining room, leaving me to clean up my mess… again.

I toss the contents of the dustpan into the trash and head over to Clark who has been eyeing me all night.

“What’s crawled up your ass?” he asks me while plating an order.

“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”

“Try me. I’ve seen some shit in my day, son.” He tosses the plate up into the window. “Order eighty-seven up!”

Clark definitely lived the life years ago when he was my age.

I go through the whole story, again. Retelling my mistakes, and Blair’s selfless act of love for our daughter.

“Oh shit. I never had a surprise baby. You upped me.” He laughs as he continues to move around me in the kitchen, filling the orders that magically never pile up.

I glare at him. I can’t believe he finds this amusing.

“ Anyway .” I continue. “Emma took her back to the inn. So if you’re good I’m going to run and… I don’t know. Try to figure out what the hell I’m going to do with becoming an overnight Dad.”

“Yeah, I’m good. Jas has the waitstaff under control?”

“Yup. She’s good. Text me if you need me.”

I wave to my bartenders and waiters as I leave out the front door. There’s a chill in the air for June, and the breeze blows off the water through the trees. Giving an eerie feel to the night as the tall pines sway.

What the fuck did I get into? My Dad always told me that messing with tourists would get me in trouble, and I’ll be damned he was right. He’s going to have a field day with that. Evelyn would never do this. She’s Miss Perfect, dating the illustrious Neil.

He’s got a job in finance, wears a suit everyday, graduated top of his class from an ivy league.

And I brew beers. Now, I’m a single dad and I barely remember the baby’s mother.

And it’s not for lack of trying. I have been staring at her picture from Wayne all night long.

I remember her vaguely, but not enough to be able to fill in memories of her for Olivia.

I’m already fucking this up, unable to do the one thing she asked of me.

I pull out my phone, shooting a text to Hunter to see if he’s at the inn.

Me: Headed to the inn, you there?

Hunter: Oh I’m here. And I have a cute little thing next to me, heard you might know her.

Me: Sorry man. We got slammed but I’ll see you in five to explain.

Hunter: No need to be sorry man, Ems filled me in. And I might have a solution for you…

Great. At least one of us has a fucking solution. Because beyond getting one of those things that will strap Olivia to my chest I don’t know how I’m going to run a brewery, brew new beers, and be a dad.

I use the rest of the walk to take in deep breaths, breathing in the salty air and willing it to fix my life.

I open the door to the inn, letting the cinnamon smell that reminds me of my childhood waft over me. It calms me as soon as I smell it and walk through the door. I don’t even know how Anna still finds the same apple cinnamon potpourri that she’s had here since the nineties.

There in the living room is almost all of the Keaton clan as soon as I walk in. Anna is holding Olivia, blowing raspberries on her belly as they play.

“Mimi K loves you, Livvy girl, yes I do.” Olivia coos back at her, reaching for her face.

Fuck. How can I let them get attached to her? What happens if she isn’t mine?

A hard slap to my shoulder has me snapping out of my thoughts.

“Son, how are you holding up?” Nathan Keaton pulls me to him for a hug.

Nathan and Anna have always been a second set of parents to me since kindergarten when I met Hunter and Gunnar. Only the more loving set than my own biological parents.

“I don’t know,” I answer truthfully.

I follow behind him as he pushes the kitchen door open, and Hunter gets up from the couch to follow us. I search for Emma before I go in there, finding her next to Anna, staring at Olivia and laughing.

The sight makes my chest hurt. These are the things we talked about. How we both wanted a big family, surrounded by her family and the warm love they exude.

It’s everything I ever dreamed of with Emma, just not exactly how I dreamed it coming true.

“I know I fucked up, Pops.” I admit sliding onto one of the barstools surrounding the large island in the kitchen. Maybe if I admit it first he won’t be so disappointed in me. He never got angry when we were kids, but if he told you he was disappointed, fuck that hurt.

“Well, I don’t disagree, son. But you’re here. So the choice is yours on how you want to handle it.”

“What if she isn’t mine?” I slide my hands through my beard, tugging at my chin.

Hunter snickers behind me. “Hate to tell you this, man but have you seen that baby? Even I can see she’s your double.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. Obviously I’ll step up, but how do I do that? How can I be a single dad and run the brewery and still be in the brewhouse to keep the actual brewery going?” I hang my head staring at my folded hands in my lap.

“It’s about time you realize you have a village that surrounds you, and is willing to help you.” Nathan slides a couple of water bottles across the table to Hunter and I.

“About that,” Hunter starts, “I have an idea for you. A solution to all your problems.” That damn smirk is back and I already know I don’t like whatever harebrained idea he has.

My eyes bounce between Hunter and Nathan, “And that is?”

“Well, you know how I’m tearing apart the cabin and Ems is living in a construction zone with no plumbing?”

Oh shit, no. “Yeah.”

“Well. What if she moved in with you and helped as your nanny, and with administrative shit at the brewery?”

I nearly spit out my water. Live with Emma? That’s like sending Little Red Riding Hood to live with the Big Bad Wolf.

“You want Ems to live with me?” I finally manage to spit out.

“I mean, is it that awful? She can live there to help with Olivia, and she’s smart as hell. Look what she did with the inn, imagine what she could do for the brewery.” Hunter narrows his eyes, aggravated that I’m doubting her.

“Yeah, I mean it sounds great in theory. But she won’t want to live with me.

She just moved home into the cabin. She was so excited about it.

And who wants to live with a crying baby?

” I try to deflect off me and onto Emma.

It’s a shitty move but what am I supposed to do?

Admit to Hunter that I’ve been banging his sister for a year and I want to make her mine in every sense but she’s pissed as hell at me for being a chickenshit coward?

That’s exactly what I was supposed to be doing before Olivia showed up.

“Dude, she has no bathroom. She has to run to the inn in the middle of the night and after this morning, it’s not changing anytime soon,” he cringes at the thought of whatever happened this morning, “That cabin is a pit of bad news. Trust me when I tell her how long it will be, she’ll be begging to live with you. ”

I doubt it. But what do I have to lose? My sanity?

“Yeah, I kind of need a place to live right now. Hunt is encroaching on my bedroom.” Her face softens when she sees me, I didn’t even hear her come into the kitchen.

“Ems. You don’t have to give up your life to help me. This is my problem. You should get to live your life,” —she steps closer to me— “besides, what if she isn’t even mine? Then all of this worry is for nothing.”

“You’re awfully stuck on her not being yours and worrying other people,” Nathan chimes in, “I think you two need to talk alone. Come on Hunt.”

Hunter follows Nathan out leaving me and Ems alone.

“Sunshine, you really want to live with me?” I grab her hand and tug her into me. A dangerous move considering where I am.

“Used to daydream about it, Stud. But this is purely for you. To help you with Olivia. You don’t need to think about me or us right now, you have more important things to think about.

Besides, she’s kind of worming her way in already.

That giggle will get you to do anything. Mimi K is wrapped around her finger.”

I release her hand and rub my own hands over my face. She sits on my leg, wrapping one arm around my neck. Her other hand rests on my cheek turning me to face her.

“I’d do anything for you, Rome. Including living with you as your nanny, even if it kills me.”

The last thought I have before smashing my lips to hers is that this will definitely kill me first. If not, Hunter will.

I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me as I part her lips with my tongue. She leans into my chest, a moan escapes and makes my dick take notice of what’s happening.

The door swings open and shut before we have a chance to pull apart. A cold fear takes over my body that it’s Hunter.

“Oh. Um… Ignore me. They wanted cookies.” Violet skirts around us, grabbing the serving platter of cookies to my right, “Sorry. Please resume.”

“Fuck. That could have been Hunter. I’m so sorry, Sunshine.”

She jumps off my lap, “Would it be that bad if he found out now?” she whispers softly, almost soft enough that I know it wasn’t meant for me to hear.

I don’t answer her, I have no answer. Yes it would be terrible if he found out about us, especially this way, especially now. But it’d also be freeing to have her as mine out in the open. But it’s selfish as hell to expect her to take on my bullshit now.

“I’ll move in tomorrow, Rome. Vi and the boys can help me. I’ll keep Olivia while you’re at work.” A look of hurt flashes across her face.

“I have the day off. The Ryans texted me earlier that our paternity test was scheduled for tomorrow. And I guess I have to tell my parents. I’ll stop by after the appointment since I won’t be too far from their office. Plus they’re less likely to throw a tantrum in their office.”

“Okay. I have a key then.” She leans in, kissing me on the cheek. “See you tomorrow, roomie .”

God, I’m a fucking jackass. How can I do this to her? Ask this of her? I used to think I was a man, a real man with his shit straight, but now, I’m questioning every decision I make. But I’m too fucking selfish to stop taking from her.