Page 40 of I Choose You (Wilder #2)

Reid

Claire’s side of the bed was cold. I hated it. I hated her not being beside me when I woke up, breathing her in, feeling her nestle against my chest.

She was only gone for a few days. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

She’d gone back to Connecticut to meet with Andrew and talk about whatever project she was getting assigned to next. It wouldn’t be long until she packed it up, going back to her real life.

Fuck.

I let out a deep sigh, and even that reminded me of Claire.

I could picture her in this room, sitting with her legs crossed, breathing deeply as she did her meditation.

She had told me dozens of times that I should try it with her, but all of my attempts ended up with a naked Claire in my mind, prompting a naked Claire in my bed.

The Delano Library was getting closer to being completed every day.

Now that spring had finally broken through, my crew and I were able to get working on the exterior repairs that we had put off through the winter.

It was a Saturday, but my guys were working, doing the final push in the last few weeks of the contract. I showered and met them on-site.

Dale and Shawn were working from the scaffolding, cleaning all of the exterior stonework with a specialized thermal-heated, low-pressure power washer. It was going to take weeks to get through the entire building, but the difference it made was well worth the effort.

I found Richie inside working on the baseboards.

“Hey. Let’s get these baseboards finished up today so we can start to get some of the furniture moved into the right rooms. I’d like to start clearing out the workrooms.”

“Yeah. Sounds good.” Richie and I worked together in comfortable silence for a while. “So, Claire must be just about done with her portion of this contract, no?”

“Not yet. We still need to finish outfitting the rooms after we see what’s remaining with the furniture we have on hand.

Plus, she’s in charge of getting any of the artwork picked out and stuff.

She still has plenty to do here. She isn’t going anywhere just yet.

” By the time I finished, I was talking so fast.

“Yeah. Good. I don’t want to see her go, you know.”

“You and me both,” I told him with a huff.

We put in our hours and were finishing the last of the baseboards after working our way around the room in opposite directions to get it done quickly. My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen, hoping it would be Claire.

Wyatt: Dinner at Dad’s tonight.

Luke: I’ll have to check with Jules, see if she made plans for us.

Me: I don’t have any plans. I’ll be there.

Wyatt: I can hear your pity party from here. She’s away for like three days. Fucking baby laughing face emoji.

Me: Four days. And I’m not being a baby. I just said I had no plans.

Luke sent a meme of a baby crying hysterically.

I flipped them both the bird in an emoji and closed out of our group message. I brought up Claire’s message thread, debating about whether or not to reach out.

After she met with Andrew yesterday, she was staying out there to spend some time with her parents. She hadn’t asked if I wanted to come with her.

It wasn’t lost on me.

I typed out a message and then deleted it. What I wanted to say was “I miss you, and I want you to come home.” I tried again, going for a slightly less-pathetic-sounding text.

Me: Hope you’re having a good weekend.

Me: I miss you.

I couldn’t stop myself. I missed the shit out of Claire.

She responded right away.

Claire: I miss you, too. My mom’s roped me into some event planning and a dinner engagement, so my weekend is turning out to be the opposite of fun. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.

Me: When do you think you’ll be back?

Claire: Probably not until Monday now. I was hoping to get out of here tomorrow, but if the dinner runs late, then I don’t want to be driving back at midnight.

Me: You don’t have to stay, you know. If you want to come home, you can just leave.

Her mother was a manipulative shrew. I knew that if she got her claws into Claire, it would ruin my chances with her.

Claire: I don’t mind. She needs the help.

I finished my conversation with Claire and let her get back to her party planning. A sick feeling wound its way through my stomach. Claire being away this close to the end of the project was making everything feel too real.

Claire and I had an expiration date. I knew that. She knew that.

I stomped my way down the hallway of the library.

“What’s his problem?” Shawn muttered as he disposed of his white Tyvek suit.

“Three guesses, and the first two don’t count,” Dale said.

* * *

I got to my father’s house at the same time as Wyatt and Maeve.

Wyatt pulled Jane from her car seat. She was getting so big.

At almost a year old, she was walking and babbling away.

She leaned toward me when I met them on the walkway, so I scooped her up and held her to me.

This little girl could turn any of my bad moods upside down with her adorable, dimpled smile and two bottom teeth.

We walked in together, and my eyes snapped to Wyatt’s when we opened the door.

Our father’s favorite recliner had been switched out for a brand-new electric model.

But that wasn’t what really grabbed my attention.

The old sectional was also gone, and in its place, a warm green couch and love seat were repositioned in the space.

Homey blankets and throw pillows decorated the new seating set.

The TV had been mounted to the wall, and a console table with vases, lanterns, and a plant was displayed under it.

There were a couple of framed pictures set up in the middle of the table. Jane was front and center, spaghetti coating her face and head as she smiled as bright as the sun. Just behind Jane, to the left, was an old photo of the four of us kids in the backyard.

Wyatt was probably nineteen, his stupid smirk betraying that he didn’t hate taking group pictures as much as he wanted people to think.

Sixteen-year-old Luke was laughing. He radiated a joy I hadn’t seen in him in a long while.

Lydia, oh Lydia. Thirteen years old. We had lost Mom about a year before this picture, and Lydia was still processing.

She might still be processing, considering she ran out of this town and never looked back eleven years ago.

But at thirteen, she was pure angst and rebellion.

And then there was me. Instead of standing still like everyone else, I was mid-jump, arms stretched wide, a shit-eating grin spread across my face.

A picture of my parents sat on the other side of Jane’s picture. My father looked so young, whereas my mother looked exactly as I remembered her, before she got sick. Stuck in time at forty-three years old.

The last picture was one of Dad and Sheila. He was looking at the camera, his arm around Sheila while her head rested on his shoulder.

He deserved that. My father was a good man, and he’d put himself last for too many years. Sheila was good for him, and I was glad he’d found that again.

“What’s all this? You hire an interior designer or something?” Wyatt asked our father.

“I love it. I think it looks great,” Maeve added.

“Thank you, darling. I know it’s a lot of change. I hope that’s alright.” Sheila looked around the room, picking at the polish on her nails, her eyes darting between each of us .

“It was time for some change,” Dad said. “Is Luke coming?”

“I don’t know. He never got back to us.”

A car pulled up outside, and a minute later, Luke walked in, sans Juliet.

“Just you tonight?” I asked.

“Yup. You’re not the only one flying solo tonight.” Luke tried to smile, but the tightness in his eyes told another story.

“Well, dinner is done if you all are ready to eat,” Sheila said.

“And I hope you came hungry. Sheila made enough for a holiday feast,” my father added, a playful glint in his eye.

We made our way into the kitchen. My father wasn’t kidding. A full roasted chicken, potatoes, glazed carrots, bread rolls, and a salad were scattered around the table. We passed the food around as everyone made their plates.

Dad grabbed Sheila’s hand and nodded to her. Her answering smile was full of nerves again. I shot a questioning look to Wyatt sitting across from me. He seemed to have clocked the tension too. He shook his head, clearly no more in the loop about whatever this was than me.

They had been together for months now, and I couldn’t think of a single time any one of us would have made her feel anything less than welcome. Why was she so anxious all of a sudden?

“Everyone,” Dad started. “Sheila and I have some news.”

Immediately, my eyes went to Sheila’s hand. No ring.

All eyes were on them, waiting to hear what they had to say. Jane squawked loudly, breaking the tension that had been building.

“Sheila is moving in,” Dad said with a rough swallow.

I raised my brow, catching Luke’s eye. He did the same.

Wyatt leaned back and threw his hand around Maeve’s chair. “Fuck, Dad. I thought you were going to say you were sick or something.”

“Right,” I agreed. “I didn’t see an engagement ring. I figured pregnancy was off the table… No offense, Sheila…”

“None taken,” she laughed.

“You scared the shit out of me,” I finished.

“Seriously, I think we figured out the living arrangements when we walked into a totally different house,” Luke added.

“I know it’s a lot of changes. I want you to know that I’m not trying to erase any memories you’ve shared here.”

“Sheila,” I chided. “This house has needed an overhaul for a long time.”

Everyone loudly agreed.

“Can we keep eating now? I’m starving,” Wyatt said.

“And this food smells delicious, as always,” Maeve said.