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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

HADLEY

Rowan

Can you stop by tonight after you’re done at work?

Hadley

Of course. Is everything okay?

R owan was supposed to get in earlier today from their time on the road and Mia said she would stay with Lucy until he got home. I brought all my things with me to work and was planning on going back to my apartment afterward. Since he’s home, I didn’t think he would want me to stay, although we haven’t discussed the specifics of this nanny situation yet.

I don’t imagine he’ll want me to stay at his house full-time and I don’t want to go ahead and assume he will. The last thing I want to do is take up space in his home. I left my landlord a message in hopes that I’ll be able to extend my lease for another three months. I’m supposed to be out at the end of next week, but since I’ve been renting month to month, I’m hoping he’ll let me stay.

If not, I don’t know what I’m going to do or where I’m going to stay.

Rowan

Everything’s good.

“What the hell am I going to do without you here?”

I snort, pulling the cupcake away from my mouth as I chew the bite I took and swallow it. “Probably the same thing you did before I came here.”

Cole rolls his eyes. “Well, yeah, but that was pretty fucking boring.”

Janet cuts her eyes at Cole, making sure he notices her disapproval at him swearing. He gives her a sweet smile before walking over to the table to get a drink. It’s my last shift at Aston Medical Center and Cole got the entire unit on board to throw me a little goodbye party.

It’s bittersweet, really. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stay here forever, but I’m also excited for what comes after this. I know I have the next few months of helping Rowan out and then it’s on to the next assignment. I can only hope the people there are as welcoming as they have been here.

I’ve made friends here in Aston and I hate the thought of having to leave.

“What can I do to convince you to stay?”

I tilt my head to the side, looking at Cole. “They told me they’re only going to be hiring internally until further notice. Tell someone to hire me and I promise I’ll stay.”

“Maybe your nannying gig turns into something full-time,” he suggests, wagging his eyebrows at me. He winks at me for good measure and I know exactly what he’s hinting at. There’s no place in my life for a man and a baby, especially not my ex’s brother. I’ll stay and help Rowan, but it can’t be anything more than that.

It’s just a temporary arrangement.

I give him the middle finger, laughing as Janet now directs her scowl at me. An apologetic smile lifts my lips, but she still doesn’t look pleased as she exits the room, leaving Cole and me together.

He lets out an exaggerated sigh. “You’re really going to leave me alone with her?” He gives me a pitiful look. “She hates me.”

“I think she hates everyone.”

Cole walks over to me, throwing his arm around my shoulders. “She probably hasn’t had a healthy dose of vitamin D in a long time.”

Whipping my head to the side, my eyes slice to his as I try to give him a scolding look but instead my face cracks, laughter bubbling in my throat as I shake my head at him. He’s absolutely ridiculous and that’s exactly why we’re friends. “Sex doesn’t solve everyone’s problems, Cole.”

“Maybe not, but you know what they say.” He gives me a sheepish grin and a shrug. “An orgasm a day keeps the shitty feelings away.”

My eyebrows pinch. “You totally just made that up. ”

Cole laughs, pulling me toward the nurses’ station with him. “Oh, totally.”

After a relatively normal shift, I stop by to clock out one last time and head out to the parking lot to where my car is. Cole offered to wait for me, but I told him to go ahead. It’s his and Damien’s anniversary tonight and they had plans for dinner. We’re already getting out of here a little later than planned, so I don’t want to keep him from going to celebrate.

I head over to Rowan’s house, feeling a heaviness weighing on my chest. It’s weird to think I won’t be going back to Aston Medical Center for another shift. Being a nurse is a thankless job, honestly, but that place was one of the best I’ve worked at thus far. The staff was amazing, the facility was top of the line, and working with babies has always been my dream job.

It’s not easy to find nursing contracts for a specific field, so it just felt like this one was meant to be. But as always...all good things have to come to an end. This job was just another step in my journey and even though there is a part of me that’s upset, I’m excited for what’s to come after this.

I walk up to the front door of Rowan’s house, lifting my hand to knock on the door, when it’s pulled open before I even get the chance. A soft gasp escapes me and a gentle smile lifts my lips as I meet Rowan’s gaze. His deep blue eyes land on me and I take a moment to soak up the sight of him .

He’s wearing a plain dark gray hooded sweatshirt and black joggers and there’s a tiny baby tucked in along his left arm.

“Hey,” he says softly, his voice tender and warm as he smiles back at me. “I didn’t mean to surprise you. I saw your headlights when you pulled in.” He moves out of the way, holding the door open for me. “Come in.”

It feels weird not just coming inside and making myself at home after the significant amount of time I’ve spent here lately.

“How was your last day?” Rowan asks as he shuts the door behind me.

I kick my shoes off, turning around to face him and Lucy. “It was bittersweet. I’m not sure I was ready to say goodbye to them, but I’m excited to spend the next few months helping you out and then whatever comes after that.”

Rowan falls silent, shifting his weight on his feet as an awkwardness fills the air surrounding us. “I’m sure they’ll miss having you there.”

“Yep.” I awkwardly pop the p sound at the tail end of the word as I shove my hands into the back pockets of my scrubs.

He doesn’t speak and I count three solid heartbeats in my chest as his eyes slowly travel across my face, moving from my left eye, across my nose, down to my lips, and back to my right eye. “I have something for you.”

My eyebrows pull together. “What?”

“Come,” he says, motioning for me to follow him. My footsteps are soft and light as I follow him into the kitchen. There’s a basket sitting on top of the island, along with a bouquet of flowers in a clay vase. “I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to get you something for today being your last day.”

Rolling my lips between my teeth, I bite back my smile as I blow a soft breath through my nostrils. “You didn’t have to do that,” I tell him, excitement bubbling in my stomach. “If I’m being honest, I do love gifts, though.”

He tilts his head to the side, watching me for a moment before he slowly nods. I can feel his gaze on me as I sit down at the island, pulling the basket closer. Inside, there’s a soft blanket, a pair of slippers, and some chocolate. Just a few things that make me smile.

I reach for the vase, moving it closer to me so I can smell the flowers. The clay is so smooth and the gloss covering it makes the surface almost slippery. I lift it up, looking at the swirling shades of gold and brown.

“This is beautiful.” I pause for a moment, feeling something etched in the bottom of it. I lift it higher, seeing there’s an RT etched in the bottom, along with the year. My eyes flash to Rowan’s and I remember how into sculpting he was in high school.

Beau used to talk shit about it, but I always thought it was pretty cool.

“Did you make this?”

He drags his top teeth over his bottom lip. “I did.” He tips his head forward. “I have a pottery shed out back. ”

“I didn’t know you still did that.” I smile at him, setting the vase back down and wrapping my hands around it. I remember how his mother proudly displayed the things he made around their house even after he left home. “What all do you have in your shed?”

A smirk lifts his lips and mischief dances in his eyes. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Well, yeah.” I laugh, shaking my head at him. “That’s why I’m asking.”

“Maybe I’ll show you one day and you can find out for yourself.”

“I’d like that,” I admit, looking down at Lucy as she stirs in Rowan’s arms. “May I?” I ask him, meeting his eyes again.

“You never have to ask, Hadley,” he says softly as he moves over to me. He moves the baby away from his body, holding her out to me. The backs of his hands brush against my palms, sending a spark of electricity, lighting up my nerve pathways. My heart tumbles over itself and I catch the scent of his cologne.

Oakmoss and cedar.

I’ve decided that’s my new favorite scent.

He moves his hands away, turning away from me as he walks over to the fridge, pulling out a drink. “I talked to my lawyer this morning.”

The sentence comes out of nowhere and I stare at the side of his face. “Oh?”

“Turns out if I don’t legally have custody of Lucy, her mother can come back and essentially take her any time. Even though she left a note, we still need it to be in writing.” He pauses, taking a sip of his drink. “Okay, it would be a little more complicated than that, but I would have to fight her in court for Lucy then, essentially.” He leans back against the counter, planting his hands on the surface as he crosses his ankles.

“How do you legally obtain custody? Does her mother have to sign over her rights?”

He ducks his chin, removing his hands from the countertop as he crosses his arms over his chest. A deep breath escapes him. “I’m paying my lawyer to serve her with the papers and to get her to sign, but it’s more than just that. I have to prove to the courts that I’m suited to have full custody.”

“How do you prove it?”

The muscle in his jaw tightens as he drops his arms away from his chest. “They’ll look at my finances and my living conditions to make sure I can provide for her.” He moves, closing the distance between himself and the island I’m sitting at. His hands grip the edge of the counter. “The only concern is my job and how much time I have to spend away from her.”

“You have to show them that she’ll have a stable home life,” I muse out loud, my eyes dropping down to Lucy. A gentle smile lifts her chubby cheeks and my heart warms.

“Right...” His voice trails off and I look back at him, only to find his gaze solely focused on my face. His expression gives nothing away. “I lied to my lawyer.”

My forehead creases. “About what? ”

“About you.” He lifts his hand, running it through his hair as his eyelids fall shut and he sucks in a deep breath. I watch his shoulders fall as he exhales and looks back at me once more.

“I told him we’re engaged.”