Page 42 of Single Mom’s Undoing (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems #1)

CLARA

T he moment I’ve both dreaded and ardently wished for has finally arrived.

I kiss Matty on the forehead before the doctor and a team of wonderful nurses escort him to surgery. Fortunately, we’re not alone in this.

“You’re going to be okay, honey.”

“Do you promise?” he asks, tucked under a soft blanket on the gurney.

“I promise. You’re going to fall asleep, and you’ll go off to dreamland, and when you wake up, your heart will be good as new. That’s it. Easy-peasy.”

“Lemon squeezy,” he replies with a crooked smile.

“That’s right, and we’ll all be here when you wake up,” Carter says.

Matty gives him a soft smile. “Okay, Daddy. ”

I see how deep that word hits him every time Matty says it. Carter returns the smile and kisses his temple, then pulls back to let the doctors and the nurses do their jobs. I breathe deeply as I sit between Carter and Jace, while Damon crosses his legs on the floor in front of me.

“He’ll be fine,” Carter reassures me. “Dr. Radner has done this exact surgery hundreds of times all over the country. He’s the best in his field.”

“I can’t thank you enough for getting him to fly down to Baker City for this,” I reply and gently kiss his cheek.

“Hey, only the best for my kid.”

“Jodie and Margot are on their way,” Damon announces upon checking his phone. “Good thing there’s plenty of room here for all of us.”

The waiting room is bright and spacious, fitted with comfortable, plush seating and a minibar loaded with refreshments and snacks. I could eat, but I would probably throw it all back up—partly because of my morning sickness, and partly because of my jagged nerves.

“For so long, I’ve dreamed of this day,” I say after a while. “But at the same time, it scares the hell out of me. I mean, if anything happens?—”

“It won’t,” Carter cuts me off, holding me close. “Matty is a fighter. He is the toughest little boy I’ve ever met, Clara. His vitals were good, his blood work pristine. Dr. Radner is confident that it’s going to work. Have some faith.”

“I have faith.”

“You also have fear.” Jace smiles. “Which is a natural response. That’s your baby they’re operating on. It’s okay to feel this way. Just remember that it’ll be over in a few hours, and come Monday, Matty’s going to be moaning about getting to the water park while the weather is still hot.”

“He did love the water park in Eden, didn’t he?” I giggle, remembering last Sunday as my boy’s laughter still echoes in my mind.

He is so happy.

Safe.

Eager to be a part of this weird new family of ours.

“Sorry it took us a while,” Margot says as she and Jodie barge into the waiting room, carrying bags of takeout food and ginger ale. “I figured you’d want to eat something other than whatever is in the minibar here.”

“That smells incredible,” I reply as she sets the bags on a nearby table. “I just don’t think I can eat anything right now.”

“Nervous?” Jodie asks.

I nod once. “He just went in.”

“Eh, he’ll be fine. Matty’s a miniature warrior. Wait until he grows up. The girls are going to be all over him. The guys will want to be him.”

“That actually sounds pretty cool,” I chuckle.

“The second-best looking Lockwood, for sure,” Carter says.

Margot raises an eyebrow at him. “You mean, after me, right?”

“If it stops this from turning into another family feud, sure,” Carter concedes with a cool grin. “How are you holding up, sis? ”

“Oh, it’s been a roller coaster over these past few weeks,” she says as she takes a seat across the room.

Clad in a dark blue pantsuit, Margot looks as though she’s been carrying the weight of the whole world on her shoulders.

In a way, she has. “Taking over for our father at Lockwood Industries hasn’t been easy,” she says.

“There are a lot of issues to handle. A lot of disgruntled managers and employees, many of whom were worried that they might be left without a job because of what happened.”

“Are the Feds shutting anything down?” Carter asks.

She shrugs. “Two of the logistics companies have been flagged and will be subject to a forensic audit, but they weren’t under my management, so I don’t know. Other than that, they left us alone. They’re focusing solely on him and his personal dealings. The ledger, to be specific.”

“I’m still impressed by how you pulled that off,” Jace says.

“I have always known that he kept one somewhere,” Margot replies. “He’s old school like that. Maybe he watched too many mobster movies in the eighties, I don’t know. But he mentioned it more than once when we were kids. He thought I wasn’t paying attention.”

“But you were paying attention,” Carter smiles.

“I always pay attention. By the way, Carter, thanks for facilitating my appointment as interim CEO. Glad to have your vote before the board next month, too.”

“It’s my pleasure, Margot. I know you’re trying your best to get clean, and I don’t see anyone anywhere nearly as skilled as you to run Lockwood Industries. Maybe you’ll manage to wash the dirt off its reputation. ”

“Easier said than done. He’s going to trial next week. Standby for the circus.”

“How are you in that sense?” I ask her. “How do you feel about everything that happened?”

Margot thinks about it for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed.

“Well, for starters, I’m pretty sure he did something to Emmanuel.

I can’t prove it, but I’ve always had an inkling, a nagging feeling.

I don’t know about the rest yet, Clara. I’ll figure it out, eventually.

But what I do know is that I’m relieved.

The truth is out. And he’s going to pay for what he did.

We all need this closure more than anything. ”

“They’re exhuming Stephan’s body next week,” Carter says. “The Feds brought in their independent medical examiner, too. So that’s moving ahead.”

“Come September, I think Bill Lockwood will be looking at life in prison,” Jodie chimes in. “It’ll rock the entire community, for sure, but you know what? Life goes on. People move on. They’ll be fine, especially with Lockwood Industries still up and running.”

“The people of Blackthorn Falls will eventually understand that Bill Lockwood didn’t hold their lives in his hands,” I conclude. “And speaking of September, Matty will be halfway through his recovery by then, and we will be getting ready for kindergarten and all that fun stuff.”

Damon looks up at me. “Positive thinking. Attagirl.”

“I’m hanging on by a thread here,” I laugh nervously.

And trying to convince myself that everything will work out in the end. It has, up to this point. The universe would be particularly cruel if it didn’t wrap this up with a pretty bow and a clean bill of health.

Time slows down when my son’s life is hanging in the balance.

I’m lucky to have three incredible men by my side. Each of them strong in their own way, yet with carefully crafted soft sides that comfort me in my hour of need. Eventually, I become restless to the point where not even the food that Jodie and Margot brought can soothe my anxiety.

“If you pace any more, you’re going to carve a ditch in the floor,” Margot notes with a wry smile.

“You could pace with me so we could at least make it a two track,” I shoot back.

I have to admit, I like this version of her. She’s two weeks sober and already looking so much better. Her skin is brighter, and the blue in her eyes is more intense than ever. It’s as if she is slowly returning to life, slowly recovering bits and pieces of herself that she lost along the way.

“Any minute now, Dr. Radner’s going to come in bearing good news,” Carter says. “In the meantime, we should really talk about you moving in with us.”

“We’ve been putting this conversation off for a while,” Damon agrees.

“Yeah, well, you picked one hell of a moment,” I nervously laugh.

Jace whips up one of his debonair smiles. “No better way to take your mind off the unpleasant part of waiting, is there?”

“Okay,” I sigh and take my seat between him and Carter. Meanwhile, Jodie and Margot watch us with renewed interest. “I’m listening.”

“Well, we agreed to put together a list of pros and cons about moving in together,” Carter says. “Assuming you’re moving into the Vanguard Mansion, that is.”

Damon chuckles dryly. “There’s absolutely no point to the three of us moving into Stephan’s cabin, that’s for sure.”

“Pros,” Carter continues as he goes down the list. “We’d be able to spend a lot more time together. Matty would have his parents under the same roof. We’d have more space to unwind and enjoy each other’s company.”

“You’ll have your own bedroom, of course. Matty, too,” Jace adds. “You know he’s going to love it, especially if you handle the decorating part.”

“You bet your rock-hard ass I’m going to handle the decorating part,” I mutter, already envisioning a safari theme for my boy’s bedroom, with lions and giraffes painted on one of the walls.

“Then there’s the slew of amenities. The indoor gym, the pool, the gardens, the entertainment room,” Damon says. “You still have your office and studio there, left untouched and waiting for you to come back.”

“Sounds like heaven, if you ask me,” Jodie chimes in.

“And the cons? What do I do with Stephan’s place? I’m not selling it. It’s been in our family for generations.”

Margot leans forward. “You could always rent it out long- or short-term. Blackthorn Falls is still expanding, and the valley attracts tourists from all over the state,” she says. “Or you could turn it into a she-shed. ”

“A she shed?” Carter laughs.

“Well, yes. You guys with your man caves, us gals like our she sheds. Clara could use it to get away from the mansion once in a while. We could have girl’s nights in there, with chocolate fondue and classic movies.”

“Oh, and buttery popcorn,” Jodie adds.

“And gallons of ice-cold ginger ale,” I mumble. “A she shed is sounding better and better, indeed. You know what? You’re right,” I turn to the guys and smile softly. “You’re absolutely right. Moving in together makes all the sense in the world. I trust you.”

“She said the magic words,” Jace gasps, feigning a rather emotional shock.

“She trusts us,” Damon falls in line, equally dramatic.

I burst into laughter, my cheeks burning pink, as Dr. Radner comes into the waiting room. Instantly, my anxiety returns with a vengeance, and I spring to my feet, my heart racing, beads of cold sweat blooming on my temples.

“Is Matty okay?” I ask breathlessly.

“Everything is fine,” he says with a big smile. “The operation was a success. We fixed his valve and repaired the tissue. Matty was stable throughout the entire process. He’ll be awake in a couple of hours.”

“Oh, thank God,” I shudder with relief.

“We’re keeping him under observation until he’s awake, so you can’t see him just yet.

Given his age and his sensitivity, it’s better this way to avoid any risk of infection or future complications,” he adds.

“But I just want you to know we’re expecting a full recovery and complete function of his heart going forward.

He’s going to live a very long and healthy life. ”

“Oh, thank God,” I repeat, looking up at the ceiling and hoping that the powers that be can hear me.

Carter comes over and takes me in his arms long before I realize that I’m crying happy tears. “I’ve got you,” he says as the room starts spinning.

“Clara, can you hear me?” Damon’s voice comes through.

I want to tell them that I’m fine. I can almost see them, warm and blurry shapes before my eyes. My heart sings with joy, my body unable to keep up with the enormous relief that drowns me as I realize we’ve finally made it over the greatest hurdle of our lives.

My boy is going to be okay.

I’ll get to see him graduate from high school. Then college. The day will come when his fathers and I will wonder if he’s going to bring his girlfriend home for Thanksgiving.

Oh, the joy of envisioning a future.