Page 33 of The Last Thing (Baker Girls #4)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

WILSON

“We only got to see the Golden Gate Bridge for like two seconds, so we have to do that first.”

I love my daughter with all my heart and soul, but she never stops talking. Especially when she’s excited. And as I’m trying to navigate us through the San Francisco airport, a little less chatter would be nice.

“We’ll see, okay?”

“Fine,” she sighs.

“I know you’re excited, kid, but let’s find our way out of this chaos first.”

It’s apparent to me how long it’s been since I’ve traveled anywhere farther than a couple of hours away.

I’m not used to it, and it’s showing right now.

“Daddy, look!”

I swear, if it’s another stand with some sort of tourist T-shirts, I’m going to scream.

But when I look up, I see something so much better.

Hallie is standing there in a white and olive-green sundress, smiling as she waves to us.

“Hallie!” Sophia goes dashing toward her, pulling up short so she doesn’t collide into her.

She kisses Hallie’s belly, then greets her with a hug.

I stand back, watching their sweet reunion and the happiness on both their faces.

I did something that might be completely crazy yesterday, but this moment gives me hope that it wasn’t.

As Sophia lets Hallie go, Hallie’s gaze turns to me, and the smile that sweeps over her face undoes me.

I make my way over to her, setting our bags down before I get to her, then sweep her into my arms.

“Hey, Hellion.” Then my lips are on hers for a quick but powerful kiss.

Her smile grows as I let her go. “Missed you too.”

“Hallie, can we go see the Golden Gate Bridge now? Please?”

Hallie’s gaze darts to me.

“We saw a glimpse of it while we were landing, and now it’s all she’ll talk about.”

“Got it. Well, I was thinking we should find somewhere to grab a little snack first, then we can check out the Golden Gate Bridge and whatever else you want. We just have to be back in Brighton by four so you can meet my family.”

Sophia bounces on her toes. “I’m so excited for all of it.” She throws her arms around Hallie’s waist again.

Hallie runs her fingers through Sophia’s hair while looking up at me. “I am too.”

I run a towel over my hair as I walk out of the bathroom in our suite at the inn. There’s a private bedroom and a fold out couch for Sophia to sleep on in the living room—giving Hallie and me some privacy.

“Hey, are you almost ready to go…” Hallie’s words fall away as her eyes land on me.

“See something you like?”

She walks over and runs her hand down my naked chest. “Definitely.” She kisses my jaw. “Too bad we don’t have time for that.”

I drag my lips up the side of her neck. “But it’s been two whole days. I somehow survived without you. Don’t I deserve a reward for that? I’ve been such a good boy.”

“Wilson,” she groans. Then she gives me a shove. “Put a shirt on.”

“You’re no fun.”

Where I’m expecting her to stick her tongue out at me, she wrings her hands together and glances at the clock.

Oh, I get it.

Crossing the distance between us, I stop in front of her. “Is my hellion nervous?”

She meets my gaze, vulnerability shimmering in her eyes. “I want them all to like you and welcome you.”

“I can handle whatever they throw at me.”

“I know, but I’ve never brought anyone around before. I need them to understand how much you mean to me.” She grabs my hand. “Because I?—”

“Are we going?” Sophia asks, dancing into the room.

I hang my head. How is it that kids can ruin a moment so effectively? Because I swear Hallie was just about to say a certain L-word. Maybe not. Maybe I’m reading into it. But there’s no way I’m going to find out with Sophia still standing here.

Sophia frowns. “Daddy, put a shirt on.”

I hold my hands up. “Sorry. Sorry. I’m going.”

Satisfied with that, Sophia leaves the room, and I lean in and kiss Hallie’s cheek. “Don’t worry. They’re going to love us.”

She smiles faintly, but she’s obviously still nervous. While I don’t want her to be, I also love how much this means to her. How much our little family means to her.

Hallie’s hand is wrapped tightly around mine as she swings open the front door to Kennedy and Devon’s home.

Kennedy—who I recognize from the pictures in Hallie’s apartment—appears in the entryway before we’ve shut the door.

“Hi! You must be the newest members of this crazy clan. I’m Kennedy?—”

“Hallie’s super cousin.”

“That’s right,” Kennedy laughs. “And you must be Sophia.”

Sophia’s face brightens even more. “That’s me.”

“It’s so good to meet you. We need more Baker girls around here.”

Soph scrunches up her nose. “But that’s not my last name.”

“You’re an honorary Baker girl.”

“Okay, I love that.” She gives Kennedy a big hug, then Frannie, Mark, and a guy I’m assuming is Devon appear.

“Hi, Frannie. Hi, Mark,” Sophia says.

“Hey, want to come with us?” Frannie asks. “There’s some yummy food and drinks in the kitchen.”

Sophia looks up at me. “Can I?”

“Go ahead.”

She walks off with Frannie and Mark, and Kennedy and Devon focus on me.

“So, you’re the one who knocked up my sweet, innocent baby cousin.”

“Here we go,” Hallie mutters under her breath.

“If you think she’s innocent, then this is all a sham and you’re not really related.”

Devon barks out a laugh. “I like him. And he clearly knows Hallie.” He extends his hand to me. “Devon McGregor.”

“Wilson Decker.”

We shake hands, then his eyes narrow. “I’m assuming Justin already gave you a good withering glare and the general warning not to hurt her. But just so we’re clear, Hallie’s like a little sister to all of us, so just know they’ll never find your body if you break her heart.”

“Okay, stop threatening the father of my child.”

Devon’s gaze flits to her. “That’s so weird. But I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks,” she says flatly.

“You know he’s serious,” Kennedy says.

“Kend,” Hallie hisses.

Kennedy steps up to me, leveling me with the kind of look that would make a lesser man’s balls shrivel up.

After a long moment, her eyes shift to Hallie. “I want to make sure he’s taking care of you. That he’ll stand by you.” Kennedy turns back to me. “Because I left. A lot of us have left Hallie in pursuit of finding what we need. I want to make sure you never will.”

I feel the change in Hallie’s demeanor when Kennedy says that.

I know it’s something that’s been a pain point for her.

She doesn’t like to talk about it, but the main reason she moved to Ida is because of how lonely she felt.

I’ve heard all the words she didn’t say.

All the quiet, vulnerable remarks she played off as nothing serious.

“This might sound shitty, but I’m lucky you left her because it means she ended up in my arms, and there’s nowhere else I ever want her to be.

There’s no amount of money you could pay me, nothing you could say, no shiny object you could offer that would make me walk away from her.

She’s the love of my life, and it’s my honor to be the one at her side, taking care of her.

That’s what I intend to do until my dying day. ”

My eyes stay locked on Kennedy for a moment longer, then I turn to Hallie, who is smiling with tears in her eyes.

I pull her to me and kiss her forehead. “You’re mine, Hellion.”

“And you’re mine.”

To prove it, she gives me a slow, sweet kiss.

“Okay, you’ve passed my test,” Kennedy says. “Anyone who can make Hallie melt like that—smile like that—gets my full approval.”

“Thank you,” I say, squeezing my fingers into Hallie’s side.

“Come on. The rest of the family should be here soon, and we should make sure Frannie and Mark aren’t turning Sophia into a sugar zombie,” Devon says.

He leads us out of the room, and as we walk, Hallie burrows into my side, then leans up and kisses my neck.

I don’t care what words she’s said or hasn’t said, this is all I need to know she’s mine, and we’ve got a beautiful future ahead of us.

Hallie’s family is full of fun with a hint of chaos.

Knowing Hallie and all of her family I’d already met, that shouldn’t be a surprise, but I guess I’m used to people trying to hide that. They’re all come-as-you-are and very warm and accepting.

Sophia has been the star guest tonight. She already decided she’s calling Hallie’s parents grandma and grandpa, and she announced to everyone that she’s having a baby sister. At this point, she’s probably willed it into being.

Hallie’s grandmother is the biggest spitfire of the group. She’s funny and sarcastic but also has a calming presence, and it’s clear she means a lot to Hallie.

We’ve just finished eating dinner around a huge makeshift table in Kennedy and Devon’s backyard, and everyone is chatting and catching up.

My arm is around Hallie, who is leaning against my shoulder while brushing her fingers up and down my arm.

“Hey, Gran,” she says during a brief lull in conversation. Her voice is a little thick, but I’m not sure why. “Will you tell us your love story with Pop?”

That explains the emotion in her voice. I’m a little surprised she wants to hear it after how his death affected her.

“Oh, I want to hear it,” Sophia says.

“It’s been too long since I’ve told this story.

” Hallie’s grandmother smiles. “Okay. I was just nineteen and went out for the night with some girlfriends. We were always looking for some kind of trouble to get into, though where we headed that night shouldn’t have been much trouble at all.

But it was for me. Trouble for my heart.

The best kind of trouble there could ever be.

Little did I know when I left the house that night, that I’d meet the man who would change my whole world.