Page 14

Chapter Thirteen

Savannah

My face is on fire.

I can’t believe Jamie just…walked in on us. The mortification is next-level. I’m probably so fired.

I barely register Jared and Jamie ducking out, muttering something about giving me space, which honestly, I need. I pull my clothes back on, glancing at the bed where Noah’s still asleep, completely oblivious. Lucky him.

I scoop him up gently, rocking him a little as I head downstairs, still wound tight. Only now, there’s panic tangled in my feelings, too.

What if Jamie tells Troy? Or worse—what if Jared does? I’m never going to hear the end of this.

When I reach the kitchen, Jamie and Jared are deep in conversation, and from the looks of it, Jared’s already caught him up on the whole situation. Jamie doesn’t look freaked out, though—he’s actually smiling, eyes bright, like he just won the lottery.

I adjust the Christmas sweater I’m wearing. Apparently, when I packed up my things, I hadn’t been paying attention. Most of my clothing that is in my suitcase is holiday wear.

Not that I’m sad about that really, but I don’t want to look like some kind of crazy person who doesn’t know that Christmas already came and went.

“Can I hold him?” Jamie asks, his voice soft, hopeful even. “I…I was an only child. Always wanted to hold a baby.”

I can’t help but smile, even as I’m desperately trying not to make eye contact with Jared. “Sure,” I say, handing Noah over.

Jamie takes him carefully, cradling him with a kind of ease I didn’t expect. It’s almost endearing. He’s completely focused on Noah, rocking him gently, his face lit up in a way that makes him look younger, softer.

I clear my throat, focusing on the countertop. “Uh…I can make dinner for everyone if you guys are hungry?”

Jamie nods, still making soft sounds to Noah, who’s peeking up at him with sleepy eyes. Jared, though, is watching me.

“Need a hand?” he asks, and the casual tone doesn’t fool me for a second.

“I’m fine,” I say a little too quickly. “I’ll just…make some noodles.”

“Christmas sweater?” he asks, and I blush.

“I…packed in a rush,” I say, sounding almost guilty and then feeling stupid for it.

He smiles at me. “I like it. It suits you.”

I blush furiously again and stammer out, “Just call me Mrs. Claus.” I promptly want to die. What am I babbling about?

Jared nods, and there’s a pause before he says, “I actually have a work call in about an hour, so…since Jamie’s here, I’m gonna head out.”

I manage to nod, my heart thudding in my chest. “All right.”

He walks over, and before I can even process it, he leans down and kisses my forehead. “I’ll see you later,” he murmurs, his lips lingering just a second too long.

I swallow hard. “Okay.”

Jared gives Jamie a quick nod before heading out, and as soon as the door shuts, Jamie turns to me, grinning. “So…what the hell did I walk into?”

I turn, busying myself with the noodles, pretending my face isn’t probably fifty shades of red. “Me and Jared…we have a past…kind of.”

Jamie chuckles, clearly entertained. “I can see that.”

I pull out a pot, filling it with water, doing everything I can not to look him in the eye. “Need me to spell it out?”

“No, no. Just…didn’t know you had it in you, is all.” He winks, and I roll my eyes.

I pull out a pack of noodles and start breaking them up to put in the pot. “Wait, where’s the puppy you were supposed to pick up?”

“Oh!” Jamie slaps a hand to his forehead, laughing. “Turns out he needs one more vaccine, so I’m picking him up tomorrow.”

“Right,” I mutter, tossing the noodles into the pot.

There’s a quiet moment before Jamie speaks again. “How’s Troy handling all this? Really?”

I open my mouth to answer, but just then, the door opens, and in walks Troy, arms full of bags. He stumbles over the threshold, practically dropping everything on the floor.

“Need help there?” Jamie calls out, grinning.

Troy just groans, unloading his arms. “Back in a sec.” He heads out again, returning with another load of bags before he finally comes over to where Jamie and I are standing.

He looks a little taken aback, surprised. “Jamie…you’re here?”

Jamie gives him a wide grin. “Yeah, buddy. Guess who I just met? Our son.”

Troy’s eyes narrow. “That’s not funny.”

“It’s not a joke,” Jamie says, the grin slipping from his face. “We need to talk about what to do with Noah.”

The room’s so tense, I can practically see the sparks flying between Troy and Jamie.

Troy's face is all scrunched up as he looks at Jamie, waiting for him to explain what he meant by “do with Noah”.

I busy myself with making a bottle for the baby, trying to ignore the tight feeling in my stomach.

“What do you mean, ‘do with Noah’?” Troy asks, his voice low.

The silence in the room is thick.

Troy shifts, running a hand over his face. “Look, I’ve thought about it, okay? And… I think the best option might be adoption. Find him a good home, y’know?”

Jamie’s expression shifts from confusion to anger in about two seconds flat. “Are you serious right now?”

Troy doesn’t answer, but the way he looks at Jamie says everything.

Jamie’s jaw clenches. “He’s my kid too, all right? I get a say in this.”

Troy lets out a sigh. “Jamie, come on. We don’t even know for sure if he’s ours. We have careers, lives that don’t include…this.”

Jamie’s getting redder by the second. “Then we do a test. You don’t just throw a baby away.”

Troy bristles. “I’m not throwing him away.”

They’re both getting louder, and Noah starts fussing in my arms. I can feel his little body tense up, and I jump in before this whole thing spirals out of control.

“Hey, hey, guys,” I say, shifting Noah on my hip. “Can we keep it down? You’re scaring him.” They glance at me, but neither looks any less wound up. “Look, I’ll help out with Noah if that’s what it takes.”

Both their heads snap in my direction, and I can feel the heat rise in my cheeks, but I push on. “I’ve always wanted…kids. Like, a whole houseful.”

I laugh a little, more to calm myself than anything. “I dunno, baking cookies, wrapping Christmas presents all night on Christmas Eve, helping with homework…I’ve always pictured that, you know? But I always end up with guys who don’t want any of it. They all claim it’s a big deal, and they’re right. This is a huge deal.”

Jamie’s expression softens a little, and Troy shifts, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Is that a Christmas sweater?” Troy asks, eyeing the reindeer on the sweater with little bells around their necks. The baby grabs at them and giggles.

I sigh. “Yeah. Long story.”

“I like it,” Troy says, then turns and starts pacing again.

“I’m just saying,” I continue, “you don’t have to make a decision right this second. Let’s all just…breathe.”

Jamie’s shoulders relax, but he glances over at Troy, still looking mad. “Fine. But you don’t get to make this decision on your own, got it?”

Troy huffs but doesn’t say anything. I take that as my cue to break up the tension. “Jamie, can you stir the noodles?” I ask, nodding to the pot on the stove. “And, Troy, do you mind unpacking the stuff you brought in?”

They both grumble, but they head to different parts of the kitchen, giving each other some space. I sink into a chair with Noah, watching him as he settles back down. His little face relaxes, and I can’t help but smile, feeling this strange, protective warmth blossom in my chest. This tiny human…he’s got everyone’s world spinning.

“All right, kiddo,” I whisper to him, smoothing his hair. “Let’s get you fed.”

Troy comes back in, carrying a small pile of boxes, looking a bit calmer. “I’m gonna go put together the crib.”

He leaves, and I watch Jamie as he stirs the noodles, the muscles in his shoulders tense. Suddenly, he slams the pot lid shut, muttering under his breath.

“He always does this. Why does he think he can make a decision like this by himself?”

I glance over at him, trying to keep my voice gentle. “Jamie…he’s just panicking, okay? This is a big deal, and he doesn’t know how to handle it. None of us do.”

He huffs, still looking irritated, but he nods. “Yeah…yeah, you’re probably right.” He straightens up, glancing down at the baby. “Actually, I think I’m gonna head out.”

I nod, feeling a strange pang of disappointment. “Okay.”

But before he leaves, he surprises me by coming over and brushing a soft kiss on Noah’s forehead, his expression shifting to something almost tender.

“I’m just one floor down if you need anything,” he says, glancing up at me. His eyes linger on mine, a little too long, and then he does something I don’t expect. He leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead too, his lips warm, lingering just a second longer than necessary.

“Goodnight, Savannah.”

My breath catches, and all I can do is nod, feeling a strange warmth settle low in my stomach as he walks out, leaving me there with Noah, my heart pounding.