Page 120 of Seal the Deal

“I’ll be in the kitchen,” he mutters, walking away before I can say anything.

The tension radiating from his body is undeniable. The kids are blissfully unaware, already back to playing with their toys, so I push myself off the sofa and follow him. My feet feel heavy, weighed down by what’s coming.

I find him by the counter, hands gripping the edge of the sink, staring out into the snowy landscape. His shoulders are tense, whole body taut with barely contained anger.

“Jake…”

“I hate that guy.”

His words are sharp, too controlled.

I step up behind him, resting a hand on his back. “You okay?”

He lets out a slow breath, shoulders still rigid. “He told her not to call him Dada,” Jake says. “What kind of asshole says that to his own kid?”

“I know,” I whisper, rubbing his back. “It’s awful.”

Jake shakes his head, turning to face me, his eyes clouded with frustration and something deeper: pain. “No, Charlie. She calledmeDada today. And then he... he brushes her off like it’s nothing. Like he doesn’t evenwantit.”

I can see the unresolved emotions of his own childhood swirling beneath the surface. He’s holding it together, but this moment has pushed him over the edge.

“Jake…” I pause again. I don’t know how to make this better for him.

He runs a hand through his hair, jaw tight. “I love those kids, Charlie. And hearing him dismiss her like that, like he doesn’t even care...” His voice is raw and vulnerable in a way he doesn’t often show.

“I know. I hate how he talks to them too, like it’s a chore.”

Jake’s eyes flash with anger, tempered by determination. “He doesn’t deserve them if that’s how he treats them. He never deserved you, either.”

“I know,” I whisper, feeling the weight of his words. “But he’s still their father, and they love him, even if he doesn’t always deserve it.”

He looks at me, expression softening as he takes my hand, grounding himself in our connection. “You know I’d never—”

“I know,” I cut in, squeezing his hand. “You love them, Jake. They know that. And Meadow calling you Dada is because you’ve been there for her. She trusts you.”

He studies me, then brushes his lips to my forehead. “But what if it confuses her? What if she thinks—”

“Jake,” I say gently. “Meadow is three. She’s figuring it all out in her own way. And you’re becoming a constant. What Alex said doesn’t change that.”

His breath comes out shaky, like he’s releasing some of the tension. “I just... I don’t want to screw this up.”

“You won’t. You’re not him, Jake. You’re everything he isn’t.”

His fingertips trace my cheekbones, searching my face for reassurance. For a moment, he just looks at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of quiet fear and unshakable resolve.

“I’ll never correct her,” he says firmly. “If she wants to call me Dada for the rest of her life,I’ll wear that title with pride.”

A lump forms in my throat, and I nod, blinking back tears. “Thank you,” I whisper, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

He kisses me back, lips lingering on mine, and when we pull away, a new determination fills his eyes. “You’ve got me, Charlie. Them, too. Always.”

I let the truth of his words seep into me. This is what I’ve wanted. A partner who will stand by me, who will love my kids as his own, who will fight for us even when things get tough.

He studies my face like he’s reading every single thought running through my head, then pulls me into his arms, holding me tightly. Like he needs to anchor himself to something solid just as much as I do.

And I let him. Because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that Jake is nothing like Alex.

Chapter thirty-seven

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