Page 94 of Just This Once

Chapter 30

Dante

Ispent a week in the hospital, and I’ve never been so grouchy in my life. It was as if Taryn and I traded places. She was smiling and bringing in cookies for the medical staff. Meanwhile, I cursed them for making me stay. I just wanted to go home. To Taryn’s.

Between all the visitors and my mood, I’m sure they were finally glad to be rid of me by the time the doctor signed my discharge papers. Then I got to settle in Taryn’s bedroom to convalesce. It was embarrassing to be waited on hand and foot, asking for help to go to the bathroom and wash, but Taryn never let me be alone for one second. If she wasn’t hovering over me, it was Marianne or Clara, or one of her brothers, or Jake and Maddie. Even my mother showed up.

Apparently, she and Taryn had become friends, trauma-bonded forever. They made plans for us to attend Christmas Eve at my parents’ house in two weeks. Like I wanted, but it was weird not to be involved in any discussions about anything. While I was recovering,a lothad happened.

Besides my woman becoming friends with my mother,Taryn had also gotten the paperwork going for full custody. Craig tried to apologize, but she was standing her ground, and I couldn’t have been prouder. Especially after Maddie and Jake both told me how they felt about him and the situation. That Jake got into the argument with his father defending me.

Even with a bunch of broken bones, I threw my arms around that boy, hugging him so tight he complained. But then I told him I loved him, and when he said it back, I actually cried. I know loving Taryn and those two kids is what I was put on this earth for, and I will do my damnedest to show it to them every day.

Which is why I worked hard to convince Taryn to let me have the run of the house after a week of being cordoned off upstairs. It’s nice to look at a different four walls, have the chance to get my muscles moving with the help of crutches as I completed a few daily laps around the first floor. I started physical therapy, and I was ordered to keep moving to make sure I didn’t atrophy in the twelve weeks I’d have my cast on. So, I follow directions, but my breathing is still off. I was given a plastic thing to breathe into with a ball that rises and falls with my inhales and exhales, so I can exercise my lungs. And fuck, it’s harder than I thought it would be.

But Taryn forces me to do it multiple times a day…though she always makes out with me after as my reward, so it’s all right.

I guess.

Now, I’m in the living room while Taryn makes us popcorn for ourI Love Lucymarathon, and I take advantage of the rare opportunity that she’s out of sight to speak with Maddie and Jake. I set my arm on the back of the couch behind Maddie, who lounges next to me, and glance to Jake in the chair in the corner. “I wanted to talk to you two while your mom is out of the room.”

“Okay,” Maddie says, already giggling. The girl loves her gossip.

Jake, on the other hand, narrows his gaze, cautious. “What’s up?”

“I love your mom,” I say, straightforward. No use beating around the bush. “And I want to date her.”

Maddie tilts her head, nose scrunching. “I thought you were already dating.”

“Yeah, I guess we are, but…” I scratch at the week’s worth of stubble on my jaw. “I want to make it official. With your blessing.”

“Our blessing?” Jake’s expression softens, almost confused.

“Yeah. I’m not gonna do anything that will hurt either of you. I don’t plan on hurting your mom either, but I want everyone to be on the same page. No secrets, all right? I know things are up in the air with…” I hesitate to bring up their father when we’re having a nice night together, so I avoid it. “Things are stressful right now, so I want to make this as easy and clear as possible.”

I slant my gaze to Maddie and then Jake, making sure to meet their eyes in turn. “I want to be in your lives for a long time. For as long as you’ll let me. I want you to know my intentions from the start. I love your mom, and I love you both.”

Maddie squeals and throws her arms around my neck, immediately pulling back when I suck in a sharp, painful breath. “Oh my gosh! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay.” I rub my palm over the top of her head as she settles back beside me. “No harm done.”

“I’m just really excited,” she says with a grin. “I love you, and I love Mom, and I love you and Mom together. She smiles a lot more when you’re around, and you’re, like, so cool and fun and really nice to us.”

I tug on a strand of her long hair. “So, that’s a yes vote?”

“Yes!”

I turn my attention to Jake, who sits forward on the recliner like he’s in a business meeting, hands folded. “If I say yes, what exactly does that mean?”

I shrug. “It means we’ll do stuff together more, the four of us. I’ll be around more to help if you two need anything. I’ll take your mom out, just me and her.”

“Are you going to be moving in?”

“Honest answer? I don’t want to rush into anything, but, yes, that would be my goal. To live here with the three of you. Make our own little unit. I know your mom needs time to process things, and if you can keep a secret—” I whip my head to Maddie, who covers her giggle with her hand “—I’ve been coming up with designs to eventually approach your mom about renovating my apartment into a third floor. You and Maddie would be able to have it to yourself. Bigger bedrooms and a whole bathroom up there.”

Maddie leaps up and dances in a circle. Frankie follows, hopping on his hind legs. “Yeeeeeeessssssssss.”

Jake wags his head side to side, considering my proposal like he’s Brando inThe Godfather. “You drive a hard bargain.”

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