Page 63 of Tangled
Brad tried his best to keep Scarlett occupied while essentially under house arrest. Itwasn’t that bad, of course. Between her morning sickness, which, overall, seemed to be getting better, and Gracie’s killer still at large, she hadn’t pushed to go out. But she was a woman used to being busy, used to being on the move, used to an active life, and she was getting restless.
“My parents wanted to come by this afternoon. And Cody and Tia asked about bringing the twins over. Are you okay with that?” he asked as he loaded the lunch dishes into the dishwasher.
She leaned against the counter beside him. “You asked them to come hang out with me, didn’t you?” she asked with an indulgent smile.
He shot her a guilty look. “Not exactly. They both asked how you were doing. I said fine, but a little bored. Neither my parents nor Cody needed any more than that to invite themselves over.”
“Cody and Tia really want to get out of the house with the twins, who are barely a week old?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Cody said that until they start school, he and Tia plan to take the girls with them everywhere. He figured they’d better get used to it now.”
“Which ‘they’ is he referring to when he says they need to get used to it? The twins or him and Tia?”
Brad chuckled as he shut the washer, then reached for a dish towel. “I suspect he meant him and Tia, but maybe the girls, too.”
“I’d love to see them, then. All of them,” she replied.
He leaned against the opposite counter and settled his gaze on her. His family could be a lot, but she’d been remarkably open to them. And all of their craziness. Between the baby, the new relationship, his family, and the killer, he sometimes didn’t know how she dealt with it all.
“What?” she asked, eyeing him.
He stepped across the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her. “You’re an amazing woman. That’s all.”
She burrowed against him, sliding her own arms around him. “I’m really not, but I’m happy for you to think so.”
“You are,” he insisted. “I know you’re anxious to bring Gracie’s killer to justice. And then there’s the baby, the new relationship, my family, and you said you wanted to find a job at the hospital once it was safe. There’s a lot going on and you’re just going with it. A lot of folks wouldn’t be so open to everything. Or able to handle it as well as you seem to be.” He paused, then drew back. “Unless you’re not telling me something?”
She leaned back so she could look him in the eye as she answered. “Other than bringing Gracie’s killer to justice, I’m not thinking about the other stuff too much. That might not be the right way to go about it, but it is what it is. I want the baby. I want you to be a part of his or her life, which means moving up here. Which is also not a hardship since my best friend is here, too. I also don’t think either of us is interested in denying there’s something between us that’s…different.
“Over the years, growing up, then working abroad, I saw and experienced a lot of terrible things. A lot ofreallyterrible things. When you’ve lived that, it puts things in perspective. Is this all happening really fast? Yes. Is it how either of us would have done things if I hadn’t gotten pregnant? Probably not. But is ithard or overwhelming? It’s nothing I—we—can’t deal with. I’m certain about that.”
He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “Like I said, you’re an amazing woman. I’m glad my flight from Paris was delayed in December.”
She chuckled against his chest. “Even though I brought a murderer to your doorstep and an unexpected baby?”
“It also brought an unexpected, exceptional woman, too, so yes, even then,” he replied. “You’re right, this isn’t anything we can’t deal with. Well, we need help in bringing Gracie’s killer to justice—which, thankfully, we have. But the rest? I haven’t had the same life experiences you’ve had, but if you have any doubts, I’m with you 100 percent. I know what’s important, and I’m old enough to recognize that what we have together is special. Worth fighting for and worth holding on to. We’ve only known each other a hot minute, but sometimes that, and some good old-fashioned stubbornness, is all it takes to make a life.”
“I don’t get the sense you’re that stubborn, though,” she said, leaning back again.
He smiled. “I don’t sweat the small stuff, but the big stuff? I’m stubborn as hell.”
“And what constitutes ‘big stuff’?”
He took her hand and set it on her stomach, covering it with his. “Our family.”
She blinked, her eyes shiny.
“Don’t ever doubt it,” he said. “I know it will take time to prove it, and I’m okay with that. But I’m telling you now, you won’t ever have to doubt that. As for the rest, as you said, we’ll figure it out. Jessica and HICC will sort out Gracie’s killer. I heard Kara mentioning to you that the hospital is hiring, so a job will probably be there when you’re ready. And my family—which I hope one day you’ll start thinking of as your family—can be managed if they ever get to be too much.”
“I appreciate that,” she said. Although, judging by her tone, she didn’t see that as happening. “In the meantime, I’d love to spend time with your parents and Cody and Tia and the girls as well.”
He smiled and kissed her. “They will be thrilled. I’ll let them know.”
“They should probably come by earlier in the afternoon, though. Jessica and Sabina are planning on meeting here before dinner to go over everything they’ve pulled together since yesterday.”
“Done,” he said, stepping back and pulling out his phone.
They chatted about his work schedule for the afternoon as he texted, and by the time he left for his office, his parents were on their way over. Cody, Tia, and the girls would join them in an hour. He had an afternoon of meetings so would miss seeing his family, but he’d be back by five to hear the update.
