Page 42 of Spring Break With a Baby Daddy
“You actually do want this marriage to be real.”
“I told you I wouldn’t lie to you, I meant it.”
“Yes, but being a married man means adopting Cade won’t be as difficult.”
“Probably. But there’s no guarantee.” Moving to the side, he tucks me against his front and wraps his arms around me, his hands resting on my lower back. “It should help, but I don’t want you to think this is all about Cade.”
“You told me it wasn’t.” With a shrug, I add, “Guess I didn’t believe it until now.”
“We formed QVE the year before we finished college. The year after we hit the black and the year after that we made our first million. Two years later we hit the billion-dollar mark. By the time we were thirty, we’d made QVE one of the biggest property developing companies in the country.”
“Why are you giving me a QVE history lesson?”
“Because I want you to understand that when I want something, I go after it until I have it. And you, Vivian LenoreRalston, I want.”
“Yes, but…Oh.”
“Yeah, I’m not going to pressure you, although a quickie marriage in a judge’s office says otherwise, I’m giving you time to get used to us. You and me, and Cade.”
“And if Cade’s mother changes her mind?”
“Then I’ll just have to convince you to have our baby.” I don’t have time to register what he said, never mind comment, before he’s spinning me around. “Car’s here.”
Easton
I hadn’t meant to avoid Vivi after our discussion at lunch, it was just the way it turned out.
The ride to our apartment was the last quiet moment we had together because when I let us in, Luna and Cade weren’t the only ones here.
Vail and Laney had brought Van over for a playdate, not that he could play with Cade, and not long after Laney had oohed over Vivi’s ring and Vail had clapped me on the back and welcomed me to the club, Quade and Hadley arrived with Bennett.
From there the afternoon turned into a working session as we sat down and talked about how we would handle QVE from now on.
Neither of my friends were surprised when I said I wanted to pull back and spend time with Vivi and Cade.
We weren’t the only ones putting our opinions forward either. All of the women wanted a say. I can’t say I was impressed with Laney’s suggestion that we don’t pull back completely. I’m ready to move on to the next stage of my life and I can’t see how working fits in with that.
And being told I’d go insane without a job to do didn’t go over well either. Quade and Vail only laughed. Both have spent months taking on a lighter load and sheepishly agreed they struggled with slowing down.
Tabling the discussion for now, Vivi and I get ready for our meeting with the lawyer Lisa used for the legal document I’m sure won’t hold up in a court of law. We’re taking Cade with us, but he’ll remain outside at a local park with everyone else.
Nobody wants to be too far away in case we need something.
“Nervous?”
Vivi’s question makes me pause. Am I nervous? I’d like to think it’s just a matter of getting the right paperwork to finalize Lisa’s wishes. Except there is a possibility that the authorities could get involved.
It’s why Cade isn’t coming to the lawyer’s office with us.
“No. I think we’ve got everything worked out.”
“Is that why Vail has a plane on standby?”
“Ah, heard that, did you?” I smile at the woman who misses nothing.
“Yes.” She glances over her shoulder to make sure no one is listening before adding, “Say the word and I’ll have new identification for all three of us.”
I blink rapidly as my brain processes what she said. “You’ll have…” I shake my head, but her words still don’t make sense.
