His face crumpled as his words trailed off, and he sucked in a breath to steel himself. “I want to be in the baby’s life. I want to be a grandfather. You’re going to be a wonderful mother. As good as your mom. Better, even.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks and a sob escaped me as I thought about my own mother. “I miss her so much. I need you to help me with this. I can’t do without you.”
On shaky legs, I stood and took two steps toward my dad, but he didn’t let me get far before he rose to his feet and wrapped me in his big, comforting arms. Dad was tall—almost as tall as Denton—and I felt enveloped and safe in his embrace. I breathed in the smell of his soap and aftershave and cried harder into his shoulder. From behind me, I heard Denton’s footsteps thud against the wooden floor as he rose from the couch and walked towards us.
Dad released me and turned to Denton. They slapped each other on the back, expressions wary, but drained of anger. A truce had been reached.Finally.
“You’re a great dad, Clive,” Denton said. “The best. I’m glad you’ll be there for the baby.”
“Honestly, I can’t wait to see your old ass chase a teenager around when you’re sixty-five,” Dad said with a smirk. “I can’t imagine starting over with a brand-new baby at our age.”
Denton grabbed my hand and pulled me in close to wind an arm around me. “I have a feeling this one will keep me young.”
I beamed up at both of them through tear-fogged eyes. The two most important men in my life.
“I love you both,” I said. “Myfamily.”
* * *
“I love it.” Keisha took a step forward and ran her hands along the velvet couch. “It’s better than I pictured.”
She turned to me and threw her arms around me—a little harder these days, with my growing baby bump, but if I had learned anything about Keisha Blackwell since she partnered with my store, she was a hugger, and she was going to make it work.
“I love it, too,” I said as Keisha released me, still smiling broadly. “I’m so happy with how this all turned out.”
Not long after Denton and I came clean with my dad, Keisha told me that she wanted to move forward with our partnership. We leased the empty space next door to my store, did some fast renovations—with a little logistical help from Denton, who was fantastic at overseeing these types of projects—and four months later, we were just a few hours away from the grand opening reception for Keisha Blackwell Bridal at The Blind Hem.
Buzz built fast. We weren’t even open yet, and bridal appointments were already booked two months out.
“Marcie, go sit,” Keisha said, gesturing at the couch. “You’ve been on your feet for, like, five months. Rest your pregnant ass and let Kresley and Frankie run around for a few minutes.”
I flopped into the soft couch with a sigh of relief. “Not gonna argue with you. They’ve got it under control.”
Keisha nodded, flipping her long, purple-threaded braids over her shoulder. “They do. And if a catastrophe goes down today, we already can’t do anything about it,” she said with a shrug.
I sat back and enjoyed my short break while Keisha fussed over the mannequins, adjusting garments and accessories. I was about to stand up again and get back to work when a knock sounded on the glass door. I turned and saw Denton and my dad standing outside in the cold, both dressed in sharply tailored suits.
I hurried over to unlock the doors and let them in before locking the door behind them until it was time to open. Dad buried me in a big hug as soon as he stepped inside, holding on until Denton elbowed him aside to sweep me into his arms.
“You don’t have to fight over me,” I said in Denton’s ear as he pulled me close. “Plenty of me to go around.”
“Oh, please.” Dad crossed his arms and smiled at me. “Everybody will want to talk to you when this party gets started, and we’ll have to stand in the corner like a pair of dipshits.”
Dad and Denton’s relationship took time to heal. They still worked together, but for a few months, things remained distant and strained, but for my sake, they were polite and civil. But with my dad’s visits, video chats and our growing excitement for the baby, the two of them were firm friends again.
I was thrilled.
Denton reached down and brushed his big palm against my growing belly. I wore one of Keisha’s designs tonight, a loose hot pink dress that skimmed my growing curves and reached mid-thigh. I swept my dark hair into a knot high atop my head and accessorized with big, dangly earrings and dramatic eye makeup.
“You look incredible, my love,” he said, and dropped a gentle kiss on my lips, mindful of my lipstick. “Good enough to eat.”
My dad rolled his eyes at our PDA. “I’ll go see if anybody needs any help.”
Denton slid an arm around me and pulled me close as we watched my dad walk over to Frankie, who immediately dragged him into the back to put him to work.
“You did it, Marcie,” Denton said in my ear as we looked around my colorful, glittering boutique. “Now you’ve got it all.”
I sighed happily. “I do. It’s hard to believe.”