“Just making out with Lauren,” I teased, before sending a cheeky wink over to Freddie. I loved that he didn’t get jealous over the way I was holding Lauren or our little kiss.
He understood they were my family, just like with his girls back in New York.
“Have fun with that,” he teased. “Do you still want to borrow this to call your friends in New York?” he asked, waving the tablet at us.
“Please.” I patted the cushion after Lauren got up and placed the tablet between us.
“You hold her.” He slowly placed her in my arms and Christopher handed me a bottle.
“Already tested the temperature,” he said.
“We’ll be in the next room,” Lauren said before she bent down and kissed Lucie’s head. She closed the door after her as Freddie connected the call.
I slowly fed the bottle into Lucie’s mouth, chuckling as she quickly began sucking.
The call rang for a moment before Isobel’s face appeared. The moment the call connected, Freddie placed his finger over his lips, warning her not to squeal. Isobel could be very excitable and we didn’t want to traumatize Lucie with it.
He turned the tablet to get us all in the shot and she clapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes zeroed in on the baby.
“Guys!” she gasped as she waved the others over. Everleigh and Chrissie squished on each side of her.
“She’s so beautiful!” Everleigh complimented.
“Looks like her uncle, no?” I jokingly asked.
I had been a little nervous to see and speak to Everleigh again, but as she smiled down the lens at us, I let myself believe that she harbored no ill feeling toward me.
I stared down at Lucie, watching her eyes slowly drift closed as she guzzled down the milk and listened to Freddie talk to the girls. After a moment, I removed the bottle from her lips and slowly rocked her from side to side.
“Luke,” Chrissie began, “you’re looking very comfortable with that baby there.” She smiled. “You getting ideas?”
I laughed quietly. “Let me get back to New York first, yeah?” I winked at Freddie so that he could see I was joking. “I need to look for a business establishment when I get back.”
“What for?” Isobel asked.
“Well, Thomas offered to buy Luke out of their bar back here. But after they talked, they decided they’d have a place here in London and a place in New York,” Freddie explained.
“I love that idea,” Isobel chirped up.
“So, we’ll call the place here Luke’s…” I started.
“And the place here called Thomas’s,” Chrissie said, finishing for me.
“Exactly.” I smiled, nodding my head when they understood. “It didn’t feel right to end our working relationship. It felt… wrong.” I didn’t know what other word to use to describe it. “And this would give him a chance to bring this cutie out for regular visits.”
“I like it,” Isobel said. “Naming each of the venues after the other.” She looked so happy that it made me excited.
“Do you think they’ll decide to follow you out here, Luke?” Everleigh asked after a moment. “Or is London too much their home?”
I narrowed my eyes at her, thinking over that question for a moment.
“I’m not sure,” I answered. “For now, their home is here and mine...” I stopped when Freddie took my hand in his. “My home is wherever Freddie is.” I shrugged my shoulders, not having a better answer than that. “But who knows?” I rhetorically asked. “None of us know what the future will bring.”
Freddie leaned across and pressed his lips to my forehead.
“We’re happy,” he stated. “That’s all that matters.”
* * *