36
Winnie
Ilookedattheclock again, and then back at Jack. We were at Sawyer’s, waiting for Beck to show up so we could all go out together. Somehow, that first playdate with the kids had turned into another one, on Birdie’s insistence, and then another. The kids had taken to talking to each other on our phones, and trying to keep Olive and Birdie apart was nearly impossible. It should’ve been strange to hang out at playdates with the kids when I was doing really inappropriate things with their fathers, but it was easy. Hanging out with the guys and their kids was natural. It scared the crap out of me, but I was still doing the really healthy thing and not thinking about it.
Jack raised his brows at me, and his lips tipped up. He was thinking about sex. How was he thinking about sex when Beck wasn’t home yet? Reading my mind, he gently took my arm and pulled me out of earshot of the kids. “Relax, baby. He’ll be here.”
I licked my lips and sighed. Locking eyes with Jack, I felt my blood run hotter, the same way it did every time I looked at the man. He was dressed up in a black button-down shirt, and he looked good enough to eat. I’d been with him the afternoon before, when I stopped to check on my car, but it was never enough.
“You keep looking at me like that, and I’m going to bend you over the bathroom sink and let you watch yourself come while I fuck you hard.”
My face went red and I gently slapped his arm, but I wanted it... Except other things were happening, I reminded myself with a sharp mental kick. “Don’t distract me. I’m worried. Look at her. If he doesn’t show up, she’s going to be so hurt.”
Jack glanced over at Olive and frowned. It wasn’t hard to see how anxious she was. Her eyes kept moving to the door every few seconds, and even though the other kids were all talking excitedly about the movie we were going to watch, she was quiet. Sighing, Jack rested his hand on my back and nodded. “He’ll be here.”
“If not, maybe we should cancel or… I don’t know.” I leaned into his warmth as tears threatened to fill my eyes. I was naturally a sensitive person, but pregnancy was making me an absolute hormonal mess. I couldn’t stop tearing up. I turned my back to the kids and looked up at Jack. “Birdie’s father walked away, and I worry about how it’ll affect her. Olive has a good father, one who loves her dearly. He just needs to show up when he says he will. I’d give so much to have that for Birdie.”
Sawyer moved over to us and looked down at me with worry furrowing his brow. He could practically read my mind, which was scary. “He’ll be here.”
Jack nodded and took my hand in his. His fingers were rough from his work, and there seemed to always be grease staining the lines of his fingerprints. He cleared his throat when I lost myself in tracing the lines. “He’s been here more than ever lately.”
“Win, stop worrying. It’ll be okay.” Sawyer leaned down and pressed a kiss to my cheek before winking and backing away. “Birdie told me she wants to sit next to me during the movie. Do you think she has plans?”
“Plans?”
“You know.Plans. To trick me.”
“Or for world domination.” Jack snorted under his breath and grunted when I elbowed him. “Sorry.”
I looked over at Birdie and caught her watching us with a smile on her face. She’d been happier than ever lately. It’d only been two weeks of playdates and spending time together, but she had warmed up to the guys, even if they didn’t see it. That was another worry. What was I doing, letting her get close to more men who couldn’t stick around?
“She likes you.”
Sawyer laughed and then went quiet when he saw I was serious. “No, she doesn’t. She told me I looked older earlier. Looked me dead in the eye and told me she thought I was aging faster than other humans.”
I giggled and then covered my mouth with my hand. “I’m sorry! That was mean of her.”
“I told her I thought she had a condition that was making her shorter by the day. So, good luck dealing with that.” He walked over to the kids before I could lecture him about telling my daughter she had fake diseases.
The door swung open and I watched Olive jump up. Instead of Beck, though, it was Nick ushering in Gabe. I laughed at his face as he looked around at all of the kids and winced. That laugh died when he stepped aside and I saw my mother behind him, dressed in a mod sixties dress in hot pink with white go-go boots up her to knees. Her hair was flipped out at the ends, and she looked like she’d modeled her makeup after Twiggy. It worked, of course, but she looked so out of place in Sawyer’s house that it shocked me silent.
Gabe shook off his horror at the sheer number of kids and stepped aside to sweep his arms out and introduce my mother with the drama she deserved. “Everyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting Sunshine, meet Sunshine.”
“Birdie’s grandma and Freddie’s momma, of course.” Mom strolled over to Olive and tapped her on the end of her nose. “Hello, there, Olive. You know how I saw you and Birdie being best friends?”
Olive perked up. “Yeah?”
“Well, I also see a big smile on your face in the future. Go on outside.”
I looked up at Jack, and then at Sawyer, wondering if they knew what my mother was on about. They just shrugged and fell in line, following the kids outside.
Mom was waiting on me, and she hugged me tightly when I walked into her arms. She kissed the top of my head and smiled at me. “I’m very curious about what my buttoned-up daughter is doing with not one, not two, butthreesmoke show men. It can wait, though, because right now I’m just a little giddy. Bessie broke down on me in the city, and I got a ride home from a very, very sexy man in a very sexy car.”
“Bessie broke down? Are you okay?” I thought about how much money I’d saved up. “I think I can afford to get my car out of the shop if you need Big Ham back.”
She rolled her eyes. “Focus, dear. I knew you were busy, because I saw it, so I called Gabe. He gave me the number of one of your man friends. Nicest man ever. He had Bessie towed and then drove me all the way home. Then he invited me out with you all tonight. I knew you’d be so uncomfortable, because I’m your mom and I know you’re sleeping with all three of these guys, but you shouldn’t be weird about it, baby cakes. Let that freak flag fly. It was bound to show up eventually. Look at who your mother is!”
I trailed out of the house behind her and stopped on the top step as Beck walked up to me with Olive over his shoulder. She giggled happily, sounding more carefree than ever. He stopped right in front of me, one step lower so we were eye to eye. His eyes were bright as he looked me over. My stomach tightened as I saw him in that moment, happy and proud to show up for his kids andme.