Karly takes Dottie and shows her the lights on the tree. Just the sight of her with the baby makes my heart explode. She’s so happy when Lainey and Dottie are here.
“I have presents for you guys!” Karly exclaims. Nudging at the boxes with her foot.
“I have one for you, too,” I smile, knowing damn well I’m not going to give it to her yet.
She wiggles her eyebrows. Well, let’s get started.
Everyone opens some gifts, and Karly never sets the baby down.
“Oh wait! One more thing!” She finally hands Dottie over to me, and I cradle her. Karly darts to her purse and grabs a manilla folder full of papers, handing them to Madden.
“What’s this?” He asks, scanning the contents.
“My songs. The ones Ashton wanted. I reached out to the label that wanted them and told them that your band is the only one I’d allow to record them. They’re going to give you a deal.”
Lainey’s eyes triple in size, “What?! Like a record deal?”
Madden is silent, staring in disbelief at the stack of papers in front of him.
Karly follows up, “Well, that is if you even like the songs.”
Madden cracks a smile, “This is… wow. I don’t even know what to say.”
Lainey elbows him, “Just say thank you.”
“Thank you,” Madden quickly follows.
Lainey picks up her phone and sighs, “I’ll be right back. It’s Drayton.”
Madden’s face turns from one extreme to the other, and he almost immediately grabs Dottie from my arms like she’s some sort of comfort mechanism.
He handles her like she’s glass, every movement careful and precise. It’s almost amusing to watch because Madden doesn’t look like the gentle type.
I break the silence waiting on Lainey, wanting to know Madden’s take on the situation, “Is everything okay with that?”
Madden doesn’t even bother to look away from the baby, “Things haven’t been okay for a while.”
“What do you think is going to happen?” I ask, keeping an eye on the door for Lainey. She’d be pissed if she knew I was here asking about her.
Madden shrugs, “I think they need some time apart. I’m trying to get her to come live with me, at least for a while.”
Karly interrupts, “That could get really complicated. Things are already tricky.”
Madden holds Dottie up, showing her off, “You think I don’t know that? Look at this baby.”
Karly sighs, “True.”
I chime in, “I think Lainey and Dottie should come and stay here for a while. A neutral place to figure things out, you know?”
Madden doesn’t offer an opinion, but Karly looks at me like she agrees. She wants them here like I do, and that does something to me, and it makes me feel like we’re a team. All of us.
Lainey reappears in the doorway. She looks like she’s been crying. “I need to get back home. Dray’s family wants to see Dottie for Christmas.”
The scowl on Madden’s face is apparent as he reluctantly hands Dottie to Lainey.
“I can drive you over there,” Karly offers, but Madden quickly declines.
“No, that’s okay. I’m heading to Legacy Bay anyway.”