Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
Seth sat alone in Grace’s kitchen, cradling a cup of coffee between his hands. Upstairs, he could hear the house coming to life—water running through the pipes, footsteps creaking across floorboards. But for now, he had a few minutes of quiet.
He needed them.
His early morning conversation with Carl had gone better than expected. Hell, better than he’d dared hope. Carl was in their corner, and that was huge. Now he just had to get through today—talk to his brothers during the reception, feel them out, and pray they were as open-minded as he hoped they’d be.
But first, he had another potentially awkward situation to navigate.
In a couple of hours, he’d be meeting Hudson’s mother at a diner off I-95. They’d go over the custody arrangement one last time, sign the papers, then head to a nearby bank to get everything notarized. His attorney in California had worked with Laura’s in Connecticut to hammer out the details. Primary custody to Seth, generous visitation for Laura—two weeks in the summer, every other Christmas, and at least part of every spring break. Hudson had agreed, and both he and Laura thought this arrangement was for the best.
Barring any unforeseen difficulties, he’d officially be Hudson’s father by noon. Meeting Laura on his mother’s wedding day wasn’t ideal timing. He’d be racing to get back in time, but it was the only day that had worked for everyone’s schedules.
With one potential snag: he was bringing Beck and Heavenly with him.
Seth refused to be less than honest with Laura. He was done pretending. Done acting like he was ashamed of the people he intended to spend his life with. Laura deserved to know who would be part of Hudson’s life, helping him raise the kid, going forward. If Laura had a problem, they’d deal with it. But he wasn’t going into this arrangement with secrets hanging over his head.
Besides, withholding the truth had landed them here. He hadn’t been honest about his age that summer. She’d never told him she was pregnant. So now had to be different.
Seth took another sip of coffee, letting its warmth settle in his chest.
Beck entered the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffeemaker, pouring himself a generous cup before dropping into the chair across from Seth.
He took a long sip, then exhaled with satisfaction. “How you feeling?”
“Better now that I’m caffeinating.” Seth lifted his mug in salute. “It’s going to be a long day.” He leaned closer, dropping his voice to a whisper. “And hopefully a long night alone with Heavenly.”
Beck smirked. “Amen.”
They sat in comfortable silence, the kitchen warming as morning light filtered through the windows. Somewhere upstairs, a door closed. The pipes groaned as someone turned on a shower. A hairdryer hummed.
“So...you ready to see Laura this morning?” Beck studied him over the rim of his mug.
Seth shrugged, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension knotting there. “As ready as I’ll ever be. I hope she won’t change her mind about shared custody once I tell her about the three of us. I’ve really gotten attached to Hudson.”
Beck smiled. “I’ve gotten attached to the little shit, too.”
That made Seth laugh. “I know. I’ve seen it. He’s a teenager, so it’s a given he’s going to test his limits, but with affection and boundaries, he’s coming around.”
“Not as much pushback. And definitely a lot less snark,” Beck agreed, lowering his cup. “He can be a handful, but he’s got a good heart. It really shows when he’s not trying to act all tough. Especially around your mom.”
Seth nodded. “Exactly. She already loves him unconditionally. He needs more of that.”
“Yep.” Beck peered at him with curiosity. “It’s been…what, seventeen years since you saw Laura?”
“It has. We’ve talked on the phone a few times since Hudson moved in with us, but I haven’t actually seen her since I was fifteen.” Seth grimaced. “So I’m expecting this reunion to be awkward as hell.”
Beck tilted his head. “Were you serious about her back then?”
“I thought I was. Hell, I thought I was in love.” Seth gave a self-deprecating laugh. “But I was fifteen. I didn’t know what the fuck love was. And now that I do? I realize it was just a crush.”
Beck’s lips curved into a sly grin. “So teenage Seth was clueless? Shocking.”
“And you weren’t?” Seth’s mouth twitched despite himself. “At fifteen, you were still masturbating in the shower. You had no idea what a naked girl even looked like.”
“Bite my ass. Besides, I learned fast, thanks to Gloria.”
Together they laughed, but the levity faded. Seth’s expression turned serious. “All joking aside, I hate that I lost all those years with Hudson.”
“C’mon. What kind of father would you have been at fifteen?”
Seth shrugged, conceding the point. “Shitty. I couldn’t have been the father he needed as a teenager. I was just a kid myself. I would have tried, but…”