Chapter Twenty-Five
Maddox
Everly had made amazing dinners throughout the rest of the week, and our conversation continued to grow more natural and endearing to me as the days passed. She always made sure to ask about Abby, and Abby made sure to constantly ask about Everly. The past four days had felt like a dream as we planned our Vegas trip and cooked together. Well, as she taught me how to cook. According to her, I was picking it up a lot quicker than she had expected, and last night I had mashed the potatoes without a single comment from her. I continued my ruse, and she continued to believe that I wasn’t a renowned chef. Really, all it would have taken was a single Google session and she would have found the truth, a fact that was always in the back of my mind as we spent time together. What would I do when she finally learned the truth?
I lounged in bed a little longer than usual on Thursday morning, making a mental checklist for the weekend. Abby squirmed beside me, her tiny body radiating a heat that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I hadn’t fallen asleep with her in the bed. She must have snuck in again throughout the night. She had always been a master at that, since her tiny footsteps were no more disturbing than butterfly wings.
“I had a dream, Daddy,” she said, as she woke. A hearty yawn stretched her mouth, and she rubbed her eyes.
“What about?” I asked.
“I don’t remember.” She shrugged her tiny shoulders and giggled. “I just remember liking it.”
“You’re still okay with me leaving this weekend, right?” I asked. She must have been tired of constantly reassuring me. “You’re okay with staying at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s?”
“Yes, Daddy. Grandpa makes me pancakes, and Grandma takes me shopping.” Her eyes widened with excitement. I chuckled; of course she was more than okay with staying with them for the weekend. “Is Everly going?”
I nodded. “Yeah, she’s helping me. You’re okay with that, right?”
Abby sighed and met my eyes before averting them with more attitude than necessary. Clearly, she was tired of all these questions.
“All right, I get it. I’ll start with breakfast. You get ready to go to Nick’s.” I moved to the side of the bed away from her warmth and found my feet.
Abby dressed herself as I made pancakes. I added a little cinnamon and brown sugar into the mix, and topped them with a blend of cream cheese and powdered sugar. I was at least going to make sure my pancakes were better than my dad’s.
“Is your painting almost done?” I asked. Nick had been giving me small updates through the week. Apparently, it was something Abby was really passionate about.
Her head went up and down as she scooped another spoonful. “Almost,” she said in between bites of pancakes. “But you can’t see it yet!” She narrowed a gaze at me that had threat written all over it.
I raised my hands to surrender. “I know.” I turned away to my own plate ready. “When can I see it?”
“When it’s done,” she said with another long, dramatic sigh. “You’re going to love it!”
“I know I will.” I turned and gave her a smile over my shoulder. “Maybe you can show it to me when I get back?”
Abby tilted her head as I joined her at the table. “Maybe,” she said.
“Alright, time to get to Uncle Nick’s,” I said and threw the dishes into the sink. Abby got her shoes on, and we left.
Nick was in the middle of a new painting when we arrived. I sat on his couch as Abby watched him finish the corner of his painting. It was a colorful field of flowers, with bleeding roses that created a border. It was somewhat depressing, but of course, Abby only saw the flowers and instantly fell in love.
“Uncle Nick! I’m going to finish my painting soon!” Abby said.
“It’s almost done.” He agreed and patted my shoulder. “It’s a real work of art.”
“I believe it,” I said and kissed Abby goodbye. “I have a long day at work today, sweetie. There’s a lot to plan for the weekend, and I might not pick you up until late.”
“That’s okay,” she said. “Take your time.”
I chuckled. Abby surely didn’t know what that meant.
“I need to check into the hotel sometime today,” I said to Nick as I got ready to leave. “I added Everly’s room last minute. I need to make sure it’s another suite or else she’ll be stuck on the bottom floor with the drunk bastards who go to Vegas for the women and drinks.”
“You don’t think she’d like that?” Nick asked. I raised my eyebrow at his condescending tone. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he sighed. “And don’t get all defensive over her. You don’t think you’re maybe getting a little too close to her?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You barely know her, and already you’re paying for an entire weekend in Vegas,” he said.
“Because I have meetings there, and you were busy. I didn’t want to go alone,” I argued.
“Jackie could have gone with you,” he said.
“I think I’d rather go alone than have her company.” I leveled my stare to his. “Plus, one of us needs to stay for the restaurants. We both can’t have a Vegas weekend.”
“It’s a business weekend,” Nick said. “Remember that.”
“What are you trying to get at?” I asked. “Just spit it out.”
“Just that you need to do what’s best for both you and Abby, not just yourself,” he said. I nodded, and we said goodbye.
Nick was just being a good friend. I could acknowledge that. He also didn’t know Everly as much as I did, and he didn’t understand how either of us felt. But more than anything, I knew that Everly wouldn’t do anything to hurt me or Abby. To think otherwise was ridiculous, but I could understand how he would be protective of us, though. It was his nature, and I know he considered us family. She was worth it, and I knew in my heart that what we could potentially have was worth it, too.