CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Six months later
Derek sat at one side of the kitchen table. Kate sat at the other.
She was staring at him.
Don’t say anything. Give her time. It’s a lot to process.
Kate tilted her head to one side and considered him with somber, thoughtful eyes.
Derek cleared his throat and sat back. He cleared his throat again. Dry. Was it hot in here? He grabbed for the glass in front of him and took a gulp.
“That’s mine,” Kate said.
Yup. It wasn’t his water. It was her glass of milk. “I’ll get you another.”
“No thanks.”
Okay. Derek drummed his fingers on the tabletop.
Kate pursed her lips. “Do I have to call you Dad?”
“No.”
“Because I have a dad. And that’s his name.”
“I know, sweetheart. You can call me what you want.”
She brightened. “I like Colin.”
“No, I… I didn’t mean you could rename me. I meant you can keep calling me Derek, or… Call me Derek.”
“Can I call you Stepfather?”
“That’s a little formal.”
“I like it, though. I’m going to call you Stepfather.”
“Or you could keep calling him Derek,” Jenny said, joining them, thank fuck. She dropped a hand on Kate’s head as she passed, smoothed down her flyaway hair. “Don’t tease him, Kate.”
Kate grinned at Derek.
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you messing with me?”
“Yes.”
“So you think it’s a good idea?”
“So long as I don’t have to call you Dad.”
“You don’t have to call me Dad.”
“Because it would probably hurt his feelings.”
We wouldn’t want that. “I know.”
“And so long as I don’t have to wear a dress.”
“Ever, or to the wedding?”
“Ever,” Kate said craftily.
“Can’t promise that.” Derek shook his head. “What if a prince shows up wanting to marry you? You’d have to wear a dress. It’s the law. You’d be a princess.”
“Don’t give her nightmares, Colin,” Jenny said.
“Fine. You don’t have to wear a dress to the wedding, unless you want to, and you can decide whether or not you want to closer to the day.”
“In that case, yes,” Kate said. “You can marry Mom.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
“And I want a baby brother.”
Derek crossed his arms over his chest. “The negotiations are over. You should have asked before you said yes.”
Kate scowled.
“Because what if we do have a baby, and it’s a sister?”
“That would be better. But I don’t mind which.”
“In that case…” Derek stood, crossed the kitchen to Jenny and dropped to one knee. He took out the ring Elle and Lila had helped him choose. “Jennifer Finley, would you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife?”
Jenny turned from where she was making them sandwiches for lunch, and did a double take.
“Why do you look surprised?” Derek asked. “You knew this was coming.”
“I didn’t know the ring was coming. Now. Today.”
“I thought this was a good day to do it. You knew Kate and I were having the talk. We talked.”
“Three seconds ago.”
Derek exchanged worried glances with Kate, who’d jumped down from her chair and came to stand beside him.
Jenny was making a high-pitched mmmmmmm noise.
“I think I know what this is,” Kate said to Derek, putting a hand on his shoulder to lean in. “She did it on my first day of school.”
“It’s happy, though?” Derek asked.
Jenny wanted to marry him. He knew that. They’d discussed it. After three months of Derek easing into their lives, with Kate taking it as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he had moved in with them.
After another three months, they decided he’d talk to her, man to girl, and if she still seemed on board with everything, they’d make it official.
Jenny had said yes to this plan.
One of Derek’s favorite things was to make Jenny say yes to him. With the lock he’d installed on their bedroom door and a well-honed sense of when to muffle her cries, he made her say it a lot.
So why were her eyes shiny and—
“I think mostly it’s happy,” Kate said. “At least she’s not crying, which is what she did when… No, she’s crying. Mom.”
“I’m happy. These are tears of joy. This happens.”
“Mom, you’re freaking Derek out.”
Kate looked at Derek and rolled her eyes. Derek looked at Kate. He had a necklace in his pocket that Elle had also helped him choose, as a present for Kate. It was a delicate silver chain with a pendant, a little dragon in flight. He hadn’t been sure about it as a gesture, thought it was kind of corny, kind of cute. Now he was flat-out scared.
He didn’t want to make both Finley women cry in the same day.
Or ever.
Derek stood up and drew Jenny into his arms. She collapsed against him, fighting sobs, as he put the ring on her finger. “Shh,” he said, stroking her back gently.
“Always shushing me!”
“Always making so much noise.” He held her away and wiped her cheeks. “Okay?”
“Yes.” Jenny sniffed. “I’m deliriously happy. Yes, I will marry you. Thank you very much.” She pecked a firm kiss on his lips, and returned to making sandwiches. Concentrating hard on buttering a slice of bread, she added, “And also, I’m pregnant.”
Kate and Derek stared at each other. Kate held up her hand for a high five. Derek slapped it. Kate threw herself at her mother. “I’m going to be such a great sister!” she cheered. She bounced to Derek, hugged him, then yelled, “I’m going to call Auntie Elle!” and disappeared.
“Pregnant?” Derek whispered. “Already?”
They’d only stopped using birth control six weeks ago. He crowded Jenny against the counter, his chest to her back, and wrapped his arms around her. Nudging her head to one side, he pressed a soft kiss to her neck.
Jenny gripped his forearms. “Yes,” she said. “You should know, I was very emotional when pregnant with Kate. There. I warned you. I hope you’re proud of yourself, Tate. You’re stuck now.”
“Right where I want to be, honey.”
“Well, I hope so, because this is it.”
“Right where—
“Can’t change your mind, even if you want to.”
“I don’t—”
“You’re having a baby. I’m having a baby. I’m having another baby. Oh, Derek, it’s not even the emotional stuff. I’m going to throw up so much. I’m not even kidding. Then the baby will be throwing up. And the diapers. You have no idea what is coming for you. No idea.”
Derek started laughing as he loosened her white-knuckled grip on his arms and turned her around. He tipped her chin up and kissed her roughly.
“I’m game. Bring it on, Jenny Tate.”