Chapter 38

Annie

After we clean up our dinner mess, Jake takes us down the hall to show me the penthouse’s private elevator. “You have to enter a code to use this elevator,” he says, punching it in and summoning the elevator.

We ride up two floors to the penthouse apartment which, according to Jake, takes up the entire top floor of the building. I can’t even imagine how many tens of thousands of square feet that must be.

The elevator doors open into a foyer with fancy black-and-white checkerboard floor and a stunning crystal chandelier hanging high overhead.

“Right through that door,” Jake says, taking my hand. Aiden follows closely behind us, clutching Stevie closely.

Jake opens the foyer door and we step right into the great room, which is huge. The entire back wall is glass, providing a stunning panoramic view of the Chicago night sky. As far as the eye can see, buildings are lit up like Christmas trees under a blanket of stars.

A strikingly handsome man with close cropped gray hair greets us, holding a tiny infant to his shoulder. “Jake! Great to see you, man.”

Jake laughs. “I’d shake your hand, but you seem to be a little busy at the moment.”

“Yep. Tryin’ to get this little guy to burp. He’s being stubborn.”

Jake puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. “This is Cooper, babe. He’s Shane’s right-hand man and business partner. Cooper lives here in the penthouse, too. Cooper, this is Annie.”

The man nods, giving me a warm smile. “It’s an honor to make your acquaintance, young lady.”

I return his smile. “Thank you. It’s a pleasure.”

Aiden sidles up to me, one arm wrapped securely around my leg as he gazes up at Cooper. “Is that your baby?”

Cooper laughs. “You must be Aiden. It’s a pleasure to meet you, son. This is my grandson, Lucas Samuel McIntyre.”

A much younger man with red hair twisted up into a bun and a matching red beard walks up to Cooper, putting his arm around Cooper’s waist. “I’m going to go change now,” he says to Cooper. “It’s almost seven.”

“We have dinner reservations tonight,” Cooper says. “Annie, this is Sam Harrison, my better half.”

Sam gives me a quick smile. “Nice to meet you, Annie. I hate to be rude, but we have to leave soon, and I’m not dressed.”

Sam kisses the top of the baby’s blond head. Then he kisses Cooper right on the lips. “Be back soon.”

I’m afraid I might be blushing because my face feels suddenly hot.

“Sam lives here with me,” Cooper says as he pats the baby’s back. “He works for McIntyre Security, too. He’s Beth’s bodyguard.”

“Hi, Annie. I’m Beth.” A stunningly gorgeous blonde in flannel PJ shorts and a tank top joins us. Her hair is slightly damp and up in a ponytail. She hugs Jake, then me. “I’m so glad to finally meet you. And this must be your son, Aiden. Hello, Aiden.” Then to me, she says, “Would you like to come sit down and relax?”

We all follow her to a comfortable seating area in front of an impressive brick fireplace.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to meet you,” Beth says to me. “We’re all thrilled that you and Jake are together again.”

I smile at her. “Thanks for inviting us up. Your home is lovely.”

“I’m sorry we’re so informal this evening. I just took a shower, and Shane’s in his office on the phone with work. He’ll be out in a minute to say hello.”

The baby burps loudly, and everyone gets a chuckle out of that.

“Mission accomplished,” Cooper says with a grin as he hands the baby to Beth.

“I hear you’re going to be living in our building for a while, Aiden,” Beth says as she settles the baby into the crook of her arm.

Aiden nods. “I am. Mommy and I are going to live with Jake. Is that your baby?”

Beth smiles. “Yes, he is. His name is Luke. Maybe you two could be friends.”

“Sure.” Aiden offers the baby his dinosaur. “He can play with Stevie.”

Beth laughs. “I’m afraid Luke’s too young to play with toys, but when he’s older, I’m sure he’d love to.”

Sam reappears, dressed in a pair of dressy black trousers and a white button-down shirt. He has a towel draped across his shoulders and a pair of clippers in his hand. He walks over to where Cooper is sitting in an armchair and hands him the clippers. “Would you trim my undercut? It’s getting kinda long.”

“Excuse us, ladies and gentlemen,” Cooper says as he stands. “I’m needed elsewhere.” The two men disappear around the corner.

Shane walks into the room, heading straight for his wife. “Hi, everyone. Sorry for the delay.” He leans over the back of the sofa to kiss her cheek. Then he gently brushes his hand over the sleeping baby’s head.

Shane McIntyre is a very good looking man. He’s probably in his mid-thirties. Short brown hair and a closely-trimmed beard. And the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen on a man. He’s wearing jeans and a Navy blue T-shirt that hugs his muscular arms. Good grief. Are all the McIntyre men ripped?

Shane clasps Jake’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “I couldn’t be happier for you, man.”

Jake smiles, and oh, my goodness, I think he’s blushing.

Shane offers me his hand. “Annie, it’s a pleasure. I saw you in the hospital a few times, but you weren’t up to socializing quite yet.”

Shane joins his wife and son on the sofa.

Beth cradles Luke in her arms, rocking him gently as he dozes off. “I had an ulterior motive for inviting you guys up this evening—besides wanting to meet Annie and Aiden,” she says. “We’re having a little family get-together tomorrow afternoon at two. I hope you’ll join us.”

“We’d love to,” I say, glancing at Jake for confirmation. The smile on his face says it all.

 

* * *

The McIntyre family get-together is scheduled for two o’clock this afternoon. Ten minutes before, Jake and Aiden and I ride up in the penthouse elevator. The elevator doors open, and we step out into a foyer lavishly decorated with crystal vases filled with pale pink roses and a colorful bouquet of helium balloons that say Welcome Home! This isn’t just a simple get-together. This is a party—for me.

I stop dead in my tracks, suddenly feeling ten times more nervous than I already was. I think Aiden is picking up on my mood, because he grabs my hand and holds on tightly.

When I glance up at Jake, he just smiles and shrugs. “Come on. Don’t be afraid. They don’t bite.” Then he takes my hand and pulls me to the door that leads into the apartment.

Before he opens the door, he leans close and kisses me, and then he whispers, “I love you.”

Jake ushers me through the door first, and when I step into the great room, there’s a sizable crowd of smiling faces to greet us.

“Surprise!” they cheer.

Bridget comes forward, her arms open wide, and pulls me into a crushing embrace. “Welcome home, darling,” she says, sounding more than a little choked up. She gives me a teary smile and kisses my cheek. Then she tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. “We’re so glad you found your way back to us.”

“All right, Mom, let her breathe,” Jake says, pulling me out of her arms. He lays his arm across my shoulder and draws me close. “Hey, everyone. In case you didn’t know, this is the love of my life, Annie Elliot. See, she’s real. I didn’t make her up, as some of you have suggested over the years.”

Ignoring all the laughter, Jake leans down to kiss my cheek. And then he picks Aiden up and props him on his hip. Hiding from the crowd, Aiden presses his face into the crook of Jake’s neck and shoulder and wraps his arms around Jake’s neck. “And this little guy is Aiden. He’s a bit shy at first, but once he gets to know you, he’ll charm your pants off. Did I mention I’m a dad now, too?”

And that pronouncement is followed by another round of cheering.

I’m starting to pick out familiar faces in the crowd. Charlie stands out, and Cameron and Killian. Elly and George are here, too! Along with Jake’s parents. I recognize Jake’s blind brother, Jamie, and his girlfriend, Molly. Beth and her baby, of course. The two guys I met last night, Cooper and Sam. Jake’s sister Lia and her boyfriend, Jonah. Jake’s sister Sophie. And Jake’s other two brothers, Shane and Liam. Good grief, they have a big family!

Beth comes up to me, Luke cradled in her arms, and gently touches my arm. “Luke needs a diaper change. Would you like to come with me to the nursery?”

“Yes, thank you.” Bless her heart, she’s a mind reader. I could use a few quiet moments to process all of this.

Jake picks up Aiden while I follow Beth down a hallway that leads to a small, cozy nursery. There’s a crib in here, a changing table, and a padded rocking chair and footstool.

“He sleeps in our room,” she says, “in a bassinette, but we do diaper changes in here. And I nurse him in here.”

Beth lays a very tiny newborn baby on the padded changing table and proceeds to unsnap the bottom half of his sleeper.

“How’s he doing?” I ask. Jake told me about the traumatic events Beth went through recently. How she went into premature labor in the attic above a convenience store, where an armed robbery was taking place. His sister Lia helped her through the ordeal, as did Shane.

Beth smiles as she removes his wet diaper. “He’s doing really well. His lungs are fine now, and he’s eating well and gaining weight.”

The baby has pale blond hair, like his mama, and bright blue eyes, like is daddy. Right now, the little guy is busy sucking noisily on his fist and looking at the colorful shapes dangling from the mobile that hangs over the changing table.

“He’s adorable,” I say, reaching out to hold his other little hand.

“I think so, but then I’m biased.” She laughs. “How is your son doing?”

“He’s doing okay. It was hard telling him that his father was dead. We didn’t go into a lot of detail. He doesn’t need to know his father shot both Jake and me and would have killed me if Jake hadn’t gotten between us. How in the world do you explain that to a child?”

Beth lays her hand on my arm, frowning. “I’m so sorry.” Then she brightens with a smile. “We’re all thrilled that you and Jake are together again.”

I feel tears pricking behind my eyes. “Everyone’s been so nice, so accepting.” I swallow, my throat tight. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. Jake and I have a long history, and some of it’s very painful. My parents—” I stop before I start crying. I don’t want to blubber like a baby in front of Jake’s sister-in-law.

“It’s okay,” she says gently. “You don’t have to explain anything. We know, and we understand. Jake’s family doesn’t blame you or hold grudges. Everyone is simply happy that you’re back together, and that Jake is happy. That’s all that matters.”

The baby starts fussing, sucking furiously on his tiny fist, doing his best to cram it into his mouth.

I laugh. “I think someone is hungry.”

She grins as she picks up her son and rests him against her shoulder. “Yes, he is.”

The door opens, and Shane and Jake walk in. Jake’s gaze goes right to me. “Doing okay?”

“Yes, fine,” I say.

“Perfect timing, gentlemen,” Beth says. “I’m going to nurse Luke now.”

“Great,” Jake says, pulling me into his arms. “I can have my Elliot back then.”

Jake and I return to the great room, leaving Shane behind with his wife and son. The nursery door closes quietly behind us, and I have to smile. Maybe someday Jake and I will celebrate the birth of a new child.

Back in the great room, Aiden is at the center of attention. He’s sitting on Calum’s lap, with Bridget and Charlie seated on either side of him. Aiden is regaling everyone with the tale of his exploits jumping off the diving board at Kenilworth.

Jake ushers me over to a dining table covered with hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. At the center of the table is a breath-taking, three-tiered cake decorated with tiny pale pink roses made from icing and tiny little gold candy beads. He pours me a glass of freshly-made lemonade, then one for himself.

“I have an announcement to make,” he says, raising his glass and easily garnering everyone’s attention with his deep baritone voice. He holds me at his side. “You should already know this by now, but in case you don’t… the love of my life—Annie Elliot—has done me the great honor of agreeing to put up with me for the rest of our lives. We’re getting married in March and you’re all invited.”

Their response makes me blush. With all the whooping and hollering and applause, I feel so incredibly blessed. I’m amazed that they really don’t seem to be holding a grudge against me. “Thank you, everyone.”

I step forward, out from under Jake’s sheltering support, both emotionally and physically. “Many of you remember me back in high school, when Jake and I were first together. You also know that we went our separate ways, for lack of a better term, shortly after I left for college.” I explain what happened. “I want you all to know how sorry I am, for not being stronger, braver, more self-assured. For letting myself be manipulated. For letting my doubts and insecurities affect my behavior.”

Jake pulls me back to his side. “The same goes for me,” he says. “But those days are behind us now.”

I swallow hard. “I just want you all to know that I love Jake with all my heart, and that I’m going to spend the rest of my life with him, making up for lost time. I hope you will give me a chance to become part of your family, because there’s nothing I’d like better.”

When I’m done speaking, there’s not a dry eye in the room, and I don’t even realize I’ve got tears running down my face until Molly brings me a tissue.  

Aiden jumps down from Calum’s lap and runs to me, wrapping his arms around my legs as he hugs me. I pick him up, and he buries his face in the crook of my neck.

“Why are you crying, Mommy?” he asks, his voice muffled against my neck.

“I’m crying because I’m happy, sweetie.”

“I’m happy, too,” he says, sniffling.

Jake wraps his arms around the both of us. “Make that three.”