This parenting thing, its mind blowing. I mean, sure I’ve been around my niece and nephew but doing it with your own kid? Learning as you go? Totally different experience.
Reid is the most resilient dude ever. In my biased parental opinion.
The day after his surgery, he’s pretty much back to normal. The only time he gets fussy is when one of us tries to put the antibiotic drops in his ears, and that’s only because he’s itching to get back to what he was doing, like trying like hell to crawl across the room.
I’m sitting in the living room with him now, watching him doing his own thing on his play mat on the floor. I can’t help but laugh when Lucy tries to walk by, and Reid rolls over and starts rocking like he’s going to take off after her. It’s even funnier when she stops and watches him, waiting to see what he’ll do next.
When she comes over to me and hits me with the puppy dog eyes, I know I’m about to let her get away with whatever she wants.
She nudges my hand, and I reach out and rub her head. She uses that as permission to stand on her back two feet with her front paws on the couch. I look behind me quickly to see where Kelsey’s at then pat the cushion next to me.
“Don’t tell,” I whisper as she gets comfortable and puts her head in my lap.
Reid blows raspberries in our direction and tries to scoot in our direction. Lucy lets out a sigh.
“Hey, you can’t be mad at him for wanting to hang out with his best friend,” I tell the giant fur ball.
“Who are you…” Kelsey’s voice calls out from behind me.
Busted.
“Rhys.” Kelsey hisses. “Lucy!”
I almost feel bad for the dog, her voice for me was much nicer.
“Hey, leave my buddy alone. We’re cuddling.”
“On the couch that she’s not supposed to be on.”
“I don’t see why not. She’s clearly comfortable.”
“Rhys.”
“Kelsey.”
“Are you going to let Reid do whatever he wants too? Is that how this works?”
“Reid’s allowed to sit on the couch, just so we’re clear. You can’t give him a pillow and tell him to sit on the floor.” I pretend to be very serious.
Kelsey fights back a chuckle, “I think you like her better than me.”
I reach out for her, and she takes my hand, letting me tug her into my lap now that Lucy has jumped back down and sulked over to her bed. “Hmm, you’re awful jealous lately. I think I like it,” I tease as I kiss her neck.
“Not jealous.” She tries to deny it.
“If you say so. Do you want to come home with me Friday? You can stay a few days then I’ll bring you back here for Reid’s follow up.”
“You want me to come and stay with you for a week?”
“I do. You’ll see how wonderful it will be living with me full time.”
“I’m not moving in with you.”
“You are.” This woman is foolish if she really believes that she’s moving to Tallahassee and not moving in with me. “Not negotiable.”
“Not how things work. You’re not the boss of me.”
I raise my brows, “That’s the best comeback you’ve got.”
“Rhys Mitchell, I am not moving in with you.”
“Ever?” Playing hardball now.
KJ throws her hands up in frustration, “You’re impossible to deal with.”
“You tell me that you don’t want this. Tell me you don’t want the three of us to be a family. Say the words, and we’ll keep on doing what we’ve been doing, but I’m not going to play nice anymore. Instead, I’ll be chasing you so hard that you won’t know what hit you.” The words that are flying out of my mouth are not even a shock to me.
I didn’t plan to come here this week and get this deep into things with her, but I heard her talking to her real estate agent earlier, and I wanted to put it all out on the table.
“Right, like kissing me senseless. Fucking me into submission, continually waking up feeling that I’ve been fighting. Got it.” She mumbles, her words barely audible, yet I heard them loud and clear.
“Stop fighting it. Let’s see what happens when we both stop fighting it.”
“Rhys, I’m not saying I don’t want any of that, but I’m thinking practically. We have a child together, what happens if this ends horribly?”
“One, it’s not going to. You and I have something that is worth exploring, and I’m willing to work hard for it because of Reid and because of you. Two, if things don’t work out between us, then I keep doing what I’ve been doing. Think about it though, things run better when we’re together.”
“Are you doing this out of obligation?” She straddles my lap, so she’s looking in my eyes.
“Nope,” I answer confidently. “I’m doing it because I love Reid and I love you.”
“You love me?”
I wrap my arms around her waist and place a gentle kiss on her lips. There’s no urgency. It’s sensual and soft. “Yes, crazy girl. I think I’ve been in love with you since I pulled over to help you with a flat tire and you dropped a box of squishy dicks all over the highway.”
She lets out a laugh that feels like a breath of fresh air. “They did not end up all over the highway, just the side of the road,” she playfully slaps my chest.
“I really hope you did not tell people that was swag for your Hot Cop…or Not book. It’s really misleading.” I playfully lift my hips and rub against her.
Kelsey leans forward and rests her head on my shoulder, her arms wrapped around my neck, one hand tangling with my hair. “I love you too,” she says softly, and I swear my Goddamn heart leaps out of my chest.
“One more thing, Kelsey.”
She lifts her head and looks at me, “What else, Rhys?”
“You need to know that, I forgive you. Wholeheartedly. When I told you at the hospital that we were ok. I meant that too. I was too hurt and irate at the time to stop and think about your reasons. We make the best choices we can with all the information we have at the time. You thought you were making the right choice. I get why you think I may not have been a stand-up guy. I’ve let it go. I forgive you, and I want you to forgive yourself. Can you do that for me?”
Her body trembles as tears stream down her face and I’ve got to hold back my own tears. She’s let this shit eat at her for far too long. I realize now, after the way she acted at the hospital, she needs this. I needed to give her the words, letting her know I forgave her, and in a way, she needed the permission from me to forgive herself too.
“I’m so sorry. So damn sorry,” she cries harder and leans back into me.
“I know you are. And I’m telling you that I forgive you.” I let her cry and get it all out, once her sobs have quieted, I do the one thing I’m best at and try to bring humor back to the situation. “So, you’ll be moving in with me?”
Her laugh tickles my neck, and I know I’ve accomplished my goal.
“I’m serious, Kels. Shit, we can try finding a place together first – if you’d rather not move twice because eventually, we’re going to need something bigger than my two-bedroom condo. If the timing doesn’t work out, stay at my place until we find something we both want.”
“Let me get used to the fact that you love me first, okay hot shot?”
“It’s hot cop.” I nip her collarbone gently.
“I can’t even with you. Let’s go make dinner and get little man ready for bed.”
“And after that?” I tease.
“I’m going to bed, Rhys. To sleep.”
“We’ll see,” I give her ass a smack as she moves off me and picks Reid up off the floor.