Late Nights & Love Lines (Single Dad Hotline #2)

23. Dancing to her beat

23

DANCING TO HER BEAT

SEBASTIAN

“ I think this is the best course of action,” Beck says, tossing his pen onto the table and removing his glasses. “The rest of us should take turns joining you, but it’s imperative you’re at them all.”

“I agree,” I say, even though the idea of leaving again makes my chest itch as though I’ve been rolling around in poison ivy for days.

“Due to Miles and his surgery, six out of the seven investors have agreed to push everything back by one month.” I can tell by the tick of Alexei’s jaw he’s pissed.

“Let me guess, the seventh who’s refusing is Coleman Industries?” Elijah’s eye roll could rival Seren’s.

Old man Coleman is a hypocrite of the highest order. He’s looking at the scandal with my wife and using it as the reason for pulling out of our deal, but he’s married to a twenty-year-old and has never been faithful.

“You guessed it.” Beck stands and rolls his neck side to side. “The only way we can get to him is by pulling some strings and getting you into the Hearts of Hope annual gala in New York City. It wasn’t easy either, as the guest list is curated by the Broken Hearts Network years in advance.”

“But you pulled some strings.” Elijah chuckles.

“Never underestimate how far money will take you,” Beck says with a wide grin. “You’ll have to donate a pretty penny once you’re in there, but between your donation and mine, you’ll be seated with old man Coleman, his wife—who is young enough to be his granddaughter—his son, Jacob, who is in the process of taking the reins, and his wife. It’s a table for eight, but I haven’t been able to suss out who the other couple will be.”

“Okay,” I say, taking notes on my laptop. “I know Jacob. His father did business with mine a few times, and I’ve heard of Hearts of Hope. That’s the organization that provides free surgeries for children in need, right? It makes sense that he’ll be there. If I remember correctly, Jacob volunteered with one of their other charities. It’s why he worked at my grandfather’s camp the summer before he went to college—it’s how we met.”

A thought occurs to me, and their voices fade away as I put the pieces together in my head. I may not need fucking old man Coleman.

“Yes. They’re doing amazing things with all the money they raise,” Beck says.

“And this year, the MC is the CEO of Bryer-Blaine Industries, correct? He’s somehow related to the founders of the charity.”

Beck stares at me for half a second before realization dons on him too. “That man doesn’t ever accept meetings that aren’t thoroughly vetted.”

I know this about him, but all I’d need is five minutes of his time.

“It’s doubtful you’ll even get close to him,” Elijah says.

He’s also right, but if I do? If I do, this could be a coup for our newly formed partnership. If I can’t get old man Coleman on my side, I’ll have to get close to Blaine—whatever it takes.

“You have to bring a date with you. This can’t come across as an ambush, or the old man will double down. If Rowan won’t go with you, ask a friend, hire someone, I don’t give a fuck, but you can’t show up alone,” Beck says.

What are the chances she’ll agree to this?

Our phones chime at the same time, and we all reach for them.

Band of merry fucking meddlers:

Leo: The girls’ playdate is rolling into a wine night.

Leo: So, looks like dinner’s at your place tonight, Seb. You have burgers and hotdogs at your house, or should I grab them on my way over there?

Me: Everyone is on board with that?

“You worried about Rowan?” Alexei asks, uncharacteristically somber. He’s the only one in the room who has a little knowledge of her background. But the thing about this group is they don’t need the details to give her exactly what she needs, and they’ve never once hesitated to bring her into their circle.

“She had a minor freak-out when they first showed up, but I haven’t heard from her since.”

Leo: Yessir!

Me: Okay, we had a grocery delivery yesterday, but probably not enough for everyone.

Leo: On it.

Beck: I’ll see if Stella can put together a pasta salad.

“You could have just said that. We’re all right here.” Elijah chuckles.

“Leo’s not. What if he doubled up on tuna macaroni and no one likes tuna macaroni?” Beck’s deep frown says he is one hundred percent serious.

Elijah’s laugh shakes his entire body. “Oh, how times have changed.”

Alexei: I’ll grab some cookies at the store when I run to the hotel to change.

Elijah: Samira’s out of town, but I’ll grab some beer.

We all lift our gaze to Elijah.

“What? I wasn’t going to be the only asshole not chiming in,” Elijah says.

The room explodes into laughter and finally, some of the tension that’s been suffocating us for weeks starts to dissipate.

“Well, we better get going. Tabby’s amazing, but she’s also a little troublemaker,” Beck says, straightening his papers. “Guess we’ll see you at your place in a bit.”

I nod. There was never a question of if they’d be there. The girls are there, so that’s where they’ll be. This is exactly the kind of family my kids need—and maybe it’ll be what helps to convince Rowan to stay for good.

The drive home is short. I could have walked to Beck’s house along the beach, but the idea of sitting through meetings all day covered in sand and saltwater was less than appealing.

Opening the door to my house, the laughter and chatter of a happy home hit me.

It’s disorienting, and my emotions sit heavy in my chest. My kids have never had this. I’ve never had this, unless you count my time spent at my grandparents. It’s overwhelming, but so damn right. This is where we were meant to be—all of us.

Following the voices, I stop at the edge of the family room and observe. Tabby talks animatedly while Bella and Rowan listen attentively. Rowan smiles at the right times, but I can tell she’s still holding herself back—keeping herself on the periphery—but at least she’s really trying.

There’s a Pack ‘n Play set up next to the chair Pappy’s reclining in. He wears a contented grin as he stares at whoever is inside it. Ruby and Kade are lying on their bellies with their chins in their hands, watching a movie. They both burst out laughing when the cartoon dog says something I missed.

But it’s Miles, stretched out on the sofa with his head in Rowan’s lap, that hits me right in the chest. He feels safe with her, and that’s more than I could’ve ever hoped for.

“Seb, you’re here,” Tabby says, jumping up. “We’ve been waiting for one of you to show up so we can open the wine. You’re on kid duty. The other guys will help out when they get here.”

My entire body relaxes with the happiness in this room. “Sounds like a plan.”

Rowan studies me with a hint of amusement ticking at the corners of her lips as I make my way closer to her. Without thinking too much about it, I lean over the top of her and kiss her forehead. Then move to Miles, and when he grins up at me, I’m pretty sure I grow to ten feet tall.

“Hey, bud. How you feeling?”

He turns that brilliant smile of his to Rowan. “Good. Rowan’s the best.”

Surprise lights up her face. “You’re the best Miles I’ve ever met.” Her voice is soft and velvety, as if the words touched her soul as much as they did mine.

Tabby and Bella are already heading toward the kitchen, so I wait until they’re out of earshot.

“How are you holding up?” I ask Rowan as she scootches over so I can slide in next to Miles.

She takes a minute, and her lips twitch as if she’s pondering my question. Is she even aware that her fist is clutching her chest? “Okay, I think. I mean, I didn’t contribute much to their conversation, but I guess it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

Unable to stop myself, I fist the back of her neck and pull her to me, pressing another kiss on her forehead. “I’m really happy to hear that.”

“Daddy!” Kade abandons his movie long enough to run to me for a hug.

I hadn’t realized he’d been watching me, but when he shifts to Rowan, and waves with both hands so she’ll come closer, he presses a kiss to her forehead too.

“I like you too, Row-Row.”

The muscles in her neck pull taut as she nods. She won’t look at me, but when her lashes flutter and stick together with moisture, it’s obvious how profoundly my little man has affected her.

Seemingly unaware of the power he wields, Kade skips back to his friend and continues watching the movie.

“It sounds as though the girls are waiting for you,” I whisper, right before a cork pops in the other room.

“Hope you don’t mind us raiding your wine fridge,” Tabby shouts from the kitchen.

My shoulders shake with silent laughter. Tabby told Rowan they were an orphanage for lost souls, and I couldn’t have come up with a better description if I tried.

“Have at it,” I call back. Lowering my voice, I say, “You should get out there before they come to get you.”

Rowan’s face pales, and it becomes apparent how much of a toll this day has taken on her already. Dark circles are forming under her eyes, and her shoulders only relaxed for a moment when I kissed her forehead.

Squeezing her hand in one of mine, I tilt her chin to face me with my free hand. “I get this is a lot, but I need you to know how proud I am of you for trying. Have you had fun so far?”

Her gaze jumps around the room before she finally nods. “They didn’t push me or anything, and Tabby is really funny. It was just…different.”

“Different is good for ya, Row,” Pappy chimes in, apparently not at all perplexed by how intimately we’re sitting. “You’ve been more alive these last few weeks than I’ve ever seen you before. Don’t cut yourself off when things get hard. Take breaks and try again. You were never meant to walk through life as an empty version of yourself. You’ve got so much more than that to offer the world. Explore it, thrive in it, and live.”

“Row, get your skinny ass in here.” Tabby has no boundaries whatsoever, and she might be exactly the kind of friend Rowan needs.

There’s a knock at the door, followed by footsteps. This crazy chosen family seems to knock as a warning that they’re entering, not as a way of asking permission.

Twisting my neck to stare at the door, I grin when Leo walks in holding about twenty shopping bags.

“All set,” he calls out. “Let me drop this in the kitchen, then I’ll come help with the kids.”

“Is it just a known thing that when their wives have a wine night, they’re on dad duty? No one puts up a fight?” Confusion clouds Rowan’s tone, but I simply shrug.

“Yeah, Peach. That’s what a partnership is. Give and take, take and give in every aspect of the relationship. When one person is fighting to maintain at twenty-five percent, the partner steps up to handle the other seventy-five. The best you can hope for is to find someone who gives as much as they take so as a couple, you’re always at one hundred percent for yourselves, your children, and each other.”

“He’s right,” Pappy says, lifting a fussy baby into his arms. “If you give yourself a chance, Row, you’ll find out that life can be so much more than you’ve ever experienced.”

She sucks in a breath but doesn’t say anything.

“Hey,” Seren says from behind us. “I’m home.”

I lean away from Rowan, and we both tilt our bodies to include Seren in our conversation even though the sofa is separating us. Her gaze dances from one person to the next, but I can’t tell what’s going on in that head of hers. She’s so guarded these days.

“Hey, sweet pea. How was camp?”

She looks from me to Rowan and shrugs. “I played a little and wrote some music, but it’s probably not any good.”

“That’s part of being an artist—you never think your work is good,” Rowan says, then stands and walks around the sofa to face Seren. “How did it feel to do it?”

“Angry,” Seren mumbles.

My gaze ping-pongs between my two girls, but I stay where I am because this conversation was meant for Rowan. She might be the only one who can truly sympathize with my little girl.

“It’s very therapeutic. And lots of music can be angry, but still beautiful. Maybe tomorrow we can go together, and you can show me what you’ve done? I—I might have some feelings to get out too.”

Her gaze snags on mine, and my heart beats to her tune.

“Really?” The hope in Seren’s voice cuts me to the quick. How many times has her mother let her down in her short life?

“Really,” Rowan laughs, and I swear the tension melts from her body. “It’s been a…day around here.”

At that moment, Tabby’s loud, rich laughter fills the air, and Beck walks in, holding a large bowl in one hand and an infant car seat in the other.

“What’s going on?” Seren asks, unease coating her words.

“Family dinner, kid,” Beck says, entering the fray. “Mind helping me with this?”

Seren takes the large bowl from him.

“What am I supposed to do now?” Seren’s gaze follows Beck as he rounds the sofa and removes the small child from the car seat.

“Well, apparently, it’s family dinner and girls’ night,” Rowan says in a light tone. “I have no idea what a girls’ night entails other than wine, but if your dad says it’s okay, you can come hang out with us in the kitchen with a soda if you don’t want to be on kid-duty out here.”

“Really? You’d…” She drops her chin and stares at the floor. “You’d let me hang out with you guys?”

“Sure,” Rowan says lightly. “Why not? You’re too old to play with the littles, unless you wanted to play with them, which is totally fine, but you’re old enough to be in on whatever Tabby has up her sleeve. With a house full of people, it can’t get too wild, and if it does, you’ll be my escape plan.” Her face glows with happiness.

“My mom never even let me be in the same room with her when she was with her friends.”

Rowan’s face falls to sadness in the blink of an eye. She may feel as though she’s not good with her emotions, but she takes on everyone else’s with the empathy of a survivor.

“I’m so sorry about that, Ser.” I say the words, but they slice open my mouth on their way out. “Your mother…” What do I say to her? Your mother’s a selfish asshole doesn’t seem appropriate.

“All adults are different,” Rowan cuts in. “But I think we can make up some new rules for a while, if that’s okay with you, because I’m most definitely a little different.”

The smile Rowan shares with Seren makes me want to drop to my knees and beg her to marry me right this second.

“Seb,” Rowan cuts an inquisitive stare my way. “Are you alright with Seren joining us in the kitchen?”

“I’m all for different.” My tone is rough, and I clear my throat before continuing. “I trust your judgment, Peach, always. And as much as I hate to admit it, you’re not my little baby anymore, Ser. If you want to sit in on girls’ night, that’s fine with me.”

My little girl’s face nearly splits in two. “Why do you call her Peach?”

My gaze floats between the two of them, and I shrug. “Because the very first time I saw Rowan, she was wearing a James and the Giant Peach T-shirt.”

“I love that book,” Miles says, smiling up at me.

“And he declared that he was going to marry her right there at first sight,” Pappy supplies, drawing all eyes my way.

“That’s…sweet,” Seren says, then grabs Rowan’s hand and drags her toward the kitchen with Beck’s bowl tucked under her arm. Rowan glances over her shoulder at me, and all her unasked questions and fears flash across her face.

I wink at her just before Seren tugs her out of sight.

“She’s going to pull away,” Pappy says, bursting the lighthearted moment of a second ago. “It’s all she knows, Seb. One step forward, two steps back. All you can do is dance to her beat until all her old trauma is put to bed. You’re good for her, son. You all are, and I’ve never been more proud of you than I am right now.”

Jesus, Pappy. Way to make a grown man cry.

“Thanks, Paps. I’m only who I am today because of you.”

“Bull,” he barks. “You were always a good boy, Seb. But now you’re a great man, and that all comes down to you.”