She raised her eyebrow in my direction. “You better.” Then she looked to Jules. “Sorry to crash your house, but Lorelai got some antibiotics in her and is sacked out for a late-afternoon nap. Jake is hanging with her, and I figured I’d come get Addie so you could go back to your day as planned.” She waggled her eyebrows at the two of us, breaking the tension.
“You sure?” I asked, considering how tired Ivy seemed of late, though maybe the brewing ear infection was responsible for Lorelai’s lack of sleep. “I wasn’t here last weekend, so I’m happy to have Ads today and tonight if needed.”
Ivy smiled warmly and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “You are the best, Noah, but we’re good. Ms. Addie will be fine. Andmister”—she gave me her best stern expression—“think on what I said. You need to let that stuff go. Goddess knows you are the father our little girl needs exactly as you are.”
“Thanks, Ivy,” I whispered, wishing it was that easy, that I could hear her words and believe them in the depths of my soul.
Jules sat quietly by my side as Ivy gave me a look that said she knew I wasn’t there yet but would get there eventually. Then, as if she’d made some silent decision, she called out, “Ads…”
Addie’s blond curls stuck out of her fort, and she looked our way. “Yeah, Momma.”
“Time to hit the road. Little sis is at home snoozing, and Chief needs you on duty.”
Ivy was a master. Giving Addie a job was the way to get things done without a fight. Tagging in Jake’s pup was expert-level stuff. Even so, Addie sent a side-eye back in her tented area. “But Momma, O’Malley…”
Jules jumped in like the hero she was. “Oh, Addie, thanks so much for hanging with O’Malley, but it’s time for his nap.” She was on the move to the living room as she talked.
“O’Malley takes naps?” Addie’s voice betrayed her disbelief at that statement.
“Of course he does,” Jules said as she leaned past Ads and scooped O’Malley up. The cat looked up at her adoringly, which I completely understood. “He dozes most of the day, but in the late afternoon, he likes to get a solid nap in the spot that looks over the backyard so he can be well rested before dinner.”
As Jules rubbed his belly, Addie looked at Ivy and me with delight. “I can hear his purr!” Her head swiveled back to Jules with a grin. “It sounds like an engine.”
Jules smiled right back at Addie in a way that threatened to steal my breath. “He likes his belly rubbed, and he also likes his quiet time in the backyard nook.”
Addie pondered that statement before nodding and turning back to us. “Okay, Momma. We better go so O’Malley can get his rest.” Before she could skip off, she looked up at Jules. “Thanks, Ms. Jules. I like your house and your cat.”
Jules beamed down at Addie. “Thanks, Ms. Addie. You are welcome here anytime.”
“Can I give you a hug?” Addie asked.
Jules shot me a warm look before turning back to Addie. “Well, of course.”
“It’s important to ask and not just do it,” Addie told her. “That’s consent.”
“I love that,” Jules said. “Let me put O’Malley down. Do you want to give him a kiss goodbye first? I know he would be fine with that.”
Addie nodded and they took care of that, then walked the lucky guy to the nook and let him hop to a spot by the windows where he circled many times before settling with his kingdom in full view.
Jules knelt to Addie’s level and gave her a big squeeze that was returned. And with that, Addie was good to go.
She skipped up to give me a smacking, theatrical kiss. “Bye, Daddy. See you soon!” She grabbed Ivy’s hand and skipped to the door with Ivy, who put a hand to her ear like a phone and mouthed, “Call me” to Jules.
And then there was silence.
Chapter 13
Book Club Gone Wild
Jules
I was at a loss. What did we do now? This day had been derailed in all the best ways, but I’d lost the courage I’d found before being interrupted by Noah’s family. Before then I had a strong desire to get the man horizontal, not that I would have ever said that, just hinted strongly.
Now? Well, there was the pesky voice in my head brimming with writing ideas for the first time in eons. How did I share that with Noah? I mean,your family was great, thanks for listening to my identity crisis, let’s kiss some more later but you need to go right nowdidn’t have the best ring to it.
Damn.
“Jules?” Noah’s kind—if possibly amused—voice pulled me back to present. I found his beautiful eyes watching me with crinkles at the corners.
