“I’m not your babe,” I say immediately, my tone sharp.“And while we’re at it, why are you here?”
Nick doesn’t miss a beat.
“I brought presents,” he said, nodding to the stack on the table.“And I’d like to see my son.Isn’t that enough?”
I decide to go in for the kill immediately.
“Yes, but what about your other son?”I fire back.“Hollister, I think his name is.I saw in the news that you and Hadassah welcomed him around the same time I gave birth to Marty.”
“Right, we did,” Nick says in a slow voice, still juggling our squirmy son in his arms.“I’m here to talk to you about that too.”
“Oh, no need,” I say in a careless tone even though my heart’s beating a drum in my chest.“Congratulations, by the way.A child is a blessing.”
But Nick won’t put it down.He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small bit of chocolate, and sure enough, Marty goes wild.Immediately, our baby is giggling happily while gnawing at the sweet, distracted by the delight.
“He’s not supposed to have sugar,” I say in a cold voice.“I’m trying not to get him addicted.”
“Okay,” Nick says, unruffled.“But just a little bit won’t kill him.I’m his father, so I get a say too.”
“No, you don’t!”I immediately retort, my cheeks flushing with anger.“I’ve been here raising our son alone, andI’mthe one who calls the shots!You can’t just fly in out of nowhere, and expect to make decisions about how I feed Marty.He’smyson,” I say in a fierce tone.
Nick nods slowly, his expression serious.
“My apologies.I didn’t mean to criticize you, Ella, or even sound like I was criticizing you.I agree.The fewer sweets a child consumes, the better.You’ve done a great job with Marty, and he’s obviously happy, healthy, and loves his mama.But I think we both know that this conversation isn’t about what Marty eats or doesn’t eat.”
“Then what is it about?”I snap angrily.“It’s Christmas Eve, for crying out loud.Spit it out and then get out,” I rage, almost crying with anger now.It’s not just anger directed at Nick, though.It’s also anger directed at myself for feeling how I feel.For the storm of emotions racing through my form at the sight of the handsome billionaire sitting on my couch with our son in his arms.My heart convulses and then a painful shudder almost tears it apart because I want us to be a family so badly, and yet there are so many obstacles in the way.
But Nick doesn’t take offense at my unhinged answer.Instead, he nods slowly while looking at Marty before shifting his gaze to me.The azure of his eyes is so searing that I feel seen, everywhere.This is a man that gets me, and it’s not fair that we’re in this situation.
But Nick takes a deep breath then, and surprises me.
“What would you say, Ella, if I moved out here?I want to be with you, and I want to be with Marty.I think it’s clear that I need to make the next move, and that’s relocating to Minnesota.”
I gasp, my jaw dropping, because this is not what I expected.
“You’re going to move?”I whisper hoarsely.“But what about your job?”
“It’s fine,” he shrugs.“Rocket X is mostly remote, so they don’t need me at corporate.Hell, our launches are happening in Texas these days, so New York’s not even home anymore.But I want to see more of my son, and I want to see more of you, and that means moving here because it’s clear you won’t relocate.”
“No, I won’t,” I say vehemently, shaking my head so that tendrils of blonde hair come loose from my bun.“This is where I grew up, and this is where I’m going to raise my son.I feel at home, here in Lakeview, and I like it too.It’s great for children.”
“It is,” Nick agrees in an even tone.“Marty gets tons of fresh air, and he’s healthy and happy,” he says, jiggling our child.The movement makes my son look up at his father with glee before letting out a stream of gibberish, and my heart melts despite myself.Marty will always have me tied around his little finger, and he’s not even one yet.
It seems that Nick feels the same because he glances with adoration at the small boy before turning to look at me, his blue gaze fierce and possessive.
“So you’re okay with me moving here?”he asks.
“You’re not moving in with us,” I immediately retort.“This is our home, so you’ll have to find another place to stay.”
Nick nods thoughtfully.
“Yes, I thought you’d say that, and it’s fine because actually, I already own property in town.Remember how we met, sweetheart?Well, I ended up buying Lakeview Manor, so I thought I’d move in there.Worked out, didn’t it?”
My heart begins pounding in my chest.
“What?”I squeak.“You bought Lakeview Manor?”
Nick grins.
