“I don’t appreciate anyone shitting on you for doin’ this. Or actin’ like you doin’ something so selfless is out of character, ’cause it sure as hell isn’t with me. You agreed to this ’cause I asked, so I’m not gonna let anyone badmouth you when I’m around.”
If I hadn’t been watching closely, I might’ve missed how her expression flickered for a moment before June pulled her away to choose her ice cream.
Shit. Why had I said that? With everything that had been piling up and all the other expectations weighing down on me, I wasn’t so sure I had the mental bandwidth to tackle what this thing between us was. Because it sure as hell felt like a lot more than a favor for a friend.
It had actually started to feel a little like this was our family.
“Hey, you want the usual?” she called from the ice cream case.
“Yeah, thanks,” I said, pulling my phone from my pocket as it buzzed with an incoming call, Cole Donovan’s name flashing on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Asher. It’s Cole. You have a minute? I want to talk about the custody hearing.”
My stomach bottomed out, worry over what was coming up both too soon and not nearly soon enough drowning me. I hadn’t gotten any closer to guessing what the outcome would be. If the judge would be able to put aside his personal prejudice against me and realize Nat and I would be the best fit for my niece and nephew.
I lifted my gaze to where Nat squatted down in front of the kids, taking turns feeding June and Owen from a tasting cup. She was laughing, her eyes bright as June danced around her and the stroller.
Yeah, Nat and Iwouldbe the best fit, except it wouldn’t be us together. This farce was soI’dbe awarded custody. In the end, Nat wouldn’t stay in Havenbrook. She couldn’t.
She had run as far as she could from this place as soon as she’d been able, and I’d be damned if I kept her locked up in a cell just because I didn’t want her to go.
CHAPTER THIRTY
ASHER
Later that night,I collapsed onto the couch next to Nat, the earlier talk with Cole still weighing on my mind. I needed to make a decision on my career, and I needed to do it now. Though, truthfully, when push came to shove, I’d already done so. Turned out, I’d been right all along.
I’d gotten started in this business writing music and playing those songs at open mic nights.Thathad been my passion, but I’d caught some early breaks that had propelled me into the spotlight. And I’d felt sort of foolish giving up the possibility of a full-fledged career as a touring musician, so I’d gone down that path.
But if this past week had reminded me of anything, it was that I preferred writing a song from the heart and playing it at an intimate wedding rather than a packed venue. Especially if that song was written about my wife, and especially if she was in the crowd.
Nat was curled up in the corner of the couch, her legs tucked beneath her as she watched another episode ofSupernatural, barely sparing me a glance when I sat down.
“Isn’t this, like, your hundredth time through the show?”
“I haven’t counted,” she said haughtily. “I refuse to quantify my love for the Winchester brothers that way.”
I snorted and slouched down farther on the couch, propping my bare feet on the coffee table. With a sigh, I ran a hand down my face, the events of the day catching up to me.
“Damn,” she said. “Gettin’ a little bent out of shape about my crushes over two fictional characters, aren’t you?”
I huffed out a laugh and turned my head toward her. “I wouldn’t dare come between you and the boys. It’s just been a really fucking long day. With June and the session…”
“You said it went really well, though, right?” she asked as she turned toward me, ignoring the TV altogether.
“It did. I mean, I think it did. But what the hell do I know about that?”
“You know enough to get her there in the first place.”
“If you remember, that was your suggestion.”
“Yeah, so I’m your better half. We already knew that.”
With a laugh, I slid an arm around her waist and tugged her up against me. “It’s more than that. It’s comin’ back from that session to find Wanda talkin’ trash about you right to your face, and then that call from Cole…”
“Why the hell are you still thinkin’ about Wanda? Because I’m sure as fuck not.”
