“He’s a great dad.”
“It goes further than that. Think about it.” She held up a finger. “He’s entitled to time with Vincent on his own, but has he ever pushed for it? Or does he show up to support you, to help you, and to make you feel comfortable?”
Heart clenching, I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out.
“Vincent is a baby,” she went on. “He doesn’t care where he’s sleeping and shitting. It could be at the farm or it could be at your house. But Jasper’s sleeping in your backyard.”
I dipped my chin. “Yes. He wants to be close by. What are you trying to say?”
“He brings coffee, fixes things around the house.”
“His nephew usually delivers the coffee,” I countered.
Frankie clasped her hands and looked up at the ceiling. “Dear God.” After a huff, she leveled me with a look. “Think, Evie. Who is he really supporting here?”
The truth I’d been denying came barreling over me. She was right. Jasper did way more than necessary. He went above and beyond. For me. But…
“Since when are you the voice of emotional clarity?”
“I’m feeling sentimental, okay?” she groused. “Don’t hold it against me. I operate under the general assumption that all men are shit and disappointments. But once in a while, I’m pleasantly surprised. Take Paul, for instance. He stepped up. Even when she was throwing things at him.”
A laugh bubbled out of me. She wasn’t wrong. Ruby had been throwing ice chips at Paul’s face while he coached her, and he was completely undeterred by the random acts of violence.
“Your baby daddy is one of the good ones,” Frankie muttered. “And trust me, it’s very difficult to say those words.”
He really was. But if Frankie of all people could see it? Damn.
“Also,” she said. “He’s extremely easy on the eyes.”
I slumped back in my chair. “Oh, I’m aware. Did you know he hangs out in his tent and reads books while shirtless?”
She made the sign of the cross. “The man reads? Hot damn. Ooh.” She snapped up straight, the move so abrupt that Diet Coke sloshed out of her can and onto her jeans. “I have an idea. We could start an Instagram account where all we post is pictures of hot men reading. You know, like the ones that are full of images of hot men holding puppies. Boom. Millionaires.”
Giggling, we clinked our Diet Coke cans together.
Throughout the morning and into the afternoon, several people showed up to visit. Bitsy and Marigold with a massive basket of baked goods and a baby blanket, Nora with homemade nipple cream, and Basil and Etienne with a wardrobe of designer baby clothes and an assortment of cheeses. If I knewMaplewood,the town would turn this waiting room into a massive potluck celebration.
On the way home, a surge of energy ran through me. For months, I’d begrudgingly accepted Jasper as a coparent. Tolerated his presence and worked damn hard to maintain distance. But he was so much more than just a coparent.
When Ruby had gripped Paul’s hand like it was the only thing keeping her tethered to the earth during those last minutes, something in my chest twisted.
I wanted that. Partnership, understanding, the complete certainty that I wasn’t alone in the difficult moments.
A partner who showed up, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Frankie was right. Jasper wasn’t just helping with Vincent; he’d been quietly supporting me too.
He showed up, over and over again. He held me when I broke down. He built me up and hyped me up when life was daunting.
I’d spent my life believing that I’d never find my person, and I’d resigned myself to being alone. Yet for weeks, my person had been sleeping in my backyard.
Chapter 23
Jasper
When Evie walked through the door, I was struck stupid. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and the skin beneath her eyes was bruised with exhaustion. She was wearing old sweats and a worn-out tee, yet she looked alive and joyful. And damn, was she beautiful.
“Jasper,” she said, her voice breathy, as she strode straight over to me. “I?—”
I set the onesie I’d just folded on the counter in front of me and studied her, at a loss for what to do or say, and the air between us sparked and crackled.
