“I can help with some of that,” he offered quickly. “I mean, between the real estate side of things and?—”
“No,” I interrupted, shaking my head. “You’re already doing enough. Besides, it’s not just the restaurant. It’s… everything.”
His face softened, and for a moment, I wanted to let it all spill out, to tell him how overwhelmed I was by Blake showing up, by the kids, by my ex-husband suddenly wanting to meet for coffee. Lucas wanting to have lunch. But I held back.
“Natalie,” he said, his voice low, “I don’t want to make things harder for you. If you need me to step back…”
“No,” I said quickly, surprising both of us. “I don’t want that.” I sighed, my gaze dropping to the pavement. “I just need time to figure all of this out. It’s a lot.”
He nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. “Okay. I’ll give you time. But I’m here if you need me. For anything.”
The sincerity in his voice made my chest ache. I nodded, stepping back toward my car. “Thanks, Will.”
“Anytime,” he said softly, watching me as I turned to go.
I could feel his eyes on me as I opened the car door, but I didn’t look back. If I did, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to leave.
Paralyzed with emotions and the chaos of every relationship around me I sat in the parking lot with the tile samples scattered across the seat; mimicking my thoughts about Will, Jason, Lucas, my kids, Will’s kids; the list went on. I exhaled slowly, unclenching my hands. “Just one day at a time, Natalie,” I whispered to myself. “One choice at a time.”
CHAPTER 22
PARENTING IN PROGRESS
WILL
I’m used to being the guy who has it all figured out. I close deals, solve problems, and move on. But with Natalie? Nothing about her fits into neat little boxes.
She wasn’t supposed to leave last night. I’d pictured us having dinner, talking, maybe falling asleep with her head on my chest. Instead, she walked out the door with barely a goodbye. And now, I was the idiot standing here, watching her leave work flustered by everything and wondering if I’d already screwed this up.
Blake’s unexpected arrival was my fault, no question. I should have handled it. I should have ended things weeks ago. But Natalie’s reaction was something else, like she’d been waiting for an excuse to pull away.
Madison’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Dad, are we eating or what?”
I looked up from the grill. Madison stood at the open doorway to the living room, arms crossed, her expression aperfect mix of exasperation and teenage indifference. Behind her, Chase and Carter were watching Monday Night Football, while Ivy had her crayons spread across the kitchen table.
“Five minutes,” I said, flipping the burgers.
“Sure,” she muttered, turning back into the house.
Dinner with all four kids was precious to me. Between Madison’s packed schedule, the boys’ sports, and Ivy’s earlier bedtime routine, getting everyone together felt like a small miracle. Tonight, it was my first night of the week with them, and I loved having them home with me.
Dinner went as usual. Chase and Carter were cracking fart jokes, which sent Ivy into hysterical laughter. Madison sat quietly, picking at her salad with a look that screamed I’d rather be anywhere but here.
Once the chaos subsided, I sent the boysto finish homework and Ivy to get ready for bed. That left Madison and me alone at the table, the silence between us louder than the earlier noise.
“You’ve been weird all night,” Madison said finally, breaking the quiet. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing’s going on, Sweetheart.” I said, trying to sound casual.
She rolled her eyes. “Right. Because you’re so good at hiding things.”
I leaned back in my chair, studying her. Madison had Kelly’s sharp eyes, the kind that could cut through any excuse. She’d always been able to read me better than the rest of the kids, and right now, she wasn’t buying my attempt at deflection.
“It’s complicated,” I admitted.
“Is it about that child you’re dating?” she snarled.
