Yes, Nolan and I are good. More than good, actually. As soon as I realized he wasn’t trying to steal my woman, we were great. Turns out he was right. We are the dream team.
“Shall we?” I offer Kiki my arm, leading her to the private rose garden at the far end of the house. Hard to believe it was nothing more than busted concrete and dead plants a few months ago.
Now, it’s bursting with roses of every color under the sun, their fragrance coloring the summer breeze.
“It’s so beautiful.” Kiki fingers the petals on the roses, the smile never leaving her face. “Life is good, isn’t it?”
I love watching her love this life, knowing I played a small part in bringing her back.
I shove my hands into my pockets, kicking at a stray pebble. “Yeah, but it could be better.”
She pauses, fixing me with a curious glance. “How so?”
“I was thinking about our plans for the rest of the year. You know, now that this place is finished.”
She perches on the low stone wall surrounding the garden, resting her hands on her chin and giving me her full attention. “What do you have in mind?”
Kiki never asks for anything. No lavish dinners, fancy gifts, or expensive clothes.
But I’ve been saving for something special, and Nolan’s surprise end-of-job bonus sealed the deal.
So long as she’s on board.
Withallof it.
“Paris,” I reply, watching her eyes grow large with surprise.
“Paris?”
I nod. “But notjustParis. We start there, let you examineevery nook and cranny of those old apartments you love. Then we head to England, maybe have tea with the Royal Family, if we feel like it. And finally, we head to Scotland and go on a tour of the Highland castles.”
Kiki walks toward me, wonder written all over her face in the low light. “This sounds like a fully formed plan, not just a discussion.”
I shrug, perching on the stone table. “You’re not the only one who can plan things, beautiful. We leave in six weeks.”
She lets out a shriek of excitement and launches herself into my arms. “Are you kidding? Oh my God, that is the most fabulous news! I can’t believe we’re going to Europe!”
I extricate her grip, my thumb tracing over her knuckles. “But… I want to take Theo, too. This would be such an amazing experience for him. Hope you don’t mind.”
Now Kiki loves Theo, but that doesn’t mean she wants him tagging along on the trip. He’s seven, which means he’s a handful. An adorable handful, to be sure, but still.
Hopefully, I didn’t rain all over the surprise.
Turns out, I had nothing to worry about as she claps her hands, bouncing slightly in her heels. “In case you missed it, I love that kid. And I get to play mom, which isn’t a role I thought I’d ever have.”
Hey, talk about a perfect segue.
And, fuck it all, I’m nervous.
I clear my throat, running a hand over my jaw. “That’s the other thing I want to talk about.”
Kiki buries her face in her hands, a low groan rising from her throat. “Damn it.”
I pull her hands down. “Hey, none of that.”
She slumps her shoulders, averting her gaze, a furrow of worry creasing her brow. “Look, I’m probably screwing up everywhere, but to be fair, I’m pretty new at this wholeparenting thing. Step-parenting thing. You know what I mean.”
“Actually, I think you’re pretty much perfect. A natural.” I shift my position, the tension itching just below my skin. “You remember when you talked about becoming a single mom?”
