“Aria, is everything okay?” she answers, and I quickly tell her about what happened with Josh and ask if she knows a lawyer that might be able to help me out. “That guy.” There is no hiding the disgust in her tone. “A friend of mine who recently got divorced used a lawyer in New York City named Abby that is pretty well known for serving up justice. I don’t know if she can work on a case out of state, but I’ll send you her website, and you can give her a call to find out.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate this,” I say as a text comes through from her.
“No thanks needed, but I am curious if Josh has found out about your deal with Paramount or the publisher offering you another book deal.”
My heart sinks. “Do you think he knows about that?”
“It’s possible.” She sighs. “But even if that’s the case, he doesn’t deserve anything from you, darling.”
“I know.”
“Call the lawyer I sent you, and let me know what she says.”
“I will.” We hang up after saying goodbye, and I click on the website for the lawyer. Honestly, she looks a little young in her pictures, but I have to admit the amount of cases she’s won is impressive.
With nothing to lose, I dial the number off the website, and a woman named Courtney answers. After explaining my situation, she puts me on hold for a few minutes before transferring me through to Abby, who seems pissed on my behalf. During our talk, asks for my lawyer’s contact information and assures me that she’ll be happy to take on my case, before transferring me back to Courtney. After agreeing to send all my court documents over so they can get to work immediately I hang up and turn to look out the window feeling hopeful.
________________
“This is so gross.” I make a funny face at Olivia, and she giggles as I pull out another handful of seeds and gunk from our pumpkin, dropping it on the table that we covered with trash bags.
“This isn’t gross. It’s awesome,” Tide says, dropping his own handful of pumpkin guts on the table. “Are you sure you don’t want to be on my team, angel?”
“Why would she want to be on the losing team?” I ask, and he laughs while she giggles again, the happy sound making my chest warm. The last four days with her have been good—better than good. I love having her around and understand more than I did before why Tide looks forward to his weeks with her and is a little bit of a grump the first few days after their week is over. She’s made this house feel like a home. From breakfast in the morning to homework after school and dinner together, we’ve settled into a routine, and I don’t know what I’m going to do when she has to go back to her mom. I do think I will be just as grumpy as Tide.
“Do you want to help me finish up?” I motion to the pumpkin with my chin, and her nose scrunches adorably.
“No, thank you.” She holds up her hands then looks down at her cute little floral top and matching bottoms. “I don’t want to get dirty.”
“Chicken,” Tide says, and she sticks her tongue out at him. “Oh really?” He walks around the side of the table with his hand covered in gunk, and she squeals, ducking behind me.
“Don’t you dare,” I warn when he gets a mischievous look in his eyes.
“Don’t what, babe?” He reaches for me, and without thinking, I toss the handful of gunk in my hand at him, and it lands against his chest with a splat.
“Oh no…” I cover my mouth with my hand as his eyes drop to his tee, and Olivia giggles. “I… I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Oh, now you’re in trouble.” He grabs a handful himself from the table, and I back away from him.
“Really, Tide, I didn’t mean to do that. I swear.” I reach for Olivia, who is still behind me, and pull her around in front of me, wrapping my arms around her to use her as a shield.
“Angel, look how quickly Aria has betrayed you.” Tide grins, makes a tsking sound before dumping the stuff in his hand onto her head and mine.
“I cannot believe you just did that,” I whisper in disbelief shaking the seeds out of my hair.
“Believe it, baby.” He reaches for more, but Olivia gets there before him and tosses a handful in his direction, hitting him on the side of his face and neck.
“Oh my God.” I start to laugh, but my laughter ends on a gasp when wet goo hits the side of my face. I look at Olivia, and she giggles before ducking under the side of the table. “Oh, now it’s on.” I dive for the pile of seeds, getting two handfuls before Tide drags me off to get his own ammunition. After that, there are no teams. The three of us end up in an all-out war, and we don’t stop until there is nothing left and we are all covered with gunk.
“I think I need to take a shower.” Olivia giggles, and I turn my head her way and laugh when I see what a mess she is, imagining I look much the same.
“I think we all need to shower,” I say, and she graces me with a beautiful smile before she ducks out from under the table, where we were both attempting to escape Tide, who was much faster than either of us. It takes me a couple seconds to get free, and when I do, I find her giving her dad a hug. Not wanting to interrupt their moment, I start to clean up but stop when little arms wrap around my waist.
“That was fun,” she tells me, and I look down at her and touch my hand to the top of her sticky hair.
“It was.” I smile, and she grins back before she lets me go. A second later, I hear her feet on the stairs. When I turn toward Tide, I brace when his gaze meets mine, unsure what the look in his eyes means, but I do know it makes me feel warm all over. “What?”
“How many kids do you want?”
The question catches me off guard, and my mouth opens and closes before I shake my head. “What?”
“I want at least two more,” he says, and my heart starts to pound. “Do you want more than that?”
“Two is good,” I reply quietly, and he nods while stepping toward me.
“Have I told you how much I fucking love you today?” He cups my cheek once he’s close, and I rest my hands against his chest, needing him to hold me up, because my legs are suddenly feeling weak.
“I love you too.”
“I know you do.” He bends down to kiss me, and when he pulls back, my lashes flutter open. “Every day, I fall a little deeper in love with you, and I imagine that’s gonna keep happening until the day I die.” His thumb sweeps the edge of my jaw. “I got a lot to look forward to, baby, and just a couple of them are making you my wife and putting my babies in you.”
“Tide,” I breathe. Leave it to him to take something I’ve been nervous to bring up with him and just put it out there like it’s not a big deal and make it sound inevitable.
“Don’t worry. This isn’t my proposal.” His hand covers mine and his thumb runs down my ring finger. “I’ll ask you to marry me properly, and not when we’re covered with pumpkin guts.”
“Okay.” I laugh, dropping my forehead to his chest “But you should know that even covered in pumpkin guts, the answer would still be yes.”
“Good to know.” He kisses the top of my head, and I squeeze my eyes shut, pretty sure I might pass out from happiness, something I didn’t even know was possible before him.