“I hear ya. We’re going to have to make a statement. I’ve got Jenn and Olivia coming in to help prep something. I’ll fire it to your email as soon as it’s ready,” he answers, still clicking away on his computer.
“Thanks.”
“We should have talked about this before now, Tate. We could have prepared something and been ahead of the news. It’s always better coming from the source, but now we’re behind and scrambling.”
I sigh, finally turning onto Ashtyn’s street and instantly noticing extra cars. “Shit, I gotta go. It looks like they’ve already found out where Ash lives.”
“I’m working on it now. You’ll have an email within the hour.”
“Sounds good,” I say, signing off.
The moment my car approaches her house, the people gathering on the sidewalk start to move my way. I pull into her driveway, careful not to hit anyone, yet not giving a shit if I do. Alex’s car is already there, so I park beside him and get out.
“Tate, is this where your baby lives?”
“Tate Steele, are you hiding a secret family?”
“Tate, how many children do you have?”
“Tate, was the other man who just arrived, the husband? Are you having an affair?”
I ignore them all and run up the front steps. Alex opens the door and quickly shuts it the second I step over the threshold. My eyes adjust quickly to the darkened room and seek her out. Ashtyn is standing by the kitchen doorway, her eyes wide with shock. I go to her instantly, pulling her into my arms and kissing her forehead. “It’s going to be okay,” I whisper, not only to her but to myself. “Where’s Row?”
“Sleeping in his bassinet,” she says, her brown eyes full of uncertainty and worry.
“I’m gonna fix this,” I state, placing another kiss on the crown of her head.
“What exactly are you fixing?” Alex asks.
I turn around and look him straight in the eye, prepared to have the hardest conversation, yet make the easiest declaration. “I’m Rowan’s father.”
A plethora of emotions cross his face as he just stares at me. Anger, agitation, worry, surprise, and even a flash of joy.
I decide not to let him speak yet. “I know this is probably not what you expected to hear,” I start, but his fiery gaze cuts me off.
“Not what I expected to hear? That my best friend, one of the people I trust the most in this world, knocked up my sister and left her to fend for herself? Are you fucking kidding me right now, Tate?” his voice booms through the house.
“It’s not what you think,” Ashtyn says, taking a step forward.
“Stay out of this, Ash. This is between me and my so-called friend,” he argues.
“Now, wait a minute. Don’t talk to her like that, like her voice doesn’t matter. Sit your ass down on the couch and listen, dammit.”
Alex seems stunned by my words, taking a small step back before slowly dropping onto the couch behind him. “Okay, I’m listening.” There’s still an edge, a bite to his words.
“There was a miscommunication,” Ashtyn says, walking over and sitting beside him on the sofa. “I reached out to Tate but didn’t hear from him. Then when I did, it wasn’t actually him I was talking to, but someone who manages his social media.”
“She thought I didn’t want anything to do with Rowan, but the truth was, I didn’t know… period. My team gets weekly messages from some woman claiming to be carrying my child or some other bullshit, Alex. They didn’t know she was legit.”
He takes a moment to process what we’ve said. “So, you found out when?”
“When I saw that photo you showed me on your phone, I suspected something was up,” I tell him, heading over and taking a seat in the chair.
“That’s why you wanted to come with me to meet him,” Alex says, recalling that conversation just over two weeks ago.
“Yeah. I wanted to find out what was going on. Turns out, Ash wasn’t too happy to see me here, considering she thought I denied him months before.”
“But we talked that night when you went to your meeting with the GM,” Ashtyn adds.
“And you guys are…what, together?”
“No,” she replies at the same time I answer, “Yes.”
Alex looks at me, irritated. “What does that mean?”
“Well, we’re not officially together, but I’m not going anywhere,” I insist, glancing her way with a pointed look.
“He’s here for Rowan,” Ashtyn tells her brother.
I’m up and moving before she can say boo. Squatting in front of her, I wrap her small hand in my own and bring it to my lips. “I’m here for you too, Sweetness.”
I’m rewarded with a small, yet breathtaking smile. “Yeah?”
“Definitely.”
Just as I move forward, ready to capture her lips with my own, I’m reminded we’re not alone in the room. “So, let me get this straight. You slept with my sister? When? I mean, I don’t want details, because yuck, but when did this happen? You’ve been living here the whole time, and Ash, you were in South Bend.”
I turn to Alex, Ashtyn’s hand still nestled in mine, and answer his question. “Do you remember last August, when I stayed at your place after my knee?”
Alex closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I remember. I got home and was surprised when Ash was there. She was offered the job here in St. Louis.”
“Anyway, I came back home, but you should know, I never stopped thinking about her,” I say, deciding to throw all of my cards on the table.
Alex narrows his eyes. “What does that mean?”
“There hasn’t been anyone else since her, man. I felt this...connection back then and even more so now. I want to spend more time with her and my son. I want to take them out and make them smile. I want to kiss them goodnight and good morning. I want the midnight feedings and even the explosive diapers, even though I’d be okay with less of those.” I glance over at Ash, who’s smiling softly, her brown eyes shining just a little bit brighter than earlier. “And I know I don’t need your permission to date your sister, Alex, but it would make it a hell of a lot easier on all of us if you were okay with it, because I’m not going anywhere. They’re my family now.”
The wetness I saw reflecting in her eyes moments earlier now falls freely down her cheeks. I don’t care that her brother is sitting directly beside her, I take Ashtyn in my arms and kiss her. I kiss her the way I should have kissed her every night since she’s been back in my life. Hell, probably since that one and only night we spent together. I knew she was different. I felt it in my soul, yet I ignored it. I left.
Never again.
“Okay, I don’t want to break up this little smoochfest, but what are we gonna do about the growing crowd outside?” Alex asks, kicking his legs up on the coffee table and relaxing back like he hasn’t a care in the world.
“I’m waiting on PR to send me a press release to proof, but I don’t think Ash should stay here tonight,” I reply, earning a nod in agreement from my friend.
“Definitely not,” he says.
“She can come to my place. I’ve been working on setting up a nursery, so we don’t have to take as much stuff,” I tell Alex. He seems surprised by this revelation, but what he doesn’t know is I’ve been thinking about nothing but Rowan since the day I found out he was my son.