“Nathalie has helped a lot,” I say, before I go down the rabbit hole.
“She’s good for him. I’m still unsure about that relationship, but…I’ll be here if you need me.”
“She treats Keaghan as if she was his mom. We do everything as a team. Even the practice is a team effort. You can’t say that it’s not serious anymore.”
One of the examination rooms is now Keagh’s playroom. I help her with the admin duties. She still visits Dr. Hawkins every Wednesday and Friday.
He doesn’t need to know all that.
I’m thankful when the doorbell rings. He won’t be able to ask more questions. Nat doesn’t know what she’s going to do with her career. There are several paths she can follow. She wants to specialize in pediatrics. She doesn’t want to quit the practice or sell it just to anyone. I has my full support. She can take her time to do what’s best for her. If she needs money to hire doctors for the practice, I’ll do it.
She doing this on her own with my support. All her life, she’s been told what to do. This time, she’s taking charge of her future, and I respect her.
Nathalie comes over with Keaghan in her arms. She hands him over to me. “Are you sure you’re ready for them?”
“How bad can it be?”
“They’re fangirls.”
Lang arches an eyebrow. “This is going to be interesting.”
Nathalie glares at him. “Be nice to them.”
“What did I do to her?”
“Breathe close to her? You got on her bad side. It’s going to be hard to convince her that you’re not an asshole.”
“I need you to behave.” I hear her voice. “I swear if you scream or do something stupid, I won’t talk to you ever again.”
“We know who’s going to be the bad cop of the parental team,” Lang mumbles, almost laughing.
“Did you expect it any other way?”
He shakes his head and frowns when we hear someone ask, “Are his friends with him?”
“No. It’s not a meet and greet with the band. You’re here to meet my…the guy I’m dating.”
“If we swear over the bible that we’re going to behave, will you let us in?”
“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”
A second later, two women step into the living room. Nathalie is right behind them.
“Who’s the hot redhead?” Lang mumbles.
“Her name is Amber, Lang. She’s not interested. Girls, meet Byron Langdon and Fisher Hannigan,” Nathalie says.
“Guys, meet Tracy and Amber. Christina couldn’t be here. She’s working tonight.”
“That’s code for there’s a baby, and she’s allergic,” Tracy whispers.
Nathalie mentioned something about Christina not liking children. I had no idea that she’d bail because we brought our baby. I guess to each their own. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have entertained the idea of being around a kid either. Now, I can’t imagine my life without Keaghan.
“Your mom is going to ground you when she meets your boyfriend,” Amber says and smirks at me. “Do you have any friends?”
“Behave,” Nathalie orders again.
Tracy waves at us and turns her attention to Nat. “Are you visiting your mom?”
“Yes. I’m having brunch with her tomorrow morning. My godfather told her last weekend that I haven’t worked in the hospital for more than two months.”
Amber gasps. “The horror.”
“Let me guess, she called to lecture you?” Tracy shivers.
“She’s disappointed. She said that if I apologize to my godfather, he’ll give me my job back.”
“Are you going to tell her you’re working in Luna Harbor?”
Nathalie nods. “Yep. Maybe in a couple of months, I’ll tell her that I have a boyfriend and we’re raising his baby together. I don't think I can tell her both in one day.”
“It’s going to be okay,” I assure her.
Tracy steps closer, extending her arms. “May I carry him?”
I look at Nathalie, who nods.
“He’s so cute. If you weren’t so far away, we could take him and Tara to Mommy-and-Me Yoga. The things we could do together. Maybe later, when you move back,” Tracy suggests.
Nathalie stares at me. I don’t know what to tell her. Her life is so up in the air. Yet, I can’t live too far from my family.
“You’re not coming back, are you?” Amber asks.
“That’s a loaded question.” Nat sighs.
“In the meantime, I promise to bring her often and maybe fly you to Luna Harbor,” I offer.
The three friends relax. It’s like I gave them a little hope—a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Nathalie might not know what she wants to do, but she worries about not seeing her friends again. I hope that my promise is enough for now.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Nathalie
“Are you sure he’s going to be okay?” I ask for the twentieth time.
Fisher nods. “Yes, relax.”
We’re heading to the city so I can meet Mom for brunch. Keaghan is with Byron Langdon—the heartless asshole. Well, he’s not that bad once you get to know him. Still, I’m not one hundred percent comfortable leaving him with Lang. I could’ve asked Tracy or Amber to babysit him.
“What are his qualifications?”
He sighs and rolls his eyes.
“I worry that he’s going to dress him in a tiny suit and teach him how to be a greedy businessman. Keagh’s first words are going to be, ‘give me money, now.’”
He laughs. “Langy is a softy. Grace has a big family. He and Beacon helped her babysit some of her cousins.”
“You didn’t?”
He glances toward the window. “I avoided tiny humans. Last weekend was the first time I paid attention to Beacon’s nephews.”
I reach for his hand. “It’s going to get better.”
“Do you want me to go in with you?”
I shake my head. “First, I have to see how upset she is with me. Then…maybe? You can be at a table nearby.”
“Good, because Lang called ahead to make the reservations. I’ll be sitting close by, but she won’t notice me.”
I laugh. “You’re pretty noticeable.”
He gives me a conspiratorial glance. “I can become invisible.”
“What are you, a spy?” I joke.
“Something like that,” he says but doesn't smile.
Is he serious?
As I’m about to ask him, the car stops at the Merkel Hotel. The driver opens the door. “We’re here. Do you want me to wait or pick you up?”
“You can leave, but don’t go too far in case we cut the brunch short.” Fisher gets out of the car and looks around before offering me his hand and helping me out.
“This is where we part,” he says.
“I thought you were going to be inside.”
He winks. “I am. You just won’t know where I am.”
Fisher walks away. I fix my blazer, dust off my jeans, and make my way inside the hotel, walking toward Ambrosia’s Bistro, where Mom agreed to meet.