Wonder With Me (With Me in Seattle 12.5)

“Do it again,” she whispers when it’s gone.

“Tomorrow,” I promise her.* * * *“Tell me if I’m pissing you off.”

I’m sitting in my best friend and business partner’s office. Elijah and I have been friends for a long damn time.

“Trust me, I don’t have issues with telling you when you’re pissing me off,” he says with a laugh and leans back in his chair.

“I’ve been gone more than I’m here lately, and that’s not—”

“Like you,” he finishes for me. “I don’t know if you noticed, but you’ve taken on a daughter you knew nothing about, moved to the ‘burbs, and you’re figuring it all out.”

“I appreciate your willingness to be flexible, but we still have a business to run.”

“And we’re running it,” he says and shrugs. “You’re still putting in fifty-plus hours a week, Reed. You’re just doing a lot of it from your home office. And that’s fine.”

“So you’re not pissed.”

“Nope.” He shakes his head. “Have you found a full-time nanny yet?”

“Still looking,” I mumble. “Half of these girls are just that. Girls. Barely old enough to have a driver’s license. I’m not going to allow my daughter to ride in cars with them.”

“No. I wouldn’t either.”

“I tried to talk my grandma into moving here. I offered her a lot of money, too.”

Elijah’s brows climb. “She turned you down? I don’t believe it. The sun rises and sets where you’re concerned.”

“She hasn’t been feeling well,” I say with a sigh. “And I think she has a boyfriend.”

He barks out a laugh. “Go, Grandma.”

“Piper’s in preschool half the day, and she’s in daycare until four. I guess until I find a nanny, I’ll have to continue leaving here by three-thirty every day to get her. I’ll have Becca schedule all of my appointments for the mornings, and I’ll work from home the rest of the day.”

“It’s the holiday season,” he reminds me. “Most people are too preoccupied with shopping and parties right now to worry about investments and stocks. It’s a slow time of year.”

“It’s year-end,” I remind him.

“Yeah, and that’s a bitch. But we have intelligent staff. This is why we own the company, so we can delegate. You need to do that more.”

“I have a feeling I’ll be doing it a lot over the next few weeks. But, hopefully, the dust will settle soon.”

“It will. You’ll fall into a routine. I have to say, I never thought I’d see the day that you’d be a daddy. I definitely didn’t see it happening like this.”

“Me either.”

“How are you doing with all of these changes?” Elijah asks, his face somber. I know that he’s the one person in the world I can be perfectly honest with, and he won’t judge me.

“It’s been a lot,” I admit and brush my hand down my face. God, I’m tired. “I’m still overwhelmed, and maybe a little in shock.”

“You find out you have a four-year-old child out there you didn’t know about, and she’s now your responsibility?” he says, shaking his head. “Of course you’re in shock. I’d be in shock until she’s eighteen.”

I laugh. “I’m taking it one day at a time. She’s the sweetest little thing. Vanessa clearly instilled manners in her, and she’s easygoing. I’m crazy about her.”

“I can see it all over your face,” he says. “I’m happy for you, man. I really am.”

My phone, sitting on Elijah’s desk, lights up with a notification.

Incoming email from Noel.

“I have to take this. I’ll see you later. Thanks for being understanding.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, and let me know if you ever need a sitter. I’m sure my mom would love to spend time with Piper. Maybe that’ll get her off my back to have kids for a while,” he says as I stand.

“Not a bad idea.” I grin and walk from his office to mine.

I pull up the email from Noel on my desktop and sit back in awe as I page through the images she sent.

She has some kind of software that she uploaded the house photos into, and then she went through and added the decorations, so I can see what it’ll look like when it’s finished.

It’s stunning. Christmas trees in every room, garland, lights. Bunnies.

Piper is going to flip.

Let me know if you have any questions is written at the bottom of the email.

Rather than reply, I pick up the phone and call her cell number.

“This is Noel,” she says.

“Hi, it’s Reed.”

“You got my email.”

“I did.”

“Do you have any questions?”

“Yes. For starters, how in the hell did you do this? It’s gorgeous.”

Just like you.

“I’m glad you like it.” I can hear the smile in her voice, and I long to be with her.

“When will you get started on it?”

“Tomorrow, actually. If that works for your schedule.”

“I can make that work. What time should I expect you?”

“The crew will be there at eight. I’ll meet them there.”