“Of course.” I smile, grabbing her hand and pressing my lips to her knuckles.
“I just hope Anthony doesn’t tell Owen anything he doesn’t need to know. I have no clue what Brittany shared or what he could’ve overheard,” she states.
Nodding, I sit beside her on the bed. “Let’s just take it one day at a time, okay? You need to rest and take it easy.”
She groans. “Yeah, yeah.”
Chuckling, I give her one last kiss before leaving to pick up Owen.
“Hey, Noah.” Loretta greets me with a smile. “Congrats on boys! I heard the news.”
“Yes, thank you. Gonna be a rowdy house.” I shove my hands in my pockets. “I wanted to take Owen to play some ball at the park. Any chance I could take Anthony with us?”
She gives me a suspicious look before her face breaks out into a grin. “I’m sure he’d love that. He and Owen play so well together.”
I can tell Loretta’s still adjusting to all of this too. She could’ve let Anthony go to a foster home for the next eight years, but she took responsibility and accepted him into their lives.
Loretta calls for the boys while packing up Owen’s things. “I know you’re busy with fixin’ up Katie’s house and working, but I’m looking for someone to redo a bedroom. Would you be interested?”
My eyes widen in shock that she’s asking me. “What are you lookin’ to get done?”
“New carpet, paint, light fixtures, and putting together new furniture. I want Anthony to feel at home here, and I think giving him a brand-new room might help him get a fresh start.”
“That’s a great idea, and I’d love to help.” I grin.
It’s perfect timing too because I’ve been working less at the gym to finish the house. I’ve been thinking about pursuing carpentry jobs for more money but also because I enjoy it.
“Hey,” Owen says when he runs into the kitchen.
“Hey, bud. You and Anthony wanna go to the park for a bit?”
A loud echo of screaming entails, and I take that as a yes. “Alright, let’s go!”
Four hours later, I’m drenched in sweat from chasing the boys and fetching balls. I’ve never seen Owen laugh so much, and it brought me so much joy to see him being a kid.
“That was fun,” he says once we walk out of Loretta’s house after dropping off Anthony.
“Good, I thought so too.” I smile at him. “Looks like you and Anthony get along really well.”
He nods, then frowns. “I feel sad for him, though.”
“Because of his mom?”
“Yeah, and he never met his dad either. Guess we have that in common.”
I suck in a breath. If only he knew…
“Hey, wanna go to Ma & Pop’s Ice Cream Shoppe before we go home? Surprise your mom with some frozen yogurt?” I ask as we reach my truck.
“Yeah! Sounds good to me.”
Owen takes me by surprise when he wraps his arms around my waist and hugs me. I return the gesture and smile like an idiot. Though I’m not his father, I’m blessed to be in his life, and I’ll never take that for granted.
Chapter Seventeen
KATIE
It’s been a couple of weeks since Noah surprised me with the nursery and new furniture. I’m eager to finish decorating it, but today is finally Gemma’s baby shower, and I couldn’t be more excited to see everyone. Yesterday, Everleigh, Belinda, and I decorated the event room we rented. We hung streamers and balloons, and set up all the tables to make sure everything would be perfect for today.
Since Loretta and my mom will also be there, Owen’s staying with Elliot and Anthony for the afternoon while Noah works on the house for a few hours.
“Hey, we’re leaving soon. Got all the stuff you wanna bring?” I poke my head into Owen’s room and scowl at the dirty clothes on the floor. “It’s amazing how you manage to get your shirts right next to the hamper…” I walk in and struggle to pick them up. At over five months pregnant, bending down is a daunting task I’m sure will only become impossible in the next coming months.
“Sorry…” He gives me his cute puppy eyes. “Yeah, I’m ready. But—”
“What?” I ask, turning to face him once I’ve picked up his floor.
He lowers his eyes and shakes his head. “Never mind.”
I sit down on his bed next to him. “What is it, sweetie?”
Shrugging, he stays silent, but I can tell something is bothering him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I overheard Mimi talkin’ to Pawpaw the other day, and he said something about Daddy and Anthony.” His voice lowers when he mentions his father.
“Okay…” I linger, prepared for what he’s going to say. “What’d you hear?”
Owen swallows hard and blinks before meeting my gaze. I try to stay calm so he doesn’t see the nervousness written all over my face.
“That my dad was also Anthony’s dad,” he blurts out. “Mimi said something about how Anthony’s mom told him.”