SW NOVELS
72
“Utah!”
I chuckled. “I thought so.”
I glanced over at Ford, who was sitting across from us, and he mouthed, It’s time.
Time to tell Everly about us.
I sucked in a deep breath and held it in.
I had known this was coming. Ford and I had discussed that this was the right moment. I was just anxious about how she was going to react.
If she was going to resent me.
Or if this was going to make Everly and me closer.
Ford patted his lap. “Eve, can you come over here for a second? I want to tell you something.”
She climbed off me and moved across the space between our seats, maneuvering her petite body around the table of food, and she plopped down on Ford’s lap.
I tucked my legs underneath me, wrapping my arms around my stomach, watching him place her where he wanted her.
Once she was settled, he held out his hand, and Everly placed her fingers on top of his large palm.
“Do you know how Uncle D and Kendall love each other very much?”
“Yes.”
He folded his fingers over hers. “And you know how Uncle Jenner is engaged to Jo and she has that big diamond she wears on her finger and they’re going to get married?”
“I tried it on.” Her mouth formed an O. “Sooo pretty, Daddy.”
“Do you understand how your uncles are dating Kendall and Jo and how your daddy is single? Do you understand the difference?”
She shrugged.
“When I say to you that Uncle D and Kendall are boyfriend and girlfriend, do you know what that means?”
I appreciated his patience, how he was trying to break this down in the best possible way.
Everly responded by shrugging again. “Gonna kiss like Anna and Kristoff?”
Of course she would recite the characters from Frozen, her favorite movie.
That was an adorable comparison.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
“Possibly,” he replied. “But it means that Uncle D cares about Kendall so much that he wants to be with her forever.” He kissed her forehead. “That he spends all his time with her. That they have sleepovers every night.”
She giggled. “Uncle D says I kick him when I sleep over.”
He squeezed her cheeks. “Because you’re a lion when you sleep.” His hand dropped from her face. “Since you were born, it’s always just been us, hasn’t it?”
She nodded.
“Your dad hasn’t had a Kendall or a Jo, has he?”
“You have me, Daddy.”
“I do.” He nuzzled into her neck. “But now, I have someone else who I want to spend time with as well. Someone who means a lot to me and someone who means a lot to you.”
“You do?”
“Yes, Everly, I do.”
“Who’s gonna sleep over?”
He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “She might sleep over on occasion. Would you be all right with that?”
She said nothing.
I was sure she was trying to process what all this meant.
“Everly”-he turned her butt, so the two of them now faced me-“the woman I care about very much is Sydney.”
I didn’t know my role in this conversation, but I felt the need to say something.
For her to hear my side even if she had a difficult time understanding.
“And I care about your dad just as much, just like I care about you, Everly.”
“Syd’s my friend, Daddy.”
That made me smile, and I said, “I will always be your friend. That will never change. And I’m still your nanny. That won’t change either.”
“What do you think about that?” he asked her.
She was quiet for a moment and finally responded, “Will we still do fun things together?”
“Oh, sweetheart,” I said so softly, “of course we will. We’ll do all the things we’ve done before.”
“Yay!”
I connected eyes with Ford before he leaned toward Everly.
“You understand that means that Sydney is now my girlfriend and she’s going to be at the house a lot more?” He turned her face, locking their eyes. “We’re still going to have our special time together-I want you to know that. But Sydney will join us during some of those occasions, and sometimes, you and I will be alone.”
She said nothing.
And then, slowly, a devilish grin came across her face. “Daddy, are you gonna smooch Syd like Uncle D smooched Kendall at my birthday party?”
This kid.
I couldn’t possibly adore her more.
And if that was how she defined our situation, if she saw love as affection, then that was perfectly acceptable to me.
“Yes, baby, I’m definitely going to smooch Syd the way Uncle D smooched Kendall.”
“Ewww.”
“Ewww,” he mocked, planting several wet ones on her cheek. “How can you say my kisses are ewww?”
“Daddy!” She laughed.
He waited until she calmed to say, “Are you happy Sydney’s my girlfriend?”
She bobbed her head.
“How about you go give her a hug? I think she could use one.”
The anxiety started to leave my chest as she wiggled off his lap and hurried over to mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed.
I held her with all my strength.
I was so grateful for this moment, the way she had accepted me into their lives from the very beginning.
How she was accepting me now.
Those feelings only increased when I heard, “Love you, Syd.”
Oh God.
My heart swelled to the point that my eyes squinted, fighting back the tears that wanted to form. “I love you too, Everly.”
When I opened my lids, I looked across the seat at Ford.
It’s okay, he mouthed.
He knew.
And for that, I was even more grateful.
FORD
“F
ord, this is beyond,” Sydney said, shaking her head as she gazed at me. “I can’t believe you put this together.” She glanced down at her plate as the emotion began to fill her eyes. “I can’t believe you did it all for me.”
As the ocean lapped in the background, the sun setting over us, I reached across the table and took her hand in mine. “I know how much you love desserts-we both do”-I grinned-“so if there’s anyone who can enrich your dessert life, it’s Gloria.”