The After of Us (Judge Me Not #4)(56)

“Okay.”

He inhales deeply, exhales slowly, and then blurts out in a rush, “I’m staying, Emma. Right here in Harmony Creek. New York—or any other city, for that matter—is permanently out. You’re stuck with me now, babe.”

I twist to face him more fully. “What? No way! Will, this really is amazing news.”

Joy and relief wash over me, and all I want to do is tackle him and hug him like crazy. But I have to restrain myself and wait for him to finish.

“It’s true, I’m staying.” He smiles over at me. “I called the recruiter and cancelled everything. No more back and forth crap, I promise. I’m making a commitment, Emma, to you. And I know in doing so that I’m also doing what’s best for my daughter.”

Now I have to hug him, it’s no longer a choice.

The piece of paper falls from my hand and ends up smooshed between our bodies. “Oh, wait.”

I pull back so I can retrieve the crumpled letter.

“What the hell is on that thing, anyway?” Will wants to know.

Instead of going through the whole story, I simply hand it to him.

He looks down at the letter, murmuring three shocked “wows” as he reads. When he’s done, he doesn’t look up. He just stares down at the paper.

“You’re mad, aren’t you?” I say softly.

Will shakes his head, but his lips are pressed together in a tight line. I don’t know what to think.

“Will, please, say something,” I implore.

I watch as he swallows hard. But still, he remains quiet.

Sighing heavily, and suspecting a grim response, despite the shake of his head, I try to explain. “I know I shouldn’t have gone behind your back. But Will, your work is so damn good. And I was so afraid you’d given up on pursuing what you once told me was your dream—”

“It is my dream, Emma. Not was.”

Though he’s speaking now, his gaze remains on the letter.

But then he looks over at me, and his greens are wet with unshed tears. “I’m not mad you took the initiative,” he tells me. “I’m just stunned that after all the shit I put you through, you still cared enough about me to do something like this.”

In a whisper, I reply, “It’s because I love you, Will Gartner. With all my heart, and all my soul, I love you, you stubborn man.”





Will



And right there, with those words, Emma shows me what love really is.

“I love you, too,” I tell her as I wrap my arms around her.

And then I promise what I know she needs to hear. “I will always stay with you, Emma. You are my and Lily’s future.”

She chokes up, but behind the tears, there is joy. “Oh, Will.”

Emma leans her head on my shoulder, and I hold her close to me. We stay like that for a long time, merely content with one another’s presence. It was always so simple, this answer I sought. How could I not have seen it sooner?

I’m what Emma needs, and she’s it for me. Who knew I’d discover what I needed all along was right here in Harmony Creek the whole time?

Life certainly works in mysterious ways sometimes.



The next couple of weeks are a whirlwind of activity, all of it good. Emma and I take Lily school shopping with the big first day looming.

The night before kindergarten is set to begin, I ask Lily, “You ready for your first day of real school?”

“Uh-huh.”

We’re gathered in Chase and Kay’s living room, with my brother and his wife. Emma is here too, and Jack and Sarah, of course.

Jack, reveling in his one-grade-ahead status, assures Lily, “Don’t worry. Lily. I’ll watch out for you.”

Chase pats his son approvingly on the head. “That’s my boy.”

Not to be outdone, Sarah pipes in with, “I take care of you too, Illy.”

That prompts Kay to applaud Sarah for her own protective streak. “That’s my girl,” she says, side-eyeing Chase.

Chase and I burst out laughing.

Laughing is something I seem to do a lot more of these days. And why wouldn’t I? Life is good, really good.

And it just keeps getting better.

After speaking with the agent who liked my work, I ended up signing a really great deal with a big publisher and a big advance. It’s not enough money to give up freelancing completely, but I can cut down on my hours working for Chase.

“Concentrate on your future, bro,” Chase said when I inked the deal. “Just know if you ever need the extra work, it’s here.”

I thanked him, as it’s always wise to have a backup plan to fill in the unexpected gaps.

Another thing Chase helped me with was my preparation to finally break the news to our mother that I have a daughter.

“She’s not going to be mad,” he kept assuring me. “You’re not a teenage kid anymore.”

“I know, I know,” I’d reply. “I just hope she forgives me for not calling her as soon as I found out.”

“That’s the last thing she’s going to be worried about, Will.”

Chase turned out to be right. When I made the dreaded call, just a few days ago, Abby wasn’t even angry. She wasn’t even mad about me not taking the job in New York City. She was too overjoyed with the news of Lily to feel any disappointment that I scrapped the business-man plan.