Irresistible (Cloverleigh Farms #1)(78)

“I hear that, brother.” Miles nodded. “Being a dad is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t imagine what it would be like facing that job alone.”

“But you don’t have to face it alone.” Finally speaking up, I came around the counter and stood in front of him. “That’s the thing, Mack. I don’t expect you to divide your time, to try to be all things to all people at once.”

“I know you don’t,” he said, taking my hands. “Just like I know I’m going to fail you sometimes, and the kids sometimes, and myself sometimes. I’ve never been a perfect man, but I felt like I had to be the perfect father, to make up for what they lost. And I thought that meant I had to put my own needs aside.” His eyes shone. “But I can’t.”

“You don’t have to.” I squeezed his hands. “We can make it work, Mack. I know you’re not perfect, and I know being a good dad is your most important priority, but you deserve to be happy, too.” I looked over at the girls. “Right girls?”

“Right,” they said.

“And he wasn’t happy at all this week,” Millie went on.

“He was grouchy,” said Winnie.

“And mean,” added Felicity.

“Come on, give him a break, girls.” Miles gestured toward Mack. “He was lonely. He’d walked away from Frannie because he thought he was doing the right thing, and he had to spend some time being miserable to realize what an idiot he’d been.” He looked at Mack. “Am I right?”

Mack nodded. “Yeah. And it didn’t take long.” He met my eyes again. “I don’t know where we end up. I don’t know how all these pieces of my life are going to fit together. I don’t know how you’re going to put up with all my shit.”

“Do you have a swear jar?” I heard Millie whisper to Natalie.

“But I do know,” Mack went on, his expression confident for the first time, “that my life is much better with you in it, and if you’re willing to take this crazy journey with me—the back seat already full—I’m willing to see where this road leads.”

My eyes filled with tears. “Do you mean it?”

“Yes.”

“Because he loves you!” Winnie cried out. “He told us!”

“Winnie!” her older sisters admonished, Felicity hitting her on the shoulder.

“What? He diiiid.” Winnie rubbed her arm. “He should tell her.”

“It’s okay,” I said, embarrassed for Mack to have this moment take place in front of a crowd. “This is more than—”

“She’s right.” Mack stood taller, his broad chest straining against his glittery shirt. He looked me right in the eye. “I told them, and I’ll tell you. I love you, Frannie. I don’t know if I’m any good at it. God knows I failed in the past. But I love you. And when you love someone …” He glanced over at the girls and gave them a wink before meeting my eyes again. “You want to be with them. I want to be with you.”

“Aw, dude.” Miles clutched his heart. “You’re killing me.”

“Kiss her!” Winnie shouted, clapping her hands. “And not in the closet this time!”

With a smile tugging at his lips, Mack leaned forward and kissed me, softly but not quickly. Someone—maybe Natalie?—sighed.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Millie said. “Don’t get gross.”

Laughing, we broke apart and I opened my arms. “Come here, girls. Group hug.”

They came running toward us, Mack scooped Winnie up, and we all wrapped our arms around each other. “Thank you, girls,” I told them, choking over the words. “This means everything to me. I want to be with your dad, but I want to be with you, too. I want us all to be together.”

“We love you too, Frannie,” Millie said. “You’re part of our family.”

Miles began slow clapping as he made his way over to us. “That was fucking beautiful,” he said.

“Miles! Watch your language!” his wife shouted.

“Oh, that’s okay,” said Felicity with a grin. “We’re used to it.”





*



Mack and the girls went home, and I promised to come by after work. I had orders for six dozen macarons that I had to get over to Cloverleigh for an event later tonight, but after that, I was free.

Miles left shortly after Mack did—the two had hit it off and promised to get together for beers soon—but Natalie stuck around to chat while I finished filling and boxing the pastries.

“I can’t believe he came here that way,” she said, shaking her head. “Are you totally in shock?”

“Pretty much. When I left his house yesterday, I was fairly certain things were done. He seemed unhappy but unwilling to budge.”

“Thank goodness for those girls, huh? What smart kids.” She laughed. “Every time I think about that little one yelling, ‘Because he loves you! He told us!’ I crack up.”

I smiled and placed a pale green cookie on top of the pistachio filling. “Winnie. She’s such a doll.”

“So you get along with them all?”

“A hundred percent. I know I can’t replace their mom, and there will probably come a day when I’ll side with their dad on something and they’ll hate me for it, but—”