called you a spoiled brat?”
“He also called me a dumb ass,” I admitted. “And said something to the effect of how being the baby of the family and America’s darling might have contributed to my head being stuck up my ass.”
She grinned. “I think I like Gideon.”
I smiled back until I realized she hasn’t said anything about forgiving me or taking me back. “What to sit down?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I would.”
I led her through the living room and got her settled on the couch. “Would you like anything to drink?”
Andie shook her head. “No, thank you. I just…I just really would like to get this conversation over with.”
That did not sound good.
“Uh, okay,” I agreed, worried, as I took a seat next to her. But then I remembered she had let me hug her. But was that a friend hug? She also hadn’t corrected me when I had called her baby, so that was a good thing, right?
I looked into her perfect brown eyes. “So, tell me what I have to do, Andrea,” I said. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
“What if you’re not up to the task?” she asked.
That got me curious. “What if I am?” Did she forget that I was a retired professional athlete? Competition and excelling were in my blood.
“Okay,” she said, regarding me with doubt all over her pretty face. Or maybe that was just my insecurities creeping through.
“What’s the task?”
She took a deep breath. “I need you to love Grant like he’s your own, but I need you to also understand that he’s not yours.” She suddenly looked tired, and I didn’t like that. “I know it’s an unfair condition,” she went on. “I know it sucks to invest yourself in someone but have no say in the important things. I know that’s unfair and…kind of shitty, actually. But…” Andie shrugged her shoulder as if to say, oh well. And she wasn’t wrong.
That was a shitty situation. But then I thought of Sayer and wondered how he dealt with it. But then again, Leta was a teenager with no health issues. It wasn’t quite apples and apples. However, I was sure this was something Sayer could help me with if I ever found myself fumbling with it.
“I can do my best,” I told her. And for a little more reassurance, I added, “With Sayer having a stepdaughter he absolutely adores, I can always talk to him for advice if I’m struggling.”
She didn’t comment at first, but then she muttered, “I think you really are going to be more trouble than you’re worth, Nathan.”
Are going to be?
“Meaning?” I needed it in words. I’d already fucked up epically, I needed the words.
“Meaning, while you’re working on knowing your place, I’ll be working on keeping Steven in his, Grant in his, and me in mine,” she replied.
Wait? “What does that mean, Andie?” I asked because I was confused as fuck.
“It means that…if we’re going to do this, then we all have a lot to learn,” she grumbled, and I wasn’t sure if her words were a positive or a negative because the woman did not look happy.
“So…am I forgiven?” Fuck it. I might as well ask straight-out because I was still confused.
She let out a choked laugh. “Yes, Nat-oh, oomph-” Andrea was perched on my lap before she could say anything more.
“You’re not fucking with me, are you?”
She shook her head. “I was scared, Nate,” she confessed. “That’s it. That’s all. While you did mess up big time, I let fear dictate how I handled it. I let fear lead in my reaction, and that wasn’t fair to you.” Getting comfortable on my lap, she put her arms around my neck. “This is the first time Steven and I have had to navigate someone whose was involved with Grant, too. I think we’re all just fumbling about.”
“Steven’s never introduced any of his girlfriends to Grant?”
“Grant’s met a couple, but only because they accidentally showed up at Steven’s, not realizing Grant was there. Or there’ve been a couple of times he’s run into one of them while he and Grant were out and about,” she explained. “Steven hasn’t cared about someone strongly enough yet to introduce them to his son.”
I nodded as I realized I had a lot to learn about being a parent and stepparent, because that’s where this was going. Of course, I didn’t tell Andie this because I wasn’t sure if she was still on her take-it-slow kick, but that’s where this