Chapter 30: Chapter 30

MASON

The sudden knock on my office door disrupted my quiet focus. I’d been wrestling with a particularly challenging email for the last hour, and I was finally making headway.

I let out a sigh, a blend of irritation and acceptance. I knew the persistent knock would continue until I responded, so I decided to get it over with.

“Come in,” I invited.

My gaze returned to my computer screen, my fingers resuming their dance on the keyboard, when the office door swung open and a familiar voice rang out.

“Daddy!”

I glanced up from my screen to see Penelope charging toward me, her hair neatly braided and her eyes sparkling with joy.

I swept Penelope into my arms, her petite frame fitting snugly against mine. Her arms wound tightly around my neck as I held her close.

“This is a surprise,” I remarked, casting a glance at Jamie.

Penelope pulled back from our embrace, her eyes shimmering with curiosity.

“A good surprise or a bad surprise?” she inquired, tilting her head to one side.

“Definitely a good surprise,” I assured her, a warm smile spreading across my face.

“I hope we’re not interrupting anything,” Jamie chimed in, strolling over to my desk and setting down a cooler bag. “Penelope and I thought we’d bring you lunch. We figured you wouldn’t eat otherwise.”

“It’s so yummy,” Penelope gushed, her eyes wide with anticipation. “We made it all ourselves.”

“Well, let’s see what we have here,” I responded, unzipping the cooler bag and peering inside. The bag was packed with a variety of homemade dishes, each one looking more appetizing than the last. They had clearly put a lot of thought and effort into this surprise lunch.

“I want to try some of that cake,” Penelope declared, her gaze fixed on the chocolate brownie cake nestled at the top of the cooler bag.

“Oh, really?” I chuckled. Jamie joined in on the laughter. “Why don’t you sit in the big chair while I unpack everything?”

I stood up and helped Penelope into my office chair, her face alight with anticipation.

“While you’re busy, can I go see Eoin?” Jamie asked. “I want to discuss his birthday with him.”

“He’s just across the hall,” I replied, gesturing toward Eoin’s office.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a jiffy,” Jamie said, leaning in for a quick, playful kiss before turning and exiting the room.

As Jamie vanished from sight, I found myself reminiscing about the days when she worked for me. I remembered her striding around the office in her form-fitting pencil skirt, each movement a subtle tease.

It had been years since she’d set foot in this office, but to her, it was as if she’d never left. Jamie was blissfully unaware of the history we shared in this very room, the place where our relationship had taken root.

“Daaadddd!! The cake!” Penelope’s voice snapped me out of my reverie.

“All right, hold your horses,” I replied, turning to face her.

Penelope and I settled at my office table, the scent of freshly made sandwiches wafting through the air. As we ate, she chattered away about various topics, her eyes occasionally flicking to the computer screen where an episode of her favorite show about a blue dog was playing.

I took a bite of my BLT. The combination of the tangy sourdough bread, the sweet juiciness of the tomatoes, and the salty crunch of the bacon was a perfect symphony of flavors. “What’s the name of that one?” I asked.

“It’s Bluey, Dad,” Penelope informed me, her eyes glued to the screen. “And that’s Bingo, Bluey’s sister,” she added, pointing to the characters.

She leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful.

“Do you think I could have a sister?”

Her question caught me off guard, and the sandwich I was about to bite into lodged in my throat. I swallowed hard, trying to regain my composure.

“Well…um, I don’t know, Penelope,” I managed to say. “I think your mom and I are happy with the way things are.”

“Oh!” Penelope exclaimed, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “But maybe you’ll change your mind.”

Seeing Penelope disappointed always tugged at my heartstrings. She’d experienced enough disappointment in her life. But I didn’t want to give her false hope either.

The idea of having another child was something I’d never considered, and frankly, it wasn’t something I wanted given the current circumstances of my life.

“Done with your cake?” I asked, shifting the topic. Penelope’s face was a mess of chocolate frosting, and it made me grin.

She gave a nod. Her gaze flicked back to the computer screen.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” I suggested, scanning the room for Jamie’s bag. I knew she’d have a pack of wipes stashed in there.

“Think your mom might have some wipes? Want to go find her?”

Penelope’s nod was enthusiastic, and she hopped off my office chair.

As we made our way toward Eoin’s office, their laughter and chatter echoed through the closed door.

I turned the handle and pushed open the door to Eoin’s office. Jamie was perched in front of his desk, while Eoin was reclined in his chair, laughing at something Jamie had said.

“Ah, there you are,” Jamie greeted us as we entered.

Penelope darted toward Jamie, arms wide open. Her chocolate-smeared face left a mark on Jamie’s T-shirt, a common occurrence these days.

“Dad said to find you ‘cause I got chocolate cake on my face,” Penelope explained.

Jamie chuckled. “Oh, okay. I think I have some wipes in my bag.”

She dug through her bag, pulling out a pack of toddler wipes. “Looks like you really enjoyed that chocolate cake.”

“Did you save some for me?” Eoin asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Penelope shook her head. “Maybe we can bring you some next time,” she promised.

Eoin laughed. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“Anyway, we should probably get going,” Jamie announced, rising from her chair. Her movements were stronger than they used to be.

“I told my dad we’d stop by on our way home. I think he’s feeling a bit lonely.”

Eoin stood up too, trailing behind them toward the door where I was standing.

“So you’re really okay with this party?” Eoin asked. “I don’t want you to feel pressured. It’s not a big deal.”

“Sure, I am,” Jamie assured him, turning to smile at Eoin. “Everyone deserves at least one birthday party. We should talk about it again before the day, just to go over all the details.”

“Sounds good,” Eoin agreed.

“All right, we should get going,” Jamie said. “Say goodbye to Dad.”

I lifted Penelope for a hug, her tiny arms wrapping around my neck. I looked at Jamie and smiled.

“Want me to walk you to the car?” I offered.

“No, that’s okay,” she said, smiling. “Ezra is parked right outside.”

She gave me a quick peck on the lips before turning to leave. Her newfound mobility gave her a sense of independence, even if it was just a little.

She had come here today with Penelope, which surprised me considering our tough conversation the other night.

“Every time I see Penelope, she looks more like Jamie,” Eoin observed, turning to me.

“Tell me about it,” I agreed, watching them as they walked away.

“It’s strange how we can resemble our parents so much,” Eoin mused. “There’s a bit of you in there too, you know. It’s not all Jamie.”

“Just most of it,” I replied, grinning.

The new personal assistant, a young woman with a determined look, made her way toward the desk outside my office, struggling with a towering stack of files. Her heels clicked on the polished floor as she maneuvered around the chairs and potted plants scattered around the office.

She nearly lost her balance as she reached her desk but managed to steady herself just in time. She set the files down on the desk, trying to act nonchalant, but her flushed cheeks betrayed her moment of panic.

“That was a close one. Women and heels, right?” Eoin joked, a smirk spreading across his face. “What’s your take on her, this Emily?”

“She seems capable,” I responded. “I’m interested to see how she’ll handle the workload, though. There’s a lot to catch up on.”

“Only time will tell,” Eoin said, leaning against the door frame. He smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “I’m taking her out for drinks after work. She seems like she’d be a real firecracker outside office hours.”

I shot Eoin a skeptical look, but kept my mouth shut. I wasn’t thrilled about him flirting with the staff, but I couldn’t deny my older cousin his fun. After all, Jamie had once been my assistant too.

I watched as Eoin and the new assistant slipped out of the office right at five o’clock. Part of me was happy for him, but a larger part of me was concerned about the potential fallout if things went south.

I’ve been in that situation more times than I care to admit. The women are usually okay with the boundaries we set, until the fling ends and I move on. Then it becomes a workplace issue. At least, that’s been my experience.

The office clock ticked loudly, the only noise in the otherwise silent room. I rubbed my weary eyes. The strain of staring at the computer screen for hours was finally taking its toll.

A quick glance at my watch showed it was well past 8 p.m. I gathered my things and exited the office, leaving the cleaning crew to prepare for the next day.

When I got home, the house was silent. It was late, so I assumed Penelope was already in bed. I set my stuff down on the kitchen island and loosened my tie as I made my way to the back of the house.

“Jamie…,” I called out. I waited for a response, but none came.

Where could she be? Normally, I’d find her curled up on the couch, engrossed in a movie. But tonight, the house was eerily quiet.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts. I pulled it out and read a text from Jamie.

Jamie

I’m in the bath. Bring up some wine.

I smirked at her message, imagining her lounging in a warm bubble bath. I grabbed a chilled bottle of wine from the fridge and two glasses from the rack, then headed upstairs.

Penelope’s bedroom door was slightly open, and I could see her fast asleep, clutching a small dinosaur.

I entered our bedroom. The dim lighting and the rich scent of rose milk and vanilla filled the air. The bathroom was lit by tea light candles scattered around the room.

“There you are,” Jamie said, her voice soft and inviting. The bathroom had been transformed into a tranquil oasis. Jamie was reclining in our spacious bathtub, surrounded by a sea of bubbles.

She looked absolutely breathtaking. Her blonde hair was slicked back, revealing her delicate features. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and a playful smile danced on her lips. The sight of her in the tub sent my heart racing…and stirred a reaction from my lower half.

“There you are,” I echoed, a smirk playing on my lips.

Jamie laughed. “I didn’t expect you to be so late tonight,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

I shrugged, trying to seem casual. “Everything is fine. I just had some emails that couldn’t wait,” I replied, taking off my suit jacket and hanging it on the bathroom door.

She nodded, accepting my explanation. “I went to see my father earlier,” she said, her voice softening. “We stayed for a while and had dinner with him.”

“How is he?” I asked, pouring wine into two glasses.

“He’s good… I think,” she replied. “It’s only been a couple of months, he’s still grieving, but I think he’s better when we’re around.”

She took the wine glass from my hand and took a long sip, her eyes closing in contentment. “I really needed that,” she said, handing the glass back to me.

I chuckled and took a sip from my own glass, the cool liquid soothing my throat. Setting the glass aside, I turned back to Jamie. I was met with a mischievous grin.

“So anyway…,” she started, her voice filled with amusement. “Penelope told my dad that she was going to have a sister.”

Shit!! I knew my earlier conversation with Penelope would come back to bite me. How was I supposed to handle this? I certainly wasn’t prepared for this discussion.

“Did she?” I responded, pretending to be clueless. I leaned against the sink, rolling up my shirt sleeves. “Kids say the darndest things, don’t they?”

Jamie laughed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “They do,” she agreed. “She also said that you told her.”

I scrunched my forehead, my mouth pinched tight. It dawned on me that regardless of the response I’d given Penelope earlier, she would have spun her own tale anyway. Kids have these wild, untamed imaginations, and there’s no way to rein in their words.

“Just chill, Mason. It’s all good,” she responded, a playful smirk pulling at her lips. “She also mentioned she wants to call her sister Bingo. I think she’s been overdosing on Bluey lately.”

“We did catch an episode in my office earlier,” I confessed. “That’s probably where she picked up the idea.”

Remember Napa? Our chat about the future nearly tore us apart that time. Until I snapped back to reality and realized I wanted her…every bit of her.

Tying the knot seemed like the next logical step in our journey together.

But the thought of another kid was a whole different ball game. Considering all we’d been through, all we were still dealing with, it felt like a leap too far.

I couldn’t fathom bringing another child into our world. It just didn’t seem doable, or even appealing.