After buying the cutest baby onesies with horse silhouettes and cowboy hats on them, being mistaken as the baby daddy by three employees in the store, and taking Magnolia to Texas Roadhouse where she devoured four rolls and a steak, we arrive back to town way past dark.
She’s passed out by the time we get home, and this time, I don’t want to wake her. After I bring in her shopping bags and takeout boxes of desserts we couldn’t finish, I lift her into my arms and carry her inside.
The Christmas tree lights guide me through the hallway, and once I place her on the bed, I remove her jacket and shoes.
“Tripp?” she murmurs with her eyes still closed.
“You’re okay, love. Just gettin’ you into bed.”
“I’m so sleepy.”
“I know. Do you want under the covers or should I bring in an extra blanket?”
“Yeah.”
I chuckle and decide to grab her one from the linen closet so I don’t have to move her.
She snuggles into her pillow as I tuck her in and a cute little moan escapes her throat.
“Night, Sunny.” I brush hair off her forehead, then lean down to kiss her there. “Sweet dreams.”
She’s silent as I tiptoe out of her bedroom and close the door.
With it being Christmas Eve tomorrow, she’s not working and can sleep in if she needs to. She’s had a busy month, and I know she could use the extra rest.
Once I get our food in the fridge, I take a few minutes to tidy up the rest of the house. Looking around at the decorations we put up a few weeks ago, a part of me is sad we’ll have to take them down soon. The memory of that day is a good one, considering she had just moved in a week earlier and we were still adjusting to the awkwardness. Bringing out all my bins and getting the tree set up while watching one of her favorite holiday movies was a nice ice breaker to put us back in the friendly hangout zone.
Every time I’m near her, I’m tempted to pull her into my arms and kiss her senseless. I can’t help wanting to touch her in some way, even if it’s just holding her hand or rubbing her back. Forgetting how it feels to be with her isn’t something I can do, and sometimes I can’t hold back.
Two weeks ago, the sheriff announced Travis as a suspect in the robberies and break-ins and it seems ever since then, she’s more determined than before to keep me at a distance beyond friendship. She thinks my being associated with her will somehow put a bad light on my family because of his bad reputation. With her dating history being tied to him, she’s really stretching the line between his criminal behavior and it somehow affecting me, but still, I’m trying to respect her decision.
No one outside of my family and her dad knows the baby is his, and if it were up to me, I’d keep it that way.
It wasn’t much of a shock to learn Travis was into some sketchy shit, but him breaking into her apartment is where I’m confused since he didn’t even take anything. The only thing that’d make sense is if he thought it’d rattle her up enough to run back to him for safety.
Well, good job, motherfucker. It brought her to me instead.
Even if we aren’t “dating” per se, she’s here in my house and in my life.
That’s all that matters.
But he’s only a suspect, and now he’s missing.
They released some of the footage they got from the break-ins where you can see the license plates of the car he runs back to afterward. Dumbass isn’t even smart enough to know to cover his plates because there are cameras everywhere now.
I hope he stays gone and then she’ll never have to tell him.
As I stare at the ultrasound photo, I feel a warmth of pride and hope. I want to be a part of the baby’s life as much as Magnolia will allow and if she lets me, I’d be here for every step and milestone.
I snap a photo of it and then send it along with the video I took earlier to Noah, my brothers, and parents. Looking at it, I get an idea for the scrapbook I started weeks ago. Even if all I can ever be is “Uncle Tripp,” I want to document everything.
WILDER
You sure that kid’s not yours? It’s got a big head just like you.
WAYLON
And it has a little peen like yours, too.
TRIPP
You dipshits, that’s the leg. And how would you know?
LANDEN
Is it a boy or girl?
TRIPP
We don’t know yet. Not until she’s twenty weeks.
NOAH
Awwww what a cutie!
TRIPP
Five different people thought I was the dad today.
LANDEN
Yikes. How’d that go?
TRIPP
Well, we didn’t correct them.
WILDER
I know I give you shit 99% of the time, but you need to be careful. You’re gonna get attached to the idea of a baby that isn’t yours, and she could walk away at any time.
LANDEN
Magnolia wouldn’t do that.
WILDER
Maybe not, but Tripp’s putting himself in a position to get hurt.
TRIPP
Are you actually worried about me? Is that love I hear?
WILDER
Fuck off. Don’t get used to it.
A laugh bubbles out of me because this is a whole new side to Wilder I haven’t seen in a long-ass time.
TRIPP
I appreciate the concern. But trust me, I know. I’m willing to risk it.
WAYLON
You still think she’s gonna change her mind and wanna get back together, don’t you?
TRIPP
I’m hoping that, yeah. We were good together.
And I’m madly, deeply, stupidly in love with her.
NOAH
She’s still processing all the changes she’s going through on top of this Travis stuff, so it’s possible she’ll eventually realize she doesn’t want to lose you and will admit she wants to be with you, too. But you can’t push her about it. She has to decide on her own about this.
I’m well aware and would never give her an ultimatum in order to stay in my life.
TRIPP
Hmm, do you think the diamond ring I got her for Christmas is too much?
I’m only messing with them, but their consistent wave of messages cussing me out is amusing as hell.
TRIPP
Christ, y’all are gullible.
NOAH
Don’t do that to me, asshole! I’m pregnant too in case you forgot. Don’t be giving me a stroke.
WILDER
Wait, does this mean she’s technically single?
TRIPP
It means if you don’t stop gawking at her like I keep catching you doing, I’m going to find a Hawk to pluck out your eyeballs so you can never look at her again.
WILDER
I don’t think that’s possible.
WILDER
It’s not, is it?
When no one responds, he continues.
WILDER
IS IT??
I bellow out a laugh because one quick Google search would tell him what an idiot he is.
Even though I make jokes with my siblings, I did get Magnolia something special for Christmas, and yeah, it’s probably something that screams more than just friends, but I meant what I said. We’ll never be just that.
I bought her a rose gold charm bracelet with charm sentimental pieces—a sunflower, cowboy hat, baby onesie, iced coffee, tiny axe, dinosaur, pickup truck, and then in the middle the letter M with her emerald birthstone.
She might hate it since it’ll remind her of our short-lived relationship, but even if those memories are all they will ever be and nothing more, I want her to never forget what we once had.
