Caught Up (Windy City, #3)

by Liz Tomforde

“Come.” “God,” she moans, head falling back. “I can’t wait to hear you say that in the bedroom.”

“If you’re as terrible of a listener in the bedroom as you are in real life, Miller, I can promise you this, you wouldn’t be allowed to come.”

“Oh, come on, Kai. You’re better than that. Be direct. Ask me if I’m single.” There’s a sly smile on her lips, a smile that screams she likes flirting with me as much as I do her. There’s

“You flirting with me, Montgomery?” “Have been since we met. You

gonna start flirting back?”

“Did you just give me a thumbs-up?” I do it again as if it’s not the lamest thing I’ve ever done. “Yep.” “I was literally inside of you less than twenty-four hours ago and you’re giving me a thumbs-up?”

“Well, as I said, good luck tonight. I hope you have some…gold star pitching.”

take the frame off his desk and unclip the back. The photo is small, maybe only two or three inches in height and fits perfectly next to the one of Max in my hat. Monty stays silent as I put the empty frame back on his desk. “Shut up.” He laughs. “I didn’t say anything.”

I tuck the photo of Miller under the band, close to the one of Max, running my thumb over both of the edges. “How old was she here?” “Thirteen maybe?” “She looks happy.” “She was. She was a really happy kid, much in the way yours is.” Monty slides in the gentle reminder that I’m doing okay. It’s his way of reassuring me that Max is all right. That I’m doing a good job, just like he did. But I’m only doing a good job right now because of the girl in the photo next to my son’s. I put my hat back on and leave his office.

This is literally the most simple thing that I've ever read that changed my life

“I can’t believe I’m going to be in Ryan Shay’s wedding,” Rio sighs. “A dream come true for me, really.” “You do know you’re standing on my side, right?” Rio waves Indy off. “Semantics.” Indy chuckles and brings her cocktail to her lips, clearly unaffected by her best guy friend wishing he was a groomsman instead of standing next to her as a bridesman.

“Miller, I don’t think you’ve been just a nanny to anyone in that family,” Kennedy says.

“Fuck my life.” Rio pounds back his drink before going into the kitchen for another. “I’m going to be the only single one left, and that was so fucking adorable that I don’t even mind it.”

“The hands are a tell,” I agree. “Goddammit.” Rio shakes his head. “It’s official. I’m the last one.”

don’t know what I’m doing. Who fucks the single dad of the kid they’re nannying for?” Stevie pops her shoulders nonchalantly. “I fucked a hockey player on the team I was working for.” Indy points to Stevie. “I fucked her brother.” “I’m not fucking anyone,” Rio sighs.

Kennedy takes a long drag of her cocktail. “My ex-fiancé is fuck...

Rio clears his throat. “You know, if you need help moving on⁠—” “Rio,” Stevie scolds with a laugh. “No.” “I’m just saying, Kennedy, take it from me, in this group you don’t want to be the only single one the way I am. We could help each other out here.”

“Then you don’t know her at all if you can’t see the way she looks at you, like you’re the best damn thing to ever happen in her twenty-six years of life.”

“She’s not my blood, but she’s my girl,” Monty says from beside me. “And she looks at your boy, who is not her blood, in the same way I look at her. I’ve seen it all summer. I watched her fall in love with two people at the same time, and it reminded me of myself when I met her and her mom. She won’t be able to just walk away from that, regardless of if you ask or not.” Monty finally looks my way, eyes welling with unshed tears. “I know I couldn’t.”

“All those times I asked you to come to me first, it’s not because I thought you weren’t worthy of asking that of my daughter. It’s because I was looking out for you. Miller has this intense need to be the best at what she does even if it’s not something she loves all that much, and I wanted to have this conversation before you put your heart on the

“Do you love her?” Monty asks. “I do. Very much so.” “She might break your heart.” “I’ll love her anyway.” “I know you will.” “I mean.” I pop my shoulders. “At times, I still think she’s way too fucking much.”

“Just know that I loved her first.” I nod. “And I’ll love her always.”

“What I’m trying to say is that my brother deserves the world and for him, you are the world.”

“If there’s any chance of you coming back to see them...” Isaiah shakes his head. “I don’t know what I’m asking here. I’m just trying to repay Kai for everything he’s done for me, and I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. I’ve never seen him so immersed in someone else’s orbit, and I don’t know how you did that. If you found a crack and wormed your way in or what, but he’s been so focused on Max for the last year that he forgot about himself. But you…you didn’t forget about him.

“No, baby. I’m not sad. I’m happy. I’m just crying because I love you so much.”

“Mmm…Mama.” Miller’s face falls. “What did you say?” “Mama.” Max grins, so proud of himself for saying a name I now realize he’s been trying to say for weeks. “Mama! Mama!” Miller’s head whips in my direction. She’s on the brink of an emotional meltdown while holding my son, who is looking at her as if every missing puzzle piece in his life has been put back together. He settles himself back on her chest, quietly repeating the word over and over again while Miller rocks him and cries her fucking eyes out.

And I watch her heart break from the doorway while mine breaks for both me and my son.

“Miller,” he says, making sure my attention is on him. “If you ever decide to stop running and make a home…” His eyes are begging, pleading. “Make it with me.”

Banana (Nana) Bread—the one that got me back in my groove. M&M Cookies—named after my favorite people.

Mae’s Tiramisu—for the woman I never got to meet but who raised two amazing men. I hope I follow in your steps by being a fantastic

“They’re all going to be good days, Miller.” I hold her, this girl I’m hopelessly in love

“Let’s go get our boy.”

Monty dips into his pocket, pulling out a small rust orange velvet box. A few weeks after Miller moved to Chicago, I went to Monty’s apartment and asked how he felt about me asking his daughter to marry me. He cried a little, mostly out of joy, before pulling out a ring he had kept with him for over twenty years. It was the ring he was going to propose to Miller’s mom with, but never got the chance to.

“It’s beautiful, Monty.” “It’s going to look beautiful on her. Her mom would be so proud of her.”

He hugs me back. “I love you, Kai, you know that. And I love your son.” “Your grandson, you mean?” I ask in a teasing tone. “I swear to God if you start calling me Grandpa at work, I will kick your ass. But yeah, I love my grandson too, and I’m happy you’re finally making this all official.”