Ride with Me Read Free Page A

excitedly.
    We settle in at the side of the lake, and I ready Axel’s pole. He starts as I hand Lux hers and the tub of worms.
    “Drexel, I know you really don’t expect me to squish a worm on that hook. They have plastic bait that works just fine.”
    I smile at her. “Come on, Lux; push your boundaries a little.” I wink. “Get dirty every once in a while.”
    She smirks and whispers in my ear, “You can get dirty with me later, but I’m not putting a worm on this hook.”
    Laughing, I bait her hook and show her how to cast the line. Quickly, she loses balance in her heels, squealing. I wrap my arms around her to steady her.
    Axel shakes his head. “Lux, you gotta stay quiet, or you’ll scare the fish.”
    “Sorry, buddy, I guess I didn’t dress appropriately.”
    My son looks up at her and smiles. “Well, you are the most beautiful fisher out here, but it really doesn’t suit the job, Lux.”
    We fish for a couple of hours with Lux coming up empty. Axel pats her on the back patiently. “Lux, when you marry my dad and become a Crews, you will have the luck of fishing rub off on you. We just gotta change your last name first.”
    I don’t know if giving her my name will help her fishing skills at all, but it damn sure would be nice to call her mine in all ways. The sooner, the better for everyone as far as I’m concerned.
    Tripp looks over at me for a second longer than usual. “Let’s get through this run, and then I’ll see what I can work out in the schedule for us.”
    “There are perks to being in with the boss,” I joke, and we both laugh.
    Family time is in my future. I wonder if I can convince everyone that time should be spent in New York. Then I can make Caroline a Crews officially, exactly the way she dreams.
     

    “I have lost my mind,” I say to Doll as I sit across from her at her desk.
    She laughs, her blue eyes sparkling in happiness. “You signed on for life with him, and with Rex comes Axel, so this is a natural progression.”
    “There is nothing natural to being a stepparent,” I declare, and she laughs.
    “Have some faith in yourself. Tessie believes he’s safe with you. She rarely lets anyone have Axel, so if she’s good, then you’re good, babe.”
    I pout, wishing I could believe in myself. “What if I mess up?”
    She leans over her desk to get closer to me and whispers, “Wanna know a parenting secret?”
    I nod my head eagerly. “Duh! Of course. I need all the help I can get.”
    “Are you sure?” she teases me.
    “Doll, now is not the time for games. My man is off to God knows where, and his baby’s momma, whom I adore, is actually leaving their son, their one and only child together, with me!” I freak out a little.
    She only sits back and laughs “Okay, here it is.” She leans forward again, like she’s sharing the secret location to the fountain of youth or the code to break into Fort Knox. “Everyone fucks up. Biological parents, stepparents, foster parents”—she gasps playfully—“even grandparents.”
    I shake my head at her. “This is not a joke.”
    “Who’s joking?” She leans back in her chair. “It’s the truth. Don’t sweat it. Axel is old enough to tell you what he needs and wants. You can do this. He loves spending time with you, and I know you love that boy. If you didn’t, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “People who don’t care wouldn’t worry about messing up. Have fun with your weekend and don’t sweat the small stuff.”
    “You make it sound so easy.”
    She huffs at me. “Remember when I first came home from the hospital with BW? All the crazy freak-outs over doing everything right? Where did that land me?” She throws her hands wildly in the air. “Postpartum depression, they called it. Well, whatever it was, that shit wasn’t like on television and in books. I didn’t want to hurt myself or my son. I went overboard trying to do it right. Well, guess what, sister. The