Biggest Shipper
Rowan chuckled, low and soft, the kind of laugh that had no business making my pulse race. I turned back to him, narrowing my eyes.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Just imagining you trying to explain to Laura why grown-ups don’t work that way. That’s a conversation I’d pay to watch.”
I groaned, rubbing my temples. “You’re not helping.”
“I’m not trying to,” he said with a grin.
“Handsome Uncle!” Laura’s voice rang out again, and I turned to see her running back toward him, her little arms flailing.
“Laura! What are you—” I started, but she was already at his side, tugging on his pant leg.
“You didn’t say goodbye properly!” she declared, glaring up at him.
Rowan crouched down, his expression serious. “You’re absolutely right, Laura. I’m sorry.” He held out his hand. “How about a proper handshake?”
Laura pouted for a moment before taking his hand, her tiny fingers gripping his firmly. “Okay. But next time, you need to hug me too.”
“I’ll remember that,” Rowan said, his smile softening.
She nodded, satisfied, and skipped back toward Larry, who was waiting with Jo.
“I swear, they’re going to be the death of me,” I muttered, shaking my head.
“They’re amazing, Remi,” Rowan said, his voice quieter now. “You’ve done an incredible job with them.”
His words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. “Thank you,” I managed, my voice softer than I intended.
We stood there for a beat, the air between us shifting. Before I could think too much about it, a cold droplet landed on my cheek.
“Is it—” Another drop hit me, and then the sky opened up, rain pouring down in an instant.
“Of course,” I muttered, throwing my hands up. “Perfect timing.”
Rowan laughed, tilting his head back as the rain soaked through his suit. “It’s just water, Remi.”
“Easy for you to say,” I shot back, pulling his jacket tighter around me.
He took a step closer, his smile warm. “You could always stay out here and enjoy it.”
“I’ll pass, thanks,” I said, rolling my eyes.
He chuckled again, shaking his head. “Alright, I’ll let you escape. Take care, Remi.”
“You too,” I said, watching as he walked toward his car, his confident stride unbothered by the rain.
When he was gone, I turned and headed inside, dripping and cold.
\---
Jo was waiting just inside the door, her arms crossed and a smirk plastered across her face.
“Don’t,” I warned, holding up a hand.
“Oh, I’m definitely going to,” she said, practically vibrating with glee. “That was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Handsome Uncle! The rain! The lingering goodbyes!”
“Jo, I swear—”
She cut me off, following me down the hallway. “You two are like the leads in a rom-com, except you’re both too stubborn to admit you like each other.”
“We do not like each other,” I said firmly, shaking the water from my hair.
“Sure, sure,” Jo said, nodding exaggeratedly. “And I’m a world-famous surgeon.”
“Jo—”
“Just admit it,” she said, grinning. “He’s growing on you.”
“He’s not!”
“Uh-huh. That’s why you’re wearing his jacket like it’s a designer blanket.”
I glanced down at the jacket, scowling. “I was cold.”
“And he noticed,” Jo said, wiggling her eyebrows. “Because he cares.”
I groaned, tossing the jacket onto a nearby chair. “I can’t deal with you right now.”
“You’re just mad because I’m right,” she teased, following me into my office.
“Jo, shouldn’t you be working?” I asked pointedly.
She shrugged. “Probably. But watching your love story unfold is way more fun.”
“It’s not a love story,” I snapped, collapsing into my chair.
Jo smirked, leaning against the desk. “Not yet, maybe. But give it time.”
I glared at her, but she just laughed, clearly enjoying herself.
“Fine,” I said finally, throwing up my hands. “You win. Now go before I find extra paperwork for you to do.”
She grinned, saluting me. “Yes, ma’am.”
As she left, I leaned back in my chair, letting out a long sigh. Despite my best efforts, Rowan’s face lingered in my mind, his laugh echoing in my ears.
****
Rowan had just pulled his keys from his pocket when he heard a tiny voice call out, “Handsome Uncle!”
He turned around, startled, to see Laura running toward him, her school uniform slightly wrinkled and her lollipop still in hand. She stopped in front of him, panting, her bright eyes shining with excitement.
“Laura?” Rowan said, raising an eyebrow. “What are you doing out here? Where’s your mom?”
“She’s inside,” Laura replied, brushing her hair out of her face. “But I had to catch you before you left!”
Rowan crouched down to her level, his expression shifting to something gentler. “You shouldn’t run off like that. It’s dangerous. What if I wasn’t who you thought I was?”
Laura rolled her eyes dramatically. “You are who I think you are. You’re Handsome Uncle.”
“That doesn’t mean you should trust me so easily,” Rowan said, his tone serious. “You don’t know me, Laura. What if I was a bad guy?”
She tilted her head, completely unfazed. “There are cameras everywhere. You couldn’t do anything bad even if you wanted to.”
Rowan blinked, surprised by her confidence. “That’s… not the point.”
“And you’re not a stranger!” she added, crossing her arms. “You’re Handsome Uncle. My mommy knows you.”
“That doesn’t make it safe to run up to people,” Rowan said, though he couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips.
Laura grinned, clearly not taking his warning seriously. “You worry too much.”
Rowan sighed, shaking his head. “Alright, fine. What’s so important that you had to stop me?”
Laura’s grin widened, and she stepped closer, lowering her voice like she was about to share a big secret. “I’m your biggest shipper.”
“Shipper?” Rowan repeated, amused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I want you to marry my mommy,” Laura said matter-of-factly, her expression completely serious.
Rowan’s eyebrows shot up, caught completely off guard. “Marry your mom? Why would you want that?”
“Because,” Laura said, counting on her fingers, “you’re rich, you’re handsome, and…” She paused, thinking hard before continuing. “...you’re really rich and really handsome.”
Rowan chuckled, unable to help himself. “That’s quite the list.”
“And,” Laura added, leaning closer, “Mommy smiles when she talks about you.”
“She does?” Rowan asked, his voice softening despite himself.
“Sometimes,” Laura said with a shrug. “But not enough. That’s why you need to call her.”
“Call her?” Rowan repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Laura nodded emphatically, pulling something out of her pocket. “Here.” She handed him a small piece of paper with a phone number scribbled on it. “That’s her number.”
Rowan stared at the paper, caught between amusement and disbelief. “You just carry this around?”
“Yup!” Laura said proudly. “You have to call her. Promise?”
Rowan smirked, tucking the paper into his pocket. “Alright, I promise.”
“Good!” Laura said, giving him a conspiratorial wink. “Don’t tell her I gave it to you, though. It’s a secret.”
“Your mom’s going to notice if I call her out of nowhere,” Rowan pointed out.
Laura waved a hand dismissively. “You’re smart. You’ll figure it out.”
Rowan laughed, standing up and looking down at her with a mixture of amusement and admiration. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“I know,” Laura said, flashing him a toothy grin.
She turned to run back inside but stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Oh, and Handsome Uncle?”
“Yeah?” Rowan said, raising an eyebrow.
“Don’t mess it up!” she called, giggling as she darted back toward the building.
Rowan stood there for a moment, shaking his head in disbelief. He pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, staring at the number written in Laura’s messy handwriting.
He chuckled again, the sound low and warm as he slipped the paper back into his pocket. “Don’t mess it up, huh?”
Climbing into his car, Rowan sat for a moment, the engine idling as he leaned back in his seat. He reached for his phone, turning it over in his hands before setting it back down with a smirk.
“Not yet,” he muttered to himself, still smiling. “But soon.”
As he drove away, he couldn’t help but laugh again, shaking his
head at the whirlwind that was Laura. For the first time in a long time, something about the day felt lighter, like the beginning of something he hadn’t dared to imagine before.
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