I felt a little ashamed that it had taken this long to do something. "I've been in contact with Ashton. I wanted to make it a few weeks with the nanny before we file, but that's where we're headed."
"Oakley isn't going to react well to a woman living in your house," Shep said shrewdly.
I shook my head, chuckling. "She didn't."
Dad frowned, and my brothers sat up straighter.
Shep’s forehead creased. "You're saying she already knows?"
"She showed up with Lilliana the night that Blake moved in with me. To say she wasn't happy was an understatement. But Blake quickly diffused the situation, taking Lilliana into the bathroom for her bath so she wouldn't overhear Oakley's raised voice. Right before she left, Oakley threatened to take me to court.”
Dad nodded approvingly. "It's about time you called her bluff and took control of this situation."
"The lack of a visitation schedule isn't workable. I can't have her showing up whenever she wants."
"What if she shows up with Lilliana at a jobsite? Not that I don't love to see my niece, but it isn't any place for a toddler," Cooper said.
"Plus, it's disruptive to the workplace and stressful for you," Hudson added.
Unease spread through my chest. "Oakley's been quiet the last few days. I hope she isn't planning anything."
"She thrives on drama and fear. You've been too afraid to challenge her, so you fall in line. But if you're serious about pursuing a formal custody agreement and a more consistent schedule, I wonder how she'll react," Hudson said.
"Not well," Shep murmured.
Cooper nodded in solidarity.
"I'm glad you're getting everything figured out. I have a feeling this will be good for Lilliana and you," Dad said.
I rested my elbows on the table. "I wanted to say that I intend to be more present at work. I want to be a good dad and a reliable worker. I'm sorry that I've been inconsistent the last eighteen months or so, but that's going to change."
Cooper rested a hand on my forearm. "We're all here for you while you figure this out, and we know that there might be days where you need flexibility. That's the life of a parent. We support you however you want to handle this situation."
Dad nodded. "Let us know if you need anything. We're behind you one hundred percent."
"Thanks," I said to everyone, my chest filling with emotion. My family had always been there for me. I felt bad that I hadn't been as present as I would have liked, but they were understanding about it. They had a front-row seat to the Oakley show, as they'd taken to calling it, and knew what I was dealing with.
Kinsley walked in and stood by the projector. "Sorry, I was talking to a potential new customer on the phone."
Dad threw a thumb over his shoulder at the projector. "We were discussing some family stuff. Now let's talk about the schedule for the next few months."
Kinsley walked us through the schedule, and we talked about any potential issues. We settled on the crew that would be on each of the projects.
When we were done, Kinsley turned off the projector and turned up the lights. Then she moved her laptop to the seat catty-corner to mine.
"Now, we have to talk about the fact that work has picked up considerably. Ever since we were featured in the Island Times, and the social-media frenzy that followed, we've been getting more inquires than we can manage. I think we should expand, hiring more contractors and crew." Dad looked around the table. "But this will be your business one day. What do you think?"
"I can see the value in that, but with a few of us, expanding our families, it might be difficult to take on more," Cooper said cautiously.
Shep leaned back in the chair, testing the limits of its construction. "Not all of us are expanding our families."
"I'm sure most of us want to start a family eventually. Is this the best time to expand?" Hudson asked.
I wondered if he was planning on starting a family with Elena soon. The thought made me feel better about having Lilliana now. The cousins would grow up together. She'd always feel like she was part of the Kingston family, no matter what was going on with her mother.
"If we're hiring additional contractors and a crew, it would be mainly a supervisory role we're taking on. Can we manage that on top of our regular job duties?" Brady asked.
"You have that second job," Dad said. "Are you sure you want to take on any more?"
