Page 84 of Love At Close Range

“I’m positive. I want us in one house, Ree. I want to be closer to you, and I want both my kids close. I already missed seven years with Rhyse. I’on want to keep missing the everyday shit because we live two hours apart,” he responded.

I understood where he was coming from. Seeing him leave Cannon Hills just because Rhyse called and wanted his father had shown me how serious Lennox was about being there whenever our son needed him. Still, moving wasn’t something I could decide based on what felt good between us.

“My company is here,” I reminded him. “That’s the biggest thing for me. I can’t just move to Cannon Hills and leave RÉIA behind.”

“I’m not asking you to leave it. Expand into Cannon Hills if that’s what you want or keep Arbor Point and commute a few days a week. Tasha can handle more when you’re not there. You built that shit, so I’m not expecting you to give it up for me. I just want you and Rhyse home with me.” He paused before adding, “And I want to change Rhyse’s last name.”

I stayed quiet for a second, taking in everything he had just put on the table. The move was something I still had to work through, but Rhyse having Lennox’s last name didn’t feel nearly as complicated… that was the easy part.

“We can do that. I’on have a problem with him having your last name,” I replied.

Lennox nodded, and I felt his arm tighten around me slightly before he kissed the top of my head.

“The move is different though,” I continued. “I need time to think about that. It changes a lot for me and Rhyse,” I stated.

“I understand.” Lennox shifted. “But I need you to understand where I’m coming from too. I got my son now, and I want to be able to be his father every day. Take him to school, pick him up, get on him when he needs it, and be there for whatever he has going on. I want Lennyn to have her brother around when she’s with me, and I want you there too. I’m not trying to take anything from the life you built. I’m trying to be part of it,” he countered sincerely.

Changing Rhyse’s last name was the easy part. Lennox was his father, and I didn’t have any reason to stand in the way of him carrying his name. Moving back to Cannon Hills came with more to consider. RÉIA was in Arbor Point, Rhyse had school, and this was where I had built our life for the last seven years. Lennox had given me options that could make the business work, but I still needed to figure out what moving would look like for everything else.

I understood why he wanted us there though. He had already missed enough with Rhyse, and now that he had the chance to be his father every day… he didn’t want to miss a beat. After watching the two of them together, I couldn’t blame him for that.

I wasn’t ready to tell him yes, but I wasn’t dismissing it either.

28

Reiana

Afew days later, I had Mona and Taryn on speaker while I worked at my desk. We had been talking for a while before I finally brought up the conversation I had with Lennox.

“He still wants me and Rhyse to move to Cannon Hills,” I told them. “And he wants to change Rhyse’s last name.”

“Well… the last name makes sense,” Mona said. “That’s his father.”

“I already agreed to that. It’s the move I’m still thinking about,” I responded.

Taryn was quiet for a second before saying, “Ree, stop fighting that shit and go be with that man,” she fussed.

“I’m not fighting it,” I lied.

“You are,” Mona added.

“I have a company here. Rhyse has school here. Y’all are here. It’s not like I’m deciding whether I want to spend another night at his house,” I deflected.

“And nobody said it was,” Mona replied. “But you already know none of that has to disappear because you move. You can still run your business… Rhyse can change schools, and we’re not going anywhere,” she concluded.

“You spent years building a life that worked for you and Rhyse. That doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck in the exact same version of it forever,” Taryn added.

I looked down at the paperwork on my desk. Lennox had said almost the same thing without saying it that way. He wasn’t asking me to shut RÉIA down or stop working. He wanted me to figure out what worked and bring the rest of my life with me.

“If you’re worried about being farther from us, I can talk to Q,” Mona said. “We’ve already talked about moving back before. I’m not promising anything, but I can bring it up again.”

“Mona, you are not moving because of me.” I frowned.

“I didn’t say I was. I said I’d talk to my husband. There’s a difference,” Mona insisted.

Before I could argue with her, Taryn cut in. “I’ll just come with you. Lennox has enough house, so I know there’s a room somewhere with my name on it.” I could hear the laugh in her voice.

“Bitch… no,” I laughed.