Page 7 of Harts & Hurts

“I don’t even have a steady girl like that, and I don’t even really bring women to my house like that. It’s a holdover from my days playing ball.”

She sighed. “I would say that maybe I could rent a small place not that far from yours, but I’m sure you probably live in the ritzy-titzy neighborhood.”

“Gon’ ’head and spend some of that good Melrose money, I know you got it,” I joked.

She rolled her eyes but giggled. “That good Melrose money is put up in a trust that I can’t touch for another few years now.” She eyed me. “The Harts don’t put conditions on you all’s money?”

“Shit, they do. And every time somebody fucks up their inheritance, all the elders get together and amend the damn stipulations. At this point, most of us are gonna be in our eighties before we ever see any trust funds or inheritances.”

“Same! The Melroses used to have to be married. Then somebody’s spouse looted the fund and left the person practically destitute. Now, you don’t have to be married to get your money.” She laughed lightly. “And if you are married, they have it set up so that your spouse can’t touch, access, or even dream about that money. It’s not even to be considered in any divorce proceedings.”

“Damn, those Melroses play hardball.”

“They kinda do,” she admitted. “So I don’t have stacks of Melrose money laying around. All I have is Anistyn money, and believe me, that ain’t much.”

“Listen, I’m not saying I live in a castle or a palace, but I definitely have enough room where you and lil’ baby can move in and not be in my way.” I looked around her space. “My house ain’t cozy . . . at all. It’s a straight up bachelor pad—not much furniture, no decor. I could hire a designer, have somebody come in and fix up a nursery for the baby, decorate it real . . . I don’t know, girly-like or something. I could have somebody make over a bedroom to your style and liking. Make the living room, and hell, just the whole house feel cozier.”

“I don’t think you should change your house for me. I mean, maybe for the baby, but definitely not for me.”

“You shouldn’t have to live uncomfortable.”

“We don’t know each other, Griffin. I mean, what if I sleepwalk?”

I cracked up. “Do you?”

“I live alone. I might.”

We both laughed.

“But for real, what if my midnight kitchen raids drive you crazy? Or I leave dishes in the sink overnight when you like everything put away before you go to sleep? What if I like to fall asleep with the television on? What if I sing real loud in the shower?”

“I don’t know, Anistyn. My house is allegedly soundproof, so unless any of those things came through on the baby monitor, I doubt I would notice. Except for the dishes in the sink. That has nothing to do with noise. I would just ask that you rinse out your used dishes and put them in the dishwasher. When it’s full, one of us can start it.”

“I’ll consider moving in with you, Griffin, but I don’t know. I’ve lived alone for like five years now.”

“Just so you know, even if you choose not to live with me, you won’t be living alone. Baby girl will be living with you at least part-time. Maybe I’m thinking more about myself than I am about you, but I would feel a lot more comfortable with us doing this together. I don’t know shit about taking care of a baby. Just the thought of me being at the crib alone with her makes me nervous as hell.”

She gave a chuckle. “I don’t know what you expect having me there to do. I don’t have a lot of experience with babies either.”

“I’ll hire a nanny. I have no problems with hiring a nanny. Just say the word.”

She seemed to consider the idea. “I don’t know about a nanny. I don’t want anybody else to raise her. Ashlynn and Fisher wanted us to raise her. I just want, like, a baby tutor or a baby consultant. Somebody to tell us what to do and offer their support but still let us do it.” She threw up her hands. “That doesn’t make sense, and besides that, I’m creating occupations. Neither a baby tutor nor a baby consultant are a thing.”

“They might not be a thing, but I like the thought of that. Let me make some calls. You know as well as I do that almost anything you can dream up in your mind can come to fruition if you throw enough money at it.”

“Money does talk.”

“If I’m able to find somebody to act in the capacity of this—baby consultant that you envision, would that make you more open to the idea of moving into my house?”

“I don’t know much about law. I mean, I have a degree in fine arts with a concentration in set and production design. I thought I would be living in Hollywood or in New York City, creating sets on Broadway or in television. Instead, I’m a struggling home stager in itty bitty Fort Jackson, North Carolina.” She shook her head. “Sorry, I lost my train of thought. What I was going to say is that something tells me that the judge is going to be on your side about this living together thing. I’ll try to keep an open mind about it.”

“Thanks.” That was all I could ask of her.

4

Anistyn

Griffin and I made it through our first night with the baby, but just barely. She was up every few hours, which meant we were up every few hours. I felt like it was a combination of things. For one, she was a four-month-old baby; for another, she probably missed the familiar smells of both her parents and her home. And personally, I chalked some of her unhappiness up to the fact that the two people who were responsible for her didn’t know what the hell they were doing.