Page 64 of Last Wish Wedding

She nodded. “He knows you as his friend and neighbor. Now suddenly you’ll be his stepfather? It’s a lot for a seven-year-old.”

“We can take it slow,” Mac suggested, braking as traffic came to another standstill. “For now, maybe we explain that we care about each other and decided to get married. The details can come later, when he’s settled.”

“And living arrangements?” Kelsey asked. “He’ll have questions about where we’re staying.”

Mac considered this. “We could stay at the cottage together, at first. Let him get used to the idea. Then, after some time, maybe he could come see my house, our house, and pick out which room he’d like, decorate it how he wants. Ideally you would be all set up before I set sail.”

A small, genuine smile touched Kelsey’s lips. “He’d love that. He’s been through a dinosaur phase, a space phase, and now he’s obsessed with the ocean. Sharks, specifically.”

“A boy after my own heart,” Mac said, surprised by the warm feeling that spread through his chest at the thought. “We could do an ocean theme. I know some artists who could paint a mural if he’d like.”

“In one-quarter mile, turn right onto Commonwealth Avenue,” the GPS interrupted.

Kelsey adjusted her seatbelt, shifting to face Mac more directly. “We’ll also have to talk with him about the adoption. How he feels about that.”

The comment caught Mac off guard. He’d been thinking about the adoption purely in legal terms—a strategy to secure Noah’s position. The emotional reality of it hadn’t fully registered until now.

“I haven’t spent much time around kids,” he admitted. “How do you think he’ll respond to that?”

Kelsey considered, her expression thoughtful. “I think we should give him choices where we can. Maybe about his name—whether he wants to take yours, keep Prescott, or hyphenate.”

The thought of Noah carrying his name sent an unexpected surge of pride through Mac. Noah MacCormack. It sounded right in a way he hadn’t anticipated, fulfilling a desire he hadn’t known he harbored.

“You think he might want that?” Mac asked, his voice rougher than he intended. “My name?”

Kelsey studied him, seeming to notice something in his expression. “I think he might. Noah never knew David. He knows about him from pictures and stories, but he’s never had a father figure in his daily life. He might welcome it, but he might need time.”

“Turn right at the next intersection,” the GPS instructed.

Mac made the turn. The idea that Noah thought about him, asked after him, warmed something deep in his chest. “I’d like that,” he said finally. “If he wanted my name. But no pressure, of course. It’s his choice.”

Traffic opened up suddenly as they left the congested area behind, the Range Rover accelerating smoothly. Mac’s phone rang through the car’s speakers, interrupting their conversation. Harrison Wells’s name flashed on the dashboard display.

“Harrison,” Mac answered, exchanging a quick glance with Kelsey. “What have you got for us?”

“Good news,” Harrison’s voice filled the cabin. “Judge Michaels works fast. We’ve got an emergency hearing scheduled for nine a.m. tomorrow with Judge Rivera. She’s already reviewing the case and, between us, she’s not impressed with how this was handled.”

Kelsey leaned forward, hope lighting her features. “Does that mean we can get Noah back this week?”

“Better than that,” Harrison replied. “Judge Rivera has issued a stay on the current custody order, effective immediately. We’ll have the sheriff accompany us tomorrow morning to enforce it if necessary.”

Mac’s jaw tightened. “What time tomorrow?”

“We’ll meet the sheriff at the Prescott estate at eight thirty. I’ve already informed Jason Prescott’s attorneys of the judge’s decision.”

“And their response?” Mac asked.

“Professional obfuscation,” Harrison said dryly. “But they know they’ve been outmaneuvered, at least for now. They’ll try again with a different strategy, but this round goes to us.”

Kelsey pressed a hand to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. “So we’ll have Noah back tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, Mrs. MacCormack,” Harrison confirmed, using her new name with deliberate emphasis. “Your son will be returned to your custody tomorrow morning.”

The GPS interrupted: “Continue straight for two miles.”

“Thank you, Harrison,” Mac said, his voice steady despite the relief flooding through him. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

After disconnecting, Mac glanced at Kelsey, who was wiping tears from her cheeks with trembling fingers.