“YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE TO wait with me. I’m sure she’s just running late,” I tell Jay as I stand outside the restaurant where I’m meeting Opal and Olivia.
“Don’t mind, babe.” He rubs circles with his thumb on the back of my hand, the simple gesture is one that gives me chills down my arm.
I lean into him and hold his forearm, loving the way his muscles and veins bulge when his fingers move. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I have three venues I want you to look at. One of them is an old farmhouse, the other is a pavilion on the lake, and the last one is the old fire station on Wisconsin Avenue.”
“Okay. Just let me know when.”
“I made appointments for tomorrow starting at four.” I bite my lip.
Jay leans over and nips at my cheek. “Sounds good. Where will you be? I’ll pick you up.”
“Probably my parents’.”
“Okay.”
Just when I think about grabbing my phone to see if Opal sent a text message, she calls my name. She and Olivia rush toward me, and I pick up my niece. She looks down at my baby bump and giggles. “Baby still in your belly?”
“Yes. The baby is still in there.” I rub my stomach and still can’t believe this is my life. My happy, normal, lovely, wonderful life. With everything that was going on, Jay and I totally slacked on protection. Not surprisingly, we found out I was pregnant and figured it more than likely happened the first time we had sex after reuniting.
I was worried, so scared that he would be mad, especially after what he’d told me before about not wanting kids. I shouldn’t have been, though, because my man is amazingly perfect. He looked at me, held my face, and promised, “I am going to be the best father that I can. I can’t guarantee I’ll do everything right, but what I can promise you is that this baby will be loved. It will be protected, and he or she will grow up with parents who love each other… for however long we’re here.”
He shook his head at me and wiped under my eyes. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. I have to accept it. And I have. Just because my parents were taken from me too soon, doesn’t mean that’ll be the path for us. I can’t let the possibility of the fear of loss ruin the present and taint the future. My next breath isn’t certain, but the love I can give while air is still flowing through me isn’t something anybody can ever take away from me. From us… from our family.”
So here I am now, six months pregnant and trying to plan a wedding.
I’d thought about doing it before the baby came, but Jay absolutely refused. He didn’t want me to be that stressed out while I was pregnant. Honestly, I would have thought he’d rather have it that way so when the baby was born we’d already be married.
And I was right.
When he said he was taking me out to lunch but really took me to the courthouse to get our license, I could only laugh.
Nobody was present except a judge and the court appointed witnesses. We wanted it that way. Just him and us. Together. So, we’ve been married for a month, but nobody knows, and honestly, they never will.
Jay and I wanted it to be special. Our secret.
“What am I? Chopped liver? Auntie Livvie has a baby in her belly so you just ignore me now?” Jay pulls my thoughts away from my memories and crosses his arms, feigning a pout. He’s going to be such a good dad. “I see how it is, Olivia.”
Her little booty wiggles against me to get down. Then she throws herself at Jay and wraps her arm around his leg. “Hi, Uncle Jay. You’re silly.”
“I’m not silly. You’re silly.” He picks her up and turns her upside down. “Why are you upside down?”
She laughs so hard she can barely catch her breath. “Put me down.”
He tickles her before he turns her around and ruffles the top of her head. “Well, I’m heading back to work now.” His eyes come to mine. “Pick you up from your parents’ or is Opal dropping you off?”
“I’ll drop her off. It’s no prob… uh, who is this guy, and why is he walking this way?”
Jay’s body tenses, and he turns, grabbing for us to push us behind him. “What the fuck?”
“Oh, my God.”
“I thought that was you guys,” Ryan Breaker says with a laugh.
He and Jay shake hands, and I hug him. “Hi.”
“Hi, Olive. How are you, pregnant mama? Congrats.”
I rub my belly. “I’m great. How are you?”
“I’m doin’ all right.”
Jay puts an arm around my waist. “What are you doin’ here?”
“Work.”
“Transfer?”
Before he can answer, Olivia walks up to him and tugs on his pants. “Hi.”
Ryan squats down. “Hi there, short stuff.”
“I’m Olivia, and I’m three.”
“I’m Ryan.”
“How old are you?”
He starts to answer, but Opal interrupts with a hand on Olivia’s head. “Don’t ask that, Olivia. It’s rude.”
Ryan looks up, and when his eyes stop on Opal’s face, he stands and smiles at her. Opal’s cheeks redden, and she fidgets with her hair. Oh, no. Jay sees it too because his fingers spasm against my hip.
“Ryan, this is Opal. Olive’s sister and Olivia’s mother.” He emphasizes the word, but Ryan doesn’t flinch at Jay’s harsh tone.
Instead, he sticks out his hand. Opal puts hers in his, and she giggles. “Ryan Breaker. Nice to meet you.”
“Hi.” Opal sighs. She doesn’t speak it. Oh no, she’s totally fawning over this guy who’s way older than she is and more than likely just stopping through town for an assignment or something.
Jay’s phone buzzes, and he grabs it to check it then roughly shoves it back in his pocket.
“You’ve gotta go,” I surmise.
“Yeah.” He rests his hands on my belly and then kisses my cheek. “Love you.”
“You too.”
Jay squats down and holds his arms out. “Give me a hug before I have to go.”
Olivia runs to him and plants a sloppy kiss on his cheek. He says goodbye to Opal and shakes Ryan’s hand. “You’ve still got my number, man. Hit me up and we’ll go grab a beer sometime.”
“Sounds good.”
Jay takes off, and there’s an awkward silence between us for a moment. “So, uh, how do you know Liv and Jay?” Opal asks.
He looks at me for affirmation.
“He was the marshal assigned to my witness protection case.”
“Oh, really. That’s interesting. Is that what you’re doing here?” Opal asks.
“If I was, I couldn’t say.”
Olivia absentmindedly tugs on Opal’s arm. She bends down and picks her daughter up, hitching her on her hip. “I’m hungry, Mama.”
“I’ll let you ladies go. It was good seeing you again, Olive.”
“You, too.”
“Nice meeting you girls.” He addresses Olivia and Opal, his gaze lingering a little while on my sister.
“Did you eat lunch?” I ask him.
Opal’s eyes widen as Ryan shakes his head. “I haven’t.”
“Do you want to join us?”
He smiles and moistens his lips. “I’d love to.”
“Great.” I turn and reach for the door, but his beefy hand reaches the handle before me. “Thank you.”
We’re led to a booth right away, and I slide in. Ryan starts to follow, but Olivia squeals. “Me sit wif Auntie.” Opal sets her down, and she crawls in next to me.
“Okay, then,” Opal says under her breath as she slides in across from me.
Ryan plops down and grabs a menu, but Olivia reaches out and grabs it. He pulls it from her fingers then gently taps the top of her head with it. She laughs and reaches for it again, but he’s too fast for her.
Opal picks up her menu, and I can see her hands visibly shaking.
The waitress comes back with waters and a few silverware packets. “Can I get a booster seat for her, please?” Ryan asks before I get the chance. “You’re too short to even see over the table, little one.”
Olivia may only be three, but she’s already hamming it up with him. Giggling and practically flirting with him. I press my lips together to suppress my laughter and glance over at Opal, who mouths, Oh, my God.
We order our food and chat amongst ourselves. Ryan asks a few questions about how things have been and listens to Olivia when she rambles on about nothing.
“I wanted to ask you. Is that apartment building where all the people in the program go?”
He shakes his head. “I can’t answer that.”
“It is.”
“I’m not confirming or denying.”
“Is Darren a cop?”
His hand freezes halfway to his mouth, it only lasts a brief second, but it’s noticeable.
“He is. I knew it!”
I love that I caught him. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
He runs his tongue along his teeth, and I can’t help but laugh. When the bill comes, Ryan grabs it and tosses some cash at the waitress before either of us have a chance to even see the total. “You don’t need to do that. I invited you,” I insist.
He laughs. “It’s my pleasure.” He slides out of the booth and holds his hand out to help Opal.
Her face turns red when he wraps his fingers around hers and tugs her out. The force of it causes her to lurch forward, and her other hand lands on his chest. “Sorry,” she whispers before backing up.
“Don’t be.” Then he does something that surprises the shit out of me. He holds his hands out for Olivia, who immediately allows him to lift her up. Her sleepy head falls on his shoulder. With one hand, he boosts her up higher and helps me out of the booth with the other.
He motions for us to go before him. “I’ll walk you guys to your car. Where are you parked?”
I shrug my shoulders, and Opal just stands there, waiting for me to answer. “You drove, Opal,” I remind her.
“Oh, yeah. Duh.” She smacks her forehead. “In the lot over here.” She hurries ahead, and Ryan, with Olivia still in his arms, and I follow.
“Thanks again, Ryan. We’ll have to do it again, but next time, it’ll be my treat.” I nudge him.
He chuckles. “We can definitely do it again, but it’ll never be your treat.”
“Whatever. You and Jay can fight about it.”
“Jesus.” He jerks forward and grabs Opal’s arm, yanking her back a split second before a car tears out of the lot. Olivia screams in fear, and Ryan immediately begins bouncing with her and shushing her even as he continues to steady Opal.
“Oh, my God. Are you okay?” I gasp.
She shrugs out of Ryan’s hold. “I’m fine.” Her tone is sharp, and I know it’s because she’s embarrassed. With rough movements, she grabs a still scared Olivia. “I’m fine.”
“Damn, he was flyin’.” Ryan glares at the car that’s now at the light.
“I saw it,” Opal yells over her shoulder defensively.
I want to chastise her for being snotty with him but don’t have the chance because she’s already yanking the car door open and setting Olivia in her seat.
“Well, thanks again.” I sigh.
He drags his gaze from my sister. “My pleasure. Hopefully, I’ll see you around.”
I don’t answer because he’s back to looking at Opal. Specifically, he’s looking at her ass as she bends in the car to buckle Olivia. When she turns around and slams the door, her eyes clash with his.
She falls back a step and uses the door for leverage. “Nice meeting you, Ryan.”
He waits for us to pull away before he turns to walk in the opposite direction. As soon as we’re out of the lot and sitting at the stoplight, Opal groans. “That was so embarrassing.”
“It was not.”
“I wasn’t even paying attention to where I was going and… holy shit.” She reaches over the console, and her nails dig into my arm.
“Ouch.”
“Is that him?”
I follow her eyes, and when I see Ryan straddling a motorcycle, I curse under my breath. “Yeah. That’s him.”
The light turns green, and Opal accelerates. “Well, there goes that,” she mumbles.
He revs the loud bike, and when he pulls out into traffic, he winks at Opal as he passes.
Oh, boy. This should be interesting.
Opal is really quiet for the afternoon, and I don’t want to push anything too hard, so I leave it alone. I know she was crushing on Ryan, and then she got embarrassed because she wasn’t paying attention. Which is total Opal. She’s clumsy as all get-out.
She brought me back to my and Jay’s house, and we’re just watching some stupid reality TV show while Olivia colors. I hear the garage door open, and knowing my man’s home makes me giddy.
“Hey, baby.”
When I look over my shoulder, I scream. “Oh, my God!”
“Surprise!”
I have a hard time standing up, but I finally push my big butt up and hurry over to Adrian. Practically throwing myself in his arms, I cry. “What are you doing here?”
He hugs me tight and kisses the top of my head. “A little birdie told me you missed me.”
“Was that birdie a Blue Jay by chance?”
Jay winks at me.
“It was,” Adrian agrees.
“Come here. Meet my sister. And my niece.”
I introduce them and ruffle my sister’s hair when I find out she knew all along. Olivia begins to fuss more than normal, and Opal gets her ready to go. “I’m going to walk them out then run to the store. Do steaks sound good for tonight?”
My head falls back on the couch. “Yeah, babe. That’s perfect. Thank you.”
He bends down to kiss me upside down then carries Olivia with Opal following.
“God, he’s like the perfect man.”
“Hey.” I playfully punch Ad in the shoulder. “I might be pregnant, but I’ll kick your ass if you try anything with my man.”
“So would Darren.” He blushes.
“Who’s Darren?”
He raises a manicured brow.
“The security guard Darren?”
“Yes! Oh, my God, Olive. He’s so hot. And the things he can do with his—”
I hold up a hand, laughing. “Stop. Oh, my God!”
“Girl…”
“How did you guys meet?”
“I’d seen him a few times when I went to visit you, and then one night, I ran into him at a club. Then he ran into me at my apartment later that night.”
My laughter is so uncontrollable, I snort.
He hands me a tissue, and I press it against my eyes. “In all seriousness, he’s great.”
“I always liked him. He was nice.”
“And it turns out he’s not a security guard.”
“Oh?”
His arms cross, and he nods. “Yup. I guess he’s really a cop, but he was doing some undercover thing. But now he’s back to his—”
I bite my lip, not believing the coincidence.
“Wait. Was he there because of your case?”
Shrugging, I give him the honest answer and explain what happened with Ryan. Talking to Adrian is almost therapeutic. I’d never put much thought into actually seeing a therapist because I was so used to dealing with my own problems. But it turns out that Brandon’s mom is a phenomenal therapist, and I’m her newest patient.
I’m glad she agreed to see me because even though I haven’t met with her a lot, the little time we’ve talked has been much needed. I’m so grateful to Jay for suggesting it to me.
Once Jay comes home, the three of us head out to the back where the guys have a beer, and I drink sparkling water. I haven’t laughed this much since… I can’t remember. And it feels good. Normal. It feels like the life I should be living.
And thanks to Jay, this is what I can look forward to for the rest of my life.