Chapter 21 Rory
Rory
“Water break,” I gasped.
“I second that,” Allie chimed in.
“Oh, come on, we’ve only been at this for fifteen minutes, ladies,” Summer chirped.
I glided through the water toward the edge of the mansion’s indoor pool, grabbing my water bottle and drinking greedily before coming up for a breath.
“You didn’t warn us you were a drill sergeant when it comes to instructing water aerobics.
” I shot her a death glare through the screen of my tablet, which displayed our group video chat.
Our resident competitive swimmer huffed. “I was taking it easy on you guys.”
My eyes bulged. “That was taking it easy?!”
“You two can keep going, I’m just gonna float around for a bit,” Allie said.
“If she’s out, I’m out,” I declared.
“Fine.” Summer rolled her eyes. “But can I just say how much this lockdown sucks? I mean, I get why we can’t shelter in place together, but it’s Christmas. Not to mention, the girls are freaking out because they don’t think Santa will be allowed to bypass our security. How are you two holding up?”
“It’s pretty lazy and lonely over here.” Gio wasn’t home much, putting out literal fires all over the city because of Dario’s attacks.
We’d be lucky if there was anything left to salvage of his empire by the end of this.
“But I’ve had way too much time to fixate on how massive Gio is compared to how tiny I am when it comes to pushing out a baby who is measuring two weeks ahead. ”
Summer grimaced. “Bellini babies are notorious for being gigantic. Best to wrap your head around it now.”
“Great,” I muttered.
“What about you, Allie?” Summer asked.
A sigh sounded from Enzo’s wife. “Defeated. Because of all the uncertainty surrounding when lockdown will end, we had to postpone our egg retrieval next month.”
My ears perked up. “Egg retrieval?”
Allie nodded. “Gemma offered to be our surrogate, and we were scheduled for the first round of IVF after Carter turns one.”
While I’d been made aware that pregnancy and babies were a triggering topic for Allie, I hadn’t realized that the reason stemmed from her being unable to carry a baby herself.
She blinked furiously, her voice growing thick. “Almost feels like the universe doesn’t want us to have a baby.”
“Aw, that’s not true. You’re the best aunt, and you’re going to make the best mom. I know it,” Summer said with the perfect mixture of confidence and compassion.
Allie wiped at her wet eyes. “The support of this family is the only reason I’m still standing.”
“Honey, you’re stuck with us. We love you.”
Allie nodded. “Love you guys too.”
The emotional moment brought with it a heaviness, and silence descended.
I didn’t know about the other ladies, but I was thinking about the baby boy squirming inside my belly.
We’d had two close calls already during this pregnancy, and if, God forbid, either of them had ended in tragedy .
. . I wasn’t sure how I would find the will to move on.
He might’ve been a surprise—to me, at least—and I was beyond terrified that giving birth might cost me my life, but I already loved him with my whole heart.
Sensing the need for a change in topic, Summer prompted, “So . . . book club?”
“What about it?” Allie asked.
Summer lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know, I was thinking since we’re stuck inside, it would help pass the time for the three of us to choose a book and host a virtual club session.”
“That sounds fun.” I folded my arms over the pool’s edge. “How does a holiday romance sound? Keep it festive?”
Pursing her lips, Summer replied, “That’s one way to go.”
Allie laughed, shaking her head. “You already picked one, didn’t you?”
“Okay, but at least hear me out first.”
To me, Allie said, “Ten bucks says it’s a hockey romance.”
Summer threw her arms up. “What’s wrong with hockey romance?”
I fought hard against a smile. “Nothing. They’re great.”
“You’re addicted to them,” Allie teased. “Maybe, since distance isn’t an issue, we should pull Gemma in this month, and she can point out any inaccuracies. Since she’s married to a player and all.”
“Wait.” I cut in. “Gemma’s married to a hockey player?”
“Mm-hmm.” Allie’s smirk grew. “Sasha Gusev, goalie for the Indy Speed.”
My head cocked to the side. “Aren’t goalies notorious for being . . . eccentric?”
Allie snorted. “That’s one way to describe Goose.” When my brow furrowed, she explained, “That’s what everyone calls him.”
Summer all but pouted through the screen. “You’re not going to let me tell you about this book, are you?”
We’d had our fun, so I said, “All right, convince us why this is a must-read.”
“Okay.” She held up her hands dramatically.
“So, we’ve met the hero in a previous series, but he was a womanizer who treated girls like crap.
One of his former teammates takes over as GM and decides he’s sick of his crap—because his reputation as an instigator on the ice carries over into the locker room—so he trades him to another team.
He goes from a championship contender to the worst in the league overnight. Total karma.”
Allie stops her. “Isn’t that the guy we hated?”
“Yes!” Summer jumped up and down, causing waves to ripple around her. “So, anyway, he gets knocked on his ass when a kid he didn’t know he had shows up on his doorstep.”
“So, secret baby with an older kid?” I hedge.
“Not exactly, since the mom’s not in the picture. But it sets the stage for his redemption arc.”
“All right. Let’s do it,” Allie declared.
“Really?” Summer’s bright blue eyes sparkled.
Her excitement was so infectious that I found myself laughing. “Sure, why not? The messiness of a jerk having his life turned upside down by a kid has to be entertaining as hell.”
“Ah, you guys are the best,” she gushed.
“Don’t mention—” my words cut off suddenly, my head turning on a swivel at the sound of scratching nearby.
“Rory? Everything okay over there?” Allie’s concerned voice reached my ears.
I frowned, returning my attention to my tablet screen. “Thought I heard something. But it’s stopped.”
“Something like a person?” Summer hauled her body out of the pool, her hands shaking as she wrapped a towel around herself.
“No.” I shook my head slowly. “It sounded almost like bare tree branches scraping against the house. Honestly, after everything that’s happened, it’s probably just paranoia getting the better of me.”
Summer let out a sigh of relief. “I’m right there with you. Being involved in a bombing will do that to a girl.”
“So, you’ll send us that book title?” Allie asked, steering us back on track.
“As soon as I’m changed, so you can get started right away.”
“Can’t wait.” Immersing ourselves in the fictional characters’ drama would be the perfect distraction from our own.
“All right. Nap time’s almost over, so I’ve gotta go.”
We said our goodbyes and ended the call. But the minute the screen went black, the scratching started up again, louder this time, and I gasped.
Ears straining—which wasn’t easy with my heartbeat pounding in my ears, combined with the damage to my hearing from the explosion—I tried to pinpoint the location of the sound.
It was coming from the direction of the door that led to the back patio, but since the sun set early this time of year, it was too dark to see anything through the wall of glass.
I let out a frightened squeak when the lock disengaged, and the sliding door was pulled to the side. The water surrounding me made my movements sluggish as I hurried toward the stairs, too afraid to look back at my assailant.
There was a blur of beige in my periphery before a nearby splash sent a spray of droplets into my eyes, blinding me.
“Help!” I croaked out, fear clogging my throat.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Stunned by the familiar barks, I blinked rapidly until my vision cleared.
“Oh my God,” I sobbed, reaching for the soaking wet dog and pulling him to my chest. “I’ve missed you so much, boy.” I buried my face in his fur, holding on tight, afraid that if I let go, he might disappear.
Cosmo licked my face, oblivious to the mental breakdown I was having at our reunion.
“How did you get here?” I whispered, still in shock.
“Thought you could use the company.”
At the sound of Gio’s voice, I spun around, wide-eyed. “You did this?”
He was leaning against the now-closed glass door, ankles crossed and one hand shoved into his pocket, the hint of a smile tugging on the corner his lips. “Merry Christmas, Rory.”
All I could do was gape at him, so stunned, you could have knocked me over with a feather.
“Thank you.” The words came out thick, full of emotion. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Cosmo barked his agreement, and laughter burst from my lips. I was so deliriously happy that it felt like I might explode.
Gio merely dipped his chin. “Your smile is thanks enough.”
Could it be that I was living in a story that featured a redemption arc?
If so, my husband had taken a giant leap toward setting things right between us today.