36. Gus
Chapter 36
Gus
3 weeks later
“ I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Chloe laughed at my side as I carried our bags through the lobby. The Bellagio was the most over-the-top, wild place I’d ever seen. Marble columns, fountains, and Renaissance sculptures everywhere I looked. It was all gold and sparkly and so… Vegas.
But Chloe was beaming. At fifteen weeks, it was safe to say that the morning sickness had passed. She wasn’t really showing, but she had a tiny bump that I was obsessed with. Every morning, we woke up to our view of the lake and the mountains, and I talked to my little bean. According to the books, all of which I’d now read, it couldn’t hear me yet, but I did it anyway. Talking to her belly never got old.
“Can we go to the botanical garden?” Chloe asked. “The girls and I have spa appointments later.”
I beamed at her. Vegas was not my idea of a good time, but Owen was attending a construction conference here and had invited us all to spend the weekend with him and Lila so we could celebrate their engagement. They planned to wait until after Lila finished graduate school before they got married, but since Finn and Adele had recently gotten engaged too, it seemed like a great time for a family adventure.
Even my mom had come and was getting into the Vegas spirit. Owen had paid for everything and planned out all kinds of fun, culminating in a private dinner with some world-famous chef tomorrow night. Although I was out of my element, knowing we’d all be together made it worth it. Even Noah was due to arrive later. Since fire season was over, he was back in Portland and had a little downtime.
We waved to a couple of my brothers, who were milling around the lobby, and headed up to our suite. The place was insane. Massive windows looked out at the strip, and there was an oversized tub right smack in the middle of the suite.
“Gus, look at this shower,” Chloe called from the bathroom.
It was enormous and had multiple showerheads. “Oh, babe. Now I’m getting ideas.” With a kiss, I picked her up, then deposited her on the bed.
“Look at this place,” she said, spreading out on the mattress.
“All I can look at is you,” I said. “And how fucking sexy you look carrying my baby.”
“You say that now. But pregnancy is not kind to short girls. We don’t get cute bumps. I’m going to be round before long. Spherical really.”
I kissed her again. “Sexy.”
“I’m gonna look like Violet Beauregard from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory ,” she protested as I pinned her to the bed, one hand already under her dress.
“Then it’s a good thing I had a crush on her as a kid.”
“After she turns into a blueberry?”
“If you’re trying to scare me away, it’s not working.” I chuckled into her neck. “I’m obsessed with you and will continue to be so until the end of time.” I teased her inner thigh with my fingers.
Giggling, she wiggled beneath me. “I actually believe you.”
“You should,” I said, kissing down the column of her neck as I gently teased her clit. “Because I’m already planning the next one.”
She put her hand on my chest. “The next one?”
“Oh yes. I’m going to put as many babies in you as I can, or at least, I’ll keep trying.”
Head tossed back, she laughed. “Nothing wrong with trying.”
“No, ma’am.” I scooted toward the foot of the bed, pulling her panties down, desperate for a taste.
“Gus. We just got here.”
“Yes. And I spent the entire plane ride fantasizing about you sitting on my face.”
She propped herself up on her elbows and frowned down at me. “Stop it.”
“Why do you think I had my hoodie in my lap the whole time? Now be a good girl and let me eat.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t put up a fight when I peeled her dress off her body.
I lay on my back and waved her over. Obediently, she grabbed the headboard and lowered herself down over my mouth.
Within minutes, she was screaming at the top of her lungs while she rode my face. I felt like a goddamn king.
“I fucking love you so much.”
The weekend had been a blast. Today we’d rented a private cabana at one of the pools, and I’d hung out with Owen, Finn, and Jude for hours. Noah had called, saying an emergency had come up and that he’d try to fly out tomorrow, but we weren’t holding our breath. If he’d been called out for a rescue mission, then there was no telling when he’d return. Jude was quiet, clearly still worried that something was off.
Dinner that night was held in the private wine cellar, with servers in tuxedos catering to our every need. Lila had celiac disease, so Owen had arranged for a special gluten-free menu, and the chef came out between courses to chat with us.
I’d never done anything this fancy in my life.
We’d yet to see Cole today. He’d been out late the night before, gambling with Jude and some of Lila’s friends.
Chloe and I had turned in early, though I can’t say we’d gotten a lot of sleep. We did, however, have a great time in the big shower.
At the other end of the table, my mom was busy chatting with Lila’s mother about potential wedding plans. Lila just rolled her eyes. I wasn’t sure they would ever actually get married, but they were the happiest engaged couple I’d ever met.
I was more settled than ever. Witnessing the way Finn and Owen had changed their lives and grown into the men they were meant to be was one of my life’s greatest experiences.
What they’d overcome and where they were now gave me hope for my own future. A future with Chloe, Clementine, and our baby. In Maine, at least for now. There was plenty of work to be done in Lovewell still. We’d been slowly implementing changes and hiring more staff for the upcoming winter harvest, and I was getting excited about the future of the business. It was different from what I’d always envisioned, but working with Chloe had taught me so much.
We’d hired Parker Gagnon to oversee some internal investigations at work, and so far, she was far better at keeping the FBI in line than we had been. Things had been quiet since the arrest, and I was praying the worst was behind us. But we were prepared for whatever was coming.
Halfway through the tasting menu, the champagne was flowing. A harpist played in the corner, and Chloe was perched on my lap, having an animated conversation with Adele about nursing pillows.
For so long, my family had been splintered, but we were finding our way. Although a private wine cellar at a Vegas mega hotel was not the place I envisioned this bonding to happen, I wasn’t complaining.
As we were waiting for our dessert to arrive, Cole appeared. He was more than fashionably late and looking a little disheveled. And he wasn’t alone. Willa Savard trailed behind him, her pale skin flushed. She’d only recently taken over as the town doctor, but already, she’d garnered a great deal of respect. Last night, she’d had us all in stitches with one wild story after another about her days in the emergency room in Baltimore.
She was funny and smart, and although my next physical would be awkward, I had enjoyed getting to know her. Especially since we’d be seeing her a lot after the baby was born.
“Is everything okay?” my mom asked, standing and approaching Cole. She was so short in comparison to him that she had to wrap her arm around his stomach to embrace him. “Come get something to eat. The chef has been spoiling us.”
She stepped away, grasping his arm like she was going to lead him to the large oak table, but he was rooted to the spot. His eyes darted to Willa, who seemed very focused on her feet.
“Is everything okay?” Owen asked, standing from his seat.
Cole scanned the room and swallowed audibly.
Then he reached out and grabbed Willa’s hand. “So, um. We got married last night.”