38. Bubble-Wrapped #2
I know he does, that’s why I make him a four-pancake stack, topped with Reese’s spread and sliced bananas, dusted with icing sugar and drizzled with real maple syrup, with a side of Canadian bacon. I just finish plating it when he claps two hands firmly to my ass, making me gasp.
“Your ass looked lonely without my hands on it.” He kisses my cheek and inhales. “Looks and smells incredible.”
“Thank you. It’s all natural.”
He pinches my butt. “I was talking about breakfast, you turtle.”
He spins me around, and I push him back a step, gaze coasting down his body. He’s so ridiculously beautiful it hurts.
“What is this?” I ask, touching the collar of his jacket.
He looks down at himself. “A jean jacket.”
“Hmm. I’m into it.”
He grins and tugs on the denim lapels. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I murmur, skimming the buttons as my teeth press into my bottom lip. Gripping the collar, I yank him down to me. “I’m into you .”
Garrett laughs, hearty and rumbly, both hands on my butt, squeezing. The tip of his nose touches mine as he brushes a soft kiss to my lips. “I can’t wait until I get to love you out in the open.”
“I’m ready,” I tell him honestly.
“Me too.”
* * *
“This is the most incredible thing in the world.”
“Isn’t it?” Olivia’s brown eyes shine as she smiles down at her stomach. “I wish you could feel it from the inside.”
My palm glides over her firm, round belly, searching for my niece or nephew. Olivia takes my hand and places it on the right, near the bottom of her rib cage. She presses my hand into her skin and a moment later something pushes back.
I gasp, watching in wonder as her stomach jumps.
“Auntie J loves you so much already,” I whisper to my niece or nephew, running my hand over the home that’s kept him or her safe. “I can’t wait to meet you.”
The front door opens, and Dublin flies off the couch and down the hallway.
“Hi, Dubs,” Carter coos. “Who’s my handsome man? Did you miss Daddy? Daddy missed you. Yes, I did, Mr. Handsome.” He strolls into the living room, carrying the seventy-pound dog in his arms before setting him down. “Saying hi to your nephew?”
“Or niece,” I point out, then gasp when he essentially shoves me to the floor so he can press his hands to Olivia’s belly. I slam my fist into his quad. “You asshole.”
“Hi, baby,” he speaks against her stomach. “How’s my little man?”
“Carter, for fuck’s sake, help your sister up and stop assuming the sex of our baby.”
“Okay, bossy pants.” He hoists me back to the couch, then cups Olivia’s face and presses a kiss to her lips. “But you’re gonna feel awfully silly when that baby comes out all man.”
“You’re the one that didn’t want to find out,” I remind him.
“Because I just know.” He taps his temple and winks. “Call it a father-son connection.”
“Call it ignorance,” Olivia mutters, then smiles brightly when Carter sets a treat-filled plate on the coffee table. “Mmm, come to mama.”
“Weren’t you on a no-junk-food kick?” I ask as they dig in.
“I’ve learned it’s best to have no goals or expectations when pregnant. That way I don’t get upset with myself when I accidentally go through the Taco Bell drive-thru, order three tacos, one Crunchwrap Supreme, and large chili cheese fries, then devour all four in ten minutes.”
“Should we find out?” Carter asks suddenly. “The gender? We still have a month. We could find out. Do you wanna find out?” He holds up a hand. “No, don’t answer that. I don’t wanna find out.”
He flops down in a chair, drumming his fingers. Is his eye twitching? His jaw definitely is. He sweeps his hand out and then second-guesses, bringing it back in, resting his chin on his fist.
“What if it’s a girl? It won’t be, right? No, because my mom had me first, and your mom had Jeremy first, so that means we’ll have a boy first. It’s just, like, science.”
I open my mouth to tell him that’s not how it works, but Olivia touches my hand and gives her head the tiniest shake, continuing to watch Carter.
He’s alternating between staring off into space and tugging at his hair, going off about genetics and DNA, both of which he’s not qualified to talk about.
Suddenly, he leaps to his feet, eyes wild as he lays a hand on his chest. “If it’s a girl, Olivia, I will die. I. Will. Die .” He storms down the hallway, shoving his fingers through his hair and muttering to himself. Heavy footsteps pound up the stairs.
“What the hell was that? And did he just call you by your full name?” The only time I’ve heard it in conversation is when they said their vows. It’s Ollie, Ol, Liv, princess, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, or Mrs. Beckett, but never Olivia unless he’s singing that song he likes.
Olivia waves a dismissive hand through the air.
“He’s just made himself a girl dad in his head, and now he’s thinking about the fact that one day somebody will try to take her from him.
It really upsets him. He needs some time to cool off.
” She hooks her toes beneath the coffee table, dragging it closer, and snatches another cookie off the plate.
“Happens about once a week.” She looks down the hall.
“You only have fifteen minutes to freak out, Carter! You need to be showered, dressed, and ready to go in a half hour!”
“ I’m not freaking out !” Carter screeches back. “ You’re freaking out !”
She twists her cookie apart. “Six foot four, well over two hundred pounds, crushes people into the boards for a living, and the idea of a seven-pound baby girl terrifies the living hell out of him.”
“I so hope it’s a girl.”
“You and me both, Jennie. You and me both.”
* * *
“Carter, if you do the Darth Vader voice one more time, I’m leaving.”
Olivia says it, but I’m 100 percent on board with her decision. The three of us are out for dinner before we meet everyone else at the club, and Carter’s garnered so much attention talking to Olivia’s bump.
“Fine, but when that baby is outta there, I won’t be stopped.
” He sips his beer, eyes flitting to the three men at the table next to us as they holler at the TV, empty beer pitchers and glasses strewn across the table.
He looks back to us. “Anyway, it was fun today, with all the kids. They were so psyched we were there. Adam’s talking about hosting a couple extra fundraisers this year so they can upgrade the facilities, see if we can get these kids meeting some families, that kinda stuff. Cara’s going to help plan them.”
“That man is the sweetest human being on this planet,” Olivia says. “I hope he finds the special person he’s looking for.” She grins mischievously at me. “Hey, Jennie, maybe—”
“No.” Carter pats her head. “No, pumpkin.”
I snort a laugh as my phone vibrates. If the idea of me dating Adam Lockwood, golden boy, is any indication, telling him about Garrett and I is going to be a dumpster fire.
Bear: U gonna have an attitude later tonight?
Me: Already got one, big guy.
Bear: Perfect. Feel like pulling ur hair and fucking ur throat.
The spot between my legs tingles with anticipation at the promise, and I shift in my seat.
“Garrett’s friend was there too,” Carter says. “Emma? Your neighbor.”
“Emily,” I correct.
“Apparently she does pro bono work there every now and then, works with the kids. Some of them really struggle.” He snickers. “Garrett thought she was a cheerleader.”
Bear: PS. Did u know Emily is a child psychologist??? She was at the home today.
A vague memory runs through my mind of her telling me her job was boring and unimportant, waving me off when I asked the question a half hour after she punched Kevin in the face.
I pull up her contact and type out a message.
Me: Boring and unimportant job, huh?
Emily: Shut up.
Me: My little softie.
Emily: Don’t ruin my bad bitch image, J.
“I’m pretty sure her and Garrett are still fucking. ’Cause he says he’s not dating that photographer girl, but he had scratches all down his back in the change room last week, and him and Emily were talking in the corner today.”
Bear: She pulled me aside and asked if I thought Jaxon and Adam were up for a threesome.
Emily: Can you talk your boyfriend into hooking me up with his sexy friends? He didn’t think I was serious, but if I were to get pegged by two guys at a time, I’d at least want to be absolutely wrecked, you know? They looked capable.
Me: I don’t think Adam’s a threesome kinda guy, Em. Sorry.
Emily: *sigh* Yeah, I got that vibe as well. I’d probably ruin him. Hey, wanna have a girls’ night next weekend?
Me: A girls’ night?
Emily: Yeah, you know, takeout, movies, nonalcoholic wine…
Something blooms in my chest as Carter prattles on about having enough kids to build their own hockey team, and even though Olivia’s sitting right in front of me, she texts in our group chat with Cara asking if we want to have a sleepover when the boys go away next.
Emily starts listing off other things we can do if I don’t want to stay in, like going for dinner or out dancing.
Garrett sends me a picture of the small charm on the keychain I got him for Valentine’s Day, the bear and the sunshine looking up at me from his palm, with a message telling me he loves me and he’s already worked out a plan with Adam and Jaxon to get us sitting together at the club, and I feel so full it’s nearly painful.
Where did all this love come from? This incredible family, the friendships I’ve been blessed with? Have they always been here and I’ve just been too hard on myself to believe they were really here for me?
As Carter pays the bill, the men next to us request another round.
“I’m sorry,” the waitress says. “I can’t serve you anymore.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” one of them asks, climbing unsteadily to his feet. “We’re watchin’ the game, and we want another.”
She shakes her head. “You boys have had enough. I can call you a cab once you’ve paid your bill.”
“We don’t need a fuckin’ cab,” he spits, tearing the bill from her hand.
A ball of unease settles low in my stomach, and Carter takes Olivia’s hand in his, placing his other on my back as he guides us toward the door.
I glance over my shoulder, watching as the men snatch their coats up, tossing bills down on the table.
For some reason, my heart pounds a little harder, and my chest begins to tighten.
When we step into the cool night, I take a deep breath, exhaling slowly. The knot in my stomach slowly unfurls and I relax as we head for the car.
The restaurant door slams open, and the three men pour out.
“Fuckin’ bitch,” one says.
“Where we gonna go now?” the other slurs.
The third fishes a set of car keys from his pocket. “I know a place.”
No. No . I grip my brother’s arm.
“You better put those the fuck away,” Carter growls, pointing at the keys. “You even so much as step toward a car in your state, I’ll put you through the ground.”
The man holding the keys sways, eyes glassy as he watches Carter. Then he laughs and takes a step forward. “Get outta my way, superstar.”
Carter puts his hand on his chest, looming over him. “One more step. I’ll fucking end you.”
“In front of your pregnant wife? Nah, I don’t think so. There are three of us and one of you. Who do you think will wind up hurt?”
“Carter,” Olivia pleads quietly, reaching for him. “I’m scared.”
“Hear that? Your wife is scared. Get in your car and take her home.”
Carter squeezes her hand and guides her to me. “Jennie, get in the car and call the cops.”
My chest rises sharply, eyes darting around the men as they close in around Carter. Olivia clutches my arm, one hand on her stomach.
“Jennie,” she whimpers. “I don’t feel good.”
“Get in the car,” Carter repeats. “ Now .”
I’m trying, but my feet aren’t moving. Why aren’t my feet moving?
Why are those men walking toward him like that?
Why isn’t he coming with us? I try to call for him, but something inside me is frozen in fear.
When I close my eyes, all I see is my dad’s unrecognizable car.
All I smell is stale beer. All I feel is… terror.
One of the men looks at Olivia, then me, and grins. “This isn’t gonna be fun for you two to watch.”
Olivia’s breath hitches as her eyes widen with panic, and I yank my phone out, dialing those three numbers.
“Nine-one-one, do you need fire, ambulance, or police?”
My response gets lost in my throat as all three men descend on Carter at once, a tangled mass of bodies rocking into a nearby car before falling to the ground.
Olivia’s bloodcurdling scream drowns everything else out except my own voice when I choke out, “I think I’m having a panic attack.”