19. Bailey
CHAPTER 19
Bailey
E veryone is confirmed for dinner tonight. There should be eleven of us in total, so I’m making two lasagnas. I’ve seen how these guys eat and I want to make sure we have enough food. I’m also making garlic bread, a tossed salad, and a chocolate cake for dessert. I get to work on making the cake in the afternoon while Caleb’s at work. I allow Charlie to watch TV while I get the table in the dining room, which Caleb apparently never uses, set up for dinner. I lay the tablecloth I bought on the table and set all the place settings. I also got some candles and candleholders and put them along the centre of the table.
I’ve got the lasagnas and garlic bread ready to go into the oven and am chopping vegetables when Caleb comes behind me and says, “Smells good,” as he reaches out and grabs a piece of cut pepper.
I look at him with a smile. “Thanks.”
“I’m going to head upstairs and shower. I’ll be down shortly to help with whatever you need.”
“I think I’ve got everything,” I say as he leaves the kitchen.
I toss everything in the salad, and then the doorbell rings. I grab a dish towel and wipe my hands before I make my way to the front door, calling, “I’ll get it.”
I excitedly pull open the door and smile at Olivia and Josh on the other side. “Come in. Caleb is just upstairs in the shower.”
Olivia pulls me into a hug as she steps inside. When we pull apart, she hands me a bottle of red wine. “I may not like wine or be able to drink, but that doesn’t mean you guys can’t.”
I smile at her.
Josh gives me a side hug as he comes in and says hi before making his way into the kitchen. I grab a couple of wine glasses and pop open the bottle.
“So, how is living with Caleb going?” Liv asks.
“It’s going well. We seem to have found a routine. I’m just eternally grateful he’s letting us stay here.”
A smile spreads across Liv’s face, and she nudges Josh with her elbow. “You know, this reminds me very much of you and me,” she says, and he starts coughing on the baby carrot he’s chewing. She looks back at me.
“In May, I caught my boyfriend cheating on me. We were about to sign a lease on a new place. I had given my landlord notice I was moving out and everything. I needed to find a place to live, and Josh offered me his spare room. I moved in and shortly after, we started dating, in secret at first. Josh and I have been friends for years, but he’s also my brother’s best friend, and I didn’t want our relationship to ruin the relationship the two of them have. Our relationship eventually came out at a hockey game, of all places.” She laughs. “But everything turned out all good. Josh proposed that night, and then we found out about the baby. We found out at our wedding that everyone knew about us and they had a whole bet going.”
“Yeah, Zoey raked in on that one,” Caleb says as he joins us. “Did Liv tell you about her punching a guy on the ice at one of our games?” he asks as he pops a piece of cut peppe r and ranch into his mouth.
I’m shocked. “You punched a guy at one of their games?”
A blush spreads across Liv’s cheeks, and she moves in closer to Josh, who wraps an arm around her and kisses the top of her head.
“Yeah, she did. The guy had cross-checked Josh and his head hit the ice. When Josh didn’t get up, she ran onto the ice to check on him. When he finally opened his eyes and got up, she turned around, hauled one back and punched the guy. It was pretty great to watch.” Caleb chuckles. “We had all suspected they were together for a while, but that and the fact that Josh had to pull her back and talk her down while calling her ‘babe’ just confirmed it.”
I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to hold back my laugh. I can’t help it. I let it out. “You ran onto the ice and punched a guy in full hockey gear?” I can’t stop laughing, imagining what that would look like. “Remind me to never get on your bad side,” I say.
The doorbell rings, and Caleb excuses himself to answer it. Liv goes to find Charlie.
“You know he cares about you and Charlie, right?” Josh asks.
We stand there in silence, his question hanging in the air.
“He doesn’t let people in. Matt and I met him after his last deployment, but Grayson knew him before. None of us know anything about his time in the service. He’s always there for us. I would trust that man with my life, with Olivia’s life, with the life of our child. His moving you guys in here is a big step for him, though. He’s had us over for poker nights, but he likes to have a safe space. A place to retreat. You guys mean something to him if he’s sharing that with you.”
I don’t have time to process his words before a large group files into the kitchen. I’m greeted with hugs, and then I put the lasagnas in the oven, setting a timer. I watch as Charli e rotates through people. Some draw with her, and the girls sit on the floor and play Barbies with her for a bit before she decides she wants to hang out with Caleb. She asks him to pick her up, and he does, positioning her on his hip as he holds her. She just rests on him as he continues his conversation with Grayson and Matt, and my heart squeezes. This is what I always wanted for her, a family. I turn towards the kitchen sink and wipe at the tear that’s escaped when an arm wraps around me.
The smell of Lily’s perfume has me leaning into her.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, worry filling her voice.
“Nothing.” I sigh, gathering myself. “This is just what I always wanted for Charlie, this little chosen family.”
She squeezes me close. “You’ve got that now, hun.”
I nod and turn into her, holding her in a real hug. “Thank you for standing by me this whole time. You’ve been there for everything. I don’t think I would have survived the last six years without you.”
She holds me tight. “Always. I’ll always be here.”
The timer goes off, and we separate. I put the garlic bread in before topping off my wine. Lily and I chat until the timer goes off again, and it’s time to take the food to the table. Everyone filters into the dining room, but Caleb stays behind. He grabs one of the lasagnas and takes it in before returning for the other one. I take the garlic bread, and we join everyone in the dining room. Charlie insists on sitting between Caleb and Olivia, so I sit between Caleb and Hannah.
Everyone helps themselves to food, and the conversation flows.
“So, I was thinking about doing another group camping trip this summer,” Olivia says.
“You mean you want more freaky in the woods time,” Hannah says with a laugh, and Josh starts choking.
Liv pats him on the back as he clears his throat. His cheeks and the tops of his ears are both red, and it’s adorable. Not a word I ever thought I’d use to describe Josh, but it is.
“You told them?” he asks.
“Yes, but also it doesn’t take that long to do dishes and Liv was extremely happy when you guys returned to the campsite,” Hannah says.
I laugh. I can’t help it. I love the way they all give each other shit.
“Laugh it up, miss voice message,” Liv says.
My laugh stops immediately, and heat fills my cheeks. I reach forward and take a sip of my wine. Questioning looks from the guys are directed at me, and there is noticeable silence coming from Caleb. His expression has me knowing he’s thinking about that message and likely the other night in the washroom.
Grayson seems to be the shit disturber of the guys because he asks, “Miss voice message?”
“It’s nothing,” I rush out.
A shit-eating grin takes over his expression. He’s going to dig, I know it. “No, there’s more to it. What types of voice messages are we talking about?”
“One’s I’m sure you never get,” Hannah says, tension radiating between them.
He smirks at her. “You sure about that?”
Hannah opens her mouth, I’m sure to say some smart-ass response, but I know it’s going to out more information than I want, so I elbow her.
“Ow, what was that for?” she asks with a shocked expression.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” I say with a sickly sweet smile
“So, where do you want to go camping?” Liz asks, jumping in and changing the subject.
“Oh, I was thinking we cou ld all take a trip to the interior this year. Maybe Kelowna or Osoyoos.”
“A lake,” Zoey says, pointing her fork at Liv. “That is my only requirement. Otherwise, just tell me where we’re going and I’ll be there.”
“Just remember that little one will be here then, so just be sure you want to go camping with them,” Liv says as she rubs her belly.
“We can take the little one in the water and read books. It’s going to be great.”
“Bailey, you and Charlie will have to join us. It was a blast last year. We rented two side-by-side campsites and spent a long weekend camping and swimming in the ocean. We barbequed and sat by the fire. We even got these guys to listen to a romance audiobook,” Hannah says.
That surprises me. “You got them to listen to a romance book?”
“Yeah, and Josh even listens with me sometimes.”
“What did they listen to?”
“ The Deal ,” Liz says.
“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Grayson says.
“So you’d listen to the rest of the series?” I ask.
“With the right motivation, yeah.” He winks at me, and I swear I hear Caleb growl.
When I turn and look at him, he’s glaring daggers in Grayson’s direction. I don’t know why I decide to poke the bear, but I do.
I lean over the table, look at Grayson, and ask, “And what would the right motivation be?”
His eyes widen for a second like he wasn’t expecting that response, but then he grins. “Baby, I could think of a number of things that could sufficiently motivate me.”
Another growl comes from Caleb, and I hold back a smile. I sit back in my chair, enjoying Caleb’s reaction.
“So I’m guessing you’r e familiar with the book?” Zoey asks.
“Yeah, I’ve read the whole series. I loved them. I’m a Dean stan,” I say.
“What about Garrett?” Liv asks.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love Garrett, but there’s just something about Dean. He became a total simp for Allie, and you see it even more in The Legacy . Plus, you gotta love the whole Winston thing,” I say with a laugh.
The girls all stare at me mouths agape, and then they look at each other and every one of them bursts into laughter.
“You have to name it Winston now, Bailey,” Hannah wheezes out.
“It’s baby blue and small, though,” Liv says between her fits of laughter.
“What is baby blue?” Matt asks, confused by the sudden uproarious laughter.
“What about Winnie, then?” Zoey asks.
“How about we don’t name it,” I say, shaking my head, completely embarrassed they have decided to name my vibrator at the dinner table.
“What in the world are you trying to name?” Grayson asks.
“Nothing,” I say, reaching for my wine.
Josh, either being super intuitive and not nosy, or knowing he may get information out of his wife later, helps move the conversation along. “So, Bailey, how’s work going now that it’s flu season?”
“It’s good. We’ve done a lot of flu shots, but other than a couple of people, most people stay home when they’re sick. I’ve had a few helicopter parents bring their kids in, but that’s about it.”
“What do you do?” Matt asks.
“I manage a medical practice office. It’s mainly paperwork and some face-to-face with patients at reception, but I also deal with the doctors and nursing staff.”
“Grayson and Hannah both work at Vancouver Memorial in the ER. You enjoy working in a smaller place?” Matt asks.
“Yeah, I like the predictable schedule and flexibility. Being a single parent, I often need the time to take Charlie to her appointments or grab her after school on days she gets out early. I enjoy working for the doctors there.”
Caleb reaches out and grabs my leg under the table, squeezing it, and I smile at him. Despite the group of people here, I wish I could crawl into Caleb’s lap. His reaction to Grayson’s comments earlier has me wanting to tell him he’s the only one I want. That he’s the only man I think about when I touch myself. I want to stake my claim on him. I want to show him how much I want him.
We finish eating, and Caleb and I clear the table. While we’re in the kitchen, I quickly check my phone and see another missed text from Derek.
Derek: Bailey, stop ignoring my texts. I have a right to see my daughter.
Fuck. He has a point; he does have a court-ordered right to visitation. But I don’t want to see him and I don’t want to subject Charlie to his toxicity.
Caleb comes up behind me. I lock my phone and leave it on the counter while he grabs the chocolate cake and I grab the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer.
With the exception of the text from Derek, the night is relaxing. Everyone chats and laughs, and Charlie is included in conversations. This group has completely accepted the two of us, and it fills me with gratitude.
After dessert, we move into the living room and queue up some music and chat. After a while, I notice the time and te ll Charlie it’s time to get ready for bed.
Olivia pats her legs and stands. “Guess that’s our cue,” she says to Josh.
He just smiles at her with an expression full of love and affection.
“We’re going to take Charlie with us,” she announces as she makes her way to the entryway where I see Charlie’s bag is already waiting. “We packed that earlier when we were playing,” Olivia informs me, noticing my gaze.
“Um, what’s going on?”
“I decided Charlie needed a sleepover with Aunty Liv and Uncle Josh, so we are going to take her home with us and then you can grab her from the game tomorrow afternoon. We will feed her breakfast and lunch. It’s going to be a blast,” Liv rambles on.
I turn to Charlie who has an excited look on her face as she stares up at me. “You really want to go, don’t you, Baby Girl?”
She nods and does her excited toe-jumping.
“Okay, but be a good girl for your Aunt Liv and Uncle Josh, and you can always call me if you need me to come pick you up.”
“I won’t, Mommy, and I’ll be super good! I promise!”
I pull her into a hug and hold her tight before she gets her shoes on and leaves with Liv and Josh. Everyone shuffles out behind them, leaving just Caleb and me. He’s staring at me with a look so intense the air crackles around us.
He takes a step towards me, and my breath catches. I can smell him. His cologne intoxicates me. He continues to advance on me, and I slowly back into the wall. When he’s standing toe to toe with me, his hand comes up to my hair, gripping it tightly at the base of my skull, and I just may melt into a puddle at his feet.
“Do you know how hard it was to contain myself in there? The pretty pink that covered your cheeks reminded me of watc hing you come in the tub.”
I squeeze my thighs together and whimper as his nose runs along the length of my neck. He nips at the sensitive skin.
“We’re alone,” he whispers against my neck, making goosebumps erupt over my entire body. “I plan to use this time to make you scream my name.”
I squeeze my thighs so tightly my muscles strain as he nips at my neck before licking the sting away.
I arch my neck to the side, granting him more room, and he takes it, trailing his lips up to my jawline before they’re on mine. He kisses me with an urgency that I reciprocate. He lifts me by my thighs, and I wrap my legs around his waist. He presses me between him and the wall as he devours my mouth. I nip at his bottom lip, causing him to groan as he rolls his erection into my centre. My legs tighten around him, trying to draw him closer.
He pulls us away from the wall and climbs the stairs and heads into his room, his lips staying on mine as he does. He turns the lights on before lowering me to the ground and taking a step back, his eyes tracing my entire body.
“Strip.”
I go rigid at the command. The last person to see me naked was Derek, and near the end, I only took my clothes off with the lights off. After having Charlie, Derek only said nasty things about my body. He pointed out the stretch marks on my stomach and breasts, the extra skin that was now around my waist, and the fact that my breasts weren’t as perky as they once were.
I wrap my arms around my middle, dropping my eyes from Caleb’s.
“Can you turn the lights off?” I ask, almost in a whisper.
I watch his feet as he draws closer. His fingers come below my chin, and he lifts my head, forcing me to make eye contact.
“Bailey, I want to see eve ry inch of your body. I want to enjoy all of it. So, we are going to keep the lights on and you’re going to strip for me.”
My arms tighten around my middle. “Caleb, I don’t look like the women you’re probably used to.”
His grip on my chin tightens. “Bailey, I don’t ever want you to mention another woman when we’re like this. I want you. I want to see you. Do you want this?”
I nod.
“Then you can either strip for me, or I’m going to tie you to the bed and rip your clothes off so I can feast on you. Your choice.”
His eyes are filled with determination, and I know he’s not lying. If I don’t do as he’s said, he’ll do it for me. I take a step back and lift my shirt over my head, dropping it to the floor beside me. Avoiding eye contact, I undo the button of my jeans and work them down my hips before stepping out of them. I’m now standing in front of this gorgeous man in only a black lace bra and a pair of matching panties.