23. Banks
The last two months have flown by since the fire that nearly destroyed my best friend's brewery. I’m still having nightmares about finding Clover alone in our house, clutching her stomach while she tells me I didn't make it back. But one look at her now—her black hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, wearing a dress that shows off her six-month belly, laughing at something Navy said—is enough to make my heart settle back into its normal rhythm.
Christ, I love her.
Kasen really went all out for Timber's grand reopening. The place looks better than before the fire—new tables, new taps, but he managed to salvage the original bar top that his grandfather installed way back when. The whole place is packed with locals, regulars, and firefighters from my station celebrating both the brewery's resurrection and the fact Kasen didn’t murder me once he found out I knocked up his sister.
I watch Clover weave through the crowd—stopping to talk to the firefighters from my station, laughing with Theo, checking on the buffet table like she isn't six months pregnant and supposed to take it easy. Thank fuck her hyperemesis finally eased up, because now she’s rocking the pregnancy glow everyone raves about. Or maybe that's just how she looks to me now that she's carrying my kid and wearing my ring.
Yeah, we’ve had a busy couple of months.
"You're staring again," Reed says, appearing beside me with a beer in his hand. It's still weird sometimes to think of him as Reed instead of Dr. Walker, but it’s hard to stay formal with a guy who’s as big of a die-hard Blazers fan as you are. The dude knows more obscure basketball stats than anyone I’ve ever met. "Though I'd probably stare too if it were my kid in there."
Amazing how the same doc I wanted to deck for touching Clover ended up a close friend. Sports, man.
“Can’t help it,” I admit, taking a swig of my own beer. “I still can’t believe she said yes.”
“To which part?” Reed grins. “The baby, the house, or the ring?”
"All of the above." I shake my head. "I keep waiting for her to realize she could do better."
He snorts. “Highly doubtful. You two are so in love it’s uncomfortable to witness.” Then he hits me with that smug doctor look that makes me want to launch a bar stool at him. “Still dying to know what I’ve known for a week? Your begging’s hit peak embarrassment levels.”
“Come on, man.” I lower my voice, leaning in. “Just tell me. Doctor-patient confidentiality doesn’t count with the father.”
“Yeah, it does,” he counters, smirk widening. “And Clover would literally murder me if I ruin Kasen’s moment.”
“I won’t breathe a word,” I insist. “Not even to her.”
Reed taps his watch. “Nice try. Kasen’ll be making the announcement any minute. You can wait like everyone else.”
After last week’s sonogram, Clover decided her brother should be the one to announce the baby’s sex—partly because she thinks it's hilarious to make him wait, and partly to make up for the fact that Navy knew about the pregnancy weeks before he did. I’ve been bugging Reed nonstop, but the bastard’s a steel trap.
“Fine,” I mutter, scanning the room for my future brother-in-law. “He’s been guarding that envelope like it’s got the nuclear launch codes inside.”
But it’s not Kasen I spot. It’s the woman who just walked in. She’s tall, with pink waves of hair and a smile on her face that only slightly hides her shark-like nature. As soon as I spot her, I start looking harder for my best friend.
“Who’s that?” Reed asks, following my gaze.
“Trouble,” I say, watching Navy rush over to hug her. “That’s Wren. She runs Cascade Craft Distribution.”
“Ah.” Reed’s chin lifts. “The competition.”
“Not just competition,” I correct. “From what Kasen’s said, she’s been trying to poach Timber’s accounts for the past year. She undercut his prices by three percent last quarter and stole the airport concession contract they’ve had for years.”
“And Navy invited her to his reopening?” He looks incredulous. “That’s cold.”
"I'm guessing Navy doesn't know about their business beef," I say, already scanning the room for Kasen. I spot him behind the bar, mid-laugh at something Brenna's saying. Then his gaze shifts to the door. The second he sees Wren, he goes rigid—smile wiped off his face and replaced by a scowl.
“This might get entertaining,” Reed says.
Reed and I watch as Kasen says something to Brenna and makes his way out from behind the bar, intercepting Navy and Wren before they get too far into the crowd.
"She looks just as irritated as he does."
"Twenty bucks says he tells her to get out," I say.
"How stupid do you think I am?" Reed asks. “Of course he’ll tell her to get out.” Reed takes a sip of his beer. “But is it just me or is he,” he squints at Kase, “eye fucking her a little?”
“Thank you!" I throw my hand out in their direction. "Finally someone else sees that shit. It's like he can't decide if he wants to strangle her or—"
"Tap more than the beer," Reed finishes with a laugh and I clink my beer with his.
Across the room, I catch Clover's eye. She tilts her head in that questioning way she does when she senses something's off, and I give her a small nod toward Kasen and Wren. Her eyebrows shoot up in recognition, then she beelines for us.
"Incoming," Reed warns, straightening up a bit. He's still a little formal around Clover sometimes, like he can't quite shed the doctor-patient dynamic.
"What's going on with my brother?" she asks as soon as she reaches us, looping her arm through mine and laying her head on my shoulder. "He looks like he's about to have an aneurysm."
"Navy brought a surprise guest," I explain, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "That’s Wren. The woman behind Cascade."
“Ugh,” Clover groans. “Kasen has done nothing but bitch about this woman for months. What’s Navy thinking? This is going to be a disaster."
"Or highly entertaining," I counter. “Depends on how you look at it.”
She rolls her eyes, but a smile quirks her lips. “Behave, Priestly. This is his night.”
I give her my best innocent look. “I’m always on my best behavior.”
“Mmhmm,” Clover says, turning toward Reed with a wry smile. “Has he been watching my brother’s meltdown like it’s primetime TV for long?”
“Only about five minutes,” Reed answers, flashing a quick grin. “But honestly, can you blame him? It’s the most excitement we’ve had all night.”
Clover sighs, leaning against me so I can feel the gentle pressure of her stomach at my side. “I should probably go rescue Navy from that mess before Kasen says something he’s gonna regret.”
“Let her handle it,” I say, slipping an arm around Clover’s waist. “She’s a grown woman. And aren’t you supposed to be taking it easy? Doctor’s orders, right?” I shoot a pointed look at Reed, who raises his hands in a defensive shrug.
“Hey, don’t look at me,” he says. “I already told her to not push herself. It’s up to you to make sure she listens.”
Clover narrows her eyes at both of us. “I see how it is—now you two team up against me.”
"Only because we care," Reed says, and I'm struck again by how quickly he's become part of our circle. "And because your fiancé would probably set my car on fire if I didn't remind you."
"I would never," I protest. "Too easy to trace."
That gets a genuine laugh from both of them, and I feel a surge of pride at the sound. Making Clover laugh is still my favorite accomplishment.
The tension across the room seems to have eased a bit. No one’s shouting or throwing punches, so I’ll call that a win.
"So," Reed says after a beat, a thoughtful look on his face, "I've been trying to calculate the statistical odds your baby inherits Clover's eye color based on the genetic markers I observed in her medical workup and well”—he gestures at my face—“your apparent phenotypes.”
Clover and I just stare at him.
"What?" he asks, seeming genuinely confused by our reaction.
"Dude," I say, barely holding back a laugh, “normal people fill the silence with sports or the weather, not whatever that was.”
Reed's cheeks flush as he scowls. "Well, I hate small talk.” He takes a large gulp of his beer. “Sue me.”
Sometimes Reed says the most random shit and I can tell it embarrasses him, but he doesn't really get the whole being social thing. He’s awkward as hell, but it’s part of his charm. You can’t help but like the guy—he's somehow both brilliant and completely clueless at the same time.
I'm still laughing when Kasen joins us, his expression all the way annoyed.
“Enjoying yourselves?” he asks dryly.
“More than you, apparently,” I shoot back. “How’s the chat with your new best friend?”
He shoots me a look that would wither most men. "She’s not my friend."
"Business rival, then," I shrug, enjoying this way too much. “Or is ‘arch-nemesis’ more accurate?”
"The bane of his existence," Clover adds with a mischievous smile that I adore. God, I love this woman.
"Very funny." Kasen takes a long pull from his beer. "Navy had no idea about the airport contract. Or any of it. Wren's been feeding her some bullshit no doubt."
“And you set her straight?” Reed asks.
“Tried to. Navy thinks I’m overreacting.” Kasen scrubs a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. “Swears Wren’s just doing her job.”
"Is she wrong, though?" Clover asks gently.
Kasen's eyes narrow. "Whose side are you on?"
“Yours, obviously,” she says, unfazed. “I’m just saying it’s business, Kase. She’s not exactly breaking any laws.”
“It feels personal,” he insists. “Targeting that airport contract in particular—she knew how important that was to Timber.”
“Maybe it is personal,” I suggest. “Maybe she hates you for some reason. What’d you do?”
“Nothing,” he snaps. “We’ve only met a couple of time and she’s always been the fucking worst.”
Clover and I exchange a look, but before either of us can push further, Navy bounces over, eyes shining.
"It's time!" she announces. "Everyone's ready for the reveal."
Immediately, Kasen’s entire demeanor shifts; he brightens like someone flipped a switch. He taps the pocket with that infamous envelope. “Finally. I’ve been dying to open this thing.”
We trail after him toward the center of the brewery, where he hops onto a chair and whistles to stop the chatter.
“First, a big thanks for coming out tonight,” he begins, voice carrying over the quieting crowd "Rebuilding after the fire wasn't easy, but seeing all of you here makes it worth every minute of the past two months."
The place erupts in cheers and raised glasses.
"And now," Kasen continues, "I have the honor of sharing some news that's even better than Timber reopening. As most of you know, my sister and her fiancé are expecting their first child."
Another wave of whoops and catcalls—this time from my fellow firefighters in the corner.
“What you don’t know is that I’m holding the envelope revealing whether I’m getting a niece or nephew.” He waves the sealed envelope overhead. “And since I found out about the pregnancy after half of Portland already did,”—he levels a playful glare at Navy, who shrugs innocently—“ they gave me the honor of sharing the news.”
Clover leans back against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her, my hands resting on her belly where the baby pushes against my palm. In this moment—surrounded by friends, holding the woman I love while she carries our child—I feel a completeness I never knew was possible.
Kasen rips open the envelope with an overly dramatic flourish, pulls out the card, scans it—and a huge grin lights his face.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he proclaims, “I am thrilled to announce that the newest addition to our family will be…”
He pauses, just to fuck with us.
“A boy! I’m getting a nephew!”
The room explodes into cheers, and I tighten my arms around Clover, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. A son. We’re having a son.
“Told you,” she murmurs, turning her face up to mine. "Mother's intuition."
“Should’ve listened to you, Freckles.” I brush my lips over her forehead, choking back the weirdly intense surge of emotion welling up in my chest. A son. A little boy, maybe with Clover’s blue eyes and that same iron will, or maybe he’ll get my height and a tendency to take everything apart just to see how it works. “But the next one’s definitely gonna be a girl.”
Her eyes narrow. “Next one?”
I pretend not to hear her as the party kicks into an even higher gear. Morgan hands out cigars to the station crew, Theo toasts with a fresh round of drinks, and Navy ties blue ribbons onto anything that isn't moving.
I lose track of Clover for a bit—she’s drifting through the crowd, fielding a barrage of name questions and letting everyone congratulate her. We’ve batted around Noble Jensen—she says Noble because that’s how she sees me and Jensen after my dad—but I’m not pushing. There's plenty of time to decide.
I’m grabbing a beer when Reed appears at my side again, this time towing Kasen behind him.
“So,” Kasen starts, “is it weird for you that Reed’s seen Clover’s... you know.” He waves a hand vaguely southward.
Reed groans. “Are we still on this?”
“It’s a legit question,” Kasen insists. “I’d be freaked if one of my buddies had seen my girlfriend’s… lady parts.”
“Lady parts?” I echo, almost choking on my beer. “What are you, twelve?”
“You know what I mean.”
Reed sighs. “I’m a doctor. I’ve seen thousands of—” He cringes, “— lady parts , if that’s how we’re phrasing it now. It’s clinical.”
“Sure, but now you’re tossing back beers with the husband of said lady parts,” Kasen points out. “That’s different.”
“Fiancé,” I correct. “And would you stop saying ‘lady parts’? Jesus. She’s your sister.”
He shrugs. “Yeah, well, I’m trying not to think about it that hard. But fine. Vagina. Is that better?” Kasen’s definitely had one too many, because now he’s trying to stir shit up.
"Can we please talk about literally anything else?" Reed glances skyward like he’s praying for lightning to strike him. “I’d rather discuss the biochemical process of how your IPA ferments than this.”
“I’m with Reed,” I say. “But to answer your question—no, it’s not weird. He’s a doctor, it’s his job.”
“Thank you,” Reed mutters, relieved.
“Although,” I add, smirking, “if he starts drooling whenever Clover walks by, we’ll have problems.”
Reed punches me in the arm. “You’re an asshole.”
“Guilty.”
Kasen shakes his head, laughing, and the two of them start talking about the Ducks’ upcoming season. I tune them out when I spot Clover across the room, one hand resting on her belly as she chats with Brenna. As if sensing my gaze, she looks up and gives me that smile—the one that's just for me, that crinkles the corners of her eyes and makes my heart do backflips like I'm a fucking teenager with his first crush.
Eventually, Kasen peels off, meandering suspiciously close to where Wren’s standing alone, studying his vintage tap display.
“Twenty bucks says he’s talking to her again within five minutes,” Reed says, following my gaze.
“You’re on.” I shake his hand. “He’ll hold out for ten. Clover’s stubbornness runs in the family.”
“Given how many times he’s looked her way in the last two minutes, plus the amount of beer he’s had? Bad bet.” He glances at his watch with a smirk. “I don’t need a medical degree needed to diagnose a serious case of‘can’t-stay-away-from-her.’”
"You're such a nerd," I laugh, but keep an eye on Kasen’s slow orbit around Wren. Then I slip away to join Clover, sliding an arm around her waist as she chats with Brenna.
I excuse myself from Reed and make my way to Clover, sliding an arm around her waist as I join her conversation with Brenna.
"Banks was just telling us how he knew it was a boy all along," Brenna says with a shit-eating grin.
“Oh, really?” Clover gives me a look of pure skepticism. “That’s odd, because last week you were sure it was a girl.”
"I was just preparing you for the possibility," I say smoothly. "Deep down, I always knew."
"Uh-huh." She doesn't believe me for a second, but her eyes are filled with all the love and tolerance for my bullshit in the world. "Whatever you say, Priestly."
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Navy’s voice cracks through the noise like a whip. “If I could have your attention for one more second!”
We all turn to see her standing on a chair, mic in hand.
“What’s she doing?” Clover whispers.
“No clue,” I admit, just as lost.
"As you all know, we're celebrating two amazing things tonight," Navy continues. "The return of Timber, bigger and better than ever, and the news that baby Priestly is officially a boy!"
Cheers erupt around us again.
"But there's one more thing we should celebrate," she says, her eyes finding us in the crowd. "Banks and Clover, could you come up here, please?"
Clover looks up at me, confusion clear on her face. "Did you know about this?"
"Not a clue," I admit, guiding her toward Navy. "But you know how she gets when she has an idea."
We push toward the front, and Navy hops down from the chair, handing me the mic.
"You two want to tell everyone your other news?" she prompts.
Ah. That news.
I glance at Clover, silently asking permission. She gives me a small nod, her cheeks flushing that pretty pink I love so much.
"Well," I say into the mic, "since Navy's decided to put us on the spot..."
The crowd laughs, and I pull Clover closer to my side.
“Some of you know Clover and I are engaged,” I begin. “And until this week, we were thinking we’d wait ‘til after Noble arrives to tie the knot—”
Murmurs ripple through the crowd at the baby-name reveal, and Clover jabs me lightly in the ribs.
“Spoiler alert,” I add with a grin, earning more laughter. “But we changed our minds. So three weeks from today, this amazing woman is going to make me the luckiest bastard in Portland by becoming my wife.”
The cheers erupt again, and I pass the mic back to Navy, turning to Clover.
“Sorry,” I murmur in her ear. “I had no idea she was gonna do that.”
"It's okay," she says, surprising me. "Everyone was going to find out soon anyway."
I kiss her then, keeping it brief but loaded with everything I feel—love, gratitude, and the absolute conviction that she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
When we break apart, the party surges back to life. Morgan and Vetter are already scheming up a bachelor party that sounds like it’ll end with needing bail money, and Navy and Brenna have Clover cornered—no doubt grilling her about wedding colors or who’s getting invited. It’s a crazy, perfect snapshot of our life right now.
I head to the bar for water—gotta keep my pregnant fiancée hydrated—and find Reed loitering there.
“Three weeks, huh?” he says, clapping my shoulder. “That’s fast.”
“Time’s ticking, and Clover’s belly isn’t getting any smaller,” I reply, shrugging. “We figure we might as well lock it down before she can’t waddle down the aisle.”
He laughs, raising his beer. “Congrats again, man. Seriously.”
"Thanks." I glance across the room, where Clover is laughing at something Brenna said. "You'll be there, right?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
As the bartender hands me Clover's water, I notice movement by the kitchen door—Kasen and Wren, locked in what appears to be a heated conversation. She's gesturing animatedly while he stands with his arms crossed scowling at her.
"Your beer’s not bad, James," I can just barely hear Wren saying. "But your distribution strategy is stuck in the last decade. Don’t blame me for taking advantage."
"Not all of us need gimmicks to sell our product," Kasen fires back. "Some of us still believe in quality over flashy packaging."
Neither notices me watching until I clear my throat, and Wren immediately steps back, smoothing down her jeans as though that’ll hide how tense she is.
"I should go," she says. "Congrats on the re-opening.”
She gives me a tight smile and slips past us, leaving Kasen glaring after her.
I raise an eyebrow at him. "You want to explain what that was about?"
"You want to explain why I shouldn’t punch you again for fucking my sister?" he asks, and I roll my eyes.
“How long are you gonna hold that against me?”
He just glares and drinks his beer instead of answering.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Clover joins us, wrapping an arm around my waist. "What's my brother looking so murder-y about?"
I hand her the water and pull her closer, my hand curving protectively over her belly. "We were just talking about how life throws the best curveballs when you least expect them."
"Speak for yourself," Kasen grumbles, but there's less heat in it now. His eyes drift to the door, where Wren is talking to Navy. "Some curveballs are just meant to strike you out."
"Says the man who swings at everything," Clover teases, bumping her shoulder against his. She’s got no clue what we’re talking about, but I have a feeling Kase’s going to have his own reckoning soon.
The rest of the night is a blur of well-wishes, beer, and Navy’s increasingly over-the-top wedding plans. Kasen’s got his brewery back, Clover’s glowing, and I’ve got my arm around my pregnant fiancée, who’s carrying my son. Hard to beat that for a Friday night.
Later, I'm driving us home and Clover reaches over to grab my hand, her smaller fingers linking with mine.
"That wasn't half bad," she says with a tired smile. "Even with my brother acting like an idiot around Wren."
"Are you kidding? That was the best part," I say, giving her hand a squeeze. "Watching those two idiots orbit around each other all night. I bet they bang it out within a month.'"
She rolls her eyes but snickers. “You’re such an ass.”
"Yeah, but I'm your ass."
“True.” She sighs. “I love you. Noble and I both do.”
Damn if those three words don’t still slam into with all the force of an earthquake every time.
I reach over and lay my free hand on her belly, feeling my son shift. Every time he moves around in there, it's like I turn into the Grinch and my heart grows three sizes. Nothing else hits like that feeling.
“Love you too, Freckles. Both of you.”
We pull onto our street, the glow from the dash lighting her face, eyes half-shut with exhaustion, one hand resting over our son. Six months ago, I was sleeping on her tiny-ass futon, making coffee in her kitchen, pretending not to stare at her in those sleep shorts that drove me fucking wild. Back then, I thought we'd go our separate ways once my apartment was fixed. That we’d keep living in denial of how we felt about each other.
Now I know better. We were always heading here—to this baby, this house, this life. And in three weeks, I’m making her mine, officially and forever. Not bad for a guy who used to run from the word “commitment" like it was on fire.
It hits me like a lightning bolt—that perfect clarity that only comes a few times in life. I pull the truck into our driveway and kill the engine, but neither of us moves to get out.
"You know," I say, breaking the thick, comfortable quiet, "I think we were inevitable, you and me."
She cracks an eye open, mouth curving into a wicked little grin. “Inevitable? That’s a big word for a firefighter.”
“Smartass.” I reach over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "But yeah, inevitable. Like gravity or the tide or some shit. You can fight it all you want, but some forces in the universe will always win.”
Clover rolls her eyes, but her expression is gentle. “So the universe conspired to push us together? That it?”
"I think," I say slowly, choosing my words carefully because I need her to understand this, "that from the first moment I saw you rolling your eyes at your brother across that party, there was never going to be another ending for me. Every choice, every road was always going to lead right back to you."
She’s silent for a beat, and in the faint light, I catch the shimmer of tears. "That's either the most romantic thing I've ever heard or the biggest load of bullshit."
I chuckle, because that's my girl—refusing to be swept away even when I'm baring my soul. "Why not both? The universe shoved us together, and I bullshitted you into loving me.”
She gives me her heart-stopping smile, the one that I’d do anything for. "The thing is, Banks," she says, her voice suddenly serious, "I think you might be right. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, somehow we were always meant to end up here. Together. Even when it made no sense."
I capture her hand and bring it to my lips. “Of course I’m right. You’ll learn soon enough—I’m always right.”
She tilts her head back and does the best thing in the world…
She laughs.