Chapter 26
26
SUMMER
I sat opposite Bailey, shivering as the door opened behind me and another customer entered Taste of Destiny, bringing a chill breeze with them.
“What is it you need to talk about?” Bailey asked, sipping a bright purple smoothie.
I inhaled the delicious savory scent of the warm cheese scone I’d bought for lunch, then glanced at the salad in front of Bailey and felt a stab of guilt. I should probably be eating salad too, but with the morning I’d had—having to euthanize a family’s beloved pet—I needed the carbs.
I looked around to make sure no one was listening to her, then leaned across the table and said, “Asher kissed me after my set with Blair the other night.”
“What?” she squealed, attracting the eyes of every single person in the cafe.
“Shush,” I hissed.
“Sorry.” She looked sheepish. “I’m just so excited for you. Was it good?”
I nodded. “It was sweet. Nothing heavy, but that made it feel more real.”
Her eyes crinkled at the corners, and she scrunched up her nose. I could tell she was doing her best not to squeal again. “Tell me everything.”
I did, starting with when Asher approached me while I was talking to those other men, and ending with his invitation to go cycling with him on Saturday.
“Do you think it’s a date?” I asked.
“Definitely.”
When I raised my eyebrows, she did it right back.
“What?” she continued. “When was the last time he asked you to go cycling with him?”
I considered this. “Good point. I don’t even remember.”
“Yet he does it within days of kissing you?” She grinned. “It’s totally a date.”
“I hope so.”
Another blast of cold air whipped through the cafe, and I glanced toward the entrance. At the sight of a familiar face, my heart sank. Dark hair, bright blue eyes, and a trim figure clad in denim and cashmere. The last time I’d seen her, she’d been kissing the man I loved.
Bailey followed my gaze. “What is she doing here?”
“I don’t know.” I’d heard that Ashley Moore had moved to the North Island to be with her new man. I definitely hadn’t seen her for a couple of years. So why was she back in Destiny Falls?
“Don’t let her distract you,” Bailey said, as if she had a direct line to my spinning thoughts, which had already started whirring about whether Asher would still want me now that the glamorous Ashley was back in town.
After all, he’d dated Ashley before. The other woman didn’t have the added complication of being either younger than him or his best friend’s sister. She was older than me, arguably more mature, and just all around more convenient.
If I knew why they’d broken up in the first place, her appearance might not worry me, but as it was, I had no idea. One day, they’d been an item, and the next, she’d been leaving Destiny Falls in her rearview mirror.
“I’ll try not to.” I watched as Ashley stalked to the counter and placed her order. She moved to the side and turned to scan the room. Almost immediately, she spotted me looking at her. I winced. It was too late to look away. Her face lit up, and she headed straight for us.
“Hi,” she said, flashing a pearly smile. “I’m surprised to see you two here during the week. I’d have thought you’d both be at work.”
“Extended lunch break,” I said.
“I make my own hours,” Bailey added, her tone verging on smug. Fair enough. She’d worked hard to get to where she was.
“Are you here to visit your parents?” I asked, hoping she’d say yes.
“No.” Her smile turned wry. “I’m back to stay.”
My stomach dropped. “Oh. Um. Well, welcome back!”
“Thanks.” She beamed.
I couldn’t bring myself to reply. All that was running through my head was how everyone thought she and Asher were so cute as a couple. Asher and Ashley. Ash squared. How fucking adorable.
“Do you have a job yet?” Bailey asked, picking up my slack.
“No, so if you hear of anything, let me know.”
Bailey nodded. “We will.”
I had a brief flash of satisfaction. It was easy to think of her as perfectly put together, so it was nice to learn she wasn’t. Although it was ugly of me to feel that way when she’d never done anything to earn my dislike.
Ashley’s order was called, and she glanced around. “I’d better get going. It was nice to see you.”
As she left, Bailey took my hand. “Don’t worry about her,” she said quietly. “She and Asher are in the past. They broke up for a reason.”
“Yeah, but what was the reason?” I asked.
She didn’t answer, and the anxiety roiling in my gut only amplified.
My phone buzzed, and I checked it. “Oh, my God.”
“What?” Bailey demanded.
I looked up at her, my eyes wide. “Grace has gone into labor.”
At 11.13 am the next day, Grace and Nate welcomed baby Finn into the world while the entire Braddock clan, including Grace’s Aunt Desdemona and brother, Ezra, filled the waiting room at the Queenstown Maternity Hospital.
We’d been waiting all morning, after having spent the night at a nearby hotel, and finally, a nurse announced that Finn had been delivered and both he and Grace were safe and healthy.
I slumped against Kennedy, weak with relief. I’d known, logically, that there was no reason to think the birth wouldn’t be smooth, but I’d also been involved with plenty of difficult births at the veterinary clinic, and I’d seen how quickly things could go sideways.
“Would Nana, Grandpa, and Big Sister like to come through?” she asked.
Mum hesitated. “Is Grace feeling up to visitors?”
The nurse smiled kindly. “Yes, but only a couple at a time. Dad was very firm on that.”
I laughed. “I bet he was.”
Nate took overprotectiveness to the extreme when it came to Grace. Of course, I could understand why. If I’d discovered someone I loved bleeding out on their kitchen floor, I’d probably be overprotective too.
Mum held Tess’s hand, and Dad took up the rear as they followed the nurse out of the waiting room. I got up, stretched, and bought a packet of nuts from the vending machine, then returned to the chair and scrolled through social media.
A while later, Mum and Dad emerged, both grinning widely. Dad’s eyes crinkled with joy, which took years off him, and Mum was practically floating on air. They both loved babies. I mean, they’d had six of their own, and that pretty much said it all.
“He’s beautiful.” Mum sighed. “He has Nate’s eyes, and Grace’s dark hair.”
“How heavy?” Max asked.
“Seven pounds, two ounces,” Mum said.
Max nodded approvingly. “A decent weight.”
“Can we see them?” Toby asked, bouncing excitedly.
Mum and Dad exchanged a glance.
“Two at a time,” Dad said firmly. “Any more than that and you’ll overwhelm them. Poor Grace is exhausted, but she’s hiding it well and does want to see you all.”
It didn’t surprise me that Grace would be doing her best not to let on how tired she was. She was an expert at putting on a good face.
“Why don’t Summer and I go?” Max suggested.
No one argued, although Toby looked disappointed. But Max was Nate’s twin, and he’d always been close to Grace, so it made sense for him to be the next to visit. I wasn’t sure why he’d chosen me to accompany him, but I was eager to see them, so I wouldn’t question it.
We walked down the hall together, Max’s shoes clopping on the vinyl floor. I nudged him with my shoulder.
“It’ll be your turn for a wife and baby soon,” I said.
His expression was wistful. “I’d like that, but I haven’t had much luck at dating.”
“You’ll find the perfect woman.”I considered whether to drop a hint about Bailey but decided not to. She’d asked me not to meddle, and while I desperately wanted to just in case it could make two of my favorite people happy, I respected her wishes. After all, I knew how mortified I’d be if someone did that with Asher.
“Maybe.” He sounded resigned, and I itched to hug him, but at that moment, we arrived at Grace’s room.
Max knocked and we entered. Grace lay on a surprisingly large bed, her eyes half-closed. Tess sat cross-legged near her feet, and Nate lounged on an armchair, the baby cradled against his chest.
“Hey,” I said softly. “How are you doing?”
“All right,” Grace murmured.
“She did so well.” Nate gazed over at her, awestruck. “She was incredible.”
“I’m sure she was.” I bent over the bed and kissed Grace’s forehead. “Hi, Mama.”
A smile curved her lips, weary but content. She’d always wanted to be a mother, and now she’d not only achieved that, but with the man she’d loved secretly for over a decade. No one deserved happiness more than her.
“Any lingering pain?” Max asked her as I moved closer to Nate and leaned over to get a look at my new nephew.
Grace sighed. “I feel like I was hit by a truck, but I don’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary.”
“No, that’s not unusual.” Max scanned her from head to toe, even though most of her was hidden by the covers. “A lot of people don’t realize how much of a full-body experience giving birth is. Every muscle in your body contributes.”
I met Nate’s eyes. They were slightly unfocused, as if he couldn’t quite believe what was happening.
“Can I meet my nephew?” I asked.
“Come closer,” he said.
I did, and he shifted the bundled baby so I could gather him in my arms.
“Be careful with him.” He watched like a hawk, so I stayed close, hoping to ease his concern.
I gazed down into a small, red face. Finn’s eyes were closed, but he had a little button nose and a thatch of brown hair.
“Hello cutie,” I whispered. “I’m your aunt.”
He gurgled and blinked open those massive blue eyes. My breath caught. He was so tiny and delicate, his life only just beginning.
I couldn’t help but wonder if, one day, I’d be holding my own baby like this. Did I even dare to dream?