Chapter 7
Georgia
Grayson covers my eyes as we walk out the door onto the patio. We’ve had many memorable moments out here, from simple talks to his proposal. It’s one of my favorite places because of that simple fact alone.
So when he uncovers my eyes, and I see a multitude of lanterns lit and hanging throughout the branches of the trees, I know tonight will be another moment I add to my list of favorites.
“What is all this?” I ask, staring around in wonder.
A small wooden table, big enough for two people, sits below the tree. Candles burn in the center, casting a romantic glow.
“This,” Grayson says, placing his hand on the small of my back, “is me continuing to date my wife. I know this pregnancy hasn’t been easy for you, so I figured a date night “in” might help.”
“Gray, this is—I don’t even know what to say. I don’t deserve it, but thank you.”
He pulls my chair out for me, lightly kissing my cheek as I sit. “You deserve this, Peach. You always deserve this.”
Heat blooms into my face at the roughness of his voice, and when he walks around to his side of the table, I can’t stop my eyes from roaming over him, soaking him in.
He’s dressed in a black button-up shirt, and a few of the top buttons are loose, revealing tattoos that crawl from his chest up his neck.
His sleeves are cuffed, and muscles pop along his forearm as he picks up his wine glass and tilts it my way.
There’s a soft smirk on his face as I ogle him unabashedly, but I can’t help it.
There’s such a vast contrast to him—rough and yet refined—that sometimes it makes it hard not to stare at him.
“Are you going to stare all day, Peach, or are we going to eat?” He asks, that smirk growing sharper. “I’m okay either way—just need to plan accordingly.”
I scoff, rolling my eyes because I know that is the only way I’ll be able to bring myself to stop staring at him.
“This is why I’m keeping the picture. It will be good for your ego,” I say, offering him my own smirk.
His eyebrows dip, scowling at me, but there’s humor sparkling in his eyes. “That’s cruel.”
I lift one shoulder, appearing blase. “You say cruel. I say strategic.”
I stress the last word, mimicking his words from earlier, and his answering chuckle is like music to my ears.
With a shake of his head and the chuckle still on his lips, he reaches down, pulling up a picnic basket from beside him. “Fine. You keep it, but payback is coming.”
It’s said with a wink, and my heart flutters like a teenage girl going on her first date.
He turns to the picnic basket, pulling out food from inside.
And with each item he pulls out, tears sting my eyes a little more.
There’s nothing complex about the food in each container. The meals are simple, but it’s the idea that he took the time to make all this that hits me so hard. “When did you cook all this?”
He shrugs. “I went over to the guest house and cooked while you were working. I wanted everything to be a surprise.”
“It is, Gray. Honestly, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” he plates my food, handing it over to me, and once he has his, I start to dig in.
“This is delicious.”
His grin is conspiratorial, and a light blush paints his cheeks. “I watched a YouTube video.”
Throwing my head back, I let my laughter flow freely. “Of course you did.”
We spend the next few minutes enjoying the food and the silence, letting it wash over us in a peaceful wave.
When we are finished, we push back our plates and sit happily, Grayson sipping wine while I sip my water.
My hand falls to my stomach, where a small bump is starting to form, and Grayson’s eyes follow the movement, resting where the baby is tucked safely inside.
“We have the twenty-week ultrasound this week.”
I nod, remaining quiet. I’ve tried to keep my mind off of the upcoming appointment.
After our last ultrasound, I should be excited, but for some reason, it fills me with anxiety.
After Nate’s death, it’s hard not to wait for the worst thing to happen.
And maybe that’s no way to live, but it’s also hard not to when you lose someone at such a young age.
Grayson leans forward, placing his elbow on the table and reaching for my other hand. “Are you excited?”
“Yes. Under all the nerves.”
His thumb strokes against my skin, offering me comfort.
“What are you nervous about?”
I can’t meet his gaze when I answer him. “What if something is wrong?”
Even though it’s a whisper, the worry still sounds loud against the night sky.
Grayson’s face softens as he stares at me. “Nothing is going to be wrong, Georgia.”
“You don’t know that, Grayson.”
He shakes his head, “You’re right. I don’t, but I know a man that does. And right now, the only thing we can do is place our worries on his shoulders. Do you want to pray with me?”
A lump forms in my throat. Unable to answer him, I nod instead.
He bows his head and closes his eyes, and when he squeezes my hand, I follow.
“Dear heavenly father, we come to you today to place our baby in your hands. We know there are many ways we won’t be able to provide protection.
But you can, Lord. You know the baby that is meant for our family, and we pray that you give us your perfect peace for our ultrasound. In your name, we pray. Amen.”
His prayer ends, but I don’t open my eyes until I add a silent prayer of my own. “Help me trust in you, Lord.”
______________________
“I’m going to murder him in his sleep,” Mia growls, rushing into the restaurant and plopping down at the table where Emryn and I are already sitting.
It’s been a while since we’ve gotten together. With my morning sickness, I was afraid to be in a restaurant. Now, it’s starting to fade, and I realized I missed my girls.
I know Mia through Emryn. Mia teaches at the school where Emryn subs.
They became good friends through work, and then when Emryn and I became friends, they drug me into their little group.
It’s been nice having girl friends. I grew up with Nate and Grayson.
I will never regret their friendship, but it was also different than what I get from Emryn and Mia.
“I’m going to take a stab in the dark and assume you are talking about my brother,” Emryn says casually, stuffing her mouthful of watermelon, and she’s not the least bit surprised when Mia nods her head, confirming her suspicion.
If I had a dollar for each time Mia threatens Tayte, I’d be rich.
Each time we get together like this, which is at least twice a month, Mia comes in with a new threat.
At this point, it’s kind of comical. Tayte drives Mia crazy, and as neighbors, he pushes her buttons as hard as he can.
But I have a hunch that Mia secretly likes it.
She just doesn’t realize it yet—not with her good-for-nothing boyfriend still hanging around, stringing her along every chance he gets.
“What happened this time?” I ask, setting my fork down to give her my full attention.
“He’s like a puppy. He sticks his nose into places it does not belong.”
Emryn lifts her fork, still inhaling watermelon.
“As his sister, I can confirm,” she pipes between bites.
I watch her out of the corner of my eye, afraid she will choke when I’m not watching.
“You’re biased,” I say, ignoring the eye roll she gives me. “Mia, tell us what happened, and maybe we can offer some advice.”
She huffs, sitting back further in her chair and crossing her arms. “Okay, but no dogging on Chase. I’ve heard enough from Tayte already—and he had a good reason.”
The way she throws in that last part, like she’s not quite sure she believes it, has worry settling in my stomach.
Chase is Mia’s long-term boyfriend, but frankly, he’s a jerk.
Mia deserves a lot better. We are all just waiting for her to see it.
But I’m here to be her friend, not her mom, so I lift my hand, holding up two fingers, and say, “Scout’s honor. ”
She doesn’t need to know I was never a Scout.
Beside me, Emryn lifts her fork but doesn’t say anything—whether that’s because her mouth is full or because she knows she won’t be able to keep the promise, I’m not sure.
Mia sighs, and the look of pure dejection breaks my heart.
“Chase and I were supposed to go on a date. He’d texted me earlier and asked me to meet him outside, so I was waiting on my porch.
But ten minutes passed, and then fifteen, and he didn’t show up.
I texted and called him a hundred times, and just when I was about to get hysterical, Tayte pulled into his driveway.
I guess he noticed me pacing and assumed something was wrong.
” She stops there, looking around the restaurant like she doesn’t want to admit this next part.
Emryn and I stay quiet, letting her process.
And when she’s ready, she continues. “Chase showed up when Tayte came over to check on me.”
I suck in a gasp, knowing that putting Chase and Tayte in the same vicinity spells trouble, but Emryn keeps eating, popping watermelon into her mouth like it’s popcorn.
“Was it bad?”
Mia nods, and for a girl who is constantly cheery, right now, she just looks sad.
“Worse,” she whispers, her voice coming out hoarse.
“I was worried about Chase, so when he showed up right as rain, I lost my temper a little bit. He got out of his car and sauntered onto my porch like I hadn’t been calling him over and over again.
Tayte was a witness to it all. I finally cooled down enough to let Chase explain, though, and I felt so bad afterward.
Apparently, Chase left his phone at home.
His boss had called him in before he left.
He was rushing to leave his house and fix whatever his boss needed so he didn’t miss our date.
He had a good reason, but Tayte, being Tayte, can’t mind his business.
When I went to leave with Chase, he stepped into my path and—this is a direct quote—said, ‘When are you going to realize everything that guy says is a lie? He’s a jerk, Mia.
Leave him.’ Can you believe his audacity? ”
Emryn and I stay quiet, giving each other a look before we turn back to Mia.
“What?” she asks, looking between us.
“Honey,” Emryn says, finally laying down her fork, “maybe Tayte doesn’t always come off the right way, but have you ever stopped to think it’s because he cares about you?”
Mia scoffs. “No, no way. Tayte cares about torturing me, but he doesn’t care about me. Tell her she’s wrong, Georgia.”
My hand fiddles with the napkin in my lap. I know denial better than anyone, and I also know that until you are ready to look past that denial, nothing anyone says will make you see it. But I also don’t like to see my friend hurting. And whether she realizes it or not, Chase is hurting her.
“I don’t think she is, Mia,” I say carefully. “Look, I’m going to ask you a hard question, and feel free not to answer it, but promise you will at least think about it, okay?”
Mia’s eyes narrow just a little as she looks at me warily. “Okay.”
“Why do you love Chase?”
“Because we’ve always been together.” There is no hesitation in her answer, but it also sounds rehearsed.
“It’s not my relationship, Mia, but are you sure that’s enough to stay? Shouldn’t you love him for more than the time you’ve invested?”
She sputters, and her face starts to turn red. Guilt eats at my chest because I promised I would let her come to this realization on her own, but I would want my friends to say something to me instead of letting me waste my life with the wrong person.
“Look,” I say, holding up a hand to stop her, “I’m not saying I’m right—or that I know anything about the personal part of your relationship with Chase.
I know all too well that a man in public isn’t always the same man in private.
Look at Grayson. People think he’s the grumpiest man alive, but with me, he’s not.
So, I get it. Sometimes, you see things that maybe Emryn and I don’t, but just think about it. That’s all we ask.”
Mia’s teeth bite into her bottom lip, and her brow wrinkles.
Tears gather in the corner of her eyes, but she’s quick to blink them away.
I watch her closely, ready to catch her if she crumbles, but she doesn’t.
She plasters on the bright smile she always carries and says, “Fine. I’ll think about it.
Now, who wants to hear about how I got back at Tayte for being nosy? ”
I chuckle and raise my hand, but it feels a little forced. I worry about her, but if she’s not ready, I’ll accept that.
“Me,” Emryn says, looking around the restaurant, “right after I get more watermelon. Where did that waiter go?”
Blanching, I look down at Emryn’s plate. Five seconds ago, it had been full, but sure enough, now it sits empty.
When she sees Mia staring, too, she lifts her shoulder and shrugs with a bright smile on her lips. “What? This baby is hungry.”
The way she says it so casually like it’s the simplest explanation in the world, has me doubling over with laughter.
When the other girls join in, I realize that God knew what he was doing when he sent them my way because in the time we’ve been sitting here together, not once has the anxiety over this pregnancy weighed me down.
There’s something to be said about the friends you find later in life.