Chapter 8
Jennifer
My stomach roiled. I wasn’t sure if it was the morning sickness that had become my worst enemy, or nerves about the meeting coming up.
I was supposed to meet with the team right after Gus, but there hadn’t been a chance. The company we worked with—the one that’d set us up for failure—had an emergency, and Noah and Ford needed to be there. So, I figured I’d at least meet with Daisy to go over my options.
It had been three days since Gus had kissed me again and said he wanted to be my partner.
We hadn’t defined what that meant.
I knew it was more than just working beside me, which was something we still had to deal with. But I didn’t know how to process what I felt for him.
Honestly, I had never let myself feel much for him beyond what I had already revealed. When the attack happened, I’d told myself I loved him, but now, my brain and heart weren’t agreeing. I couldn’t love him.
If I’d let myself love him, it could all have been ruined.
Now here we were, about to face an uncertain future together. So, perhaps I should figure things out and let myself love him.
That was such a scary thing. I didn’t feel ready.
Did it matter? Not when we had a chance. A possible future.
First things first. I needed to figure out how to do the job I loved and still remain a large part of the team—a helpful member of the team, But I couldn’t risk everything because it wasn’t just me anymore. It was this baby. And it was Gus.
I had been slowly falling for him all along. Or perhaps it wasn’t slow at all. After all, I had been doing my best not to think about him like that for a very long time. Perhaps all of that was coming to fruition much faster than I’d planned.
I made my way to the coffee shop first. Latte on the Rocks was owned by friends of mine.
The whole building was owned by the Montgomerys, and I loved that they were creating a community with their huge family.
There was the coffee shop and bakery owned by Greer and Raven—both of them Montgomerys themselves.
On the other side of them was a gallery and art studio—not just for Montgomerys, although the Montgomery family had a lot of artists, as well.
I didn’t go in there often. Usually because I was working too hard.
“You doing okay?”
I looked up to see Raven standing there, a small smile on her face. “You look a bit worried.”
“Oh, just thinking.”
“About Gus? I saw him earlier today with the guys as they were heading out. I can’t believe he’s already back on duty.”
I rolled my eyes as I followed Raven into the coffee shop.
“He’s on partial duty. He’s not going out on bodyguard assignments, just installations. He’s not even allowed to do recon.”
“That’s good. Because it would stress me out if anything else happened. I don’t know how you do it.”
I frowned as I made my way to the front counter.
“How I do what? My job?”
“You kick ass, you’re trained, and you know what you’re doing. I meant letting someone you care about do it. Of course, all my friends seem to be in that position these days.”
“How did you…what did you…what?”
Raven winced as she waved at a regular.
“I’m sorry. Are you and Gus not together? Am I just seeing things?”
I tried to find an answer to that because it wasn’t as clear as it should be.
“Oh. We’re not. Well, maybe. We’re just taking it slow.”
So slow that I was pregnant with his child. But we weren’t ready to tell people that.
“Well, that’s great. You guys just always seem so in tune. I assumed. Plus, he talks about you all the time. And he always knows your order. Even though you don’t have a regular order. I love it.”
I blushed. “He’s great at that, isn’t he?”
“He is. He’s a good guy. I’m glad he’s okay.”
“I’m really glad he’s okay, too.”
“You guys do such a great job, and I’m grateful for it. Especially when I needed help.” Raven swallowed hard, and I reached out and squeezed her hand. She had been through hell, but we’d found the guy.
I still didn’t like to think about that. I didn’t like it when my friends were in danger.
“Anyway,” she said with a bright smile that reached her eyes, “I guess that’s what happens when you have someone to rely on. Someone you love with everything you are. And now I’m getting personal. I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. I guess most people thought we were together.”
“Part of me wants to know if you are now. But again, I’m just your baker, nothing more.”
“I’d like to think you’re my friend after all these months of me eating every single baked good you make.”
I rubbed my hand over my stomach, the scent of lemon hitting me. I staggered a bit, shaking my head. “I was going to ask for a lemon bar, but maybe not.”
Raven studied my face before her eyes widened. “Oh. Oh!”
“Please, don’t say anything,” I mumbled quickly, hands outstretched.
“I won’t. Well. I’m just going to take all my secrets and burning questions and walk over here. Let me get you some tea. Does that sound good? Maybe with some oat milk?”
“That sounds amazing.”
“We’ve got you. And it’s decaf, too.”
Well, that just confirmed she knew I was pregnant.
I would have to be better about hiding it.
I was still in the first trimester. I didn’t want everybody to know yet.
I hadn’t told my family. We hadn’t told his.
I didn’t know which of our friends knew, and keeping my facial expressions a little more passive.
But first, I needed to come to terms with this myself before the rest of the world knew.
I spoke to Raven for a bit longer before grabbing my things and heading over to the security building past the tattoo shop.
Montgomery Ink Legacy was going strong, and I could see Raven’s man, Sebastian, working on a back piece through the window.
I waved at Lake, who was one of the owners, and she smiled back.
Everybody was just so happy, finding their ways and their paths.
I was sort of stumbling. And it was working, but what if it quit? What if I realized I had no idea what I was doing?
I couldn’t help but think back to just a few days prior when I was sitting there listening to my doctor as she explained everything.
Gus had been there, the two of us sitting wide-eyed as we looked at the dot on an ultrasound that didn’t even look the size of a grain of rice.
But it was. We were having a baby. And we were starting something new. A new relationship.
It didn’t feel real. It needed to. Because reality was a cold shock of water to the system, and there was no going back.
He’d held my hand as we listened, as we tried to come to terms with exactly what was happening. Because it was happening.
I wanted this baby. A smile spread over my face as I walked into the office, realizing that was the truth. I wanted this child. And I wanted it with Gus.
“Hey there,” Kate said, pulling me out of my life-altering revelations.
I looked up at her and smiled. “Hey. I didn’t know you were in today.”
“I’m trying to be in most days. Even just for a minute. I wanted to get a few things done.”
“You’re doing a great job, Kate. I really appreciate it.”
“That’s sweet of you to say. Thank you. I’m trying my best. And I love working with you guys.”
“Seriously. You keep us up to date, and you make sure we’re organized. We need that. It might sound weird to say, but lives depend on it.”
Kate blew out a breath. “That’s frightening but thank you. You know, I always thought it would be a little scary to work in the security business. But it’s fun. You guys are a big family.”
I nodded, my smile stretching. “We are. Even if we fight sometimes.”
“Well true. The fighting is fun, though. And you’re right next to some very hot tattoo artists. Although I’m pretty sure all of them are taken by now. Just my luck.”
I laughed, sitting down at my seat.
“Have a thing for tattoo artists?”
She waved a hand in front of her face. “Don’t you know it. I don’t know, it’s just the ink.”
“Plenty of men have ink without being tattoo artists.”
“I’m pretty sure all the guys who work here do. It helps that they’re the tattoo artists’ cousins.”
“That is true. Gus has ink, too.”
Kate winked at me. “None showing, So, how do you know that?”
“I’m not answering any questions, missy.”
Kate laughed. “If that was too forward, let me know. However, he’s hot.”
“Who’s hot?” Daisy asked as she walked through the front door.
“No one,” I said quickly as Kate blurted, “Gus.”
“Oh. He’s okay.”
“Okay, those are fighting words,” I said with a laugh.
“And if I said he was hot, would you fight me for him?”
“I will never fight another woman over a man. That just seems like a waste of resources.”
“It is a waste of resources. We could take over the world if we weren’t waiting for guys to notice us.”
“Excuse me, guys notice you.”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “Oh, sure they do. And then they realize I own a business and don’t want to sleep with them so they can protect the little lady, and can probably kick their asses, too.
Then they suddenly have egos they can’t contain.
” She rolled her eyes. “And then they start discussing the size of their egos and how theirs are bigger than the guys I work with, even though ninety percent of the men I work with are related to me.”
“I have a feeling that ego in this case means penis,” Kate said, not so quietly.
I nodded sagely. “You know what, I do believe you cracked her code.”
“Seriously, though. They get so worried that I’m working with guys who could break them with their pinkies that they forget I’m not only related to those guys—minus Gus, of course, and any of the contract workers—but that I could also probably break them with my pinky.
Not that I would. I don’t actually like violence.
Anyway, dating is hard, and I hate it. And I’m never doing it again. ”
“You should do it again. You just need to find a guy who understands.”
Daisy looked like she was about to say something, then shook her head.