Chapter 31
Claire
I have an appointment with Masie in thirty minutes, yet all I can think about is that night two weeks ago with Adam and how much I wish we could have a repeat.
It’s strange, really. What felt like a life-altering, world-shattering night is now just a memory.
He hasn’t tried anything else since, and I’m not sure if it’s hormones or just straight horniness, but I want another night like that one.
I’ve never had sex like that. It wasn’t just the act of sex; it was so much more.
I felt everything he wasn’t saying. I felt every emotion, every fear, and every want.
So, tonight I have a plan. Maybe it’s time to take charge. Craig told me I’m scared to make waves with Adam, and I think he’s right. But nothing that Adam has done tells me that he’s on the verge of running. He’s setting up a nursery in his apartment, for God’s sake.
I roll my eyes at myself as I walk to the MET. I have an idea that I’m hoping Masie will jump on board with, but I realize she’s super busy and may say no.
If she does, then that’s okay. I’ll find a way to make this work because I finally feel like this is a good direction for me to take.
“Good morning. How can I help you?” the guy at the front desk asks.
“Morning. I’m here to see Dr. Masie Green.” I smile, my hand going to my even larger belly protectively.
“I’ll let her know.”
I nod my thanks and proceed to walk around the space.
“Claire!” Masie’s unmistakable joy is like a warm hug.
“Masie, how are you?” I ask.
She immediately gives me a hug. “You look fabulous. I’m great. The more important question is how are you?” She looks pointedly at my stomach.
“Oh, hanging in there.” I smile.
The truth is that I’ve gotten a little more miserable as the weeks have gone on. At first, it was morning sickness from hell; now, it’s exhaustion and so much pain in my hips. I’ll admit I’m not totally loving pregnancy, although I’m excited for when Teeny actually makes their appearance.
“Come, let’s go to my office.” She leads me to her office, where nothing has changed, making me smile. “What brings you here? Did the Marshals get my report?”
“Umm, I have no clue. I don’t technically work for them.” I wince. It blows Adam’s and my cover, but I doubt Masie is going to be my downfall.
“Oh, how interesting. But you have the interest in the history side of things, correct?”
“I do. It’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Ooh, this should be fun. Lay it on me.” She rubs her hands together.
“I run a travel blog. Well, I used to. It’s still up and getting traffic, but I’m not adding to it. This … case had renewed my interest in history and the stories behind artifacts and such.” I pause. “I was really hoping you’d help me, or more so work with me, to create a history blog.”
“Umm, hell yes. Lay it out for me.” She plunks into her chair.
“So, I want to do what you did for the Marshals. Find artifacts that are lost to time and see if we can track them through history. Write up what we find. I’m great with the blog side of things, but I need help with the resources side of things. You have them in there.”
“And this would be your primary income?” she asks with a serious look on her face.
“It would.” I nod. “I made pretty good money with the travel blog, so I know how to make it profitable. It’s just a matter of finding my audience. I would split profit with you fifty-fifty.”
“You will absolutely not. I do this sh-tuff in my spare time. I’ll gladly team up with you. I bet we make even more progress with the two of us on it.” Her seriousness instantly shifts to pure joy.
“Well, I have a contract if you agree to partner with me.” I slide the piece of paper over to her as best as I can.
“I do. I’ll take a look at this and send you any revisions I find.”
“Well, that was easy.” I chuckle.
“I’ve actually been meaning to call you. It’s hard for me to make friends.” She gestures around to her office like that’s the reason someone wouldn’t like her. “And we got along so well the last time. Let me look over the contract, and then what do you say to grabbing some dinner?”
“That sounds amazing. Just let me know when and where.” I stand up at the same time as she does, but she runs around her desk, catching me off guard by hugging me.
“I’m very excited about this new venture.”
“Me too,” I mutter into her embrace.
Then, like a tornado, she’s rushing off to a meeting, leading me out to the front door.
The minute I step outside, the weight that’s been on my chest eases. This is huge progress, and the first thing I want to do is tell Adam, but I don’t want to bother him at work.
I decide to walk around. My apartment isn’t terribly far from here, and walking is good for my overall body, or so my doctor says. I feel like a whale, and I’m moving slowly, but I’m doing it.
Ideas ping-pong around my head. One right after the other. How I want the blog to look, what sponsor I want to try to get. All of it is like a perfectly laid out slideshow.
Everything’s coming together. Finally.
A flash of something familiar enters the corner of my eyes. I look over, squinting to see what it was, but all I see is the back of a man in a leather jacket. Nothing seems overtly familiar about him, although I saw a lot of men at Bella’s, so maybe I’m just being paranoid.
My walk continues until I can barely move with how the sciatic pain is shooting down my leg. I hail a cab and make my way the short distance to my apartment. When I get there, Adam is there, waiting outside.
“I gave you a key for a reason.” I smile.
“I know, but I don’t like going in there without you. I always feel like I’m going to scare the baby out of you.”
That makes me laugh harder. “What the hell?”
“I don’t know. Just … ignore me.”
“Never.” I continue to laugh as I open the door. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
“I am, but I got sidetracked by some visitors.”
“Oh, really? From the case?” I ask, dropping my keys and purse by the front door.
“Nope. My sisters.”
“They’re here? All of them?” I ask, spinning around.
“All four of them and my niece.” He runs his hand on the back of his neck.
“Oh my gosh, how fun! You have to spend time with them!” I don’t think anything of it.
“I will. But …”
After grabbing a drink from the fridge, I look at him curiously. “But what?”
“They’re here to meet you,” he mumbles so I can barely hear him.
“Come again?” My head tilts.
“They want to meet you.” He sighs like it’s a terrible thing.
Hell, if Charlie was here, I’d absolutely want him to meet Adam.
Another thing I miss about Charlie, that he doesn’t get to experience any of our growing family.
“I’d love that,” I tell him honestly.
“They’re a lot.”
“Okay.” I shrug.
“They want to do dinner at my apartment tonight.”
“Sounds great.”
“Claire, they are going to be all over you. It’s going to be too much,” he says like he’s trying to get me to understand something.
All I see is family, though. A chance for me and Teeny to have an extended family that will love their little niece or nephew.
“Bring it on. As long as I can sit down and eat.” I rub the side of my leg.
“You overdo it?” He’s next to me immediately, massaging my hip.
“Went to go see Maisie about the blog and decided to walk around after. I may have done too much.”
“You’ve got to take it easy.”
“Gee, thanks, I had no idea. I’m pregnant, not immobile. I may not love all of this”—I gesture to my belly—“but I’m still capable.”
“I know. I just worry about you.” He presses a kiss to my cheek.
“Just wait until Teeny is actually here.” I smirk up at him.
“I know. I’m so screwed.” His hand moves from my hip to my belly.
We stand like that for a long while. Not saying anything, just being together in the quiet of my apartment.
“So, are we heading to your place now?” I ask.
“Woody gave me the rest of the day off, so I suppose so. They’ll only come hunt me down if I don’t come home soon.”
“I really am excited to meet them.”
“They’re wonderful, really. They’re just so much at once.”
“Well, they’re family now, so there’s no time like the present.” I spin to face him, a big smile on my face.
He stands still, eyes shifting between mine.
“What?”
His hands cup my cheeks as he presses the sweetest, most emotion-filled kiss I’ve ever had. When his forehead rests on mine, his eyes finally open. “You’re so incredible. Thank you.”
“What did I say?” I whisper.
“You already accepted my family. Just like that.”
“Well, yeah. Without Charlie, I’m glad Teeny will have aunts who will love them through thick and thin.” I shrug, but I see the emotions running rampant in his eyes. This was a huge deal for him.
He squeezes me in a hug as much as he can around a seven-month pregnant belly. It’s getting harder and harder to cuddle, and I hate it.
“What are you craving for dinner?”
“Breakfast for dinner,” I say immediately.
“That’s three days this week, baby mama.”
“Do not call me that.” I roll my eyes.
“Is ‘girlfriend’ better?” He ducks down to my height.
“Much better.” We haven’t officially labelled anything between us. Between how we met, all of the shit I’m working through, and Adam’s work, it just hasn’t come up. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about it. “And don’t insult brinner.” I point at him.
His laugher booms through my small apartment. If I could hear that sound every single day, I’d be one happy lady.
“I don’t want to go.” Adam nuzzles my throat, wrapping his arms around me.
“Then I’ll go without you, and you can stay here,” I muse.
“I gotta make sure my sisters don’t go wild.”
“I’m sure I can handle myself.”
“I know you can, but that doesn’t mean you have to handle everything on your own.”
We rock back and forth.
“I get the feeling you aren’t just talking about your sisters.”
“You’d be right.” We continue to rock together. “I’m here, Claire. Through anything and everything. I don’t want you to just be my girlfriend. Eventually, I want it all. Lean on me, baby. Let me be the rock through it all, okay?”
“Okay.” I whimper, tears already leaking from my eyes. “I’m really bad at that, though.”
“That’s okay. I’ll still be here.”
His hand caresses my belly as I curl up against his chest. All I can think about is how to keep this feeling, this man, for as long as I possibly can.
Luck may not have been on my side in the past, but maybe this time I get to stay lucky.