Chapter Forty-Five
PATIENCE
I peeked out the blinds and giggled.
“Is my brother still out there pacing around the vehicle like a caged tiger at the zoo?”
My gaze left Jett, who was doing exactly what she said, and went to Ruby who’d come up beside me. “Yup.”
It had been two weeks since the Fourth of July party, and we’d finally made plans to all get together at Alley’s for a sleepover. I was so happy to be with the ladies and finally dive into one of their overnight gatherings.
But my husband wasn’t so thrilled.
“I don’t know if it’s the calls or if he just didn’t want to spend the evening without me,” I told her.
Ruby’s face turned down. “I hate that someone is harassing you.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “It’s not really harassing. They don’t say or do anything.”
As the words left my mouth, I realized it didn’t matter, though. That many hang up calls is not only annoying, but also unnerving, and my sister confirmed that my thoughts were right on the money.
“Doesn’t matter. They are still harassing you.”
Letting the blinds drop, I turned to the now-gathering group of women who were all listening to our conversation, drinks in most of their hands.
“When Gyth didn’t have luck tracking the calls since they came from a burner phone, my overbearing husband decided we were changing my phone number.”
We wondered if it was Chaz, pissed off that he had to drop the custody case, because who else would be mad at me? But there was no evidence of that.
Summer’s face fell. “My husband was truly pissed that he wasn’t able to track anything down.”
Teal frowned. “And someone using a burner is a bit worrisome, don’t you think?”
“Of course it is,” Gemma stated. “Look around at what we’ve all been through.”
Capri, who was standing next to Gemma, swatted at her arm. “Way to put the scare into her,” she said, obviously seeing the worried expression that had formed on my face.
I tried to wave them off, pushing the tad of fear aside. “At least they stopped now.”
“Calm down, ladies. Nobody will bother us here with the men outside and these bad boys inside,” Alley claimed.
There were, in fact, no bad boys inside; she’d been referring to her line of bats next to the door. The woman was very serious about her collection—an impressive one, I must say.
“Did someone say bad boys?” Lake asked as she, River, and London walked into the room from the kitchen.
London waved her drink in the air. “We were making drinks, so hopefully we didn’t miss them.”
When the other two women raised their drinks, I noticed that while they all looked to have margaritas, River had an odd look on her face at the announcement of drinks.
Huh. Wonder what that is about?
“Sorry about your luck, ladies. Alley was talking about her bats,” Brinley told the trio.
Lake pouted adorably. “Well, damn. I thought someone ordered entertainment.”
“I got my own bad boy,” River said smugly. “I’m good.”
It was good to see River becoming more comfortable every minute.
Plus, she and Huntley were amazing together, along with their two teen kids.
I thought about how the man stepped up and adopted the kids, and that made me think of Jett.
He couldn’t wait to officially make Griffin his on paper, even though he already was in every other way.
“You really think those guys outside would, for one second, let entertainment in the form of bad boys walk into this house?” Jurnee asked.
“Hell no,” Gemma said. “Just look at them.”
Everyone ran to the windows on each side of the door and peered outside, where not only Jett stood on the street—finally not pacing—but Rowan and Bodie also leaned against one of the cars, talking to Bronson, who had pulled up next to them in his police cruiser.
He had been making his rounds by the house.
“She’s right,” I announced. “When I even tried to protest about getting a new number, Jett’s overprotectiveness kicked into high gear, and he wasn’t taking no for an answer. At least he promised me…”
I trailed off, a sheepish look crossing my face when I almost revealed something very private.
“Ha, don’t think you are not revealing to the whole group just what was promised,” Alley teased. “Make sure you all have a drink, ladies, because this is gonna be good.”
As everyone started to follow her to find a seat, Ruby hung back for a second.
“For what it’s worth,” she began, “he may be out there to protect you, but I know it’s also because my brother can’t stand to be away from you, even for a second.”
Ruby flashed her dazzling, model smile and looped her arm through mine.
We moved to find a seat with the others.
Before she sat down, she looked at me and said, “Don’t be offended if I have to plug my ears when you reveal to these hungry vultures just what Jett promised you because he is my brother, after all. ”
Everyone laughed at her put-out expression, and she got some ribbing for it as we settled in. Then Alley clapped her hands together, rubbing them back and forth with a devious smile on her face.
“Sharing time has started. Our newest member,” Alley pointed at me, “will go first.”
I groaned, and that caused more cackling.
Guess it was time to fully join the club.
“It’s grub time,” Alley yelled as the doorbell rang.
“Thank goodness! I’m starving!” River exclaimed.
Alert bells went off in my head.
I was feeling the same way, so I couldn’t help but think something fishy was going on that not all of us had been privy to. As if she could feel my eyes on her, River turned around, and her gaze landed on mine.
A silent communication volleyed back and forth between us for a second, confirming my suspicions.
Giving her a small smile and a wink, I let her know her secret was safe with me.
I didn’t know the circumstances or why she and Huntley were keeping it to themselves—although I had a feeling Lake knew—but it was their news to tell.
River smiled back just as the room broke out in a chant, grabbing our attention. “Carson! Carson! Carson!” they all yelled. A younger man walked into the house with a load of bags, sporting red cheeks as he ate up all the attention.
I may not have met Carson, the ladies’ now personal delivery driver, but I’d definitely heard about him.
The dude looked back out toward the porch where Rowan, Bodie, Bronson, and my husband all stood watching.
“How many of you does it take for protection detail? Geesh,” Alley said. “Skedaddle.” Then she shut the door as the men began to protest.
With the door closed, Carson’s eyes scanned the room, and he fidgeted nervously with all the bags. “So who's pregnant this time?” he blurted out.
The poor guy didn’t know what to say with that many women around him. I couldn’t blame him, though, since he had come twice previously because of someone being pregnant. He wasn’t wrong either, as I was in attendance and, in fact, carrying a child.
Yet, what nobody expected was the sharp intake of breath from the woman beside me, who’d obviously been caught off guard by the question and reacted. It wasn't just the gasp; it was the way her hands went straight to her belly to cradle it.
Now all eyes were on River.
It looked like I’d only had to keep her secret for about five minutes.
“I think you have asked a very great question, Carson,” Alley told him, but her eyes stayed glued on River.
Throwing my arm in the air, I shouted, “Me! I’m pregnant!”
Carson mumbled congratulations as he looked around, trying to read the room.
For some reason, I felt the need to redirect everyone’s attention, which worked. All the ladies looked at me with smiling faces, but in seconds, the focus was back on River when she spoke up.
“I was going to tell you tonight.”
It was a relief knowing that even if Carson hadn’t helped drop the bomb, I wouldn’t have had to hide the news for long anyway.
Lake rubbed her sister’s back.
“Did you just find out?” London asked.
A sheepish look covered River’s face. “Umm, no. I’m starting my second trimester.”
The room exploded with questions coming at her left and right.
“I’m pregnant too!” Gemma yelled, pulling the attention back off River again—which I think was her goal. “With twins!”
I don’t think she had thought it through; she was only trying to help, but now she was getting peppered with questions too. It was a madhouse, the octave in the room competing with what you might expect at a Taylor Swift concert.
Even through the chaos, we still heard Carson who’d spoken—loud enough that he startled himself.
Judging by the horrified look on his face, he hadn’t meant to speak that loud.
Every head turned toward him in unison, like a roomful of Regan MacNeils mid-exorcism—though to be fair, it was more of a one-eighty than a full spin.
“What are you all running here, a baby-making factory?”
The room went silent for a moment as we stared at him, his face flaming fire-engine red.
Then we all lost it.
After several minutes, most of us finally simmering down, Alley took control.
“Come on, Carson, let’s put that food on the table, and you can hear all about what’s in the water around here before you have to go.”
“The water?” the young man asked.
Alley began walking toward the kitchen, motioning for Carson to follow. When he did, maybe a tad reluctantly, we all fell in behind him.
“Oh, she really doesn’t mean water,” Brinley told Carson. “It’s just a nice way of her saying our husband’s—”
Jurnee, who was in front of me, pinched Brinley’s arm.
“Ouch!” Brinley exclaimed. “What did you do that for?”
“You were about to traumatize poor Carson, and we like him,” Jurnee said. “I mean, how many people have their own personal delivery driver who puts up with a bunch of crazy women?”
I heard Carson laugh.
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Brinley told her friend.
“We sure do have a lot to talk about,” Summer commented.
“Hell yes, we do. Once we have food and are in the living room, prepare to be grilled for those of you who are pregnant,” Teal warned.
As we all piled into the kitchen to dish up, my cell alerted me to a text. I pulled the phone from my pocket and read the message from my husband, which is how the name displayed on the screen now.
Husband: How come the delivery dude gets to be in there with you and not me?
An image of Jett outside pouting as he texted me formed in my head, and I giggled, drawing looks from some of the women.
“Let me guess…” Ruby tapped her bottom lip. “Your husband is texting you, right?”
I smiled. “Yeah. He wants to know why Carson can be in here with me, but he can’t.”
An “oh shit” look crossed Carson’s face.
Ruby rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry,” she told the man. “My brother isn’t coming in, and he won’t harm you.”
Carson visibly deflated like a balloon as though he’d been holding his breath.
“I think we owe this man a big tip tonight, ladies,” Ruby said.
As my fingers flew over my keys, I agreed.
Me: Poor baby. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.
Husband: Tomorrow is so far away.
That earned another giggle from me. I shot him back some heart emojis and grabbed a plate. I was starving.
I was eating for two after all.
Looking over at River, I grinned at the pile on her plate before my eyes veered to Gemma and almost bugged right out of my head. Her plate was heaping. She looked up at me and winked.
Well, I guess that’s what it looked like when you were eating for three.