Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
PAIGE
“I’m going to kill him.”
“You aren’t going to kill him.”
“I’m going to castrate him.”
“I want more children.”
“You need to give me a pathway of violence to that—that madman.” Becky chops the cucumber I gave her to help prep the salad with too much gusto.
“You’re the one who brought this up, you loon. Now, how about I finish the salad, and you can get started on that treat you want to make Carter?” She stops chopping and looks at the cucumber slush she’s created.
“Fine. I can do that.”
I help her gather the ingredients and pull up her recipe before getting the veggies together for the salad. I discreetly toss the pulverized cucumber.
“I still can’t imagine what he was thinking.” I give her a look, and she flushes. “Okay, I don’t know what our men were thinking. Okay. Fine. I’ll drop it.”
We work in silence for thirty seconds. “Thank you again for helping me get the last of those berries. I really thought it would be easy to get enough for this stupid pie.” Becky struggles with the standing mixer.
I lean over and push the lever she’s missing, but she doesn’t miss a beat before she’s stuck again.
I twist the connecting piece for her, and she gives me a meaningful look before groaning. “I can’t—”
“Nope, you are fine, and you’re doing great.”
“Paige, you pretty little liar. I’m doing terribly, but—he learned to cook for me. I need to figure out how to bake.”
I snicker because that was exactly what happened with Trevor and me years ago.
He learned to cook, so I learned to cook and bake.
I roll up my sleeves to avoid the veggie juices.
“You’ll get it right, and I’ll be here if you need me.
” Becky smiles and adds more ingredients in the completely wrong order.
“Thanks again for hosting—oh my God! What happened to your arms?”
A jolt of panic ran through me earlier when I saw the red bumps and inflamed rash lining my arms. “I just helped you sort through all of those bushes. I’m almost positive there was poison ivy in there somewhere.”
“Have you put anything on it? It looks really bad.”
“Yes, I’ve treated it. There’s nothing much that can be done. I put some Calamine lotion on it already.
“It’s not dangerous for your babies?”
I shake my head. “I called, and they said to pay attention to a few symptoms, but nothing has come up.” Becky looks shaken up, so I rush to her side and grasp her arms. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I’m okay. Goodness. You’re too sweet.”
Becky’s face screws up, and her eyes fill with liquid, and mine do the same.
“Stoppit! You’re too sweet.” She shakes off my hold and pulls me into a tight hug, swaying us aggressively from side to side as she does it.
When she gets back to the mixer, I get back to my veggies.
“I don’t know what I would have done if you and Trevor weren’t here to help.
” A weird grinding comes from the mixer, and I ignore it. It’s a machine. It can be replaced.
A warm glow lights up in my chest at her words. “I fully believe that you would have been fine without us.” I finish dicing the tomato and slide it into the giant salad bowl.
“I could shake you for keeping everything you were going through to yourself while you helped me through mine.”
“I—”
“I know what you’re going to say, and I get it. I appreciate that you were looking out for me, but I’m happy to be here for you.”
I pause my chopping and smile at her. “Thank you, friend.”
“You’re welcome, friend.”
We hug again, then get back to work, finishing up the prep for our big dinner.
I try not to think about Trevor’s morning.
He sent me a short, cryptic message when he left one job to make it to the other.
Justin is served. I want to ask who the hell Justin is, but I’m worried he already explained it to me.
We finished prepping, and I throw the baked pasta into the oven so I can freshen up. Becky changes into an adorable dress she brought with her. I’m wearing a dress with a scandalously low back, but I’ve covered it with a cardigan. It’s more for later.
Twenty to five, the doorbell rings, and I rush over to open it for Sonya, while Bethany and Jacob trail slightly behind her.
Sonya squeals and throws her arms around me.
Her enthusiasm is disarming because we’ve only had a few weeks to get to know one another, but when the boisterous small woman leans back and palms my cheeks in her small hands, I see she’s completely genuine.
“So you are pregnant! I thought I noticed a cute little belly, but I didn’t think that I knew you well enough to say anything about it.
” She lightly squeezes my cheeks. “You are an adorable pregnant woman, Paige Whitaker.”
I smile in her hold. “Thank you, Sonya Hall. I think you might simply be an adorable woman.” She drops her hands from my cheeks and covers her own.
“Well, that means a lot coming from a beauty like you.”
Becky shoulders her way past me to stand in front of the two women.
My son slid past while my face was being held.
“Yeah, okay, we are all gorgeous. Now, bring whatever food you brought to the kitchen.” Sonya nods, then skips to the kitchen to do just that, when Becky turns her attention to Bethany.
“Hello, again! I need to tell you, that coffee you made me? Perfection. I need to add it to my lineup.”
“Oh, I—”
“Come in, come in. I’m blocking your way, I know.”
Bethany shakes her head as she enters the house, giving me a look. “Are they always like this?”
“I’m starting to think so, yeah. Well, I already know that Becky is usually like this.”
“How about you do less talking about me where I can hear you, and more—”
A loud crash comes from the kitchen, followed quickly by a loud, “I’m okay!” From Sonya. Becky rushes back to the kitchen, cursing under her breath while Bethany remains standing in the entry beside me.
“I think I like them.” She whispers to me.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “I think I like them too.”
My friends. My found family.
Vicky had plans she couldn’t get out of, and Jacob gave me a fake cough and said he was sick, so he’s sleeping in his room. More likely playing video games. I tug on my dress again and fiddle with the salad bowl, only for Becky to smack my hand.
“Ouch!”
“Stop fiddling. Food and you both look edible.”
Sonya giggles, and I sigh. We’re waiting for the men to get here. Carter and Trevor both messaged us around five, so we know they’ll be here any minute.
“Why am I nervous?”
“I’m nervous too.” I reach out and grab Becky’s hand.
We have the table set, food out, and are waiting in the living room when the front door opens.
First in is Trevor. His smile is massive when he sees me, and he doesn’t look at anyone else when he walks up and takes my hand.
“Hey, baby.” I stand and wrap my arms around his middle.
When I release him, he grabs my hand. Searching my eyes, he gives me three squeezes. I love you.
He greets Sonya and his sister, then runs upstairs to check on Jacob.
Carter, like my husband, seems to have eyes for one person, and his attention is burning. I turn to my friend to see that she is giving that heat right back.
“Those two need to fuck it out,” Sonya whispers into my ear. I barely hold back my snort. She’s not wrong, though. They are electric. It lights me up, and I think their energy affects the whole room when they share a shockingly restrained hug. They close their eyes and hold tight.
Billy comes striding into the room last. I rush over and greet him with a hug. “Hey, big guy. You haven’t been to eat with us for ages.”
“Carter threatened me.” His words are harsh, but he returns my hug with a small squeeze.
When he doesn’t immediately let go, I look up to see his smirking face.
What the hell? I escape his embrace and turn around to see my husband’s blue eyes shooting ice daggers at Billy from the bottom of the stairs.
I slap his chest. “Ouch.”
“Don’t tease him, you beast.”
He chuckles, a deep rolling sound, and backs up to grab something from the floor. “I brought some dessert.”
“Shh, Becky made dessert. Put that away.” Billy’s eyes go wide.
“She did not. You let her make food tonight?”
“Oh, you shush. I made most of it. She made a crumble, pie-type thing from the berries in their backyard.”
“Fuck. Carter is going to make sure that I eat every fucking bite.”
“Be nice, Billy”
“Yeah, be nice, Billy.” Sonya pops up at my elbow and grins up at Billy. He takes a quick step away from both of us.
“Sonya, I don’t remember if you were ever formally introduced to Billy.”
Sonya holds out her hand and waits patiently for his massive one to engulf it. “We know each other. She teaches my kid art.” They shake, but one of them doesn’t let go.
“He’s actually super talented, you should—”
“Alright, everyone. Gather around so I can thank you once, and then we can eat!” Becky’s teacher voice rings out, effectively gaining our attention.
We all file into the dining room and take our seats.
Trevor sits to my right, and Becky to my left.
It’s a lovely, full table, and it brings me so much happiness to see it.
“Alright, so I’m way better at talking to kids than adults, but you all—”
To my shock, Becky’s voice catches. I shoot out a hand to take her free one, but Carter is faster.
I settle on squeezing her shoulder. “Thanks, y’all.
I’m sorry. I just—thank you for seeing in me someone worth fighting for.
” She sniffles. “Okay, that’s all I can say. Eat up and save room for dessert.”
Dinner is delicious, but with the company, and my pregnancy, I heat up. I’m able to hold off by drinking the ice water, but then I give up and pull off my cardigan.
Trevor stiffens beside me. Maybe he noticed the dip in my little dress.