Page 65 of Where We Promise

He didn’t need to know that these words were from the darkest, deepest part of me. I recaptured his gaze and didn’t falter or lie when I said, “It’s always been you, Jameson. Always in the back of my mind at night, in my chest, expanding with my lungs in the morning, when the sun would warm the earth. You were always in my dreams when I thought of forever. However long you give me, I will happily accept.”

His eyes searched mine as if he were silently asking if it were true, or if I was posturing, just like he was for our audience. Members of the Chaos Kings and the Stone Riders. People who needed to believe that this was real. I, like him, gave no implication whatsoever on whether I meant the words or not.

He’d given me the world today, only to remind me it was manufactured and on loan. One day he’d belong to someone else, and I would simply be a fulfilled promise, checked off a list.

Natty knew how to throw a party.

The Drip had been completely renovated with strung-up lights, paper lanterns and a spread of food that had to have taken her hours to prepare. There was a three-tier cake decorated with edible flowers, matching the ones in my bouquet. Callie and Laura were already helping get people moving down an assembly line to eat.

Red was behind the counter too, mixing drinks.

Jamie’s hand was caught tightly in mine as my eyes watered and I waddled forward until I was hugging Natty in a tight embrace.

“You did all this?”

She hugged me back and laughed. “Red, Laura and Callie all helped just as much as me.”

Pulling back, I searched her face in a silent question. Hers softened as she pulled my hand up to her chest.

“Penny, it’s your wedding day. Regardless of your reasons, you’ll remember this one for the rest of your life. It’s worth creating a beautiful memory out of it.”

Jameson’s hand skimmed my back as he stood close. People walked up to him with a handshake and clap on the back, but his grip wouldn’t leave my waist.

More people swarmed us with well wishes and then Margie King was in front of me with tears in her eyes and a warm smile on her face.

“Penelope,” she breathed and then pulled me into a hug. “I can’t tell you how happy this has made me. How badly I needed a little bit of joy in my life, and I am beyond excited to meet this little guy.”

She pulled back and looked down at my stomach.

I didn’t have words or even the ability to breathe.

With a hopeful expression, she asked, “can I feel him?”

I nodded, relishing the warmth of Jameson at my back and the way his mother’s warmth seemed to be soaking into me. I’d always assumed Margie was stern and cold, more like Gene. I had no idea this treasure of a woman was inside. The baby kicked right as her palm shifted, and her grin was instant.

“Jameson, feel this.” She reached around me and grabbed his hand, pulling it over my stomach. It made it so he held my waist with his left hand and reached over me with his right, so I was completely cocooned by him.

I wasn’t prepared for him to feel my son kick. Not that Jamie had ever been mean toward me regarding the pregnancy, but it was Luke’s baby. I didn’t ever anticipate that Jameson would care, even after his statement about raising him that he’d made to his club.

“He’s going to be such a strong kicker,” Margie said, completely beaming.

Jameson’s fingers pressed lightly into the spot his mom had been as if he wanted to feel the kick as well.

“I’m going to have to come back down here once he’s born, so you have some help.”

Jameson removed his hand. “Mom, don’t freak her out.”

“That’s not necessary at all, Margie. I’m so flattered, but we wouldn’t have anywhere to put you, it’s such a small cabin.”

Margie just waved us both off. “Jamie will put me up somewhere, but I’m not missing a single second with my new grandson.”

So many emotions flooded me as I stood there smiling at Margie. It felt like stepping into a dream, one that couldn’t be real no matter how badly I wanted it to be.

How was she just accepting this? There’s no way anyone would just jump on board this fast, knowing their son was going to be stuck raising another man’s child…unless…

The realization cut through me painfully fast.

Margie must be in on the farce and helping Jamie build up the image that we were genuine in our feelings. She was merely part of the play.

---