Page 51 of Forever My Soldier

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“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Deacon asked for the umpteenth time since Colton and Scarlet called for us to come over. “You didn’t have to come.” His hand engulfed mine, the other resting on my hip.

I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “This has to be just as hard on you as it is on me.”

He nodded. “I’m learning to deal with it.”

“I have nearly half a dozen years on you and I’m still learning to deal with it.”

“Will it ever get easier, knowing we made a baby and lost it?”

I shrugged. “So I’m told. I find it helps me to focus on my blessings, like you,” I said, giving his hand another squeeze. “I actually think it’s nice what they’re doing, having us over to help out with picking a baby name.”

“I still can’t believe they’re having a boy,” he mumbled. “Scarlet wanted a girl.”

“Don’t be fooled, any mother would be happy regardless,” I pointed out, knowing from my own brief experience with our baby, as Scarlet opened the door, a smile pasted on her face.

“Deacon. And you must be Jenna,” she said, looking at us in turn. “Please, come in.” She stepped aside and gestured for us to enter.

I smiled. “I am. Thanks for inviting me, too.”

She was a bit more petite than me, her brown hair up in a sloppy bun and her brown eyes shining bright. She held a hand on her back and grinned. “This day is for family and you’re family now. Besides,” she said, laughing, “I feel like I already know you. Colton told me all about you and Deacon, said you two were like soulmates or something.”

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. “I don’t know about all that.” I glanced up at Deacon. “But we’re pretty happy.”

She waved her hand in the air, ignoring my comment. “I’ll just have to be the judge of that myself today, now won’t I?” Then she chuckled. “Oh, what the hell,” she said and went in for a hug, nearly me knocking me over with the unexpected move.

I smiled and hugged her back.

“Figures,” I heard another woman say before she finally came into view. She was a little taller than me, her golden-streaked brown hair standing out and making me wish I, too, had highlights. Perhaps one day I’d go lighter, I mused. I always did like that look.

She chuckled. “Scarlet, please let the poor girl breathe.”

Scarlet gave the woman a pointed look. “You must be Sabrina,” I said, holding out my hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

Sabrina laughed at my hand, waving it away. “No, we’re all huggers here.” Then she pulled me into another hug, squeezing me.

I heard Deacon trying to hold back a laugh beside me and I turned my head to give him a look.

He held up his hands and declared, “I’m going to go find the guys. I’ll let you three get to know each other a bit better.”

“Sure!” Scarlet exclaimed. “Then we’ll all meet back in the dining room, say in about ten. I want to show Jenna the nursery anyway.”

Deacon stopped in his tracks, though, and turned to look at me. I nodded and gave him a reassuring look, trying to tell him that I was okay. It’d be a little sad, especially since we had dredged up so many of those memories, those feelings for me, but I knew I’d be fine seeing their nursery.

When he was gone, Sabrina linked her arm with mine and giggled. “I heard you’re a lawyer, that’s boring, but you have serious style,” she said, looking down at my outfit. “I have to raid your closet one of these days.”

I laughed. “You have legs that go on for days, so I’m not sure we’ll be the same size, but you’re more then welcome to anything that fits.”

She squealed. “Excellent! And we should all go shopping together some time.”

Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’ll need to go shopping once the baby arrives for new clothes since I’ll never fit into my size two clothes again.”

I sliced my hand through the air, shaking my head. “No way! You’re young. You’ll snap right back.”

“How can you be so sure?”

I shrugged. “It’s what I hear.”

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