Page 2 of Taking a King

Quinn shakes her head. “I found out right before I came here. I had a feeling and I wanted to make sure before I drank without knowing.”

“Aw,” Hannah gushes. “Look at you, already being a good momma.”

Quinn elbows her. “Shut up,” she mutters, looking around the crowded room. “I don’t want everyone to know right away,” she hisses. “Don’t tell any of the guys until I’ve had a chance to talk to Ronan. I have to find the right way to tell him.”

“Do you think he’s going to be happy?” Hope asks. “Have you guys talked about kids?”

Quinn smiles. “I mean, yeah,” she says. “We’ve talked about it. I’d hoped we’d already be married before a baby showed up.” She shrugs. “But I think he’ll be excited.” She smiles dreamily. “He’s going to be such a good dad.”

I smile, knowing Quinn’s right. Ronan and Finn are my two oldest brothers. They practically raised me after our parents died when I was barely a teenager. They hadn’t known the first thing about raising a teenaged girl, but they’d been amazing, even if they hadn’t always gotten things right.

“He’s going to be so great,” I say, smiling at Quinn. “You both are.”

Quinn nods and blows out a breath. When she meets my gaze, I see her eyes are suspiciously bright, but she only smiles and lifts her water glass.

“To new beginnings,” she says, holding her glass up for a toast. We all echo the sentiment and toast with our own drinks. I take a deep drink from my glass and let the conversation flow around me.

I love these three ladies and I couldn’t be happier that my brothers found love. Hannah and Finn are getting married in 2 weeks after the world’s longest engagement which followed the world’s longest build-up to a relationship. Quinn and Ronan are engaged, though I expect their own engagement won’t be nearly as long now that they have a baby on the way. Wyatt and Hope’s relationship is the newest, but it’s clear those two are madly in love. I’m happy for all of them. I am. If I’m also a little envious, no one has to know, right? I glance at my phone screen for the tenth time in an hour. Still nothing. No texts, no missed calls. I tell myself it’s fine.

There’s no need to worry. Garrett said he’d call today, but maybe something came up. It doesn’t have to mean something bad happened. He’d laugh if he knew I was worrying. He says I stress too much. He’s probably right. Though I have a good reason to worry about him. He’s a soldier in a foreign country where probably half the citizens aren’t happy to see soldiers. He hasn’t told me much about what he’s been through, but I know he’s been injured more than once while overseas. That thought brings back memories of Ronan’s injury and my abrupt flight to Germany, all the weeks of worrying and pacing. I shake my head to clear it. Garrett’s fine. He’s just busy. I take another sip of my drink, savoring the cool liquid on my tongue.

“You okay?” Hope’s voice breaks me out of my musings and I turn to smile at her.

“Yeah,” I say. “I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

“Well, you have to shut that shit down,” Quinn says. “Because you’re drinking for two now.”

I laugh. “Huh?”

Quinn smiles. “It’s a rule. Since I can’t drink, you’re my designated drinker.”

“That’s not a thing,” I say, shaking my head. “Besides, I learned my lesson with alcohol a long time ago. I’m mature and responsible now.”

Quinn laughs way harder than I think is warranted. After a moment, the rest of us join in. Okay, so maybe I’m not as mature as I should be. But I am a responsible adult with her own apartment and gainful employment. That counts for something, right? I ignore the good-natured teasing and finish off my drink. So what if I’m nearly 30 and still single? So what if I still don’t know what I want to do with my life? I’m happy, and that counts for a lot.

“Just because I’m not shackled to one man doesn’t mean I can’t be mature and responsible,” I say as I stand. “I’m heading to the bar for another round. You guys in?”

Hope and Hannah both nod while Quinn holds up her glass of water. “I’m good, thanks. But see if you can find a hot guy to sweep you off your feet while you’re over there.”

I laugh and shake my head like she just said the craziest thing in the world. The truth is, I’m thinking of Garrett. My secret relationship. The one not even my closest friends know about. I feel slightly guilty not telling them. But I know it would just put strain on them to have to keep the secret from the men they love. I also think every one of them would crack within a week and spill the beans. I can’t have that.

When I talk to my family about Garrett, it needs to be on my terms. And it needs to be handled delicately. Ronan, for all his quiet demeanor, can have quite the temper when provoked. It just rarely comes out. I don’t want to give him any reason to be angry about this situation. Not when Garrett makes me so happy. I want my brother’s blessing. I know I need to talk to him. And I will. Soon. Tomorrow, even. I’ll have all the guys in one place for our weekly family dinner. It’ll be the perfect opportunity. I ignore the way my stomach rolls with nerves at the idea.

I make my way over to the bar, pushing aside thoughts of Garrett and my brothers. Tonight isn’t about guys. It’s about hanging with my favorite ladies and letting go of day-to-day worries. I order another round of drinks from Van and wait near the bar. While I wait, I check my phone again. Still nothing. I let out a sigh and shove the phone into my back pocket. Hadn’t I just decided to stop obsessing over a guy? It had taken less than 5 minutes for that to go out the window. Geez. What is wrong with me? I’ve never had it this bad over a guy. And we haven’t even kissed. What if he’s a bad kisser? What if there’s no chemistry between us? We’ve only really had phone calls and video chats. That’s not enough to know if you’re compatible, is it?Stop this!I heave a frustrated sigh.

“Get it together, Claire,” I mutter to myself.

“Pretty sure talking to yourself is a bad sign.” The familiar voice comes from behind me, startling me. Before I can pinpoint exactly why the voice is familiar or who it might belong to, I turn and come face-to-face withhim.

Garrett.

He’s here.

I haven’t seen him outside of the screen on my laptop in nearly two years, but now he’s here. In my brothers’ restaurant. Standing three feet away from me. I let my gaze roam over him, from his dark blonde hair to the square jaw and broad shoulders. I forgot how tall he is. I forgot how hot he is. He’s dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, and he looks as though he hasn’t shaved in a few days. He also looks like maybe he needs a good night’s sleep. I wonder how long he’s been back in the US. Did he come straight here? To see me? Along with the giddy excitement at seeing Garrett, there’s a trickle of dread. I wasn’t expecting him for a few more days. I thought I’d have more time to talk to Ronan and the rest of my brothers. I’d been stalling, so sure I’d find the right time to bring it up. Now, it seems my time is up.

Garrett’s face breaks into a wide smile, making me forget all my anxiety about his early homecoming. He takes a single step toward me, closing the distance between us. In that moment, I forget my brothers. I forget that I’m in the middle of Mack’s on a crowded Saturday night. I forget everything but Garrett. He’s here. He’s finally here. There’s a lump in my throat that I refuse to consider might lead to tears. Instead, I give him my biggest, brightest smile. When his arms come around me, my own wrap around his neck, holding him close. My face is buried in his neck and I inhale deeply, memorizing his scent.

“You’re early,” I whisper.

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