He chuckles and shifts back to a normal position that doesn’t present such a naughty invitation to sink down on him right here for anyone to see. I cross my legs to try and calm the pulse between them.
“Is tomorrow still good for the gender reveal party?” he asks, steering the conversation to safer territory but watching me squeeze my legs together intently.
“It should be. Anna said she’ll come around lunch to help me set up one side of the bar. Leah may swing by too,” I tell him.
He takes my hand in his and kisses my knuckles. His tone changes from playful to serious. “I don’t want you to overdo it. Leave any big stuff for me and Dad.”
“Okay. I think the only big thing will be putting the balloon arch up.”
His smile widens. “Balloon arch, huh?” he asks.
“Absolutely. It’s pink and blue. We needed something to lighten up the corner we’ll be set up in,” I tell him.
“Sunshine, I can still close for a private event. I am the owner,” he says.
“Not necessary. You have friends here in Greendale Valley that would love to celebrate with you and a lot of them come to your bar regularly anyway, but I don’t really have anyone. Especially with the way things are with my parents right now, Anna is who I have, and now Leah,” I say quietly.
Sure, I have a few girlfriends, but they already said they couldn’t make it, which is fine. They promised to come to our shower in a few weeks. The situation with my parents still breaks my heart, and we’ve not verbally spoken since the night we told them about the baby. Only a handful of texts have been exchanged. Generic questions like asking if I’m okay.
Not going to pretend that it doesn’t sting. They’re supposed to be walking alongside me, but they’ve basically ghosted me, and I don’t understand why. I guess the disappointment in me and my choices is heavier than the joy of welcoming their first grandchild into this world.
He stands and pulls me up with him, and then he presses a gentle kiss to my forehead while holding me as close to him as my pregnant belly will allow. “You have me. You have my parents, and Anna and Leah too. You also have Brittney and Hawk. I know you don’t know them all that well yet, but they already love you for simply being the woman to bring me back to life. And the better they get to know you, the more they’lllove you. I promise, the more time you spend here in Greendale Valley, you’ll see that my friends, my people, are yours too.”
My chin wobbles as I stare into his dark eyes. He takes my chin and tips it up to kiss my lips. In his kiss, his love for me shines brightly through and dims the rest of the world around us. It’s tender and intentional.
When his lips leave mine, he still holds my chin to make sure I see him. Little does he know, he’s all I see. Even when I try to imagine our son, I see him. I’m sure he will strongly resemble his father anyway. “Your parents will come around, sunshine. It’s just taking them longer to catch up to the joy we already know.”
“Whatever you want,Scarlett. You’re growing my son, so you pick where we eat for lunch,” he says while gripping the steering wheel with one hand and holding mine with the other.
“I feel bad for asking to go to the little Italian place close to my apartment. It’s an hour away. But I am craving it,” I admit.
“Then that’s where we’re eating lunch, sunshine.”
“Are you sure you’re not needed back at work?” I ask.
He stops at the red light leading out of Greendale Valley and stares at me with his dark eyes. The same ones that can see every inch of me, every flaw and imperfection, but somehow still he loves me. “Right here with you is where I’m needed.”
The drive to Franklin flies by quickly and we’re at my favorite Italian restaurant in no time. We walk hand in hand to the hostess stand and she seats us immediately. I order my favorite angel hair pasta with a lemon butter sauce, asparagus, and shrimp. The breadsticks are divine. Zander ordered a classic dish…spaghetti and meatballs.
We order a slice of key lime pie to share, and as we wait on it, I feel a strange sensation crawl up my neck. Almost like I’m being watched. I glance around and come up empty.
But right as the pie arrives, I hear someone say my name. “Scarlett.”
A shiver runs down my back as I turn toward the owner of the voice to find Eric staring at me. I’m afraid to look at Zander. He obviously knows exactly who Eric is.
I begin to feel sick. Why here? Why now? Why are our ex-significant others popping up out of nowhere? Are we being tested?
In typical Eric fashion, he strolls over not caring about anything but what he wants. The tension radiating from Zander is palpable. By the time he reaches us, Zander’s jaw is clenched so hard, I worry his teeth might crack.
“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call but you must’ve blocked me. I swung by your apartment a few times but you’re never there. I even called Anna, but all she told me was to jump off a cliff. We should talk,” he continues speaking, oblivious to my discomfort. Was he always an asshat?
Zander practically growls as he says, “Take a hint. She has nothing to say to you. You said plenty when you put your dick inside another woman.”
Eric finally turns his attention to Zander and recognition flickers in his eyes. “What do you care? You’re just a washed-up photographer who loves his bar more than anything else.”
Zander stands abruptly causing his chair to scrape loudly against the floor and it draws unwanted attention to the tumultuous situation unfolding.
Eric doesn’t back down. Personally, that seems like a bad choice considering Zander stands at least five inches taller and is pure muscle. I know from tracing those same rock-hard muscles with my tongue and fingertips every day.