Page 83 of Agony of Our Regret

Luca put his arm over my shoulders. “Take your time, Lemon. Momma is just grouchy today.”

I elbowed him in the ribs and took a step closer to Gavin, who immediately wrapped me up.

“Coming early would give you a lot of bonus points with mommy, too,” he mock-whispered, as the doors opened to the parking garage.

“Not too early,” Luca warned.

I wasn’t ready to do the labor and delivery thing yet, but I was rapidly approaching what I’d seen of other women when all they wanted was for the baby to come out. My hips ached. My back hurt. My feet swelled. I had heartburn and indigestion anytime I even looked at food that wasn’t bread.

I understood all the old wives’ tales of women trying to get their baby to vacate the premises.

But I could wait a bit longer.

Maybe a week.

After that, the fruits on the chart were enough to haunt me. There was no way a cantaloupe, let alone a pumpkin, was coming out of me.

I settled into the backseat of Luca’s car and immediately closed my eyes, sliding into a welcome sleep for the drive over.

When I woke, we were pulling onto the street, and I sat up, excited to see the rest of my guys.

While the guys and I squeezed in more time together throughout the week by either going to lunch or dinner together, Vince was traveling again, and Sky had more missions withLuca. This was the first time we’d all been together in almost two weeks.

I hopped out of the car as soon as we parked and hurried to the front door. It swung open when I reached the steps, and Noah rushed out for a hug.

He kissed my temple, then my lips, before stepping back.

“How is it you look bigger than two days ago?”

“Because I am.” I tugged on my coat. “I can’t close this anymore.”

He laughed and led me inside. Gavin and Luca joined us. Vince was in the living room, and Sky walked out of the kitchen with a mug he held out for me.

I accepted it and looked inside. “What’s this?”

“White chocolate and peppermint.” He winked at Vince. “He made sure we bought the ingredients last time we went to the store.”

I blew him a kiss. “Thanks for remembering.”

He shrugged. “I got a few varieties for everyone else, too. I forgot how much worse the Midwest cold is from the west.”

“Yeah, every year at this time, I miss Arizona,” Gavin added.

“You hated it there,” Luca argued.

“Exactly.”

Sky laughed. “I think I was the only one who didn’t mind the heat, but I missed the real winters here.”

Noah shook his head. “I could do without either.”

“So that’s why you kept traveling.” Gavin smirked. “You were following the weather.”

Noah grinned and nodded.

Teasing and laughing with no one getting upset was all the proof we needed that we’d all officially moved on from the past.

I sipped my drink and closed my eyes. The creamy, warm, yet coolness from the mint taste took me back to that first date.Maybe one day I could go back to those memories without the sense of dread of what was coming for us.

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