Page 68 of Inked Devotion

I looked up at her over the menu. “Considering we’re having a baby and spend most days together while we’re not working, I don’t know if this can constitute a first date.”

She scrunched up her nose before she shook her head, a smile finally playing on her face. I looked around at Colton’s restaurant; I had been here a few times before. There was good food and a pleasant atmosphere, and it wasn’t too fancy for our taste, nor was it a hole in the wall with greasy food.

It had been a long few weeks between our jobs and trying to figure out a regular routine. We slept at each other’s houses more often than not, and it felt as if we had fallen into a serious relationship right away, rather than working our way up to it. The thing was, I didn’t mind. I liked what we were doing. It felt as if time made sense, that this is what we should have been doing this entire time.

That wasn’t the right way to think and maybe that would only confuse things in the end, but I wasn’t sure.

I had never expected Brenna, but I wanted to know more. I had always liked her, always loved her, just in a different way. She was my friend, the one that made me smile and laugh. She was always there for me no matter what, and I knew I did my best to be the same for her. Only things were different now, and I knew she kept us at arm’s length for a reason. If we broke up or broke off whatever the hell we were doing, things would be difficult for both of us. For the baby. I didn’t want this to end. I wanted more.

I wasn’t sure when that had happened.

“I’m starving. I think I could eat half of this menu.”

I looked up at her and grinned. “You want to get two big meals and share? Then there will be leftovers.”

“That sounds like a plan. Although, I’m suddenly craving salmon even though I haven’t wanted salmon in years, and I think it’s because I can’t have it.”

“I won’t tell you about the cheese plate I thought about getting then,” I said with a grimace.

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Do not talk about soft cheeses in front of me. That’s not very nice.”

I snorted as the waiter came to take our orders.

Colton was in the back of the restaurant and had come out when we had first shown up. I liked the guy and thought he was good for Paige, but I knew Paige was getting antsy, and so I wanted to know what his intentions were with my baby sister.

Brenna laughed suddenly, and I looked over at her. “What?”

“I can just picture you right now imagining walking back into the kitchen and asking Colton to declare his intentions for Paige.”

“How the hell did you read my mind like that?”

“Because I know you, Benjamin. It’s sort of what you do.”

“I just don’t know if I like the fact that I don’t know Colton, or even Marc for that matter, as much as I do Jacob,” I said after a moment.

“Do you try?” she asked, tilting her head.

“I do. They don’t hang out with us as much. I get it, we’re a lot to deal with, and we all have lives, but we’re needy. And protective. I know you’re shocked at that revelation.”

She rolled her eyes. “Completely shocked. I guess Eliza got off easy because she already was well ensconced in the Montgomerys to begin with.”

“And you too.”

Her eyes widened. “Yes. Me too.”

The way she said that made me think she still didn’t think of herself as mine, as someone connected to the Montgomerys through a relationship.

I wasn’t sure what to think about that. Or even if I should feel too much about that. Damn it, I was falling for her. I wanted her in my life, and she was going to be the mother of my child, but what if I wanted more?

And I didn’t know if she was going to let that happen.

We talked about less serious stuff over dinner, and then about upcoming doctor’s appointments.

By the end of the meal, when I was full and we were waiting on our check, Brenna pulled out the sonogram.

“So the next one, we should be able to see a little more resolution, right?” she asked as she looked down at the black and white image. I swallowed hard and tapped it.

“Your insurance covers the 4D one, right?”

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