Page 134 of Family Bonds: Coy & Angel

He snorted. “Didn’t get that by you, did I?”

“No,” she said. “I’m not only tougher than you but smarter too. I still appreciate the gesture.”

“Not mad over it?” he asked, leaning back.

“No. See, that’s the difference. You didn’t do something for me. You gave me the opportunity to find something out on my own. If you told me what your mother said to me, coming from you, I’d be mad. I can choose to talk or ask questions myself. I did.”

“Message heard loud and clear.”

“Good,” she said, picking up the container of cookies and throwing them out.

“Thank God,” he said. “I think I chipped a tooth. Will you look?”

She turned and ran at him and he took off on the deck and down to the beach.

40

AN ACCELERATED PACE

“Surprise!”

Two months later, Angel walked into Bond Casino for her baby shower with Coy.

She turned to look at him. “Did you do this?”

There were blues and greens everywhere. Balloons, flowers, streamers. The tables were all covered in pretty shades of the same colors with more decorations that she couldn’t absorb it on first glance.

“No,” he said. “I can’t take the credit for it. But I knew what our mothers had planned.”

She felt some tears gathering in her eyes over everything that Coy’s family and hers had done.

The support she’d felt on top of it.

Thankfully, Coy had calmed the hell down and the two of them were getting along wonderfully.

Everything she always dreamed of, even in her bigger physical shape. That she hadn’t been so fond of, but everyone told her she barely looked pregnant.

She didn’t think so with the mini watermelon in front of her.

“How many people are coming today?” she asked. There looked to be enough tables for close to a hundred. She knew it was a joint party but hadn’t asked any questions.

Angel didn’t have anyone to invite here locally other than some staff and she didn’t know if that was appropriate. In the end, they decided against it. This was just for friends and family. She didn’t have any friends on the island that weren’t family.

Looking back on her life, she realized she never had many close friends either and it was a sad state of affairs that she felt so isolated over her medical conditions. Some didn’t understand and she’d put walls up because of it.

She was getting friends here, even if they were family now.

She’d have to admit this island was turning out to be everything she dreamed of. Even if it was at an accelerated pace.

“I have no idea,” Coy said. He turned when her mother and Helena came out of a door and rushed toward them.

“You’re early,” her mother said.

“We wanted to get here and see it before everyone else arrived. It’s beautiful.” Angel hugged her mother, even though she’d seen her last night.

Her parents and brother had arrived late last night and were staying at her house. She could actually call it her house now.

She’d been putting her touch on it.

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