Page 36 of Resolution
It’s hard to contain our laughter but I manage to keep a straight face at least for a few seconds until Maddie turns away. Poor girl. She’s been stressed about her dad all afternoon. Hopefully, her friends will arrive soon, so she can get out of the hotspot.
“So, Maddie, did you pass your test to get your learner’s permit?” Aubrey changes the subject gracefully and Maddie changes her mood drastically.
If the grin on Maddie’s face was any bigger, it would split in half. “Yep!” she draws out, popping the end.
“That’s great, sweetheart. I’m happy for you.”
“Now, I just need people who are willing to ride with me,” Maddie teases as she looks pointedly around the room at each of the adults.
“I’ll take you later this week when you come to visit,” Devin offers as he attempts to rustle her hair but she dodges his hand.
“Can I stay home?” Frankie pleads. “I’m too young to die,” she dramatically adds, making us laugh.
“Cut it out, Frankie.” Maddie glowers in her sister’s direction. Then points her focus on me, raising a knowing eyebrow.
“Of course, Mads,” I offer, but before I can say more, Enzo interrupts.
“Add me to the list. I know the perfect place to practice and no one will be in any danger.” He winks at Frankie.
“Wow. It looks like I’ll be getting lots of experience.”
The doorbell rings and Maddie’s friends soon fill our home. Soren’s the first to arrive, and more guests immediately follow after him. He greets Maddie with a kiss on the cheek. That’s bold with both Devin and Enzo in the room, but he’s been doing this for some time. Maybe they’re immune? I glance to Devin who narrows his eyes in Maddie’s direction. Not everyone is immune to this, apparently. Dads will be dads. He can deal with this. I need to show our guests where the food is and keep the kitchen stocked.
The party’s in full swing by the time I take my first break. Presents have been opened, cake has been served, and everyone’s eaten. Well, they’ve been through the kitchen multiple times. If they go hungry, that’s on them. I’m not sure the total headcount, but if I had to guess, I’d say there were more than thirty teenagers here. Aubrey, Enzo, and I sit at the island in our kitchen while Devin plays a video game with Declan and Frankie in his room. Enzo sits beside me, stroking my leg absentmindedly as he takes a drink from the beer in his other hand.
Aubrey stands and walks to the fridge. “Want some wine?” she offers as she pulls it out.
“No, thanks,” I sigh regretfully when I see the bottle again. I love Latah Creek’s huckleberry wine.
She looks at the bottle, and then at me. “Did I get the wrong kind? I swear Devin said this is your favorite.”
“No,” I exhale, remembering the taste of the Riesling she holds in my direction. The thought alone makes my mouth water. It’ll be months before I can relax with that deliciousness again. “He’s right. It’s my favorite.” I stare at the bottle, wishing I could have a taste. It’s not like I drink it often, but knowing I can’t have it makes me suddenly want it.
“You sure? I feel bad drinking it without you. I can save it for you and drink something else, if you don’t want to open it,” she offers sincerely. As I’ve gotten to know Aubrey more this evening, I really do think we could be friends in the future. We seem to have much more in common than I imagined.
My hand instinctively rubs along my growing belly, under the countertop. “No, go ahead and enjoy it. There’s no sense in letting it just sit there.”
“Really?” Her head tilts to the side, gauging my response.
“Absolutely.”
“Here.” Enzo reaches for the bottle. “Let me open it for you.”
He walks to a drawer on the far side of the kitchen and pulls out the corkscrew to open it for her. I can’t help but be mesmerized by his muscular back as he removes the cork from its bottle. Is there anything he does that isn’t sexy? Before returning to Aubrey, he pulls out a wine glass from the cabinet and pours it for her.
“Thank you, Enzo,” she says, then takes a sip and quietly moans. “Wow. This is so good. I’ve never had it before.”
She brought it just for me?How sweet of her. “It’s fantastic,” I offer.
Aubrey returns to her chair on our side of the island and glances at my hand rubbing along my stomach and quirks an eyebrow in my direction. “You sure you don’t want any?”
“Really, I’m fine. Just relax and enjoy yourself. We’ll have to make the rounds soon enough to check on everyone.”
Her face fills with a knowing expression and I realize she’s staring at my hand caressing my stomach. Crap. There’s no denying my actions. I hear Enzo let out a quiet chuckle as he realizes the cat’s out of the bag.
Aubrey whispers in our direction, “Are congratulations in order?”
“We want to wait until after the wedding before saying anything,” I whisper in return, so that it won’t become a rumor spreading throughout the party and the kids find out.
