Page 21 of Saving Grace
Ishould be ashamed of myself for eavesdropping on Drew and Kaia, but I couldn’t help it. He’d set the monitor on the table at the end of the hall. It’s almost too much. The way he holds her so naturally, the slight sway of his body as he whispers promises to her. The reminder of what we could have. Our own little family of three like we’d always planned.
Could we get back to that? I’m strong enough to admit that my feelings for Drew never disappeared. It’s the trust, the fear of losing him again, that keeps me from telling him as much when I silently slip into the nursery and step into his line of sight, monitor in my hand.
It doesn’t take but a second for him to piece it together.
“It’s true, you know,” Drew whispers, keeping his eyes on the little girl who looks so much like her daddy already. Same unruly hair, blue eyes that I hope don’t change color, and a little dimple in her right cheek. “How was your shower?” he asks, finally glancing up.
“Much needed,” I admit. “Thank you.”
His head shakes before I finish talking. “Helping you take care of yourself isn’t something to thank me for. It should be a given.”
Not wanting to argue, I shrug before silencing the monitor and setting it on Kaia’s dresser.
“Still up for going to meet up with everyone? I know you’re exhausted, so if you’d rather just crash—”
“We’re going out, Drew. I know you want to show this cutie off,” I say as I tickle the bottom of Kaia’s foot.
When he asks if I’m sure, I cut my eyes at him, eyebrow raised. “Just let me change her diaper and we can go.”
“Alright, sunshine.”
***
The lights are low as we enter Jace Riley’s Bar and Grill, a soft country tune playing through the speakers. A handful of patrons are scattered throughout, but it’s mostly vacant. I guess that’s what happens at three o’clock on a weekday.
“Are you sure her face is okay like this, Leila?” Drew asks, fidgeting with the baby wrap he insisted on using as he leads me to the bar stools at the back of the room.
Chuckling even as nerves consume my entire being, I rest a hand on his waist. “Promise. She likes to bury her face, but her nose and mouth aren’t smooshed against you.” Glancing up through my lashes, I watch him watch Kaia. “She just feels secure and loved,” I whisper, my lips ticking.
His eyes shoot to me, some unreadable expression dashing across his face before a sweet smile settles on his lips.
“Right. Let’s get you reacquainted with everyone.” He slips a hand behind me, resting it on my lower back before guiding me to the small group of people gathered at the far end of the bar. Kelsey and Jett are splitting an order of fries while the two guys seem to be studying something on the shorter one’s phone.
“Since I know the gigantic dude is Jace, I’m guessing the other one is Noah.”
“Yep.”
“Was he around back then?” Back when my life was crumbling. Back when I didn’t notice much of anything because I was more focused on flying under the radar.
Drew nods. “You probably didn’t cross paths too often. He was usually with Jace but didn’t really talk to anyone back then. He was dealing with his own hell.”
“Loner. Gotcha. And he’s Jett’s?”
Drew laughs out loud, drawing the attention of the four. “Yeah, Noah belongs to Jett.” He says it loud enough that the others hear, and Jett beams with satisfaction at the claiming. Noah’s face tinges with pink, but to his credit, he doesn’t back down.
“She sleeping?” Jace asks, wiping his hands on a white rag while nodding toward Kaia.
“Out like a light,” Drew boasts.
“Don’t get too excited,” Kelsey says. “She’s likely to wake up as the afternoon crowd livens up the place.”
“Kels is right,” I say.
“She’s in that thing?” Noah asks, finally glancing up. “I thought it was another shoulder brace.” His face goes from curious to concerned faster than I can track. “You didn’t walk here did you? Sun’ll be going down before—”
Jett cuts him off with a hand on his cheek. “What’ve we talked about, elevator man?”
He sighs heavily, eyes rolling but looking perfectly chastised. “That there’s nothing wrong with the sidewalks around town.”
