Page 67 of If You Never Come Back
I give Colin’s forearm a gentle squeeze that I hope is comforting. I’m about to say more words of comfort, but just then out of the corner of my eye, I catch Mari trotting into the gallery clad in a chic camel-colored trench and silver stilettos. She waves at me before scurrying to Colin.
He turns around and the widest grin I’ve ever seen him make appears on his face. They embrace, then kiss. Even in four-inch heels, Colin still has a few inches on her. With his arms around her, his broad frame easily envelopes her.
She slides her hands up his chest and rests them behind his neck. For a few seconds, all they do is stare at each other. Then Mari twists her gaze to me. “Shay, congrats.”
“Thank you. It means everything that you would come to this.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
She grabs Colin by the hand. “Show me what paintings are still left unsold. I need some new art for the house.”
Still grinning, Colin leads her to the far end of the gallery.
“A hundred bucks says you sell out tonight, cuz.” Remy nudges me playfully with his elbow. “So, how does it feel? You’re a successful artist with a celebrity fan base. I don’t know if I’m cool enough to hang out with you anymore.”
“I will never be able to out-cool you, Remy. And don’t talk me up so much. Mari is one person. And this is my first show. I don’t want to jinx anything. Thanks again for supplying the alcohol tonight. People are much more likely to drop a few hundred dollars on artwork when they’ve had a few.”
“More than happy to help.” Remy hands me a glass of water and I take a long sip. He lifts an eyebrow at me. “If only that were champagne, right?”
I cradle my stomach. Under my sleeveless red cocktail dress, my bump is barely visible. But I see it every time I glance down. And every time, my heart swells.
I beam at Remy. “Best reason to give up champagne, in my opinion.”
“You know I’m kidding.” He pulls me into a side hug. “I couldn’t be happier for you. So many exciting things happening in your life. Your career is taking off, you moved into a new apartment with Wes, and now you’ve got a bun in the oven. Your life is a dream come true.”
My eyes water at his words. I never thought I could be so happy.
From across the room, I spot Wes. He’s talking to my cousin, who’s holding his toddler daughter. Wes high-fives her, and she giggles. He can always make her laugh, even when she’s fussy. Warmth courses through me at the sight. He’s going to be an amazing dad.
When he looks up and spots me, he winks, then heads straight for me.
“Once you give birth, your first drink is on me.” Remy indulges in a long sip from his drink.
“And Wes’s, too. Remember how he gave up alcohol during my entire pregnancy so I don’t have to go it alone?”
“The way you two go out of your way for each other is sickeningly sweet,” Remy says.
Just then Wes trots over and scoops me into a hug. He plants a perfectly sweet, perfectly PG kiss on me. Suitable for all the family we’re surrounded by tonight, even though I’m aching to jump his bones. The cut of his charcoal gray suit is lethal on his lean and muscled frame. I grip on to his shoulders to keep my hands from wandering to the naughty places they’d rather explore.
“Careful. There are kids around,” Remy jokes.
“They’ll live,” Wes says, his eyes still on me.
Remy gives him a playful shove before walking away to chat with family. I smile to myself, relieved that it didn’t take long for Wes to crawl back into Remy’s good graces. Remy was the first person I told about mine and Wes’s reconciliation. He was reluctant at first, just like any protective cousin and best friend would be. But then I revealed Wes’s romantic gesture of purchasing the empty building next to Dandy Lime for me to turn into my very own studio and gallery space. All was forgiven after that.
Even better because a month and a half after that, we had shocking news to deliver to my family: I was pregnant.
Even now, the memory of seeing the positive pregnancy test has my stomach in happy knots. When I close my eyes, I can recall perfectly the joy on Wes’s face when I showed him. And then he hugged me and kissed me for a solid minute.
“I’m so, so happy, babe. You have no idea,” he said between kisses.
He pulls me tight against him, and I run my hands up the lapels of his suit jacket.
His palm settles softly on my bump. “How are you feeling?”
I bite my lip to keep my smile from growing too comically wide. Ever since I got pregnant, he’s been so attentive, always asking me how I’m doing, fetching water and snacks for me constantly, and offering daily foot massages. And he insists on coming to every single ob-gyn appointment with me.
I pat his hand, still on my stomach. “Pretty freaking great.”
