Page 105 of Rival
“You boys need to give her a minute. It’s been a tough time for her. Don’t go messing everything up that she’s done to heal herself. I have no problem asking Jesus for handing all of you a good ol’ fashioned lesson. Something from the Old Testament ought to do the trick.”
Chuckling, I let my shoulders fall in relief. “Promise. Thanks again. Hope your joints feel better soon, and let us know if youneed anythin’. Give my regards to your husband.” She says a quick goodbye and hangs up the phone. “Few days. Told us not to mess up the work Edith’s done to get better. Don’t know what that all means, but basically, we need to watch ourselves with her.”
“Few days as in a couple of them? Or are we talkin’ like five or six?” Fin is bouncing on his toes, glancing toward the trees as if he can’t wait to go over there.
Jaxon seems to be the most nervous, but there’s no doubt he’s determined to make things right. Keeping my voice low so my parents can’t hear, I make my feelings known to them. “We don’t know what she’s gonna want to do. If she’ll want any of us, but I’m tellin’ you both right now, I’m fightin’ hard for her. Be prepared for that, but what she decides, goes. I’ll stick around here until she comes back, and I’ll let you know when she’s home.”
“I’m not backin’ down, Mason,” Griffin states firmly, narrowing his eyes at me.
Of course, Jaxon has to speak up as well. “Same. She and I have some shit to work out, but I’ll be damned if I walk away without giving it everything I’ve got. There’s a lot I need to make up for with her.”
Nodding, I ready myself that this is going to get a lot more complicated before it gets easier. Not even considering the fact that one of us is going to be a father in just a few months.
“You both should head out. I’ll let you know.”
I spend the next four days walking through the woods almost every other hour to check if the house has been opened back up. Foranysign that my girl has returned.
Then, finally, just as it starts to turn dark for the evening, headlights flicker through the trees. I race toward her house, arriving just in time to see a lone figure emerge from an older four-door sedan after shutting off the engine.
Squinting to see her better, I soften my steps so she doesn’t hear me, just wanting a moment to soak her in before I make my presence known.
Edith steps around the vehicle, and with a hand on her swollen stomach, she chews on her lip, staring at the house unblinkingly and with a large amount of trepidation.
I shoot a quick text to the guys, knowing I’ll only have a few minutes of time with her, just the two of us, but I promised I would tell them.
She’s back
Without waiting for a response, I step out from the trees and head toward her slowly with my hands in my pockets, watching her body language as I murmur, “Girl…”
Chapter Forty-Six
Edith
“Girl…”
My head flies to the right when I hear Mason’s voice, scaring the daylights out of me. I wasn’t prepared to see anyone when I decided to make the drive home tonight instead of waiting until morning.
Night time at this house was always the most peaceful for me because that’s when my… well, whenhewould be asleep. It’s when I was the safest. Taking my first steps inside after five months is daunting enough, so doing it when my subconscious is telling me I’ll be okay seemed like my best bet.
I wasn’t prepared to see any ofthem. Not tonight.
Glancing around, I check for the other two I know have been hounding Ruth for information on me, but I chose to keep everything close to my chest. It’s taken me a long time to process what happened between all of us, and I’m still not sure how I feel. Not good. That I know, and it’s caused a lot of stress while battling debilitating morning sickness whichstillhasn’t gone away.
“They’re not here,” Mason tells me, picking up that I was checking for them. “Not yet,” he adds and I gulp deeply against my suddenly dry throat.
He’s still inching closer without straying his laser focus from my face. Eyes wide and filled with relief and maybe some pain. I can’t tell. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him, and a rush of memories hit me hard once his scent of clean soap and woods surrounds me like a cloud.
Sucking in a breath, I fight back the ache building in my chest, rubbing at it as we simply stand in front of each other.
I jump when I feel his hand slide over me where I still had it resting on my stomach. It’s something I find I never stop doing. It’s almost always without thought.
His calloused palm grazes over my skin, then gently pushes me away so he can settle over where the baby is sitting.
Eyes still locked on me, he touches every inch of my belly, then widening when she shifts from the movement. Always moving. Always reacting to whatever I’m doing. Always making her presence known.
Without pulling away, he reaches to me with his other hand and brackets the side of my neck, tipping my head back to continue studying me. Slipping into my hair, he threads his fingers through my freshly cut strands, murmuring, “Fuck, I missed you, girl.”
Then Mason Cooper pulls me against him and drops his mouth to mine. I’m so stunned by it, my lips part open in surprise, which he takes quick advantage of, sliding his tongue against mine. Groaning as he holds me tighter, he loses himself in me, whispering, “I can’t believe you’re finally back.”
