I waited for the minutes to tick down. Only ten left until Brody would be pulling up outside and my shift would end. Hopefully, their order wouldn’t be ready until then and—
“Order up.”
Shit. Not so lucky after all.
I grabbed two plates, placing them on their table, and then headed back to the pass. The last two plates were Moira’s and her bitchy friend, so I had to lean over the table to place them in front of them.
“What’s that?” Moira asked, her voice higher than I’d ever heard it.
I pulled back and frowned. “Erm…your order?”
“No.” She stood, knocking over her glass of water in the process. “That.” Her arm was extended, her finger pointing at me. “What the fuck is that?”
“Moira!” the auburn-haired woman gasped. “Don’t curse, it’s unbecoming.”
“I don’t give a shit, Layla. Move the hell over.”
The auburn-haired woman—Layla—pushed out of the booth to let Moira out, and I stepped back, my eyes widening. This would have been the perfect time for Jan to have been on this shift with me, but she had a meeting at Aria’s school, so we’d swapped.
“Well?” Moira asked. “What the hell is it?”
“I don’t know…” I trailed off and followed her gaze, realizing she was staring at my small bump. “I…”
“He knocked you up?” Her face was pale, but when she looked me in the eyes, I saw the burning anger behind them. “You fuckin' whore!”
She dove for me, but I sidestepped her. “Stop,” I told her, holding my hand up in front of me. “Just stop.” I could tell she was gearing up to dive at me a second time, but I wouldn’t let myself be put in that kind of position again. I’d taken enough of that from the people who were meant to love me, so there was no way I’d take it from her.
“You trapped him!”
“No, I didn’t.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry he hurt you—we hurt you—I’m sorry, Moira.” I placed my hand on my chest, my fingers tingling to go lower and press against my bump, but I forced myself not to. “I really am sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave. This is not the time or place to—”
“Are you kidding me? You’re telling me to leave? You think because you stole my husband that you can—”
“She didn’t steal anything,” a deep voice rumbled from behind me, and a second later, a hand curled around my hip.
Moira’s eyes narrowed, her gaze flicking from Brody and me to her friends who were staring at us in shock. “Brody, please—”
“I warned you,” he said, his front coming flush with my back. “I warned you what would happen if you didn’t leave Lola alone.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
The silence swirled around them, and I closed my eyes, wishing I wasn’t the center of this, but I was. We’d caused this. No one ever said the road to happiness was one without any rocks blocking the way. Life was hard, full of hurt, anger, and heartbreak. It had made us stronger, but it wasn’t easy to navigate.
“I hate you,” she sneered at him.
“Good.” His hand gripped my hip tighter. “You’ll have the restraining order delivered within the hour.” I wanted to ask what he meant by that, but I was tired. And not just because I was growing a human inside me.
“Let’s go,” Brody whispered in my ear, and I nodded, letting him lead me out of the diner. I didn’t change my uniform, and I didn’t even get my bag. I knew Brody had a key to my apartment, and right then, all I wanted was to go home and curl up in bed.
“I’ll do it,” I told Brody when we stopped next to his car. It was now or never. There wouldn’t be a right or wrong time to tell him, so I figured just telling him would work as well as anything.
He pulled the passenger door open and glanced at me, questions burning in his eyes. “You’ll do what?”
I stepped closer, wrapped my arms around his waist, and looked up at him. “I’ll move in with you.”
“You will?” He flashed me a small smile, and I glanced at the light dusting of hair on his jaw.
“I will.” I lifted up onto my tiptoes, stared into his eyes, and whispered, “I’m taking a leap with you.”
“I’ll never let you go,” he said.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
LOLA
“You sure about this, Lola-Girl?” Sal asked, for what felt like the thousandth time. “I know you’re pregnant, but it doesn’t mean you have to move in with him. And—”
“Sal.” I placed my hand on his arm and smiled gently. “I’m sure. I’m surer than anything.”
He rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. “Well, just know that if he hurts you, he’ll have me to answer to.”
“And me!” Jan shouted from the other side of the room. She was helping me pack away the little knickknacks I’d collected over the last few months. “I can be a badass bitch when I wanna be.”
“We know,” both Sal and I told her at the same time.
I planted my hands on my hips, the tips of my fingers touching the bottom of my growing bump as I looked around the apartment. It had never felt like a place where I’d settle forever, but it had done its purpose.
“So, this is it then?” Jan said, coming to stand next to me.
I nodded, nerves settling in my stomach. “Yeah. I’m staying at Brody’s place tonight—”
Hands wrapped around my waist from behind, and I stared down at the long fingers that could only be Brody’s. He spread his fingers over my bump and pressed his chest against my back.
“It’s not my place,” his deep voice said in my ear. “It’s our place.”
I tilted my head back, looking at him upside down. “That sounds so weird.”
His lips lifted at the corner, and he planted a kiss on the end of my nose. “You’ll get used to it.”
He was right, we would get used to it, but it would take time. In the space of six months, I’d gone from having my life turned upside down, to being with the man I loved way too much to be considered normal. I’d deferred my second year of college, just until I’d had our baby, but then I’d be right back to it, gaining the career Cade had shown me I wanted.
A throat cleared behind us, and we both looked over at Sal. “I gotta get back to the diner and make some money considering it’ll be closed for the afternoon on Thursday.”
“What?” I frowned at him. Jord, Ryan, and Kyle had come inside and filled the space with their huge bodies. “Why are you closing the diner?”
“Dammit, Sal!” Jan threw her hands up in the air, her red hair flipping back and forth as she shook her head. “You’ve got a big mouth.”
He widened his eyes at her and pointed at his chest. “Me? I have a big mouth.” He stepped toward her. “Jan, you have the biggest mouth I’ve—”
“You don’t complain about my big mouth any other time, Sal.” She pursed her lips and raised her brows, waiting for him to say something back, and all the while, all five of us stared at them like they were a sitcom in the making. “Now you’ve ruined the surprise.”
“Surprise?” I asked, still not understanding what they were talking about.
“Yes!” Jan shouted, turning her wrath onto me. “Your baby shower, dammit!”
“My baby shower?” I asked, my voice a mere whisper. “You’re throwing me a baby shower?”
“Ugh!” Jan grabbed her purse and flung it over her shoulder. “No one knows how to keep a secret around here. You men can help Lola with all her things. I’m going home to google diaper trees for the centerpiece.”
I blinked as she walked out with Sal on her heels. “You do realize that you were the one to spill that secret, huh?” he said to her, closing the door behind them.
“What the heck is a diaper tree?” I asked to no one in particular, not expecting an answer.
“It’s a tree made out of diapers. Kind of like a cake in a way,” Kyle answered, opening and closing my kitchen cupboards and t
hen moving on to the refrigerator. “You got anything to eat? I’m starved after today.”
I stared at him like he’d grown two heads. How did he know what a diaper tree was? “I can order takeout?”
“I vote Chinese,” Kyle said, slamming my refrigerator door shut and holding his hands out in front of him. “Anyone else?”
“Jesus, Kyle, do you ever just stop?” Jord asked, sitting on my sofa and taking up practically the whole thing.
“What? She’s pregnant and eating for two, so we should get twice as much to be sure.” Kyle nodded as he walked past me. “Right?”
“Erm…”
Kyle continued on to the sofa and sat next to Jord. “Besides, don’t tell me you don’t want any. You know you do.”
“Hell yeah, I do,” Jord answered. “I never said I didn’t.”
I turned to face Brody. “What is happening right now?”
“They wanted to help move things, but apparently, they need to be fed first.” He grinned and cupped my face in his hands. “You want Chinese?” I nodded in reply and lifted up onto my tiptoes. “I’ll order it as soon as…” He trailed off and dipped his head down, placing a gentle kiss on my lips. “I’ve done that.” He winked as he let me go and stepped into my bedroom.
“Lola?” Ryan called. “What needs to be taken to the truck?”
“Oh.” I stepped over to him and halted in front of the boxes he was looking at. “Just these few boxes.”
“What about the sofa? The—”
“Just the boxes,” I whispered, my cheeks heating. I may have lived here for a couple of months and managed to curate a few random knickknacks, but that was about it.
He nodded and lifted two boxes at once. “Jord, Kyle, help me with these.”
They stood at the same time Brody walked out of the bedroom. His gaze found me immediately, and his grin had my own lips spilling into a smile. “I ordered it to our place,” Brody said, moving across the room to me. His hands gripped either side of my neck, his thumbs rubbing on the underside of my jaw. “I love you.”
I lifted up onto my tiptoes, pressing my lips against his and whispering, “I love you, too.” It was hard not to get caught up in our own little bubble, but the guys grunting as they lifted the boxes was enough to have me stepping away from him.
They all made quick work of emptying my apartment, and then we were taking the elevator down to hand my key to the maintenance guy. The new life I was about to walk into had my stomach dipping and palms shaking.
I’d never wanted to rely on anyone else to get anywhere in life. I wanted to pave my own way and create my own path, but I now understood it was okay to have two paths merge into one. It was fine to share your path with someone else. In fact, it was more than fine. It was what life was all about. You only got one shot at it, and I wanted to make the most of every second.
Brody’s large hand wrapped around mine as we walked toward his shiny car. He held the passenger door open for me, and I slipped inside. “How you feeling today?” he asked as he started the engine and put the car in gear. Once he was out of the lot, he gripped my hand on my thigh.
“Tired.” A yawn escaped me. “My feet hurt, and I’m so”—my stomach growled—“hungry.”
“Well…” Brody started, taking a turn. “Food is on its way. The guys and I will bring all your things inside, and then you can veg on the sofa.”
“And take a nap afterward?” I asked, the hope in my voice obvious.
He chuckled and pulled into the street his house was on. “Yes, you can take a nap.”
“Thank god.” I groaned and let the back of my head hit the headrest as I closed my eyes. “I wasn’t sure I’d make it through the rest of the day.”
Brody pulled into his driveway, a couple of cars pulling up outside as we did, and switched the engine off. He turned his body to face me, his hand automatically resting on my stomach.
“You ready?” he asked, his dark-brown eyes shining.
I worried my bottom lip, looking away from him and at the outside of the house. Its bay window was inviting, begging for a comfy chair to be placed inside it. The white door with two lights on either side welcomed me, and the enclosed front yard covered in flower beds and a small patch of lawn called to be covered with kids’ toys.
This was the feeling I’d waited for. All those months ago when I’d wanted to feel like I was at home. It was finally here, and it was all because of Brody. He’d never know how ready I was to start my life with him. To take on this new adventure that had been given to me. I was beyond excited, but more important than anything, I was...
“I’m more ready than I ever thought I’d be.”
BRODY
I shifted in the bed, my hand resting against Lola’s protruding stomach, and I couldn't stop the sleepy smile that spread across my face. From the moment I’d bought this house, I’d waited to wake up next to Lola.
I opened my eyes and pressed my chest closer to her back. The light was streaming in between the gaps in the curtains, but my alarm hadn’t gone off yet, so that meant I had time to—
The vibration of my cell caught me off guard, so I rolled over, hoping it wouldn't wake Lola up. She’d taken a nap after we ate Chinese takeout with the guys last night, but she hadn’t woken up. Not when they left, and not even when I carried her upstairs. I’d managed to get her leggings off of her, and that was about it.
I rubbed my eyes and sat up, staring down at my cell and the number I didn’t recognize. “Brody Easton,” I answered.
“Brody,” Ford’s voice rang over the line. “Can you talk?”
I turned my head and glanced at Lola’s still sleeping body. I didn’t want to disturb her, so I said, “Two minutes,” to Ford and slipped out of bed. I pulled on a pair of shorts and walked out of our bedroom, past the door that would become the nursery, and down the stairs that sat in the middle of the hallway. The cold, wood floor seeped into the soles of my feet, and I winced.
“I’m back.” I walked into the kitchen and toward the coffeepot. “What’s up?”
“Something is happening,” he rushed out, his voice on edge.
“Okay.” I frowned, wondering what he was trying to tell me.
“I can feel it in my gut.” I could hear him inhale as he pulled in a breath. “And I got this letter.”
“A letter?” I asked, pouring a cup of coffee and leaving it black. It was the way I preferred it.
“Yeah, it says…wait, I’ll take a picture and send it to you.” I heard some clicking over the line, and then a new message popped up. I opened it, and read the typed-out letter: “Traitors always get what’s coming to them.”
“Shit.” I glanced around the kitchen, trying to piece it all together. “This means you’re definitely a target,” I told him. “Are you safe where you are?”
“I think so”—his voice was lower now—“but I’m not sure I trust anyone here.”
I shook my head and leaned against the counter. “The fact that you’re not sure means you don’t.” I scrubbed my hand over my face. “You should come back.”
“What?” Some shuffling sounded over the line. “I have four months left in the academy. I can’t just take off.”
He was right. He was trying to start his new life, and now I was telling him he should come back. That wasn’t the plan, but it was the only way I could think of to keep him safe. That or…
“I’ll talk to the guys. I might be able to get Ryan a position in the academy while you’re there. That way you’ll have some protection.”
“I can look after myself you know,” he grunted at the same time footsteps sounded on the stairs.
“I know you can.” The footsteps came closer and then Lola appeared. Her hair was a mess, and her T-shirt just covered her ass and bump, but her legs on full display. Thank god Cade had stayed at Moira’s last night.
“Morning,” her soft voice rang out, her sleepy smile greeting me.
“That Lola?” Ford asked.
“Y
eah,” I answered him, not focusing on anything but Lola as she walked toward me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, rested her head on my bare chest, and stared up at me. “It’s Ford,” I told her.
Her eyes widened, and I wasn’t sure what she was thinking from the nervous look on her face. “Can I talk to him?”
I nodded and handed her the cell, not caring that there were more important issues I needed to be dealing with. Ford had been a part of her life for a long time, and she hadn’t seen him since she’d left Hut’s house. I’d filled her in on everything that had happened and what he was doing to better himself, but there was nothing like hearing it from the horse's mouth.
She pressed the cell to her ear and greeted, “We never did get that poker rematch.” Her laugh batted off the walls, and I couldn’t stop staring at her. This house was meant to hold her laughter. It was meant to be the place she was happiest, and now, seeing her standing in the middle of our kitchen, walking around and opening the refrigerator that held Cade’s school schedule and a few other notes, she was right at home. Our home.
Footsteps pounded outside a second before the front door opened, and Cade shouted, “Dad?”
Lola’s eyes widened, and she glanced down at her legs. Legs I hadn’t been able to stop looking at. “Shit,” she whispered.
“Stay in here,” I told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll grab you some—”
“Leggings,” she finished off for me. “Thank you.”
I nodded and left her in the kitchen, still talking to Ford, and walked into the living room and to the small hallway where Cade was standing, his face red.
“Mom said she needs to talk to you.”
“Okay.” I looked down at his feet where he had bags surrounding him. I didn’t need to ask what they were from the way he was looking at me and narrowing his eyes at the half-closed front door. “Take your stuff upstairs,” I told him. “And don’t go in the kitchen, Lola is…doing something.” He picked up a couple of the bags and took the stairs two at a time, turning left at the top of them to head to his bedroom.
Fallen Duet: Brody & Lola: Free Fall & Down Fall (Easton Family Duet Boxsets Book 1) Page 39
