Supernova

by Kate Stacy

  The guys all disappear for a little bit, so Hailee and I sit and chat while we check out the entertainment. I thought Holden decided to hire a band this year, but apparently, I’m wrong. There have been different people up on that small stage all night. Luckily, most of them can actually sing. The guys up there now are pretty damn good. The song they’re singing is familiar, but I can’t think of the name. I focus on the lyrics, hoping to figure out what it is so I can listen to it later.

  “Mads…”

  “What?” I ask, looking away from the stage.

  Hailee lifts a brow and nods toward my drink. “Something you wanna tell me?”

  Fuck.

  This drink didn’t come from Jaxson, so I know it has alcohol in it. I was hoping she wouldn’t notice that I’m not drinking it.

  I bite my bottom lip, debating on whether or not I should just tell her, but quickly deciding against it.

  “Not tonight, okay?” I say, hoping she’ll let it go.

  She opens her mouth but doesn’t get a word out because Drake’s voice comes through the speakers.

  Thank you, Drake. I owe you a drink.

  He apologizes to the crowd for the drama, then goes into the sweetest little speech about Hailee. My girl has hearts in her eyes. Drake is perfect for Hailee and she’s exactly what he needs. I fucking love the two of them together.

  As soon as I realize what’s happening, and a fucking One Direction song starts playing, my eyes widen in shock. Drake can’t stand boy bands. He’s got it bad for this girl. My shock rolls right into laughter when Jaxson and Holden join Drake on stage, followed closely by Noah and Gabriel.

  Surprisingly, the Brewhouse Boys aren’t too bad. When I see the attention they’re getting from the ladies in the crowd, I carefully make my way to the front. The only woman allowed to be a groupie for Jaxson is me. When Drake pulls Hailee on stage, Jax doesn’t hesitate to do the same with me. Drake’s finally getting his girl. Jax just wants me away from the hyped-up crowd.

  We move to the side of the stage and I can’t resist the urge to tease him.

  “Maybe you should close the bar and start up a boy band. You can be The Brewhouse Boys. I’ll even follow you around on tour and be your favorite groupie.”

  He gives me a stern look and pops me on my ass.

  Turning our attention to the stage, we watch as Drake scoops Hailee up and carries her away. We take our time going back to the table, content to give them a few minutes alone. When we get there, I clear my throat. “Excuse me, lovebirds. If you can stop sucking each other’s faces for a minute…”

  Hailee reaches out and pinches my side.

  “Ouch! Bitch!” I fight to keep the smile off my face. “I just wanted to congratulate your man on his incredible performance.”

  “You better get your girl, man.” Drake says, as I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around my middle.

  Jax pulls me back against him and tells Drake to be nice.

  We chat for a few more minutes until Drake and Hailee decide to head out.

  It’s getting late, and the bar will be closing soon.

  I slide back into the booth, slip off my heels and tuck my feet underneath me. I watch Jax and the guys move around the bar with ease.

  I don’t know when, or how, I managed to drift off, but the next thing I know, Jaxson is cradling me in his arms as he walks toward the back door.

  “C’mon, baby. Let’s get you home.”

  The weeks go on, the stress and worry lessening a little with each one that passes, knowing that Mads and the baby are both doing well. The first trimester came and went without complications, unless you count the awful morning sickness she deals with daily.

  Her morning sickness didn’t leave with the first trimester. She still relies heavily on ginger candies even though they only provided a minimal amount of relief. She stubbornly refuses to accept any medication, no matter how many times the doctor tells her they’re perfectly safe and will do no harm to the baby. As much as I hate seeing her so damn sick all the time, I respect her decision.

  Madalyn has an adorable little bump now. After today, I hope she’ll stop trying to hide it under baggy shirts and hoodies. Since we’re revealing our little secret today, she’s wearing a long skirt and a form-fitting sleeveless top. Her bump is on full display and that makes me a happy man. I love being able to see the physical signs of the life growing inside of her.

  In a few hours, her entire family and most of our friends will be gathering at our house for Thanksgiving dinner. Madalyn offered to host, and I couldn’t really argue with her, but I held firm on insisting that she not cook the entire meal herself. I worried that trying to cook a meal for almost twenty people would have been too hard on her. Instead, everyone agreed to a potluck. Every adult is bringing a dish, so there should be plenty of food to go around. It was an easy way to ensure that Madalyn wouldn’t overdo it and wear herself out or stress her body too much.

  I’m not much of a cook, but I lend my wife my hands for the day. I do what I can to help in the kitchen without fucking anything up. She tasks me with making sure everything is set up and ready to go before our company arrives. I spend the entire morning setting up tables and chairs, including an extra table for the food. I’ve organized the place settings, filled coolers with ice and drinks, and restocked both the indoor and outdoor bars.

  It’s early afternoon when everyone starts to arrive. Holden arrives first with Grams in tow, Camille and Presley not far behind. Drake and Hailee are next, bringing along her little boy, Elijah. We invited her parents too, but they’re on a two-week cruise somewhere in the Caribbean. When Hailee tells me, I make a mental note to look into it. A tropical vacation sounds like a dream. She also lets me know that her friend Grayson and his new wife are having dinner with her family, but they might drop by later.

  After that, a flood of people come through the door. Presley’s best friend, Derrick, makes his entrance, flamboyant as always. Noah and Gabriel, with Zoey trailing right behind them. Madalyn’s parents are the last to arrive, which is unusual for them, but I don’t think too much of it. My mind is on my gorgeous wife hidden away in the kitchen.

  Once everyone has placed their dishes on the table, Mrs. Sterling starts to organize the food in some particular way that makes no sense to me, so I use the opportunity to sneak into the kitchen. Wrapping my arms around Madalyn’s waist, I rest both hands across her belly and close my eyes.

  I want one last moment for just the three of us because once we drop this bomb, our privacy will be nonexistent. I love her crazy, close-knit family and I know they’re going to be beyond excited by our news.

  “You ready for this, baby?” I ask, kissing the tender spot behind her ear.

  She looks back at me and smiles. “Yeah, I think I am.”

  Covering my hands with hers, she inhales a deep breath, slowly letting it out.

  “I love you, Jaxson.”

  “I love you too, Mads. Always.”

  “Where’s my sister hiding?” Holden asks as I deposit a bowl of pasta salad onto the table with the rest of the food.

  “She’ll be out soon. She’s got one more thing cooking in the kitchen.”

  “I’m gonna sneak in there and say hi.”

  Fucking Holden. Always so damn stubborn. No wonder he and Mads are so damn close.

  “Nah, go sit. I’ll go get her. She’s gonna wanna come say hi now that everyone’s here.”

  He gives me a funny look, but goes to the table, sits next to Presley, and rests his arm across the back of her chair. She smiles up at him and a sharp little pang hits my chest. I wish my little sister could be here. I haven’t seen her in too damn long. I want to see the excitement on her face when I tell her she’s going to be an aunt.

  Once everyone is seated, I disappear back into the kitchen.

  “It’s time, baby.” I hold my hand out to her.

  She takes my offered hand, but I decide I need her closer. I wrap my arm around her instead, resting my
hand on her hip, and pressing a kiss to her temple as we exit the kitchen.

  Everyone’s busy talking, so no one notices us walk into the room at first. We move to the head of the table and stand side by side. Clearing my throat, I get everyone’s attention.

  “We wanted to welcome everyone and thank you for spending the holiday with us. It means a lot to have you all—”

  I know it’s coming before it happens. I saw the exact moment Holden’s eyes rounded when they drifted over her belly.

  “Holy fuck, baby girl! Is this for real? You’re really—” He doesn’t finish. He covers his mouth as his eyes fill with tears.

  Mads opens her mouth, but no sound passes her lips. She gives him a rapid nod, instead.

  Without uttering another word, he quickly stands, rushing around the table to throw his arms around Madalyn. The moment they connect, they both burst into tears. I stand back, giving her a minute with her brother. He hugs her tightly, gently rocking her back and forth as he murmurs into her ear. She nods at whatever he tells her, and a smile appears on her lips.

  Lifting his head, his eyes meet mine. They’re still wet, but it’s the vibrance in them that rocks me. In all the years I’ve known Holden, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so happy.

  “I love you, brother,” he says, never breaking eye contact.

  Much like my wife, I’m too choked up to speak. My clipped nod expresses everything my voice can’t.

  “Madalyn? What’s—”

  Madalyn steps away from Holden, slowly turning to face her family.

  That’s when the rest of them see it.

  A loud chorus of gasps, cries, and cheers fills the room.

  I move behind her, taking my new favorite position. Arms around her waist, hands on her belly.

  She tips her head back to look up at me and nods.

  “Madalyn’s making me a daddy,” I announce proudly.

  Every single person in this room—except for Elijah—understands the significance of those words. Another round of cheers goes up before everyone swoops in.

  We’re swarmed with hugs, kisses, congratulations, and love.

  So much love.

  There’s not a dry eye in the house, including mine.

  My heart has never felt so full.

  The holidays come and go at a swift pace.

  On Christmas Eve, we watched as Drake proposed to Hailee in the same spot where they met. It was beautiful, and so sweet. The two of them are perfect together.

  We spent New Year’s Eve at the Brewhouse, sharing cocktails—mine virgin—and sugary sweets. The entire night was full of fun and laughter.

  Camille revealed a big secret on Valentine’s Day, and somehow, I get the feeling it’s not the only one she’s been keeping.

  The past few months have been wonderful.

  My friends and family have rallied around us in a constant show of love and support. They’ve been eager to help with whatever we need, even when we need nothing at all. I’ve been blessed with an amazing support system and it’s not something I take for granted. I worried they would be upset that we waited so long to tell them, but everyone was understanding of the reasons we chose to wait.

  I’m finally in my third trimester—the home stretch. For all the stress and worry we had at the beginning, everything has gone smoothly so far. I know we’re not out of the woods. I won’t consider anything fully safe until I’m holding my baby in my arms. But Jaxson and I are both more at ease about my pregnancy. We’re not constantly stressing about all the things that could go wrong. We’ve made it this far, so all we can do is continue to take it one day at a time.

  Thankfully, my morning sickness finally took its leave. I’ve never been so happy to be able to eat whatever I want. Well, within the limits of what’s safe for the baby. People are constantly dropping by with food for me and gifts for the baby. Little one isn’t even here yet and is already spoiled beyond belief.

  The holiday season was a busy time for Jaxson at work, so he’s been working long hours trying to recover from the latest rush. Blackwood Brewhouse hosted its first ever Singles Night on Valentine’s Day and it was a big hit.

  I’ll never admit it openly, but when I found out about Holden opening a bar—since I didn’t know Jax was involved at the time—I was concerned how successful it would be in a small town like Blackwood. But they obviously know what they’re doing because they’re killing it. I couldn’t be prouder of my guys.

  So while Jaxson spends the day at the bar, doing inventory, or paperwork, or...whatever. I took the day off today because we’ve hired extra help at the bakery, knowing I’ll be going on maternity leave before long. Hailee has plenty of help and I want a day to relax and get some things done around the house.

  My lower back has been achy lately—today is no exception—but Dr. Khaskia assures me it’s perfectly normal, especially at this stage of pregnancy. She gave me a list of things to look out for that would cause concern. I’ve got that list memorized. I’m good about listening to my body and slowing down or resting if I need to. I’m not taking any chances.

  After a quick lunch, I head into what will soon be the nursery. Jaxson promised he and Holden would paint this weekend so we can start getting everything ready for the baby’s arrival. Until then, I really just want to get some of the stuff in here organized. I appreciate every gift we’ve been given, but so far, it’s all been piled into this room with no rhyme or reason.

  Pulling everything out of the bags, I start placing things in neat little piles. When my lower back starts aching worse, I sit on the floor and lean against the wall, doing what I can from here. I pop the tape from the side of a box and when I do, the contents scatter across the floor.

  Only I would make such a freaking mess while trying to get organized. Laughing to myself, I lean over to grab a small toy that escaped the box.

  Out of nowhere, a sharp pain shoots through my lower back, radiating through my hips and into my abdomen. I suck in a sharp breath, trying to breathe through the pain. It doesn’t work, and several minutes later when it happens again—I know something is wrong.

  Using the wall for balance, I carefully make my way to standing and head toward the kitchen for my phone. I’m going to call Dr. Khaskia and if I can’t reach her, I’ll drive myself to the hospital. I’d rather get checked out than ignore the message my body is trying to send me.

  I can’t get through to my doctor, so I leave a voicemail explaining what’s going on, and I let her know I’m heading to the hospital. I fight with myself on waiting for someone to come get me, but I’d only have to wait longer, and I don’t want to waste any time.

  Grabbing my purse and keys, I get in my car and drive. Using hands-free calling, I dial Jaxson.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Jax.” My tone instantly alerts him to a problem. He knows me better than I know myself.

  “What’s wrong, Madalyn?”

  There’s nothing I can say that won’t freak him out, so I go with the blunt approach.

  “I need you to meet me at the hospital. I’ve been dealing with a little lower back pain, but when I was sitting on the floor in the nursery, the pain got worse. Sharp shooting pains and cramps in my back, hips, and belly. I couldn’t get ahold of the doctor, so I decided to be safe and go to the hospital.”

  “Fuck! Wait for me, baby. I don’t want you driving yourself if you’re in pain.”

  I hear him talking rapidly to someone in the background.

  “I’m already on the way, Jax. I’ll be there in less than three minutes. I’m being careful. I promise. Please just meet me there.”

  I swear to God, this man growls at me. He’s lucky I’m in pain and I know that he’s worried or else I’d be giving him so much shit.

  “You should have waited, baby. But I’ll meet you there. I’m on my way. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Luckily there’s an empty parking space right up front when I pull into the ER parking lo
t, so I don’t have to walk too far to get inside. Jax is at my side before I finish signing myself in. Resting his palm against my lower back, he rubs gently in slow circles.

  “Go sit down, baby. Let me finish this for you."

  I want to be stubborn and argue with him because I’m almost done, but the pain is getting worse. I’m not sure I can stand here much longer. I slip the pen into his waiting hand, but I don’t get very far when a nurse stops next to me with a wheelchair.

  “Have a seat. We’re going to take you up to Labor and Delivery.”

  Another pain shoots through me as I bend to sit in the chair. I suck in a sharp breath that has Jaxson at attention. He’s in front of me before I can blink, both hands holding onto me.

  “Baby? What can I do?”

  “Just...help me sit.”

  He and the nurse both help lower me to the chair and we start moving immediately. The trip to Labor and Delivery is quick, but not painless. Once in a room, I change into a gown. Jaxson helps me into the bed and the nurse starts hooking me up to a ton of different monitors. The worse is the band she straps around my belly. It’s super uncomfortable, but I know it’s necessary. So much is happening around me, but all I seem to notice is the tight, uncomfortable pain.

  I’m not sure how I managed to fall asleep, but I must have. Holden is here now with Jax, and I never heard him come in. Neither of them notice I’m awake at first. I watch them and wonder how I got so lucky to have two amazing men in my life.

  Holden sits to my right. His body leaning forward with his head resting on the bed beside me. Jaxson’s to my left, using the space above my belly as a pillow. He’s rubbing soothing circles on my belly and murmuring quietly to the baby. I move a hand to each of their heads, slowly running my fingers through their hair.

  Jax notices first. His head jerks up, his hazel eyes filled with relief.

  “You’re awake,” he whispers.

  “I don’t remember going to sleep.”

  “You passed out, baby. The doctor said your blood pressure dropped and that’s what caused it.”

  I hesitate. The question I’m desperate to ask feels like poison on my tongue.