“Well, Ev, I’m still pregnant and miserable so I’m going to go get some rest.”
She smiled happily at me. “Yes, girl, you go and take care of that little princess in there. I’ll still be here tomorrow.”
“Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this day. I’m so crazy happy for you and Ryder.”
“Thank you again for being here, Danni.”
Ryder walked over to me with Max in his arms. He leaned his head down and pressed a hard kiss to my forehead.
“Thank you Danni. It meant a lot to both of us that you were here for her today. You really are a sister not just to Evie, but to me too and I love you.”
I choked back tears and nudged him lightly with my shoulder. “Aw, you aren’t getting soft on me now, are you?”
“Shut up,” he teased, and snuggled his newborn to his chest. “Go get some sleep.”
“I will. Night everyone. Goodnight, Max,” I said softly, kissing his little cheek. “Aunt Danni will see you tomorrow.”
We said our goodbyes to Kris, Jessie, Jude, and Sadie before Beau and I went home, tired yet happy. This was the best Halloween I’d ever had.
Three Weeks Later
“Thank you ladies for coming with me today,” I said as I hugged Sadie. Everleigh, Jessie, Sadie, and I had gone for a day at the spa instead of having a baby shower and we had just gotten back to my house. I was thirty-eight weeks pregnant and my feet were swollen and sore all the time, so getting a pedicure was almost orgasmic for me. It had been a bit hard to get Everleigh to leave baby Max for the afternoon, but she did it for me. He was in excellent hands because Ryder was going to have his first “Daddy/son” day with Max, Beau, Jude, and Kris while they watching the Bengals game together.
To say Ryder was enjoying fatherhood was a huge understatement. Everleigh told me that he changed diapers, got up for feedings, gave him baths, and was present at all of his doctor appointmens. Being a great dad was just one more thing that made Ryder Matthews so lovable.
“Are you kidding? We wouldn’t have missed this for anything, girl,” Sadie replied as she pulled back and rubbed a hand over my enormous belly. “Less than two weeks until she’s here. How do you feel?”
“Ginormous,” I replied, and she laughed.
“Well you look fabulous,” said Jessie as she put an arm around me.
“It’s so exciting…I can’t believe we will all get to meet this little princess soon. I might be as stoked to meet her as I am for my own little one to arrive.”
I smiled at her. “Aw, that’s sweet, Jess. Well just think, you have Max and our little girl to love on until your baby is born this summer.”
Jessie’s eyes began to glisten and she smiled. “I know.”
“Jess, what is it?” Everleigh asked her.
She shook her head, her light brown hair flowing around her shoulders.
“It’s just that…Kris and I went through so much heartache to get to this moment and I just can’t believe this is for real. I’ve wanted to have a baby with him for so long and now that it’s finally happening I just keep getting overemotional about it.”
I hugged her and smiled. “It’s okay to be emotional. Having a baby is a very huge deal. This is just the beginning. You are going to be a sobbing mess one minute and ready to rip Kris’ face off the next.”
She laughed and sniffed as she let go of me.
“Well, I hope not. I don’t want to scare him off with my hormonal craziness.”
“I doubt anything you do would scare that man off,” Sadie chimed in. “He’s yours for life, girl.”
“That he is,” Jessie answered dreamily.
“Well, I had a blast with you all today. I wasn’t too sure about leaving Max, but I know he was in good hands,” Everleigh said.
“Of course he was. He was with his dad, Ev. Ryder has as much of a hard time leaving that little boy as you do,” I answered.
“I know, he’s like Mr. Mom or something.”
“I always knew Ryder would make a great dad someday. Glad to see I was right,” Sadie said.
“I’m not saying I’m still not shocked as hell though that he actually procreated.”
“Or actually found someone to procreate with,” Jessie laughed and Everleigh shot her a look. “I’m just kidding Ev. Ryder won the lotto when he met you.”
Everleigh left my side and hugged Jessie.
“Thank you girl.”
They broke apart and she added, “Well, I hate to be the first to run off, but I need to get home to Max.”
I grinned and said, “It’s okay, Ev, go be with your son.”
“Thanks, Danni. It’s not just that I miss him, but my boobs are killing me right now. I need to get home and either pump these things or feed my baby boy.”
Giggling loudly, I walked her to the door.
“Well, have fun with that. I’ll call you tomorrow, Ev.”
She hugged me one more time before waving and walking to her car.
“Well, I think I’m going to head out too. This morning sickness is still kicking my ass,” Jessie said.
“Today was fun, Danni. Did you have a good time?”
“I did, thank you again for hanging with me at the spa instead of doing the baby shower thing. This was much more fun.”
“Yes it definitely was. Goodbye, Danni,” she waved as she walked out the door to head home.
“So, are you heading out too?” I asked Sadie.
“Yeah. It’s not like I have anywhere to go though.”
“Aw, I feel so loved,” I said to her. “Well, you have your whole night free now, so do you have any other plans?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Nah, not really. I might go home and watch some bad TV or something.”
“Why don’t you do something with Jude?” I asked, winking at her.
Sadie rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yeah, not going to happen.”
“Why won’t you tell him how you feel, Sadie? I think you two would be amazing together and you would be good for him.”
“I just can’t, Danni. It would ruin everything,” she said sadly.
“Oh Sadie,” I said, putting my arm around her.
“Is this about Beau? Girl, I love my husband with all of my heart, but how he feels about this relationship doesn’t matter at all. If you tell Jude how you feel and it turns out he feels the same way, then that’s great.”
“But what if he doesn’t, Danni? What if I make a fool of myself and tell him I love him and he tells me he doesn’t want me like that? I will fuck up what we have and I can’t stand to think about that. Jude is one of my best friends and I care about him so much. It’s worth keeping quiet just to keep him in my life.”
“Jude will always be in your life, Sadie, and you know that. He’s a fiercely loyal friend and if you tell him and he doesn’t feel the same way, he won’t let it mess up your relationship. You can bank on that.”
“Well, what if he does feel the same way? What if he wants me too, and we start this relationship and we give it a real shot and it doesn’t work out? Our friendship will be destroyed anyway and both of our hearts will be broken,” she questioned, shaking her head.
Before I could answer, the front door opened and in walked Beau.
“Hey girls,” he said, taking off his jacket and hanging it in the coat closet. As soon as he turned to us his eyes went to Sadie and he frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
Sadie waved her hand in the air and smiled as he walked over.
“Nothing. I’m just tired…that massage took everything out of me. I think I’m going to head home.”
Beau’s brows furrowed as he hugged her goodbye.
“You sure there isn’t anything wrong, kid?”
“Nothing that ordering a fat ass greasy pizza and Netflix won’t cure, big brother. Love you,” she answered, releasing him and then hugging me.
“Thanks for today, Danni, and take care of my niece. Keep her warm for me.”
I smiled and whispered into her ear, “Call me later and we’ll talk more, okay?”
She nodded and whispered back, “I will. Love you girl.”
“Love you too.” She slipped into her coat and with a wave, she walked out into the cold November air.
As soon as I closed the door, I felt Beau behind me. “So, how was your day?” He asked me as he kissed my neck. “Did you girls have a good time at the spa?”
“We did. We all needed a day of pampering. My feet are so swollen that they look like baked hams, Everleigh is trying to be super mom and needed a break, Jessie is just getting over her morning sickness, and Sadie is overworking herself to the point of exhaustion, so this day was long overdue for us all.”
“Yes it was,” he replied, rubbing my back. “I’m glad you had fun, baby.”
“I did. I really needed a day with my girls. I wish Mom could have made it though, but it’s okay. She will be here for the birth and that’s all that matters.”
“Exactly.”
He kissed me and I snuggled into him. As soon as my stomach rested against his side, I felt my belly jerking…she was kicking up a storm. I already knew this little one was going to be a daddy’s girl. She did this every time I was touching him in any way. I gasped and giggled as she moved and he placed his hand on my belly.
“Everything okay, baby?” he asked, concern in his voice.
I smiled and placed my hand over his.
“Everything’s fine, Beau. She’s just kicking like crazy. She knows you’re near me.”
Beau smiled that damn sexy smile and dropped to his knees in front of me.
“Hey there angel,” he said to my distended belly. “I can’t wait to meet you and spoil you. We’re ready for you here so you can come out at any time.”
I laughed and said, “Don’t say that, it’s almost Thanksgiving and we have a big dinner planned. Besides, the nursery isn’t even ready yet!”
“Hey, don’t worry, it’s not like we’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner here, it’s at Ryder and Evie’s place. And as for the nursery…the crib’s put together and all of her clothes are put away in her dresser. Besides a few minor things, what else is there to do?”
I rolled my eyes at him.
“Beau, be serious. We need to set up the changing table and stock it, her bassinet needs to be put together and placed in our room, the glider needs to be set up, the decorations need to be hung on the walls…”
He chuckled and stood back
He led me into the kitchen and pulled out a chair at the table. Motioning for me to sit, I did as he wanted and he sat next to me.
“Listen, we have plenty of time to get everything ready for her, okay? You’re not being induced until next week so that will give me time to get it all set up and ready for our little girl, okay? I promise, no matter what, it will get done.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at him. “Okay. Thank you.”
He leaned in to kiss me. “So, did you have fun with the guys watching the game?”
“Yeah, it was nice. We obviously couldn’t get as rowdy as we used to since I don’t drink anymore and Max is only a few weeks old, but we had a good time hanging out and stuffing our faces. I need to bust ass at the gym to work off all the pizza I ate.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh please, shut up. You are cut like a fucking god. I’m the one over here with a watermelon in her belly. I can’t wait to have this baby with me on the outside. I want to fit into my clothes again.”
“I don’t care if you are a size two or a size twenty-eight, you will always be beautiful to me, Danni. You look gorgeous with my baby inside you.”
“Thanks, baby.”
At that moment my stomach growled and Beau chuckled.
“Well, seems like Jelly Bean’s telling me it’s time to eat.”
He rubbed a hand over my belly. “Didn’t you eat while you were out?”
“Of course,” I laughed. “But I’m extremely pregnant, babe. I’m hungry all the time.”
Beau smiled at me. “Well, do you want me to make you something?”
“Um, I love you, but no. Hate to break it to you, but you can’t cook worth a shit.”
He laughed out loud and said, “Well you got me there. Do you want me to go pick something up?”
“Hmm, let me think about what I want,” I answered.
As I was trying to decide there was a knock at the kitchen door.
“Hey, it’s just me,” Jude answered as he walked into the kitchen. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you two.”
“Oh, you’re never a bother Jude,” I told him, giving him a smile.
“Yeah, I only saw you less than thirty minutes ago, it’s been too long,” Beau joked.
Jude flipped him off. “Fuck you. I was on my way home and decided to stop by to see if Sadie was still here.”
I shook my head and said, “No, she’s not. She left about fifteen minutes ago and said she was going home.”
“Shit, I was hoping to catch her. She’s been having car trouble lately; the girl never listens to me and I keep bitching at her to take her car into the shop. I was going to give her a lift home.”
“Well, she should be there soon, you don’t live far from here,” I answered.
“Hey, Jude, can you do me a favor?” Beau asked him.
“Sure man, what’s up?” Jude asked.
“Danni’s hungry and I want to run and get her something to eat but I don’t want to leave her here alone.”
Jude nodded and sat in a chair across from me at the table.
“I’ll stay with her man, don’t worry about it.”
“Guys, I’ll be fine here for a few minutes by myself.”
“Danni, don’t argue. Just tell me what you want and I’ll go get it,” Beau said, laughing.
I sighed and looked at the two of them; it was pointless to argue. Beau was way overprotective of me and Jude was just plain stubborn.
“Fine, get me a banana split. The bigger the better.”
“Ice cream? That’s all you want?” he asked me.
“Yes, but I want to go into a diabetic coma from this thing. The biggest one you can buy.”
He smiled at me and kissed my lips.
“Whatever you want, it’s yours. I won’t be gone long.”
“You’re okay, Beau. Don’t get into an accident just to get me some ice cream.”
“I won’t. I love you,” he said, kissing me one more time before he stood up.
“If you feel uncomfortable at all or decide you want a cheeseburger or pizza instead of ice cream, you call me, okay?”
“I will, I promise. I love you too, now go!” I answered and he winked at me before he left.
“Stay here until I get back, Jude!” he called out.
I heard the door close and I turned to face Jude.
“So,” he asked, “Can I get you anything?”
I smiled. “No thank you Jude, I’m fine. How’s it been going with you? I feel like we never really talk much.”
Jude grinned and shrugged out of his jacket.
“Everything’s good. I’m just looking forward to this record being finished. Sadie’s been impossible to live with lately.”
“Oh? How so?”
“She’s a damn perfectionist. She will blare a song we recorded on repeat for hours on end convinced it’s missing something when it’s not.”
“Well, she’s the producer, Jude. It’s her job. This is what she loves to do, what she’s always dreamed of doing. Cut her some slack.”
“I’m trying, Danni, but I just wish she’d mellow out a bit. I wish I could convince her to take a day off and relax.”
I smiled to myself. I have a pretty good idea of what you could do that would relax her, I thought.
“Well good luck with that,” I answered.
“No shit.”
We sat at the kitchen table for several minutes chatting and catching up. He even reached out to feel the baby kick. I was laughing at some story
he was telling when his cell phone rang. He pressed it to his ear and the smile left his face.
“Hello? You’re what? What happened? Damn it, I told you to get it checked out. I was afraid this would happen. Did you call AAA? How long? Fuck! Sit tight and lock the doors, I’ll be there soon. I’m at Beau and Danni’s and he ran out to get something for Danni to eat. Okay, just sit tight. Later.” He toyed with his phone and sighed angrily. “Shit.”
“Everything all right?” I asked him, knowing already that it wasn’t.
“No, that was Sadie. Her car died in the middle of the fucking road.”
He tossed his phone down on the table with a hard thump.
“Well, go help her then,” I insisted, staring at him.
“I can’t leave you here, Danni. Beau asked me to stick around until he got back.”
“Well you can’t leave Sadie stranded in the cold either, Jude. It’s November and it’s below freezing out.”
Jude groaned and ran a big hand over the devil tattoo on the side of his head.
“I don’t know…”
I placed my hand on his and gave it a squeeze. “Please go help Sadie.”
“You sure you’re going to be okay here for a little while alone?” Jude asked, his eyebrows drawn together.
I hugged him around his torso and answered, “I’ll be fine, I promise. Beau shouldn’t be much longer.”
“I hate to leave you alone like this though,” he said.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay until he gets back?”
I rolled my eyes and smirked.
“Oh my God, Jude, go. I am okay, I swear. You can’t leave Sadie stranded on the side of the road. She’s your best friend’s sister! Seriously, I’ll be just fine.”
He sighed deeply, standing up from the table. After he pulled on his coat he looked at me one last time.
“You call me if you need anything, okay?”
I stood and waddled over to him.
“I will, I promise. Beau should seriously be back in just a few minutes.” I felt bad that he ran out to get me ice cream but that’s what I wanted so he wanted to make sure I got it. I really did have an amazing husband.
“All right, well at least sit down and put your feet up. This little girl will be here in a few days so get some rest while you can.”
Reckless Redemption: A Bad Blooded Rebel Novel (Bad Blooded Rebel Series) Page 22
