And on and on and on. Until Bethany's whimpers come through the monitor. He springs out of bed, tossing the sheets over me in the process and runs into her room to soothe her cries.
Staring at the screen, I watch as he lifts her from her crib, walks over to the rocking chair his parents gave us, the one Margoret used to rock her boys in, and gently rocks her until her cries soften.
"Don't worry, sweetie. Daddy's here." His voice is soft, soothing unlike it was ten seconds ago when he was ranting about the world and everyone in it. "I've got you. There's no need to be scared. Whatever it is, Daddy will take care of it."
Of course Daddy will. No matter what he says, he's going to protect her with everything inside him. She'll never have to fight her own battles, not with Hunter around. Boys… they better just keep their distance. I have a feeling no one will be good enough for his baby girl.
At least that's how things look right now. I know his fears will settle, change, and evolve into other fears over time. He'll be afraid to let her walk, then run, then ride a bike. We'll conquer every fear he has, and mine, and hers. Together. As a family.
I watch as Hunter rocks Bethany until they both fall asleep. Crawling out of bed, I silently creep into her nursery, lift her from his arms, and place her back in her crib. Neither of them stirs. Staring at my husband, I decide not to wake him. He's insisted on getting up with her the last few nights when she's cried, and he needs his rest.
As I lie in bed alone, I think about all that's changed over the last few weeks. Months, even.
Outside our house, our friends and family are growing up, creating lives together. Tyler and Angela finally got married. Emerson and Ryder are engaged. Justine found her soulmate. Megan redeemed herself in the eyes of almost everyone she hurt and has moved on in her life.
Then there's my father, who not only got the help he desperately needed but may have found someone to share his life with. That, for me, is the biggest accomplishment.
Love is all around us.
Right now, it fills our house. Our home.
Even Vanessa is making strides. In her personal life and family life. Since giving birth to Bethany, her parents have changed their tune. They want to meet their grand-baby. To know her. To be a part of her life. They've apologized to Vanessa for the way they acted, for shutting her out.
She's not ready to forgive them just yet, but she's on her way. She's waiting for the adoption papers to come through so they don't try anything. I think she realizes how scared we are that this won't happen. Bethany is technically hers until those papers are finalized. Anything could change between now and then, and I'm holding my breath, hoping it doesn't.
With school starting again for her in a few weeks, she's been spending as much time as she can on campus during the day, getting caught up on the semester she missed. She was telling me about the friends she made at the library the other day. She was talking about one of them in particular, and I noticed the gleam in her eyes.
A guy.
I pressed her for more, and she willingly obliged.
He's older, twenty-two. In his last year at the university. Studying engineering. He plans to go to grad school after, here in town.
Based on everything she's told me about him, it sounds like he's a good person with a great head on his shoulders. And, according to Vanessa, he's gorgeous.
It's only been four days since they met, and she’s already asked if she could have him over for dinner next week. She wants us to meet him and for him to meet Bethany.
Yep, she told him about her. About everything.
Her situation. What happened with her last boyfriend. The adoption plan.
I'm pretty certain she was trying to scare him off at first. It obviously backfired on her, and now she's smitten. For her sake, I hope it works out. I've seen people fall in love before. It's beautiful to watch.
Now, if Hunter doesn't scare him off, he might have a chance. He's taken to thinking of Vanessa as his daughter as well. He cares for her. Not because she's given us the baby we've always wanted, but because she needed someone too. She needed a father figure to help get her through the depth of her situation.
He was that person for her, and if she ever needs someone again, he'll be there for her.
"What are you in here smiling about?"
Looking up, I find my husband standing in our doorway, leaning against the frame, watching me.
"You," I remark, pulling the covers back and patting his empty spot on the bed.
"I knew I liked that look for a reason."
And just like that, my strong, sexy husband is on the prowl. He may need sleep, but he's not going to get any for the next few hours.
Chapter Twenty-Four
"What am I looking at here?" I ask Emerson as she slides the oversized paper across the table at me.
Girls’ night has turned into wedding planning night. Emerson brought a file folder filled with things for us to talk about. They're not getting married for thirteen months, yet if they wanted to, they could probably make it happen in the next few weeks.
"Guest list and seating chart," she says, practically crawling on top of the table to point to the handwritten title at the top of the page.
"Okay. What did you want me to look for?"
"Just look at your table. Are you okay with that arrangement?"
Emerson and Ryder are planning a 'small' wedding. After seeing how intimate and cozy our vow renewal was, she decided to downsize things a little. By a little, I mean very little.
Her idea of intimate includes close to two hundred guests. They've secured a huge barn for the reception and the adjoining meadow for the ceremony. It's going to be gorgeous as long as the weather holds out. You never know what you're going to get when summer begins to fade and fall is on the brink.
Rain? Maybe.
Sunshine? Possibly.
Inclement weather? Probably.
She's taking her chances with an outdoor wedding that time of year. I just hope she has a good backup plan. Knowing Emerson, she has more than one.
Scanning the tables for my name, I look around at who I'm sitting with.
There's me. Herman and Margoret. Megan, Vinnie and Amara.
And then I see it.
Allison and date.
"Where's my husband supposed to sit?" I ask, not wanting to point out my discomfort.
"He'll be at the head table with the rest of the wedding party."
Ah, yes.
Her 'small' wedding includes three bridesmaids and three groomsmen. Justine, Angela, and Emerson's sister, Mallory, are standing up for Em. Tyler, Hunter, and Devon are standing up for Ryder.
Do I say something before Ally gets here, or do I play it cool and hope she changes the seating chart? It could happen.
Actually, I don't really care that much. It's more than a year from now, and as long as she plays nice, there won't be a problem. Plus, Megan will be there to moderate if need be. And who in their right mind would act like an idiot in front of the owners of the company they work for? Herman's presence alone should do the trick.
"Looks good to me," I say, sliding the paper back toward her.
"What looks good?" Ally asks, appearing out of nowhere. "What did I miss?"
Megan begins laughing and pointing at Allison. "Have you looked in the mirror?"
Ally, taken back my Megan's reaction, begins rummaging through her purse. When she turns her head, that's when I notice what Megan's laughing about.
She has a hickey. A giant one on the side of her neck. When you look at her from the front, you don't notice it, probably why she didn't see it in the mirror when she put her makeup on.
Speaking of her makeup, it doesn't seem as polished as it normally is. Kind of like she put it on and then rubbed her face against a pillow. Her eyeliner is smeared at the corners of her eyes, and her lipstick is faded.
Her hairs a bit of a mess too. She has it pulled into a ponytail high on her head, a look I've only seen on her one other
time. She normally wears it down, either in loose curls or straight as a board.
Taking the time to give her a complete once-over while she fights with Megan about her appearance, still unaware of her hickey, the pieces of the puzzle start to come together.
She’s sporting an ‘I had sex and lost track of time’ look.
"What's his name?" I ask loudly, interrupting her and Megan.
Slowly turning in her chair to give me her full attention, there's a look of utter shock on Ally's face. "What?"
"His. Name. The one who gave you the giant hickey you didn't notice. The reason you look like you just crawled out of bed after rolling around for a quickie. The guy you're obviously sleeping with but not telling anyone about."
"Uh…"
The entire table is silent while we wait for Ally to answer, only she's not talking. She's staring at the reflection of her hickey in the tiny compact mirror she found in her purse.
"You met someone?" Megan finally asks, taking the mirror from Ally's hand.
"Yeah. It's no big deal."
Leaning closer, I hear Megan say. "You never sleep with them. This is a big deal, and you know it."
Well, that's news to me. As much as Ally dates, I assumed she took them home from time to time. I mean, a girl has needs. Sure, she can fulfill them herself, but that's not nearly as much fun as the alternative.
I don't miss those days at all.
Dating.
Apparently Ally and I have more in common than I thought. Before Hunter, I dated a lot of guys. We'd go out a few times, and then, when the third or fourth date rolled around, they would all assume it was their lucky night. They'd put in the effort and were going to get laid.
It didn't matter that we weren't in love. It wasn't about love. It was just about sex. Getting your rocks off. Adding a notch to your bedpost.
That's not the way I operate. I had two sexual partners before I met Hunter. One, my long-time high school boyfriend. After two and a half years together, I finally lost my virginity to him. We split up six months later when we went off to college in different states. The other was the first guy I dated in college. We were on and off for over a year, and once he finally got what he wanted, we ended up splitting for good.
So when I met Hunter, I made him wait. A long time. Even though I knew he was the one and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Because I may have known that, but I had no idea if he felt the same way. He acted like he did, but so did the other two at times.
Nine months into our relationship, I broke. We had traveled to the brink and pulled back so many times. I wasn't willing to wait another minute. Thankfully, it was worth the wait. That night and every night since then.
"Fine. I met someone. He's nice. We're seeing each other, but I'm not ready to talk about it," Ally states firmly, snatching the mirror back from Megan and throwing it in her purse. "Can we please change the subject?"
"Sure," Emerson says, drawing the word out. "Where's Justine?"
Megan and I rode over together. Angela and Emerson arrived a few minutes after us. We've been waiting on Justine and Ally for close to an hour. Ally's here, but there's still no word from Justine.
"Is she back in town yet?" Ally asks.
"I didn't know she left town." Emerson sounds confused. "When we left the office Friday, she said she was going to be here tonight. She never mentioned she was going out of town. Where did she go?"
Ally shrugs her shoulders and excuses herself. I watch as she weaves through the tables and heads to the back corner of the bar and down the hall to the bathrooms. This is my chance to talk to her.
As soon as she's out of sight, I excuse myself as well.
Closing the bathroom door, I look under the stall doors to make sure we're alone before locking it behind me. The sound of the lock sliding into place echoes off the walls.
"Hello?" Ally says, her voice filled with concern.
"It's just me."
"Shit, Brianna. You scared me." Ally flushes the toilet and appears moments later, walking over to the sink and turning on the faucet to wash her hands. "Why the hell did you lock the door?"
"Well, there are a few things we need to discuss, and I didn't want anyone interrupting us."
Ally freezes, looks up at me in the reflection of the mirror, and her eyes grow wide.
"How did you find out?"
"I've already talked to Helen. She refused to confess to everything, but I know she's your source. I'm the reason the rumor mill has been silent for the last few weeks. I promised I wouldn't expose her if she promised to keep her mouth shut and her observations to herself. Now, I'm going to offer you the same deal. If you're interested, that is."
Laying it all out there, I watch as a sense of relief washes over Allison's face. Not the reaction I was expecting. In fact, it's the opposite of how I thought she would react to her network of drama being shut down.
"Sure, no problem," she agrees quickly.
"No, that was too easy. I need you to admit Helen was your source. That she's the one that gave you all the rumors to spread around the office because, as much as I want to believe that you're not really the mastermind, I still can't fathom why Helen would start all of this."
Ally relaxes her back against the counter and crosses her arms over her chest. She's smiling at me. Proud of herself.
"Helen fed me information. She'd slip it in with daily messages or leave me notes in my desk drawer for me to find first thing in the morning. On very rare occasions, she calls me at home like the night we got back from the Bahamas and she left me a message about you spying on Hunter. That was a funny one, by the way. Not really your style.
"Anyway, I'd do what I wanted with the info. Sometimes I'd spin it and share it, other times, I'd keep it just for myself. Insurance for later on. You know, in case I needed a favor from people. Some of the info she'd give me was crap. No one cares that Kimmie was late and looked hung over. Or that Macie was caught making out with a security guard in the stairwell. People only wanted the juicy stuff, so I gave them what they wanted.
"When she slipped me info on you and Hunter, that your marriage was on the rocks, I almost kept that to myself. It wasn't until I found your ring on Megan's porch that there was any potential truth to it. I sat on it for days and days, and then I told one person. That's all it takes. It's a chain reaction. The trick is not to tell the same person every time."
Why is she telling me all this? All I wanted was confirmation that things would stop, that the rumors would end, and she's giving me every detail of their operation. There has to be a reason.
"So I'll stop spreading rumors. No problem. They were starting to bore me anyway. But I can't promise that other people won't stop. Helen wasn't the only person feeding me info. She has the best gossip, but there are a few that see just as much as she does."
Ally smirks at me, obviously proud of herself, as she walks to the door. Slapping my hand on it, I keep her from opening it.
"Why?"
"Why, what? Why spread rumors?"
"No. Why did you just tell me all that? What are you hiding?"
Her face falls, but she quickly recovers. And just as she's about to say something, her phone rings inside her purse. She makes no move to answer it, so I reach into her purse to retrieve it for her.
She tries to fight me off, to take her phone from me, but I'm stronger than she is. When I flip it over, her every move, every intention, her entire story to distract me from her current physical state all become perfectly clear.
Zane.
"Please tell me he's not the reason you look like this," I say, turning her phone so she can see his face smiling at her.
"What do you care?"
"He's one of Hunter's best friends. I've known him for more than a decade. I've earned the right to care."
Anger seethes through my veins. At Ally, mostly, but at Zane as well. Hunter warned him to stay away, and he didn't listen.
"He's a big boy. He can make his own decis
ions."
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I make my position known.
"Zane is family. You know how we feel about family. If you hurt him, you'll be the one outcast, not him. But before it even gets that far, you two need to come clean because my husband, as amazing and caring as he is, detests being lied to. By not telling him, both of you are lying to him. Fess up before it's too late. I promise the alternative is not something you want to deal with."
I walk out of the bathroom, leaving Ally to decide whether or not she's going to heed my advice.
As we sit at the table, talking about Emerson's wedding, pondering where Justine might be, and laughing like fools, I can't help but wonder what the next chapter will bring for each of us.
For me… my next chapter is here. Bethany.
For Emerson… a wedding.
For Angela… maybe she and Tyler will start a family soon.
For Megan… she's already started her chapter as well. Moving in with Vinnie was a big step for her.
For Ally… hopefully there's some truth in hers, whatever her future holds.
Thank you for reading the Rumors series. I hope you enjoyed Brianna & Hunter’s story. If so, here’s what you can do next.
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The final rumor…
Did you enjoy Brianna & Hunter’s story? If so, check out the FINAL book in the Rumors series. The series comes to a conclusion September 20th with Allison and Zane at the center of all the rumors… or are they?
“Like wildfire, rumors are easy to spread… and hard to extinguish.”
Rumors: Brianna & Hunter Page 16
