“Sorry, baby. You’re not crazy. I promise.”
Gage leaned over and kissed her, to which my uncle yelled out, “Get a room!”
“They already did, Uncle Rich. It’s why she’s so big, in case you didn’t notice,” I sassed.
“Watch your mouth now, Jen-Jen the Engine.”
“Not that dumb name again, ugh!” I whined and whipped my gaze to Aiden, hoping he hadn’t heard.
Aiden smirked and mouthed, Jen-Jen. Shit.
I was about to say something snotty, but Gage brought the attention back to me. “Well, clearly you’re too shy or modest to tell everyone, but Cyn and I are officially going to give half the bar to Jenna.”
Joel clapped and shouted, “Holy shit! That’s awesome! Congrats, J-Money!” I looked at Joel and his eyes warmed. I worried for a second he was pissed about it, but there was nothing like anger in his eyes. Just like everyone else, he wanted all of us to be happy and succeed.
My uncle and grandpa nodded in approval. “Our girl’s gonna need a good job to get through science school in a couple years, so this is truly a gift, Cynthia.”
My grandpa stood and hugged her. “Thank you for being a part of our family.”
I almost felt like I was going to cry. Then Aiden kicked me under the table.
I looked up at him, and he said, “You have a booger in your nose.”
“No! I don’t!” I panicked and grabbed a napkin to try and get it. “Is it gone?”
“I was just teasing. You looked like you were about to lose it there for a second, and emotional Jen-Jen isn’t someone I want to deal with.” His words said one thing, but his expression spoke another. We both knew what he was doing, and I appreciated it more than I could say.
“Jerk.” He knew I didn’t mean it, and I was incredibly thankful for his distraction. I was about to freak out, and he gave me an out.
“Jenna, it is seriously awesome, though. You deserve it and will be great at it.” His gray eyes had all sorts of emotions in them. The chemistry was still there, but…something else was, too. I saw it, and hell, I felt it, too.
“Thank you.” I smiled, and his face softened as we stared at each other. It wasn’t until Gage clinked his glass for us all to hold up our drinks that we stopped.
“To Jenna. The most badass bitch I know.”
“To Jenna,” echoed around the room, and I blushed.
“Knock it off, guys.”
They all laughed but knew to stop embarrassing me. I put my head in my hands, shielding myself. They were my world, but I hated attention.
Suddenly, Aiden stood and ran toward the door. I followed him with my gaze and saw him helping Mike into the diner. If my heart had any shot of protecting itself, it was shattered when Aiden brought him over to join our table.
“As soon as I realized we were coming here, I called to see if he could take the shuttle. They agreed!” Aiden was smiling at Mike and introduced him to everyone at the table.
Everyone said hello and acted like it was no big deal for another person to join. It was what I loved about them; they accepted everyone and anyone no matter what.
My uncle shook his hand, and they spoke for a few minutes before Mike took the chair next to us at the end.
“You having a good Thanksgiving, Mike?” I asked.
“I am now, doll. Glad I can join you.”
“Anytime. We meet here for Christmas, too, so if you don’t have plans, you’re more than welcome to join us.”
His eyes softened, and he grabbed my hand in his weak one and squeezed.
Aiden and I were talking to Mike about our last big project when Cyn stood. “I just wanted to say I am thankful for everyone at this table. This is going to be the last holiday without our little one here. I know we’ve welcomed some newbies to our ragtag table, but I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving!”
We all cheered and then finished eating.
It wasn’t until we were in the middle of pie when Cyn let out a shriek. “Fuck!”
“What is it, love?” Gage dropped his fork and leaned over to her. “Are you okay? Talk to me.”
She didn’t answer but squeezed her eyes tight. Her fist went around Gage’s wrist, and he let out a string of curses. “Baby.”
“Another cramp? Ride it out. Let’s breathe,” Gage said softly. We all watched, waiting, wanting to help or do something.
“Baby,” she said, breathing in and out. Her eyes were still closed, and Gage’s widened. He froze, his face masked in terror for five solid seconds.
“It’s coming?”
She nodded and arched over in pain. “Hospital.”
“Oh my God!” Gage jumped up and looked at all of us in pure panic.
“Get your ass out of here!” my grandpa yelled at them.
“We’re having a fucking baby! Meet us at the hospital, everyone!” Gage helped Cyn up as we all sat there, unable to move.
Then, as if someone snapped us back to life, we all started to scramble.
My grandpa and uncle threw bills on the table and said a quick goodbye to Miles. “How are we going to get there? We don’t have time to walk back!”
“Ride with me, guys.” Joel stood and looked back at me. “You have another way there, J? I can’t fit you all.”
“Shit! I don’t have my bike.” I stood and looked around, hoping an answer would come to me.
“I’ll drive her there. Go on.” Aiden looked at him, and they nodded at each other before Joel took off. He turned to me and shrugged. “If it’s okay, we just have to drop off Mike first.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to.” I grabbed my purse and double-checked the amount of money they threw on the table. They left a thirty-dollar tip, and I smiled. They called themselves cheapskates, but they sure tipped well.
“I want to. Please,” Aiden said without room for argument.
“No, no, no. You two go. I’ll wait for the shuttle. This is a happy day for your friends, Jenna. You need to be there. I’ll be fine,” Mike reassured us.
Shocking the shit out of us both, Miles walked toward our end of the table and put his hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “I’ll wait here with him, Aiden. Go with Jenna.”
Aiden gave his brother a slap on the back. “Thanks, man. I owe you.”
“No, you don’t at all. This is not an inconvenience.”
“Bye, guys!” I waved.
We took off running toward the frat house, and thankfully, I was wearing my Chucks and not boots. Aiden, clearly in way better shape, beat me to the house and had already backed out of the drive when I got there.
“They just texted me. They’re at Northern,” I said, out of breath. My heart raced in an excitement I’d never felt before. Cyn was having her baby. Fuck. My goddaughter or godson.
“Sweet. Easy enough drive,” Aiden replied, holding down the fort, the calm to my pandemonium.
“Thanks for driving. I don’t think I could handle it.” My nerves were shot to hell.
“I know, Jen-Jen. It’s why I offered. This is a huge day for you. You get to meet your godchild.”
“Holy shit. I can’t believe it. I feel like this is the happiest day of my life.” I pinched my nose, the sting in my eyes unpreventable.
He smiled and grabbed my hand, keeping it in his lap the whole ride there. I never once thought about removing it.
We ran into the hospital and asked what floor she was on. It wasn’t too far a ride, but I was shaking in the elevator. Aiden put his arms around me, and I instantly felt better. His body protected mine from the emotions I wasn’t quite ready to handle.
“I’ve never held a newborn before, let alone a baby. Have you?”
He rested his head on top of mine and answered softly, “Nope.”
“She’s perfectly healthy, and the baby is perfectly healthy. It should all go fine.” I repeated it a couple times, and Aiden ran his hand down my arm. Whatever barriers used to be there were long gone
. His touch now seemed to be the only thing calming me down, and I welcomed it.
“Relax, Jenna. Everything will be okay.” His voice was kind and assertive.
“It’s so hard, though.” My words trembled.
“You’ll be your normal badass self. I know you will.”
The doors opened, and everybody sat in the waiting room, talking loudly. Cyn’s parents were there, Gage’s sister, my grandpa and uncle, and Joel. If anyone thought it was weird Aiden was there, no one questioned it. We all hugged or shook hands. Some people clapped or talked excitedly, but I remained silent.
They gave us updates as soon as we sat down.
“She’s at five centimeters dilated and hooked up to the drugs, so she’s not in pain. Gage is back there with her now. Once she hits eight, we’re heading back. We’re giving them the privacy they need right now,” Cyn’s mom announced to us all. She was amazing under pressure. I could see where Cyn got it from because, hell, I wasn’t even related to Cyn by blood, and I was freaking out.
“Okay, good. Phew.” I nodded, reassured.
Aiden led me to a chair, where we waited for eight long hours. She was still at five centimeters and could be there for days. I had fallen asleep briefly on Aiden’s shoulder but was beginning to crash. It was past midnight.
Gage walked out, and we all perked up, hoping for good news. “Hey, guys. I can’t tell you what it means to see you all here. But I’m ordering you all to go home. Get some sleep. You can come back first thing in the morning, but at this rate, she may still be in labor.”
We all stretched and prepared to leave, but Gage called me over. His dark eyes cringed when I approached. “Jenna, we’re going to need to ask a huge favor of you, and you aren’t going to like it.”
“Anything. It doesn’t matter what it is.” My stomach dropped, unsure what he could ask. I meant what I said, though. I would do anything.
“You’re the best. We need you to open and run the bar tomorrow.” He winced.
“Of course. No problem. I know how everything runs.” Work. I could distract myself with work. I mentally sighed in relief.
“Great. You’ll have to go in early.” He squeezed my shoulder.
“Then she better push out her offspring so I don’t miss it.”
He gave me a small smile, and I knew what he was going to say. “I hope you don’t miss it, but if she doesn’t have it by then, we still need you to run the bar. It’s the busiest day of the year because the mall’s right there and it’s Black Friday.”
“Shit. I know, Gage. I want to be here so bad, but of course I’ll run it.” I would rather cut off my left arm than let either of them down. If they wanted me running the bar, then I would. If they wanted me to dance naked on the roof, then I’d do it, too. It didn’t matter what I needed or wanted. It was about them and their newborn.
“I knew we could count on you, but as soon as she has it, we’ll send Joel and Maggie over so you can come and meet your godchild. The other reason we’re having you go first is you’re the only one who knows how to set up, run it, and do inventory.”
“I know. I’m not mad in the slightest.” I wasn’t. My job was to make their life easier, and I would meet my godchild when the time came.
“Here are the keys, just in case, but we’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ll bring breakfast.”
He laughed and pulled me into a huge bear hug. I hugged him back for ten seconds and then went to find Aiden waiting for me by the elevator.
“Hey.” I couldn’t explain how thankful I was to see him. His presence turned out to be comforting, and I craved it. I couldn’t remember exactly when it began.
“Hey, yourself.” He gave me his signature half smile, and I wanted to poke his dimple with my finger. I knew I was sleep deprived when I accidentally asked him if I could put a Skittle in it.
“You know, I’ve never tried, but we can later if you want.” He chuckled.
“I want.” We walked into the elevator, and I practically collapsed onto him. “I can’t believe you waited here with me this whole time. You’re such a trouper.”
“No biggie.” He ran his free hand up and down my arm, sending goose bumps all over my body.
“The things I put you through.” I ran my hands through my hair. “I wanted you to meet my family, not spend an entire day with them, almost witness a birth, and then let me sleep on you.”
He smiled at me warmly but didn’t reply. His arm tightened around me, and we walked to his car. He opened the door for me and even made sure I buckled myself in. It was sweet, and Aiden was not someone you would normally call sweet.
“This has been the most exciting day ever.” I spoke as Aiden hopped into his side of the car. His scent overtook the space, a combination of cologne and sweat and pure Aiden.
“I would have to agree with you, shorty. I’ll never forget it.” He took my hand again and this time kept it on my lap. His heat poured off him, and I closed my eyes for just a second. Then I passed out.
I woke up surrounded by blankets which weren’t mine. I felt someone stir next to me and knew it was Aiden by his smell.
“Aiden?” I whispered, snuggling deeper into the comforter.
“Hmm?” His rough voice sounded sexy as hell.
“Am I in your bed again?” My eyes remained closed. It was pitch-black outside.
“Yes.”
“Why am I here?” I had no plans to leave, but I was desperate to know why. He could’ve woken me, taken me to my apartment, or, hell, let me sleep in the car.
“I needed you here.”
“Okay.” I smiled into the pillow, and he pulled me into his arms.
It wasn’t how I ever imagined my Thanksgiving would end, yet it was somehow perfect.
Chapter 26
My Life Turned Into a Hallmark Card-Aiden
“MORNING.” Jenna’s raspy voice woke me. Not the worst way to wake up, despite my raging hard-on.
“Hey, how you doing?” I asked as she untangled her legs from mine. I wanted to grab her and force her to stay in bed, but I didn’t want to push it
“Tired as hell, but good. I need to shower and get back to the hospital. What time is it?”
I checked my phone and ignored the texts from Miles. “Seven.”
She yawned and sat up. She had no makeup on her face, her hair was in every direction, and she’d never looked more beautiful. It was startling.
“You look good this morning.”
She brushed her hand over my leg and squeezed my calf, but she didn’t respond. She wiped her eyes with her hands and stood. “Thank you for everything yesterday. I really appreciate you being there for me. I needed a friend, bad.”
“Anytime. I should thank you again for including me and my brother.” I ignored her friend comment completely. “Do you want a ride over to the hospital? I have no problem dropping you off or staying with you.”
“I’m probably just going to take the moped. I can only stay for two hours before going to open the bar. I hate I may miss the birth, but I understand why I have to.”
“You able to handle it?” She rolled her eyes, so I backtracked. “You know what I meant. Of course you can handle managing the bar, but it was my way of asking if you need any help.”
“I think we’ll be okay, but if you want to stop by sometime this afternoon, I’ll let you know.”
“I’ll plan on it.” I stood and walked over. She smiled warmly, and I hugged her. A full body-squeezing hug for a solid minute. “I’ll see you later, okay? Let me know if Cyn has her baby. Just send me a quick text.”
“Will do.”
She pulled away and headed out. My room felt empty without her there.
I planned out my morning so I was able to stop by the bar in the afternoon to help her out.
I went to the gym for an hour and made sure to have my phone on me, but no word from Jenna. I still hadn’t responded to Miles’s text yet.
Although yesterday was a huge breakthrough for us, there were still years of resentment plaguing our relationship.
The doorbell rang, and I opened it to see Miles there. Again. Without warning. At least he looked like a normal person in jeans and a sweatshirt this time.
“Hey, Aiden. You busy?”
“Would it matter? Second time in two days. This is a record for you.” There was no heat to my words this time, just good-natured ribbing.
He chuckled but didn’t look offended. “If you would’ve responded to my texts, you would’ve known I was coming over.”
I cringed. “Sorry, I know we talked yesterday, but this is new for me. Us getting along.”
“I know, and I’m partially to blame. I just…needed to tell you I…Fuck, I don’t know. I’m impressed with you.”
“Uh, thank you?” I hated how I questioned everything he said. Our family didn’t give compliments without a secret agenda.
“No, I know you may not believe me, brother, but I talked with Mike for an hour yesterday before the shuttle came. Shit, the guy hated me.”
I laughed because Mike was loyal as hell, and this made me love him even more. “Yeah, sorry about that. I vented to him more than once about my life, so he knows quite a lot.”
“I know he does. He let me have an earful, a couple times, and it upset me. This man knows you better than I do. I felt ashamed of myself.”
“Jesus. What is happening?” I said more to myself than him.
Miles sat on the couch and ran his hands over his face, a gesture I surely picked up from him. I saw the stress around his eyes, took in the dark circles and sadness.
“Miles, I need to man up and talk to Dad about my problems with his plan for me. It’s all on me, but you’re not my father. You’re my brother, and I’d love it if we could have a relationship which didn’t involve him. Could you do that?”
“Yes.”
We shared a rare smile. It was another huge step for us, and I wanted to tell Jenna about it but also didn’t want to intrude on her family time.
Let Life Happen Page 18
