by Andre, Bella
“It’s great to meet you. I’m Nicola. And from what I can see, Jackie, Smith, and Emma have found their new BFF.” She leaned over to give baby Logan a kiss before snapping some pictures of him, too. “I don’t know how much more of this my hormones can take.”
Megan shot Sophie and Chloe a quick look before saying, “Are you and Marcus thinking of getting pregnant?”
“I know we only just got married and I’m in the middle of a tour, but...” She looked back at the children all energetically playing their little instruments. “Every time I’m with you guys, I find myself thinking more and more about having kids. Plus,” she said as her eyes got all dreamy, “Marcus is going to be an amazing father.”
The women all nodded, with Sophie saying, “The best.”
“I know there’s no rush,” Nicola said, “but I don’t know if there’s any reason to wait, either.”
“You’ve got great instincts. You’ll know when it’s right for you,” Megan said.
“Or maybe one day you’ll just wake up pregnant like I did,” Sophie said with a laugh.
A woman who was nearly a carbon copy of Sophie walked up just then and said, “You didn’t exactly just wake up pregnant. I believe there was some wild sex during a one-night stand with a really hot guy first.”
“Meet my twin, Lori,” Sophie said to Grace. And then to her sister, “This is Grace.”
“Ohh, you’re gorgeous,” Lori said. “No wonder Dylan is gaga over you.”
“Lori and Summer share a lot of the same qualities,” Megan said with a grin.
Grace knew she had two choices: Either feel overwhelmed by Dylan’s family and bolt…or roll with it and just have fun. After little more than a week with Dylan, she knew exactly what the right answer was.
Fun.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Lori.” Grace nodded toward the group of kids. “The toddler whaling on the drums over there is my son, Mason.”
“Seriously, the two of you are perfect. Double-no-wonder my cousin is head over heels. Dylan is great with kids, isn’t he?”
“He’s certainly amazing with Mason.”
“Dylan is only five years older than me and Soph, but when we were kids, he would come up with the most fun games. And,” Lori added with a nod toward her twin sister, “he was usually the only one who could get her to stop crying.”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “I was only crying because you were so loud all the time that you made my head hurt. Still are,” she added with a smile. “Dylan’s awesome with Smith and Jackie, too. Definitely right up there on their favorite-uncle list.”
Just then, the lights started flashing. “Mia must be here!” Lori declared in a loud stage whisper, even though there was no point in trying to conceal themselves with the kids making so much noise.
“I’m so glad you could drop by the set today, Mia,” they heard Tatiana say in a voice made deliberately loud enough to carry to everyone. “How was your honeymoon?”
“It was a week of sex and sleep on repeat with great food and plenty of tequila mixed in. What could be better? I feel like I could tackle pretty much anything now.”
Grace’s parents weren’t prudes by any means, but she hadn’t grown up with the subject of sexuality spoken about so freely, nor had a group of girlfriends who shared details. The thing was, instead of feeling uncomfortable about it, she found that she really liked it.
Why shouldn’t sexuality be something to celebrate?
Lord knew she and Dylan had celebrated it last night over the phone...
“Oh good,” Tatiana’s voice carried over, “I’m glad you’re not too tired, because…SURPRISE!”
They all called out the word a beat after Tatiana, and Mia looked truly stunned. “Oh my God, how did you pull this together without me finding out? I can’t believe it. You guys have just made my amazing week even better!” She hugged one person after another as tears spilled down her cheeks. “I’m so glad all of you are here. Ford and I really wanted everyone at the wedding, but—”
“Ford is so famous and such a magnet for paparazzi and fans that you did exactly what you needed to do,” Nicola said before Mia could apologize for anything. “And I, for one, think your surprise wedding at your parents’ house sounds like the most romantic thing ever.”
“Me, too,” said a woman with a long dark braid over her shoulder whom Grace hadn’t yet met. “In fact, Zach and I are thinking of stealing the idea from you two.”
“Ryan said the same thing,” a blond woman said with a smile.
“But I love big splashy weddings,” Mia exclaimed. “And I really want to go to both of yours.”
Laughing along with everyone else, a woman whom Grace instantly recognized from her shopping trip earlier in the week as the owner of Indulgence said, “That’s why we’re having a big splashy reverse bachelorette party for you today.”
Seattle had seemed so big, and she’d been so busy holed up with her computer and baby, that Grace hadn’t been sure she’d ever really meet any women with whom she could connect. But now, all because of Dylan, she finally felt like all the pieces of her life that had been ripped apart were coming back together. Not only because she was finally letting herself relearn the pleasure of being part of a couple, but because these women were rounding out the other part of her life that had been so lacking since she’d left her friends behind a year and a half ago.
Grace had often wondered if starting over had been the right choice. Now, it looked like it was. Like she could leave her past behind and finally move on…into a new life that was so far beyond her wildest dreams that she knew she’d be pinching herself for a really long time, just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
* * *
A little while later, Mason half-walked, half-crawled over from the group of children and reached for her. “Are you tired from all the playing, sweetie?” she asked as she lifted him into her arms. Compared to Megan’s new baby, who had felt so small and light, Mason was an armful. One she never got tired of holding.
He laid his head on her shoulder and put a thumb into his mouth by way of an answer. She figured he’d probably take a little nap in her arms and then wake up starving. They could share a piece of Mia’s delicious vanilla and raspberry cake, Grace decided.
She thought she saw a couple of camera flashes in her direction and assumed it must be Nicola still taking pictures as Mia moved beside her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I am, too. And I have to tell you, again, just how beautiful your wedding was. The best I’ve ever been to.”
“The tabloids are freaking out about how we could possibly have gotten married without anyone knowing about it,” Mia said, clearly happy about thwarting the paparazzi. “And since we were having sex twenty-four seven and didn’t come out of our suite in Hawaii, they couldn’t get any shots there, either.”
“I can’t imagine how hard that must be.”
“It’s not always fun. But if pushy journalists are the worst thing that comes with being with Ford, I’ll take it.” Grinning, she said, “Speaking of awesome journalists, Ford and I both read a bunch of your work in Hawaii. You’re really a great writer.” Before Grace could thank her, she asked, “How’s the story about my brother going?”
“It’s getting closer.” At least, she hoped it was, given that her editor needed to see something soon. “We’re going sailing a week from this Sunday when he gets back from Australia. He’s convinced that will put the missing pieces into place.”
Mia raised her eyebrows. “He never takes the women he’s seeing out on his boats.” Dylan’s sister looked extremely pleased by this information. “That’s how I knew he was never serious about any of them. Because he never wanted to share the most important part of himself with a woman until now.” She smiled at Grace. “Until you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
All the next week, though the demands of his round-the-clock racing and the time difference meant that Grace and Dylan had continued to miss connecting over the pho
ne, she still felt happier than she could ever remember being. Even the fact that Mason had been fussier than usual, because yet another new tooth was working to push through his gums, wasn’t dimming the goofy smile she’d been wearing.
Ever since she’d realized that she was in love with Dylan, her work on the cover story had begun to flow. Better, at least, than before. The challenge now was for Grace to write about him without her piece sounding like a love story—something she was struggling with enough that she’d continued to hold off on sending her editor anything yet—especially given all the sweet surprises he’d sent her and Mason during the week he’d been away.
On Monday, she’d come home to find a package with Mason’s name on it waiting on her doorstep. Inside was a brightly colored toy sailboat, perfect for bath time. Mason absolutely loved splashing around with the boat, and something told her she had a little sailor on her hands. To celebrate Mason’s new tooth. Give the little guy a kiss for me. Love, Dylan was all the note that came in the box said, but it spoke volumes to Grace about the amazing bond that Dylan already had with Mason.
Tuesday, another package came, this one filled with homemade chocolate-chip cookies and chocolate truffles. For extra writing inspiration, my mother’s homemade cookies and Brooke’s truffles. Love, Dylan. She was beyond touched that he’d remembered her saying that chocolate always helped her with writer’s block.
On Wednesday, she received a call from a nearby theater letting her know that there were two tickets waiting for her and Mason for a children’s concert that she’d wanted to attend but that had been sold out for ages. Of course, they were the best seats in the house, and Mason had positively glowed with happiness as he baby-danced and clapped to the fun songs.
Thursday, she opened a beautifully wrapped package to find the silkiest, sexiest lingerie imaginable. His note—To replace the pair I tore off. Love, Dylan—made her feel hot and tingly all over.
And on Friday, in a thin overnight mail package, was one small piece of paper that said I love you in his strong, steady handwriting. Grace knew it would always be one of the most precious things she would ever receive.
Each of his surprises had been thoughtful and loving. But the best gift of all was knowing Dylan would be back today…and she couldn’t wait to finally tell him that she loved him.
They’d agreed to take things slow, and at first she’d believed that would keep her safe from falling too fast, and too hard, for Dylan. But no rational plans could keep her heart on the slow-and-safe track when all it wanted to do was somersaults and cartwheels whenever he was near. Especially when he was kissing her and running his big, strong hands over her naked curves so that she was coming apart for him again and again.
Everything was finally falling into place.
All because of love.
As she put away the toys strewn across the living room carpet that Mason had tired of now that he was ready for his nap, she felt a heightened awareness of the way her sundress brushed over her curves. After chatting with Colbie at Mia’s party, she’d learned that Indulgence was having yet another sale and, of course, hadn’t had to have her arm twisted to stop by on her way home. She couldn’t wait to see Dylan’s face, first when he saw her in the new sundress…and then when he stripped her out of it and saw that she was wearing the lingerie he’d sent her.
It wasn’t easy to stuff down her heady anticipation, but after she put Mason down for his nap, she needed to make some seriously good use of the next couple of hours on another small article that was due soon, in addition to the one she was writing about Dylan. She picked Mason up, and with her free hand, she clicked open the digital calendar on her phone to reconfirm her deadlines.
But when she looked at the dates, her stomach suddenly dropped.
Her period was supposed to have started the week before…and she was never late. In fact, the only time she’d ever missed it was when she’d been pregnant with Mason.
Grace didn’t realize her hold had tightened on her son until he started whining and pushing at her arms. She looked away from the dates on her phone to Mason’s upset face.
Nine months from now, was he going to be a big brother?
Joy and amazement hit her first at the thought of another baby. Dylan’s baby. One who was sure to be a fearless and free spirit with a ready laugh, just like him.
But barely sixty seconds later, fear clawed into her system. So much fear that it edged the joy right out.
Mason began to squirm in earnest, desperately in need of a nap after the previous night when he’d awakened every couple of hours crying and gnawing on anything he could shove against his gums. But she needed to know immediately whether or not she was pregnant before Dylan came home from his sail.
Would she soon be the mother of two illegitimate children? Oh God...
The very last place Mason wanted to go was into his stroller, and both of them were sweaty and red-faced by the time she clicked the buckles in place. It was never easy to get the stroller down the small flight of stairs from her apartment, but when he was wailing and trying to get out, it felt nearly impossible. But she had to get to the store, couldn’t wait through his nap and then a night with Dylan with the possibility of pregnancy hanging over her.
Was it just yesterday that she had been walking down this same street, enjoying people watching and window shopping, feeling as if her life might finally be heading down the right track? Now, she didn’t notice the sun sparkling off the blue water, didn’t see pretty dresses in store windows or crave the fruit at the corner stand.
Grace had never forgotten this feeling of having her life change abruptly from one moment to the next. Ten years ago it had happened when her mother had passed away. Two years ago it had happened again when her father had died. Six months after that, it had been when she’d learned she was going to become a mother. And then, just weeks ago, she’d looked at Dylan for the first time and felt that same jolt of awareness that told her nothing would ever be the same.
Now, shockingly, there was a very strong possibility that everything was going to change again.
Grace all but ran down the sidewalk with Mason. She knew she needed to calm down, buy the test, and wait to see what the results were before she freaked herself out any more than she already had. But she was too tired, too stunned, to stop the what-if’s and how-could-I’s that were already spinning around and around in her head.
When she broke the news to Dylan, would he look at her with the same disgust and horror that Richard had? What if he thought this was what she did—find rich men to seduce and then “accidentally” get pregnant?
No. She wasn’t making sense. She knew better than to compare Dylan with Richard. But with everything twisting up inside of her, she couldn’t seem to stop the crazy thoughts from coming.
A gray-haired man held the pharmacy door open for her, and when she thanked him, her voice sounded thick and hoarse, as if she’d been crying. The chain store had the same layout as the one where she’d purchased the pregnancy tests back East, so she quickly wheeled to the correct aisle and picked up two new tests, the same brand that she’d used before. Feeling like her life had somehow gotten stuck on repeat, she took them up to the counter to pay.
When the woman at the register looked at the tests and then down at Mason, who had fallen asleep in his stroller, she beamed at Grace. “I had mine close together, too, and it was an absolute godsend! They were best friends, always there for each other, even now.”
Grace knew better than to trust her voice again, so she simply nodded and fumbled for the cash in her purse, then left the store as quickly as she’d come. But the stranger’s words had rent her utterly in two. Because, for as frightening and life-changing as it would be to have another baby in nine months, she could also see how amazing it would be for her son to have a sibling so close to his age. After all, look at Dylan and his brothers and sister, who were all so wonderfully close.
Grace was extra careful not to wake Mason as she ca
rried him and his stroller up the stairs, but his eyes opened the moment she got inside. For the next thirty minutes, she tried everything she could think of to get him to fall back to sleep. Not only because she knew he still desperately needed the rest, but because the clock was ticking down and Dylan would be knocking on her door soon.
Finally, he lay peacefully in his crib, his breathing slow and steady as he cuddled his blanket and stuffed animal close.
It will be okay, she told herself as she took a moment to watch him sleep. Everything will work out, one way or another.
Grace closed the bedroom door with a soft click and was just about to pick up the plastic bag containing the pregnancy test when there was a knock on the door.
Oh no, Dylan was early! She quickly brushed her hands over her face and hair, even though she knew he’d take one look at her and instantly know something was wrong.
Working to draw from her newfound confidence, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that no matter what happened from here on out, she’d proved that she and Mason would be okay. They would not only survive, they’d thrive.
Without looking through the security glass, she opened the door. “You’re earl—”
Her words fell away as she realized she wasn’t speaking to Dylan.
“Hello, Grace.” Richard Bentley smiled at her without so much as a shred of guilt or remorse. “I’m here for my son.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Grace had played out this scenario a thousand times during the past ten months. Each time she’d thought about what would happen if Richard changed his mind about not wanting Mason, fear had skittered up her spine. But now that he was really here, all she felt was anger. Such deep fury that he’d dare to come and claim the son he’d walked away from without so much as blinking that she nearly slammed the door in his face.
But she knew she needed to think clearly, needed to make sure she learned exactly why he’d had a supposed change of heart, so that she could bolster her fight to keep her son from him. And she also needed to keep him physically as far from Mason as possible.
