Charming Fiona

by Jessica Prince

  “Lola went into labor,” I answered, frantically searching the floor for my socks and shoes. “Grayson’s losing his mind. Fuck! Where are my goddamn boots?” I shouted, losing hold of my calm as my brother’s tortured voice echoed in my skull.

  Fiona was suddenly in front of me, her hands on my cheeks, forcing my face to hers. “Breathe, honey,” she instructed calmly. “It’s going to be okay.”

  I shook my head as best as her grip would let me, worry clenching my gut painfully. “It’s too soon,” I whispered. “She’s barely six months along.

  “And Lola’s a fighter,” she stated in a decisive tone. “There’s no way in hell that she’s going to let anything happen to her or that baby. And the doctors will take care of her. I promise, baby, it’s all going to be okay.”

  She let me go, bent to the floor, and retrieved my socks and boots that I’d kicked off after coming home hours before. I put them on, and we were out the door in a matter of minutes. She insisted on driving, knowing I was too racked with concern for Grayson and Lola to be careful on the icy roads.

  I kept her hand firmly in mine, needing the connection with her to keep me grounded while we made our way through the hospital to the waiting room we’d been directed to. When we stepped in, Grayson was there, pacing the floor like a caged lion while our parents stood in a tight huddle with Sophia and Dominic. All eyes came to us the minute we walked through the waiting room door, Grayson’s entire frame deflating in relief at the sight of me. Seeing that moved me in a way I’d never experienced. I let go of Fiona’s hand and, after a brief greeting with my folks, moved to my brother, slapping him on the back before pulling him into a brief hug that was no less meaningful despite it being short.

  When he finally pulled back, he looked ravaged. He shifted to Fiona and gave her an embrace before looking at me again. “Have you spoken to the doctor yet?”

  Grayson shook his head. “No, not yet. They kicked me out of the room because I was losing my goddamn mind and making everything worse.”

  I didn’t think there was ever a time in my life when I’d seen him at such a loss. Even though my relationship with Grayson had gotten better the past couple of years, it still wasn’t what I’d consider to be great. But at that very moment, I’d have given anything to take his pain away.

  “It’s going to be all right,” Fiona told him gently, giving him another hug. He held on to her like she was the only thing keeping him on his feet. In the past, seeing something like that would’ve set me off. Each familiar embrace, even when they were no longer together, was like a dagger to my heart. But just then I saw it for what it truly was: two friends comforting each other.

  Feeling utterly helpless once they broke apart, I asked him, “Is there anything I can do? What do you need? Just name it.”

  “Just….” He shook his head, struggling to find the words. “Can you just stay here?”

  Christ, he was killing me. “Absolutely.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Anything you need, I’m here.”

  Fiona glanced between us, and I noticed her eyes growing glassy with unshed tears. I was just about to ask if she was okay when she offered, “How about I get everyone coffee?”

  Grayson, still in a fog, simply nodded and turned his gaze to the window that led to the parking lot. I moved a few feet away with her, still making sure to keep my brother in my line of sight. “You need me to get anything else?” she asked in a quiet voice. Even with her obvious concern for Grayson and her fear for her friend, Fiona was trying to take care of the rest of us around her.

  I held her arms so she was facing me. “Are you okay?”

  She sniffled and cleared her throat. “I’m fine. It’s just that seeing him like that… it’s really hard.”

  “I know. I just….” I shook my head and squeezed my eyes closed as tightly as possibly. Finally opening them, I admitted on a whisper, “I don’t know what to do. Fee, how do I help him?”

  Her face crumpled as if she could feel my agony. Fiona wrapped her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek to my chest. “Just be here for him, baby. That’s all you can do.”

  “He’s never—” I choked as I tried to speak. “He’s never needed me before. I don’t know what to do.”

  She pulled back, holding my face in her hands and smiled up at me. “He’s your brother, Deac. He’s always needed you. And you need him. You’ve got this, honey.”

  I pulled her back in and held her tightly. “I love you.”

  “And I love you,” she exclaimed softly. “Around the world and back again.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Fiona

  I walked back into the waiting room, my hands laden with two coffee trays. Lola’s mom and her husband, Maury, had arrived while I was gone, and were standing with the Lockharts, Dominic, and Sophia. Deacon was still off to the side with Grayson, his hand resting on his brother’s back. Their heads were close, Grayson’s drooped in exhaustion and worry as Deacon spoke quietly to him.

  I didn’t want to interrupt, so I moved over to Sophia when she broke away to join me. “Hey.” I handed out coffees to anyone who wanted them and set the rest aside. “Any word?” I asked, turning my attention back to Soph.

  She shook her head. “No, but I hope we hear something soon. Grayson looks like he’s about to rip this place apart with his bare hands.”

  Glancing back over in that direction, I mumbled, “Yeah.”

  As if sensing my attention, Deacon looked back at me and offered a small grin before turning back to his brother.

  “So…,” Sophia hedged. “Things good between you two? You know, after your little thing at Sapphire?”

  It wasn’t the time or place, but I couldn’t stop from smiling. “Yeah, they're pretty terrific. I love him,” I admitted. Saying it out loud to someone other than Deacon made it feel even more real.

  “I’m happy for you, honey. You deserve it.”

  Daphne and Caleb blew into the room a few minutes later. Caleb moved to the guys while Daphne came to us girls. “Shit, sorry we took so long. We had to wait for Caleb’s mom to get to our place to watch Evie. Has there been any update?”

  Sophia had just opened her mouth to reply when a man in a white coat stepped through the doorway and asked, “Are you the family of Lola Lockhart?”

  Grayson immediately detached from Deacon and rushed to the doctor. “Yeah, I’m her husband. Is she okay? Is the baby all right?”

  The rest of us gathered behind him and waited for the news. My heart had lodged itself in my throat when Deacon stepped beside me and took my hand. My fingers clenched his as the doctor started talking.

  “They’re just fine.” A collective sigh swept through the room. “The baby is a stubborn little thing and wanted to come early, but Mom is just as stubborn about keeping the little one in there longer.”

  “That’s the Abbatelli genetics running strong,” Dominic joked, making most everyone around us laugh.

  “We managed to stop the contractions, but we’re going to keep her for a day or two to make sure they don’t start up again. Once she leaves here, I’m writing her a prescription for Terbutaline. It’ll keep her from going back into preterm labor. I’m also recommending bed rest until it looks like we’ve gotten things under control. She can get up and move around, but nothing strenuous, and not for more than an hour or two total each day. With the medication and rest, I’m confident we can keep the little one where it belongs for the next few months.”

  “Can I see her?” Grayson asked.

  “Yes. Since you’re the husband, you’ll be allowed to stay over with her, but visiting hours are over for tonight, so we’re asking everyone else to wait until tomorrow.”

  Deacon’s fingers tightened for a few seconds before his grip loosened again. Grayson barely managed a wave over his shoulder as he hurried after the doctor, desperate to get to his wife. After a few minutes, everyone started out, but Deacon and I were stopped by his parents before we made it out of the waiting room.

/>   Cybil stood on her tiptoes and kissed Deacon’s cheek before doing the same to me. “I’m so glad this night turned out okay.”

  “We are too,” Deacon replied, swinging an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to his side.

  The claiming gesture wasn’t lost on Cybil, and her lips stretched into a huge grin. “So, I take it this means it didn’t work out with the pediatric surgeon?”

  I went stiff at her question. I’d completely forgotten about that particular lie until that very moment. When Deacon’s body started to shake, I glanced up and saw he was trying to hide his chuckle. We hadn’t talked about it since that night he brought it up in my office.

  “Yep. You could take it that way,” he answered for me.

  Jabbing my elbow in his side, I glared up at him when he looked down at me.

  “Well, I just have to say this makes me so happy,” Cybil continued, unable to hide her elation. Her eyes flitted back to her son as she asked him, “Does this mean you’ll actually attend our Christmas Eve party next week?”

  Deacon let out a groan and stared up at the ceiling, as though searching for divine intervention.

  I attended the Lockharts’ annual Christmas Eve party every year I was able, and for the past few years Deacon had been visibly absent. Apparently Cybil wasn’t above using our relationship to get what she wanted from her son. And from what Nolan said next, it was clear that he wasn’t above it either.

  “Of course he will, honey. Fiona attends every year, and now that they’re together, he’ll be her date.”

  A giggle erupted from my throat at the frustrated look on Deacon’s face.

  “Yeah, Mom. We’ll be there,” he finally relented, unable to deny his mother something she so badly wanted. Even though I didn’t really understand the distance between him and his father, he was still loyal to a fault. It was just one of the many reasons why I loved him.

  Cybil clapped, her expression like she’d just been told that she won the lottery. “That’s just marvelous! Oh I can’t wait. This is so wonderful. Sweetheart, just wait until I call your mother.”

  Ah hell. Sometimes my mom being best friends with Cybil Lockhart was a major pain in my ass.

  “You can call Evelyn and gossip like a bunch of hens later, but right now I need to get Fee home. It’s the middle of the night, and she’s got work in only a few hours.”

  He was back to being bossy Deacon, but instead of annoying the shit out of me, it made me feel nice and floaty because I knew that was just his way of trying to take care of me. And the truth was I was pretty freaking exhausted. It was already after three in the morning, and the past several hours had been insanely intense. I leaned into him, burrowing into the warm comfort of his body while thinking that there was no other place I’d rather be than by him side.

  “Of course, of course,” Cybil chirped. “We won’t keep you two a second longer.”

  I gave her another hug, then embraced Nolan. Deacon said his goodbyes and we were on our way out.

  As soon as we climbed into his car, I let out a sleepy yawn and rested my head against the passenger window. “I can’t wait to get home. I’m beat.”

  Feeling his eyes on me and noticing that he hadn’t started the car, I lifted my head and looked his way. He was watching me closely, his eyes shining with pleasure through the darkness in the cab. “What?”

  “You said ‘home.’”

  “Huh?”

  “You just said you couldn’t wait to get home. Not that you couldn’t wait to get back to my house.”

  My brow furrowed in confusion because that seemed to mean something to him, I just didn’t understand why. “Okay…?”

  He turned his whole upper body my way. “Baby, I’m seeing that you don’t get why this is so important, so let me lay it out. You just called my place home. To me that means you’re not only comfortable there, but it’s a place you want to be. Can you see why that’d mean so fucking much to me?”

  When he explained it like that, I totally got it, and I absolutely loved that. “I’m guessing you like that?”

  Deacon leaned in, placing a hand behind my head to pull me closer. With his forehead against mine, he whispered meaningfully, “Yeah, baby. I like that a whole fucking lot.”

  I smiled wide, staring him right in the eyes as I breathed, “Good.”

  His hand in my hair clenched. “Christ,” he grunted. “I didn’t think it was possible to love you any goddamn more than I already do, but you just keep proving me wrong.”

  My breath caught in my chest. “I really like that.”

  One corner of his mouth quirked up in a smirk as he replied, “Good.”

  “And I love you too, honey.”

  He finally pulled back and straightened in his seat, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Well thank God for that. At least I know I won’t have to compete with that fake doctor to win your affections.”

  My face immediately fell into a severe frown. “Jerk. How did you even know?”

  Deacon twisted the key in the ignition and started the car up as he answered. “You forget, I know you better than you know yourself. It was written all over your face when your girls made that whole thing up on the fly.”

  Slumping back in the seat, I crossed my arms over my chest and faced the windshield to pout. “Sometimes you knowing me so well is a real pain in the ass, you know that?”

  His deep, rich laughter filled the car as he put it in gear and started out of the parking lot. “Maybe for you. For me, it’s pretty damn handy.”

  I rolled my eyes at the windshield and grumbled, “Will you shut up and take me home already?”

  Deacon’s laugh shrank to a soft chuckle that was no less attractive than his full laugh. Then he proceeded to make me all melty by saying, “Anything for you, sweetheart.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Fiona

  Things at work were crazy thanks to the fact that our offices were closing for the upcoming holiday. We were all in a mad dash to get everything finished in time so we could enjoy the break without any stress. Unfortunately that meant our stress the two weeks before was at an all-time high.

  I’d been pulling so many late nights that I couldn’t keep my hours straight. Each night I left, drove to Deacon’s, and then proceeded to crash wherever I lay my head down. The only thing that had kept me going the past week was the fact that I had the world’s best boyfriend. He rubbed my feet when I complained about them aching. He had dinner prepared and waiting for me each night when I got home, because he knew I’d been so wrapped up that I’d completely forgotten to eat. Even on the nights that he was still at the bar when I got home, he’d made sure to leave a note telling me where he’d stashed the leftovers. There was even one night when Deacon led me into the master bathroom after lighting a bunch of candles and filling the tub with a nice, hit bubble bath. He ordered me to strip and climb in, and then he disappeared. When he returned, it was with a glass of wine.

  The bath was so relaxing, so heavenly, that I ended up falling asleep in the tub. Deacon found me like that before the water had a chance to go cold. He got me out and ready for bed. A few minutes later, I was out like a light, curled snuggly against him in bed.

  I couldn’t remember a time in my life where I’d ever been so content. Even my relationship with Grayson hadn’t been this blissful, because there was still the underlying pain of having lost Deacon. Now I felt like I had everything. It used to be that I’d wake up each morning with my mind intent on nothing but work, so consumed with my job that it was all that mattered. This past week I’d found myself doing something I hadn’t done once since starting at Prentice Fashion: counting the hours until I could leave and go home to my man.

  “Fiona, you still with me?”

  Todd’s voice yanked me out of my daydream about how well Deacon wore a pair of jeans. “Sorry. Spaced for a second.” Picking up my pen, I quickly scribbled my signature on the order forms Todd had brought in ten minutes before. Once finished, I pressed m
y fingertips into my temples to alleviate the dull ache building in my skull.

  Todd had been standing next to the chair I was sitting in, leaning over my desk, so the overwhelming stench of his cologne was only making my growing headache worse. At the feel of his hand on my back, my head shot up and turned his way to find that he had moved his attention from the documents he was going over to me. “You okay? You’re looking a little tense.”

  I shifted to remove his hand and offered a bland smile. “I’m fine. Just tired. It’s been a madhouse around here. I’m ready for a vacation.”

  He stood from his hunched position, and I briefly hoped that meant he’d gotten everything he needed and was going to leave. Todd, however, seemed to have other ideas. Instead of moving to the door, he turned, resting his back end on the edge of my desk and crossing his ankles like he was getting comfortable. It was obvious that he was settling in to stay a while, something I did not need. Especially considering he’d sat close enough to encroach on my personal space. “You and me both. You got any big plans for Christmas vacation?”

  As discreetly as possible, I scooted my chair a few inches to the side as I answered, “Oh, you know, typical family stuff. I’m basically just hoping to relax for a few days.”

  Todd crossed him arms over his chest as he smiled down at me with that I-know-I’m-good-looking-and-you-should-want-a-piece-of-this grin. “I know what you mean. You know, if you find yourself without plans one night, I’d really love to take you out for a drink. I’ve been hearing about this new place that’s supposed to be awesome—”

  I was saved from having to shoot him down again by a knock on my office door.

  “Come in,” I called out a little too enthusiastically. The door opened, and I instantly smiled at the sight of Deacon. That was, until I caught him looking between me and Todd with a dark, unhappy expression on his face.

  “Hey, honey,” I chirped, standing quickly in an effort to put some space between me and Todd, and his Axe body spray. “This is a surprise,” I continued as I rounded my desk and headed his way. Once there, I placed my hands on his chest and lifted to my tiptoes for a quick kiss. It wasn’t nearly enough, but just seeing him worked wonders on easing some of my stress.