by Jerry Cole
I locked the house and headed back to bed. Something played on the TV, but Hayden was sleeping peacefully. It was night and day compared to last night. I changed into sleep shorts, climbing into bed to look him over.
“I love you,” I whispered, kissing his head gently. Curling up on my pillow, I realized that I was awake again. I turned to look at the TV, sighing as I watched the end of a movie that we both loved.
Chapter Twenty
Hayden
“You weren’t kidding when you said Gram’s friends went to town, were you?” I asked, looking over the food in the fridge that was stacked neatly in containers.
“No. They’re over the top, but we have guests every day for lunch and dinner.” Gray smiled, turning to look at me from the desk that we had against the wall. He wasn’t usually here, so I felt stressed and unfocused. It was also the entire situation.
“That’s true. Ava is blowing through a lot of it.” I smiled, pouring another cup of coffee as he gazed at me. It had been four days since I came home, and I was feeling so much better. “Thanks for everything you’ve done the last few days.”
“I love taking care of you,” Gray assured me, watching as he sipped the steaming liquid.
“I feel like a burden. I know you have work to do.” I wandered over to the couch, sitting down gently before placing the cup on the table in front of me.
“I am a pro. I can do this shit in my sleep,” Gray grinned as he chuckled. “How are you with staying home?”
“I’ve caught up on some shows. That’s good. I’ve slept a lot.” I shrugged. “I’ve spent a lot of time with family, and you.”
“That has been great.” I couldn’t argue that point. I loved being with him. I just didn’t know how to balance everything.
“Are you sure?” I asked, and Gray’s smile faded.
“Yeah.”
“You look stressed out and tired. This isn’t us, being home together like this. I can see it’s getting to you.” I launched right in, picking apart the way he’d been acting this week.
“What’s getting to me is the fact that you could’ve died. I almost lost you, Hayden.” His voice rose as he stood to walk over to me.
“You didn’t. I’m fine. I’m here.” I stared at him, watching as a tear slipped down his cheek.
“I’m sorry. I’m doing the best I can,” Gray dropped beside me, and I wrapped an arm around him.
“I feel like I’m interrupting everything. You normally work while I’m at the theater. We have our time together after that when it feels like we’ve both been productive.” I sighed. “I’m not doing anything right now.”
“You’re healing,” Gray insisted. “Every day, you’re getting better. Every day, I try to forget about it more.”
“I thought that after the restaurant. You were closest to the car.” It hit me that I was terrified after that incident. We had Vivian to worry about, so we continued as if nothing happened to us. In reality, Gray saved my life. He was willing to give up his own life for me that day.
“You did?” He asked, and I nodded.
“You pushed me out of the way, knowing you might get hit.”
“I love you. Of course, I saved you. I just wasn’t there to help you in the car.” His eyes darkened, and I leaned in to kiss him.
“You couldn’t have done anything that day. It happened the way it happened. I’m getting better, and I’ll get a new car.” I shrugged. “We’re good.”
“I wish we could get married sooner. I want you to be my husband as soon as possible.” I stared at Gray.
“What about the beach and the resort?” I asked as he dropped his head back.
“I don’t know. I just wanted to marry you the second I walked into that hospital room,” Gray admitted, smiling.
“Well, I suppose we could. Would Ava be ready to be a flower girl?” I mused as he laughed.
“No. We’ll wait. I just love you,” Gray told me, leaning in to kiss me.
I was home for just over another week. We were with family most of the day as they checked in on me, but I loved it at night when we were alone. I was healed from the pain and finally flexible enough for sex. We both agreed after the first night that going without it for any amount of time bothered both of us.
The morning I went back to work, I hugged Gray for an extra-long amount of time. “I miss you already.”
“I’ll be here when you get home. We can go to dinner and avoid the Tupperware in our fridge.” I laughed, and he kissed me again. I left the apartment, and I felt the void immediately.
It was nice to see everyone at the theater again. They crowded around me, hugging me, and clapping me on the back. I checked to make sure that everything was in one piece and that we still had an audience for the upcoming plays. There were already bookings for a wedding in two months, and a few people toured the theater with interest.
‘You’ve made us even more successful. Hayden.” Helen grinned as I caught up on the computer in the office.
“My friends had the idea first. I blame them.” I smiled and checked the sales for the month. “Nice. I think the open house upped the numbers.”
“It did. People learned about us that way, as crazy as that idea is. Who doesn’t know there’s a historical theater in their neighborhood?” Helen shook her head as I laughed.
“Helen, there are people that prefer movie theaters or Efflux.” I gave her a serious look, and she shuddered.
“Blasphemy.”
We worked through the day, making sure the schedule was set up for the next few months, including the Sundays that we were leaving open for events. The fee for having something at the theater was enough that we’d make up the difference, but not so much that people wouldn’t be able to afford us. We worked out a package deal with the caterer and bar service that increased with the number of people attending. Everyone would make something from it, and we had business partners this way.
I left just after five to head home, finding my man dressed in black slacks and a steel gray button-up shirt. “If we weren’t already engaged, I’d think you were going to propose to me.” I winked before kissing him.
“Get dressed. We’re going on a real date after everything that’s been going on. Fine dining, my love.” He kissed me, slapping my ass as I made my way to the bedroom. I already wore slacks to work, slipping on a white button-up and my new Docs. I looked at Gray’s crocodile shoes, chuckling as I pulled him to me for another kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you.” He pulled me to his car, driving into the city as I looked around. “We’re going to do something different tonight.”
“How so?” I asked, gazing at him. He smiled and kept driving, finally parking in a large lot on a popular part of the city.
“The needle?” I asked as he laughed.
“We’ve never been. I thought it would be nice.” He shot me a curious look, and I nodded, kissing the corner of his mouth. “I chose a better restaurant.”
“I can’t wait.” We got out of the car, joining the crowd that was headed to the top. I looked up, seeing how high the glass structure was and thanking God that I wasn’t scared of heights. We got in the elevator, and I watched as it rose above the city, teasing us with the view we’d have at dinner.
We were seated as the sun was setting. I looked at the postcard-perfect view before smiling at Gray. “Good timing.”
“I thought so.” We ordered drinks and looked over the menu, ready to order when the waitress returned. I ordered the broiled salmon and Gray the skewers, along with an appetizer. We took in the darkening sky quietly as the tables filled around us, sipping cocktails. “This is gorgeous. Why have we never been here?”
“It’s too local. You don’t think about things like this when you live here.” I shrugged, watching as the city lights reflected on the large body of water. “I love this city. Do you want to stay here? I know you moved for Gram.”
“I did, but I knew I enjoyed it here. I visited her, and she’s always live
d in Washington. I just moved for college and work after that. I think I always knew I’d be back.” He smiled at me. “You?”
“Becca and I made it ours from day one. I love living here.” I grinned, remembering our pact. “I’m not shocked at all that Mari moved here.” I gazed at him. “I don’t want to live away from them if it can be helped. She’s my family.”
“I have two close family members living in the city that I don’t want to leave. We have the perfect set up.” Gray reached across to cover my hand. “My home is where you are, Hay.”
“And mine yours.” We held hands for a moment, only parting when the entrees arrived, along with the appetizer. The seasonal flatbread was incredible, and our dinners were delicious. Between the food and the stunning view, I never wanted to leave.
We did leave after a leisurely meal, riding the elevator down to the car. “What now?” I asked, slipping my hand into his.
“I kind of thought we could go home and make love.” Gray looked at me with so much love that I felt my knees weaken. “I love you, Hayden. I know that I almost lost you, and I’ll never take you for granted.”
“You never did before that,” I assured him, moving to him for a soft kiss.
We headed home, unlocking our door. I walked in after Gray. He dropped the keys on the counter, turning to stride over to me for a hard kiss. There was no tenderness in it, yet still so much love. I tilted my head, allowing him to deepen it. I wanted Gray as much as he wanted me.
We kissed until we were both breathless, finally stumbling back to the bedroom. I dropped to the bed first, tugging him over to me with his shirt. I pulled it loose from his pants as we kissed, feeling his hard cock press against mine. I arched into him, hearing him moan as I dragged my hands over his muscled back, feeling his teeth pull at my lower lip.
He moved with me, kissing me as I moaned. I ripped his pants down, arching up to do the same to mine. There were only two thin layers of cotton between us, and I reached around to his ass to pull him closer. We moved together until we were both close to release before Gray pulled away. He fell back, regaining his composure before stripping me. “I need to taste you.”
Within seconds, his mouth was wrapped around my cock, bobbing up and down as I gripped his hair. It was getting longer, sexier. I came in his mouth too fast, dropping back in exhaustion. “Lay back against the pillows.” I scooted back to the pillows, watching as he dropped his pants. Gray moved forward, sliding into my mouth as his cock hit the back of my throat.
I moaned as he slowly fucked my mouth, allowing me time to adjust. “I’m going to fill you, Hayden. I’m going to fill you, and then you’re going to fuck me hard.”
“Yes,” I replied, moving with him, needing his release. My cock was hard again, needing to be inside of him. I tightened my mouth, urging him to move faster with my hands on his ass. He let out a low groan, thrusting hard as my head was forced back onto the pillow.
When he came, I felt his hand on me and cried out. “Need to be inside of you.” He turned to offer me his ass, nearly falling over. I reached into the drawer for lube, jerkily covering my cock before squirting it on his ass. I gripped his hips, driving myself inside of him as he cried out. “I love you,” I breathed as I moved, watching him grip the sheets. I moved hard, first slow then fast.
I came a moment later, falling over him as I sucked in my breath. We toppled to our sides, gasping for air. “We’re not moving for the rest of the night.”
“Nope,” I replied, closing my eyes. “That was epic.”
“Perfect date night,” Gray said as we smiled at each other. We fell asleep there, naked with clothes all over the place. We didn’t care.
Chapter Twenty-One
Gray
It was back to normal in the house all too soon. I worked the days that Hayden was gone aside from taking care of Gram and Ava if needed. The girls still worked opposite shifts, so one of them would be home with her. I covered if Becca needed to get anything done that was complicated with a toddler.
Other than that, I worked. Hayden got a new schedule that included Friday and Monday off, with Sundays depending on if they had an event or not. He offered to help with the planning, even extending that to being there.
“You’re a perfectionist,” I teased him over dinner the Saturday before their first wedding. It was smaller and easy to plan, but he was going in for a portion of it.
“I am. I’m also the manager,” he reminded me, grinning. “I know she could do it on her own, but I just need to know it goes well. This is the future of the theater, so that a good review would be better than a bad one.”
“You'll be off for dinner. Right?” I asked as he leaned in for a kiss.
“Always.”
I did some work while he was gone for three hours, arriving at Gram’s house in his work clothes. “How was it?” I asked as he gave us all a thumbs up.
“It went perfectly. The catering was flawless, even though it was a small crowd. Everything was great when I left, and the party should end around seven. They’re leaving for their honeymoon tonight.” He smiled, and Becca hugged him. “We have a side business, Becca.”
“Is the planner happy with the job?” She asked as he nodded.
“That’s great news,” Gram said as she set a pot roast on the table alongside a massive plate of veggies. There was another plate piled high with rolls, and a fruit salad besides that. “Help yourselves.”
We sat around the small apartment, eating heartily. Ava even shoved bite after bite into her mouth, making her mom’s smile. Jackson and Amy curled up on the couch after dinner, holding hands as they talked close together.
“What are you hiding over there?” I asked as Amy blushed.
“Um…it’s early yet, but I’m…pregnant.” Her face turned red as Becca and Mari screamed, scaring Ava. Gram stared at her and Jackson with tears in her eyes. Becca hugged Ava before they rushed the couple to take turns squeezing Amy.
“Hey. She’s pregnant,” Jackson said as the girls laughed.
“We can hug her. Nothing will happen,” Mari told him, hugging his wife again. “When are you due?”
“Late March,” she told us as Jackson grabbed her hand. “It’s early, but I can’t keep it from you. I feel great, so things should be fine.”
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” Becca asked, and the couple looked at each other.
“I want healthy. The rest of it doesn’t matter.” Jackson said before he kissed her as she giggled.
“That baby will be gorgeous.” Gram gushed as Amy blushed again. “With your dark hair, Jackson and both of your eyes being blue. I can’t wait to have two grandbabies.”
Becca and Mari looked at each other with tears in their eyes. “You guys do know she’s thought of Ava that way since day one, right?” I asked as Mari wiped her eyes.
“Of course. It just makes it official.” Becca looked around at us. “We couldn’t ask for a better family.”
We talked about what they planned to do to the house, and Amy told us that she wanted to know what the baby was before any serious decorating. They would find out in around three months, and Mari declared that she was going to have the best baby shower in the world. Her and Becca had something small and quick, but with the adoption being so sudden, it had to be that way.
“I only have a few friends here. Who’s going to come?” Amy asked as Becca raised a brow.
“People came to your wedding.” She gave Amy a look that dared her to argue, and the blonde sighed.
“There’s no stopping you, is there?” Amy asked, and the girls shook their heads.
Amy was tired early, and they headed home so she could get some rest. The girls left with Ava next so that she could have a bath before bed.
“Do you want a baby?” Gram asked us as I looked at Hayden.
“I’ve been so focused on work and everything going on. I think so,” he answered as our eyes locked. “Being around Ava has been fun, and now there will be a newborn.”
“I agree. I’d like to think about it down the line.” I said, holding his hand. “We’re going to plan a wedding for now, and see what happens.”
We made our way home once Gram was ready for bed, holding hands. “Another baby,” I mused as I dropped my keys on the counter.
“Do you want one?” Hayden asked me as I smiled.
“I think I do.”
We went to bed, making love as we discussed our future. This Christmas would be Ava’s first Christmas as a toddler, and the following one, we’d be married, and there would be a new baby. “It’s crazy,” Hayden said as he reached for the water we brought back with us.
“It’s perfect. Shit. They’ll have the baby around our wedding. They can fly, right?” I asked as Hayden chuckled.
“Yes, they can fly. The other passengers might not like it, but babies sleep a lot on planes,” Hayden told me as I raised a brow. “You’ve never flown with a baby?”
“I don’t know. I guess not.” I shrugged as he laughed.
“It probably won’t be ideal at all times with a baby and a toddler, but everyone will be there,” Hayden’s eyes shimmered, and I pulled him close. “It’s going to be perfect.”
“It is Hay. I can’t wait to marry you.” I kissed him, pulling his naked body against mine.
“I love you.”
Things seemed to pick up around the building. We both worked, and the girls worked while balancing watching Ava. I noticed that Jackson traveled less now, staying near Amy. He was cautious with her as the pregnancy went forward, making her roll her eyes at us when he couldn’t see her face. She had a hard time keeping up with work but asked to keep the job when Jackson offered to hire someone else. Amy assured him that she would get the work done in between resting.
She couldn’t stand the idea of not working. Amy liked keeping busy, doing too much for a part-time position when she wasn’t exhausted in pregnancy. Jackson always told her that she did too much and looked a little smug now.
Ava was growing fast, looking a lot like her mom. She had dark blonde curls with blue eyes, and sadly, I could see Ryan in her expressions. I wondered how the fuck that happened when he was so focused on Hayden. I didn’t fault the man for his choice in partners, but it seemed like he was deceptive. In my opinion, people could sleep with anyone they chose to as long as nobody got hurt. The hurt in this situation came full circle, and the girls still knew nothing about that.
