by Tia Siren
“I love you. Since we’ve said this to each other, do we still have to go through with this double date?” Ryan asked me with a frown.
“Probably. We need to see Lucy, and it’s a package deal for now,” I told him. He nodded slowly. “Let’s get through it and see what happens.”
CHAPTER 25
Ryan
I looked at my dad sitting with Elle on our couch as I went over the instructions. I was worried about leaving her alone with him, or anybody for that matter. She was only a couple months old and so tiny. What if something happened?
“There’s plenty of milk in the fridge for her. She should eat in about an hour and a half, and right now she is eating about two ounces at a time. Warm it with some hot water from the sink. Just run the bottle under it so it’s not too cold for her tummy. Beyond that, she sleeps a lot and makes really cute faces.”
“We’re only going to dinner, Ryan. If anything happens, we will be in town and can come right back. It isn’t a big deal,” Brea said from beside me as I looked down at Elle. “Come on. We’re meeting them.”
“She is going to be fine,” Dad assured me, and I sighed. “I’m just going to sit here and talk to her about life and what we have to look forward to. When she sleeps, I’ll keep her close to me. I will keep her safe.”
“We know. Just text or call if you need anything at all.” Now I heard the worry in Brea’s voice, and I looked at her. We walked out of the house and into the garage, and I helped her into the car.
“You look pretty,” I told her as we pulled out. Brea had chosen a light green sundress that hung down above her knees and had straps that brushed over her shoulders. She had paired it with some heeled sandals. She looked great after having the baby, and I eyed her large breasts as I stopped at the end of the driveway.
“Thanks. I’m surprised it fits,” Brea admitted, and I chuckled. “I guess the walks on the beach and the nursing are doing the trick.”
“You’re young and you were healthy during the pregnancy. You are now, but no matter what, you’ll always be beautiful to me,” I said. She shook her head.
“You know just what to say,” Brea said, and I smiled at her. We headed to a seafood restaurant, and I parked as I looked around for Lewis’s flashy red sports car.
“Great. He’s here,” I muttered. Brea looked at me with concern.
“Come on,” she said as she slipped out of the seat and waited for me. I joined her and took her hand as we walked to the building. Lucy was standing up and waving to us. Brea pulled me forward and gave her friend a hug. Lucy hugged me afterward, thanking me for coming before she pulled away and sat beside Lewis. I took my seat and nodded at him as Lucy asked about Elle and they started talking.
The girls were great together, but Lewis and I struggled with what to say. It was small talk, and several times throughout the process of ordering, I watched him look at Brea with a hunger in his eyes that was pissing me off.
“She looks good for just having a baby. Really good,” Lewis told me softly, and I glared at him.
Lucy turned her head sharply, catching the glint in his eyes. “You are a fucking pig. I knew you weren’t the boyfriend type, but Jesus. You’re ogling my best friend, who just had a baby with your best friend. I’m glad I finally see the light bulb that everyone else has.” Lucy pushed back from the table and turned to leave, a full plate and a drink still in front of her.
Brea stared at him before she stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. She turned to follow Lucy, and I glared at Lewis as he shrugged. “Women.”
“You can’t talk about my girlfriend that way. You can’t talk about the mother of my child like that. What the fuck is wrong with you?” I stared at my former best friend, seeing him for who he really was. “I was your closest friend and you look at Brea like that. You treat my cousin like shit.”
“What happened to bros before hoes?” Lewis asked. I shook my head in disgust. “You’re going to kick my ass over a girl? That’s what this sounds like.”
I stood and looked at the table covered with plates and drinks for a moment. “I have to get out there and be with the people who actually belong in my life. I trust you’ll handle the bill. You have plenty of money.” I left and walked outside, chuckling when I saw that Lucy was already talking to a brunet guy and laughing at something he said while Brea sat on a bench, looking at her phone.
I glanced at my cousin and walked over to Bree before sitting down and taking her hand. “I’m sorry about that. He shouldn’t be allowed to talk to you that way, and he’ll never do it again.”
“It’s not your fault he’s an asshole,” Brea told me as she looked up. “Where is he?”
“I left him inside with the bill. How about we go grab some food elsewhere and then go back to the house?” I asked, and she smiled at me. “Do you think Lucy will want to go? How did she meet a guy running away from her date like that?”
“They bumped into each other and she’s Lucy. I think he’s an artist too or something,” Brea looked over at them. “Lucy?”
My cousin glanced over and brought the guy along with her. “Guys, this is Preston. Preston, this is my cousin Ryan and my best friend, Brea.”
Preston smiled politely at both of us as he shook our hands. He was more into Lucy than he was either of us, and I liked him better than Lewis already. “Great to meet you.”
“So, since we abandoned our dinners in there, I was thinking we could go get some food. There’s a great diner on the corner,” I suggested. Lucy laughed, and Preston shot her a curious look.
“I trust the bill is being handled?” Lucy asked, and I smirked and nodded. “Let’s go.” She glanced at Preston and asked if he wanted to join us, and he nodded with an easy grin. I could see that he was smitten with her already.
We got into my car and I drove to the diner, where we got a booth and all ordered shakes and waters. We got to know Preston, who was an artist and owned a small gallery. I thought it was a match made in heaven. We ordered burgers and fries and laughed as we all got to know each other. He laughed when he found out that Lucy’s best friend and cousin were together with a baby, and he said the right things about Elle.
We finished, and I looked at Brea with a smile. She had been texting my dad throughout the night to check on our daughter. “How’s Elle?”
She blushed and smiled. “She’s great. They’re having a good time together.”
“Shall we do something else then?” I asked. She looked at Lucy.
“Do you have beer?” Lucy asked. I nodded and she looked at Brea. “I think we should go to your house and drink on your balcony. There are stars out tonight and the breeze is nice.”
“Are you okay with that?” I asked Brea, and she smiled widely.
“I am.”
We drove back to the house and walked in as Dad looked up from the television. “You’re back.”
“Yeah. Things got weird and we just had dinner and came home. Dad, this is Preston.” I gestured toward the guy who was currently looking around the house. He greeted Dad politely. “We’re going to sit on the balcony and chat a little. Do you want to take one of the rooms upstairs for the night?”
“That would be great, Son. The house feels a little lonely without your mom there,” he admitted sadly.
“Want to have a beer on the balcony with us, Mike?” Lucy asked, and he grinned.
Brea laughed as she picked up Elle from the bouncer. She asked Dad when she ate last, and, like clockwork, Elle started to cry.
“I’m going to grab a blanket and feed her outside if you don’t mind,” Brea said. Everyone shook their heads, and she picked up a blanket from the couch to walk outside first. I smiled at her and went to get the drinks with Preston. I glanced at him once we were in the kitchen.
“Be good to her,” I told him. “I know this is new and all, but the last guy she dated was an ass. I don’t want that for Lucy again.”
“Is that what happened at the restaurant?” he asked. I n
odded. “She looked pretty upset when she bumped into me. She got over it though. She’s a sweet girl. I’ve seen her work around town, and she’s talented as well.” He held out a hand and took two of the beers as he glanced at the water curiously.
“Brea and I don’t drink at all,” I said, and he smiled at me.
“That’s cool. I don’t drink heavily myself.”
We were chatting as we walked outside and joined everyone else. I sat next to Brea and glanced over at her as she stroked Elle through the blanket. “How’s she doing?”
“Hungry,” she told me. I leaned in and kissed her.
“You guys make a cute couple,” Lucy observed as she grinned at us. Dad looked confused, and I shot her a look with a smile.
“Thanks. I’ve always thought that,” I replied as she covered her mouth with her hand. We went on to discuss the town and what it had to offer as well as the center. Dad wanted to hear every detail about it and added his own thoughts after seeing Mom go through a few rehabs. I appreciated his opinion, and we talked softly as the others filled the air with laughter. It was a perfect night, and I looked around the deck as something crossed my mind.
Brea took the blanket from Elle’s head, and I looked over at her for a long moment. She stroked Elle’s back and I glanced at the house. “I’ll be right back.” I stood and walked inside the house and jogged up the stairs. There was one more thing I’d done when Brea had been going into labor. Everything had been so busy since that I hadn’t pursued it. Now was the time. I looked down into the drawer for a moment before walking downstairs empty handed.
I dropped beside Brea’s chair. “Will you marry me?”
“What? Are you serious?” Brea asked, and I smiled.
“I love you and Elle. I want forever with you,” I assured her. She looked around at everyone and then back down at me.
“Ryan…I don’t…oh my God.” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wiped them with one hand. “Yes. I want to marry you.”
I stood up and leaned down to cover her mouth with mine as Lucy screamed in delight. Everyone started talking, but I only felt Brea’s lips against mine until Elle started to fuss. I pulled away and sat down to help her calm the baby before looking around at everybody.
We talked about the wedding until Dad told us he was going to go to bed. He offered to take us all out to dinner to celebrate next week once he could share the news with Mom. We agreed. There was a lot to celebrate.
Lucy and Preston took a cab to his place, and I watched her with worry in my eyes. Brea held Elle, looking at me with a smile. “She’s going to be okay. She’s Lucy.”
We walked upstairs and placed a sleeping Elle into her bassinet before Brea stretched. “Are we really engaged?”
“Yes, we are. I wanted to ask you when you moved in with me, but our baby came. That kind of threw us off, but I had the ring when you came here that day. I just was waiting for the right moment, and it was tonight when I saw you out there feeding Elle. It just hit me and we were with people who love us. Well, I don’t think Preston does, but he may never show his face again. He might be the rebound guy,” I said.
I walked over to her and found the hem of the dress to lift it from her body. Brea smiled up at me as she slipped her arms around my neck to kiss me. “I love you.”
“I love you, and I am going to make you my wife.” I leaned down to kiss her as she moaned into my mouth. We went to bed to make love, knowing that this time it was forever. Brea snuggled into my arms and smiled as she kissed my neck.
CHAPTER 26
Brea
I placed Elle on my chest as she fussed and looked around the table. We were at a great steakhouse in Greenwich, celebrating our engagement with Dad, Ryan, and Lucy. Preston was still seeing her, but he was busy tonight and had opted out of dinner.
I sipped my water as we waited for our dinner and smiled. We’d been over the moon since last week and I still had to pinch myself. I had a new baby and a beautiful house with my fiancé. I couldn’t think or say it enough.
“I went to visit Mom this weekend and I told her the news,” Mike told us as he smiled. “She’s thrilled and wants to help you with your plans. She’s done some great parties over the years, and I think she’s bored.”
“When does she come home?” I asked.
“In about a month.” Mike smiled. “I know we got off on the wrong foot, Brea. I know we treated you like you were a woman going after my son’s money, but I saw you were a good person from the start. I saw that my son cared about you a lot and was making an effort and we did not do that. My wife especially.” He shook his head. “Needless to say, she accepts you into our family now and can’t wait to be back so we can plan this wedding and get to know each other.”
“It was an awkward situation. First dinner and all,” I offered kindly, and he smiled at me.
“I suppose so,” Mike agreed. We both laughed. “At any rate, good things came from this. Bianca is getting the help she needs and Elle has a good chance of having two involved grandparents. This is so much more than just an heir to a banking firm. It’s about family and being there for one another. It’s about celebrating love.” He reached out for Lucy’s hand and held it. “It’s about forgiveness and just moving forward.”
“Yes, it is,” she agreed with a tearful smile.
The waitress brought our dinners, and we dug in after I placed Elle in her car seat beside me. We talked about what we wanted to do for a wedding, and I mentioned that I’d like something on the beach by our house, maybe something on the small side. I didn’t have a lot of friends and family, but I knew Ryan’s family knew a lot of people and business associates.
“That’s a great idea. We can have a party here at the house,” Lucy said. I smiled at her. “I know people who can handle everything for you.”
I took a big bite of my steak and nodded at her as she clapped her hands together. Ryan laughed as he took a bite of his baked potato. Lucy stared at him.
“What? I am obviously the maid of honor. I am your cousin, her best friend, and Elle’s godmother. That covers all the bases for a wedding. I can help you a lot.”
“Or make her into a bridezilla,” Ryan said under his breath as Mike laughed.
“Oh, my God.” I laughed harder as Lucy pouted and sat back, staring at her chicken.
“You guys all suck,” she said. I reached my hand out to her.
“You are going to help me. I need your help and I want you to stand up there with me.” I smiled at her as I wondered what Ryan would do. He was probably more than done with Lewis now.
“I’m happy with something small as well. I don’t consider this a competition with our friends as to who can have the most impressive wedding. I don’t want money going to that as much as I do to good things like the center.” Ryan looked around the table and nodded at his father. “I know Mom might make it this big, thing but we’re going to have to compromise.”
“I’ll talk to her. Don’t worry,” Mike assured me as he smiled.
The conversation turned lighter as Lucy talked about her new paintings and the show she had coming up. She seemed to not want to talk about the wedding for now, and I gave Ryan a grateful smile.
We stayed at the restaurant for a couple hours before Elle started to fuss and I brought her to my chest and covered her with a blanket. I focused on the voices around me as Elle nursed greedily. If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be engaged with a beautiful baby, I would have laughed at them. I had been convinced that I’d be in debt and working at a coffee shop the rest of my life. I had been convinced that I’d be searching for meaning for the rest of my life.
I looked around the table at everybody talking and laughing. These people had been apart from each other before this and barely speaking, so much so that Ryan hadn’t considered himself to have a relationship with his parents at all. Now he was here eating with his father and waiting for his mother to get back from a successful stint in rehab.
It made me mi
ss my own father. I stroked Elle’s head, now still on my body. She would never meet him, and in some ways that was good. He’d had a lot of issues in his life, and I had more bad memories than good ones. Still, though, the good ones played back through my mind often. My dad had loved me and showed me in his own way, such as the gifts he’d given me that I would always treasure. He had loved me, but he had been addicted to alcohol. He just couldn’t have fought it and we didn’t have the money to send him to a fancy rehab center back then. The new center would be perfect with all the family support that Ryan was offering, but it was too late for my dad.
I’d learned to accept that the order of life probably happened for a reason. I was happy now and looking toward an amazing future, and somewhere, Dad knew about all of this. Mom was coming in a week to spend some time with us and, more than likely, help plan the wedding. She was over the moon about Elle, and I was certain it was going to change things between us when before there had been just no hope. Mom had wanted her own happiness, and she’d found it.
“Are you okay?” Ryan’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I gave him a small smile.
“Just thinking. Tonight is truly amazing, Ryan. There’s magic happening here,” I told him softly, and he nodded in agreement. He leaned in to kiss me, and I closed my eyes as our lips touched. There was magic there.
So much magic.
We heard mock groans from the others at the table and laughed against each other. “Nobody needs to see that,” Lucy told us as Ryan pulled away, his eyes twinkling. I saw the promise of what was to come in them as he asked if Elle was finished eating. I nodded and adjusted myself before he took her in the blanket and held her in his arms, staring down at her.
I fell even more in love then and slid my hand over his shoulder as I looked at her with him. I could see more kids in our future, them running around the house and down on the sand. I pictured Ryan playing with them until they passed out before he came to make love to me during a quiet moment.