“I didn’t know you liked Cardi B.”
I pressed several buttons on the remote, not knowing what I was doing. Finally, the song switched to the country song I’d instructed Devin to cue.
Nicole smiled. “Ah, Jason Aldean. This is more the man I know.”
“You mean me, not Jason, right?”
She threw her head back, laughing. “Yes, of course.”
Taking her in my arms, we started to sway to the song. Jason sang about how she made everything easy, and how she was his better half and made him a better man. The first time I’d heard it, I pictured my wife immediately. I knew this was the song I wanted playing while I danced with her under the stars, the moon, and the sun that was on the other side of the world at that moment.
“You know,” she spoke up. “We never got our first dance as husband and wife.”
“This is true.” I grinned. The only time we’d ever danced together was the night on the singles cruise. I hadn’t thought about how we’d never had a dance as husband and wife until now. “Do you wish we’d gotten married differently?”
She balked. “No, of course not. I was just saying this could be like our first dance.”
“I like that idea,” I admitted and kissed her lips softly.
We danced to song after song. Some I didn’t know, but I assumed Devin had added music to my playlist. He had the makings of a romantic guy, even if he was a bachelor.
“Ready to call it a night?” I asked.
“I thought we were painting the town red?” Nicole tilted her head slightly as she questioned me.
“Do you want to, or would you like to go to the hotel room I got for the night?”
“You got us a hotel room?”
“I did. It’s our night out, and we don’t want to drive all the way home, do we?”
“But I don’t have a change of clothes.”
I chuckled. “Do you need one?”
“For tomorrow, yeah.”
“Then lucky for you, I packed a bag, and it’s in the trunk.”
Nicole stared at me for a beat as we stood, the music in the background still playing. “You really are perfect.”
“I wouldn’t say that. I just …”
“You just what?”
I sighed and stepped over to the table and downed the rest of the champagne in my flute.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I turned around to face her. “Ready to go?”
“Avery,” she sighed and wrapped her arms around me. “You know you can tell me anything. What’s going on? I thought we were having a nice night.”
“We are.”
“Then what the hell?”
I stared into her blue eyes, the light from the candles flickering inside her irises. “I just know what not to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“My parents never really showed affection while I was growing up, but I can’t even imagine not kissing you or holding your hand, or even hugging you after a long day.”
“Yeah? That’s a good thing.”
I looked down at the candles on the ground. “What if I turn out like my father?”
“Your parents have nothing to do with the man you are, Av.”
I met her gaze again. “But your parents shaped you, no?”
Nic shrugged. “I guess.”
“See?”
“See what?”
“What if we have a child and …” I paused, a horrid thought crossing my mind.
“If we have a child what?”
“What if I hate him like my parents hate me?”
“That’s not possible.”
“How can you know?”
Nic gave me a weak smile. “Because I know you. You’re the most loving person I know. Look at how you treat Cheyenne. Why do you think you’d treat our kid differently?”
I shrugged.
“See? Your parents did shape you, but they shaped you to be the opposite of them because you know what not to do.”
“You think that’s true?”
“I know that’s true. You’ll see when we have a kid.”
“When we have a kid?” I questioned. We’d been together for over two and a half years, but I didn’t want to press her about it because I knew it had been harder on Nicole when we lost the baby.
She shrugged timidly. “I think I should get off the pill.”
“Yeah?” I grinned.
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
I grabbed her hand and walked across the roof and through the metal door. Without stopping, I knocked twice on Devin’s door to let him know we were leaving. After we took the elevator down to the garage, we slid into the car, and I drove us to the hotel I’d booked for the night where we recreated our wedding night all over again.
And then some.
“So, how was your night?” I asked Brooke as we ate dinner at her place. Both Easton and Avery were working because it was Saturday night and someone had called in.
She smirked around a mouthful of salad.
“Okay, spill. I’ll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours.”
Brooke took a sip of her water. “We went to a barn upstate for dinner—”
“A barn?”
“Well, it wasn’t like a barn inside. It was like the ones we see on TV that are redone for weddings and stuff. It was beautiful. We had dinner and then sat on a blanket under the stars. It was a nice night. How was yours?”
“We went to some rooftop in Manhattan and had dinner and danced under the stars with candles scattered around before going to a hotel for the night.”
“Sounds like both of our nights were romantic.”
I smiled. “Yeah, sounds like it. How’d we get so lucky?”
“I have no idea,” Brooke admitted.
We took a few bites of our pasta, and then Cheyenne stormed through the front door, slamming it and stomping to her room where she slammed that door too.
“What was that about?” I looked back at Brooke.
“Pre-teen.”
Cheyenne was almost thirteen and giving Easton gray hair. I couldn’t imagine having a teenager yet, let alone a pre-teen daughter who was becoming a woman.
“Has Aunt Flo made a visit?”
“Yep.” Brooke nodded. “Last month.”
“How’d that go?”
She waved her hand in the direction of Cheyenne’s bedroom. “Just like that. Easton thought my PMS was bad.” She chuckled. “He had no clue.”
We both laughed. Over the years, women learned how to tame PMS with chocolate, chips, and not to talk to anyone because we’d bite their heads off. But a new woman was like a baby vampire and couldn’t control themselves.
“Speaking of kids,” I stated. “Avery and I were talking about maybe trying to conceive …” It was on the tip of my tongue to say ‘again’ instead of trailing off, but it wouldn’t be again. We hadn’t tried before. It just happened.
“That’s exciting. Easton and I talked about it last night too.”
“Really?” I beamed. I’d love to live out that dream of best friends having babies together and then the babies grow up to be best friends.
“Well, just in general. I need to get off my meds again before I even think about that.” Brooke was still taking medication for her nerve pain. I didn’t blame her. They cut the T1 nerve at the root, and it was a miracle she still had a functioning hand.
“Eventually you will.”
“Yeah.” She sighed and stabbed at her pasta.
I forked my salad, and before sticking it into my mouth replied, “The nerves will calm down soon.”
“Yeah, but what about my shoulder? It’s been a year, and acupuncture is barely doing anything.”
“Think about what they removed, B. Your body needs to heal, and that will happen slowly. It’s more than just a cut on your finger.”
“I know.” She took another deep breath. “I ju
st want to stop hurting.”
“What about going back on—”
Brooke shook her head. “No. No way am I going back on oxy and going through withdrawals again. I will live in pain forever before I do that.”
I wanted to tell her that I understood, but I didn’t. I had no clue what kind of pain she was in, though I could imagine it. What I couldn’t imagine was missing ribs and having a winged scapula that hindered full range of motion in her dominant arm. “Maybe smoke more weed?”
She laughed. “No, thank you. I have nothing against marijuana, but it wasn’t for me.”
“It was funny when you were high that night on purple cheese.” I grinned.
“I felt happy, but I was also tired. No way can I function like that daily.”
“They have some that won’t make you sleepy.”
“How do you know?”
I shrugged. “I’m a nurse. I know things.”
“For now, I’ll just stick to acupuncture and relaxing.”
“Have Easton give you massages.”
“Oh, he does.” She smirked.
We were silent for a few minutes while we ate the rest of our food. It was nice having dinner together. We used to do it all the time in Boston before we moved, but now we were two married ladies who spent more time with our husbands than each other.
“When are you and Avery going to start trying?” Brooke asked as she washed the saucepan after dinner.
I shrugged. “I need to stop taking the pill and then we’ll see what happens.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t gotten preggo again while on the pill.”
“I guess life is weird that way. The whole experience brought Av and me closer, and maybe that was the reason we knew we wanted to be together and get married?”
“Probably.”
I handed her the large salad bowl to clean and then put the dishes that fit into the dishwasher.
“Brooke!” Cheyenne shouted as I heard her door open. “Can you take me—” She stopped talking as she turned the corner into the kitchen and saw me standing there. “Oh, hi, Aunt Nicole.”
“Hey, C,” I replied. “Everything okay?”
Cheyenne’s light blue gaze flicked to Brooke. “Can you take me to the mall tomorrow and drop me off—”
“No,” Brooke simply replied.
“No?” Cheyenne whined. “Why not?”
“Do you think your father would approve of that?” Brooke questioned as she dried her hands on a dishtowel.
“Don’t tell him,” Cheyenne countered.
Brooke chuckled. “Right. Where do you want me to tell him you are?”
Cheyenne shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You know,” I spoke up. “I need to go to the mall. What if you come with us, and then just meet us somewhere when it’s time to leave?” I looked over at Brooke, and she nodded slightly in agreement.
Cheyenne puffed out a breath. “Fiiiiine.”
When Brooke and I were growing up, the mall was the place to hang out, and our parents would drop us off. But, times were different and scarier. I knew that Easton wouldn’t be okay with Brooke just dropping Cheyenne off, and it would be good for Brooke to get out of the house.
Plus, retail therapy was always needed.
I felt off, and I didn’t know why. For the past week, I felt as though something was wrong. Everything with Nic seemed to be fine. Everything with Halo was the way it should be, and I felt healthy.
Maybe I wasn’t.
I couldn’t pinpoint what I was feeling. It was just a weird sensation in my body that something wasn’t right.
“I think I need to go to the doctor,” I stated to Easton as we lifted at the gym.
“You’re sick?”
I shrugged. “Just don’t feel like me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know.” I blew out a breath and did my remaining reps before putting the incline bench down. “I feel like a shoe is going to drop or something.”
Easton arched a brow. “What shoe?”
“I don’t know,” I replied as we switched places. “It’s just a feeling I have.”
“And you think you need to go to the doctor?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Maybe I’m coming down with something?”
He did his reps and set the weight down to the resting position. “Maybe just take a few days off. You’ve been working non-stop for almost two years.”
Easton was right. I hadn’t been on a vacation since my honeymoon, and that was because of everything that happened with Brooke. I wasn’t faulting him at all. I was happy to cover for him while he took care of her, but he was right. It had been a long time since I’d had a break. Maybe it was also stress. The summer was always busy for us, and I felt like I needed a week away with my wife. Plus, since the night on the roof last week, I’d been trying to think of ways to put more romance into our marriage.
“Would you cover for me if I took a weekend to take Nic out of town?”
“Of course.” Easton did another set of reps. “I owe you anyway.”
“Nah,” I stated. “It’s what friends do.” We moved to the bench press, and I switched the weights to the amount I wanted.
“Where are you thinking of going?” Easton asked.
“I don’t know. The thought just came to me.”
“A weekend away will be good. Once Brooke is feeling better, I’ll probably do the same thing.”
“Nice. Any suggestions?” I laid back onto the bench, reached up, and grabbed the bar. Easton was behind me, spotting me as he spoke.
“Jersey Shore, Montauk, Ocean City, the Hamptons, Boston for some reminiscing on her part.” He paused, thinking. “Ghost hunting in Salem or what about the Poconos?”
“You just pull all those places out of your ass?” We set the bar back in place, and I sat up.
He grinned. “Just thought of places within driving distance.”
We switched places so I could spot him. “I’ll research those places and see what’s available.”
“Well, school will be starting soon, so people are probably getting all their last minute vacations in.”
“Shit. Speaking of school, how’s my niece doing?”
Easton grunted and put the bar back in place. “Hormonal.”
“Hormonal?” I laughed.
“Can we not talk about that shit?” He glared at me as though I’d done something wrong.
“Wait.” I chuckled. “She started her period?”
Easton groaned and stood. “Not going there.”
“Whatever happened to that boy she liked?” I asked to rile him up. I had to admit that talking to him was making me feel slightly better. Or maybe it was the endorphins from working out.
“Are you trying to give me a stroke?”
I threw my head back and laughed. “It’s an honest question. I want to know more about my niece.”
“No,” he retorted and started to walk toward the locker room. “You already know the answer.”
I did know the answer. Every Sunday at the Crawfords’ we all got the updated drama on Cheyenne’s life. Drama with girls, boy drama, softball drama. There was always something with her, even during her summer vacation. “Remind me,” I pressed.
“Fuck off. Your time will come.”
“Yeah,” I agreed with a smile.
“Wait.” Easton stopped walking. “Yeah?”
I shrugged slightly. “Nic and I recently discussed having a kid.”
“That’s great, man.”
We entered the locker room and went to our lockers. “I don’t want to jinx it. Whatever happens, happens, you know?”
He slapped me on the back. “Yep, I get it. For Brooke and me too.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, not yet. She’s still on meds, but I think it will happen eventually.”
“I think so too.”
After everything the four of us had been through, together and separately, I knew that things happened f
or a reason, and all the pieces would fall into place.
“Pack your bags, baby. We’re going out of town for the weekend,” Avery boomed as he came into the house.
I turned from my place on the sofa. “We’re what?”
“I booked us a hotel for the weekend. Just you, me, and no clothes.”
“We’re going on a mini vacay?” I beamed.
“Yep.” He moved into our bedroom. “Thought we needed to get away.”
I followed after him. “Where are we going?”
Avery peeked his head out of the closet and smirked at me. “Now you should know me better than to ask me that.”
“Another surprise?”
“Just pack a bag for the weekend.”
“Will I need the red dress?”
“No.”
“Will I need a bikini?”
“Probably.”
“Will I need—”
“Nic, pack a fucking bag. If you don’t pack something you’ll need, we’ll buy it there.”
I smiled. “So, there will be shopping?”
Avery blew out a breath as he tossed a bag and clothing onto the bed. He glared at me.
I held up my hands. “Okay, I’ll pack a bag.”
I should have known not to question my husband. He’d planned our honeymoon perfectly, and he’d planned the night out on the town flawlessly. I had no doubt that our weekend in Montauk would be impeccable too.
Avery checked us into a small hotel on the beach. The room had a rustic beach feel with teal walls, a driftwood headboard for the king-size bed, and a balcony.
“You know what balconies are good for?” I asked as I looked around the room.
He stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I do.”
“Is that going to be a requirement for all future hotel rooms?”
“Probably.”
“But this time, people walking on the beach can see us.”
“Is that a problem?”
I turned in Avery’s arms. “Um, yeah. I don’t want someone seeing us.”
He smirked. “I’m teasing you, baby. But we can go skinny dipping tonight in the ocean.”
I chuckled. “Is that why you booked a room on the beach?”
“Nope. That thought just came to me. Are you game?”
“Maybe.” I grinned. “I guess it all depends on how much I drink tonight.”
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