“Wait.” I hurried to her. She needed to know. Even if she didn’t care, I had to tell her. “It’s for a paternity test that I want Nikki to agree to.”
Julie shrugged one shoulder. “Whatever. It isn’t any of my business.”
I lowered my head and felt completely overwhelmed. When I lifted it, she was staring past me at the house. I needed to move so she could go see Aubrey. But instead of stepping aside, I stuck the brochure in my back pocket, placed my hands on each side of her neck, and stared into the beautiful eyes I’d missed.
I leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. My body and heart craved her taste. I rested my forehead against hers as I cupped her cheeks. Our eyes met, and I did my best not to shed the tears I felt building. “It will always be you, Julie. No matter what happens. Just you… forever. There will never be anyone else for me. You own my heart and fuel my soul. Even if you don’t want me to, I’ll always love you.” After a beat, I moved aside.
She walked away, and I couldn’t divert my gaze as she hurried up the steps to knock on the door. She looked back at me, and I saw sadness etched in her features. I needed to make this right. I needed her to let me back in and give us another chance.
But first, I had to talk Nikki into taking the test. I decided then and there I’d do whatever I needed to make that happen.
Once the door closed behind me, I let out a breath and grinned.
Aubrey embraced me. “Jules, I’m so happy you’re back. Are you okay? I was on the phone with Alex when I heard you pull up, but I saw you talking to Brett, so I thought I’d leave you two be for a bit.” She stroked my hair. “Come in. I’ll pour you a glass of iced tea.”
I sat on her supple leather sofa and watched my friend pour my drink and water with lemon for herself. She handed me my glass and joined me.
I smiled as I placed my hand on her belly. “Wow, you look great. It’s true what they say about pregnancy. You’re glowing and absolutely radiant.” I lowered my head to her stomach. “Hey, sweet baby, it’s your Auntie Julie. I can’t wait to meet you.” I kissed my fingers and placed them on Aubrey’s tummy.
“You’re going to be a wonderful aunt. Speaking of, I was going to wait until this weekend to talk to you about this, but since you’re here, Alex and I would love for you to be this baby’s godmother.”
My eyes widened as I stared at her. I looked at her protruding belly and back at her eyes.
“You don’t have to answer right now. You can think about it.” Aubrey rubbed tiny circles on her stomach.
I felt pressure in my eyes, and my cheeks tingled. “I don’t need to think about it. Of course I would be honored to be the godmother to your sweet angel.” My cheeks hurt from the smile that stretched across my face.
Aubrey pulled me into a hug. “Yay, I’m so happy! I can’t wait to tell Alex.” She released me and took my hand. “Jules, I should let you know who we’re going to ask to be the godfather.” My smile faltered, and Aubrey’s did as well. “Brett. Alex is going to ask him soon.”
I nodded and pulled myself together. “He should. They’re like brothers. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Look, I can’t avoid him anyway. I just returned from Italy, and I’ve already seen him three times. It hasn’t been too awful.”
“Jules…” Her voice was laced with sadness, and that was the last thing I wanted. We should have been celebrating.
“No, Aubrey, don’t. I’m fine, really I am. Brett and I can be friends, especially for this little bundle of sweetness.” My hand went to Aubrey’s tummy. “Hi, baby. You’re going to have the best baby shoes ever.”
She giggled. “I can’t believe I’m having a baby!”
“I’m so happy for you. How has your anxiety been? Are you holding up okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s wonderful. I’ve been writing and sharing my journal with Alex. We jot things down for the baby too. He’s so amazing. He even started his own journal for our child.”
“You’re a lucky woman. He’s pretty spectacular. You’ll both make great parents.” I wondered what type of parents Brett and Nikki would be. Would he take them to Disney, go for walks through Central Park? I sighed. Even though he said they wouldn’t be together, who knew what the future would bring.
Her hand went to mine. “Jules, did Brett tell you why he was here?”
“Yes, he said he was talking to you about a paternity test he wants Nikki to take.” My body shuddered at the thought of him sleeping with her. Of all the women who constantly threw themselves at him, he had to pick her. My stomach rolled at the thought of them being intimate in a way we’d never been.
“He’s pretty hell-bent on getting to the bottom of this. You know, he still loves you.” Aubrey took a sip of her water and peered at me over the glass.
“Yes, so he tells me. A part of me will always love him too, but if he’s going to be a father, that’s it. He’ll have a child and be with Nikki—if not in marriage, then in a parental bond. For every birthday, school play, dance, first date, wedding, and every monumental event, Nikki will be a part of it, and rightfully so. But that’s what I wanted for us.” I stood and contemplated having wine rather than iced tea, but I hadn’t tasted the drink I’d had. “When I look at him, my heart feels sad. I can see his pain. It’s gut-wrenching. Sometimes I want to tell him none of it matters and that we can try again, but then my head goes back to the baby. I need to do what’s best.”
“I know, and I truly think you’re handling this well. Look what happened to me when I saw Alex kiss Leah.” She wiggled her shoulders. I was sure a chill had run up her spine because I knew one had run up mine.
“We were so close, and sometimes I wonder why I didn’t ask what he wanted or how he envisioned our future. This is partially my fault, and that’s the part I’m trying to work through. But a bunch of guesses and what-ifs doesn’t change reality.” I looked at my watch.
“Do you have a meeting?”
“No, Brian gave me the rest of the day off. I was wondering where Luca was and if he needed anything. He’s been trying to get in as much sightseeing as he can before he leaves.” I smiled as I pictured him running all over the city.
“Alex told me he thought Luca was a nice guy and quite fond of you.”
I tilted my head. “He’s a friend, that’s all. You know I’ve tried dating, and it doesn’t work. Luca is suave and extremely easy on the eyes, but he isn’t Brett. One day I hope I’ll meet a man I don’t compare to the man who holds my heart.”
“Jules, do you hear yourself?”
“What?” I sipped my drink.
“The man who holds your heart, the one you compare everyone to? He’s not dead. Yes, he made a mess of things, but think about being friends with him. Maybe you two can start from scratch.”
I kissed her on the top of the head. “My friend, the incurable romantic.”
“Your friend wants her friend to find her happily ever after, like I did.”
“You’re a lucky woman, and Alex is a luckier man. But happily ever after? I don’t think I’m the fairy-tale type. My life is more like a horror movie.” I took my glass into the kitchen and set it on the counter before I headed back to Aubrey. “Thanks for everything. I should get going.” Aubrey stood, and I embraced her. “Thank you so much for asking me to be the godmother. I’ll be the best one I can.”
She walked me to the door. “Can you still come over on Sunday? We’re going to barbecue.”
“I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll bring dessert.” I kissed her cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you too.”
As I drove home, my cheeks hurt from the massive smile plastered across my face. A godmother. I wondered when Brett would find out if he was the father or not. I shook my head. Would I ever stop thinking about him?
My phone rang, and Aubrey’s name popped up on the screen. “Hi, did I forget something?”
“No, Alex called, and he wants me to go to the club later tonight. Do you want to go with me?”
/> “Sure, why not? We haven’t done that in a while. Do you want to come to my apartment, and we can go together from there?”
“Alex is sending a car for me.”
I laughed. “Of course he is.”
“Oh, shut up.” She snickered. “We’ll come pick you up so you don’t have to drive.”
“Have I ever told you how great your hubby is?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Okay, I’ll see you later. I need to find something to wear that doesn’t make me look like I should have baby written across my belly with an arrow pointing south so there’s no question that I’m almost six months pregnant.”
“You’re beautiful no matter what you wear. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.”
I pushed the button on my Bluetooth and realized I’d most likely be seeing Brett again. Suddenly, I felt the need to look amazing. Instead of going home, I went to Saks and did some shopping.
Back at the club, I headed to my office and read about the paternity test. Aubrey was right—all that was required was a blood test. I grabbed my cell. This was a topic that warranted a phone call or a face-to-face conversation, but a text would suffice.
Brett: We need to talk.
Nikki: Hey, babe. What’s up?
Babe? Yeah, I needed to get to the bottom of that.
Brett: I’m calling a clinic about a paternity test. Don’t worry about stress on the baby. It’s a simple blood draw.
Nikki: No. I won’t do it.
I closed my eyes. I needed to tread lightly and amp up the Chambers’ charm.
Brett: Nik, I want to know if this is our baby. I need to know if we’re going to have a daughter. Please, if you care at all, do this for me.
Saying “ours” made my stomach reel. I’d never wanted Nikki to be the mother of my firstborn, but if this baby girl was mine, I’d never let her know that. I’d make sure she knew only how much I loved her.
Nikki: She is yours… like I am.
I scrubbed my face with my free hand and decided to call instead. She answered on the first ring.
“Hey, Brett.” Her syrupy voice made a chill run down my spine.
“Nikki, please consider this test. You’ll most likely be getting blood drawn anyway. I’ll try to arrange to have a sample sent to the lab so you only need to have it done once. Then I’ll go and have mine done.” I decided to include her since she wanted to be with me any chance she got. “Do you want to come with me when I go? Then we can go back together to hear the results.”
“Really? You want me to go with you?”
I heard the jubilation in her voice. I needed to use that to my advantage. “Of course, this is about you too.” My insides churned at how she would misinterpret my gesture. “Plus, if she is mine, we’ll need to make the necessary preparations.” I knew what that sounded like. Her head would immediately go to Brides-R-Us, while mine went to my attorney’s office to make custody arrangements.
“Okay. If we can do this together and all it takes is a small amount of my blood, I’ll do it. But I’m calling my doctor to verify all of this before I do anything.” She sighed.
“Fantastic. I wouldn’t expect you not to check it out. Thanks, Nik. Let me know what he says, and once you give the go-ahead, I’ll call the lab for an appointment.” I disconnected the call and tossed my phone on my desk. I reclined in my chair and finally let out a breath of relief.
My door opened with a quick knock. “Hey, man.” Alex walked in and sat across from me.
“Hey.”
“Heard you went to see my wife today. Brought her flowers and everything.” He smirked.
I smiled and chuckled. “Yeah. You’re a lucky guy. She’s the best.”
“Don’t I know it.” Alex’s face got that dreamy look that made me smile. Ever since he’d met her, he’d been a goner. “Heard you ran into Julie too. How was that? Better than the last time?”
“I don’t know. All I know is, thanks to my mom and your wife, I now have the information I needed to talk Nikki into having a paternity test.”
“Yeah, Aubrey told me about that. I didn’t know you’d talked to Nikki already.” Alex crossed his legs, resting his ankle on his knee. “She agreed?”
“I just hung up with her before you came in. My next call is to the lab. Nikki is going to run it by her doctor, but I highly doubt it will be a problem.”
Alex gave me a pensive stare. “What happens if the test comes back positive and you’re the father?”
“Well, I guess I’ll be having a daughter soon.” I leaned forward. “Look, if she’s my baby, I’ll make sure that I have as many rights as Nikki, and I’ll provide for her. She won’t want for anything—especially my love.” I pictured a sweet girl in a pink dress, swinging on a swing in a lush green backyard. She giggled every time she glided back and forth while she kicked her feet in excitement—except in my imagination, Julie was the one pushing her, not Nikki. I let out a frustrated breath. “That’s what I’ll do. Being there for her is my only option.”
Alex’s head bobbed. “That’s what I thought you would do. What about Jules?”
“I’m going to win her back. Don’t ask me how, but I need her the way you need Aubrey. Shit, I was so stupid. If I would have heard her out, and if she would have given me some time, this wouldn’t have happened. All I needed was time.”
“Don’t say that to her—she’ll never forgive you. I get that you needed time, and you both played some dumbass games that night, but I hope you’ve learned from my mistake. Never try to hurt the woman you love by grabbing the first woman with a pulse—especially a conniving one with an ulterior motive.” Alex stood. “If you need time off, take it.”
I nodded. “Thanks, but I need to keep busy.”
I grabbed the silver frame on my desk and stared at the picture of Julie and me at the Statue of Liberty. We were laughing and having a great time. I traced her face with the tips of my fingers and whispered, “Please come back to me.”
The club was getting busy, and Alex had informed me that the girls were coming by tonight. I needed to tend bar for a bit, but Tyler and Mike had the later shift. I was so proud of this place. We were making a name for ourselves, and with the wine room in full swing, we were bringing in a nice profit. My attorney had been able to keep Samantha’s hands out of the till, so to speak. One crazy bitch down… one to go.
Before I saw Julie, I knew she’d walked in, but she and Aubrey weren’t alone. Luca was walking beside her, and the three of them were laughing. I should have been consumed with jealousy, but I was happy to see her smiling. A wave of possessiveness washed over me when I saw his arm around her, but I let it keep rolling. My goal was to rebuild a friendship, not be an asshole.
After I served a group of guys their drinks, I noticed Alex and the girls sit at the end of the bar. Luca had stepped away. When she saw me, Aubrey smiled as if she had a dirty little secret. Her lips curled, and if I wasn’t mistaken, she shot me a wink. I had no idea what that was about.
“Hi, Brett,” Aubrey called.
I walked around the bar and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Aubrey.” My head turned to the right. “Hey, Jules.” I wasn’t sure if it was habit, instinct, or need, but my lips found Julie’s cheek too. When I felt hers on mine, I knew we were headed in the right direction.
“What am I, chopped liver?” Alex chuckled, but I grabbed his face and planted a kiss on each cheek. The ladies laughed while Alex shook his head. “I’m sorry I said anything.”
I chuckled as I went back behind the bar. “What’s your pleasure?”
Julie shifted in her seat and rolled each shoulder until her posture was pin straight. Her pink tongue licked her glossed lips, which made me want to do the same. She didn’t say anything at first, but after Aubrey ordered a Pellegrino, Julie ordered her usual martini.
When I brought them their drinks, Mark and Val had shown up, and Luca was back. I said hi to everyone and shook Luca’s hand. He wasn’t a bad guy, and after I’d lo
oked over the proposal, I realized the club stood to make a lot of money from a partnership with his family’s winery. Luca said he’d wanted to see the club in action, but since he was leaving to return to Italy tomorrow, he needed to go pack. He said good-bye to everyone, gave Julie a kiss on each cheek—yes, I was watching—and he left.
After a bit of time, Mike came in to start his shift, so I was free to hang with everyone. I grabbed myself a cocktail. We all headed upstairs. It was perfect—well, almost perfect.
I slid out of my seat and held my hand out to Julie. “Want to dance?”
She tentatively nodded and placed her hand in mine. It felt so natural, almost instinctive. We excused ourselves and went downstairs to the dance floor. People were swaying to the beat of the music. I moved Julie to the back corner, hoping for some alone time. I held her right hand and placed my other on her back. We kept time with the music. I wanted to hold her close, but I made sure to keep a balloon’s space between us.
“This is nice.” Her green eyes had a bit of their sparkle back.
I moved my lips toward her face, and her breathing altered. Her fingers flexed on my hand, and I felt the muscles in her back tighten.
Once I was close to her ear, I whispered, “Yes, it is. Thank you for dancing with me.”
We stayed on the dance floor for a few more songs. When we tried to walk off, we were blocked by Nikki. She was practically snarling. I half-expected her to yell at me, but she was more interested in Julie.
“So you’re not giving up?” She put her hands on her protruding belly, and Julie’s eyes followed them. “How much more do you need to realize you’re never going to have him?” She grabbed my arm and attempted to tug me toward her. “He’s going to be a father. What are you going to be? A homewrecker?”
Julie’s face flushed, and my mind was about to blow. Before I could say anything in her defense, Julie said, “I’m not a homewrecker, nor would I ever be, but Brett is my friend. So if you’re having his baby, then get used to me because I’ll be around.”
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