GrantWith my cock in Jolene’s hand, I wasn’t exactly excited to answer the phone. But when Liam’s name lit up on the screen, I had to.
“What’s up, bro?” I said, wrapping my hand around Jolene’s so she wouldn’t move it.
“Grant,” he said, though the connection was bad, and there was something in his voice that worried me.
I let go and ran a hand over my hair, unsure what I could do.
“Liam,” I said, fearing the connection had been lost.
Jolene must have sensed a change. She sat next to me and took my hand I’d balled into a fist into her own.
“I can’t talk for long,” he said. “I’m in trouble.”
The static almost covered his words.
“Where are you?”
Last we’d spoken, he’d still been in New York. He’d gotten a job as a helicopter pilot, something he’d learned from my father.
“New York. I’ve been found out. Can you come get me?”
He had a truck. So for him to ask, it had to be big. The problem was my pregnant fiancée sitting next to me.
“Liam, I wish I could,” I began, before just spitting it out. “Jolene’s pregnant. I don’t want to leave her alone.”
Jolene began to mime things next to me while shaking her head.
“What’s wrong?” I asked when he was still silent.
He said nothing.
“Liam,” I said, before pulling the phone from my ear and glancing at a blank screen.
“What’s wrong?” Jolene asked, echoing my words from moments before.
“I don’t know. We were disconnected,” I said, as I tried and failed to get him back on the phone. “He did ask me to go to New York.”
“Go,” she said.
My eyes fell to where our child grew inside her.
“We’ll be fine. I can take care of myself,” she said, with a hand on her stomach.
“I’ve missed too much. I don’t want to miss anything else,” I said, fighting both urges to stay and go.
“Then I’ll go with you,” she said. “I can visit Gran and Mom.”
I shook my head. “Your doctor is here. I don’t want you to have to look for a new doctor so close to the due date.”
“I have four months to go.”
I remained firm. “This will be our home base until our child is born.”
“What about Maryland and your dad?”
“I can fly clients from anywhere. And we can check with the doctor to see if you can go with me,” I said.
“And your cousin?”
“Liam isn’t alone in the city. Maybe it’s time I contact my cousins there and have them find out what’s going on.”
She squeezed my hand. “If you need to go, I’m okay. I don’t want you to regret not going.”
“The only thing I regret is not coming for you sooner. I will get in touch with Liam one way or another. Together we are stronger. I’m not leaving you unless I absolutely have to.”
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you more.”EpilogueFor a moment, I just stared at the sky, enjoying the sun on my skin before taking in the guests who’d assembled at our home.
Grant had been busy over the last three years adding to our cabin because I didn’t want to move. Yet, we needed space for our growing family.
“What are you thinking about?” Stacy asked.
The sporting goods store owner and I had become fast friends. As it turned out, she and Grant had been friends and nothing more. She’d admitted there might have been a crush on her part when they were younger, but she’d gotten over it. She’d just been protective of him when we first met. She’d thought after everything he’d been through he deserved the best. Somewhere along the way, I’d made a best friend. Something I hadn’t had in boarding school as the “scholarship kid”, or so the rich kids believed me to be because no one at the time knew the owner of Skyland Airlines was my dad.
“Just enjoying the day,” I said.
“I’m enjoying the scenery,” she said mischievously. “Grant brought in all these construction guys to town, which has made things interesting.”
I laughed. “Down, girl. Aren’t all those lost rich hiker men enough?” I teased.
Stacy doubled as a ranger since our town had been building high-end cabins in the area to attract rich tourists who liked to hike or whitewater raft.
“You say that ’cause you’re married. I still need to find the one.” Her eyes trailed over to one of the guys she’d been talking about. “I’ll see you later.”
Grant had invited the crew because they didn’t have family in the area.
I was shaking my head when I heard, “Mommy.”
Clutching my leg was my heart, a cherub-faced darling who looked so much like her father it was eerie because that meant he’d be a darn good-looking woman.
“Gracie,” I said, sweeping her up in my arms.
“Grandad is trying to get me.” Her giggles were the oxygen that filled my lungs.