I remember my visit with the attorney. With the excitement of the baby, I almost forgot to update him. He listens intently as I break it down for him.
“So, in other words, we have to wait for him to make a move, right?” Declan asks.
“Yes,” I tell him with a sigh. “Let’s not talk about Leonard on such an important day.”
We talk about work, but our conversation meanders back to the baby in my tummy. I’m sure he’s pea-sized, but his size doesn’t matter. He’s still my baby.
“I can smell the ocean,” I say and realize that my sense of smell has grown sharper in the last couple of weeks.
“I hear that pregnant women can smell a fart, miles away, is that true?” Declan says with a straight face.
“That’s gross and beneath you,” I tell him with mock seriousness.
He laughs and reaches across to pinch my nose.
Declan parks the car in his regular parking space behind the Pizza shop. I step out into the warmth of the sun and inhale the scent of seaweed and sand. I follow Declan to the shop’s front entrance and marvel at the vibrant colors of people walking by. People in Santa Monica wear the brightest, most colorful, and prettiest clothes.
“I’ll just pop in for a moment,” he says.
“Sure, no problem,” I say like a woman who doesn’t have a wedding planning business to run.
I exchange greetings with a few of the workers and follow Declan to his office at the back. He gets behind his desk and grabs a document, which he proceeds to sign.
I walk around his office, taking in little touches that could only be Declan. Like the framed pictures on the wall. One is of Ace and his family, which doesn’t surprise me, and the other is of Declan standing with his parents. What strikes me about the last picture is the loving look caught by the camera between Declan and his mother.
I fold my arms across my chest as I stare at it. He’s a man who adores his parents, especially his mother. My mind meanders to the only time we met. We didn’t hit it off, and I didn’t make an effort afterward.
Guilt floods me as I remember how friendly and accommodating Declan has been with my mom and Josh. There and then, I decided to try my damnedest to become friendly with Mrs. Carter.
Maybe she and I could have lunch together. I feel a lot better after I make that decision.
“We can go now,” Declan says, standing up.
He stands behind me and slips his hands around my waist. Heat sizzles over my skin as he kisses my neck softly. “Have I told you I love how you smell?”
“Yes,” I murmur.
His hands slide up to cup my breasts. I arch my chest, inviting him to caress me and rub my ass against his erection. Declan grunts. He flicks his fingers over the taut peaks of my breasts pressing against my blouse.
My breathing goes shallow, and my legs turn to rubber. In a matter of seconds, Declan has turned me into a mess of arousal. I want his hands everywhere on me. My hand creeps down under my skirt to my aching pussy, and I rub myself over my panties.
A knock comes on the door, making me jump. I quickly drop my hand and extricate myself from Declan’s hold, but I make sure to stand in front of him.
“Sorry,” one of Declan’s supervisors says. “Before you go, can you take a look at the new arrangement at the counters?”
‘Sure,” Declan says, unfazed. He places his hands on my shoulders.
When we’re alone again, he whirls me around and kisses me deeply.
Chapter 27
Declan
The beachside restaurant is a hit with Marian. After lunch, we kick off our shoes and hide them under a rock near the small gate at the back of my apartment block.
I take her hand as we stroll down the beach. There are few people today because it’s a weekday. I now know how Ace felt when he learned that he was a father. I feel twenty feet tall, and I want to blurt out to the whole world and have everyone celebrate with me. I sneak a glance at Marian. Her chocolate brown hair is flying in the wind, and her skin has the tinge of someone who spends a lot of time outdoors. I want Marian to love Santa Monica as much as I do, and I think it’s working, judging by the permanent smile on her face.
She senses my stare and smiles at me. My heart somersaults in my chest. My wife. Words I never thought I would ever use.
“I can’t wait to tell everyone,” I tell her and imagine the look on Ace, Lexi, and my parents’ faces when I tell them I’m going to be a dad.