“Hey, you ready to go?” a voice shouts from the entryway, and I turn to see Brody in the doorway. His eyes are fixed on Quinn, and he looks at her like he’s seeing her for the first time.
“You look beautiful, baby,” he says softly as he crosses the room and kisses her. “Too beautiful. Where are you going tonight?” His eyebrows pull together in a frown as he waits for an answer.
“We’re going to the Brass Hall,” Savannah replies. “Don’t go getting all protective, she’ll be fine.”
“Does Josh know you’re going there?”
She narrows her eyes at him. “Why?”
He lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Because I’m sure if he knew you were going there, wearing that.” His eyes drop to the electric blue pencil dress she’s wearing. “He’d be pissed.”
She scoffs. “I’m a grown woman, Brody. Josh isn’t going to tell me where I can and can’t go, or what I can wear.”
“Youdoknow Josh, right?”
“Urgh, what is it with you cowboys?” She slides my cocktail across the breakfast bar to me before taking a mouthful of her own drink. “So, are you going to tell him?”
He laughs. “What happened to, ‘I’m a grown woman, Josh isn’t going to tell me where I can and can’t go’?” She rolls her eyes and glares at him.
“Are you going to tell him or not?”
“I’m wondering what it’s worth.”
“Brody!” Quinn chastises.
“Okay, okay. I think I have a solution where everyone is happy, including me. I don’t want anyone hitting on my girl either.”
“No one is going to be hitting on me, Brody. I’m four months pregnant!” she admonishes.
“You have no idea how hot you look, do you?” He lowers his head again and kisses her.
“Put her down and tell us this solution where everyone is happy?” Savannah says, rolling her eyes again.
“I come with you.”
“What? How is that a solution where everyone is happy? This is a girls’ night, Brody.”
He shrugs. “I’d be happy.”
“No!”
“Look, Jack is in the truck.” His eyes flick to me and my heart pounds in my chest when he mentions Jack. “Between Aunt Emma and Mom asking him if he’s okay every thirty seconds, and crazy Zara, he could do with a couple of hours out of the house. We were going to go for a drink once we’d dropped you off anyway. Why don’t we just come to the Brass Hall? We won’t get in your way. You can still have your girls’ night.” He smiles and wriggles his eyebrows. “See, everyone’s happy!”
I feel three pairs of eyes looking at me, and heat travels up my neck and over my cheeks. Picking up my drink, I swallow down the whole glassful.
“I’ll just use the bathroom. Let you three talk.” Brody slips out of the kitchen and Quinn comes to stand next to me.
“It’s your call, Aria. It might be the perfect chance to spend some time with Jack, away from Zara. If you don’t want to, I’ll tell Brody to go and I’ll drive us into town?”
I sigh and drop my head onto the breakfast bar. I’m torn. A huge part of me wants to say yes. I want nothing more than to spend some time with Jack without Zara hanging all over him. I miss him so much it hurts. But another part wonders what the point would be. I won’t be able to touch him, hold his hand, kiss him like I so desperately want to. I groan. Who am I kidding? There’s no chance I’m going to pass up the opportunity to spend some time with him. I’ll deal with my broken heart tomorrow.
“Okay,” I mutter, my head still on the breakfast bar. Savannah squeals excitedly and I lift my head. “Who is she calling?” I ask Quinn when I see Sav walk out of the kitchen, her phone pressed to her ear.
She shrugs. “I have no idea. Look, are you sure you’re okay with this? I know we promised you a girls’ night.”
“I want to see him, Quinn. I’ll take any time I can get with him right now. I haven’t spoken to him in days, even though we live in the same house. I hate it.”
“I can’t even imagine how hard this is for you, Aria. It sucks.”