“Mom keeps on him like a Karen. No cappin’, Mama June,” Aidan said.
Bridget sighed.
“English, Aidan.” Bo shook his head.
“Okay, boomer, I hear you.” Aidan rolled his eyes.
Bridget chuckled at her son. Clearly, she didn’t have the issues the rest of them did with understanding him.
“Go get the clubs. We’ll have a putting contest before dinner.” Bo’s gaze shifted to Ryan. “We can excuse you this one time. You get flag duty.”
“Yes, sir.” Ryan smiled.
“You didn’t have to tell him about your arm,” Bridget said once June, Bo, and Aidan went back into the kitchen.
Ryan shook his head. “They’re family, and we don’t keep secrets from family. Your support system will hopefully extend to me someday, so I trust them.”
“I like that.” Bridget smiled before she yawned.
“You okay? You’ve been tired all week.” He cupped the side of her face. She wasn’t warm or pale, just worn.
“You keep me up too late and drag me out boating and hiking. I’m old.” She laughed and rolled her eyes.
“No, you’re not, baby. You’re perfect.” At least she was perfect for him, and he had a plan for when he got back to New York that he couldn’t wait to put into motion.
13
She climbedthe stairs to the top floor of the Silver Lining. It had been two long weeks since Ryan had gone back to New York. And today had pushed her over the edge.
This was supposed to be an owners’ meeting, but Bridget was about to derail that train. All four sets of eyes turned her way as she stopped in front of the table.
“I’m late,” Bridget said to the group. She’d been tired and feeling like shit since before Ryan had returned to New York, and it had finally registered that her period should’ve come a while ago. She wasn’t super regular and had a longer than normal cycle, so she didn’t do a great job at keeping track of it, especially because her sex life had been all but nonexistent for most of Aidan’s life. Butthislate wasn’t normal.
“You, late—wow, what else is new?” Lottie snorted.
“Even in the summer, you’re never on time for these meetings.” Gayle’s smooth voice made the complaint less harsh.
“And my meetings are fun. It’s good I know I’m a badass, otherwise you’d hurt my feelings.” Jo laughed.
But Sonya just raised her eyebrows. She was the only one of the group who seemed to understand that Bridget wasn’t stating the obvious. Yes, it was almost four o’clock, and she was just arriving, but thelateshe was referring to held a completely different meaning. Bridget nodded at her and then reached into her purse and tossed the pink box onto the table, silencing everyone.
She swallowed, waiting for a response. But the only noise in the room was the tread of heavy steps on the stairs.
“Hey, Bridg, you forgot your wine,” Shawn said, coming up behind her. “Oh. Uh—so skipping the wine today?”
“For now,” Bridget agreed, unable to force herself to confirm what her heart already knew.
Jo finally took a breath. “Well, we did the dramatic pause, so go pee on the stick and then come tell us how the hell you two weren’t more careful.”
Bridget swallowed. One time, that’s all it took.
Lottie narrowed her eyes, and she cocked her head to the side before she reached out and swiped the box off the table.
“Well, there’s two, so we’ll do it together,” Lottie announced.
Every eye in the room shot to her.
“Oh my God.Chill.I’m doing it for sisterly support. It’s hard to take that shit, and Bridg clearly doesn’t want to do it alone. But I amnotpregnant.”