Aaron helped Sunny into his pickup truck to set out on a long day of shopping for the baby. Piper called that morning while Sunny was still sleeping to find out how her best friend was doing. She sounded worried, and Tag took the phone from her, barking at Aaron about making his wife worry about Sunny. Aaron knew that Tag was just being a protective Hulk, but he also knew that his best friend could pound him into dust if he ever wanted to.
“You guys don’t need to worry about Sunny, Tag. I’m not going anywhere. I will personally make sure that she and my baby are taken care of.” A part of Aaron was angry at Tag for not telling him about his daughter, but he also knew that Tag was a good friend and made sure that Sunny was safe while Aaron was off doing his thing. Tag knew that Aaron needed to get out of town for a while to get his shit together.
“Listen, man, I just don’t want Sunny getting hurt. She’s been through a lot of shit since you left. Honestly, you two are the most stubborn people that I know. She wouldn’t let me tell you about the baby, and even if I had, I’m not sure you were ready to hear about her. Are you any better now?” Aaron loved that Tagwas worried about him, but finding Sunny pregnant forced him to own his shit and grow up. It was like a bucket of cold water hitting him on a hot day. You don’t know what the fuck hit you, but afterward, you feel refreshed. That was Sunny for him—she was his bucket of cold water, and he woke up after months of being in a bad dream. She gave him purpose, and he finally knew that they could build something bigger than his demons.
“Thanks, Tag—for everything. And yeah, I’m good. I think finding Sunny on Christmas Day was just the kick in the ass that I needed. I’m not going anywhere—you have my word. I want Sunny and this baby, I just need to convince her that I’m not a total ass and that I’m not going anywhere.” Tag laughed into the phone. “Dude, you need to grovel. Hit your knees and beg, but don’t give up on her. Sunny is a keeper.” Aaron could hear Piper on the other end of the call asking question after question. He knew that Sunny’s friend wouldn’t let him off the hook as easily as Tag did. He probably needed to apologize to Piper, too, since she was most likely taking the brunt of Sunny’s stormy side. He cringed at the thought of Sunny spreading her anger around town after he left. Tag seemed distracted, and Aaron really wanted to shower and make Sunny breakfast, so he made some excuses to end the call. By the time she woke up, he was ready to eat his hand; he was so hungry. He wanted her to sleep longer, but he was excited to go baby shopping. Geez, just yesterday he rode into town to make sure that Sunny was all right and to go to Lorna and Sawyer’s wedding. And now, a day later, he was taking the mother of his baby shopping for a crib, which they found along with everything else a baby could want or need. Sunny proved to be damn good at sitting and pointing. His daughter would be dressed from head to toe for quite some time. They also stocked up on diapers in different sizes and lots of baby wipes. When it came time to purchase the crib, Piper and Tag strolled into the baby store, and it was like the womendidn’t just see each other the day before. Tag pulled Aaron in for a quick man-hug complete with back slap while Piper and Sunny squealed and twirled around the store like it was Disney World.
“What are you doing here?” Sunny pulled Piper in for a side hug since that was all her belly would allow. Tag and Aaron both found the sight amusing.
“Well, Tag and I spoke to Aaron this morning,” Piper said. She shot Aaron a dirty look, and he knew that she was still pissed that he had up and left Sunny. “And, he told us that you were shopping for the baby. Why didn’t you tell me that you had nothing for her?” Piper rubbed Sunny’s belly, and she looked down at the floor. The last thing Aaron wanted was for Sunny to feel embarrassed or ashamed that she didn’t have the cash to buy a crib.
“I just—” Sunny started, but Aaron pulled her into his side, wrapping an arm around her.
“Sunny didn’t have much room at her parents’ house for a crib, so she was just planning on using a bassinet. But, now that she’s living at my place, we have a whole room to fill.” Piper looked between the two of them, seeming skeptical. If Sunny chose to tell her friend the truth, that would be up to her. Aaron couldn’t stand to see her feeling down about her situation—hell, he was partially to blame for her current condition.
“Well—” Piper paused and smiled. “Tag, and I would like to buy the crib.” Sunny was shaking her head, and Aaron was pretty sure she was about to burst into tears again.
“No Pipe, it’s too much.” Sunny squeaked.
“Nonsense, that’s what aunts and uncles are for, right? If I can’t spoil my niece, then what good am I?” Sunny nodded her approval, and Piper pulled her in for a quick hug. They were both crying as they set off to find the perfect crib. Aaron suddenly felt useless. He didn’t want to remind Piper that this was his baby, especially since she was the one who took care of Sunny whilehe was away. But a part of him felt like doing just that. He was looking forward to being a part of the decisions concerning his daughter. He was about to go find Tag, who was looking at infant car seat/stroller combos, when Sunny stopped and turned to him.
“Aaron, are you coming?” She held out her hand to him and smiled, causing his heart to skip a beat. “You should help decide what bed our daughter will be sleeping in.” She lowered her hand slightly, doubt overshadowing her brilliant smile. “Well, that is if you want to. You don’t have to, you know, if that’s something that you’re not into.” He took two steps, closing the distance between them, and pulled her into his arms. He didn’t care that Piper was scowling at him or that the salespeople were watching—all he saw was Sunny, and she was damn near perfect. He kissed her, forgetting where they were or what they were doing. He licked his way into her mouth and stroked his tongue against hers. Feeling her melt against him was all the reassurance he needed. When he finally ended their kiss, he found both Piper and Tag smiling at him and Sunny, like two crazy loons. Everyone in Harvest Ridge had fallen in love and lost their minds, and he was pretty sure that it was his turn. Sunny opened her eyes, smiling up at him and, yep—he was ready to jump off the ledge or drink the Kool-Aid. He would do whatever it took because she took his breath away.
Sunny couldn’t believe that Tag and Piper crashed her and Aaron’s day. But she was happy to see her friend and so appreciated the thoughtful gift of the crib. Piper went all out and purchased the nursery furniture as well. And, by the time they were finished, Piper also furnished her own baby’snursery. She didn’t know what she was having yet, but she wanted something neutral and rustic to match her cabin. Piper arranged for both deliveries, and Sunny found herself feeling a bit envious that her best friend seemed to have it so together.
Aaron and Sunny finished up the day by buying the car seat/stroller combo that Tag researched to be the best. They said goodbye to their friends, and she felt like collapsing onto the floor. Aaron must have seen that she was about to drop and wrapped her in his arms.
“How about you talk to the nice sales lady about—you know—girly things that you will need after the baby arrives, and I’ll start loading up the truck.” Sunny laughed at the way Aaron handled the mention of breast pumps and nursing pads.
“All right, as long as you’re sure you don’t want to help me pick out some nipple creams.” She teased Aaron, noticing the way his eyes darkened, causing her to shiver.
“Don’t tempt me, Sunny. It’s been a damn long time.” He pulled her in for a quick, hard kiss, and she couldn’t help her question when he was about to release her.
“How long, Aaron?” she whispered, looking around to make sure that none of the super skinny, beautiful saleswomen were close enough to hear. This time, he pulled her up for another kiss, taking his time with her. She liked the way he seemed not to care about the other people in the store. When he kissed her earlier in front of Pipe and Tag, she thought that she was going to combust—the kiss was scorching. This kiss was just as hot but a little sweeter. He pulled back, leaving them both a little out of breath.
“Eight months and one week,” he whispered into her ear, causing her to gasp. Aaron rubbed her belly, kissed her cheek, and walked away, leaving her speechless. Sunny frowned. Did he mean that he wasn’t with any other woman since her? She hadn’t been with another man because frankly, there was noother man for her. Plus, it wasn’t easy hitting the whole dating scene while pregnant. But was Arron really not dating while he was in California? The thought gave her butterflies and made her hope for things that she had no right to hope for. Sunny finished up purchasing everything else she needed for the baby, including her breast pump, a few nursing bras, and a gown for the hospital. She was pretty sure that if Aaron wanted her now, he wouldn’t by the time their daughter got done with her body. Sunny had no idea what to expect during the whole delivery process. She was supposed to attend Lamaze classes, but the thought of going to them alone scared the hell out of her. She didn’t want to sit in a classroom full of pregnant, happy women and their partners, while everyone around her wondered where her baby’s father was. Now, she was afraid that it was too late to sign up for birthing classes. Her daughter would be here in a few short weeks, and she had no idea what she was doing. By the time the sales lady bagged Sunny’s final items and she found her way to the front door, she was full-on sobbing, trying to wipe away her tears so Aaron wouldn’t see. She felt foolish for not making sure that she was ready for her baby. It was like she was waiting for Aaron to ride back into town and swoop her up to take care of them both. And now that was exactly what was happening. She was no better than a damsel in distress, and her grandmother would not approve of her not being ready for this baby because she was heartbroken and waiting for her knight in shining armor. The old Sunny would have handled the situation so much better. She was always a grab-the-bull-by-the-balls kind of girl, but now she was a sobbing puddle of need, and that thought sent her over the edge. She could see the concern on Aaron’s face before he even reached her. He slammed the cab door to his truck shut and rushed to meet her at the store’s entrance.
“Honey, tell me what’s wrong.” He pulled her into his arms, and she willingly let him comfort her. After the past four monthsof not knowing if she was ever going to see him again, she didn’t have it in her to be strong anymore. She wanted to be okay with needing him, but she was also afraid that he would need to leave again. God, she felt like she was on an emotional roller coaster, and she wanted to get off.
“Baby, why are you crying?” he asked. Sunny shook her head, wanting to be able to make words come out of her mouth, but every time she opened her lips, only sobs escaped. How could she tell him that she failed as a mother before the baby even entered the world? Aaron pulled her over to his truck and helped her up into the cab, then secured the seat belt around her and the baby. She looked behind her at the piles of pink baby items and knew that he wouldn’t understand. He was in town for mere hours and found out that he was going to be a dad just yesterday, and there he was, prepared for their baby. But she couldn’t get herself together after eight months of knowing that she was going to be a mother.
“Sunny, can you tell me why you are crying?” He waited her out. “Did someone give you a hard time in the store?” She shook her head, and he ventured another guess. “Are you not feeling well?” She shook her head again. This was going nowhere fast. She couldn’t sit in his truck while they played twenty questions. She wiped her nose on her sweater and tried to calm down.
“I wasn’t ready for her,” she whispered. “I had eight months to get ready for our baby, and I failed. You sweep in, and within a day, you have everything that our daughter will need for the first six months of her life. What was I thinking? I don’t even know how she is going to come out because I was too big of a chicken to go to Lamaze class.” She hiccupped, and Aaron laughed and pulled her free from her seatbelt, sliding her across the seat to sit on his lap. She rested her head against his chest and felt more at ease with every beat of his heart.
“You make everything better. How do you do that, Aaron?” He shrugged, and they sat in silence for a while.
“I don’t always make everything all right, Sunny. I couldn’t save the men in my company all those years ago,” he whispered. Sunny wanted to take back her words before she even said them, but she knew that sooner or later, they would need to discuss Aaron’s past.
“Will you tell me about what happened?” Sunny gently kissed his neck, craving his closeness. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed.
“Yeah, I think it’s time that I tell you everything, Sunny. I’m just afraid that after you know all of it, you won’t want me around either of you.” He rested his hand on her belly, and she immediately wanted to protest.
“Aaron, there is nothing that you can say that will change my wanting you in our lives. We both need you.” She gently kissed his mouth, and he helped her back to her seat and buckled her in. “We’ll see, honey. Let’s get you some food, and then we can go home and have a nice long talk.” She nodded. Sunny knew that Aaron ran away to avoid having to tell her about his past. But now she needed to hear the whole story because their future depended on it.
He knew that it was only a matter of time before his old friend Aaron would figure out that he was still alive. Hell, he couldn’t wait for that day. Travis ran his hands over his face, feeling every line and mark that was left behind from the surgeries. Sure, they fixed him right up, made him look as if nothing ever happened. But they couldn’t make the pain go away—he would live with that for the rest of his life. He was hookedon Percocet for a while until he realized that he was becoming a zombie. He needed to keep his wits about him if he was ever going to make Aaron Steele pay for leaving him on the side of that mountain. He lost everything—his wife, his two kids, even his face. By the time the doctors were done “fixing” his face, his own family didn’t even recognize him. At first, his wife said that it didn’t matter to her, that she loved him for who he was, not what he looked like. But after he got hooked on those damn pills, she gave up on him. She left, taking the kids, telling him that she couldn’t deal with who he had become. Well, he had a news flash for her—he didn’t like who he became either, but he couldn’t run away and leave. He was stuck with a face that he hardly recognized every time he looked in the mirror. After he did a short stint in rehab, he tried to contact his family, desperate to get them back, but his wife moved on, and his kids wanted nothing to do with him. It was almost like he didn’t exist anymore, and he liked it that way. Everyone thought that he was dead. Aaron and two other men made it off that mountain, never knowing that he was still alive when they retreated. He found his way back down only to be picked up by another company. He was listed as a John Doe for months until he was coherent enough to tell the doctors his name. He asked to keep everything hush-hush, not wanting to draw attention to himself or his family; they had all been through enough. Months turned into years, and no one from his old company ever looked for him. They just assumed that he died up on the mountain with the rest of the poor souls. Now he planned on using his non-existence to his advantage. Poor Aaron wouldn’t know what hit him until it was too late. He followed Aaron out to California after he left Harvest Ridge. He thought that he was finally going to get his chance to take his old friend out and make it look like an accident. But then, Aaron seemed in a hurry to get back to town, and now Travis understood why. His little girlfriend waspregnant, and from the way he was taking care of her, the baby was his. Well, this was a nice surprise—one that he could use to his advantage. He wanted Aaron to feel what it was like to lose his family the way that his was ripped away from him. Aaron would experience that awful pain of knowing that his family was better off without him, and there would be nothing that he could do about it. Then, he would finish the job that Aaron couldn’t. He would make sure that his old friend would never walk away, though, and he would make it all look like an accident. Travis lit a cigarette and watched as Aaron’s truck disappeared down the road, heading back to his condo.
“See you soon, Aaron,” he promised.
