“Don’t be ridiculous.” I try to make nothing of it. But he’s right. It is. I meet women. Lots of them. It's always been transactional, though. I’ve never had anything serious. Never anything loving. Some girls have tried. I’ve had friends with benefits before that lasted a while, but they become attached, even though they say they never will, and I’ve moved on from those quicker than a firecracker going off on the Fourth of July.
I don't hold hands. I don’t touch softly. I don't place sweet kisses on girls' heads. I don’t dance in bakeries or bars. Yet I’m finding that’s exactly what I want to do with Savannah.
“Hey, Griff.” Connor walks up, Sawyer on his heels.
“Gents.” I nod in greeting.
“How’s the build at Stonemore going?” Connor’s straight to business. Just like his dad, he wants to know all about what’s happening over in wine country. God, if they only knew what’s happening over at Stonemore. Hell, that family over in Sundown Valley gives these guys a run for their money.
“Going well. The build is big. Beautiful. It's a nice part of the world.”
“Are you talking about Sundown Valley?" Hudson asks as he and Sutton walk up, the gang all here after finishing their game of pool.
“Yeah, I can’t remember the last time I went there,” Sawyer says.
“Remember that weekend wine tasting we did there years ago?” Sutton asks Hudson, the two of them hailing from LA first before landing here in Whispers, where they found their girls and never left. Sundown Valley gets lots of LA celebrities and locals.
“The one where the paparazzi stalked us all day, and we had to fly in and out of wineries in a helicopter like fucking royalty.” I roll my eyes at Hudson's version of events. We’re all rich men. All six of us have worked hard, made good money, and we’re now at the stage of life where we can settle down a little, relax, and use our wealth how we want.
But Sutton Silvers, former Hollywood movie star, probably has the best stories. Now he’s a local apiarist who comes out of showbiz retirement a few times a year to lead one of Tanner and Connor’s whiskey commercials since he’s the face of the Whiteman brand.
Sutton starts telling everyone another one of his stories, and I tune him out. I've heard them all before, and I’m not really into it all. Instead, my eyes wander over to the women, seeing Savannah sitting, nursing her Sprite, the women around her laughing and throwing questions, talking kids and babies.
“Is she resting?” Hudson murmurs to me.
“No. Stubborn.”
“She still hasn’t dropped.”
I frown, looking at him. “Is that a problem?”
Hudson's eyebrows rise. “Could be. By now, I’d prefer the baby to be down a little more and in position. It’s not a big issue, but if the baby doesn’t drop in the next day or two, then things have an added layer of complexity.”
“She’s dancing, eating all the spicy food. Taking her vitamins. What else can she do?”
“Medically, I’ll monitor her closely. Sometimes, women don't drop until they are in labor. But at that point, the progression is slow and things can escalate quickly. We might have to have the birth in Williamstown instead of Whispers.”
I swallow roughly, not liking that option. Especially because I know she wants to give birth here in Whispers and also because I know her family is in Williamstown. And if her parents are anything like her sister, that isn’t going to go well. I make a mental note to plan for that.
“Is there anything else we could be doing to help?” I’ll get her anything. If she needs more spicy food, I’ll ship that in for her.
“There are the old wives’ tales…” he says quietly, being more than a little elusive.
My eyebrows pinch as I look at him. “What are they?”
“The spicy food, the movement and dancing were all on the list…”
I feel like he’s trying to say something yet not.
“What else?” I almost bark at him, not liking how he’s not getting to the point.
“Sex,” he blurts, like it should be obvious, and I still.
“Sex? Doesn’t that hurt the baby?” She already has a human inside of her, so I can’t imagine that having another one would be beneficial. Regardless of how much my own dick would love it. I try to push down the thoughts now swirling. Her naked pregnant body moving on mine. Fuck, I’m getting hard just thinking about it.
“Well, yes, you’ll need to go slow… let her lead… but no harm will come to the baby. Believe me, that kid is so cozy in there they won't feel a thing. Medically speaking, orgasms cause mild uterine contractions, which may help nudge the baby downward. That, combined with the fact that semen contains prostaglandins, which are hormones that can help soften and ripen the cervix, means having sex can potentially ease the baby into position or bring on labor.”
I blink at him a few times, taking it all in, yet I’ve never felt so raw in a bar before. I look around, seeing if anyone can hear our conversation, but the music is loud and the boys are laughing at something Sutton’s telling them.
