Sutton laughs as she rubs her hand over her very swollen belly.
“And if one day I change my mind and that motherly urge hits me, then fine. Aaron would be the only man I could imagine ever having children with. He’d make a pretty amazing father,” I confess and part of me feels guilty that I’m not sure I will ever be able to be that one that gives him that.
“You’re different,” she says to me regaining my full attention. “Not completely or like you’ve forgotten the person you are. You’ll always be our opinionated, ready to fight the world Kendall, but this,” she waves her hand in my direction, “there is a lightness that wasn’t there before. Like that weight you were carrying has been lifted and you can finally breathe.”
I don’t reply but instead look over just as Aaron turns his gaze onto me. He smiles, he winks, and that fluttering feeling in my stomach returns. The same feeling I get every time he looks at me, every time he kisses me or hell every time I hear his voice.
“I’m one of you now,” I confess, still looking at him. “Those girls that get all giddy over a guy. It’s gross, but it’s true.”
Sutton groans and I look back at her just as she winces again and her eyes grow wide. “What’s wrong?” I sit up, looking her over and that’s when I notice her pants are wet. “Did you pee your…wait, oh my God, did your water break?”
She looks up, her face pinched with discomfort and she simply nods her head.
“Brantley,” I stand and yell as panic races through me.
I swear to it, I don’t even have time to take in my next breath before he is there, and Aaron is by her other side. Each taking one hand, they help her stand and her eyes widen.
“It’s early.” She shudders nervously and it’s Aaron that soothes her.
“Only two weeks, and that’s nothing, you got this! I was five weeks early, babies come early all the time. Seems this little guy is ready to meet his parents.” Sutton forces a smile and both he and Brantley lead one of my very best friends to their car.
I watch as they tuck her in carefully, Aaron offers Sutton a hug and closes the car door. Standing at the side he places his hands on his hips as they back out of the driveway.
I am in awe of Aaron as he makes his way back to me after they can no longer be seen. He places his arms around me and is smiling from ear to ear. “I never would have thought I’d be more calm than Brantley.” He chuckles. “Poor guy looked like he was about to puke.”
He was so proud of the fact.
“I’m never gonna let him live this down.” And I knew without a doubt in my mind that he never would.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Aaron
“We would likeyou all to meet Ethan Brantley O’Shay,” Brantley says with pride as he turns showing his son to us all.
All the girls move in, awwing over the bundle in blue.
All I can see from this angle is a lot of dark hair on the top of his head.
“Kid looks like his mother, thank God!” Bennett says, and Lexi slaps him in the stomach triggering an oomph sound. “Damn woman I was joking,” he insists. “Of course he’s a great looking boy, he’s an O’Shay.”
I stand back watching Kendall who is looking at them, but keeping a short distance. She is observing, her arms crossed over her chest. The expression on her face is one I’m not completely familiar with, but I do know her mind is going a million miles a minute.
As if she feels me watching her she glances in my direction and I offer her a wink.
I know she’s on the fence about kids. She’s never been too keen on being a mom, she is always wrinkling her nose about it. We’ve mentioned having a family a time or two and the conversation quickly shifts to something else.
I don’t push.
But I do hope that one day she changes her mind.
I hope that one day she realizes she would be a great mom. Probably for all the reasons why she thinks she won’t. Her mother was never very attentive and she ran out searching for something more leaving her small daughter and a husband who loved her behind.
She wouldn’t be the same and I know it.
I know she knows that too.
“Let me see my grandbaby.” Buck walks in and beelines for Brantley. Right then Ethan screams out and wails loud enough to crack glass.
