Buck laughs and takes his grandson, holding him securely to his chest. The smile is contagious.
I take a step around Marshall and move in behind Kendall, placing my hand on her hip. I lean in, kissing her shoulder and she leans back into me.
“He’s a pretty cute kid,” I say and she nods, before turning to look back at me. I take advantage of the angle and press my lips to hers. She doesn’t fight me. “We’d make pretty cute kids too, ya know.”
“Aaron.” Kendall attempts to pull away and I don’t allow her to escape. Wrapping my arms around her I hold her to me and whisper near her ear. “All I’m saying is promise me you won’t completely count us out on one day having kids. Not now, not even three years from now, but tell me that you will keep that door open for the possibility.”
“And if I can’t,” she says without looking at me. “If I can’t say right now, that one day we’ll have kids, where does that leave us?”
“It leaves us right where we are, together. This is not a make or break, Kendall. Because if there is one thing I know for sure, without a single doubt, I want you. I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you no matter what. I just don’t want you to miss out on something I know you will be great at, just because your own mother wasn’t.”
“The door is not completely shut,” she assures me and I close my eyes, rocking from side to side. Thankful that the option is still out there, because I can’t help but imagine this woman carrying my children.
“Hey, Aaron,”Kendall’s father greets me as I walk inside the shop. “How you feeling?”
“Good sir, thank you!”
“Enough of that sir bullshit.” He waves me off. “It’s Ken.” He lifts his coffee cup and takes a drink.
Before I can say anything more I hear heavy footsteps and glance toward the stairs. Leo stops, looks up at me, and then glances back over his shoulder. A blonde girl walks out from behind him and I swear I feel like I’ve swallowed my tongue.
“Aaron,” my names falls from Chelsea’s lips and still I can’t seem to form words.
She is wearing a pair of cutoff shorts, a stretched out T-shirt with the collar torn. Her hair is a mess, and yesterday’s makeup is smudged and mascara has left dark circles under her eyes.
“You two know each other?” Leo asks and I am reminded of the fact that he is even there. Then it hits me that he and her just spent a wild night together.
“We do,” I say and notice the smirk that covers Leo’s mouth. Like he thinks he’s stolen from me. I want to laugh, this guy is a real piece of work.
“You beat me here.” I look back over my shoulder as Kendall rushes in carrying two coffees. “I told you I was stopping for coffee.”
“I know.” I take one and then because I love metaphorically kicking Leo in the nuts. I press my lips to Kendall’s.
I swear I hear a growl and want to laugh.
“Figured I’d stop in and see your dad,” I tell her before turning back to our audience.
“Oh my hell,” I hear Kendall say under her breath and all I want to do it laugh. “Chelsea?”
“How do you all know each other?” Leo asks and I can’t wait to be the one to burst his bubble. Only Kendall beats me to it.
“Chelsea and Aaron have known each other for years. They went on a date, but then I snatched him up and well, here we are.” She shrugs. But I know she is being cocky. Jealousy is an entirely different experience when I see it coming from Kendall. She isn’t the kind of girl to get all wrapped up in that kind of thing.
Until now, or maybe this is the first time I’m witnessing it firsthand.
“This getup is an entirely different look for you.” Kendall waves her hand at Chelsea. “Decide to leave the Sunday attire in the closet for a change?”
“I was just about to ask you if you raided some guy’s closet?” she tosses back at Kendall and part of me feels sorry for Chelsea. She has no idea what she’s just thrown herself into.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Aaron
“I’d rather looklike I’m wearing Aaron’s clothes, than like I’ve been rode hard too many times then tossed in the trash. What would you mother think if she knew about your previous night’s events?”
Kendall steps around me and I see her father smirk as he makes his way to his office. The man doesn’t question his daughter, she is who she is and he’s proud as he should be.
“I figured premarital sex was something mommy dearest would look down on. Unless mommy is a closet whore too.”
