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“Jade. She just wants a confirmation on her flower delivery for the wedding. I still need to figure out what I’m going to wear.”
“Leave that to me,” Maddy said, “I will have you looking like a Greek goddess this weekend. Gavin won’t know what hit him.”
“Maddy.” I gave her a look. “Don’t meddle. I don’t want anything or anyone ruining my friendship with Gavin. I am okay with him being just my friend. It is better this way and no one gets hurt.”
Maddy held up her hands. “Okay. I won’t meddle, but if I can give you one piece of advice, Danny, is that no matter how hard you try, if there is a pull between you and him, you won’t be able to resist it for long. Look at Lily, Jade, and me.
I remained silent, her words hanging in the air. There was a part of my heart that agreed with her, but I would never admit that out loud. Things like falling in love were out of the question for me. My heart was jaded and calloused. If it weren’t still actively beating in my chest I would have thought it was frozen.
“Speaking of Gavin, do you know where Gavin took Axel today?” Lily asked me to get another refill of champagne.
I shook my head.
“What did he do for work while he was in LA?”
“He was a personal trainer to Callum Hendricks.”
Lily’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. “The quarterback for the LA Bears?”
“I think he plays for the Hawks now. I don’t really keep up with this stuff. Marcus always tries to talk me into it, but I can never do it, you know. Don’t get me wrong the men are nice to look out but the game moves are too slow for me.”
“So you just sit with him while he watches the game?” I asked.
She nodded. “While he was the game, I will be playing candy crush. It works out because he gets game time and me time, and I get my feet rubbed and cuddles. Successful marriage 101, ladies.”
She rubbed her belly affectionately. I knew that she would often complain about her pregnancy and how the baby made her uncomfortable, but I also knew how much joy this baby had brought not only to her but to Marcus as well.
I drank my champagne as we settled into lighter conversation, but my mind kept wandering back to Gavin. There was some element of truth to Maddy’s words. Sooner or later this pull between Gavin and I would force something to move.
When we got home from the spa, we decided to sit on the porch. Lily had to go back home and breastfeed the baby.
Maddy and I sat on the porch talking about the most mundane things when we heard Gavin’s truck pull up. We watched as he drove up the driveway and parked next to Maddy’s car.
“Oh look, my husband is back in one piece,” Maddy said, looking at her husband as he got out of the car. “You know, some days I forget my husband is hot and then I look at him, and I’m like…damn.”
“Funny,” my brother said as he made his way to where we sat. “I would say the same thing about my gorgeous, gorgeous wife.”
They were so cute, it was nauseating. I turned my attention to a smiling Axel who bounded in my direction. Gavin trailed behind him with butterfly painted face, his green eyes shined even from where I sat, and I knew that today had been a successful day.
“Mama!” Axel launched himself at me.
“Hey, baby.” I assaulted his cute little chubby face with my kisses. I snuggled him closer to my chest and breathed in his scent.
Gavin walked up the porch steps to join the rest of us. Maddison and Marcus were too busy saying sweet nothings to each other. They had practically phased us out of their reality.
“How was he?” I asked Gavin.
“He was a real trooper.” He ruffled Axel’s hair. “We went out to the creek and then we went to Benji’s for some real guy time. Isn’t that right, buddy?”
“Yeah. Mama look I gots this picture for you.” He handed me a picture of a princess that he tried his best to color in. I knew all mothers said this, but my kid was a Picasso in the making.
“Beautiful, baby.” I kissed his little chubby cheeks. “Did you eat lots of ice cream?”
“Yeah.” I could tell from his loud replies that he was high on sugar, and he was going to crash in a matter of a few hours.
“Hey,” Maddison said, “where is my picture, little man? Did you forget about your aunty?”
“Nope,” Gavin answered for Axel. “We got you guys these.”
