AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fiancée,” Jaquelin corrected loudly.
Kellen looked at Redmond with a knowing glance, and he peered at Chelsea, who dared him to agree with her glance. He simply shook his head. “I’m not answering that.”
“Oh, you’re not answering that?” Chelsea asked, her accent enunciated with each of her words. When she felt like she needed to defend herself, her accent thickened, and Redmond couldn’t help but smile. “I am incredible at my job. Incredible enough that I could pay for all the repairs on your house and still have enough in my bank account for a splurge.”
Kellen laughed out loud. “She’s got you there, man.”
“She sure does.”
Bailey spat out the bottle, frustrated with drinking, and Redmond maneuvered her over his shoulder and began patting her back while simultaneously bouncing her. It was a trick that worked to soothe Kaitlyn, and when Bailey didn’t make a peep of noise, he knew it would work on her, too.
“You’re incredible with her,” Jaquelin commented. “Are you looking for a side job? Maybe some nannying?”
Redmond chuckled and shook his head. “Not right now, I’m not.”
“Damn,” she mumbled.
Kellen worked his way back to the grill and Jaquelin stood to follow but paused and looked down at Redmond. “Are you okay with her? I can take her if you want to go and do something else.”
Redmond shook his head. He’d seen how worn she looked when he arrived, and she deserved a break from the baby for a couple of hours. “Go. Have fun. I’ve got her.”
Jaquelin sent him an appreciative glance and walked toward her husband, locking her arm through his in a genuine and loving gesture.
“Do you want another baby?” Chelsea asked once everyone had left earshot.
He paused and considered his answer. “I’m almost forty, and I don’t think I’m prepared to have another baby and go through all the difficult stages again.” He recalled Kaitlyn as a baby, and while she wasn’t as difficult as most, there were undoubtedly challenges. Did she want a baby? Chelsea was 33, and that was far from too old to become a mother. She was incredibly young, and he had no doubt she’d create beautiful children.
“Good,” she sighed, her posture loosening. “I love Kaitlyn with my whole heart, but I never envisioned myself having a baby. They’re cute, but not for me.”
Redmond’s heart did a small flip as she leaned into him. “A baby with your eyes and accent would be a sight to behold,” he whispered.
“I don’t have an accent,” she affirmed. “You all do.”
He shook his head as little Bailey finally released a small burp. He continued patting her back, ensuring she’d been fully burped before offering her more of the bottle. When he got another small burp, he arranged her in his arms and offered the bottle, which she took greedily. Redmond glanced up at Chelsea, her blue eyes almost eerily light-colored as the sunlight illuminated them. Yeah, a baby with those eyes would belong on the cover of a magazine.
It wasn’t long before Aiden and Emily made their way to the picnic table, helping Jaquelin and Kellen carry the abundance of food. They rested the plates beside the potato salad and the buns before sitting in their desired spots. Emily, unsurprisingly, sat beside Chelsea and forced Aiden to take the corner seat, nearly falling off the bench.
“Get your asses over here, Blanchet and Sully,” Kellen shouted. The baby jerked in Redmond’s arms, and she made a pouting face that had Redmond readjusting positions to prevent a meltdown.
Kaitlyn turned and bolted toward the table, Sully following behind, but unable to keep up. Shailene strolled to the picnic table, entirely unbothered by Kellen’s shout. Kaitlyn pulled to a halt beside Redmond and stuck her tongue out at Sully. Sully flipped her off, and she gasped.
“Hey,” she shouted, pointing and looking at Redmond. “Did you see that, Daddy? He stuck up his middle finger.”
Redmond faked a look of confusion. “Did he?” She nodded her head vigorously. “Well, no food for him, then.”
Kaitlyn’s smirk at Sully made his entire day worthwhile.
“Okay, before we eat, I’ve got something to say,” Aiden said, standing from the table and looking around, his gaze halting on Emily, his girlfriend. “Does anybody know what today is?”
Redmond furrowed his brows and thought about the date, drawing blanks. Yesterday had been their one-year anniversary, which they very passionately celebrated all night, but today didn’t hold any significance to him.
“I don’t really care what today is as long as I get my food,” Sully shouted across the table, drawing chuckles from each of them. Redmond, though, noticed the intense gaze that Aiden gave to Emily. She appeared more confused than anyone at the table, but something clicked in Redmond’s mind. He recognized the look that Aiden gave Emily, and the timing of it made perfect sense.
“Wait, what’s going on?” Chelsea asked, somehow noticing the change in Redmond’s demeanor. He had, after all, been in the room a year ago when Aiden made a promise to Emily that Redmond knew he’d keep.
“Just wait.”
“Well…” Aiden started, glancing around the table, his nerves apparent in his expression. When he met Redmond’s eyes, something inside him calmed. He looked back down at Emily as he took a step away from the picnic table. “I met you in high school, Emily. I wronged you and never thought I’d get forgiveness for it. And when I saw you again and had the opportunity to make you smile, I took it. And I plan on taking that same opportunity every chance I get for the rest of our lives.”
