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Mia raised her scarred brow. “I highly doubt you’re here to compliment us.”
He shifted in his seat. “No, I’m not.” He took in a deep breath, and his exhaustion was palpable. “Santiago Cruz was murdered last night.”
The last few weeks were as wonderful as they were confusing. I didn’t wanna bring down my defenses so quickly. But it was getting hard to maintain my wariness when Benjamin’s effort was so evident.
He was invested in my pregnancy and well-being. That first few days after our coming-to-Jesus moment proved not to be a fluke. Every time he did something sweet, another brick on my wall fell.
For whatever reason, I felt him being reticent about decorating a nursery at my place. To be honest, I was, too. The loft was a good place for me, and I could raise a baby there for a few months. As my kid grew, it’d be harder to have a child upstairs.
I was trying not to freak out about that, reminding myself I still had time until that moment came. I was just enjoying being pregnant and swooning whenever Ben did something sweet—he’d send texts asking me if I was fine or asking about the baby; he forwarded articles about pregnancies; he bought toys and utilities for infants.
I hadn’t told him yet, but I also loved how involved his family was. They bought gifts for the baby, they guided Ben on what was important to know about kids (then he’d pass it along to me). It was endearing when he admitted he was getting help from the guys. Mia and Haley seemed to have made it their mission to stop by a few times a week to check on me. Zach, the sexy and quiet hunk I’d finally met, showed up a few times when Ben was out of town. Even Danny came by with his daughter—a wonderful little girl who was the spitting image of her loving daddy. The man was built like a bear but sweet like a puppy.
I’d yet to meet Mia and Zach’s parents and Gabe. If I was being honest, I was a little more than scared to meet them. Gabe and Sofia were the little mascots of the group, and I hoped my kid would be friends with them. The guys’ parents seemed to be more than “my friends’ mom and dad.” Benjamin spoke very highly of them. It was clear they were important to him.
I still didn’t know how they became so close, but I knew their relationship started when he was just a kid.
I was at Beans, rubbing my belly fondly. It wasn’t my rush hour, so there weren’t a lot of customers, but they’d start coming soon. I heard the wind chimes ringing over the door and saw Haley walking in.
Her curly blonde hair was loose, framing her delicate face. She smiled shyly at me, always trying to avoid calling attention to herself. I rounded the corner and gave her a hug in greeting. That wasn’t something I used to do. I’d never had that many friends. I found myself feeling more and more comfortable around Haley and Mia. They were an interesting duo. I didn’t know if it was because Haley inspired that in people or because of her past (which I wasn’t privy to yet), but Mia was especially protective of her. Whenever they were together, I noticed she was mindful to make Haley feel comfortable and protected, like a big sister.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I thought you’d be at work.”
“I have the day off, so I decided to see you. Can I?” She pointed to my belly.
“Have at it.” She rubbed it gently. I was starting to show, and as scared as that left me, I couldn’t wait to see it round with my baby. Speaking of babies. “Where is Gabe? I’m starting to think you guys made him up.” I went back behind the counter and started preparing her tea as usual.
She giggled. “I left him with Rosie and Jackson, Zach’s parents.” She hopped her small frame onto one of the counter benches. “We spent the morning together playing with Hugo, then he asked to go seeGammaandPawpaw.” She shook her head but smiled. “They spoil him rotten, and I don’t have the heart to tell them to rein it in.”
“He calls themGammaandPawpaw? That’s so sweet.”
“For what it’s worth, they’re his grandparents. They’ll be for your baby as well. Believe me, they don’t know how to say ‘no’ to a child, but they’re the best grandparents a kid and their momma could ask for.” She thanked me for the tea and cupcake I placed in front of her. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. I started to feel a little burning, but nothing worrying. And some kind of...vibrations?”
She beamed, and I noticed nostalgia in her eyes. “That must be the baby moving. I missed that.”
“You miss being pregnant?”
“No. I meant I missed thatwhilebeing pregnant with Gabe.” She noticed my confused expression. “My pregnancy was a difficult one. I barely had time to wrap my head around the fact that I was about to become a mother. It was all a blur to me well into the first few months of Gabe’s life. So I missed those moments. The first movements. When he started kicking. Setting up the nursery.” Despite her longing smile, her eyes were sad.
“Why did you miss it?” I asked quietly.
“Because I was busy running away.” She looked down in shame. “Gabe’s biological father proved to be a terrible person. He was the Devil personified.” She couldn’t hide her contempt. “When I realized that, it was already too late.” She cupped her teacup with both her hands and started scratching it with the nails of her thumbs. I didn’t even think she realized she was doing that. “It was hell on Earth for so long, yet I couldn’t escape. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I couldn’t let my baby grow up with that man.” She hastily cleaned the single tear she couldn’t hold as she still refused to look at me. “So I ran.
“I ran for so long, trying to survive with the little money I managed to steal fromhim,” she scoffed. “I had no idea where to go, I had no one to count on. I was hiding in a women’s shelter when I gave birth. As soon as I could, I ran again. I needed to put as much distance as I could between him and us.” My heart was breaking at her story, but I didn’t interrupt. “A few months after he was born, I ended up here. My measly savings were almost gone, and more than ever, I needed money. I could go a few days with little to no food, I knew that from when I was a kid. But I couldn’t let Gabe experience that.
“That’s when I found the Company and interviewed for a position.” She seemed lost in her memories. “I was laughingly underqualified for the job. Gabe cried during most of the interview. I was sure they’d kick me out.”
“What happened?” My voice was quiet as I kept my tears at bay.
A few more tears rolled down her face, but she was smiling then. “I was about to lose it in that room with Zach, Mia, and Ben. I had no business trying to get a job at a place like that. Gabe was fussy and colicky the whole time. Mia took me to the kitchen so I could take care of Gabe and calm him down. We talked for a while until he fell asleep in her arms. It was the first time anyone other than me ever picked him up. I hadn’t understood she was sort of changing the scenery so I could calm down. When I thought she’d send us away, Mia offered me the position. A few days later, she invited us to live with her. We’ve been living together ever since.”
She sniffed lightly. “They all embraced us. Ben and Mia becameUnkow BeeandAuntie Mia. Rosie and Jackson areGammaandPawpaw. He even has two best friends:Feefee, Danny’s little daughter, and Hugo, his first friend ever. And Zach...” Her eyes shone, and her smile grew. “They’re inseparable. They’re always coming up with things to do together. Whenever he wants chaos, he goes to Mia and Ben. But for cuddly time or if he needs to feel protected, he seeks Zach. Gabe adores him.”
Just Gabe?From the little she told me, I guessed diving into a relationship with another man must be hard.
“He’s just so patient. He cares so much about Gabe, and it’s easy to feel safe around him.” When she noticed my smile, Haley’s cheeks turned pink, and she seemed to realize she’d let on too much, so I didn’t call her on it.
