Amelia is her coach, and she actually competed at Bellevue. She was an incredible gymnast; I know this because I may have stalked her online to make sure she was good enough for Callie. Thankfully, now she’s an incredible coach and mom. We like her around here, and she’s an IceCats’ wife, so Aviva sees a lot of her at Nico’s hockey gatherings and events. I don’t even have a toe in the hockey world, but since I represent Aviva, I have gotten some clients from the IceCats.
“That’s cool. Ready to be a big girl off at college?”
She grins. “Yes and no,” she says shyly. “I don’t want to leave everyone. I know I’ll come back for the birth, which is good, but I still don’t want to leave. Then I remember I can’t date anyone with Nico around, wanting to kill them.”
I snort when, as if on cue, Nico comes out of the back. He gives her a look as he wraps his arms around both his girls before he beams at me. “Hey, Jay.”
“Hey, Nico,” I sing to him, and he kisses Aviva’s cheek before patting Callie on the head. He towers over both of them, and I guess it’s good he’s bigger than a tree since he’s the goalie for the IceCats. He’s a good dude; Nico is. A little weird and has absolutely no filter, but he’s a great guy for Aviva and Callie. I hear he’s going to adopt Callie once he and Aviva get married. Callie will be over eighteen, but I still think it’s sweet. He loves them both so damn much. Callie moves out of his arms, grabbing her bag from the side of the counter.
“Gotta run. I’ll see you guys later.”
With that, Callie makes her exit as I lean forward on my hands. Aviva watches as her sister leaves, crossing the parking lot to where her gymnastics gym is. I know Aviva isn’t handling her sister going away to college well. Can’t blame her. It’s always only been Aviva and Callie, with me, of course, for a long time.
“It’s going to be fine. We’ll go visit whenever you want.”
She gives me a small smile before Nico kisses her cheek and then grabs his keys. “What she said.”
I wink at him, and I know it makes me an asshole since I’m aware it makes him uncomfortable, but I do it anyway. He doesn’t like to look me, or anyone but Aviva and Callie, in the eye. It’s odd, but he could ignore me forever as long as he is good to my girls. With apprehension in her eyes, Aviva sighs heavily. She cups her growing belly and glances back at Nico. She doesn’t talk much about Callie leaving, but it’s all over her face that she doesn’t want her to go. “Where are you going?”
“I gotta run to Kirby’s.”
I choke on my spit at the sound of his name.
The one that got away. Sigh. But really, is it getting away when we never actually started anything? Just a lot of good conversations and fun nights. Nothing sexual, nothing intimate. Just friendly and fun. Still, my heart skips a beat, trips, and falls face first on itself. His name, Kirby Litman… Ugh, it gets me. I wanted so bad for something to happen between us, but the universe had other plans.
Le sigh.
“Everything okay?”
He grimaces. “Not really.”
“What?” she asks, concern in her voice.
His eyes cut to me and then back to her. “I’ll call you.”
I give him a dry look. “I’m in the inner circle, Nico. Love me!” He laughs as he heads out. Quickly. Even Aviva is laughing, but when I glance back at her, I ask, “You’ll tell me later?”
“Totally.”
And that’s why Aviva is my best friend.
Chapter Three
Jaylin
* * *
“Ms. Raventorn? Your mother is on line one.”
I hold my groan since, apparently, I’m a professional. It’s hard, but I also don’t want my assistant to know I don’t have the willpower or patience to speak to my mother right now. I know for a fact that Malcolm’s mom has already called my mom to complain that I blew him off. This means I have now embarrassed my mother and she will not be able to show her face at Sunday school. Doesn’t matter that Malcolm only wants me because I’m convenient. Or that he’s at his prime or whatever the hell he said. I’ve already forgotten.
My mind is full of thoughts of Kirby. I don’t even know why. I haven’t spoken to him in over a year. When he got back with his girlfriend, who may or may not have been an ex—I’m not sure what that situation is—he cut off all contact with me out of respect for both his girlfriend and me. He didn’t want to lead me on, and with how gorgeous I am, I know his girlfriend would be jealous. I am curious to know what’s up with him, though. I hope all is well. But I know he is okay. He is one of those people who doesn’t ever back down from a fight. If he wants something or sees a way to make things better, he’ll make it happen.
I haven’t heard from Aviva, and it’s killing me. I’m dying for the tea.
“Ms. Raventorn?”
Ugh. My mom. “Yes, sorry. Distracted. Please put her through, and then can you send me the Oleoff file? For the bookstore?”
“Absolutely,” she says quickly, but before I can thank her, she’s bringing my mom on the line. “Mrs. Raventorn, you’re on with Ms. Raventorn.”
Mom doesn’t hold back. “Jaylin Renee! He was a good man! Good money. He liked you a lot. How am I going to show my face around church? Now I’m going to have such a hard time getting my friends to get you dates.”
Oh, poo. “Mom, I don’t need dates, FYI.”
“Jaylin! You’re getting so old. I want grandchildren!”
That’s the second time I’ve been called old… It doesn’t bode well. “Mom, I’m nowhere near old. I am in the prime of my life. I don’t understand this—you wanted me to have a career. I got that, and now, it’s like, bam! Get a husband and a baby. Give me some time, Mom. Husbands and babies don’t fall from trees.”
I don’t have to see her to know she has her brows touching and she’s tapping the arm of her recliner. I give her the best headaches, which is unfair since it’s just me. Why couldn’t my parents have given me a sibling to take some of the pressure off? Nope. Just me to have the career, the husband, and the babies. Also, it’s on me to make sure they have the best care later when they can’t take care of themselves. She needs to relax before I put her in a home. Not that I would even do that or say it out loud.
My mom is terrifying.
“Malcolm is a good man.”
“He only wanted me because I was available and can have his babies. He wore his lab coat—all the time. It was weird.”
“He’s a doctor, child!”
“And apparently everyone has to know that. It made me feel a certain kind of way.”
“Honey, he is a good man.”
“Sure, but not the man for me.”
“Jaylin, child, you need a good, rich, black man—”
“I need a good man. The rest doesn’t matter,” I say. I will never understand my mother’s need for me to marry a black man. I’m not saying I don’t love black men; I do. I’ve dated or slept with men of every single skin tone, and it’s been a blast. For me, it’s always been the soul that attracts me…and the dick. He’s gotta have a huge one, or he can’t hang.