He reaches out for the glass case, his hands covered in drool, and I try to snatch him back before he leaves his fingerprints all over everything, but I’m not fast enough.
She laughs. “Please don’t worry about it. Would you like me to take him while you look?”
I shake my head. “No, thanks. This is something he and I need to do together.” Right as the words come out of my mouth, I see it. My breath stops just like it did the first moment I laid eyes on her.
That’s the ring I’m going to slip on her finger when she becomes my wife.
Josephine follows my gaze. “You have excellent taste.”
That’s code for this is going to cost me. Paige is worth every penny.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
PAIGE
My hands full with Mexican takeout, I ring the doorbell of Catrine and Jon’s house. I’ve never been here before. The house is in a gated subdivision just outside Nashville. It’s one of those picture-perfect neighborhoods where the kids still play outside, neighbors barbecue, and every lawn is meticulously manicured. It’s the fairy tale—at least from the outside.
Behind closed doors, it’s the same crap that happens in every neighborhood. In one of these houses, some man beats his wife or is cheating on her. In another, they struggle to pay their bills, living paycheck to paycheck. And in countless others, drug and alcohol abuse. The only difference is here those things are wrapped up in prettier packages.
Catrine opens the door. She looks fabulous, as always. Even carrying another human being in her belly, she can put any woman to shame. Her arms open wide, I think she’s pulling me into a hug, but she’s really grabbing the food. “You’re a lifesaver! Did you get the extra peppers?”
Laughing, I follow her inside through the foyer. “Got ’em.”
She puts the food down on the kitchen island. The kitchen opens into a great room with a fireplace and a view of the backyard. “Jon won’t let me eat anything spicy. He thinks it will make the baby come before he’s ready.” She opens one of the cartons. “I told him that’s the point. He also won’t let me exercise, and you don’t even want to know the last time we had sex.”
“No, I don’t,” I say, laughing.
“Speaking of,” she says, digging into some guacamole with a chip. “How are things going with you two? I have to tell you, I almost died when I saw him carrying you out of the house after the tornado. It would take a forklift for Jon to carry me now.”
“It would not,” I say. “You look amazing.”
“The other day, some woman at the store told me I looked pregnant in the face!” Catrine throws her hands up. “Seriously? Why does everyone think they can say things like that and touch your belly when you’re pregnant? Did you get that when you were pregnant with Finn?”
“I think everyone gets that,” I say. “Did you and Jon decide on a name yet? Or is he permanently Chewie?”
She rolls her eyes, pushing the bag of food over to me so I can grab something. “At this point, I think we’re going to have to meet him.”
“Good plan,” I say. “I need to see his nursery.”
“Oh, it’s a circus theme,” she says, leaping to her feet. “I’ll show you. It’s upstairs next door to . . .”
Suddenly, a gush of water hits the floor, stopping her in her tracks. Her eyes wide, she looks up at me. “Tell me you just peed on yourself?” I say.
Her head slowly shakes. For all her excitement and readiness for the baby to come, she’s frozen still. “What do I do?” she asks.
“I don’t know,” I say, holding my arms out like she could fall over any second.
“What do you mean you don’t know? You’ve been through this?” she cries.
“My water never broke.”
“They had to strip your membranes?” she asks.
“What? I had a home birth,” I say. “You should sit down.”
“I’m soaking wet,” she says.
“Okay, um . . . you should take a shower then?”
“I read in the baby books, you aren’t supposed to do that if your water breaks. Something about bacteria.”
“Right. Sorry,” I say. “It’s been a while.”
“Call Jon,” she says, giving me her best eye roll.
“Right, right,” I say, looking for my purse. She points toward the counter, another look flying my way. Reaching in my purse, I feel around for my phone. Why is it you can never find your phone when you need it? “It’s got to be in here somewhere.”
“Hey, babe,” I hear Catrine say. I look up, finding the phone to her ear. “My water just broke. I’m fine. Paige is here. She’s freaking out, but she’s here. I’ll have her grab my bag and bring me to the hospital. Meet me there!” She smiles. “Love you, too.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
SLADE
“How long does this usually take?” I ask, looking over at Paige, who’s biting her thumb nail. She hasn’t calmed down at all since she walked in with Catrine eight hours ago.
Paige simply shrugs her shoulders at me. Thank God, Finn is relaxed and sleeping happily in his car seat. It’s not easy to wait and even harder with a baby. We really need to find a sitter for times like this.
Jon called me as soon as he got the call from Catrine, telling me Paige was driving her, so I rushed over to meet them, figuring Jon could use the support. He’s texted a few updates now and then, even told us to go home, but I want to be there for them. It’s Finn’s bedtime, though, and we’ve missed dinner.
Taking Paige’s hand, I say, “Why don’t you take Finn home? I’ll stay until the baby’s born, then I’ll meet you there.”
“I really want to see Catrine,” she says.
“We’ll come visit her and the baby tomorrow. Who knows how long this will take? We probably won’t get to see them tonight anyway,” I say, tilting her chin to me. “What’s wrong? You seem off.”
“I’m fine,” she says, giving me a small smile. “You’re right. I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
*
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Jon so happy in his life. Well, maybe the day he married Catrine, but this was close. Their son was born not long after Paige left. Theo is perfectly healthy and beautiful, according to Jon.
Since it was late, I didn’t go in to see them. I texted Paige the news, but she hasn’t responded. I wonder if she’s asleep. No way will I be able to sleep tonight. Too much is going through my head.
Jon’s been through some shit in his life, so that makes this moment even sweeter. I was there on that bridge with him all those years ago, and I was there tonight when his child was born. I’ve seen him at his lowest and at his highest. If anyone deserves this happiness, it’s Jon.
I hope Theo and Finn will be friends. It’s nice to imagine Jon’s son and mine growing up together, playing at the ranch, riding horses. I can imagine us taking them to football games. Hell, maybe one day, they will even take over the company. And while Finn isn’t mine biologically, I feel the same way about him that Jon does about his son. It’s immediate. It’s the most natural thing in the world to love him.