“We should go,” Joey said, quietly resettling Gavin in Lizzie’s arms.
The sight of him when he first took Gavin into his arms almost made my uterus explode.
“You don’t have to,” Lizzie said, but she had to be exhausted, and we’d already been in the room for long enough for us both to cuddle the babies, hear how they were doing.
So far, they’d each breastfed once perfectly. At thirty-five weeks they were just over five pounds. Nurses were keeping an eye on them, but APGAR—whatever those were—had come back perfect and since they were doing fine eating, there was no worry yet about them needing to stay longer than necessary.
“We do,” I assured her. “I think Joey and I both need a shower. And a nap.”
But first, I had a surprise to reveal to him. I didn’t even care it was barely seven.
“You’ll need your rest before everyone else comes to say hi, anyway.”
“Okay.” She yawned behind her hand and I chuckled.
“See you later?” I asked Garrett.
“You better. Thanks for getting here so quick yesterday.”
I rolled to my toes and kissed his cheek. “Always. I’m always here for you.”
“Me too, sis.”
He and Joey shook hands and on the way down the hallway, I pulled out my phone. “I know you’re exhausted, but can we go somewhere first?”
The building was only fifteen minutes away from the hospital. Thirty minutes from Joey’s home.
“Breakfast?” he asked and I laughed.
“No. I have a surprise for you.”
“A good surprise?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
He took my hand, his fingers playing with my wedding ring. I hadn’t taken it off. Neither had he. He didn’t say anything as the elevator descended and we headed to his car.
I gave him the address and he gave me a curious look as he punched in the coordinates.
“Those babies are so damn cute,” I murmured. Now that adrenaline and excitement was wearing off, exhaustion was setting in.
“They’ll be a lot of work. I can’t imagine twins.”
“I want a house full of them,” I admitted, eyes drooping. I forced myself to stay awake.
“A house full of twins? Not sure that can happen.”
“No.” I slapped his chest and he grabbed my hand, settled both of them interlocked on his thigh. He hadn’t stopped touching me since I arrived. Even while we slept, slumped over uncomfortable waiting room chairs, he’d always had a hand on me.
Like he was afraid I’d disappear, hop on a plane if he wasn’t holding on to me.
He didn’t have to worry. Soon, he’d see.
“I meant babies. Lots of them.”
He cleared his throat. “Good.” He flashed me a grin. “Me too.”
Babies then. Lots of them. We agreed.
The drive was faster than expected, probably due to lack of traffic headed in the direction we were going, but soon, Joey pulled up to a building, a five-story condominium building on top of a row of businesses.
My business.
I bounced in my seat. “Park there. We’ll walk over.”
“Walk where?”
I could barely contain my excitement. Not only had I not seen everything yet in person, but I was also getting multiple texts a day from Kelsey. We’d started construction two weeks ago and I was already shocked at how fast everything was happening.
Joey pulled his car into the parking lot and I was out of my door, almost stumbling in my rush to see everything, and he met me at the front.
Brows furrowed, eyes squinting from the sun, he took the hand I offered, and I practically pulled him across the street.
“What are you doing?” Wariness drifted through his tone.
I flashed him a smile and kept tugging on him. “You’ll see.”
31
Joey
“You’ll see…”
I saw a building with apartments in an area of Vegas that looked full of fresh out of college rich preppy workers, and a boulder grew in my stomach.
Was she… moving? Here?
And yet she was so excited. Was this what she meant by taking care of herself? Actually living alone?
I followed her, my hand so tightly gripped in hers I couldn’t pull away if she tried but she didn’t take me toward the main entrance to the modern and chic building where a sign for the name of the building was plastered.
Instead, she dug into her purse with her free hand and pulled out a set of keys.
It was then I saw the other sign where she was dragging me.
And the words COMING SOON painted on the glass.
Elite Beauty Salon and Spa.
My heart raced and my palms grew clammy. She…
“You first,” she said as she shoved the key into the lock and pulled open the door.
“What is this?”
“You’ll see.” Her smile shook and she rolled her lips together. With her foot, she gently tapped me in the back of my legs.
Holy shit. This was what she hadn’t told me. This was the secret I’d been growing so concerned about.
I’d been worried.
For absolutely nothing.
I stepped into a space filled with silence, the roar of my heart causing enough noise for everyone in a two-block radius.
She slid in front of me, and pressed her back to my chest. Her voice shook as she said, “I haven’t actually seen this in person yet.”
“It’s yours?” I needed the confirmation. Shock rushed through me as I wrapped my arms around her stomach and held her against me all while trying not to throw her onto the floor and ravage her.
“It’s mine,” she said quietly, practically a whisper in my ear. “My very own salon.”
It was still in the construction phase but with the separated styling stations and sinks and then the small row of chairs with attached dryers, it was obvious what it was.
Holy fucking shit. She’d done it.
I slipped my arms from around her and stepped to the side. I needed some distance for my own sanity. My jaw tightened and I couldn’t think of a rational thing to say. All the blood in my brain had raced south. “Your salon.”
“Yeah, I mean.” She scanned the space, excitement growing along with nerves as she bounced on her feet. “Not the building. But I was able to lease it and get a business plan and I have someone who’s been helping me—Kelsey, you know, Dan’s daughter—she did the walk-throughs. I called her to talk one day for advice. We’d hit it off at Lizzie’s wedding when she did her hair and then, everything snowballed so she’s been my eyes here while I worked on the financial stuff back home. And… you’re not saying anything.”
I covered my mouth and sniffed. Holy fucking shit. I couldn’t…
Tears grew in my eyes and Gabby blurred in front of me.
“Oh. I didn’t think you’d cry. Are you… are you okay with this?”
Okay with this? Had she gone absolutely batshit crazy?
“I want to fuck you. Right now. Everywhere. The floor. The chairs. The windows. I don’t give a fuck but I’m afraid if I touch you I’m going to break you.”