“Just him,” Haley said, gesturing lazily towards the man gasping in outrage.
“I’m the love of your life!”
“Well, I won’t really know that until my second husband,” she pointed out with a shrug and a sympathetic wince that had Aidan biting back a smile.
“Like you’d ever leave me.”
“At least, not without a backup plan,” Haley mumbled thoughtfully with another shrug.
“Oh, my god,” Jason said, shaking his head in disgust. “That’s been your plan all along, hasn’t it? You were just using me for my body!”
“Pretty much,” Haley said as a text alerted him to the fact that his reprieve was finally over.
*-*-*-*
“There’s no pleasing that woman!” his cousin Theo snapped as he stumbled out of Melanie’s room, struggling to pull his shirt on as Aidan stood there, wondering why his family was here.
Dropping his bag by the door, he took in his siblings and cousins sitting around Melanie’s apartment, the bags of food from the Fire & Brimstone and Dixon’s Bakery, and catering pans filled with food covering every available surface and found himself focusing back on Theo, who was now pouting in the corner with a plate of food in his hands.
Curious, Aidan headed towards the bedroom, ignoring Lucifer’s mumbled, “This just isn’t going to work for me,” as he walked past the nursery, the glares that his family was sending him, and found himself wondering why his brothers were in bed with Melanie. Actually, what he was wondering was why Danny was half-naked in bed with Melanie in his arms.
“You know who we should call?” Kasey asked from where she was curled up in her husband’s arms next to the bastard that Aidan was going to kill.
“Roger,” Zoe, who was sitting on the floor between Trevor’s legs, said.
“God, can that man snuggle,” Kasey said with a dreamy sigh that had her husband glaring down at her.
“He really can,” Necie said, nodding in agreement as Aidan shifted his glare to Melanie and realized that she was struggling to get comfortable and looked beyond fucking exhausted.
“Get out,” Aidan said, already reaching for his tie as he toed off his shoes.
Danny opened his mouth to say something but saw the murderous expression on Aidan’s face and decided to keep his mouth shut while he carefully climbed out from behind Melanie. Before her back hit the pillows, Aidan was there, climbing in behind her and wrapping his arms around her.
“Looks like the Bradford curse is in full effect,” Danny said, sending him a wink as he grabbed his shirt off the chair and pulled it back on before helping his wife to her feet.
“The curse is bullshit,” Aidan said, even as he continued to glare at the bastard.
“Then how do you explain that?” Danny asked, gesturing towards Melanie, who was already sound asleep because the men in his family believed in bullshit tales passed down from generation to generation meant to fuck with their heads.
“She’s exhausted,” Aidan said, in no fucking mood to deal with his family’s bullshit beliefs today.
While most of the men in his family believed in this happily ever after bullshit…it just wasn’t for him. He’d never had time for anything more than a casual fling, never been interested in anything more than that. He’d always liked his life and the freedom that came with it, but he had to admit that he liked this too.
“If you say so,” Danny said, shrugging it off as he headed towards the door only to pause as he said, “Someone will be back tomorrow to stay with her while you’re at work. We’re still figuring it out, but we’re going to make sure that she isn’t left alone again.”
“Thank you,” Aidan said, relieved that he wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore as he closed his eyes and felt himself drift off to the sounds of his brothers chuckling and murmurs about the Bradford curse.
*-*-*-*
“I lied about having my period for a year to get out of gym class,” Melanie found herself admitting when she opened her eyes to find Aidan glaring at her.
When he didn’t say anything, she moved on with, “When I was six, I tried to convince my parents that we’d be better off trading my sister for a puppy?”
That was followed with, “I’ve never been able to get past the first level of Tetris because I panic?” when he continued to glare.
Biting back a wince, Melanie said, “I love to cook.”
“And?” Aidan bit out.
“I may have overdone it,” she admitted when his eyes narrowed on her.
“We had an agreement,” Aidan said, looking pissed even as he reached over and gently pushed her hair out of her face.
“I know, but there were extenuating circumstances,” she said with a nod, really hoping that he was willing to leave it at that.
He wasn’t.
“And what exactly were they?” Aidan asked as he shifted so that he was lying on his side, facing her.
“I wanted to surprise you?” Melanie said with a hopeful smile as he placed his hand on her belly.
“And I was definitely surprised to find you in bed with my brothers,” he said, making her wince.
“I can explain that,” Melanie said, even though she had no idea how she was supposed to do that.
“And I can’t wait to hear it,” Aidan said, gently caressing her belly as she opened her mouth to explain what happened only to close it, frown, sigh, and finally admit, “They weren’t as comfortable as you.”
“I see,” he murmured, sounding thoughtful as he continued caressing her belly, looking lost in thought as she laid there, watching him.
He really was handsome, Melanie thought, as she reached over and ran her fingertips along his jaw, enjoying the feel of his stubble against her fingertips. He was also kind, sweet, and nothing like the man that she’d first met. When she’d first met him, he’d been charming with an equally charming smile, saying all those things that every woman wanted to hear and-
She liked this Aidan better.
She liked the fact that he didn’t always know what to say and when he did smile, they came easily. She liked the fact that he went out of his way to make her feel comfortable, teased smiles out of her when the nausea medication didn’t work and she wasn’t sure that she could take anymore, and held her, promising her that it was all going to be worth it when they got to hold their son.
“I have to tell you something,” Aidan said, leaning in to press a kiss against her forehead.
“What’s that?” she asked, wondering how such a simple kiss could feel so good.
“My mother invited us over for dinner Friday,” he said, sighing heavily.
“Why do you look like it’s the end of the world?” Melanie asked, unable to help but frown and not really seeing what the big deal was.
“Because they also invited your family.”
Chapter 22
“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Aidan said, glancing from the man that looked like he wanted to kill him back to Melanie only to find her digging through the shopping bag filled with a large assortment of candy bars and Hostess treats that he’d been forced to pick up when she’d calmly explained in minute detail what she would do to him if he didn’t get her a snack to hold her over until dinner.