Dirty Sweet Cowboy

But they couldn’t see eye to eye. It wasn’t possible. This single business deal destroyed everything .

I understand why they didn’t give a thought to Aden and me, our friendship. A couple of teenage boys weren’t really even on the radar. When it all came crashing down, Aden had to stick with his family. Blood is definitely thicker than water .

But now that he’s here it’s all coming back to me. Since we’ve reconnected over the last couple of months, I’m constantly amazed how much I missed him. And it’s amazing to me that I didn’t do more to reach out to him .

I never had a brother, so Aden was always the closest thing. In some ways, I guess I was always looking for his equal in the Marines, and afterward. That’s why I wanted my team around me all the time. They were not quite like him, but they’re pretty good .

And now we’re all back together. Or, almost. Everything is almost perfect .

Guests start filtering in while Bert, Aden, and I sit in silence. Every once in a while someone will wander into this room, sense the chilly atmosphere, and then wander right back out again .

I can hear them in the dining room and kitchen, wandering around the living room, creeping up the stairs to explore. This house has twenty-two rooms, of which at least seventeen are done now. I still have some work to do, but I’m only human .

I know when she arrives, because I hear the voices change. People are excited. I rise from my seat, positioning myself by the fireplace so that I face the door and will be able to see her when she walks in. I want to see what she thinks. I don’t want to miss a moment of it .

Bea runs to the front door, dragging her in by the elbow. It’s like watching a movie, framed in the wide, walnut molding. Bea is smiling. Ava’s laughing, her caramel-colored hair flowing in ribbons behind her. She’s wearing a clingy gray knit dress, perfect for the chilly November weather. Her cheeks are flushed and the tip of her nose is pink. When she reaches the foyer, she stops, her mouth open, her eyes wide with surprise. She looks all around, taking in the details, appreciating where she is .

“Whose house is this?” she asks .

But nobody has time to answer her. Evelyn appears and points toward the dining room. There are about thirty people in there, all talking at once .

The shower begins in earnest when they start serving the food. Aden winks at me as we overhear people talking about how great it is, how delicious. Bea proudly announces to the group that the food is from Aden’s restaurant, and he practically blushes in response .

The last thing I want to do is play baby shower games, but I am really interested to see what happens. I excuse myself from the parlor and stand just out of the way of the dining room, observing the guests. Everyone looks happy, but nobody looks quite as happy as Ava. Her eyes glitter with excitement as people pass her small bits of paper, along with golf pencils. I suppose that’s one of those baby shower games I’ve heard about .

In a little while they break out lengths of ribbon and make her stand in the middle of the room, with her arms up. One by one, the women wrap the ribbons around her middle, measuring it off. She’s pretty darn pregnant at this point. Twenty-three weeks, by my count. And she looks absolutely stunning. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen .

After a while, she excuses herself, trotting toward the door. She startles when she sees me and breaks into a shy smile .

“Do you know where the bathroom is?” she asks me. “Is it close? Please tell me it’s close .”

“Right through here,” I say, leading her past the stairs to the convenient first-floor bathroom by the kitchen. She groans in relief and locks herself inside. I wait outside the door, not wanting to hover, but happy to steal her away for just a moment .

When she emerges, she cranes her head around toward the kitchen curiously, then to the glass-enclosed conservatory on the other side .

“This is some house!” she says. “Have you seen this place ?”

“I certainly have,” I admit .

“Whose is it ?”

Her eyes search mine, and I wonder how to explain it. Those big blue eyes… I’m not sure I could ever get tired of looking into them .

“This is your house .”

She takes a step back, narrowing her eyes suspiciously .

“I’m sorry, what ?”

I hold my hands out as though it should be obvious. “This is your house. Do whatever you want with it. Sell it, I wouldn’t mind .”

She puts her hands on her hips, cocking her head, looking adorably pissed .

“What the heck are you even talking about ?”

“It’s a great neighborhood,” I explain. “I finished everything in here with my own two hands. Well… I had a little help. But the neighborhood is solid, and it’s just a couple blocks from Aden’s restaurant. And it’s a great investment. You should have it. You and the kids .”

Realization dawns on her slowly. Her face goes slack with wonder .