“Corrupting my son already?” Colton chimes in. “I tell you, you just don’t know who you can trust these days.”
“Ha ha,” I say, deadpan. They’re not funny.
“Oh, before I forget.” Harrison reaches into his back pocket and pulls out my cell phone and hands it to me. “I charged it last night. I went by the gym to check things out, make sure everything was a go to open this morning. This was on your desk. I assume the cleaning crew found it and left it there.”
Scrolling through my phone, I see a missed text message from Gabby. As I read it, I can feel her worry, and I hate that she was worried about me. I would have been going out of my mind if the roles were reversed. There are a few messages from the staff checking in on me and one from my mom. Colton told her and she wants me to call her when I get home and get settled. Apparently, he told her not to come to the hospital since I was getting discharged. I like having my big brother home.
I have two voice mails. Hitting Play, I place my phone on speaker and listen to them. I know they’re from Colton and Gabby. Gabby’s is short and sweet, and the worry is evident in her voice. Colton… his has me seeing red. I’m squeezing my phone in my hand as my asshole brother chuckles.
“I told you, Gabs. If anything would have brought him home, it would have been that.”
“Don’t forget where you lay your head at night.” I stare him down and he throws his head back and laughs.
“He’s just getting you worked up.”
“I leave you alone with him. In our house,” I counter. It’s ridiculous. I know for certain Colt would never do that to me, but history shows I’m not rational when it comes to Gabby. Never have been and never will be.
“Chill, Daddy,” she says, taking my hand and resting it on her still flat belly.
My anger at my brother dissipates. The only emotions I feel are love and excitement for what’s to come. I can’t believe she’s finally mine. Years, we went back and forth, snide comments, and jabs. It led us here. It led us to being engaged and a baby of our own on the way.
“Yo, Chase.” Colton chuckles, waving his hands in the air. “There he is,” he says when I pull my attention from my beautiful fiancée to look at him. “I’m heading home. It’s time for Milo’s nap. I’ll call Mom. You need anything?”
“No. We’ll be behind you as soon as we can.”
“Gabby?” he asks.
“I think we’re good. I might need help getting him into the house. I’m not sure how he’s going to do on crutches.”
“Oh, you need one of those wheel things, you know you rest your knee on it and drive and push with the other foot.” Harrison’s grinning. “I think my grandma used to have one.”
“Fuck off,” I grumble good-naturedly.
“We’re leaving,” Gwen says, trying like hell to hide her amusement. “Call us later. I’ll bring dinner over so you don’t have to cook.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Gabby is quick to shut down the idea.
“Nope. It’s done. We’re stopping at the store on the way home. I’ll just throw some lasagna in the crockpot or something. You have your hands full with three Callahan boys.”
“Hey,” Colt and I protest at the same time.
“Who are you calling boys? I’m all man, right, Gabs?” I smirk.
“And we’re out,” Harrison says. He hands Milo to Colton and takes Sophia from Gwen before taking her hand and disappearing behind the door.
“Call me when you’re close and I’ll come to the garage and help you get him into the house,” Colton tells Gabby.
“Thanks, Colt.” She kisses Milo on his little head and hugs my brother.
Instead of jealousy, okay, maybe a little jealousy, I feel relief. I’m so glad they get along. Gabby fits so well into my life, it’s as if she’s always been there. Like she was meant to be there.
“I think we should start planning our wedding,” I say as soon as the door closes behind Colton.
“Oh, yeah?” She smiles.
“I don’t want to wait. So, you tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen.”
“What if I said I want a long engagement?”
I shake my head. “I can’t give you that, Gabs. I want to give you the world, but I can’t give you that. I feel like we’ve lost all these years, bickering and hiding behind what we were feeling. I want you and this baby to have my last name. No, I’m not doing this because of the baby,” I say before she can ask. “I want this. I want you, and I want it sooner rather than later.”
“Okay.”
“I— Okay?” I was prepared to plead my case.