Chapter 1
The tests were in, and there was in fact a little life growing inside of her. Jamie smiled at the thought, though it still scared the hell out of her. Kids didn’t come with manuals. She knew it was silly, yet some part of her thought maybe they should.
Alex was excited about the possibilities, and had already started a list of boy and girl names that he wanted her to continue to add to until they found out what they were having. He was like a kid himself, excited and hyper as he talked nonstop about it. He had been quiet at first, finally telling her he was worried he would turn out like his father. Then somehow, he woke up one morning and decided he was going to be the best dad ever. Jamie didn’t doubt it for a moment.
The honeymoon phase was still very much in effect, but Jamie wasn’t sure that it wouldn’t always be with Alex. Simply being in the same room with him left her breathless.
She walked to the kitchen as her phone blasted upbeat tunes from the living room. Alex was out playing golf with Mark, which had become one of the many ways they were working to lower his stress levels. The fact that the two brothers were spending time together was enough to make Jamie smile. They needed each other. With their mother and father already gone, they were it from the Reid side of the family.
Until this teeny tiny peanut inside of her came out. If it was a boy, the name would continue. “No pressure,” she muttered teasingly to her belly.
The press situation had started to subside over the last few weeks, the media getting a hold of a Hollywood icon’s newest scandal and running in that direction. A famous actor, Conrad Danes, was dating some bestselling author, and the paparazzi wanted to figure out who the author was. Whereas Jamie was grateful for the break in attention, she felt horrible for whoever’s life it was that they were headed to wreck. The media had a way about them, and seeing that Alex was approaching the line to be one of the top five wealthiest men in the United States, Jamie hoped there was something he could do to change it. It was like salmon swimming upstream. Most of the newspapers and magazines thrived on hype that wasn’t true. It was damning at best. If anyone could change it, that person might just be Alex.
The story with Stephen was pulled from the Enquirer as soon as Alex’s lawyers got a hold of them, and Stephen was rotting in jail for attempted murder. Nicholas was out of the picture and the settlement was finalized with him, though Jamie didn’t really agree with not taking him to court. He deserved his own private jail cell, too, but supporting Alex in his decision was her best bet. It was his lawsuit to file or settle, and he’d been the bigger man. He always was.
Sunday afternoons were quiet around the house, and cleaning up the huge place they called home had become lethargic. She bounced on her heels as she worked to get her hair up. Her eyes moved around the kitchen, looking for something to scrub that the maids didn’t catch earlier that week.
Alex refused to let them go, and most days she was grateful for them, but playing Cinderella at her mother’s house half of her childhood left her lost. It was better to stay busy anyway. It helped her not think about everything coming up.
“If only childbirth could be like the wedding. Safe. Comfortable. Intimate,” she muttered as she reached up and grabbed a box of light bulbs before walking through the living room.
A quick spin on her toes almost had her losing her balance.
“Oh crap.” She reached out and grabbed the arm of the couch, letting out a shaky sigh. The doctors had cleared her from the scare a few weeks before. She was pregnant, and yet no one could tell her why the tests came out so inconclusive. At first they figured that it was a tubal pregnancy, but after running a few more tests a week or so later, they were satisfied everything was alright. The fetus was where it was supposed to be. Living in fear over what was or wasn’t for a few weeks waiting for the results, after all they’d been through with the press and Stephen, was exhausting.
“We need another vacation. A permanent vacation.” She opened the door to the garage and walked out, flipping on a light and searching for the ladder. Two of the three lights had burned out above Alex’s side of the garage, and trying to get him to do anything at home was damn near impossible. He was once again living at the office. She didn’t mean to sound like she was complaining. She hadn’t really asked him to fix them.
Her phone buzzed as she located the ladder, and she turned and walked back into the house. Not answering Alex’s call, should it be him, would only leave him worried.
He’d been having more pain in his chest, though he refused to have it checked out. The idea of it being related to him being shot never seemed to leave her mind, but the cause was irrelevant. The fact still remained that he was suffering from something, and they’d yet to diagnose what.
“Hey, baby.” Jamie trapped the phone between her ear and her shoulder.
“Not your baby, but close enough.” Mark laughed loudly as the sound of him moving around filled up the phone. “Get off of me.”
“Give me the phone, you oaf.” Alex's voice was muted, but the sound of the messing around caused Jamie’s lips to lift in a smile.
“What are you two doing?” Jamie asked, and walked back out into the garage. Jake scratched at the back door, and she let out a soft growl before walking back in the house to let the dog out.
The light could be changed later. Obviously it wasn't happening now. She chuckled; not that she really minded, and she was just the same as Alex.
“I just wanted you to hear real time—” Mark's voice faded.
These guys were far too much. They grew up half hating each other, but after only a few months together they were like best buddies, dragging each other into immaturity at every opportunity.
“Jamie?” Alex huffed as his voice wrapped around her, sending her heart racing. He had more power over her than he might ever imagine possible. “Don't you listen to a word this rat—”
“Would I lie to you?” Mark laughed, and it sounded like he was jogging.
“You guys are ridiculous. I'm making hamburgers for dinner. Be home by six. Okay?” She opened the back door and walked out into the warm afternoon, breathing in and closing her eyes for a few minutes. Where the house behind her had once just belonged to Alex, it was now theirs.
“I actually beat him. Can you believe that shit?” Mark screamed like a girl.
Jamie pulled the phone from her ear and laughed. “Is he threatening you again?”
“Yes. Here he is.” Mark screamed again.
“He's such a fucking girl.” Alex laughed before huffing and puffing in the phone. “I'm out of breath. I need to start getting back into the gym. I’m out of shape.”
She smiled. “I have a jungle gym I could work you out on.”
“Mmmm... I like the sound of that. How about we work on my skills tonight”?” He exhaled loudly. “That something you wanna do?”
“You know I do. I haven't stopped thinking about it since the last time.” She knelt down and brushed her hands over Jake's head. “Don't be late coming home. No stopping for beers, and watch out for your chest, Alex. I don't like the idea of you not trying to rest while you guys are playing golf. You sound like you're chasing each other around the green.”
“Jeez. Where is my sexy girlfriend, who would encourage me to spend time with my brother and do as I pleased?” He chuckled, teasing her.