Southern Gentleman (Charleston Heat 3)

Eva shimmies beside Gracie in the backseat. “Hey, I’m a fan.”

We listen to “Freaky Gurl” as we make our way out of the city. Twenty minutes and many early 2000s R&B hits later, we cross onto Wadmalaw Island.

I smile.

I know exactly where we’re headed.

Grey definitely had a hand in this. I remember what he texted me the day we made up—that he was meeting with Luke at the barn to discuss something non-work related.

This had to have been it.

I smile harder. Things have been good with us. We moved in together about a month ago—I’m living at his place while we search for a new home together. He’s working a lot less, just like he promised. He’s home most nights and weekends, and has really stepped up to do his fair share of life and baby stuff. He cooks a lot, and helps clean up when I’m too tired or too sore to stand at the sink (the baby is putting a lot of pressure on my pelvic floor these days.) We show up to doctor’s appointments on time. He’s helped me pack my bag for the hospital, and together we’ve done way too much research on college savings accounts and co-sleeping and pediatricians. It’s a lot of work, but we dork out over it. That stuff can be kinda-sorta fun when you have someone to do it with.

Olivia takes a turn onto a familiar dirt driveway, and my pulse takes off at a sprint.

She pulls into the lot beside the Rodgers’ Farms barn. I see a familiar figure waiting beside the barn door.

Greyson breaks out in a smile when he sees us. He hustles over to the car and opens my door, helping me out.

I’m grinning ear to ear.

“Don’t you look gorgeous,” he says, a familiar spark of heat igniting in his eyes as he takes in my floral dress and sandals.

I’m getting huge—thirty-four weeks yesterday—so my wardrobe options were limited. I’m big and unwieldy, but Greyson still manages to make me feel sexy.

“No tuxedo dick pants this time?” I say.

He ducks his head to plant a quick kiss on my mouth. “Saving that for later. I think my mom might faint if, you know, she saw it. Them. The whole thing.”

“Right. Good call.” I glance at the barn. “So this was your idea, huh?”

Grey nods. “I wanted to show off your work, for starters. Let all your friends see just how amazingly talented you are. I also wanted to be involved. And yeah, maybe I’m getting sentimental in my old age. Seemed right to host your shower where our story—yours, mine, and Charlie Brown’s—began.”

“That’s the fucking sweetest thing I have ever heard,” Eva says as she passes by with an enormous cake in her arms.

“So sweet,” I say, kissing him back. I twine my fingers through his.

He nods at the barn. “Can I show you what we’ve done?”

“Can’t wait.”

We walk into the barn, and immediately the breath leaves my lungs. The decor is simple but pretty, the space filled with rustic wooden tables set with white flowers and pretty glassware. I laugh when I see that the centerpieces are books. Picture books, more specifically. I move closer to take a peek at the titles.

Pride and Prejudice: The Newborn Edition

My Deal with the Duke, G-Rated Version

Baby’s Guide to Virginia Woolf & The Bloomsbury Group

Olivia appears at my elbow. Arms crossed, still wearing that smile.

I just stare at her.

“You wrote all these, didn’t you?” I ask.

Her smile grows. “I did. And Grey had them illustrated. The whole thing was his idea, actually.”

My head snaps in his direction. “It was?”

Grey shrugs shyly. “I was trying to think of something thoughtful to get you for the shower. I saw firsthand how passionate you are about romance and feminism and history. So I called up Olivia and floated the idea, and then we went and talked to Louise, the owner of Rainbow Row Books. She put us in touch with an illustrator.”

“Needless to say, I loved it,” Olivia replies. “We got to work straightaway. I think they came out beautifully.”

I smile at her. Smile at Grey.

Do my friends know me, or do they know me? One of the five thousand things I adore about them.

One of the five thousand things I adore about Grey.

I loop my arm around her waist and give her a squeeze. “I love them. Thank you both for such a lovely gift. And for hosting this shower. Y’all went above and beyond. This place looks amazing.”

Grey nudges me with his elbow. “Thanks to you.”

“And you.”

“You two make a great team,” Olivia says. “And you’re going to make a beautiful baby, too.”

People start to arrive. A slow trickle at first. Eliza and Monty arrive with Ford and Bryce in tow. She giggles with delight when I hand her a “best big cousin” gift wrapped in giraffe paper. She’s warming up to me, slowly but surely, and I want to keep the momentum going.