Even now, as I hop out of the Rubicon at the terminal curbside, I feel pretty good about seeing my folks. I still don’t know what the hell’s going on, but my gut tells me it’s some form of fence mending that’ll give them access to their first grandchild.
Braeden passes me and stops short as he rounds the hood to take the driver’s seat. “I’m taking care of your girl.” He holds up a set of car keys. “You take care of mine.” He lifts an eyebrow over his Maverick-wanna-be sunglasses. “Do you remember where she is?”
I snag his keys and shove them in my pocket. “Long-term parking, spot J-32.”
“Yes, and I swear to God if you so much as rip one in my car I’ll know”—he rakes his sunglasses up on his head, eyes narrowed—“and I will hunt you down.”
“Idiot.” I shove past him and roll my eyes at his answering chuckle.
Since the Jeep is lifted, I asked Layla to stay in and told her I’d come around to say goodbye. I open the passenger-side door, and she’s pressing buttons on her phone, texting maybe. She shoves her phone into her purse and smiles a little bigger than I appreciate.
“Shit, baby, don’t look so broken up over my leaving.” I pull her into my arms for a long hug, and she wraps hers around me as best she can at the awkward angle.
“You said you’d be home by dinner.” She pulls back and rests her forehead against mine. “What did you expect? Tears?”
I kiss the tip of her nose. “You cry during cat litter commercials, Mouse. So yeah, I fuckin’ expected tears.”
She shakes her head, our foreheads still touching. “If you chase around a feather at the end of a stick, then I’ll see what I can do for you.”
Brae climbs into the driver’s seat. “Don’t worry, bro. I’ll take good care of your woman.” His eyebrows pinch together in concentration. “Let me see if I remember your instructions.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Oh, okay, yeah . . . lots of Vikings reruns, cuddles, and a sponge bath. In that order.” He winks.
I glare at him, but my lips curl into a smile. “Right, and I’ll make sure to wash your car with a baseball bat and battery acid before I leave.”
“Hm, oil massages are great for pregnant women I hear, and something about kegels, which I’m excited to learn more about.”
I burst into laughter, wondering if my brother did an Internet search on pregnancy to stockpile ammo to use against me. “I’m thinking I might need to do a little four-wheeling in a rock garden before I come home.”
“Boys, boys, no fighting around the pregnant lady. Laughing makes me pee.”
Brae’s eyes dart to her. “Eww.”
I shake my head. “Dude, pee is the least of the ewws when it comes to pregnancy.”
She smacks my arm, grinning. “Oh you love all my ewws. Now go; you have a plane to catch.”
“I love eww.”
She snorts with laughter, leans in, and presses her sweet lips to mine. “Go and hurry home.”
After a few more kisses and some pushing from Braeden for me to get my tongue outta my girl and get on the damn plane, I say goodbye and head off to board a flight that is taking me to who knows what back in Oceanside.
*
Layla
I wave goodbye to Blake through the Rubicon’s window. He stays with his eyes on the vehicle until we’re out of sight. My heart dips at watching him disappear and leaving him to face The General on his own.
“So what’s on the agenda today, boss?” Braeden turns and peeks at me from the corner of his eye, probably terrified to take his focus off the road after the slew of threats Blake tossed out.
“Hmm . . . it’s Saturday, so you can start with the laundry then the bathrooms. The toilets could use a good scrubbing. All the grout in the tile needs to be done with bleach and a toothbrush.” I turn my gaze out my side window to hide my smile.
“Damn, and here I thought I left the military base.” I turn just in time to see him salute me. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!”
I salute back. “At ease, soldier.”
A comfortable silence stretches between us, and I fumble with my purse strap. “Ya know you don’t have to stay with me all day.” I grit my teeth, waiting for his lecture on the sanctity of a promise.
“Yeah, I know my brother’s being a little overprotective. We’ll play it by ear, okay? I need to be close just in case something happens, but I think as long as you check in and let me know you’re okay, I suppose I could let you shower alone.”
I swat his arm. “Ha, ha. Guess it’s back to cleaning then, Braeden-ella.”
“Fuck, where’s a fairy godmother when a guy needs one.”
“I believe there’s—” The shock of my phone’s vibration at my hip cuts off my clever quip.
Crap! Maybe pretending I don’t feel it is best. I told myself the next Unavailable call that comes in I’m going to answer, but I can’t in front of Braeden.
“You should get that.” He motions to my purse. “It could be Blake.”
Shit, shit, shit!
“Oh . . . yeah.” Ugh. I dig for my phone, pretending I can’t find it and hoping it’ll stop ringing before I do. It does, and I check the screen to make sure it wasn’t Blake.
Unavailable.