Story of Us Page 12

  “Sorry I’m late. What time is everyone getting here? Hey, babe,” Garrett said, setting down two canvas bags and walking directly to his husband. He leaned in, kissed him, and gave him a smile that only people in love could share.

  Declan’s stomach twisted when he realized how badly he wanted someone to look at him like that. Not just someone. Sophia would have made him want to travel this road even if he hadn’t been easing his way toward it. He didn’t know how to navigate his way around this particular roadblock. Despite how much he wanted her, he was already terrified of screwing things up. What did he know about love? You want a shot at it with her?

  But a kid? When Adam had divorced, years ago, he’d been so worried about his son. Declan couldn’t stand the thought of failing with Sophia, never mind her baby. And would it be their baby? Was the dad that married dirtbag? Dec wanted kids. He freaking loved kids. But he’d kind of thought he’d take things one step at a time. The intensity of his feelings for Sophia already made him feel like he was leaping over beginning stages. This was…insta-family.

  “You okay, Dec?” Garrett started unloading food.

  Both guys were just over six feet, same as Dec, and despite both of them being phenomenal chefs, they stayed in top shape. He knew this because he’d sparred with both of them at the gym.

  “Seriously, man. You stare any harder at my husband and I’m going to punch you,” Garrett said.

  Declan gave a gruff laugh and shook his head. “Screw you.”

  “Uh, no. That’s the whole point of being married, man. You don’t get to.”

  “Jesus. Shut up, man. I got lost in thought.”

  Garrett raised his eyebrows as Declan went back to chopping.

  “He’s been lost in thought since I got here and taking it out on the celery,” Parker said.

  He didn’t know how to talk about the feelings running around inside him, and he didn’t particularly want to. How could he explain that he didn’t want her any less but he wasn’t sure what to do now?

  “How’s Sophia?” Garrett asked.

  The knife slipped, and Declan almost chopped his thumb. He swore under his breath.

  “There it is,” Garrett said with an amused tone.

  Declan put the knife down and went to the fridge to get a beer, avoiding both of their gazes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sophia is fine. She went to look at an apartment. Her family won’t talk to her, and she’s kicking ass at the pub. Nothing is wrong. I just have a lot going on.” And I’m falling for my buddy’s pregnant kid sister who also happens to be my employee.

  He passed both guys a beer, and they took a minute to twist off the tops. Declan took a long pull of his, enjoying the fresh, crisp taste, and wondered again what it would be like to have others enjoy the brew he and Marcus created.

  “Her family will come around. Pops is a stubborn guy, but that’s his little girl. Same with Marcus. That’s his baby sister.”

  Declan set his beer down, losing his taste for it with their words. His friend’s little sister. Who he was falling for. He’d made it thirty-two years without falling head over heels, and now he was slipping in that very direction for a woman who worked for him, mattered to him on a whole other level, and was carrying another man’s baby.

  “She’s more than that,” Declan said, pinning Parker with a look. “You had a hard time seeing Megan as anything other than your little sister when she was falling for Adam. We put people into these boxes and label them up, but that’s not all she is.”

  Garrett eyed him over his beer and leaned on the counter. Parker scooped up the garlic and set it in the pan.

  “Well, yeah. She’s my little sister. I’m not supposed to look at her in any other way.”

  “That’s not necessarily true, Parks.” Garrett set his beer down. “Even though you struggled when she fell for Adam, you saw her as an independent, capable, strong woman. I’m not sure Sophia’s family sees her that way.”

  Declan pointed at him then picked up the knife to finish the damn celery. “Exactly. They can’t see outside the box they put her in.”

  “And what do you see?” Garrett started setting out different-sized bowls on the table.

  The scent of garlic swirled as it sizzled in the pan, and Parker scooped up the celery and carrots that Dec had already cut. Declan didn’t know how to put how he saw her, how he felt, into words.

  Fortunately, he was saved from having to answer by the front door opening and closing.

  When Sophia came into the room, Declan knew he had it bad. Thinking of the way Garrett had come straight to Parker, he wanted to have the right to do the same thing. He wanted to kiss her hello. And goodbye. Good night. And good morning. Fuck.

  “Oh, hey. I didn’t realize you had company coming so soon,” she said, glancing around the kitchen.

  “They came to help set up. This is Parker and his husband, Garrett. Parks is Megan’s brother.” Declan came around the countertop, but stopped short of giving her a hug.

  Her cheeks were red from the wind, and her dark hair was mussed. She looked sexy and sweet, and he wanted to wrap her in his arms. Yeah. Her news hadn’t changed that one damn bit. Except, now he wondered if she’d eaten enough. Was that why she was tired so often? Why she went from famished to nauseous? Was it the baby growing inside her that made her skin look like shiny silk?

  Sophia shook both of their hands. “Nice to meet you. I’m excited about tonight. I’m just going to go change out of jeans and into something cozier, then I can help.”

  “Did you like the place?” Declan asked before she left the room.

  Sophia shrugged. “It was less of an apartment and more of a room off some guy’s kitchen. Something will come up.”

  “Have you talked to Megan?” Parker asked, looking over at Declan.

  “About what?”

  “The carriage house is empty now. Their nanny moved in with her boyfriend. Plus, with Charlie in school full time and Meg’s hours being the same, they didn’t really need a live-in.”

  Declan hated the thought of Sophia leaving, but he knew it mattered to her. She was set on proving something to her family. And to herself. Maybe more, now that she was going to be a mother. She’s going to be an amazing mother. The thought stopped his heart. He could see her holding a baby cradled in her strong, protective arms.

  Shit. Maybe a little distance would help clear his head. Maybe his crazy thoughts and feelings were because of proximity? He glanced at her, and when she smiled, it was like a kick in the gut. Okay. Maybe not. But still. Maybe it would be easier to see where things went between them—if they could go anywhere— if they weren’t living together.

  “That would be fantastic. Is it far from here?” Sophia rubbed her hands together.

  “No. About fifteen minutes and about the same from the pub. It’s a sweet unit. We’ll talk to them tonight,” Declan said.

  Sophia arched her dark brow and sent him a sassy grin. “I can speak for myself.”

  Declan rolled his eyes and laughed. “Go get changed. These two think we should each be a team captain, so I hope you don’t cry when you lose.”

  Her laughter tied his heart up in knots. Jesus. How did people do this? Fall for someone? It literally made him ache.

  “In your dreams. I have tricks you’ve never heard of,” she said, leaving the room.

  Yeah. He didn’t doubt it. Tricks and some sort of magic wizardry that cast a spell on him. Regardless of her news or the way she’d run out after telling him, his desire to be with her, to touch her and hold her and be the one she turned to, hadn’t lessened one damn bit.

  Parker clapped him on the shoulder. “Never mind my earlier question,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Pretty easy to tell what you see when you look at her, man. It’s written all over you.”

  “Shut up,” Declan said. There was no feeling in it. His feelings were all tangled up with the woman upstairs.

  Garrett chuckled. “Goo
d comeback. You’re in trouble, man.”

  Declan sighed. There was no use denying it. They didn’t even know the half of it.

  “I know.”

  …

  They’d decided that the challenge would be separate from the dinner. Parker and Garrett kicked them out of the kitchen after they’d helped prep for the meal. When Sophia started for the stairs instead of the living room, Declan grabbed her hand. With her on the first step, they were closer to each other in height.

  He knew he should keep some physical distance between them until he sorted his head out, but he couldn’t help himself. He ran his thumb over the top of her hand, reveling in how soft and smooth her skin felt. “Where are you going?”

  “I don’t mind cooking in cozies, but I’d like to change before your friends get here,” she said, not meeting his gaze. She was staring at their linked hands.

  “They’re nice people. They won’t mind if you call them your friends, too.” She didn’t lift her head, and he stepped closer. “Sophe?”

  Tilting her chin up, she met his gaze. He hated how uncertain hers was. “I’m sorry I just dumped that on you last night and left. I went to see Marcus, but he didn’t want to talk.”

  His jaw clenched. If her family wasn’t going to rally around her before learning about the baby, who would she have for support during her pregnancy? “You were gone before I got up this morning.” He hadn’t been thrilled not to find her there. He wanted to talk, but maybe it was good she’d had some room to think. Breathe.

  “I went to see a couple of places and then stopped by the pub to make sure Lisa showed for her shift.”

  “You didn’t—”

  She tilted her head. “Don’t say I didn’t need to. That’s my job.” She pulled her hand back. “That’s why you hired me.”

  “Are we going to talk about this?” He had no idea what to say.

  The smile she gave him was so sad it made his chest ache. “Talk about what? There’s nothing to talk about, Declan. You’re the sweetest guy I know. Which, honestly, surprises me because you’re also seriously hot. You’re not arrogant when you could be. You’re successful and funny, and I’m a little sorry I didn’t come home in the summer so I could verify whether your abs are as drool worthy as I imagine them to be. You don’t need my baggage, Dec.”

  Several thoughts tripped over each other. Parker and Garrett’s laughter drifted down the hallway, and Declan wanted nothing more than to have Sophia all to himself so he could let her verify any damn thing she wanted. He looked at her flat stomach, reached out to touch it. When he glanced at her, his hand still on her belly, her eyes were watery. A knife twisted in his heart. She was pregnant, yes. But she was still the woman he wanted just as much today as he had yesterday. What does that mean for the future? He didn’t know. He could only think one moment at a time. Stepping up beside her, he funneled his hand in her hair, tipping her chin back.

  “You can look at my abs any time you want despite the fact that most of what you just said is ridiculous. I’m just a guy, Sophe. And you’re a grown woman who turns me on, makes me laugh, and makes me wonder what it’d be like to call you mine. To be the shoulder you lean on, the reason you smile.” He leaned in closer, ran his lips along the shell of her ear. “To make you feel.”

  She put both hands on his chest like she needed the anchor. He could be that, too. “Declan. I’m pregnant.”

  He leaned back. “I know.” And he still wanted to be with her even though he didn’t have any answers. Speaking of which… “Are you and the dad done?”

  She scoffed. “More than. Beyond. He and his wife don’t want children.”

  Declan had to work at not tightening his hand in her hair. If he ever met the guy, he’d make him sorry for hurting Sophia.

  “People are going to be here soon,” she whispered, staring at him.

  Going on instinct, because it was the only way he knew how to navigate uncharted territory, he bent his neck and kissed her softly. “Go get dressed. We’ll talk later. I don’t have any answers, but I know I’ve never felt like this before, and regardless of anything else, I can’t just walk away from you.”

  “The dating scene in Brockton Point must be pretty dry if—”

  Pressing his fingers to her lips, he shook his head. “Stop. We could be standing in the middle of Times Square, and you’d still be all I see, Sophia.” That scared him nearly as much as the baby.

  Her mouth dropped open. Maybe he wasn’t so bad with words. He didn’t know where they came from, but they were true. They didn’t have to figure out everything right this minute for him to know it was worth taking the chance.

  Now, if he could just get her to see the same.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sophia hadn’t laughed so hard in longer than she could remember. In fact, as she looked around at Declan’s friends, she realized she wasn’t just having a good time; it felt right. Too right. Like these people had made room in their tribe for her. Maybe it was her hormones or how badly she wanted to believe that Dec’s attraction was as deep as he said, but the feeling settling inside of her chest felt like what she’d been searching for.

  The food smelled amazing. Her stomach growled in eager anticipation. She didn’t have any cravings so far—at least, nothing super strange like Cheetos and hot sauce. Adam and Megan were listening to a story little Charlie was telling Declan. God, that kid was cute. Without thinking, she put her hand over her stomach. She had no feelings one way or the other on if it was a boy or girl. Mostly because her thoughts focused on getting her life in some sort of order before he or she was born. And also because the thought of having and raising a child terrified her even though it was something she’d always wanted. One day.

  Dec had filled her in on everyone. Charlie was Adam’s son, but Megan had loved him like her own even before she and Adam married. She’d already spoken to both of them about renting their place over the garage and arranged to come by the next day and see it. She was pretty sure, though, judging by everyone’s description, it would be perfect.

  Zach and Stella were a striking couple. Tall like Dec, with a similar number of tattoos—that she could see—Zach had a laid-back vibe and an easygoing charm. She remembered Stella and her friend Taylor from school. Not that they ran in the same circles, but Brockton Point wasn’t as big back then, so everyone had at least heard of everyone.

  Parker and Garrett were also a handsome couple—like GQ handsome. The affection they so easily shared stirred something inside of her. They’d spoken of their desire to have a baby, and Sophia had nearly let her secret slip. Taking a sip of the ginger ale Declan had poured for her, Sophia smiled when Stella came to her side.

  “How are you doing? With being home, I mean. Getting settled,” Stella said. She sipped her red wine, looking up at Sophia through gorgeous dark lashes.

  Sophia wasn’t tall, but Stella was barely bigger than Charlie. She was adorable and gorgeous at the same time.

  “I like my job, so that’s something. My family isn’t happy that I’m not at the restaurant.” Might as well be honest. Though she didn’t want to push away new friends by complaining.

  Stella nodded like she understood. “It’s hard to come home to preconceived notions and expectations.”

  Sophia set her drink on the side table and turned to fully face Stella. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

  Stella laughed, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder. “I moved back to work with my father and ended up having to fill his shoes. People treated me like they always did—like Doc Lane’s little girl.”

  “I’m sorry about your dad. I remember him from when I was younger. We weren’t allowed to have pets because we were always at the restaurant, but he brought some animals into school one time, and I fell in love.”

  Stella started to speak, and Sophia rushed to make her point clear when she realized what she said. “With the cats. Not your dad.”

  Stella burst into laugher, and Sop
hia felt her cheeks get impossibly hot. Declan joined them, placing his hand on the small of her back. Like they were a couple and it was the most natural thing in the world. Dangerous thoughts.

  “You telling jokes over here?” He grinned down at her.

  She picked up her drink and took a long swallow. “Nope. Just making sure to embarrass myself.”

  Stella reached out and rubbed her arm. “Oh, sweetie, you’re fine. You’re more than fine. You’re adorable. My dad would have loved you.” She pointed at Declan. “Careful, she might have a thing for older men.”

  More heat traveled her skin as Stella walked over to Zach. Declan winked at her, his eyes sparkling playfully. “Should I be worried? Am I going to be battling some of the retirees at the pub for your affection?”

  She poked him in the stomach and glared at him, but he only laughed.

  “Okay everyone, time to get started on the main event so we can eat dinner before midnight,” Parker said, his voice easily rising above the others’.

  “I’m starving,” Charlie announced, making the adults laugh.

  Parker ruffled his hair. “We’ll feed you well, mister. Just be patient.”

  Sophia had a quick flash of Marcus and her own baby in a similar moment. Would that ever happen? One day at a time.

  Garrett held up a brown paper bag and shook it. “We put all but two names in the bag. Since they’re your hosts for the evening, Sophia and Declan are going to be team captains. You two need to rock, paper, scissors for first pick.”

  Declan’s smile was half cheeky, half sexy. A dangerous combination. “Get ready to lose, Strombi.”

  She rolled her eyes. “We haven’t even started, and you’re bringing out the trash talk?” She put her fist on her hand.

  They both rapped their fists on their palms three times and, at the same time, held up two fingers for scissors. They went again and both got scissors again. On the third round, Sophia’s paper covered Declan’s rock.