Extracting myself from Drew and Steph, I moved closer to Margot. Reaching out, I squeezed her hand. “You okay?”
She looked over and smiled. “Oh yes.” Looking over to where Jake and Sully were now standing, surrounded by well-wishers, she looked back to me. “I’m sure you’ve had moments with your Addie where you watch her work hard at something and find her own version of success, right?”
I nodded, then looked over at Jake as she continued. “It’s a great feeling, and it gets even better as they get older. Watching your children come into the men and women they’re supposed to be, loving those people they become, well, it’s just the best.” She put her arm around me and squeezed, then moved back to Sam’s waiting embrace.
I smiled watching Sam wrap his arms around Margot as he began swaying to the music that was now playing. I paused, listening closer, and realized that they were playing the Chris Stapleton album I’d been playing on constant repeat lately. Jake looked over to me and pointed to a speaker, smiling.
For you, he mouthed.
Oh boy, this guy was taking my heart. What the hell was I going to do with him? Keeping my eyes locked on him, I watched as he began working his way toward our group, having to stop every few feet to accept the kind words of another person or the hug from another happy customer or staff member.
I turned and looked over my shoulder at Drew and Steph who were still taking crazy selfies with what looked like some social media filter, then sending them to what I assumed were Steph’s daughters. Over their shoulders I could see Margot and Sam on the makeshift dance floor. Max and Emma were out there too, and it looked like Sully had snagged Maggie and was cajoling her into a song while she pointed at her belly, I’m sure telling him that their bean didn’t want to dance. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if she got him to head home shortly. She was a big fan of their couch right now, and who could blame her?
Turning in a circle, I let the feelings of the night wash over me. This feeling of togetherness, community, building something great. That was what I was after, what I felt like I’d begun at Pages. I knew the fear of providing for Addie on my own was what was weighing on me, and that was real. I just hoped Jake could help me find a way forward.
My eyes scanned the room until I found him again. He was headed my way with what my romance books would describe as a smoldering look in his eyes. Yum. Maybe we could talk business plans later. I was feeling the desire to climb that man like a tree wash over me. Now how could I sign up for that?
16
Those Kinds of Friends
Jake
The night had been even better than we’d anticipated. A crowd of locals, many of them people that had been integral to the success of the brewery, had all shown up. Standing with Sully, listening to him give our thanks back to this community, I’d been overcome. Looking out into the crowd, I’d seen Sully’s family, our friends, the staff that we would be lost without, folks like Lou and Verdell who came in weekly and kept us afloat, and my family, my parents simply beaming. Right up front, next to my mom and Steph, was Ivy.
When Sully asked me to say something, I didn’t even know what words flowed out, just that Ivy kept her eyes on me the whole time. I felt like there was a current running through me, connected to her. It was the damnedest feeling, but I knew I needed to talk to her, to touch her. It was like I was missing something without her. Jesus, if I said that to any of the guys, I’d never hear the end of it. My brain had suddenly decided I was living out a Hallmark movie, apparently.
Hopping down from the table we’d used as some type of stage, I tried to make my way to Ivy, but there’d been so many people right there, ready to congratulate us. I got caught up talking to Finn, our manager. We were debating what time we wanted to wrap everything up tonight so people could get home at a decent hour.
“Sully.” I tried to catch his attention. The man had his hand on Maggie’s belly, a wide grin on his face. “Can we borrow you for a sec?”
Maggie laughed as she held Sully’s hand in place. “Give me your hand, Jake,” she called over.
“Why?”
“You got to feel this kid. She must be practicing ballet or something in there. She’s all over the place tonight.” Maggie ignored the fact I did not give her my hand and grabbed it anyway, placing it on her stomach.
I stood there for a few seconds, waiting for the small movements I remember feeling when Steph was pregnant and would insist I check out her belly. I let out a snort of laughter as I felt a slight kick. Then another and another, and within a second, Maggie’s entire belly seemed to shift so that now she looked lopsided.
“Holy shit, Maggie!” I stood back, looking at her in a bit of horror. She was still upright, so I assumed she wasn’t in too much pain. “What the hell was that?”
Maggie leaned back, her long strawberry blonde hair lying in waves down her back, and hooted with laughter as her hands held her belly. “Damn, Jake, you should see your face.”
I watched her, then glanced at Sully. He didn’t seem alarmed or ready to call the doc, so I took a deep breath and assumed the baby wasn’t trying to find the nearest exit quite yet. “Sorry. I mean, is that normal? My older sis was pregnant years ago, and I remember taps that I could feel, but not seismic shifts in her belly.”
Maggie wiped away a tear or two. “Sorry.” She caught her breath. “Yes, to answer your question. I’m told it’s completely normal, especially as the baby begins to run out of room toward the end.”
I shook my head.
“What?” Maggie tilted her head as she looked over my face.
I glanced at Sully who stood there looking ridiculously proud of his budding gymnast. “Man,” I said to him, “we’re damn lucky women are the ones that carry the babies or none of us would be here.”
Sully nodded. “Damn right.”
I glanced at Finn, who was standing there, watching us all with a smirk on his face. I’m sure he thought we were a bunch of lunatics. “At any rate, Sully, Finn and I were talking about what time we wanted to wrap this shindig up.”
Sully glanced at his watch, then at his wife. He brushed her hair off her cheek and leaned over to kiss her. I heard him whisper to her, “Babe, how are you doing?”
