“What did you get me?”
“Nothing.” I shake my head.
His jaw drops. “Well, that’s rude. If it weren’t for me, you two wouldn’t have even met.” He points his finger between me and Isabelle, my hand still on her stomach as she tucks into her dessert.
I click my tongue. “Sorry, brother. Beth already claimed her role as matchmaker.”
Caleb rolls his eyes, pushing his glasses up his nose as he does. “We just spoke to Beth. She’s down at Smoke and Barrel checking some of the deliveries that came in this week for the fitout. You remember those wagon wheel chandeliers she wanted?”
My back straightens. “She better fucking not have.”
Caleb shakes his head. “No. Mason still overruled her with the logistics of those, but she found some at a market that were repurposed as shelves. She was thinking of having them mounted and backlit just for the Legacy Malt whiskey to be displayed on.”
“They actually look really cool,” Isabelle says, sucking a finger into her mouth.Temptress.
“Yeah? You think?”
She nods. “Definitely.”
“Okay.”
Caleb scoffs and wobbles his head. “Okay,” he says, mocking me. “Since when did you become so agreeable?”
“Since he started banging on the regular,” Riley says, feet crossed over the desk as he leans back in his chair, tossing a stress ball in the air.
Caleb storms over to him, tapping on the end of his white, high-top sneakers. “Get your feet down,” he scolds.
Riley scrunches his nose, then turns back to his computer. “You’ve got the next hour free. Maybe I should call Lex, tell her to come by, then you’d be more agreeable,” he mutters.
Isabelle giggles, and I scoff. “Yeah, I’m sure Lex would be down for that.”
When Caleb’s cheeks turn pink, I feel my eyebrows fly to my hairline. “In your office? With Riley outside the door?”
“I know! My poor innocent ears.” Riley tries to act offended, but the amusement on his face gives him away.
“We should go, Grim. Our appointment’s in half an hour.” Isabelle disappears into Caleb’s office and then comes back with her handbag over her shoulder.
“You’re finding out the gender today?” Caleb asks.
“I’m hoping for penis.” Riley crosses his fingers with a toothy grin that quickly turns into a frown. “Oh, that could be misleading.” He looks up at Caleb, then back to me and Iz. “I like women. Not that there aren’t some good-looking dudes out there, but I’m definitely a P in V guy. I mean A, too, if she’s up for it.”
Caleb pinches the bridge of his nose. “Go. Save yourselves.”
Isabelle laughs, then tugs on my hand as she walks us to the elevators. “See you guys in a bit.”
We’re both still smiling as the elevator doors close and we hear Caleb mumble, “What’s wrong with your hair?”
When we’re finally alone, I kneel down, dropping a kiss to Isabelle’s stomach. “Hey, BB.”
Isabelle’s hand comes to rest over mine, where it sits low on her bump. “They always kick when you talk.”
I haven’t felt a kick yet, but Izzy’s been feeling them more and more. It feels like I’m waiting on pins and needles for the day it’llhappen, but a popping sensation fills my stomach knowing that BB hears me, recognises me.
I never imagined myself as a father. I spent too much time punishing myself for one life I couldn’t protect. The idea of having another one solely on my shoulders was incomprehensible. But I’m not scared. Not in the way I thought I might be. I wish I could do more for Isabelle. She does so much by carrying our baby and protecting them as they grow. Her surety in all this gives me strength, and there’s no one else I’d want to be doing this with. There’s no one else I want to be doing life with.
We reach the basement car park, and I throw an arm around Isabelle’s shoulder as we walk over to my car.
I open the passenger door, then hold Isabelle’s waist as I help, or pretty much lift her into the tall cab. Pulling the seat belt over her chest and middle, I click it into place, then leave a kiss on her stomach before staring up into her blue eyes.
