Who the hell was that guy? Was he her boyfriend? Did he fly in from California?
If so, why the f*ck hadn’t she said anything? Why hadn’t he been calling her, checking on her? My steps slowed just a bit, the restaurant noise dimming beneath the roar in my head. As if she sensed me, Mel turned, glancing over her shoulder. Her eyes met mine for a split second—wide, startled, like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t. And I didn’t like the way that made me feel at all.
“I see you’re holding up one of my servers tonight.”
Colt looks up from his menu. “Hey, man.” I tipped my chin in recognition. I knew Colt didn’t like to bring much attention to himself when he was out in public.
“We've been craving some Authentic Italiano,” Abigail says in her best Italian accent. “And what better place to go other than the best man himself?”
“That baby already has good taste. How many months along are you now?” I asked Abigail.
“It feels like eight, but I’m five months. I have three months to go. The good news is that I’m almost in my third trimester and I’m feeling less tired all the time.”
“You look amazing,” I tell her.
“You really do, girl,” Mel adds. But the way she said it made her almost sound sad.
“You know me, I’m still working out every day, and pushing through, even if it’s thirty minutes,” Abigail says as she rubs her tiny baby bump.
“I tried to get her to slow down, but she doesn’t listen to me. Even the doctor said it’s okay to rest a few days a week, you’regrowing a human,” Colt turns to face Abigail. “And I read somewhere where it’s like your body is running a marathon every day.”
Abigail shakes her head. “I’m not working out to lose weight; I’m doing it because it’s actually good for the baby. Sitting around and eating donuts all day won’t be good for me or her. Have you heard of preeclampsia?”
“When is the due date?” I say to deter their private banter going on.
“March twenty first. Which I’m a little bummed about because Aires are pretty stubborn like Scorpios, so I’m hoping we don’t butt heads a lot.”
“You think?” Colt jokes, and Abigail swats at his shoulder.
“I’m just happy you are in good hands while I'm away, and the baby is healthy,” Colt says.
“Me too. I love my OBGYN. He’s given me such great advice. I never thought I would say this, but thank God for the NFL. I don’t know what I would do if it weren’t for Colt’s insurance. Especially since the doctor said I might have to have a C-section. The baby is already almost three pounds. She has long legs, which I give all the blame to Colt’s genes.” She looks over at Colt and gives him a sarcastic smile. But there’s nothing mean in her expression. He loves her, and she loves him. “ Without insurance, we would be paying an arm and a leg for the surgery, especially since Dr. Sterling is the best in town.”
Insurance. Why didn’t I think of this earlier? Maybe that’s the solution to all this, just maybe.
“It’s too bad I’m not your OBGYN,” The guy sitting across from them says as he waggles his eyebrows. Colt glares at him. ”Not funny,”
“Never know; he may be retiring, and you’ll have to come to me for check-ups for the future baby Killians, bro.” The guy says.
“Bro?” My ears perk up at the mention.
“Nick, you’ve met Josh, right?” Colt says.
“I can’t say I have,” I tell him.
“You must have been on duty when we started to rekindle ourrelationship, Josh, this is Nick, and Nick, this is Josh, one of my long-lost brothers.”
“Half brothers,” Josh adds. And Colt throws a scrunched-up straw wrapper at him.
I nodded my head in his direction.“Studying to be an Obstetrician, I take it?”
“Yup, in a few years, I’ll be the best pussy doctor in town, mark my words on that.” He winks at Melannie.
The pain from earlier comes to a head, boiling this time. Jealousy is stored inside me.
“You guys know each other?”I turned to ask Mel.
“Ya, we all went to college together.” She says, looking back at Melanie, then down at her hands.
