I watch in utter bewilderment as Griff stands next to their stove, shirtless, with a red, white and blue apron tied around his waist that says MY WIFE IS AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, WHAT’S YOUR SUPER POWER? as he scream-sings into the end of his spatula along to Phil Vassar’s “Just Another Day In Paradise.”
Griff turns, flipping a pancake high in the air as Kenna drapes an arm around his shoulder, laughing at his antics.
It’s as I sit there, a spectator to their happiness, that I realize wholeheartedly I want this with Taevin. If there were ever a couple to look up to when times are rough, it’s them. Griffin and McKenna have been through hell and back with their heartache and loss, but when they found their way back to each other, they continued to grow and grieve together after working on themselves apart.
When Griff faces Kenna again, he places his palm on her lower stomach and brings her in for a kiss. My heart sinks in my chest momentarily, the ache only intensifying when I hear Griff, even over the music, assure Kenna when he says, “I’m so happy, Sunshine. We’re going to be outnumbered, no more man-to-man coverage for the Turner household.”
Kenna looks at him with stars in her eyes, so overjoyed in their moment together. I feel like an interloper to their moment of shared excitement. I try to make myself scarce, but as I quietly start down the steps to the basement, Griff calls out, “Morning, J. How’d you sleep?”
Not wanting to be rude, and also wanting to claim a stack of Griff’s homemade pancakes all for myself, I greet them both. “Morning, G. Morning, Kenna. I slept great, thanks for letting me crash here.”
“No problem, man. Anytime,” Griff assures me.
“Coffee?” Kenna asks. Bless this woman’s heart, she’s one of my favorites. And I’m not just saying that because she’s pouringme a cup of my tried-and-true hangover cure at the same time her husband sets a massive stack of pancakes in front of me all without me having to ask.
“You guys are the best, you know that?” I tell them.
“Oh, we know,” Griff muses just as Kenna swats at his chest.
“Don’t make his head any bigger than it already is this morning, Jaxy,” Kenna jests.
“What’s got your ego inflated?” I ask as if I don’t already know the answer, not wanting them to know I accidentally saw their exchange earlier.
“You’ll hear all in good time, buddy,” Griff answers, shooting a wink at Kenna.
Subtly is not his strong suit either it appears. I wonder if becoming Carson’s brother-in-law did that to him, or if he’s always been that way and I hadn’t noticed until now.
“Real smooth,” Kenna murmurs to him, rolling her eyes for good measure.
“Anyways,” Kenna starts, sidling up on the stool next to where I’m sitting at the kitchen island. “How’s Taevin feeling after yesterday? I guess I wasn’t surprised to hear she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go home. She is only a few weeks post-op, after all.”
“She’s feeling okay. Well, I hope she is,” I answer.
“Wait. Why were you at the bar last night? You’ve hardly left her side since Bennett’s wedding,” Griff points out.
Thanks, wiseass.
“We, uh, got into a bit of an arg—” I pause, looking into my mug as I consider my words. “Actually, you know what? It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have been at that bar last night. I should’ve been home with my wife instead of running away from my problems.” Lifting my head to meet Griff’s gaze, I ask, “G, can you bring me home, please?”
“Yeah, man. Of course.”
“How bad did you leave things? Is it abring spontaneous flowers homekind of situation?” Kenna questions.
“I’m pretty sure she’d throw the roses back at me, thorns and all, praying I get cut,” I admit.
“If she’s a chocolate lover, you won’t go wrong there. Just don’t come home empty-handed after walking out,” Griff suggests.
“Smart man,” Kenna tells him just as the front door opens and Cadence comes running in with Kenna’s parents behind her, her mom holding Rowen while her dad gets tugged in by the leash on their new Golden Retriever puppy, Minnie. I miss the hell out of Ranger, he was the greatest dog growing up. But I’m happy they decided to get a puppy for Cadence and Rowen’s sake.
Seeing Cadence again after hearing how Taevin felt about meeting her for the first time yesterday has my heart cracking clear down the center. Tae kept calling our babyhim. I’m not even sure how far along she was when she miscarried.
Because I’m an ass and didn’t stick around long enough to ask.
Tae said he would’ve been the same age as Cadence. Nine. He or she would’ve been nine.
Would our baby have been tall like me or take on their mama’s shorter stature?
Pain akin to a thousand papercuts slices through me as I think of all the questions that will remain unanswered.
