“Hey, man, thanks for inviting me,” the man said with a smile.
Brantley turned his attention to the newest of their analysts. “Next time you should bring the wife and kids.”
Jay glanced over at the two little girls playing with their dolls. “I will, definitely. But my boys’ll likely run roughshod over everybody.”
“I’ve got a nephew,” Brantley told him. “Plus, I’ve got three brothers. They can’t do nothin’ I ain’t seen or done myself.”
Jay smirked, a dimple forming in his clean-shaven cheek. “I might have to take that bet.”
Brantley laughed, passed him a plate with a burger and fries.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten together with a group of people who weren’t his family. Back when he’d been in the Teams, no doubt. In those days, whenever they were stateside, they made a point to hang out. Wives, girlfriends, kids. Although Brantley had usually been the odd man out—no wife, no girlfriend, no kids—no one had given him shit about it. Not too much, anyway. It had been a good time all around.
As much as he missed those days, those people who’d been an extension of his family, this was his life now. These were his people.
His gaze swung to Reese, who was laughing at something Trey said.
Yes. This was his life now.
And to be honest, he wouldn’t trade it for anything.
*
JJ lingered at the party longer thanshe’d originally intended to.
Before they arrived, she and Baz had decided they would make an early night of it, go back to the apartment and watch a movie, have some popcorn. It had become their routine on the weekends. Friends enjoying one another’s company. Usually, they had a good time unless Molly called and interrupted, which she did regularly. When that happened, JJ had no choice but to face reality and the fact that Baz was having a baby with the woman. Baz was going to be a father, something she knew he would excel at. And because he would dedicate his whole heart to his child, their friendship would become an afterthought.
“You okay over there?” Baz asked from the driver’s seat of his truck.
JJ glanced his way. “Of course. Just thinkin’ … about the party.”
No way would she tell him that she was once again thinking about Molly Ryan and how that woman had come along and derailed JJ’s life entirely.
Not that Molly was at fault. Not even Baz. Everything that happened was because JJ had pushed Baz away for so long it finally took, and he went walking right into the arms of another woman. And then the universe had decided to pay JJ back for being so stubborn by impregnating Molly with Baz’s baby.
Just the thought of Baz with another woman made her stomach churn.
“It was a nice party.” Baz’s voice was low in the quiet of the truck. “Better turnout than I expected.”
“Yep,” she said absently, staring out the window.
“Talk to me,” Baz urged. “What’s wrong?”
She forced a smile, looked his way. “Nothin’. Really.”
“I can tell you’re not thinkin’ about the party.”
When he reached over and his fingers brushed her wrist, JJ didn’t pull away. Instead, she slid her arm closer, allowed Baz to link his fingers with hers. It was something he’d been doing as of late, touching her like that. Sweet gestures here and there, something to solidify what was transpiring between them.
Not that they’d picked up where they’d left off last year, but they had found their way back to a point that was comfortable for her. They still had separate bedrooms, but from time to time, JJ would find her way into his bed, and Baz always welcomed her with open arms. The sex between them was off the charts, even if it wasn’t nearly as consistent as she would’ve preferred.
But it always circled back to Molly and the fact that Baz was no longer JJ’s for the taking. He had other commitments, ones that were far bigger than a relationship with JJ.
JJ rubbed her chest over her heart. Even thinking about it hurt.
For the longest time, JJ had tried to convince herself that Molly was lying, that her erratic behavior was of a woman who was hiding something. Unfortunately, that hadn’t been the case, and Baz had finally confirmed for himself that she was in fact pregnant. Very pregnant by the time he was able to get past her constant avoidance. And now they were counting down the last five weeks before the baby was born.
Pretty soon, JJ would have to move out of Baz’s apartment, find a house of her own again. She no longer had any excuses because the insurance had come through; she’d gotten a check to cover the value of the house after it burned to the ground. She’d even gotten a check for the SUV that had been a casualty as well. However, she had managed to put off getting a place and even another vehicle because she had come to rely on Baz to be there for her. They both pretended not to notice that JJ was terrified to be alone, but it was the truth. She wasn’t sure she could stay somewhere by herself, but she wouldn’t know until she tried.
