Putting on her favorite wavy wig, Aspen put it in a low bun and sighed. “Whatever, Lance. I gotta go study.”
She hung up without waiting for him to reply. Conversations with him seemed to always drain her mood. That wasn’t the way she wanted to start her day, so she went to her office and buried her head in her books to clear her mind.
For as long as she could remember, Aspen loved getting an education. She was the child who never missed a day of school and received awards for her superb grades. Graduating in the top ten of her class was an easy accomplishment for Aspen. The number of scholarships she received saved her parents thousands, but all that went down the drain when Greg fell ill.
Savannah and Greg were adamant about Aspen continuing her education and not worrying about them, but she couldn’t help it. Her mind was no longer locked in on her education but on ensuring her father was good. When her grades started slipping, Aspen withdrew from all her classes and started working. Her parents were upset, but Aspen didn’t care. Not one time did she regret choosing them over herself because, in the end, she got the time with her father before he passed.
Shaking off the sadness attempting to creep in, Aspen went to the spare room she used as an office and started studying. She was glad she’d gotten dressed and ready and set an alarm during her study session for when it was time for her to leave the house. She was meeting with her brother, Denver, for breakfast.
Aspen had trouble putting shoes on by herself, so she was grateful she could wear closed toe slip-on shoes at the hospital. After sliding her feet into her favorite pair, she grabbed everything she needed and headed outside to where her driver waited.
“Good morning, Ms. Webb. How are you?” Her personal driver, Hudson, greeted her as she stepped outside.
Greeting him with a bright smile, Aspen replied, “Good morning, Hudson. I’m well, and yourself?”
“I’m great. It’s a beautiful morning. Are we going to meet Mr. Webb today?”
“Yes. We can head to our usual spot.”
“Sounds lovely. The twins are making a big appearance today. I think the pink scrubs bring out your belly, but in a beautiful way. Pregnancy looks great on you.”
“Really? Thank you. I don’t feel it does. I’m only halfway through it, and I’m so over it. I’m so tired.”
“You carry it well, Ms. Webb. Hang in there.”
Hudson winked at Aspen as he opened the door and assisted her in getting inside. Once they pulled off from the house, Aspen sent Denver a text, informing him she was on the way. She wouldn’t be surprised if he was already there and ordered their food. He was thoughtful like that.
The ride to Nate’s was a smooth one. With it being so early in the morning, traffic in Maven Falls was minimal. On the way there, she took the time to admire the scenery. Maven Falls was absolutely stunning. Off in the distance, behind all the tall buildings downtown, she could see the mountains andthe waterfall that brought everyone to the city. When she was a teenager, it was her favorite place to go hang out. The orange and red in the sky was a reminder of how beautiful the sunrises in Maven Falls could be.
Aspen’s face lit up upon seeing her brother standing outside the restaurant, looking handsome in his black scrubs as he waited for her. The cap on his head hid his waves while complementing his freshly lined goatee. Aspen noticed how women looked him up and down as they passed by, but Denver didn’t give them the time of day. The only woman he had eyes for was his wife, and he made it known.
Sauntering over to the car, Denver shook Hudson’s hand before opening the door for Aspen and helping her out.
“Hey, Pennie.” Denver welcomed Aspen with a kiss to her temple before leaning down and kissing her stomach. “How are you and my babies feeling?”
“Exhausted, honestly. I’ve been up since three, and it’s trying to catch up with me.” Aspen yawned and rubbed her stomach. “Are you just now getting here?”
“Yeah. Serena needed some attention this morning.”
The smirk curving Denver’s bow-shaped lips caused Aspen to gag.
With a playful roll of her eyes, Aspen informed him, “I didn’t need to know all that.”
“I didn’t even say anything.”
“You didn’t have to. I know exactly what you mean. Now, come on before the twins start giving me hell. I’m starving, and they’ll start acting up if I don’t feed them soon.”
Aspen looped her arm in Denver’s and waved bye to Hudson. They were seated immediately upon entering the restaurant. The waiter came over to get their drink order, but Aspen was ready to get some food. She rattled off a few things that sounded enticing to her tastebuds, mouth watering from just the thought. Theamount of food she could consume at first worried her, but her doctor assured her it was normal.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” Denver asked Aspen, handing the waiter his menu.
“No, I think that’s more than enough. I don’t want to be dragging during my entire shift for eating too much.”
“Now you know you’ll want a snack the moment we clock in.”
“True.”
The siblings shared a laugh. Words couldn’t express how grateful she was for her big brother. She and Denver worked at the same hospital where he was an RN, and she was an LPN. He worked on the ICU floor while Aspen was in labor and delivery. It was her dream to become an L&D nurse. She loved all things babies and childbirth, even though she was terrified of it herself. If it wasn’t for Denver, she wasn’t sure she would have had the opportunity to work in her desired field while being in school.
