Gael walked toward me. “It will be. I’ll be back as soon as possible. My bartender quit. I’m seeing if my backup can come in.”
Giving me a kiss, Gael whispered in my ear. “I’m officially giving you a clean bill of health. Dr. Stowe will be back as soon as he can.”
“You better hurry.” It was hard not to jump with the victory of knowing I’d be having hot sex tonight.
Steven stood. “Mind if I join you so the girls can catch up for a bit?”
Gael sounded pleased as he responded, “Yeah, sounds good. I’d like the company.”
Waving bye, they both left. The bad feeling only worsened as I looked toward the front door.
Amelia looked at me. “Is everything okay? You look worried.”
Still staring at the door, I tried to shake the unease. “I don’t know, but I have a bad feeling. Harris is still in town.”
Amelia had her lips pursed when I turned to her. “If I see him, I cannot be held accountable for my actions. He’s such a cocksucker. We’ll text the boys if we don’t hear from them soon. I bet everything will be completely fine.”
Optimism, hopefully, paid off. “Okay, sounds good. Why don’t we go curl up on the couch like we used to?”
Amelia was already walking out of the room. “Now you’re speaking my language. Girl talk.”
We made our way to the couch. Before sitting, we grabbed the big quilt we always used from the trunk that was in the corner of the room. Sitting shoulder to shoulder, we laid our heads back and looked up at the stained-glass window that covered half of the room. I started. “You and Steven seem happy.”
“We are. Marriage suits me better than I ever imagined. We’re going to start trying for a baby in January. I got off birth control last week.”
I hugged Amelia to me. “I’m so excited for you guys. You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”
She gave a solemn nod as we laid our heads back and looked at each. “If it happens. You know Mom had a hard time conceiving, but I’m trying not to stress about it. Steven said as long as he has me, that’s all that matters. That helps, but I still want a baby, Ashlin. About a week ago, something switched within me and all I can think about is having children. I’m scared.”
“I know, sweetie. I’m here for you, but you’re young and healthy. There have been no signs of any endometriosis like your mom’s. Just because your mom had problems, doesn’t mean you will.” Trying to be positive and truthful, I tried to ease her fears with my words.
Simultaneously, we tucked the quilt up around us again. Amelia watched me as she spoke, “We’ll see. So, how long have you been in love with Gael?”
I sat ramrod straight. “I’m … what … why … Amelia.”
She patted my leg. “It’s okay, you still haven’t admitted it to yourself, but I can see it between both of you. He’s not your father or Harris, Ashlin. He’s not going to leave you. I know I’ve just met him, but I also know what true love looks like.”
Laying my head back down, I stared up into the sky watching cloud formations. My body was hot like a flash fever had gone through it. “I’m scared too, Amelia. I almost pushed him away the other day when Harris came to visit. Then I got sick. I told him why I was scared in the shower when I felt better. He was worried about pushing me away because he had stayed with me to take care of me. I hadn’t meant to make him feel insecure. I’m afraid of how consuming it is. I don’t know Amelia … it’s so fast.”
Sitting there for a few minutes, Amelia waited for my breathing to return to normal. “You know, Ashlin. It may be fast, but love isn’t on a timeline or a schedule. Do you remember how fast Steven and I got together?” I nodded. “Well, you told me the same thing and I’m glad. I’m not saying you have to declare now. Wait until you’re comfortable. If you get scared about all the what-ifs you’ll never really know. Who cares about if people say it’s insta-love. It’s your life. Your story. Live it how you want to.”
We grabbed each other’s hand.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too, I needed some Ashlin time.”
It had been a few hours since the boys had left. Amelia was taking a shower and I decided to call Gael to make sure everything was okay.
The phone rang and rang. Right before voicemail picked up, Gael answered. “Hey, sweetheart. I don’t have much time. It’s pretty busy.” Stress laced his voice, though I knew he was trying to hide it.
“Is everything okay?”
Dave’s voice sounded in the background before Gael could respond. “I’m working it out.”
That was an evasive answer. Dave continued to give serving orders above the clatter of the pots and pans. It was odd for him to be in the kitchen with Gael. I pressed on. “You’d tell me if something had happened out of the norm, right? Please don’t keep me out of the loop, Gael.”
He took a deep breath. “My head chef and over half the wait staff resigned shortly after my bartender. We were almost shut down due to someone falsely planting evidence with the health inspector here, but we were able to prove it. Dad and Mom are here helping. Steven offered to tend bar since he worked at one in college. I’m cooking and my every step is being monitored. I gotta go. I’ll call as soon as I have half a second.”