Danny opened his mouth to say something but saw the murderous expression on Aidan’s face and decided to keep his mouth shut while he carefully climbed out from behind Melanie. Before her back hit the pillows, Aidan was there, climbing in behind her and wrapping his arms around her.
“Looks like the Bradford curse is in full effect,” Danny said, sending him a wink as he grabbed his shirt off the chair and pulled it back on before helping his wife to her feet.
“The curse is bullshit,” Aidan said, even as he continued to glare at the bastard.
“Then how do you explain that?” Danny asked, gesturing towards Melanie, who was already sound asleep because the men in his family believed in bullshit tales passed down from generation to generation meant to fuck with their heads.
“She’s exhausted,” Aidan said, in no fucking mood to deal with his family’s bullshit beliefs today.
While most of the men in his family believed in this happily ever after bullshit…it just wasn’t for him. He’d never had time for anything more than a casual fling, never been interested in anything more than that. He’d always liked his life and the freedom that came with it, but he had to admit that he liked this too.
“If you say so,” Danny said, shrugging it off as he headed towards the door only to pause as he said, “Someone will be back tomorrow to stay with her while you’re at work. We’re still figuring it out, but we’re going to make sure that she isn’t left alone again.”
“Thank you,” Aidan said, relieved that he wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore as he closed his eyes and felt himself drift off to the sounds of his brothers chuckling and murmurs about the Bradford curse.
*-*-*-*
“I lied about having my period for a year to get out of gym class,” Melanie found herself admitting when she opened her eyes to find Aidan glaring at her.
When he didn’t say anything, she moved on with, “When I was six, I tried to convince my parents that we’d be better off trading my sister for a puppy?”
That was followed with, “I’ve never been able to get past the first level of Tetris because I panic?” when he continued to glare.
Biting back a wince, Melanie said, “I love to cook.”
“And?” Aidan bit out.
“I may have overdone it,” she admitted when his eyes narrowed on her.
“We had an agreement,” Aidan said, looking pissed even as he reached over and gently pushed her hair out of her face.
“I know, but there were extenuating circumstances,” she said with a nod, really hoping that he was willing to leave it at that.
He wasn’t.
“And what exactly were they?” Aidan asked as he shifted so that he was lying on his side, facing her.
“I wanted to surprise you?” Melanie said with a hopeful smile as he placed his hand on her belly.
“And I was definitely surprised to find you in bed with my brothers,” he said, making her wince.
“I can explain that,” Melanie said, even though she had no idea how she was supposed to do that.
“And I can’t wait to hear it,” Aidan said, gently caressing her belly as she opened her mouth to explain what happened only to close it, frown, sigh, and finally admit, “They weren’t as comfortable as you.”
“I see,” he murmured, sounding thoughtful as he continued caressing her belly, looking lost in thought as she laid there, watching him.
He really was handsome, Melanie thought, as she reached over and ran her fingertips along his jaw, enjoying the feel of his stubble against her fingertips. He was also kind, sweet, and nothing like the man that she’d first met. When she’d first met him, he’d been charming with an equally charming smile, saying all those things that every woman wanted to hear and-
She liked this Aidan better.
She liked the fact that he didn’t always know what to say and when he did smile, they came easily. She liked the fact that he went out of his way to make her feel comfortable, teased smiles out of her when the nausea medication didn’t work and she wasn’t sure that she could take anymore, and held her, promising her that it was all going to be worth it when they got to hold their son.
“I have to tell you something,” Aidan said, leaning in to press a kiss against her forehead.
“What’s that?” she asked, wondering how such a simple kiss could feel so good.
“My mother invited us over for dinner Friday,” he said, sighing heavily.
“Why do you look like it’s the end of the world?” Melanie asked, unable to help but frown and not really seeing what the big deal was.
“Because they also invited your family.”
Chapter 22
“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Aidan said, glancing from the man that looked like he wanted to kill him back to Melanie only to find her digging through the shopping bag filled with a large assortment of candy bars and Hostess treats that he’d been forced to pick up when she’d calmly explained in minute detail what she would do to him if he didn’t get her a snack to hold her over until dinner.
“Do you think we have time to go back and see if they have any more Hostess lemon pies?” Melanie asked, worrying her bottom lip as his attention was once again drawn to the large man with a Marine tattoo wrapped around his forearm as he continued sitting there, glaring at Aidan as he absently drummed his fingertips against the armrest of his father’s favorite chair.
“How have you been, Mr. Robinson?” Aidan asked, only to end up biting back a sigh when Melanie’s father continued glaring at him.
Aidan turned his attention to the woman sitting across from him and decided to focus his attention back on Melanie when her mother narrowed her eyes on him. When he found Melanie debating between a Hostess cupcake and a Hostess apple pie, he couldn’t help but smile when she mumbled sadly, “I can’t decide.”
“Ah, you shouldn’t be eating that garbage,” a petite blonde said with a disapproving sigh as she reached over and-
“Don’t make me kill you,” Melanie said, not bothering to look up as she continued debating between snacks as her mother said, “Leave her alone, Caitlyn.”
“It’s not good for the baby,” the woman that he’d heard so much about, none of it good, said with a pointed look at the snacks in Melanie’s hands as she pulled a man with a sheepish smile on his face towards the loveseat by the window and sat down, snuggling up against his side before his ass had a chance to hit the cushion.
“The baby’s fine,” Aidan assured her even as he couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing here since Melanie’s parents told them that she couldn’t make it.
“What are you doing here, Caitlyn?” her mother asked, looking confused while her father released a resigned sigh.
“Why wouldn’t I be here?” Caitlyn asked with a perky smile as she laced her fingers with the man who hadn’t stopped staring at Melanie since he’d walked into the room.
“Because you weren’t invited,” her father said with a glare still locked on Aidan.
“Why wouldn’t we be invited?” Caitlyn asked, looking confused as she flipped her perfect honey blonde hair back over her shoulder.
“It’s fine,” Melanie mumbled absently as she handed him the lemon pie so
that she could continue searching through the bag.
“This is our daughter, Caitlyn and her fiancé, Adam,” her mother said as Aidan noted the way that Adam looked at Melanie and-
“After four years, we’re finally getting married!” Caitlyn said with a sheepish smile as she held up her left hand and gave her ring-finger a pointed wiggle.
“Jesus Christ,” her father said, rubbing his hands roughly down his face as the forced smile on her mother’s face froze and Melanie…Melanie briefly paused in search for the perfect snack to glance up at the happy couple and mumbled, “Congratulations,” before focusing back on her bag of treats. Aidan sat there watching her, noting the way she bit her bottom lip and the way that she gripped the plastic bag tightly in her hands.
“Why don’t we go have a look at the box of my old baby stuff that my mother left in my room?” Aidan suggested as he reached over and took Melanie’s trembling hand in his.
“Ooooh, I love baby stuff!” her sister gushed, moving to stand up and join them only to sit back down with a pout when her parents shot her matching glares.
With a gentle tug, Aidan pulled Melanie to her feet and led her out of the room and headed upstairs. By the time they made it to his old room, she was crying and for the first time in his life, he wanted to fucking kill someone.
“God, I’m such an idiot,” she said with a humorless chuckle as she wiped at the tears streaming down her face.
“No, you’re not,” Aidan said, watching as she walked over to the double bay window that he used to spend hours at when he was little, watching as the other kids played while he tried to work up the nerve to ask if he could join them.
He never did.
“Yes, I am,” Melanie said, shaking her head in disgust as she wrapped her arms around herself.
“Why’s that?” he asked as he closed the bedroom door.
Shaking her head, she said, “Because I should have known this would happen.”
Nodding absently, Aidan leaned back against the door as he debated giving her a moment, but that wasn’t really an option, which meant…