Page 27 of Over and Above (Mount Hope #4)
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Eric
The day of the baby shower should have been all about Maren, Diesel, and the coming baby, but I simply couldn’t get my mind off Magnus. He’d continued to seem a bit…off all week, stellar sex notwithstanding, and nothing about the way he rushed into the community center shortly before the start time for the Sunday afternoon party reassured me.
“I made it. Sorry.” He stamped off the snow at the door as I held the door for him. “Brunch rush was crazy today.”
“It’s all right. No apologies needed. Did you bring the appetizers?” I asked. There were too many people milling about for me to ask what I truly wanted to know, which was if we were okay. If he was okay. If this thing between us was okay. A lot of questions and not a lot of easy answers. Focusing on food was the smarter move, even if the question made Magnus frown.
“Yep. Want to help me carry them in?” Magnus gestured at the door, and I reopened it to follow him to his SUV, where he had several aluminum trays of little sandwiches, wings, and my favorite potato puff things.
“I’m sorry your morning was hard,” I said as he passed two trays into my waiting arms.
“Not hard.” His frown deepened. “Just busy, even with the new cook starting. Fryer got fixed in time for deep freeze to act up.”
“It never ends.” I stepped closer, intending what, I wasn’t sure. But then Rowan and John came bounding out of the community center.
“Need help carrying food?” John asked.
“Sure.” Magnus dutifully loaded them down, and there went our last chance to be alone before guests started to arrive. Rowan and Caleb had decorated the party space with greens and yellows and colorful baby animals. A number of the planned party games followed the baby animal theme, but I intended to stay busy behind the scenes. The mere idea of party games gave me hives, especially ones involving races to diaper stuffed animals.
“Did we really need games?” I asked Rowan.
“Of course.” He wore a red satin kimono over a T-shirt that proclaimed himself Guncle of the Year . He had a stuffed elephant under one arm, a Sharpie in the other hand, and a typically maniacal grin. “Otherwise, it’s just sitting around and eating cupcakes while watching Maren open presents.”
“That sounds like an okay plan to me,” I countered.
“Which is why you’re not the party planner.” He swished away, off to encourage more people to play games, leaving me to search for something useful to do. The food table was fully stocked, the punch bowl brimming with some sort of fruity concoction, and all the guests’ coats were neatly hung on a rack in the back of the room.
However, my wandering near the food table did bring me close enough to overhear a conversation between Sean and Magnus.
“Have you decided whether to rebuild or move?” Sean asked as he piled a plate full of snacks. “Another house on our street is for sale at a killer price.”
“Dad.” Declan tossed an arm around Sean as he joined the conversation. “You can’t try to move all your friends and family to your neighborhood.”
“Sure I can.” Sean leaned into the attempted hug with a good-natured chuckle.
“I’m in no hurry to decide.” Magnus’s tone was cagey as his gaze met mine across the food table. I busied myself straightening rows of sandwiches while he continued, “Heck, I can’t even choose which tat to get to commemorate the old house. Think Denver has any recs on local artists?”
With that deft change in subject, I grabbed a cup of punch and meandered over to where Maren sat by the gift table in a rocking chair Caleb and Rowan had brought in to give her a throne of sorts.
“On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you want to escape right now?” I crouched to ask in a whisper before handing her the drink.
“Eleventy-billion.” She gave a tense laugh. “Think you could convince one of your firefighter friends to call in a fire code violation? Something?”
“Probably not, but if you go into labor, I could undoubtedly arrange a lights-and-sirens escort.”
“ Dad . Marissa!” Maren summoned her midwife. “Any chance of you ordering bed rest? Like right this minute?”
“Not till you open presents.” Marissa plunked a cloth-diapered elephant into Maren’s lap. “And if you think this is bad, merely wait until you’re the bride next year.”
“Is it possible to have a wedding without being the center of attention?”
“Nope.” Marissa and I both laughed.
“Seriously, honey. If you want to leave to rest, I think people would understand. They’re all distracted with Rowan’s games anyway.”
“Bless my brother.” Maren managed a wider smile. “Less small talk for me. And I suppose I can last long enough to try a cupcake.”
“I’ll grab you one.” I returned to the food table only to be snagged by Jonas, who had a devious look on his bearded face.
“So, I had an idea, and you can say no?—”
“No.” I stared him down, already certain where this was headed.
“Hear me out.” He held up his big hands, the picture of innocence. “I want to have a few folks out to the farmhouse for dinner. Something casual, but there’s a new nurse at the practice. I think you might really hit it off.”
“No.”
“Look, you’re my best friend.” He gave me a hearty smile, but I didn’t smile back. “I want to see you happy. You can’t hibernate for the next however many years. We’re still young?—”
“Says the one with the hot, younger partner keeping him up at night.” I gave him a pointed look. “I’m good with not dating. I swear.”
“You could come anyway.” Used car salespeople had nothing on Jonas. “New friends are great to have as well.”
“You’re not fooling me.”
“Darn.” Jonas sobered, then brightened at something over my shoulder. “ Magnus . “How do you feel about dinner parties?”
“We’re running low on forks. Did you bring extra?” Magnus’s glare was sharp enough to cut glass as he stepped in front of me. Damn. He had definitely heard something of my conversation with Jonas. His expression softened only marginally as he turned toward Jonas. “Why do I feel this is a trick question?”
“Just say no.” I faked a laugh. “I’ll go get the forks.”
I fetched forks and a cupcake for Maren and hoped like hell Magnus didn’t accept Jonas’s invite. We’d agreed to be exclusive, so I didn’t think Magnus would be interested in the nurse friend. However, no one else knew we were anything at all, and he’d been so off the past week or so that I felt wobbly, like the stones under our friendship were sinking. And I had no idea how to fix things either.
A funk settled over me, lasting through Maren and Diesel opening a pile of tiny clothes and other gifts. I shooed them both home, leaving the rest of us to handle the cleanup.
As I went around the room with a trash bag, looking for cups and plates, Magnus cleared the food table, and I could almost see the bad mood rolling off his tense shoulders. We needed to talk, but I wasn’t sure about the subject, let alone what to say.
“What’s wrong?” John walked over near me with a bag for recycling. “Not ready to be a grandpa?”
“I’m getting there.” I didn’t bother denying my funk as John was quietly my most perceptive kid.
“Tired of friends trying to set you up?” Huffing, he rolled his shoulders to stretch his neck like he was well-acquainted with that particular headache. “I heard Jonas is trying to get you to meet some nurse.”
“He’s trying. I said no, but yes, I’m sick of people asking.” Gentling my tone, I met his pained gaze. “Are your friends into matchmaking as well?”
“You could say that.” He shifted his bag of cans from one hand to the other. “The friends who are dating think everyone else needs to be either as happy or as miserable as they are. No, thank you.”
“Amen.” I whistled because he summed up my feelings perfectly. “You’ll date if and when you’re ready. No rush.”
“Ha. Everyone’s in a rush. Graduation’s coming up fast, not to mention prom. Last year, we went as a friend group. This year…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Who the hell knows?”
“I’m sorry.” I set aside my trash bag so I could pat his sturdy shoulder.
“You think your friends would respect your decision not to date.” John pursed his lips, expression pinched. He’d always had what some called an old soul. “People suck. Doctor Dad’s only been gone like two years. They can show some damn respect.”
“Yeah.” I echoed weakly. What would he and the other kids think if I did date? Specifically, if I dated Magnus? Would it push John away during this critical time of his senior year? We needed to be focused on college applications and football scholarships, not to mention whatever friend drama he had going. He didn’t need any additional pain or awkwardness.
“Food’s all packed.” Magnus strode up behind John, yet again likely overhearing more than I wanted, judging by his terse tone.
“Thanks.” I offered a smile I didn’t really feel.
“I’ll take the recycling and trash out.” John picked up my bag and added it to his before heading to the back of the community center, leaving me alone with Magnus. Well, sort of alone. Rowan and Wren were across the room, removing decorations.
“Looks like we’re almost done. Do you need to get back to The Heist?”
“No.” Magnus blew out a breath, glancing over at Rowan, who was teasing Wren with animal pictures. “Any chance you could come over later? We need to talk. Privately.”
“Yeah.” I’d figured as much, yet what little food I’d eaten at the party soured in my stomach anyway. Magnus’s wooden expression revealed far more than his cryptic request. I wasn’t going to like this conversation one bit.