Page 18 of This Memory (Moose Village #3)

Brystol

Aurora handed me the hot cup of tea as I pulled my legs up under me.

“Thank you.” I blew on my drink as Aurora passed out cups to Harper and Cadie.

After sipping her tea, Harper set it on the coffee table and looked at me expectantly. “You called an emergency meeting, so…what’s going on?”

I held the cup in both hands, relishing its heat. I lifted it to my nose and drew in a deep breath. Aurora had put peppermint in the tea to help with my morning sickness. I took a small drink and set my cup down as well.

“Something has happened.”

All three of them went pale.

“Oh, no! The baby’s fine.”

They visibly relaxed.

“Don’t scare us like that, Bry!” Cadie said with a shake of her head.

Drawing in a deep breath, I slowly let it out. “I think…I think I might be falling for Gavin.”

When they just gave me blank expressions, I frowned .

“Did you hear me?”

Harper spoke first. “Oh, that was it? There isn’t more?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Brystol, that’s not news. You’ve always liked Gavin.”

“I know, Aurora, but it was a safe like.”

Harper raised her brows. “A safe like?”

I nodded. “Yeah, the kind where you can like a guy in private, and he doesn’t know, and you don’t risk getting your heart broken by him.”

All three of them exchanged looks before their eyes were back on me.

“You’re afraid Gavin will hurt you?” Cadie asked. “Why?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Because he has before.”

Aurora got up and sat next to me on the sofa. “But not on purpose, Bry. And that was high school. He’s a grown man.”

I dropped my head onto her shoulder. “I know. I know!”

“Did you know he came into the store the other day and asked if we had a copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting ?”

Lifting my head, I whipped it around to gape at her. “He did?”

She smiled as she nodded. “He also picked up some children’s books while he was in there. Two of them he asked me to give to Winnie. I suggested he read them to her instead, the next time I brought her to the store, if he was free.”

Snorting, I asked, “Did he say hell no?”

Her smile faded a bit, and she gave me a look that I would swear said she felt sorry for me. “No, he said he’d come in and volunteer for story time, and I told him that would be amazing, especially if he were dressed in his uniform, because the kids would love that. And he agreed.”

My heart tripped over itself. “Well, if that doesn’t turn a girl on…”

They all chuckled.

“I don’t know why I’m always trying to see the worst in him,” I said, reaching for my tea again.

Aurora stood and got hers before sitting back down next to me. I rested my head back on her shoulder.

“I’m scared, you guys,” I whispered. “I’m so scared because I can see myself falling head over heels in love with Gavin.

” Lifting my head, I shook it slowly. “He asked me if he could talk to Evelyn and Denny on my behalf, about the pressure they’ve been putting on me to tell everyone about the baby. ”

“You don’t want to?” Cadie asked.

“I do, but I thought we should wait until after the first trimester. I thought with Evelyn’s history she’d want to wait, but I think in her mind I’m carrying the baby and nothing can go wrong now.

My mother lost her first baby at eleven weeks and her second baby at ten weeks.

I just don’t want to tell everyone, and then if something happens… ”

I let my words fade away with the steam from my tea.

“Do you think I shouldn’t have a say in it? Since it’s not my baby?” I asked.

Harper leaned forward. “Yes, you very much do, Brystol. This is your body, your life you’ve put on hold, for lack of a better explanation. So yes, I think you have a right to ask that they respect any boundaries you have, including the timing of telling everyone.”

I looked at Cadie. She nodded. “I agree with Harper. ”

“I agree as well,” Aurora said. “And I think it was very sweet of Gavin to offer to talk to them. I know you were upset on Halloween when Evelyn let it slip.”

“I was upset. I spoke to them that night, but it went in one ear and out the other. They’re having a decorator come in to design the baby’s room, and I suggested they hold off.

Evelyn about bit my head off with that one.

She told me she’d been waiting too long for this baby, and if she wanted to decorate the room, she would. Maybe I’m being superstitious?”

All three of them shook their heads.

“May I play devil’s advocate here?” Aurora asked.

“Yes, I want your input on this,” I insisted, taking her hand.

Aurora looked around at each of us before returning her gaze to mine. “I have a feeling Evelyn is envious of you.”

“I was thinking the same thing, Aurora,” Harper quickly added.

“Think about it, Bry. She tried for years to get pregnant and couldn’t.

She found out her body wouldn’t carry her own child.

Then you get pregnant on the first go-round.

You’re experiencing all the things with this pregnancy Evelyn can’t.

I think by her telling everyone, it’s helping her to remember she will , at the end of all of this, have a baby. ”

Harper’s words settled into my head, and I closed my eyes. I had been worried about how things would play out with Evelyn, watching the different stages of the pregnancy.

Opening my eyes, I felt a tear slip free.

“Oh no, don’t cry, sweetheart!” Harper said, jumping up to sit on the other side of me. She pulled me to her and held on tight.

“I’m a terrible friend!” I cried, as I buried my face in Harper’s shoulder .

“What’s going on?”

Gavin’s voice caused my stomach to flip and my heart to beat faster. I looked up, and the instant look of concern on his face made me fall for him all the more.

“Pregnancy hormones,” Aurora said.

I wiped at my tears. “We were talking about Evelyn and announcing the pregnancy.”

Gavin’s gaze bounced from Aurora to me. “I spoke with Evelyn and Denny, and she mentioned feeling jealous of you.”

Harper got up and returned to her previous chair on the other side of the coffee table.

“I mean, I completely understand why she’d be sad about not experiencing things, but what can I do about her feeling jealous?” I asked, feeling miserable.

Gavin took Harper’s vacated spot. “I don’t think she meant it in a bad way.

It’s just like you were saying during lunch, that day in Saranac Lake.

She’s sad she can’t experience this all for herself.

She loves you, Bry, and she’s thankful you’re doing this.

When she opened up about her previous miscarriages, she also realized it’s a good idea to wait until after the first trimester to tell people. ”

“But does it matter?” Harper asked. “Half the town already knows by now.”

Gavin shrugged. “They’ll stop talking about it when some new piece of gossip shows up.”

Everyone but Gavin looked at Cadie.

“Why are you all looking at me?”

Aurora cleared her throat and looked away, as did the rest of us .

Cadie shook her head. “I think I’ve been featured too many times in this town’s gossip column. No, thank you.”

I grinned at Gavin. “Maybe now would be a good time to get James back for the Bingley’s Bitch thing.”

Harper laughed. “Oh my gosh, I forgot about that!”

“Bingley’s Bitch!” Aurora said with a laugh, while Cadie just looked confused.

Gavin pointed to Aurora. “And to think you were my favorite in this little group.”

“Excuse me?” Harper and I both said at the same time.

“Wait,” Cadie said. “What’s Bingley’s Bitch?”

“It’s nothing,” Gavin said quickly, before anyone could explain.

Aurora leaned over the table and said, “I’ll tell you later.”

Gavin sighed and shook his head. “We need to just keep doing what we’re doing. If someone asks if you’re pregnant, just give them a smile.”

“That’s it, just smile?” I asked.

“That’s a great idea,” Cadie said. “Silence will just make it awkward, and they won’t ask again.”

Aurora added, “Unless it’s your aunt Judith. That woman is vile. Sorry, Bry.”

I held up my hands. “Don’t apologize to me. Even my mother thinks her sister is vile.”

Aurora frowned. “The way she treats Hope really bothers me.”

“How is Hope?” Gavin asked.

Aurora’s mouth turned down. “I haven’t been by in a couple weeks. I think maybe I was spending too much time with Winnie, trying to help out, and it started bothering Hope. She sort of…went off on me the other day. The last thing I ever want to do is upset her, with everything she’s going through.”

“What did she say?”

Aurora’s cheeks turned red. “It was time for Winnie’s bath, and I’d just stopped by with some food my mother had made for them. I offered to bathe her…and Hope snapped at me and said I needed to remember which one of us was Winnie’s mother. I apologized, and I haven’t been back since.”

I reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m sure she didn’t mean it, Aurora. Maybe Hope was just tired.”

She nodded. “But now I don’t know how she’s doing. I could stop by The Muddled Moose and ask Liam, but he’s so busy when he gets a few hours to go there, he doesn’t have time to chat.”

“When I spoke with Nathan, he told me they were going to be taking a bit of a longer break between her treatments. To give her a break, I guess.”

“Really?” Harper asked. “Can you do that? Stop the treatment?”

Gavin shrugged. “I think they’re just delaying the next round. Nathan said they’ll be doing scans soon, and depending on what they see, go from there. Hopefully the treatments have been working.”

Aurora leaned forward, looking around me at Gavin. “When did he tell you this?”

“Just a little bit ago. I saw him at the Moose Village Café, when I met Evelyn and Denny for lunch.”

Sitting back in her chair, Aurora smiled. “Well, that’s good news, at least.”

“It is,” Cadie and Harper said at the same time .

Turning to Gavin, I asked, “Did you stop by just to tell me about your talk with Evelyn and Denny?”

“I did, and you mentioned wanting to go shopping for maternity stuff at Sugar and Spice Boutique. I thought I’d tag along, in case you wanted to go anywhere else. Figured I could drive.”

I smiled and had to fight the urge to kiss him.

Harper laughed. “Um, as sweet as that is, and I love the new friendship thing you two have going on, but don’t you think the two of you buying maternity clothes together would spark even more rumors?”

Gavin and I exchanged a look. “She’s right.”

He exhaled. “Well, we could drive to Lake Placid if you want.”

“I heard there’s a super cute maternity store there,” Cadie said.

We all turned to look at her. Aurora grinned. “And how do you know that?”

Cadie blushed. “I’m not pregnant, if that’s what the four of you are thinking with those looks. A customer was talking about it the other day. She was expecting, and she had on the cutest outfit I’d ever seen on a pregnant woman. She told me the name of the store. Crap, what was it called…?”

Aurora took out her phone. “Lake Placid isn’t that big; I’m sure if I Google it, we can find it.”

“Is it Belly Bloom?” Harper asked.

Cadie pointed to her. “That’s it! Belly Bloom.”

“What a cute name!” I said, as I glanced at Gavin, who had a relaxed smile on his face. He honestly looked completely comfortable, listening to all our girl talk.

“Do you really want to go with me?” I asked him.

“I’d love to go. I’ll drive.”

Harper had a knowing smile on her face, but she looked away when I caught her gaze.

I stood, and Aurora immediately jumped up. “Let me get this stuff.”

“No,” I gently said, taking her cup and saucer back. “I’m very capable of cleaning up.”

Gavin stood. “ I’ve got this, you ladies finish whatever you were talking about before I interrupted you.” I watched as he expertly stacked the saucers and cups and headed toward the kitchen.

Aurora whirled on the sofa and faced me.

“Holy hotness! I love this side of Gavin. The way he gushes over you…oh my gosh!”

Laughing, I shook my head. “He is not gushing over me.”

“Right, that’s why it looked like he wanted to kill someone when he walked in here and saw you crying,” Cadie said dryly.

I waved them off. “We’re taking it day by day, and it’s been nice, I will admit.”

“Have you…?” Cadie asked, letting her question dangle in the air.

Feeing my cheeks heat, I bit my lower lip. Harper gasped, then covered her mouth, as Aurora jumped up and stared at me, her mouth gaping open.

“You weren’t going to tell us?”

Reaching up for her, I pulled her back down to the sofa. “Shh! Geez, Aurora!”

“Well?” the three of them said in unison .

I looked toward the kitchen area. I could hear the water running, and it sounded like Gavin was humming.

Humming?

“Stop stalling!” Harper whisper-shouted.

I turned my attention to my friends and noticed Aurora had moved to the other side of the table. The three of them stared at me like five-year-olds waiting for story time at the local library.

“Fine—but this stays in our pocket.”

All three of them pretended to lock their lips and toss away the keys.

My cheeks heated again as I lowered my voice to a whisper. “We haven’t had sex…but he’s given me a few amazing orgasms.”

The three of them squealed, and I reached across the coffee table and started slapping their legs. “Hush, or he’ll hear you!”

“Have you returned the favor?” Harper asked.

Pressing my lips tightly together, I nodded.

Another round of quieter squeals this time.

“I have to know—is he big? Because I’ve seen him in sweats before, and my imagination…well…let’s just say I didn’t have to imagine much.”

“Aurora!” I hissed.

“Is he?” Cadie asked, grinning.

Glancing toward the kitchen again, I looked back at them when I saw the coast was clear.

I tried to keep from giggling as I held my two index fingers several inches apart in an approximation of his length, and the three of them started laughing and high-fiving each other. Once they stopped, I added, “And thick. ”

“What’s thick?” Gavin asked, walking into the living room.

Now all four of us laughed, as Gavin just stood there with one brow up, looking at us like we’d lost our minds.

“The fog this morning. It was thick,” Cadie finally said, as Harper, Aurora, and I tried our best to keep from laughing again.

Gavin agreed, “Yeah, it was really thick.”

And the battle to hold in our laughter was lost.