Page 29 of This Memory (Moose Village #3)

Gavin

It wasn’t often I worked weekends anymore, not since Declan had come on board at the police department and we’d hired another full-time officer, Jeremy Stein.

The sounds of someone approaching my desk had me lifting my head. “Hey, Jeremy, how’s it going? Settling in?”

Jeremy was fresh out of the police academy, and I swore if I didn’t know better, I’d think the guy was nineteen and not twenty-nine. He was originally from Dallas, Texas, and his short brown hair and blue eyes instantly made him popular among the single ladies in Moose Village.

With a smile, he nodded, pulled out the extra chair, and sat down. “I’m loving Moose Village. I worked the Festival of Lights the other weekend, and that was fun. I grew up Jewish, so when I told my mother about it, she was pretty happy.”

I leaned back in my chair and asked, “What brought you to New York? Pretty far from your family back in Texas.”

He nodded. “It was hard leaving them, but it was the best thing for me. My mom’s very traditional, and she’s been pressuring me for a number of years to get married.

I just needed some breathing room. I thought I’d end up in New York City, but when I saw the posting for Moose Village, I knew this was the place for me.

I’ve lived in a big city my entire life, so this is a breath of fresh air. ”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it here.”

He fidgeted in his seat some before clearing his throat. “I met Tina Browning the other day at the coffee shop. She works there and lives above it?”

I nodded. “She does. She’s Harper’s youngest sister. And, I might add, Mayor Browning’s baby girl.”

He grinned. “Declan already gave me the whole talk about that. I like Tina. She’s fun to be around.”

“Why do I feel like there’s a ‘but’ in there?”

“There is. I really want to date her… but …as you pointed out, she’s the mayor’s daughter.”

I shrugged. “So what? Declan is marrying Harper, and she’s the mayor’s daughter too.”

“That’s true.”

“Officer Quinn?”

I looked over to see Ami, our receptionist. “Yes?”

“There’s a gentleman here to see you. His name is Denny McCain.”

“Thanks, Ami.” Standing, I said, “Sorry, Jeremy. Gotta go. Denny’s my best friend and the father of the baby my girlfriend’s carrying. ”

His eyes flew open wide.

“Oh, no, wait. She’s a surrogate for Denny and his wife. The baby is one hundred percent theirs.”

“She’s just carrying it for them?” Jeremy asked.

I nodded and let out a humorless laugh. “It’s complicated.”

“I’d say,” he said, as he turned and headed in the opposite direction.

Making my way to the lobby, I tried to think of all the reasons Denny might come to the police station to see me. None of them were good.

Denny looked up as I approached. Holding out my hand, I said, “Hey, man. What brings you here?”

“I’m so sorry to bother you at work, but I figured you’d be here writing up your end-of-day reports.”

I nodded, but before I could say anything, he added, “Can we speak somewhere in private?”

“Um, yeah, sure.”

I led him down the hall and into a conference room. After I shut the door, I immediately asked, “Is everything okay?”

He held up a hand. “Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“No worries,” I said, as I sat and motioned for him to do the same.

Once he sat down, he let out a long breath.

“What’s going on, Denny?”

He slowly shook his head. “It’s just been a long couple of months with the pregnancy…how Evelyn’s been dealing with it. And now the holidays are coming up.”

“I thought Evelyn was doing better?”

“She is. She really is. I think Brystol finally got through to her about backing off on things, and I’ve noticed it’s also reduced Evelyn’s stress.”

“That’s a good thing, then,” I said cautiously.

Denny nodded. “Yeah. The, um, the Winter Village Festival is this Sunday, and I know Evelyn and Brystol always look forward to that. Evelyn has a booth there this year. ”

My brows shot up. “A booth? Like, for free legal advice?”

Laughing, Denny shook his head. “No, she’s been crafting a few months with some women she met through a group online. They’re all mothers who had to have a surrogate carry their babies. Anyway, I think they’ve helped her a lot as well, as far as backing off and leaving Brystol be.”

“Brystol doesn’t want Evelyn to back off, Denny. She needs her to stop demanding how she lives her life, but she very much wants her to experience as much as she can with the pregnancy.”

“Right. That’s what I mean. But…I know from what I’ve been reading that Brystol should be feeling the baby soon.”

I moved in my seat, wondering where he was going with this. “Around sixteen weeks is what I read.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “If she does feel the baby move, do you think she should tell Evelyn?”

Staring at him, I let his words sink in. “Are you saying you don’t want her to tell Evelyn?”

Denny scrubbed his hands down his face. “Fuck, I don’t know, Gavin! This whole thing has thrown me for a fucking loop. Evelyn and I are fighting all the time.”

Surprised, I asked, “About what?”

“The baby. Brystol. How Evelyn needs to stop micromanaging a pregnancy she has no control over.”

“Damn, Denny. I hate to hear that you guys are arguing. But you have to know the end result is going to be the reward.”

He nodded. “I know, and please don’t think I don’t appreciate what Brystol is doing for us.

I absolutely do. Evelyn does as well. But we should have listened to our doctor, who told us to use someone we didn’t know personally.

He said from the beginning that using Brystol might become problematic, but we didn’t listen.

I mean, who better to carry our baby than our best friend? ”

“I can see both sides.”

He dropped his head and sighed.

“Have you thought about doing something special for Evelyn?”

When he looked up, he wore a frown. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe you could take her on a weekend trip to celebrate the baby or take her shopping to decorate the baby’s room.”

A small smile spread across his face. “That’s a great idea. I can suggest we go to New York City for a long weekend and do some shopping for the baby.”

“I’m sure she’d love that. Evelyn loves New York.”

He stood and pulled me up for a hug. “This is why you’re my best friend. Thanks, Gavin. You know, I think I might even suggest going on a babymoon.”

“Now see, you lost me there.”

Denny laughed. “One last vacation before the baby arrives. I could take her to Hawaii.” He slapped the side of my arm. “I’m going to do both! Thanks again, bud.”

I watched as Denny stepped to the door, threw it open, and rushed out of the conference room.

Jeremy poked his head in seconds later. “All good?”

“I guess so. Hell, I should have been a counselor. I think I just saved a marriage. I can therapy the shit out of things.”

Jeremy gave me a look that silently said he might not agree. “Right. When you’re done patting yourself on the back, you’ve got a phone call.”

Brystol wrapped a scarf around her neck and then paused. “Evelyn has a booth at the festival today?”

I nodded. “That’s what Denny said. She’s been crafting with some other moms.”

“I wonder if that’s why she hasn’t been able to meet up. Every time I invite her for coffee or to do something with me and the girls, she says she isn’t free. I thought maybe it was me.”

“Nah, I think it’s this new group she’s found.”

I held Brystol’s coat for her and slipped it on. She turned and faced me. “You said moms?”

“Yeah, Denny said it was a group of mothers who’ve used, or are currently using, surrogates. He said it’s been good for her.”

Brystol smiled. “I’m glad she’s found something that makes her happy…and truth be told, takes her mind off me.”

We headed out of the house and to my car, which was parked in Brystol’s driveway. I’d been spending so much time here that Brystol joked last night that I should just move in.

Once we got inside the car, I shivered. “Shit…it’s so damn cold.” I hit the heat, knowing in ten minutes we’d both be overheated. “He also told me they have been fighting a lot.”

“What? About what?”

I shrugged. “Just said they’ve been fighting.” The last thing I’d do was tell Brystol they’d been arguing about her . “I suggested he take her out of town, or maybe to do some shopping for the baby’s room. He liked the idea and said he’s going to take her to the city for a long weekend. ”

Brystol smiled. “Eve loves New York City. She’ll like going to all those high-end stores for the baby’s stuff.”

I nodded. “Have you ever heard of a babymoon?”

She shook her head as she said, “Nope. What is it?”

I gave a half shrug. “I guess it’s a trip you take before the baby arrives. A last getaway before life changes, that kind of thing.”

“Oh, nice. Is Denny planning one?”

“He said he was going to. Hawaii. So maybe don’t mention it to Evelyn, ’cause it seemed like he was going to surprise her.”

“Well, from what I’ve been reading, they probably should take a babymoon because once this baby comes—” Her voice cut off abruptly.

“What’s wrong?”

Brystol quickly pulled out her phone and looked at the calendar. “Fourteen weeks.”

“What?” I asked, confused.

“I’m fourteen…almost fifteen weeks. I think I just felt the baby, but everything I read says it’s around week sixteen.”

“What did it feel like?”

She turned in her seat to face me and smiled. “I don’t know if this happens to guys, but sometimes when you reach over and take my hand when I’m not expecting it, my stomach flutters.”

I grinned. “Yes, it happens to me. Feel it in my chest sometimes too.”

“Yes!” she said with a bounce. “I just felt that for no reason. I mean, you didn’t touch me or look at me just now. Do you think it was the baby? ”

“It might have been.”

“But it’s too early,” she argued.

“Not from what I’ve read.”

Her eyes widened slightly, and she grinned. “You’ve been reading up on pregnancy, huh?”

I took her hand in mine. “Yes, because the woman I love was generous enough to offer to carry her best friend’s baby. So I want to know what’s happening with her so I can help in any way that I can.”

Brystol started to blink rapidly and, after a few moments, whispered, “Damn it, Gavin.”

Turning away, she started to cry.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?”

Brystol wiped her tears away and let out a breath. “It’s just…I don’t want this to come off the wrong way because I don’t regret my decision about carrying this baby for Evelyn and Denny, but a small part of me wishes my first pregnancy was…”

Her words trailed off, and I took her hand in mine. “I get it.”

She looked up at me. “You do?”

I nodded.

“You don’t think that makes me a bad person, do you?”

Letting out a soft laugh, I shook my head. “Far from it. You’re human, Bry. Your body is going through a lot of changes. I think it’s normal for you to experience these types of feelings.”

It was her turn to nod. “I can’t help wondering what it would have been like if I’d gotten pregnant with…

well… With our baby. And I know it’s too soon in our relationship to even think something like that.

But I hope this doesn’t take away from our experience when the time comes. I mean, if the time comes.”

Lifting her hand to my mouth, I softly brushed a kiss against her warm skin.

“The time will come someday, and no, this won’t take anything away from that.

What you’re doing is amazing, and I’m one hundred percent on board helping you with this.

We are going to make the best uncle and aunt. This kid’s going to be so lucky.”

Brystol laughed. “She will be lucky.”

“Do you think it will be a girl?” I asked.

Shrugging, she replied, “I don’t know. I just keep calling the baby she!”

“Question though. Do you tell Evelyn you felt the baby?”

Her smile slipped before it appeared once again, smaller. Sweeter. “Yes. Even though she can’t physically experience it, she should know when things like this happen.”

“Agreed.”

“So,” Brystol said, letting out a quick breath. “Let’s get to that festival and see what crafts our future mother-to-be made.”