Authors: Dixie Lynn Dwyer
Tags: #Romance
“This must be kind of hard for you. Are you doing okay?” Sally asked and Ava felt herself panic a moment. What was Sally referring to? She had to remind herself that no one knew about her appointments with the doctor. Sally was referring to the pregnancy and whether or not Ava had difficulty because she lost her baby years ago. Sally and Elise were the only two who knew her story about losing her husband, Jonathan, to cancer and then finding out she was pregnant, only to have a miscarriage at four months into the pregnancy. She urged herself to answer Sally and not reveal what was currently going on in her life.
“I’m fine, honey. I’m so happy for you, and of course for Elise, too.”
“Elise is going to stop in tomorrow and visit. Everyone is trying to help make this difficult time less aggravating. Elise looks fantastic. Her pregnancy is going well, too.”
“So, what do you say? Shall we start shopping?” Ava asked and Sally smiled. “That would be great.”
Ava helped Sally look for various items online. Sally, Mason, and Steven didn’t know what the sex of the babies were yet, but they all had their guesses. Ava thought for sure that Sally would have two boys. She spent the next two hours helping Ava shop and also cheering her up. At lunchtime Mason arrived with a tray of food, and his expression was guarded. Ava wondered what was going on as Mason tried to act cheerful but seemed on edge. Sally wasn’t too happy, either. When Mason left to get more water for Sally, Ava pushed to find out more.
“Well, they’re making me crazy, that’s what is going on,” Sally said then took a piece of peach and popped it into her mouth.
“What do you mean?”
“Mason is acting like his touch could break me or the baby, and Steven, God, Steven is in total doctor mode. I swear if he whips out that damn stethoscope one more time to listen to my heartbeat and then the babies’, I am going to strangle him with it.”
Ava had to hide her chuckle. “Oh God, Sally, they’re just being protective of you. Those two love you so much and they’ve been at your beck and call for months now. They’re scared, that’s all.”
“Scared? Hmm, I didn’t consider fear in this at all. I mean, they are both so strong and dominant, but as soon as we heard the babies’ heartbeats, wham! They turned into crazy men. I can walk, you know, without assistance. The doctor said it was fine, but oh no, they’re carrying me into the bathroom and then waiting there. Like, how the hell can a woman do her personal business with her lover watching her? Answer me that question, Ava,” Sally said then popped another piece of fruit into her mouth. She was chewing as hard as she was spewing frustration about her men.
“Oh God, that is kind of crazy. But, they love you and they don’t want to take any chances. You kind of have to laugh it off and just tell them to give you privacy and when you’re done doing ‘your business,’ you’ll call them to help you.”
“That’s a lot easier said than done. I know I’m frustrated and this morning, I was taking a shower and Mason helped me, but then I forgot to get the hair dryer from under the sink, so that I could dry my hair. Well I bent down and holy crap, Mason yelled at me, asking what did I think I was doing, and scared the crap out of me. I jumped up and got a cramp in my side and a baby foot must have pressed somewhere inside of me because I gasped, losing my breath, which is totally normal being how cramped these two suckers are inside of me, and Mason totally went off the handle. He was like, ‘Oh my God, baby, are you okay? Jesus, this is why you’re supposed to be on bed rest…blah, blah, blah.’ I totally went off on him and then I told him to get out. I told him he was making me insane and he should leave before I punched him. ”
Sally growled then shook her head. Ava was trying her hardest not to laugh. It was so typical.
“That is very upsetting, but again, he was probably concerned because you gasped and you aren’t supposed to be bending and lifting. You have an appointment Wednesday, right?”
“Yes, the doctor will see if I’m dilating at all. If there is a God, then I will be and we can have the babies and start getting back to normal.”
“Well, I hate to tell you this, but you may not see normal for quite some time. Babies change lives, Sally. You, Mason, and Steven are bringing two lives into this world and having two men to help you is going to be wonderful. They’re good men. They’re strong and loving and they will make wonderful fathers.”
“I know they will and I love them. I should make up with Mason. He was only showing concern. What about me? Do you think I’ll make a good mommy?”
“Oh, most definitely. And the babies will have lots of aunts and uncles to spoil them, too. Our family is expanding, Sally,” Ava said. Then they both smiled just as Mason eased his way into the room.
“Here, honey, I got you two more bottles of water. Where would you like them?” he asked. Sally looked at Ava, winked, then looked at Mason and curled her finger for him to move closer.
“Well, I’m going to get going. You take care, and I’ll stop by toward the end of the week. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” Sally said. As Ava left the room, she saw Mason lean down closer to Sally and then heard Sally tell him, “I love you, Mason. Sorry for this morning.”
“I love you, too, Sally.”
Ava smiled as she headed down the hallway.
“Hey, Ava, how are you?”
“Good, Matt. How are you doing with the nursery?”
“Oh, it’s coming along. How is Sally?” He squinted his eyes as if he wasn’t certain what she might say. Ava laughed. Sally sure did have a temper on her in her present state of frustration. Apparently Matt knew what was happening around here, too.
“She’s doing great. She’s just a bit frustrated, that’s all. It’s tough lying around all day when you’re a person who is used to working all the time. I bet you wouldn’t be able to sit around all day for a month, every day.”
He nodded his head. “I never thought about it like that. The poor woman must be about to lose her mind.” Just then Mason came out smiling.
“Hey, is that a smile I see? How did that happen?” Matt asked.
Mason winked at Ava.
“This isn’t easy, Matt. You’ll see when Paula’s pregnant with your baby.” He turned toward Ava as Matt suddenly looked a bit shocked.
Mason smiled.
“Thanks for visiting with her, Ava. Whatever you talked about seemed to help.”
Ava smiled. “No problem. You take care of my girl and I’ll see you in a few days.”
They waved good-bye, and Ava left. From the stairs she could see the multiple teddy bears sitting on the floor. It was such an exciting time. Ava felt her belly tighten as the tears reached her eyes. She prayed that she would get some good news from the doctor about the mammogram she had gone for.
It was Friday night and Dixie Chix was crowded. Cowboy Up was playing something fast, and the crowd of people were dancing and having a great time.
Ava Donaldson loved watching the couples on the dance floor, doing the two-step and adding their own fancy moves into the mix. Cowboys and cowgirls were decked out in Western skirts and cowboy shirts, and some couples had coordinating outfits.
Ava loved the whole setup of Dixie Chix and how the largest bar sat in the center of the dance hall and the dance floor wrapped around the outer area. There were high bar tables and a whole shelf surrounding the perimeter of the dance floor so people could stop and enjoy a drink or just watch the talented couples enjoying the music.
Glancing around, she recognized so many people from Delite as well as from Cellar County. She remembered when she hardly knew anyone at all and how in the past year she had made friends with many of the community members. She spotted Jeremiah and gave the man a wave as he seemed to spot her at the same time. He was a nice man. She had met him at Dr. Nickles’s office last week by coincidence, as he was volunteering with patients at the hospital. She swallowed hard. She really didn’t want to be thinking about the visit right now. Focusing on work all weekend would make the time pass and the appointment come soon enough.
Ava stood by the front entrance near G-Force and watched as people entered and no one exited. They were once again nearly at capacity, and Ava was trying to stay focused on her job. There really wasn’t anything more she could do right now. All the employees knew the routine, and the few new ones hired on to cover for Sally and Elise were cousins to Tye and Clifford, so they were able to show their cousins the ropes. Everything was great, but Ava felt on the verge of vomiting all night. Getting through the weekend was going to take some major strength. She feared what Monday morning might bring. She sighed as she stared around the room. She loved this place. She couldn’t believe how much the Dixie Chix had accomplished in the past year and a half. She loved the summertime. It was her favorite time of the year, and now she couldn’t help but wonder if it would be her last. She felt her throat clog up. She looked around making sure that no one was watching her. She couldn’t tell Susanna or the others what was going on. Everyone was so excited about Sally’s babies coming and then Elise’s baby. This was supposed to be a happy time and not one to bring sadness. She wouldn’t be part of bringing any sadness to the family. Maybe everything would be just fine? Maybe, the results of the mammogram would prove to be nothing at all. She couldn’t have breast cancer. She just couldn’t. Why would God do this to her? He took her husband and best friend, and he took her baby. Wasn’t that enough?
She wiped the tear that escaped her eye and straightened her shoulders. Her burden was her own now. Let the others enjoy life and this happy time. She could handle this alone.
* * * *
“Are you sure about this place? I mean, you spoke with Michael and he said this is where the Delite Warriors hang out?” Colton Banks asked his brother Evan.
“I’m sure.” Evan looked around the entranceway. “It sure is crowded.”
“I hate crowds. I hate people,” Colton barked as the feeling of anxiety slowly crept up the back of his neck. He was in the fucking desert too long. Hiding in holes, eliminating the enemy. He saw too much shit. That was hard for Evan to understand. But then again, he had his own sadness and issues to deal with.
“Look at this fucking line, Evan. We’re not getting in there for like an hour.” Colton was annoyed. He hated lines.
“What the hell are they doing? Giving away free shit.”
“Let me text Michael and see if he and Chad are here already. Their girlfriend works here, too,” he said.
A few minutes later they were walking up toward the front entrance as Michael had told Evan to do.
“He said some big guy named G-Force would be there and a woman named Ava.”
Colton immediately saw the big guy. He was blocking the entrance and trying to talk to two cowboys who wanted to enter. His eyes zeroed in on a potential situation but then moved to the platinum-blonde hair and sexy figure on some woman whose back was toward him. His chest tightened and instantly he wanted to see her face. He wondered if it was as good as the curves of her ass and tan thighs. She was wearing a royal-blue one-piece tank dress that reached her knees and black, sparkling high heels. As she raised her arms to help the big guy settle the cowboys down, he got a great view of her side profile. She was hot.
His brother gave him a shove.
“What’s wrong with you?” Evan asked then turned to follow Colton’s line of sight.
“Oh God,” Evan whispered just as the woman turned toward them. She was speaking into a black radio. He heard her say that everything was fine, and then she looked up toward Colton. She looked just as taken by the sight of him as he was by the sight of her. It was her. It was the crazy jogger from the woods.
She took a deep breath and walked toward them.
“Are you Colton and Evan?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Colton replied as he absorbed her beauty. She was absolutely gorgeous and way younger than his thirty-five years.
She didn’t seem to recognize him at all. Did she really not remember him? Shit, he felt like an asshole. He’d thought about her a few times since bumping into her in the woods. She was probably used to men checking her out. Great. This night was starting off wonderfully.
She pushed her long, platinum-blonde hair over her shoulder then turned behind her to make sure that the big guy had things covered.
“I’m sorry you had to wait. Michael said that you’re good friends of his. Welcome to Dixie Chix.” She stuttered a moment. Her eyes widened, and then just as quickly she smiled and looked toward Evan.
“Thank you,” Evan said, and thank God he did because Colton couldn’t speak. Never in his lifetime had any woman made him lose his ability to speak or affect him like this woman did. She was stunning and it surprised him that this was the same woman wearing the low cap and her hair tucked underneath when she was jogging.
He was grateful when she signaled for them to follow her through the crowd, and not only because he didn’t have to try and speak, but because he could get another view of her gorgeous body. She was sexy, classy, and very professional. The way she held the clipboard in her hands and directed them through the club was impressive. He almost felt insecure and as if a soldier like him wouldn’t be good enough for a breathtaking woman like her. Colton had been more comfortable when they were both sweating and alone in the woods than he was now, with her decked out.