The Proposal

With a laugh, Emma replied, “He’ll be up there around noon.” At Grammy’s sigh, Emma said, “He needs to fix us breakfast first and get a shower.”

“All right then. I love you, baby girl.”

“I love you, too.”

Once Emma hung up the phone, she cradled it to her chest. She wanted more than anything to feel Grammy’s arms around her. No matter what was going on in her life, somehow just being in Grammy’s embrace made everything all right.

“You miss her, don’t you?”

She tore her gaze over to Aidan and then nodded. “Will you give her a great big hug and kiss for me when you get up there?” she asked.

Aidan laughed. “I don’t think Virginia would let me past the front door without hugging and kissing me.”

Emma giggled. “That’s true. But give her one anyway, okay?”

“I will. And then I’ll be sure to come back home and give you her love too.”

“Thank you.”

Collapsing back against the pillows, Aidan groaned. “Jesus, my first real day I can sleep in from work, and I’m awake at seven-thirty.”

“You don’t have to get up now. We can try to go back to sleep.”

“Sure you’re not hungry?”

Emma wrinkled her nose. “No, I still get a little nauseated in the morning.”

“Will you set the alarm for ten?”

She cocked her eyebrows. “You’re really planning on snoozing late, huh?”

“Mmm, hmm,” he murmured.

When she pushed back under the covers, Aidan scooted over in the bed. His arm snaked around her waist as he spooned against her. Nuzzling his face into her neck, he said, “Warm me up.”

Her breath hitched as she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Are you really that cold?”

He popped one eye open and gave her a sly grin. “Maybe.”

“Uh-huh, well, just watch it, mister.”

They had just settled back down when Noah struck up a kicking frenzy. “Oomph,” Emma said, shifting to the right.

“Seriously, Em, I’m not trying to cop a feel!”

She giggled. “I know you’re not.” She took his hand and brought it to the place on her stomach where Noah’s foot was thumping.

Aidan sucked in a breath. When she glanced back at him, he wore an expression of pure wonderment. He met her gaze and smiled. “Is he always so active in the mornings?”

“Sometimes. Usually, he really gets going after I eat.”

“Ah, like he’s on a sugar rush or something?”

“I guess so.”

Even after Noah settled down, Aidan kept his hand firmly against her belly. Although Emma should have protested, she didn’t. It felt too good with his arm around her. And within a few moments, she fell into a contented sleep.

***

After the alarm went off at ten, Aidan hopped out of bed. As Emma rose up, she figured he was headed for the shower, but instead, he reached for his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling Becky.”

“Why?”

“Besides going to Grammy’s, I need to go to the grocery store and run a few errands. It might turn out longer than I expect, and I don’t want to leave you alone that long.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I think I can make it from the bed to the bathroom just fine, thank you.”

He shook his head as he stepped out of the bedroom. “Hey sis, can you do me a favor?” she heard him ask. He wasn’t gone long before he came back inside. “Becky’s coming over.”

“Fabulous,” she muttered.

Aidan’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I thought you liked her?”

“I do. In fact, I love her like my own sister. It’s just I feel so overprotected at the moment—like I’m in a fishbowl.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help worrying about you, Em.”

Her chest clenched at the earnest expression on her face. She didn’t know why she had to fight him so much. She should just stop and enjoy the fact he was being so attentive and caring. So instead of arguing, she threw up her hands in defeat. “All right, all right. Becky can come baby-sit me.”

He grinned. “Good considering you didn’t have a choice.”

“Aidan,” she warned.

He leaned over to kiss her cheek. After he pulled away, his lips hovered close to hers. When she looked into his eyes, she saw the longing burning bright. Part of her wanted to reach out and kiss him, but the other part knew what an explosive land mine that was. Putting her hand on his chest, she gently pushed him back. “You better go get a shower. Grammy will be standing on her head and blazing the phone lines if you’re not there right at twelve.”

Hurt momentarily flashed in his eyes before he bobbed his head. “Okay then.”

Emma’s heart clenched as she watched him march defeated into the bathroom.

CHAPTER TEN

Aidan made the trek out of the city up to the mountains. It was just after noon when he pulled to a stop in front of Earl and Virginia’s house. He drew in a breath of trepidation as he started up the front walk. He had just started up the porch steps when Virginia threw open the front door. “Well hello there handsome! Good to see you again.”

Relief flooded him that at least one of Emma’s grandparents didn’t hold a grudge. Of course of the two, he had worried the least about Grammy. The worst she could do was frail him with a frying pan—Earl was the one of the knives and shotguns.

He smiled. “Hello Virginia. It’s good to see too.”

Just like he expected, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight. “How’s my sweet girl holding up?”

“Right now she’s mad as hell that you’re cooking for her and not taking it easy,” he replied as he pulled away.

Virginia cocked her silver head at him, and he grunted. “Even though she wants me to tell you she’s fine, I can’t lie.”

“I figured as much.”

“Physically, she’s doing fine, but it’s the emotions that are killing her…and me.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, Aidan rocked back on his heels. “I wish I knew what to say or do to make her feel better. I hate to see her cry, and it kills me to see her scared like she has been.”

Virginia rubbed his arm. “Aw, honey, I’m sure you’re doing a fine job taking care of her. Being pregnant is hard enough without throwing in pre-labor and bed-rest into the mix.”