CHAPTER401
Jake beams, obvious pride crossing his face at the mention of his adorable wife, and I’m a little envious at the obvious love and devotion that comes over Jake whenever Emma is the focus. He still, even after five years married, dotes on her like a love-sick fool and can never keep his hands off her when they are together. I can’t help the fleeting moment of wonder that runs through my head, if Arrick is like that with Natasha behind closed doors. I know publicly he seems cool with her, and they don’t do a whole lot of touchy-feely public displays of affection, but I know he’s a sweetheart underneath that outward persona. Always so gentle with me, always held my hand wherever he took me, always attentive and adoring. It pains me to even think about this, and I push it down harder than I normally do.
Jake deposits Lucah back down, past the sandpit, on top of his sit and ride, while Mia pushes a dolls’ pram around and Lucah seems to instinctively follow her. Jake comes back to lounging on the grass, keeping eyes keenly trained on the pair of them. Body poised in stealth mode, in case he needs to jump up again.
“You watching the fight tonight?” Jake nudges me, to bring my attention back from picking at the stitch I just mucked up.
“I dunno ... I think I may go to bed early. I’ve been trying to fix my sleeping pattern back to something normal.” I avoid his penetrative gaze. That all-knowing eye of his.
“Still avoiding my brother then?”
I don’t react, knowing Arrick talks to his brother constantly, they’re close as hell. Emma also tells Jake everything, and the last few days he has hinted more than once that he is fully aware of what’s going on. Jake likes to make it clear he is in the know, but he also likes people to come and talk to him when they’re ready. Unless it’s Emma of course, he hounds her like mad if he thinks she’s not telling him something.
“What else can I do? I’m trying to do what’s best for me at the moment.” I gaze down once more, focusing on the sampler with its neat rows of black thread and pray Jake gets distracted by the kids once more. Not really wanting to have a love chat about his brother while he’s sitting beside me acting all fatherly.
It’s plain weird.
“I think it’s messed him up a little if I’m being honest. I mean, you two have always been close, and now he can’t even talk to you. He sounds stressed, and he asks how you are, like every day.” Jake starts massacring the lawn absentmindedly, by pulling out clumps of grass and letting them fall to the breeze.
“I don’t know what else to do, Jake. I’ve never had to navigate anything like this before, and he needs to just give me space. I’m working and focusing on me right now. I don’t have headspace for that mess.” I sigh, lifting up into the clear blue sky of another perfect day and shielding my eyes, looking for some sense of answer in the vast clearness.
“If it helps, I think you’re doing the right thing. You both need some space to gain some perspective and some time to just get used to not having each other in your life.” Jake turns to his right and jumps to his feet like a coiled spring, back in pursuit of the naked Mia, and this time I can’t help but fall into fits of giggles. Breaking the tension.
“For god’s sake, Mia, your mom is going to end up tying you up if she catches you streaking again.” I’m powerless with laughter, as Jake tries like mad to coax his naked child from under the play chute where she has successfully managed to squeeze and is refusing to come out. Her clothes are now a trail of discarded litter across the garden. Lucah is still on his little car, driving around and beeping the horn contentedly, completely unconcerned that his sister loves being naked a little too much. This one is going to be another Carrero wild child when she grows up.
“Mia?” Emma’s voice drifts across from the patio door and I flicker that way to see her waddling our way in a long white dress that gives her a sort of earth Momma vibe. She’s barefoot, hair loose and wild like always, and looks beautiful. Rested from her nap and back to face the world and her children.
Mia untangles herself and crawls out, caught by her father who walks her back, holding her by one arm while retrieving her clothes. He moves close to Emma, leaning in to kiss her tenderly on the mouth, before sitting down on a chair, pulling Mia onto his lap, and once again dressing his child. Emma shakes her head and quietly chides Mia out of my earshot, so as not to embarrass her. The little girl is staring up wide-eyed and on the verge of tears as her mommy gently asks her to stay dressed. Emma always did have more control over Jake’s offspring than he did. Mia is his ‘mini me’ and it’s no surprise that Emma is able to manage both equally well.
She moves to a lounger near me and awkwardly tries to maneuver into it. Jake is fast on his feet, letting Mia go, while only half dressed, and helps his wife settle down into the chair, nuzzling her neck and whispering something to her before fully letting her go. Emma’s face heats and she nudges him lightly in the ribs, eyes locked for an intense moment before he goes back to retrieving his child, and back to covering her up.
I look away from what was obviously another private moment between the love birds, with a pang of envy. Again, pushing Arrick out of my head.
“I have no idea where she gets this urge to be a naturist.” Emma smiles at me as the housekeeper appears with a tray of iced tea and fruit juice for the kids. Emma thanks her gently and nods for me to take one.
“She’s Jake’s kid. I think the urge to be naked stems from being a Carrero.” I giggle, reaching for a glass and taking a long drink. I can’t even say that’s not true for Arry. He is topless with just shorts for both training and fights, he likes to be that way when he goes anywhere hot and has no qualms about walking around at home in the same. He’s always been as comfy with his body as his brother, and obviously Mia too. Not that I can blame him, he certainly has a body worthy of ogling and his tattoo sleeve and upper chest artwork only enhance what is already hot eye candy.
See, this is why it was easy to fall for him.
“Hmm.” Emma agrees, watching Jake bending over the top of Lucah as he fishes more sand out of his mouth, which he is still spitting up. It is obvious she is checking out his ass more than checking on his parenting skills, and I shake my head with a smile. “Or a child that likes to eat all forms of dirt.” Emma smiles and giggles before taking a drink herself and settling back down.
“Not long before you have a third with an equally weird fetish, huh?” I nod at her bulging expanse of belly as Emma sighs.
“I have four weeks to go, four more long torturous weeks before I get to hold this little bundle.” She smooths her stomach, leaning back her head on the pillow and closes her eyes against the sun.
“Do you know the sex?” I enquire, stretching out my legs to sun them in my denim cut-offs. Feeling lighter when she’s around, more able to try at carefree.
I’m back to dressing like a pre-teen, in baggy tops and shorts. Somehow my current fragile frame of mind has made me revert to comfort and casual. All my revealing and tight clubbing clothes were put out for the trash man this morning, in another emotional bout of gutting out the past. I have tried to remove Arrick’s lecture from my head about dressing like a hooker and told myself I’m not doing it for him.
Not entirely.
“No, Jake likes the surprise, but deep down I think this is another girl. I just have a feeling and I wasn’t wrong with the other two.” Emma takes another sip of her drink and lifts a shielding hand over her eyes as she watches her husband kick a ball around with Mia, trying to make sure she keeps her clothes on this time. I squint there way for a second, smiling at the picture they make, and turn my attention back to Emma.
“Names?” I roll onto my stomach, enjoying the heat on the back of my legs and regarding Emma carefully.
“Jake picked the last two, so this one’s all mine. I kind of like the name Ava, something just tells me this is a little Ava. It has a romantic sound to it.” Emma beams down at her bump, which is now moving slightly, smoothing her hands over and going back to her earlier resting position."
