“He hired the whole place out for her,” Stuart adds. “It was really sweet. I was genuinely impressed with him.” He smiles at me, giving me a secret wink.
“Have you picked out his gift?” Stuart asks, cutting into his steak.
“I have.” I smile proudly, biting down on a stick of asparagus.
I was stuck what to buy Jake. I mean, what do you buy the man who has everything?
Then I remembered Jake’s old guitar, the first guitar he ever had that my dad bought him.
When he left for the States, he left his guitar behind, and my dad has kept it all these years. It was packed away in the garage, so I asked my dad to get it out and have it reconditioned.
He’s shipping it out to me this week, and when it arrives, I’m going to have some artwork done on the back for him.
I definitely think it’s thirteen birthdays’ worth in the thought alone.
“So we’ve got the guest list settled, then?” I say, peering down at my notepad on the table, reaching for my water.
“Actually, you need to add a plus one…for me,” Stuart says, looking sheepish.
I put my glass back down without taking a drink. “A plus one.” I smile. “Might this be the mysterious man you’ve been keeping from us?”
“Yes, and he isn’t mysterious. You know his name.”
“Josh the hot doctor!” both Carly and I chime together. “And yes, he is,” I add. “You haven’t let any of us catch a glimpse of him, let alone meet him.”
“Because I didn’t want you lot scaring him away. He’s shy.” He bites the steak off his fork.
“But he’s coming to the party?”
Stuart smiles, chewing. “He is.”
“Yay!” I clap my hands together.
This guy is important to Stuart, I can tell by the way he is about him. I cannot wait to meet the guy who is putting that gorgeous smile on Stuart’s face.
I scribble down hot doctor Josh’s name on my list and underline it.
“Are your mom and dad coming for the party?” Carly asks.
“Yes.” I press my lips together.
“Your mom is okay with Jake and the baby now?”
Carly has been the listening ear to my venting. Even though Mama has accepted the fact that Jake and I are having a baby, and she’s looking forward to being a grandma, she is still somewhat frosty when it comes to Jake. And I know for a fact she thinks I should move back to England to have the baby.
“She’s almost there,” I say with a nod, picking up my water again. “I think the visit at Christmas will do it. Jake will win Mama over. I’m sure of it.”
Okay, maybe not sure—hoping.
Mama can’t see past Jake’s history. But I’m not perfect either. She doesn’t see how I hurt Jake when I was stuck between him and Will, and how he fought for me. How much he loves me.
No matter how many times I tell her that Jake and I have hurt each other enough to last a lifetime and he’s not going to hurt me like that again, she thinks what she thinks.
It can take a while for Mama to change her beliefs.
I know deep down she knows Jake loves me, but she’s worried Jake will screw up, and I’ll be left alone, broken and hurt.
I’m not worried for a moment. I know Jake. I know what us being together, having this baby together, means to him.
I hope that Christmas will make her see this; then all will be good, and she’ll relax on Jake.
“I gotta give your mom kudos, though, gorgeous,” Stuart says. “She is the only woman I have ever known who Jake can’t get eating out of the palm of his hand in five seconds flat. Not only that, I think he is actually scared of her. I think I may be in love with a woman for the first time in my life,” he muses, knocking my elbow with his, chuckling.
“That’s Mama,” I sigh, putting my glass down. “A force to be reckoned with.”
I just hope she fully comes around soon. She will. I think.
After dinner, Dave drops Carly at home, then brings Stuart and me back. Dave is now my personal bodyguard. Jake has gone all superprotective, more than normal, now that I’m pregnant, and I’m to have Dave with me at all times.
Honestly, I can barely pee without him there. Seriously, it’s a good job I like Dave, because I’m with him more than I am Jake nowadays.
Jake ramped up my security when the news of my pregnancy broke. I’ve been receiving hate mail from some of Jake’s more “overenthusiastic” fans.
They think I’m trying to take him away from his rock lifestyle by having his baby. Turn him into a family man and away from his music.
Yes, some people are that crazy.
The overall reaction from the public has been really positive, though. I think the normal, sane people are glad to see Jake happy. I couldn’t be happier to be the one who brought him to this place in his life.
So now Jake has Ben with him, and I have Dave permanently attached to my side.
Dave pulls up on the drive, and I climb out of the car, saying good night to him.
Stuart sees me to the front door, leaving me with a kiss on the cheek, and heads around to the back to his place. I don’t hear Dave pull away until I’m safely inside the house. He is nothing but thorough when it comes to his job. And currently, for the foreseeable future, I’m Dave’s job.
The house is in darkness.
Not bothering to turn on the lights, I head straight for our bedroom, figuring Jake will already be in bed.