Just then, Ari came running in through the front door. What the hell? How did she…?

“Hey, Gramps! What’s shaking?” Ari said as she bounced up to give him a hug and a kiss.

He grinned and gave her a look that I didn’t understand. She shook her head, and he gave her a faint smile back.

“Get it done, kid,” he said to her.

Then, he slapped me on the back and told me to get my ass in his truck. Ari started laughing and then grabbed my arm as we headed outside.

I pulled her back for second. “How the hell did you get outside?”

She looked at me like I had just asked her the stupidest question ever. “I climbed out the bedroom window.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want Garrett to think we were messing around. If I came out from the bedroom, he would have.”

I just stared at her. She made it sound so logical. I leaned down to kiss her as she let out a giggle.

“God, I love you, baby!” I barely pulled my lips away from hers.

“We’ll pick up where we left off later,” I said as I smacked her ass.

“Sounds good. Um, Jeff, I really need to talk to you about something. It’s really important.”

As I looked down at her, I ran the back of hand down the side of her face.

“Do we need to talk now, baby? I can just tell Garrett that I’ll be up in a little bit.”

“No, they need help, and this is Garrett and Emma’s big day. We can talk after the party.”

“Okay, baby, if you’re sure. Is everything okay, Ari?”

She smiled at me, and the spark that was in her eyes made me smile back at her.

“Yeah, at least, I um…yeah…no, really, it’s fine. Come on, let’s go.”

I took Ari’s hand as we made our way outside. Garrett was waiting for us, leaning up against his truck.

“Hey, Garrett, I’ll just follow you. That way when it’s time to leave, I won’t have to ask anyone for a ride.” I said as I held open the truck door open for Ari.

He nodded and got in his truck.

***

We spent the morning setting up tables and chairs for the party. Gunner was practically flying high after working from with his father. Ellie was so in her environment, and I was glad to see her smiling as much as she was. She adored Emma, and Emma adored her. Grace seemed to be falling right into the role of mother-in-law perfectly. She and Ellie got along so well. And at times, my heart just wanted to burst because I was so happy for Ellie.

Heather seemed to be slipping further into a funk, especially with Lynda following Josh around. Josh just seemed…shit, I don’t know how Josh seemed. Fucked-up is the only way I could describe it. It wasn’t a good sign that he had already started drinking around lunch-time.

Sitting on one of the hay bales, I tried to listen to Gunner going on about something with the cattle, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from Ari. My beautiful Ari. She looked happy, but at the same time, she looked so lost. She had such a beautiful glow about her, I lost my breath just watching her.

She was now arguing with Josh about where he was going to put the washers game. Josh looked like he was about to pull his hair out. I should really be a better friend and go save him from my beautiful, outspoken future bride.

I decided it was kind of fun just sitting here, watching the two of them.

Ari put her hands on her hips and tilted her head at him. I watched the whole thing play out. Ari tilted her head and put her hands on her hips. She just looked at him with that look of hers, and the next thing I saw was Josh moving the game.

I smiled, and just then, Ari looked over at me. Her frown turned into that goddamn smile of hers. If I had been standing up, my knees would have buckle.

Gunner nudged me with his shoulder, and I moved my gaze away from Ari to look at him.

“Dude, you do know how lucky you are to have her, right?”

I smiled as I looked back at Ari, who was still looking at me. Her face seemed….concerned. I knew she wanted to talk to me about something, she seemed excited about it but nervous as hell also.

She started to walk toward us, I instantly felt my body react to her. As she reached me, she lowered her head, looking at me through those beautiful long eye lashes of hers. It was almost like she knew how much I wanted her.

I turned back to Gunner and smiled.

“Yeah, dude….I know.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

ARI

I watched Emma and Garrett laughing while enjoying the company of all their friends and family. I looked over at Jeff who was talking to my mom and dad. Someone was going to slip soon about the baby. I really needed to talk to Jeff soon. I almost died earlier when I’d made the comment about me getting bigger.

Matt came running up to Jeff, calling out Jeff’s name. Jeff bent down and picked up the oh-so-happy Matt. I smiled as I watched the two of them. I put my hand to my stomach and instantly felt like I couldn’t breathe. When I leaned forward, I felt a hand rubbing my back. I knew in an instant that it was Ellie.

“Breathe, baby girl. Just breathe.”

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I can’t do this, Ellie! What if this baby has Fragile X? I’m not like my mother. I can’t do it. I just can’t!” Holy fuck, I was having a melt-down.

Worried that Jeff might see me freaking out, I looked over and noticed he was taking Matt down to the barn. They must be going to look at the horses.

Ellie reached over and placed her finger under my chin and turned my head towards her.

“Listen to me right now, Arianna. You’re going to be fine, and this baby is going to be fine. You aren’t even sure if you’re a carrier, so stop worrying yourself sick. But, sweets, ya have to tell Jeff. You have to tell him tonight. No more excuses. You can’t keep trying to do this on your own. Jeff loves you more than life itself, and he’s going to be so damn happy. Please, Ari, go talk to him.”

I felt the tears building up in my eyes, and I willed myself to stop them. I smiled at Ellie, I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“Have I told you today that I love you?” I asked, winking at her.

“No. No, you haven’t bitch,” she said winking back with a smile.

Laughing, we stood up and hugged. I held on to her just for a few seconds longer than needed. I would be lost without this girl.

“Okay, I’m gonna go talk to him right now. I’ve been sitting here all day waiting for someone to accidentally slip and say something to him!”

Ellie let out a laugh as I turned and made my way down to the barn.

As I rounded the corner, I could hear Jeff and Matt talking.

“Where’s Ari’s horse, Jeff?”

I stopped to listen, peeking into the barn. I was curious to see if Jeff was going to remember to be specific this time.

“Well, buddy...she’s over on our property. I have her out in a pasture right now. She’s not the type of girl who likes to be held down in a stall for too long. She really loves to be free and run around with the sun on her.”

“Like Ari! Ari likes the sun on her face, too, doesn’t she, Jeff?” Matt said Jeff with a huge smile on his face.

God, how I love Matt. His heart was pure, and his laughter was infectious. He was so special to us. There was something about him that just made people feel so loved when he smiled.

“Yeah, buddy, she does. Ari is just like Stargazer no one can hold her down. She’s probably the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”

“Jeff, you’re an assmole! Ari is a girl, not a woman!”

Oh shit! I couldn’t help it when and I let out a small giggle. I had to laugh every time Matt said assmole.

“Matt, buddy, trust me Ari is a woman,” Jeff said, placing his hand on Matt’s head.

“I’m gonna give you a hug, buddy, okay?” he asked as Matt smiled up at him. Jeff gently pulled Matt in for a hug.

I felt a single tear run down my face. Just then, my mother walked up next to me, putting her arm around me. Reaching up, I wiped away my tear, trying to get myself back together again.

“It’s going to be okay, Ari. You know what you have to do, baby girl.”

I shook my head as my mother and I walked into the barn. Jeff looked up and smiled at us.

“Matthew, sweetheart, come on back with me. Emma just bought a new mop,” my mom said.

Matt just about screamed because he was so happy.

“I want to mop!”

I watched as my mom and Matt walked out of the barn toward the house. Taking a deep breath, and turned to face Jeff. Taking me by surprise, he grabbed me and kissed me so passionately that my legs almost went out from under me.

“Arianna, I love you so much.”

I smiled as I looked up into his beautiful green eyes. “I love you, too, Jefferson…so very much.”

As he kissed me again, I almost wanted talk him into making love to me right here and now, so I could lose myself in his love.

Knowing I had to do this though, I pulled away just a little.

“Um, Jeff, I really need to talk to you,” I said, looking up at him.

He smiled as he took my hand and walked me over to a hay bale.

“Alright, baby….talk away.”

“Well, um….I’m not even sure how to tell you this, but.”

His cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, looking at the display, he frowned. He shoved it back into his pocket and looked at me.

“Don’t stop, Ari. Keep going.”

“Okay, well, when I went to the doctor on Monday, I um, I found out.”

“You got the results back already? Ari, why didn’t you tell me, baby? What did they say? Are you a carrier of the gene?”

Wait…what? Oh god. My head was spinning.

“No, I won’t get the results back until after another week or so.”

“Shit, Ari, I thought you had been holding this in for the last two days.”

I let out a small laugh. “Ah, no, but I did find out something else.”

Just then, his phone rang again. Of all the fuck-ass times, why is he getting a signal now? He looked at it and then back at me.

“Give me just two seconds.”

I sat there, stunned. It had to be Rebecca.

“Hey, Rebecca. I thought I asked you to not….what? Are you okay?”

I’m going to hell for the thought that just crossed my mind.

“Yeah, I’ll leave right now.

Jeff jumped up and started to walk away from me.

What the fuck?

“Jeff!” I yelled.

He turned around to look at me.

“Oh shit, Ari! I’m sorry, baby. Rebecca is having contractions. They’re pretty far apart, but she’s freaking out.”

“Wait, Jeff, I really need to talk to you. Can she not wait just a few extra minutes for you?” I said, almost pleading with him.

“Ari, baby, is this really that important?”

Tears started to build in my eyes. Oh my god. He was picking her over me. I felt like I was going to throw up.

“Ari! I need to go! Is this something that can wait until later tonight or tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow? Are you planning on staying with her tonight?”

“Well, no, of course not. But what if she needs to go to the hospital or something?”