long time. Our family will always love you and owe you a tremendous debt for getting him back on track after those wayward years.”
“Cut to the point, Pesh.”
He smiled. “Dev is my baby brother, and I love him. But I know in my heart he doesn’t now or will ever deserve you, Mia.”
I gasped at his admission. “Seriously?”
“He’s always chased after what he couldn’t have, and once he got it, he wasn’t satisfied. He tried for months to get me to fix you two up, but I refused.”
“You never told me that.”
“At the time, I didn’t think you were ready to date after what had happened with Jason. Now I think it was something greater telling me to keep you apart.”
I groaned. “That would have been really nice to know three years ago. It could’ve saved me some heartache, you know?”
Pesh grimaced. “I realize that now. It’s the reason why I’m here today. This musician…what’s his name?”
“AJ,” I murmured.
Pesh nodded. “This AJ wants you to be with him, doesn’t he?”
“I’m going to kill Dee,” I muttered through gritted teeth. At the same time I wanted to throttle him, I couldn’t ask for a more faithful, loving friend than Dee.
“Don’t be mad at him. He loves you—just like I do. He also knows what you’ve been through in the last year might be clouding your judgment.” Pesh’s expression grew sad. “Better than anyone, I know what grief can do to you, Mia. After Jade’s death, I lived a dream-like existence for the last two years. I made decisions that weren’t really me—decisions that my emotional torment caused me to do. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes as I did just because you lost one of the most important people in your life.”
“That’s very sweet of you.” I then pursed my lips at him. “Does your faulty decision making have anything to do with that pregnant chick you wanted to get with?”
Pesh laughed. “Maybe a little. But wanting to be with Emma could never be deemed as a ‘faulty’ decision.”
“You’re not still after her, are you?”
“No, I’m not. We both realized we weren’t right for each other—that we were in love with other people. Now we’re just really good friends—like we were truly meant to be.”
“What is it with you Nadeen men and being hot for women who are pregnant with other men’s babies, huh?” I teased.
He shook his head. “You and Dev aren’t the same thing as Emma and me—you two had a long history together.” He rubbed my cheek tenderly. “Maybe it’s that pregnant women have a glow about them—a beauty that burns bright from inside, like the life growing within them. You’ve always been beautiful, Mia. But you’re truly breathtaking today.”
“Thank you, but somehow I think you might be fibbing considering I have puffy eyes and a red face from crying,” I scoffed.
Pesh smiled. “None of that matters. What truly matters is the heart inside the person. And I know yours has such great love within it.” He gave me a pointed look. “But it doesn’t truly beat for my brother, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
With a wink, Pesh replied, “No, it follows a different drummer, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does,” I replied with an absolute certainty I hadn’t had possessed before.
Taking my hand in his, he brought it to his lips. After he kissed it, he said, “Now do you have your answer?”
“Yes, I do,” I whispered.
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” He pulled me into his strong embrace.
As I squeezed him tight, I said, “You’re like my fairy godmother or guardian angel, you know that right? You’re always swooping in to save me.”
He chuckled. “I think I like being a guardian angel better than a fairy.”
I laughed as I pulled away. “I think so, too.”
“So you’re going to go to him now?”
“As soon as I can pack my bag, I will. That’s if I can actually drive home being a bundle of nerves.”
Once again, Pesh took my hand. “Come on. Your fairy godmother will take you home and get you packed. Then I’ll take you to AJ’s.”
My eyes widened. “Really?”
“Of course.”
I couldn’t help my bottom lip from trembling. “That’s so sweet.”
“Before you cry, I have my ulterior motives.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “I want some advice on how to get a stubborn woman to change her mind about me. Since you’re the most stubborn woman I know, I figured you could help.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “I will be happy to do anything I can to help you find happiness and true love. You know that. And just who is this brainless chick who isn’t giving you the time of day?”
“Her name is Megan, and she’s just set in her mind about something…” He pinned me with a pointed look. “Just like you.”
“Whatever,” I mumbled.
Pesh took my hand. “Come on. Time is wasting for you and your prince.”
By the time I got packed up and back into Pesh’s Jaguar, I was a nervous wreck. For most of the time, Pesh had kept my mind occupied as we worked out a strategy for him to win the girl he was in love with, and who I could tell was also in love with him but just being stubborn as hell. Sound familiar?
As Pesh started rolling my suitcases onto the front porch, I gave a teary goodbye to Jack Sparrow. “Don’t worry, Jack. Dee’s going to come feed you and take care of you.” He meowed in acknowledgement before nudging his head against my face. When I started out the door, my nerves began spinning in overdrive.
For the life of me, I don’t know why I thought it would be good to surprise AJ, rather than call him. Showing up at his penthouse seemed so impulsive—the very thing he was trying to get me to do. I was so set in my ways of needing everything to be by the book that I figured this would prove to him, in more ways than one, that I could fit into his life. Of course, I couldn’t help worrying even though AJ had given me the ultimatum, that when it finally came down to it, he would reject me. I’d pushed him too far and for too long. He would have every right to tell me it was too late for us.
As we pulled up to his building, my stomach lurched, and I fought the urge to throw-up. “Are you going to be okay?” Pesh asked.
“I hope so,” I murmured faintly.
“You’re awfully pale.”
“I’m fine.”
Pesh eyed me suspiciously one last time before turning off the car and hopping out. As I put my wobbly feet onto the pavement, he grabbed my bags from the trunk. When he rolled them over to me, he asked, “Do you want me to come inside and wait with you?”
His concern was endearing, but I knew it was time to get my big-girl panties on. “No, I’m fine. I can do this.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
Slinging my purse on my arm, I wrapped my arms around Pesh’s broad chest. “I can never thank you enough for this…for everything.”
“You don’t need to thank me. That’s what friends are for.”
After I pulled away, I kissed him on the cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Wagging my finger, I said, “If this Megan chick doesn’t wake up soon, I’m coming to Wellstar and having a
