“Come on,” he said. “Astrid bought all sorts of pregnancy-approved drinks.”
Everyone congregated in the living room of Astrid’s apartment while she and Clay shuttled out food. This was the exact right size for a party as far as Clay was concerned, and he also liked that everyone was so focused on discussing the baby. He knew very well that Miranda would have a big hill to climb as a single parent. A support system would be a big help. He hadn’t allowed himself anyone’s help with Delia, aside from Miranda’s. He knew his sister wouldn’t be so foolish.
“Any wagers on whether it’s going to be a boy or a girl?” Grant asked, holding hands with Tara on the couch.
“I think girl,” Tara answered.
Grant shook his head. “No way. It’s a boy.”
“We will find out soon enough,” Astrid said. “But first, I have a gift for Miranda.”
“Astrid,” Miranda pled. “We said no gifts tonight.”
Astrid shrugged it off playfully. “I’m not good at following the rules. We’ll be right back.” She waved Clay in the direction of her bedroom. Together, they picked up the stroller and carried it into the living room. Of course, the instant everyone saw it, there was an roar of laughter. The wrapping job had done its job.
“I wonder what this could be,” Miranda joked, getting up from her seat.
Astrid was positively beaming. She took such joy in pleasing others. He wanted to kick himself for ever trying to shut that out. “Open it.”
Miranda tore back some of the paper. “I can’t believe you bought me the exact model of stroller I wanted. I mentioned it one time, totally in passing. How did you remember?”
Astrid tapped her temple with her finger. “It’s all locked away up here.”
Clay and everyone else watched as Astrid and Miranda embraced. It was a very sweet moment. Johnathon Sterling had certainly had magnificent taste in women. “Does this mean we get cupcakes?” he asked.
“Yes,” Miranda said. “I’m dying to find out.”
Clay brought out the platter of bakery treats topped with white icing and a mix of pink and blue sprinkles. Astrid handed out dessert plates and napkins while everyone took a cupcake. “We’ll count to three and everyone take a bite,” Astrid said. “The frosting inside will give us our answer.”
“Everyone ready?” Miranda asked. “One, two, three.”
On cue, they followed the directive, which was quickly followed by a chorus of exclamations. It’s a girl.
Miranda instantly burst into happy tears, as did Astrid. Clay found his eyes getting misty, but more than anything he was just so glad for his sister. She’d been through so much. These glimmers of joy were well-deserved. He quickly pulled her into a big embrace, rocking her back and forth in his arms.
“Just what you needed,” Miranda said. “Another woman in your life.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” It was then that he caught sight of Astrid and she returned his gaze. Her smile lit up her entire face, especially her mesmerizing eyes. It was the truth. He was lucky. And this time, he was going to do his damnedest not to ruin it.
Eleven
The party at Astrid’s ushered in two blissful weeks for Clay and Astrid—stolen kisses at work, lunch hours where they raced to Astrid’s to be alone, sexy glances and flirtation in the stressful throes of finishing the second Seaport Promenade proposal. Every day was full of promise. Clay had a spring in his step he hadn’t had in so long. He had optimism he wasn’t sure he’d ever had. Astrid was amazing.
But he knew he had to make a change. They were also sneaking around. He might not be ready for full-blown commitment, and Astrid was clear about taking things slow, but it still didn’t sit right with him. She’d been waiting for her happy ending for her whole life. He knew she deserved better.
For now, he had more pressing matters, namely Delia and her Halloween costume. Despite his best efforts over the months, Clay was not getting better at braids.
“Daddy, that looks bad.” Delia frowned at him via her reflection in the mirror. “It doesn’t look like the picture.” She pointed at the cover of her Snow Princess DVD.
Indeed, he had failed to create six equal-sized braids circling her head, as well as the spirals that were supposed to be secured to her head with bobby pins. This hairstyle was like Princess Leia ran headlong into a Rubik’s Cube, and he had zero confidence in his ability to solve the puzzle in time for trick-or-treating. As if the universe was conspiring against him, one of the elastics popped off its braid and it began to unravel. A single tear rolled down Delia’s cheek, her lower lip quivered, and her chin dimpled.
“Please don’t cry. I’m begging you. Don’t cry.”
“Then fix it,” she pleaded.
That was it. He had to call in the big guns. “What if I call Astrid?”
“Yes, Daddy. Do it now.”
He grabbed his cell phone from the bathroom counter and found Astrid on his favorites list.
“Hi,” Astrid answered with a purr. One word and his stomach flipped. Memories of being with her over the last few weeks inundated his mind—blinding passion, unbelievable heat, and tender moments he never expected.
“I need help with Delia’s hair for her Halloween costume. I have no idea what I’m doing and it’ll be dark in an hour.”
“I’m on my way. Fifteen minutes if I hit the lights right.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course. Anything for you.”
Again he was struck by his luck. He couldn’t mess this up. “Astrid will be here very soon, okay?” he asked Delia. “She’ll fix everything.”
Delia sat straighter, the tears a distant thought. “I’m excited to see her.”
Clay felt a distinct tug in the vicinity of his heart. Every fiber of his being wanted Delia to like Astrid. There was so much riding on it, but he also knew that he couldn’t force it. He had to let this
