The Proposal (14 page)

CHAPTER EIGHT

Emma woke up a little before one, and after using
the bathroom, she slipped back into bed. Aidan was dead to the world, snoring
softly. She had just covered back up when her phone buzzed on the nightstand.
She leaned over and picked it up.

It was a text from Casey.
Checking in on you, Em.
Hope you’re resting & feeling all right. Call me in the am.

Emma smiled at Casey’s concern.
I’m fine. Thanks
for asking. Btw, what are you doing up so late?

I might ask you the same question.

Had to pee.

Ah, gotcha. I’m waiting for Nate to get
home and bang me!!!

Rolling her eyes, Emma typed
Poor guy. No rest
for the weary with your libido around!

Lol. True. Speaking of resting, where’s
the assclown?

Emma giggled as her fingers flew over the keys.
He’s
asleep beside me.

WHAT THE FUCK? ARE YOU INSANE?!!!

Yeesh with the shouting! It’s not like
we were doing anything. We fell asleep watching movies.

I sure hope you punished him with some
epic chick flicks.

She glanced over at Aidan’s passed out form and
almost felt sorry for what she had inflicted on him. Almost.
Lol, let’s just
say I gave him a trifecta of estrogen with
The Sound of Music
,
Steel
Magnolias
, and
Fried Green Tomatoes
. I think he actually cried in
Steel Magnolias…but I think it was more about him being stuck watching them
instead of football.

He didn’t have to stay and watch them,
Em. He wanted to be with you…the fuckwit.

Emma couldn’t help grinning at the screen.
It
doesn’t matter if he wanted to be with me. I’m still not sure I need to be with
him.
Regret filled her the moment she finished typing. She wasn’t sure that
statement was entirely true.

Hmm, does your change of heart have
anything to do with Dr. McDreamy Bollywood?

Nibbling her bottom lip, Emma hesitated before
typing,
Maybe…maybe not.

When’s the hot date?

It’s not a date. He’s just coming over
to check my vital signs.

He’s bringing dinner, Em. It’s a date.

Whatever.

Emma could imagine Casey rolling her eyes and
huffing with frustration as she typed.
Look, just don’t count Dr. McDreamy
Bollywood out just because Aidan’s grown a vag and become all caring and considerate.

Aidan has not grown a vagina!

It wouldn’t hurt him if he did. Maybe
he’d think with his dick a little less!

Case….

Fine, fine, I’ll quit running down the
douchenozzle.

Thank you

Actually, I think you need to test out
my theory about Aidan’s considerate vag.

What?!!

You need to send him to get you
something to eat. Aren’t you craving something?

Emma pursed her lips in thought. She craved both
bacon and ice cream constantly, even at breakfast she could eat the two
together.
I could go for a double Baconator from Wendy’s and a Frosty.

Ha! Good one. They’re open til two. Send
him out. ASAP

Case, he’s dead to the world.

Oh for fuck’s sake! Wake him up and let
him show off his shiny new vag!

Emma huffed out a frustrated breath
. Fine. Ttyl

Night! Don’t think I won’t check back in
to see if you really did it.

You’re evil

But you love me!

Yes, I do.

Love you too.

After she tossed her phone back onto the nightstand,
she glanced over at Aidan. He was in his favorite non-sexual position—on his
stomach with his arms wrapped tight around the pillow cushioning his head. With
his face turned towards her, he looked so peaceful. She felt terrible waking
him up—even if she really was hungry and not just trying to prove something to
Casey.

With a sigh, she poked his back. “Aidan?” He stirred
a little.  “Wake up.”

“Em?” he questioned drowsily.

“Yeah, um, I hate to bother you, but I kinda have a
craving.”

With his eyes still shut, he yawned. “Want me to get
you something from the kitchen?”

She nibbled her bottom lip. “Actually, I wanted
something from Wendy’s.”

His eyelids flew open. “Seriously?”

She nodded.

“What time is it?”

“One.”

“You want me to go out and get you something to eat
now?” he asked incredulously.

“Please?”

He stared at her for a moment, unblinking and
unmoving. She could only imagine the thoughts racing through his mind. Just
when she thought he might tell her to go back to sleep, he rose up into a
sitting position and rubbed his eyes. “What do you want?”

“A double Baconator, fries, and a chocolate frosty.”

“Christ, at this time of night?”

“I could eat bacon and ice cream all day.”

“Remind me to buy some at the store tomorrow,” he
said as he got out of bed.

“So you’re really going?”

He waved his pants at her. “Of course I am.”

“Guess you have grown a vag,” she murmured.

Pausing with one leg in his pants, Aidan said,
“Excuse me?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Once he zipped up his fly, he leaned over the bed
towards her. From the light trickling in from the bathroom, she could see the
amusement on his face. “I could have sworn you just said I had grown a vag.”

“No, I said that you really had grown a lot. You
know emotionally,” she lied.

“Uh-huh.”

Before he could pull away, she leaned up and kissed
his cheek. “Be careful and thank you.”

He grinned. “I will.” When he got to the bedroom
door, he turned back. “Just make sure Casey knows that I wear my alleged vagina
with pride, not because she took my manhood with that purse of hers, but
because I want to be a better man for you.”

Emma widened her eyes. “How did you—”

He chuckled. “When I started gathering all the
personal stuff to bring here, Casey accused me of growing a vagina. I figured
there was no one else you would be texting at one in the morning besides her.”

Shaking her head, Emma said, “Whatever. Just go get
my food please.”

“Me and my vagina will be back in twenty minutes.
Tops.”

And with a wink, he was gone.

CHAPTER NINE

Emma woke the next morning to the shrill ringing of
her cell phone in her ear. Squinting at the clock with one eye, she groaned. It
was barely seven in the morning, and she knew only one person would be calling
her that early.

Fumbling for her phone, she grabbed it and pressed
the button. “Good morning, Grammy,” she murmured drowsily.

“Hey sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

“Sleepy.”

Grammy laughed. “I’m sorry to wake you, but you know
that Granddaddy and I think sleeping past five is too late.”

“That’s a travesty when you guys could sleep in.”

“Listen honey, I wondered if Aidan could come up
here today? I took some things out of the freezer that I thought you would
like, and I’m about to start fixin’ some casseroles for him to heat back up
later on.”

“Grammy, you should be taking care of yourself and
Granddaddy, not me!” Emma protested.

“Oh, what’s a few casseroles? Most of it I’d already
cooked and put away. Besides, I can’t rest if I think you and the baby aren’t
getting good, healthy food.”

“Aidan’s actually a really good cook, Grammy.”

She harrumphed into the phone. “Not like me.”

Emma laughed. “That’s true.”

“So you think he’ll be up here after while?”

Glancing over her shoulder, Emma was surprised to
find Aidan still in the bed beside her. “I’ll ask him when he wakes up.”

He popped one eye open. “I’m awake,” he muttered.

“Does that mean you’re going up to Grammy’s to get
us some food?”

“She’s cooking?”

Emma nodded.

He grinned. “Hell yes. I’ll get my clothes on right
now.”

With a laugh, Emma replied, “He’ll be up there
around noon.” At Grammy’s sigh, Emma said, “He needs to fix us breakfast first
and get a shower.”

“All right then. I love you, baby girl.”

“I love you, too.”

Once Emma hung up the phone, she cradled it to her
chest. She wanted more than anything to feel Grammy’s arms around her. No
matter what was going on in her life, somehow just being in Grammy’s embrace
made everything all right.

“You miss her, don’t you?”

She tore her gaze over to Aidan and then nodded.
“Will you give her a great big hug and kiss for me when you get up there?” she
asked.

Aidan laughed. “I don’t think Virginia would let me
past the front door without hugging and kissing me.”

Emma giggled. “That’s true. But give her one anyway,
okay?”

“I will. And then I’ll be sure to come back home and
give you her love too.”

“Thank you.”

Collapsing back against the pillows, Aidan groaned.
“Jesus, my first real day I can sleep in from work, and I’m awake at
seven-thirty.”

“You don’t have to get up now. We can try to go back
to sleep.”

“Sure you’re not hungry?”

Emma wrinkled her nose. “No, I still get a little
nauseated in the morning.”

“Will you set the alarm for ten?”

She cocked her eyebrows. “You’re really planning on
snoozing late, huh?”

“Mmm, hmm,” he murmured.

When she pushed back under the covers, Aidan scooted
over in the bed. His arm snaked around her waist as he spooned against her.
Nuzzling his face into her neck, he said, “Warm me up.”

Her breath hitched as she glanced over her shoulder
at him. “Are you really that cold?”

He popped one eye open and gave her a sly grin.
“Maybe.”

“Uh-huh, well, just watch it, mister.”

They had just settled back down when Noah struck up
a kicking frenzy. “Oomph,” Emma said, shifting to the right.

“Seriously, Em, I’m not trying to cop a feel!”

She giggled. “I know you’re not.” She took his hand
and brought it to the place on her stomach where Noah’s foot was thumping.

Aidan sucked in a breath. When she glanced back at
him, he wore an expression of pure wonderment. He met her gaze and smiled. “Is
he always so active in the mornings?”

“Sometimes. Usually, he really gets going after I
eat.”

“Ah, like he’s on a sugar rush or something?”

“I guess so.”

Even after Noah settled down, Aidan kept his hand
firmly against her belly. Although Emma should have protested, she didn’t. It
felt too good with his arm around her. And within a few moments, she fell into
a contented sleep.

***

After the alarm went off at ten, Aidan hopped out of
bed. As Emma rose up, she figured he was headed for the shower, but instead, he
reached for his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling Becky.”

“Why?”

“Besides going to Grammy’s, I need to go to the
grocery store and run a few errands. It might turn out longer than I expect,
and I don’t want to leave you alone that long.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I think I can make it
from the bed to the bathroom just fine, thank you.”

He shook his head as he stepped out of the bedroom. 
“Hey sis, can you do me a favor?” she heard him ask. He wasn’t gone long before
he came back inside. “Becky’s coming over.”

“Fabulous,” she muttered.

Aidan’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I thought you
liked her?”

“I do. In fact, I love her like my own sister. It’s
just I feel so overprotected at the moment—like I’m in a fishbowl.”