Reclaimed (Powell Sanctuary #5)

Chapter 11

11

Isla

“You’d think I’d be calmer. It’s not like your family are a bunch of strangers.” The button on my open flannel shirt is crookedly sewn on. I’ll have to fix it when we get back home. I force my attention away from the fabric and wipe my damp palms on my thighs, feeling the denim lightly chafe my skin.

“It’ll be fine. The second you walk in the door the secret will be out.” Aiden scratches the side of his nose with his thumb. “Earlier, actually. They’re probably going to be watching out the front window for us to pull up.”

“I should have told Juniper before today.”

“We’re almost there, so she’s going to know in a few minutes.”

I rattle the container of Carmelitas in my lap. My super sensitive pregnancy nose can smell the caramel and chocolate through the lid. “I’m hoping to win her over with dessert.”

“She better be quick because I’ve had my eye on those things since you made them this morning.”

“And you’ll keep your hands off of them until everyone else has had their fair share.” I fixate Aiden with a glare.

He glances at me then returns his attention to the road as he slows to make a right-hand turn. “I’d like to see you stop me.”

“You have no idea what you’re inviting, Powell. I’d be careful if I were you.”

He flashes me a signature grin. Something softer. Less forced. For the first time in a while, he looks like the Aiden I’d see cracking jokes at the baseball games I went to with Juniper. Being that my family lived one town over, we didn’t run in the same circles growing up. But everyone around here knows the Powell family, and the youngest brother always stood out as a friend of almost everyone.

“Maybe I know exactly what I’m asking for.” The sedan stops smoothly at the curb of a modest rambler.

The driveway is double parked with cars, signaling we’re probably the last to arrive. The lawn is neatly tripped and flower boxes line the curved sidewalk to the front door. It won’t be long before the petals wilt and the freezing temps force Nancy to stow them away until next year.

“Ready?” The question is breathless.

“Shit, now I’m scared.” Aiden laughs. “Your nerves are rubbing off on me.”

“Just remember this was all your idea.”

“No take backs?”

When I roll my lips between my teeth, I taste the strawberry lip gloss I applied this morning. “No take backs.”

Without another word, Aiden frees the key from the ignition and hops out his door. He rounds the hood, and I admire the fit of his dark wash jeans over his ass and the way his biceps flex as he cracks the knuckles of his left hand with the right one. The sleeve of his white tee shirt rides snug around the curvature of his broad shoulders.

Then, my door clicks open, and he’s holding out a hand for me to take.

“It’s time for your best performance.”

“Do you think they’re actually watching?”

“I noticed at least one head turning as I got out of the car, so the safe answer is yes. Act like you love me.”

My teeth sinking into my lip stifles my laugh. “This is new. We aren’t in love yet.”

“Speak for yourself.” Aiden yanks me flush against his chest. I squeak and steady myself with my palms flat against him. The warmth of his torso is grounding, chasing away some of the earlier nerves. “For all they know, I’ve already fallen madly.”

“I suppose that would be the case if you’re already taking me to meet your family.”

Aiden nods seriously, those sparkling blue eyes conveying a deeper feeling.

“Maybe we should have done less practice kissing and more practicing our lines,” I quip, linking our fingers together and moving out of the way so Aiden can close the door.

He leans down to place his mouth at my ear. The breath ghosting across my skin sends a shiver across my neck. “There’s never enough practice kissing.”

I concur quietly. A girl has to keep some secrets for herself.

The sun shines down between a few fluffy clouds as we meander up the driveway. Summer is over, but this week of fall is uncharacteristically warm. The black and gray flannel I threw over a white tank top is perfect for the shifting temperature, and the length draws attention away from my stomach. Not that I’m showing yet anyway, but I feel more comfortable keeping it partially hidden under these circumstances.

Aiden lays his hand on the brass knob. “Ready?”

“Yep.” I whisper back, straightening my chin and flashing him an exaggerated smile. The way his attention falls to my mouth has the smile fading from my lips.

I should not have brought up practice kissing.

He shoves the door open and tows me inside…

To an empty living room.

“Anticlimactic,” I mumble out of the corner of my mouth.

“And here I was expecting a welcoming committee.” His voice bounces around the room.

We toe off our shoes while Aiden keeps a firm grip on my hand. The sounds of an argument breaking out around the corner draw our attention.

“I’m glad there’s something else to take the attention off our grand entrance.”

“We could sneak back out.” The heat in Aiden’s glance sends butterflies to my stomach. This man needs to stop being so attentive before I melt into a puddle.

“And go through the build-up all over again? No. Come on, lover. Show them your lucky catch before I get cold feet.”

On the teasing endearment, his hand tightens fractionally around mine.

The opportunity to study his reaction vanishes as Aiden tugs me determinedly across the room and into the overcrowded kitchen.

For a couple minutes, nobody notices us newcomers. The conversation is impossible to follow, but I catch the words ‘wedding’ and ‘fiancé’ in the mix.

My attempt to find Juniper in the fray is fruitless. I can see Lee. He stands above most of his siblings, so she must be close to her man but cloaked by the others.

Near the back, Nancy Powell calmly sips from a coffee mug with a small smile on her lips. I accidentally catch her eye and that smile grows into one of recognition.

“Isla!” She exclaims and sets down her cup behind her. “It’s so good to see you.” Her greeting is nearly swallowed in the commotion.

“You too, Mrs. Powell.”

At the sound of my voice, the conversation halts.

“Isla?” Juniper steps out from around Jack. “What are you doing here?”

“Surprise,” Aiden rumbles from my left, lifting our conjoined hands. As the attention turns on us, his shoulders tense.

Her brow furrows as she watches us. Aiden brushes his index finger across the back of my hand as if he can feel my nerves firing to life.

“You two are together? For how long?”

“It’s been a few weeks now,” Aiden says before I can interject.

“Wait.” Her gaze bounces between us before she settles on me. “ Is he the dad ?” Her question carries clear across the room, and the rest of the conversation comes to a screeching halt.

Oh my god.

I feel myself pale. I hear movement, but I can’t unlock my eyes from my best friend as she slowly covers her mouth with her hand as if she just realized what she said.

Aiden’s fingers tighten, squeezing mine not enough to hurt, but enough to send an unspoken message.

“Oh my god, Isla, I’m so sorry,” she mouths silently so only I can see.

“Aiden’s going to be a dad?” asks one of his brothers. I think it was Jack, but I can’t pull my attention away from Juniper long enough to discover who said it. Not that it matters. If the rest of them didn’t hear Juniper, Jack was loud enough to clue them in.

“We weren’t ready to say anything, but yes,” Aiden says.

That gets my attention to move.

I crank my neck to find him looking down at me. His expression is unreadable, but I can see his mind working behind his eyes.

Oh god. Why did he do that? He didn’t have to say anything or cover for me. I can survive the embarrassment. Maybe he thought his family wouldn’t accept me. Maybe I’m absurd for accepting this arrangement, fake as it is.

I don’t realize there’s a problem until Aiden turns me into him. My body doesn’t feel like mine. Mechanically, my fingers unlock from his as my forehead collides with his chest.

“Give us a minute,” he commands above my head.

Bodies move around us but their words are lost in the shuffle. A hand gently touches the center of my back, but I don’t bother to turn around. I can’t physically move.

Holding me tight against him, Aiden pushes me back until we’re around the corner in the kitchen away from prying eyes. This isn’t the right direction. I need the door. We should be making our way out. Somewhere with less people.

“You aren’t breathing, baby. I need you to breathe.” The callouses on his palm brush against my cheek as he lifts my head.

His words work like a key, unlocking something in my chest. The lungful of air I drag in is loud.

“There you go,” he murmurs. “Caught you off guard, hm?”

I suck in another deep breath and faceplant against his chest. His arms wrap easily around my shoulders in a steadying hug.

“Sorry,” I croak.

“It’s okay.” His fingers trail soothingly through my hair. The motion feels too good, too calming. I don’t realize I’m gripping the sides of his tee until I start to reluctantly pull back.

“Better?” He searches my face and brushes a loose strand of hair off my cheek.

“I’d say yes if I weren’t so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be.” He steps back and locks his arms across his chest, almost as if he’s holding himself back from touching me. I can practically feel his attraction to me vanish into thin air.

This was supposed to be fake and somehow he wound up claiming my unborn baby as his in front of his entire family.

What a mess.

What single guy wants to be tied to a woman, let alone a woman who’s pregnant with another man’s child? I fully expect him to call the entire thing off when we get back to my place. No, he’ll call the entire thing off the minute we get back into the car.

I’d set the record straight myself but I’m not sure he’d appreciate that after the last ten minutes. We need to come up with a plan to extract him and clear his name.

“So we’re having a baby,” he says cautiously.

“I—” My mouth falls open and slams shut again.

Aiden looks like he wants to say more, but Juniper rounds the corner and interrupts.

“I’m so sorry.” She looks absolutely contrite, wringing her hands as she approaches the two of us. Her gaze bounces from Aiden to me. “I was so shocked to see you here, and I was trying to put things together quickly in my head, and it just came out.”

“It’s okay.” I pull her into a tight embrace as the numbness leaks from my fingertips. “I know it was an accident.”

“I just feel like you’re keeping so many secrets from me. First the pregnancy, then the man I heard at your house this weekend.” She looks at Aiden. “That was you, wasn’t it?”

Aiden raises both hands with his palms out. His mouth remains in a firm line. “Guilty.”

“And then to not tell me he’s the father of your baby even when I asked.” The sadness in her voice guts me.

“Juniper.”

She steps back. “I know that it’s been three years since we lived in the same town and we got used to not talking every day, but I want you to know that you can still tell me things. You’re still my best friend. And he’s practically my brother. I obviously want the both of you to be happy.”

My shoulders shake as I fight back tears. Even on a good day, her emotional speech would move me. I don’t stand a chance with these pregnancy hormones hijacking my emotional bandwidth.

I want to say a thousand things. I want to explain everything and clear the air. But for some reason, the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I brought bars to smooth things over.”

Juniper cracks half a smile. “What kind?”

“Carmelitas.”

“Done.” She encases me in another quick hug. Pulling away, she holds me by my arms. “Just don’t keep the truth from me again. Please.”

“I promise I won’t.” The words sit like sawdust on my tongue, knowing there’s still truths I’m holding back.

“Now where are those bars?”

“I think I left them on the dining room table before all hell broke loose.”

She pauses to look over her shoulder at me before opening the lid and grabbing one. “Honey, all hell broke loose way before you showed up. You actually saved the family from an all-out brawl.”

Aiden clears his throat. “Speaking of that, I need to go check in on my family and find out what that was all about.”

“Good luck,” Juniper huffs.

“What was that all about?” I move to her side and select a bar for myself. The caramel and chocolate mixture is exactly what I need to rebuild my defenses.

“Cortney’s wedding,” she says quietly. “The boys, they just don’t think Sebastian is right for her. Never have. They tried to stage an intervention.”

“No,” I gasp around a sweet bite.

She grimaces. “I told Lee it was a terrible idea. Besides, Sebastian isn’t that bad.” She glances away and bites her lip.

“You’re lying.”

“He’s absolutely terrible!” She hisses beneath her breath. “The only thing he has going for him is his good looks. Otherwise, he’s as exciting as a moldy sack of potatoes.”

“That’s pretty dull,” I deadpan.

“You haven’t been here, but you’ll see once you witness the two of them together. He doesn’t care about her the way that he should. I’ve never seen him be affectionate or put her needs above his own. He never shows up for these family outings consistently and leaves at the absolute earliest time with the lamest excuses.”

“It sounds like she can do so much better.”

“She can. I don’t see what she sees in him, and at this point, I fear it’s become this thing . Like she’s going to marry him out of spite because her brothers keep pushing her so hard about it.”

“What does Nancy say about it?” I pull out a chair from the dining table and collapse into it. Juniper follows suit.

“You know Nancy. She believes everything will work itself out. She just smiles and watches her children bicker like it’s the most entertaining thing in the world.”

“It probably is. She spent their teen years in the trenches. She’s probably more than happy to sit back and watch it unfold. And she probably isn’t wrong.”

“I don’t know.” Juniper snags a second bar.

I lay my hand on her forearm before she can pop it into her mouth. “It will work itself out.”

Whether I’m saying that for her or speaking aloud to my own predicament, I can’t be sure. Either way, the words are true.

“What are you two talking about?” A woman I don’t recognize appears at the end of the table.

“Cortney and Sebastian. What else?” Juniper supplies and pushes the container toward her. “Have some before I eat them all.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” She selects a bar with her left hand, then holds her right out to me. “Hi, I’m Frankie. I’m Jude’s girlfriend.”

“I’m Isla. Aiden’s.” At the mention of Aiden, her eyes soften. And it dawns on me. “You’re the woman he stepped in front of the bullet for.”

“Is he doing okay? These last few months have been a bit hard.”

“He is. I think he just wants to feel like his old self and not be constantly tied to the thought of what could have happened, you know?”

I hope I’m saying the right things. We didn’t discuss this part of our deal, but this is his side of it, right? To get his family to back down? No matter what happens when we leave here today, I need to try to ease this burden for him. It’s the least I can do.

Frankie sits down in the chair to my right. “You’re right. I didn’t even realize we’ve been doing that.”

“You went through the same thing he did, but the difference is you have Jude. Aiden now has me. If anything seems off, I’ll tell you. But in all the time we’ve been spending together, he seems fine. I don’t think you have to keep worrying.”

“It’s not just us who worry.” Juniper turns to watch the discussion in the other room. I follow her eyeline to Lee and Jude on the couch. Lee’s attention is locked on Aiden like he’s studying him.

“They’ll probably come around. But it wouldn’t hurt if you two give them a little nudge,” I reply.

“I’m done talking about this!” Cortney marches out from the other room, her path veering as she sees us sitting at the table. She drops into the chair on Juniper’s left. “Please help me.”

“Here.” I push the container of bars in her direction. “Best cure for annoying brothers. Not that I would know. I was an only child.”

“You’re lucky,” she growls and pops one in her mouth.

Corjan’s wife Bree and Jack’s fiancé Whitney, cautiously join our group.

“I think it’s best if we give them some time alone,” Whitney says with a grimace.

“Are you okay?” Bree asks Cortney as both of the girls take seats at the opposite end.

“I know they’re my brothers and they’re just on their same annoying brotherly bullshit , but I need them to know that I’m happy with Sebastian. And I’m going through with this wedding.”

Happy, she says. But I clock the absence of the word love. If I can pick up on it after five minutes of conversation, I’m not surprised her family isn’t convinced in this romantic match.

But it’s not my place to say anything, considering my own relationship is fake after all.