Justice Falling (Falling #3)(72)

Calling William Devereux was also out. The man’s name was on my birth certificate but in two wet swipes of a pen, he’d given me my name and signed away his rights as a parent. He probably assumed I’d been adopted. Maybe I would have been if the young couple I’d been given to hadn’t divorced and then turned me over to the courts at two years old. Who knows? It was all so far in the past, yet it kept bubbling to the surface like an overflowing pot of boiling water.

I looked up at the clock and noticed it was close to lunch time. Just as I was about to grab my purse and head to the little sandwich shop down the block, the doors to the office opened and Oliver followed by a very pregnant Aspen walked in. I’d rarely seen them the past month as I focused on getting my life with Nate in order.

“Hey, sweetie,” Oliver waved. “You’re coming to lunch with us.”

I set my purse on my shoulder. “I am?”

“You are.” Aspen rubbed her protruding belly. It was huge. It looked like a perfectly round beach ball had been shoved under her form fitting dress. Even with the added weight, the slight woman still looked amazing, not a hair out of place.

“Did I miss something?” I asked, walking around my desk.

Oliver shook his head. “Nope. We’re just ready to celebrate.” He looked at his nails, analyzing his fingers.

“Celebrate? The baby?” I asked cheerfully.

Aspen was in her last trimester and I hadn’t been invited to a baby shower. Maybe the obscenely wealthy didn’t have baby showers. Then again, even though I was extremely poor, I didn’t have a baby shower. At the time, there was no one in my life who cared, aside from Jin.

“Baby showers are so last decade. We’re going to have a party after our girl here is born. Aspen has bought everything under the sun for the little one and she doesn’t need any more pink outfits. I swear, if I open one more package with a pink dress in it, I’m going to hurl.” He stuck his finger in his mouth and made a fake gagging sound. “Newborns in pink look like old chewed up pieces of bubblegum.” His face contorted into a look of horror as he shivered.

Aspen smiled. “He’s funny, but right. You should see how many pink dresses have been sent. As if a newborn could wear forty pink party dresses? I donated them all to the local women’s center. Hank has already nixed the idea of taking her anywhere but to close friends and family the first month. Says he read it in one of the books.” She rolled her blue eyes and her lips twitched.

“He has both of your best interests at heart, and the first month you just want to get to know your baby. Learn her likes, dislikes, little sounds.” I took in a deep breath and remembered when I had Tanner. He was the most beautiful angel baby. I looked forward to that again. To feel a baby move within my stomach, this time sharing it with the father and Tanner would make it all the more special.

“So back to grubbing. Our girl here…” He rubbed Aspen’s belly and she sighed. “…is hungry and we want to celebrate your pending nuptials to my Gandy Candy doppelganger. Yummo!”

Aspen shook her head. “You’re not supposed to crush on other people’s fiancé’s, Ollie. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“One hundred and forty five might do the trick,” he quipped.

I laughed. These two were straight crazy but I adored their relationship and appreciated my new friendship with them. Then an idea hit. Maybe I could talk to them about what to do about Tripp without telling them it was Tripp?

“What would you like to have?” I asked as we entered Aspen’s private elevator.

“I’m dying for breakfast. I could really go for some eggs and bacon right now.”

Oliver snorted and covered his laugh with his hand.

“What?” I enjoyed the unending banter and bickering between the two.

“It’s just that she’s said that every day this week. Ollie, order me some breakfast. Hank, let’s have breakfast for dinner. If we’re not careful that baby’s going to come out yellow and with feathers as many eggs as she’s been feeding her.”

Aspen huffed. “Eggs and bacon are the most amazing food in the entire universe.” She closed her eyes and licked her lips. “God, it’s so good. I can almost taste it now.” She rubbed her belly. The sound of Ollie and I chuckling bounced off the elevator walls as the door opened.

“What’s so funny?” a deep voice asked as we exited.

My heart stopped. Standing there smiling was a bright faced, incredibly handsome man with eyes the colors of emeralds.

“Hey Tripp. We’re just about to go to lunch. Come join us?” Aspen grabbed his arm. He patted her forearm.

“I thought we were meeting at noon?” He looked at his watch.

Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he put a hand on his hip and stomped his foot.

“You didn’t get my text then.” Aspen grinned.

“You said Tripp changed our twelve to one?” Oliver twisted his lips, his pointed features showed his annoyance.

“Did I say that? I don’t remember saying that?” Aspen flipped her hair over her shoulder and gripped Tripp’s arm.

I stayed completely silent. Tripp looked over his shoulder and winked at me, showing that he’d noticed me.

“Don’t try to change the subject, Missy. You purposely changed our meeting! I hate when you mess with my schedule.”