Page 71 of Deserving Maisy
Their words felt good. Really good. But Maisy couldn’t take them to heart. If she let any speck of encouragement seep into her soul, it would hurt that much more when Jack washed his hands of her. He was simply waiting for the three-month anniversary of their wedding to pass so she could access her money. Once that happened, he could be done and not feel any guilt about signing annulment papers and kicking her ass to the curb.
“Don’t give up,” Alaska said urgently, tightening her fingers around Maisy’s leg for a moment. “More than anyone, I know how it feels to love someone and not have them return those feelings. But here I am…with the man I’ve loved my whole life.”
Maisy turned to her. “I don’t believe that Brick hasn’t always loved you. You’re everything to him, it’s obvious.”
“I amnow, yes,” Alaska said. “But it wasn’t always that way. You really don’t know our stories?”
Maisy shook her head.
“Well, sit back, sister. Do we have some tales to tell.”
The next hour was eye-opening for Maisy. She had no idea these women had been through such awful situations. They seemed so…normal. Happy. She was even more in awe of them after hearing about what they’d gone through. Felt even more out of her league.
“See? Things can work out. You just have to have faith,” Alaska told her when everyone had finished sharing.
But Maisy could only huff out a disbelieving breath. “Not one of your situations involved you lying to your men. Deceiving them. Participating in a freakingkidnappingscheme,” she protested.
“Listen to me, Maisy. Seriously,” Lara said, leaning forward and pinning Maisy in place with her intense gaze. “Owl and Stone have been through hell together. I got curious one night and looked up one of the videos online that their captors posted, when they were POWs, and I made it through about ten seconds before I had to shut it off. What happened to them washorrible. And it made them question everything about their lives and what they believed in. Despite that, I’ve never met two men more suited to being in relationships. They both have a huge well of love inside them. They want to take care of the world. But more than that, they’re loyal to those they love. Protective of them. I thought Owl was going to lose his mind when we couldn’t find Stone and didn’t know what he was going through.
“From what I’ve seen, Stone looks at you the way Owl looks atme. As if he can’t believe I’m in his life. That I’m withhim.” She looked at the others and grinned. “I mean, I’m totally aware that he’d like to keep me safe and protected in his cabin twenty-four hours a day, just to make sure no harm comes to me. And now that I’m pregnant? That need is even stronger. But he doesn’t because of course he knows I’d hate that. So he suffers through his insecurities and fears that something could happen to me or our child anytime I step outside our front door, and he lets me go about my normal day. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t there watching. Waiting for me to need something. When I do, he’s there. No questions asked. And it makes him feel good. Fulfills a deep need within him.”
“She’s right,” Henley said softly. “You’d make a great psychologist,” she told Lara with a smile.
The other woman simply rolled her eyes. “No, I just know my man. Anyway, I do have a point here. As I said, Stone watches you like Owl watches me. He might be acting like he doesn’t care, but I think it’s a self-defense mechanism. His world has been rocked, hard. And I’m not saying that to hurt you, it’s simply a fact. He was so freaked out that his brain shut down and wouldn’t let him remember his past as a protective measure. But now that his memory’s returned, he’s trying to figure out how to mesh together his love for you, with what your brother and, I’m sorry to say, whatyoudid to him. Like Alaska said, donotgive up. The feelings Stone had for you aren’t gone. They’re still there. They’re just jumbled up with all the other feelings he’s trying to reconcile. But if the shit hits the fan, he’d give his life for you regardless. I have no doubt about that.”
Maisy wanted to believe her. She longed to see something in Jack’s eyes other than wariness. But she had no idea what to do to make up for what happened. If she even could. She wasn’t sure life could turn out as good for her as it had for everyone sitting around her, but she wanted it to. God, how she wanted that.
“Right, so on that note…can we talk about babies now?” Luna asked. “I can’t freaking wait for you guys to start popping those kids out!”
Everyone laughed, including Maisy. It was a relief to break the tension in the room.
“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m more than ready to push this kid out,” Henley said as she rubbed her belly.
“How far along are you?” Maisy asked.
“About seven months. Reese is a month behind me, Lara just found out she’s pregnant not too long ago.”
“I’m so freaking excited!” Alaska exclaimed.
“I have news,” Cora said a little shyly. “Our application to foster was accepted.”
Everyone whooped and cheered at that.
“When are you getting your first kid? Do you know how old? A boy or girl?” Jess asked, not giving Cora a chance to answer between questions.
“I don’t know. We actually requested older kids. Not babies. There are so many children who need safe homes. And we don’t care if it’s a boy or girl.”
“Didn’t you say you guys decided to put in your application because of a specific kid?” Ry asked.
“Yeah. There was a seven-year-old boy who Pipe heard about, but his grandparents decided to take him in and raise him.” Cora shrugged. “I’m sure there will be others.The agency could literally call at any time now that we’re approved.”
“I think that’s so great,” Lara said, hugging her friend. “I’m so excited for you guys.”
“And Jasna is going to be thrilled. She likes babies, but I think she’d be happier with someone she could play with and show the ropes around here,” Henley said.
As the women talked about pregnancy cravings, what to do if the upcoming babies have colic, and other kid-related topics, Ry leaned forward and whispered into Maisy’s ear, “Can we talk?”
Looking at the other woman, and not knowing what she could possibly want to talk to her about, Maisy shrugged and nodded.
