Chapter 4

"So, Sophia should be good. She"s already fed and has only been asleep for twenty minutes," I explain to Tia as I put on my raincoat, which makes me look like I'm PMSing—it"s so damn red.

"Are you sure you should walk to work, Sadie?" Tia asks as she glances out the window in our living room. "It"s raining pretty hard," she says, turning her gaze back to me.

"Tia, it"s fine. I'll see you later."

The great thing about living on the west end of Nashville is that Whiskey Ridge Bar and Grill is only a few blocks away. I work the evening shifts a few nights a week since all my classes are during the day. Tia works the days I"m off. The best part is our scholarship included actual housing, so we live rent-free.

I grab my bag and head out the door. I pull my hood over my head and open the umbrella.

When I arrive at the job, I head through the back door near the employee entrance.

"Hey, Sadie," Jake, the night manager, greets me as I tuck everything in my locker.

"Hey, Jake." I slam the locker shut and put on my apron.

"Please don"t tell me you walked to work in the rain," he says incredulously.

I roll my eyes. "Oh, my God. Not you, too. It"s just a little rain."

"Yeah, but you"re pregnant. Shouldn"t you—I don't know— take it easy?" he asks.

"I"m fine," I say, drawing out the last word.

"Well, I"m giving you a ride home," he threatens playfully.

"Not necessary!" I call out, waving my hand in the air as I walk out the door to the bar, his laughter following me.

The place is packed, and the band sets the main stage for the entertainment tonight. The bar is very casual and is decked out like a lodge, with wood walls and tables in the middle of the room and a few booths on each side of the restaurant.

"Hey, sweetheart," Trixie, a long-term employee who looks like a cowgirl with her cowgirl boots, flannel top, and hat, says.

"Hey, Trix," I greet her as I grab a pad and pen.

"You got the left side tonight." She gives me a wink, but I send her a glare. She knows how much I hate that side because it"s hardly busy. Everyone wants to sit closer to the band.

"You suck," I tease, and she blows me a kiss.

"I don"t want you on your feet too long, baby girl."

She walks away with a smile that makes me want to slap it off her face. Just because I"m pregnant doesn"t mean she has to treat me like I'm made of glass. Hell, everyone seems to be doing that lately, which pisses me off.

Despite my crankiness, I greet the customers with a smile and take their orders. When the band takes the stage, the crowd goes crazy. This band is known for their country music. When I first moved here, I enjoyed listening to country music when all I was used to was Reggaetón music and RB. Since then, it"s grown on me. As for Tia, not so much.

The live band's music fills the room, and the small crowd goes wild. The lead singer belts the lyrics out passionately, and you can't help but feel the emotion behind every word. He"s singing one of Chris Stapleton"s songs, and man, can this man sing. He"s wearing a simple button-up shirt with long sleeves, hugging his large form. His thick, bushy beard cascades down his chest, tied neatly at the end, and his dark brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail. With his guitar in hand, one leg resting on the stool and the other on the floor, the words flow like a river. His voice is deep and sends goosebumps up and down my arms. Some people sway to the beat as I look around the bar and sing along while others tap their feet.

I am caught up in the music when I feel someone"s strong arms wrap around from behind me.

"I thought I was the only man who gave you goosebumps," Donnie whispers seductively in my ear. His breath makes my belly do summersaults.

I slant my head to see Donnie"s electric blue eyes glint with mischief and lust.

"What are you doing here?" I say with a huge smile.

Donnie turns me to face him and interlocks his fingers over my chest, still holding me against him.

"I wanted to see my girl," he says with a grin. He leans down and places a soft, lingering kiss on my lips. He turns me back to face the band and pulls me closer to his chest. I lean back into his embrace, feeling his warmth. We sway together to the music, lost in the moment. The band plays the next song, which has recently become one of my favorites—"Remember When" by Alan Jackson. I close my eyes and let myself get lost in the music and the feeling of being in Donnie"s arms—safe and cherished.

As the song ends, I turn around to face Donnie. I look up at him and see the love in his eyes. I smile back and wrap my arms around his waist, letting him know with my touch how much I love him and how much he means to me.

"How much longer do you have?" he asks.

I pull back and rest my chin on his chest. "About another two hours. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I could eat."

The band finishes their set, and the crowd erupts in applause. Even after the band leaves the stage, the energy in the room remains high.

"Come on." I grab Donnie"s hand and lead him to the end of the bar. His hands shoot out and grab my hips to pull me against his hard body. I brace myself against his chest and stand between his legs.

"I want you naked and on my bed," he says in a low, rumbling voice.

My pulse picks up its pace. "Donnie," I chastise, feeling my face warm like a furnace.

"What?" The smirk on his full lips makes me weak in the knees.

I smack his chest. "You can"t be saying shit like that in public." I look around to see if anyone heard, but the music from the jukebox and the people"s chatter drown him out.

He drops his head to press a soft, open-mouth kiss on the side of my throat and jaw. I groan, and he smiles against my skin. I'm not afraid of who is watching because of where we are hidden. Plus, it is pretty dark in the corner, so no one should be able to see us.

Two can play this game. When he pulls back, I lean in and lick his bottom lip.

"Fuck," he murmurs, burying his face in my neck. "You have no idea how much I want to bury myself in you right now."

I let out a whimper, and he jerks his hips. "God damnit," he groans in frustration and then pulls away, but not before I feel the bulge in his jeans.

I arch a brow and smile.

"You make me feel like a horny thirteen-year-old. I'm not going to make it for two more hours, Shorty."

I giggle, and he drops a soft kiss on my lips. "Go, get out of here before I fuck you senseless." He smacks my ass and gently pushes me away.

After I feed Donnie, a few of his teammates show up. When I ask where Ash is, Donnie gives me the "we'll talk later" look, so I don't press for more information

Two hours later, I finish my shift and gather my belongings. I absently clutch my phone and head toward the exit. Lost in thought and unaware of my surroundings, I collide with Jake, causing my purse to slip from my grasp and scatter all the crap inside across the floor. "Shit, I am so sorry," he quickly apologizes as he kneels down to help me gather my belongings and return my purse.

"No, I"m sorry. I need to watch where I"m going," I say with a chuckle.

He takes a step back and tucks his hands into his pockets. "How did your night go?"

"Good. The crowd wasn"t too bad."

He nods and smiles. "Good. I"m glad to hear that. So, working four nights a week isn"t too much?"

I slant my head and roll my eyes. "Seriously?"

"What?" He laughs and raises his hands in the air in surrender.

"You know what. I"m pregnant, not dying."

"You"re right, I"m sorry.

"But really, Jake, I"m okay," I reassure him. "If it was getting to be too much, I would let you know. I still want to pick up at least one more shift in the week."

He looks at me for a second and then nods. "Okay. So, did you want to pick up an extra shift right away? Holly gave her notice, but Trix was able to fill in the other days."

"Yeah. I just need to look at my school schedule."

"Of course. No rush. You should know that you get first dibs before I need to hire someone."

"Thank you. I"ll see you Friday." I turn to walk around, but he grabs my upper arm, halting me. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the art gallery downtown this Saturday? I know you love photography, and they have some great pieces I think you"ll appreciate."

"Oh..." I say, feeling uncomfortable that my boss is asking me—his employee—out on a date. It's a date, right? Don"t get me wrong, Jake is very attractive with his short, messy, dark blond quaff and beard and winter gray eyes that are like a stormy cloud.

Jake seems to notice a shift in my stance and looks over his shoulder, then back to me. "Boyfriend?"

"Yes," I tell him without a beat.

"Of course you have a boyfriend." He chuckles, but it"s forced. He runs his hands through his hair. "I"m really sorry, Sadie. I didn"t mean to overstep," he apologizes.

"Oh, it"s okay. It just caught me off guard, is all," I try to explain to soften the awkwardness.

Suddenly, Donnie"s voice interrupts us, sounding tense and guarded. "Shorty, you ready to go?" he asks, his eyes flickering between Jake and me.

I peek over Jakes"s shoulder and offer him a smile. "Yeah, I am." I turn back to Jake. "Um, Jake, this is Donnie, my—"

"Boyfriend and father of to our soon to be born baby."

Other times, I find his jealousy sexy, but not tonight. I glance over Jake's shoulder and throw him a stern look when he moves his gaze back to me.

"I"m sorry, Jake. I"ll see you Friday," I say when I turn back to face him.

"No, it"s okay. It"s nice to meet you, Donnie." Then he looks at me. "Have a good night." He gives us a curt nod and walks away to the back.

I bump Donnie"s arms since I"m too short to bump his shoulder and walk out the door.

"Wait, Shorty," Donnie calls out to me, but I keep walking toward his car.

"Shorty, wait, I"m sorry," he says, breathless.

I spin around and glare at him. "What the hell was that?" I hiss.

"I"m sorry, okay? I didn"t like the way he reached out to touch your arm, or the way he was looking at you."

"Oh? And how was that?"

"Like he wanted to fuck you," he hisses.

I rear back and shake my head in disappointment. "That was not okay, Donnie. You know I love you—"

"I trust you."

"Stop interrupting me," I snap.

"Sorry," he mumbles and steps back, trying to grab me into his arms. I can tell how much he"s holding back.

I sigh. "You don"t have to worry about him or any other guy. I know how to take care of myself."

"I know, but you"re carrying precious cargo now, Shorty."

God, it"s so hard to stay mad at him. But he"s right. But even though I don"t know Jake personally, that doesn"t necessarily mean he"s not a good guy. Ever since the hell I went through and that Donnie witnessed, he has become increasingly protective of me. He finds it difficult to trust people he doesn"t know. Being away from his protective reach for even a moment can be unsettling, which is why he is hesitant about Jake.

I walk into his arms, and he wraps them around me like a cocoon. "He asked me to go out to the museum," I mumble against his chest.

Donnie"s body tenses against mine. "He what?" he grits through his teeth.

I look up at him and see the rage trying to seep out of him.

"That mother—I don"t want you working here, Shorty. What kind of boss asks out his employees? I mean, what the fuck?"

I pull out of his arms and raise my fingers in the air and start to count off. "One, you do not tell me what I can and cannot do. And two, I told him no."

"Shorty..." he starts, but I cut him off.

"How many girls throw themselves at you? How many ask you out, knowing you already have a girlfriend?"

His jaw tightens, but when he doesn"t speak, I continue. "Do you see me telling you to change schools?"

"That"s not the same thing," he says.

"Yes, it is," I tell him. "I love you," I reassure him by touching his chest. "And I am not going to be swayed by other guy's advances."

He pulls me in tighter and says against my lips, "That wouldn"t happen if I just put a ring on your finger."

I chuckle at his possessiveness.

"Marry me," he says in a soft tone.

"No," I tell him, and his lips tip up in a smirk.

"One day, you will say yes, baby." He kisses my lips, and when I gasp, he takes the opportunity and slides his tongue into my mouth until he finds mine and sucks on it.

"You think so, huh?" I tease when we pull apart

"Yeah, I do," he says with confidence.

"How so?"

"Because after eight years," he says, pressing his lips against mine, "the stars finally brought you back to me, and I"m never letting you go."