The Redhead Revealed (Redhead #2)(23)
Author: Alice Clayton

“Oh, I thought you were living here now. At least that’s what Michael said.”

“Well, that’s mostly true. I mean, I’m here until the show is over, and then we’ll have to wait and see what happens with it. I’m having a blast out here, but I love L.A. It’s my home,” I said.

She looked at me for a moment, then grimaced and rolled her eyes. “Jeez, guy, settle down in there,” she warned, taking a sip of her water and patting her stomach.

“Is he…what is it that they do? Kick?” I asked, looking at her stomach nervously.

“Yeah, you can say that again. He kicks and kicks so much. I must be cooking up a soccer player in here. Oof!” She rubbed her belly.

I watched her hand curiously, wondering what it felt like to have a baby rolling around inside you, kicking. Weird.

“Yes, you can.” She smiled.

“Huh?” I asked, my eyes snapping up to hers.

“You want to feel, right?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I mean…would that be strange?” I asked, backing away a little.

“Grace, you used to stand guard while I peed on the side of the road. Nothing is strange.” She laughed, grabbing my hand and placing it on her belly.

“Wait, I don’t know if I should—whoa. Wait, is that…is that a…kick?” I asked, eyes wide. It didn’t feel like a kick exactly, but more like a flutter. I imagine it would feel like a kick if it were my bladder taking the beating. Fascinating.

This felt strange.

I’d seen pregnant women walk around me every day of my life, and not once did I ever feel the compulsion to put my hand on there and feel. But this felt, strangely, normal. Stranger than that, it felt…nice?

“Feels cool, doesn’t it?” I heard Michael ask. I looked at him with the deer-in-the-headlights eyes and nodded.

He stood close to me, Abigail in his arms. He smiled.

I smiled back.

“That’s my brother in there,” Abigail explained, looking from my hand to my face.

“It is? Does that mean you’re going to be a big sister?” I asked her, smiling.

“Yep,” she answered.

“Abigail, this is my friend Grace. Can you say hi?” Michael asked, leaning her toward me.

I offered her my hand, and she shook it like a little grownup.

“Hi, Abigail,” I said.

“Hi, Grace. Your hair is red,” she said promptly, pulling at a curl that had fallen out of my bun.

“Yes it is, and your hair is blond. You have very pretty hair, Miss Abigail.” I laughed, crossing my eyes at her.

She giggled. “You’re funny,” she said, looking at Michael for approval. “She’s funny, Uncle Michael.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty funny,” he said, then winked at me.

“She’s pretty tooo,” Abigail crooned.

Michael flushed and cleared his throat, suddenly flustered. He snuck a look at me, then nodded his head. “Yes, Abigail, she’s very…pretty.” He hesitated, then finished with, “Just like you!” then gave her a zerbert on the cheek.

She screamed and kicked to be let down. Off she ran, back to playing in the rows.

“She’s super sweet, Keili, really. And you, Uncle Michael, you sure have a way with her. Although you always have preferred blondes,” I joked, poking the hair back into my clip.

“Not so much blondes,” he said softly, smiling his shy smile. Then he went to help Abigail investigate a coloring book sticking out of her mother’s purse.

Again, I was caught up in watching the two together. I became vaguely aware of someone calling my name.

“Grace! Hey, Grace!”

“What’s that?” I answered, distractedly.

“Didn’t you hear me? I was asking if you ever thought about having kids,” Keili said.

“Wow, that’s twice in as many weeks. What’s going on with the universe?” I chuckled, thinking of my conversation with Jack.

“Someone else was asking you about having kids?” she asked, digging through her bag to find crayons for Abigail, who then took them to Michael.

“What? Oh, well, yes, actually. My boyfriend and I were talking about it,” I said, smiling as I always did when I used the word “boyfriend” to describe Jack.

“Boyfriend? Oh, yes, Michael mentioned you were seeing some guy. Quite a bit younger than you, I hear?” she asked, her face very curious.

“Yes, he’s younger than me, but it’s actually pretty great. He’s an actor too. He’s, well, I hate to use this word, but he’s awesome.” I smiled again, thinking of my George.

“How much younger?” she prompted.

I sighed, irritated that everyone was so preoccupied with this—including myself.

“Twenty-four.”

“Oh, well, hell—have your fun then, girl! For now…” She trailed off.

“For now? What does that mean?” I asked, looking at her carefully.

“Exactly what I said. Have fun! I’m a little envious of a fling with a young guy—wow. But I mean, come on, what can you possibly have in common with a twenty-four year old? Other than s-e-x…” She sighed, smiling at the thought of s-e-x with a twenty-four year old, no doubt.

I knew what she meant, and since I’d known her so long, I didn’t take offense. But Jack and I had more in common than just the s-e-x, didn’t we? Sure we did.

Keili stayed for rehearsal, and we spent a little more time together over lunch. She promised to email and keep me updated on the baby. She was due right before the show went up, so it was doubtful she’d make it back to the city before she gave birth.

I was very glad to have seen her, but she’d planted a seed.

She’d planted several.

Chapter 8

Jack had started his trek around the world. He was truly amazed at how many fans turned up to see him everywhere he went—and he was more than a little freaked out by it.

“Grace, I mean, it was just this blast of screaming. I could barely tell which end was up. I couldn’t really tell where it was coming from. And then the outside doors opened while I was going through the hotel, and there they all were,” he explained late one night, calling from his hotel in Chicago.

He was basically living out of a suitcase at this point, on the promotional tour for Time.

“I’m not surprised, love. You’re their Joshua. They love you.” I sighed into the phone, wishing I were there with him.

“It’s just so weird. I mean, literally last year I could barely get into a casting director’s office, and now?” He laughed mournfully.