Page 36 of Demetri
"I'd rather have a root canal," I mutter under my breath and Demetri squeezes my waist telling me to behave. "Yeah, Mom. Sounds fun."
My mom's face lights up as she turns to my dad. "Charles, will you go to the car and get the brown suitcase; I brought my photo albums. I promised Demetri I'd show him Glory's baby pictures."
"Sure thing, sweetheart." Dad turns on his heel and disappears through the door behind him, and I groan.
"Mom. Can we not do that now."
"What? You don't mind? Do you, Demetri?"
"Not at all, Mrs. Keller. I have been looking forward to it." Demetri offers my mom his arm, and she links her arm in the crook of his elbow. As they stroll past me, my mom looks over her shoulder at me.
"This will teach you not to keep secrets, won't it," she says in a low tone and a look in her eyes that means she's enjoying every second of embarrassing me. She knows exactly what she's doing.
As all the guys follow my mom and Demetri outside, I turn to Grace. "This is all your fault. Just remember payback is a bitch."
"Me!" Grace mocks innocently.
"Yes, you. You and your big mouth did this. Now come on." I grab her arm and tug her behind me. "Don't think you're getting off scot free. If I know Karen Keller as well as I think I do, I'd say she has pictures of you too. Like the one from the time you got that terrible perm and tried to dye your hair blonde using peroxide."
"She wouldn't dare," Grace gasps the same moment we hear Quinn's boisterous voice call out.
"Holy shit! Is that Grace?"
Hours later,the afternoon turns into evening as the sun starts to disappear behind the mountains. Food and drinks are flowing, and the children are running around the yard playing. Watching my mom over by the swing set gushing over Grace and Jake's little girl, I feel a twinge of guilt, knowing I will never give her grandchildren. "What's on your mind, baby girl?" my dad asks, taking the vacant seat next to me.
"Nothing much." I lie.
When my dad doesn't say anything, I tip my head in his direction. His look says he's calling bullshit. I sigh and point across the yard. "When I see how happy mom is with Grace's children, it makes me feel guilty for not giving her grandkids." I shake my head. "I've never told you this, but I don't want to have children. Not that I don't like them, because I do. I just don't have the desire to have any of my own." After my confession, I keep my gaze forward, afraid to look at my dad. Afraid I'll see the look of disappointment on his face.
"Look at me, baby girl." When I look at my father, it's not disappointment on his face but understanding. "Your mom and I only want you to be happy, Glory. We had already figured kids were not in the cards for you. Not that we hadn't hoped, but it was your happiness that mattered the most." He squeezes my hand. "Are you happy, baby girl? With this man?"
"Yeah, dad. Demetri makes me the happiest I have ever been."
Dad pats my hand. "That's good."
We're both quiet for a minute before he speaks again. "Looks like your mom will make out just fine in the grandchild department."
I look in the direction dad's eyes are trained to see my mom has abandoned the swing set and is now sitting on a chair in front of the fire with Demetri's granddaughter; who happens to be Bella and Logan's daughter sleeping in her arms. Her eyes cut across the yard to find mine, and she gives me a warm smile. The kind of smile only a mom can provide. The one that says everything will be just fine. With my feelings getting the better of me, I need a breather. "I'm going to get another beer. You want one?" I ask my dad.
He shakes his head. "I'm good, baby girl. I am going to get me one of those burgers Jake is cooking though."
We stand at the same time, and my father pulls me in for a hug, and I kiss his cheek. "Thanks for the talk, Dad."
When I walk up to the cooler to retrieve a drink, I hear Jake call out to Logan. "I need ya to go get more ice."
Logan lifts his chin. "No problem, Prez."
Remembering that I needed to pick up a few things from the store, I offer to go. "I'll go."
"Are you sure?" Jake asks.
"Yeah. I need to grab a few things anyway."
"I'll come with you," Demetri says motioning to Sasha who quickly joins us. "Boss?"
I cut in before Demetri opens his mouth. "You should stay here with Logan and Nikolai. You haven't seen much of them lately. I won't be long, and Sasha can take me." I can tell Demetri is reluctant, so I push further. "I'll be quick." Giving in, he nods then steals my mouth with a kiss.
Making my way around the side of the clubhouse to the front, I follow Sasha to the car. He opens the door for me, and I settle into the back seat. It's about a fifteen-minute ride to the store, where Sasha trudges along with me as I wander through the aisles in search of shampoo and conditioner. As I'm browsing through the selection, the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I get a sudden uneasy feeling I'm being watched. I look to my left and then to my right, seeing no one. The only person on the aisle beside Sasha and me is an older man and a young woman with a little girl sitting in front of their shopping cart. When I turn my attention to Sasha, his body is rigid, his eyes focused and he's on high alert. He too looks up and down the aisle. "Is everything okay?"
