Along for the Ride

Hannah

~

^SEVERAL MONTHS LATER^

~

“Hey... you could’ve told me you were going for a walk. I would’ve joined you.” Jordan stepped in behind me and wrapped his arms around me, settling his hands on my stomach.

“I know,” I nodded. “I just needed some air. I wasn’t planning to be gone long.”

“Are you feeling better this morning?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah... I think I just got dehydrated traveling. All that recycled plane air.” And the little visitor that had smuggled a ride along with us.

“Do you need to go see Dr. Isaacs to have your thyroid tested again?”

It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep on top of, but I’d need her to do some other testing first.

“Let’s not worry about that right now. We’re on vacation. Let’s focus on that.” I tried to redirect the conversation.

“Mmm... sounds good to me. I’m glad they put us in the room on the third floor. Less chance of overhearing you this week.”

“Overhearing me? What about you? You’re not exactly quiet.” I laughed.

It had been almost ten months since Mallory was checked into rehab and a few months since she had finished her initial intensive treatment.

She had spent three months in the detox rehab, overcoming her reliance on prescription pills and alcohol. At the end of that time, she was physically better, but her mental state was still a mess.

Max had Mallory transferred to a psychiatric rehab counseling center after she was cleared from the drug rehab center.

It was set up like a wellness retreat so she could actually take time to relax and figure out where she wanted to go with her life.

She was finally ready to process the trauma of the accident and being betrayed by a man she thought loved her. We thought that she would just spend thirty days inpatient, but she asked to stay longer.

Cynthia and Max had taken her in while she met with a counselor outpatient for the last two months.

Jordan told her that when she was ready to come back, he’d make space for her. She was relieved but knew she needed to use this time to focus on herself.

Mollie had filled in for a short while at the gym, but Tatum took a liking to personal training sessions and had continued working at the gym on Saturdays, even after Tasha started.

I had a sneaking suspicion that Tasha’s presence there may have influenced her decision as well, but I wasn’t getting involved in that.

Tatum and Javi became close during that first month when they were both pitching in to help.

They fought like crazy, but there was an underlying tension—lingering looks, touches when we’d gone out as a group, and even “carpooling” to work.

When Tasha started, it changed their dynamic, but she’d also changed things up a little. She wasn’t overly flirty like Ty had been, but she definitely bonded quickly with her coworkers. Maybe a little too closely.

I was nervous about potential drama, but Jordan insisted they all worked well together.

“Cynthia was making breakfast when I came to find you. Do you want to head back to the house?”

My stomach clenched at the thought of food, especially eggs.

“Do you mind if we just enjoy the quiet before the beach fills up?”

He kissed the side of my head, and I leaned back into his chest. “That’s fine with me. We can always make something when we go back.”

The water was crystal clear and calm, with small waves gently cresting before they crashed and swept in, the cold water covering our bare toes.

A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined that my life would look like this. I had been alone... I mean, I had Parker, but I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have someone love you romantically.

Before Jordan, I wasn’t sure if there was anyone who had focused on me like this.

Jordan was totally unexpected. Creeping into my life and showing me that if I wanted it, I could create a better version of myself. A version that took care of herself and was strong, both in her body and her mind.

My weight loss had plateaued in the 170s, but I was okay with that. I was in better shape than I had been in my whole life. And I felt strong. I didn’t need to be super skinny.

I just wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin.

“You’ve been quiet the past few days,” Jordan observed. “I know coming on this trip is a lot, but I’m glad you did.”

“I’m happy I came too.” I nodded. “I know I was a little wary of coming on a family trip when you first brought it up.”

“You are family, Hannah.” His fingers gently rubbed my bare left ring finger.

I was afraid to tell him about the baby. Not because I was worried he wouldn’t want it. We had both decided to stop after the second three-month shot.

I was afraid because I didn’t want him to feel obligated to marry me because I was pregnant.

I knew that he was my partner, and we were committed to one another. He’d mentioned getting married, but it was always in the abstract future.

When my first period arrived, I was relieved, but I found myself getting anxious about the negative result last month. The two pink lines on the stick a few days ago had been a surprise.

We had been busy trying to help Parker and Lincoln move into their new house, as well as drafting plans to open a second gym location.

Apparently, all it took was one passionate romp on a pool lounger to get the job done. I thought it would take longer than a few months, especially with me turning thirty this year.

“Your parents like me and wanted me to come, but I don’t want to make Mallory uncomfortable.”

“I know this may be hard to believe,” he said quietly. “But when I mentioned you might not be coming, she told me it was a family vacation, and all of our family was required to come.”

“I’m still not sure how to act around her,” I confessed quietly.

“Well... it won’t be this week. But once she starts twelve steps again, she’ll be talking to you.”

“I don’t want her to apologize because she feels like she has to.” The last thing I wanted was for her previous animosity toward me to return. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“She doesn’t. Trust me. She’s still my stubborn sister,” he assured me. “If she didn’t want to make amends, then she wouldn’t.”

“We talked about our relationship in a family session. She felt terrible that she thought I was taking advantage of you.”

“Well, you do kinda take advantage of me sometimes.” I smirked as I leaned back into him.

His lips kissed along my exposed shoulders. “You like it when I take advantage.”

He pressed his hips forward, and he was already semi-hard in his shorts.

“You are insatiable,” I teased.

“You didn’t seem to be complaining before we left for the airport.” His cocky voice caused my breath to catch, remembering how passionate he’d been lately.

“You almost made us late for our flight.” I laughed.

“But we still got there in plenty of time. I told you signing up for TSA precheck was worth every penny.” He chuckled. “It’ll come in handy in a few months too.”

“What?” I wasn’t sure why airport lines would be an issue then.

“Now that the gym is in a good place, I want to take you on vacation.”

I turned in his arms and rested my palms on his chest as he cradled the outside of my hips. “You’re sneaky.”

“I wasn’t trying to be.” He shrugged. “I thought you caught me researching a few times, but you’ve been distracted lately.”

“I know... I’m sorry,” I said shyly.

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m just worried you’re working yourself too hard.” The tables had turned; he was worried about some of the long hours I’d been pulling at work.

“I’m just tired…”

“We can look into varying your supplemental intake when we get home.”

Jordan was always the problem solver. Despite the worry when Mallory fell off the wagon, he was still trying to find creative solutions for people.

“I’m sure it’ll get better soon.” In about eight to ten weeks from what I’ve heard and read.

He leaned forward and kissed my cheek, cradling the back of my head as I slipped my arms around his chest. “You know I just worry about you.”

“I worry about you too.” My head lifted from his chest, and I traced the dark circles underneath his eyes. “You’ve been working too hard.”

“You know I’d just get stir crazy if I didn’t have the gym to keep me busy.” He smiled.

~Well... we’re both about to have something to keep us quite busy... and even more sleep deprived.~

~

“I think we need to talk about promoting Ty to manage the new location.”

His eyes searched mine. I’m not sure what he saw there, but he gave me a small nod of acknowledgment.

“That’s probably a good idea. I may keep Tasha on with me and send Mal to the new location with Ty when she’s ready.”

“A new environment might be good for her.”

“I was thinking the same.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Give her a chance to put her own stamp on the place. Ty’s always had more seniority than her anyway, so it’s not like I’m passing her up for a promotion.”

“You also don’t need to increase her stress load.” Sometimes being “the boss” came with lots of extra duties people never thought about.

“True.” He kissed my forehead and tucked me back against his chest. We swayed gently as the water surged up to our ankles. The beach was starting to fill up, and I knew I needed to eat something eventually.

I just didn’t want to lose this moment. I wasn’t sure how many more we’d have completely alone, without any responsibilities pulling us in different directions.