Daring, Charming , Real

Ch. 35

My head was spinning with thoughts of the new baby. Ever since I had agreed to it,  it was all I could think about. I spent the last two nights writing down different names and comparing them. When I wasnt looking through baby books , I  was wandering the house trying to pick the perfect room for a nursery.

Thomas was ecstatic when I told him. His eyes lit up at the thought of becoming a father. It was something that I didn't expect from him but it gave me such a relief that he wouldn't let me do this on my own. It would be something we did together and that made it so much more special.

Esme was of course thrilled to hear the news. She along with everyone else in the family.

All Polly had said was "Thank God Jon doesn't have to build a seventh bedroom."

But I got the feeling she was also excited for us, despite her efforts to hide it.

After finally deciding on a color for the walls I took to the town in search of furniture and things for the baby. Ana was begging to throw us a baby shower and I agreed but told her not anything extravagant. I just wanted our close family and friends to get together, and preferred it be after the birth. Only because I didn't want to stress Esme out anymore than she already was. Raising five children along with being pregnant was not an ideal situation and it was becoming progressively harder the more her stomach grew.

Today in town there was an outdoor market sale. Normally I bring Finn along with me but he was too busy with Simon for me to even ask. It didn't bother me, I was glad he was busy. He needed something other than his family life to focus on and as terrible as it was , work was a very good distraction. That was a common factor in the Shelby men.

Between the loud bustle of the town and the constant door slamming of each building, my thoughts became jumbled. I had to step away and gather myself before pin pointing which stores I had an actual interest in visiting. It was from here I spotted a man in a long gray trench coat and dark mustache leaning against the daily paper building. His eyes filtered through the crowd intently as if he was looking for someone. He seemed lost at first glance but once I watched him further i could see that he was searching for something particular. I remained out of sight trying to determine my next move. It was silly that I even took notice and even worse that I let it bother me. He could be looking for anyone. His wife, his child, maybe even his friend who invited him out for lunch today. Why was I so convinced that he was looking for me?

It had to be the job getting to my head. I tried to step off the sidewalk ledge and head back into the depths of the crowd but my body wouldn't move. It was as if my gut feeling knew something my mind couldn't see or process at the moment. But nonetheless, I pushed through and made my way over to one of the furniture stores on the outskirts of all the commotion. A small golden bell rung above the door as I made my way into the building. The shopkeeper didn't take notice as there was a good bit of people in the room.

Each section was laid out and staged as a different place in a house to pull a look together. I funneled my way to the back where the nursery model sat. There was a dark cherry wood bassinet and matching dresser against the far wall and several toys were scattered by my feet. I smiled looking over each piece before deciding to keep looking around town. When I turned to start back towards the door I stopped abruptly, peering over at the man I had just seen in the alleyway moments ago as he was now standing in the store several feet away. He was looking over some living room furniture, this time not scanning the area for anything particular. I swallowed thick and searched for another exit that didn't require me to pass him by . On the other side of the cashiers counter was a wooden red door that held an exit sign . It was the only way I could slip past without being noticed.

Luckily the store gradually became busier and I took my small window of opportunity to dash out the side door which lead into a small back alley. The laughter and chatter of the outside plaza echoed off the cement walls around me. It gave the feel of being surrounded but I was eerily alone. My footsteps couldn't come swift enough as I tried to make my way back to civilization where I could blend in with the crowd and become unnoticeable.

As I stepped off the stairwell that descended towards the storefronts, a car whipped infront of me, the tires screeching to a halt. The backdoor swung open , revealing a dark interior where I could only see another man who looked similar to the one in the trench coat.

"Mrs. Shelby" His voice husked from the car coated in a deep Russian accent," I think it's time you came with me."