Karma - Forbidden Hearts Series Book 3

43| One for the Books

"So, you're engaged now?"

I almost choked on the bottle of water I was drinking. I looked at Ayden who was standing in our kitchen, holding little Nate with a hopeful expression. "What? No!"

His expression turned into confusion. "You gave her a ring."

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't give her an engagement ring, Ayden. I gave her the promise ring I bought her twelve years ago." 

Ayden looked like I gave him the hardest math problem in the world. "Wait, so you gave her a ring, she's wearing the ring, but you aren't engaged? What's the difference?"

"It's a huge difference." I finished my bottle of water and threw the empty bottle into the recycling bin. "Yes, we're back together. But it's different. We are both different. We want to do this right, so we're taking it slow."

"Slow...." Ayden drew out the word. "Um, didn't you sleep over her place last night?"

His accusation was clear. Yes, I did stay at Karma's last night. After the sex in her bathtub, we hooked up on her couch. Then the kitchen counter. Then we made it to her bed.

After we woke up this morning, she had an early patient then wanted some girl time. Worked out for me. I wanted to come home and try to process everything that happened. Karma and I were together. Again.

"Well?" my soon-to-be brother-in-law urged when I didn't answer. He was never a patient one.

"Yes, I stayed the night. But we aren't going to rush into marriage." I gave him a wink. "Not every one is you and Lanie. Or Harper and Jackson."

"Talking about me?" Jackson came into the kitchen and immediately took little Nate from Ayden. 

"I'm talking about relationships." 

Jackson scoffed. "Can't help you there, mate. Sorry." 

Ayden frowned at Jackson. "You have the longest relationship from all of us here." 

"That doesn't mean anything." 

My brows rose at the edge in his voice and I glanced to Ayden, shrugging a shoulder. Clearly Jackson was still having issues with Harper. Ayden and I assumed it had something to do with the little bundle in his arms, but we weren't going to pry. Jackson knew we were here if he wanted to talk. We couldn't do much more than that. 

Ayden took a seat at the table and cleared his throat. "Roger said the three of us could come by tonight to go over some business stuff. He said he was planning on sticking around for the next couple weeks to make sure everything runs smoothly."

I chuckled. "You mean to make sure we don't ruin his bar?" 

I watched as Jackson carried little Nate to the fridge. He pulled out a beer and popped the cap off. His eyes barely left my nephew. Oh, yeah. Whatever was going on with Harper and Jackson had to do with children. If I had to put money on it, I would say Jackson wanted kids and Harper didn't. 

I tried to think about Karma and myself in the same situation. She's always told me that she wanted to have kids one day. I always joked about it when the topic came up. But when I thought about it now...hell yeah I wanted kids.

I wanted kids with Karma. Not anytime soon, of course. I felt like I still had some growing up to do. Besides, we were just getting back together. I wanted more time of 'just us' before we added a kid to the mix. I missed so much time with her already, I wanted to be selfish with her for awhile. 

When I called her an hour ago to ask if I could pick her up early tonight, I couldn't believe the change in her tone when she thought I was cancelling. It reminded me so much of the old Karma. The Karma that bickered with me when we were younger. She's always had such a sharp tongue and I loved it.