The Girl and the Unlucky 13 (Emma Griffin™ FBI Mystery) A.J. Rivers (historical books to read TXT) 📖

I always considered them my best friends, even when they didn’t particularly get along with each other. Which was a considerable portion of my twenties. They clashed over just about everything. Sometimes it was hard to even be in the room with them. Which was fine, since I had different bonds with each of them.

It wasn’t until everything happened with Greg that the two of them really started getting along. I didn’t even realize it was happening at first. Then when I was sent on my first undercover assignment after being taken off desk duty, I found out that not only were they communicating, but they seemed to be forming a new closeness.

The rest, as the old folks say, is history. I feel a lot more comfortable saying that. Which might be giving me a clue as to why I’m suddenly being called up into the FBI Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.

Things weren’t smooth and easy between Eric and Bellamy right off the bat. There was a lot of back-and-forth and pretending they weren’t feeling what they so obviously were. I can’t necessarily say it felt right for the two of them to end up together, but it was so obvious when they interacted, I couldn’t deny it. It took a brutal case for them to finally realize what they could have with each other was worth so much more than the fear of ruining a friendship.

Now they’re expecting their first child any day, and I’m having to remind myself that the baby is theirs. They are there for each other and should be experiencing this together. Not that I shouldn’t be a part of it at all, but I also don’t want to encroach on them as they’re nesting and enjoying the anticipation of becoming a family of three.

Both of them know I’m here. At any given second, they could call and I would drop everything to do whatever they need. It’s hard not to see Bellamy all the time or spend hours talking over cases with Eric. This is the new place our life has found us. We really are grown up.

We are family and nothing is going to change that. It’s just that a new chapter has begun and we have to figure out what that means for all of us. Right now, that means everyone is eagerly waiting for the first sign that the baby, the first in a new generation, is coming.

“How’s everything going?” I ask.

We are almost at the point in Bellamy’s pregnancy where she could say the baby could be here literally at any moment. It’s been interesting to watch her go through each of the stages of her pregnancy and see how she’s handled it. As graceful, beautiful, and generally peaceful as Bellamy has always been, I wouldn’t go so far as to say those qualities have translated all the way over into her pregnancy. There have been times when she’s been downright cranky.  Which is putting it kindly, but I don’t want to speak ill of the procreating. The woman is growing another human being. She gets a lot of leeway. I copped an attitude with my garden when I was just trying to grow some begonias.

“I’m exhausted,” Bellamy huffs. “I feel as if I weigh about forty thousand pounds and my hips don’t work anymore.”

“Your hips don’t work anymore?” I ask, confused and maybe just a hint horrified.

“Remember when I told you a few weeks back that my hips were hurting so much all the time? Even when I hadn’t done anything?” she asks.

“Yeah,” I say. “You said it constantly felt as though you’d worked out for hours.”

“Exactly. Well, apparently that was gearing up for all the tendons loosening. My doctor said the hormones in mid to late pregnancy signal the body to start preparing for birth. Which includes the tendons in my hips letting go so that it’s easier for the baby to pass through. In theory, that sounds like an awesome thing. Making me as stretchy and pliable as possible seems like a great way to make labor easier. However, in practice during these days when I’m not actively giving birth, it’s just leaving me with floppy hips. I’m waddling all over the place. It feels as though any second, I’m going to slide on something and hit one of those terrifying Barbie doll splits where her feet go up to her shoulders from the front and back.”

“Please don’t do that. It doesn’t sound good for you or the baby,” I say.

“I’m doing my very best to avoid it.”

“How about other than that?” I ask. “How are you feeling? What are you thinking?”

“I’m everything. I’m nervous and excited. Really uncomfortable but more in love with my body than ever. Anxious and eager to meet her, but not really ready to give up being pregnant,” she says.

“How about Eric?” I ask.

“He’s doing so great,” Bellamy says.

“He’s in the room with you, isn’t he?” I ask, immediately able to recognize the inflection in her voice.

“Yep,” she chirps.

“And he’s actually freaking the hell out?”

“So much,” Bellamy says.

I laugh. That sounds like Eric. He would do his best to stay calm and collected, but not being in control or able to determine how this happens would push him right to the edge. Eric is great at computers, numbers, organization. He’s not so great at uncertainty and having to just wait for things to happen the way they’re going to.

“Well, it won’t be too much longer. But then he gets to start freaking out about raising the baby,” I say. “So maybe you should just get used to this general state of his existence.”

Bellamy laughs. “Perfect. You’re still coming by today, right?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be over tonight.”

“Good.”

We finish talking and I’m getting off the phone as Dean comes back into the room.

“How’s Bellamy?” he asks.

“Very pregnant,” I say. “Ready for the baby to be born and not wanting to not be pregnant.”

“Sounds about right,” Dean says.

“Where’s Xavier?” I ask, realizing I haven’t seen him yet this morning.

“He got