Chapter 8

"Tada!" Clint said as he uncovered his wife's eyes.

Aiden blinked rapidly then tugged her bottom lip into her mouth. After lunch at Crescent City Brewhouse where they sat on the second floor balcony watching the entertainment on Decatur Street, Clint had taken her to The National WWII Museum on Magazine Street. She had spent the better part of three hours just looking wide-eyed at everything they had.

Clint had had to drag her out for the next part of his plan. They had gone to Café du Monde after the museum which was back on Decatur Street. Beignets and chicory coffee were on the menu and milk for the baby. Dylan watched everyone walk by and even held out his pudgy hand to a few of them. Many men walked by her but taking in her now bulky husband they continued on.

After their snack, Clint led her to the aquarium on Canal Street. Dylan went absolutely berserk over the fish, going so far as to call them 'fif' and smack his hands on the glass when he was close enough.

An hour listening to that was all they could handle. While Aiden was changing their son's diaper in the restroom outside a shop in the Riverwalk Marketplace, Clint browsed some of jewelry in Greek Designs. He found something he liked and bought it. When Aiden was done and their boy yawning, the couple decided it would be best to head home.

But Clint had other ideas before they got home. They got to the car where Clint made sure his family was in their private area before he did anything. They were about a block from their renovated mansion when he stopped the car and looked at her. He had covered her eyes as he set the item on the console between them.

Aiden looked at him. "You didn't have to do that."

"It's your birthday and besides, I wanted to. You do everything for me and the kid in the back." He tossed a finger over his shoulder at their sleeping child. "It was my turn to do something for you."

"But a canary diamond?"

He shrugged. "You don't do enough for yourself. Besides, we're a King and Queen. We should splurge on each other. But only on special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays," he added at her look.

"I don't want to be like Grant's wife Chardonnay. She splurges a lot more than any of us." Her cousin's wife wanted the best of the best and wouldn't stop until she got it. Sometimes everyone thought she was going to spend her wealthy husband into nonexistence. Grant took it in stride, but he sometimes had to remind her that what she wanted would have to wait.

"We won't be. I promise."

She shook her head and kissed him before he put the car in drive and continued on to the palace.

Later on when Dylan was sound asleep in his crib in the other room, Clint stopped rubbing his wife's back and stared at the ceiling. They had had a good night but something that had been said in the car on their way back was puzzling him. Aiden, frowning at the sudden coolness from the lack of friction created by his moving hand, lifted her head and looked at him.

"What is it?" she asked sleepily.

"Why is your Grant's wife's name Chardonnay?" he asked.

She dropped her head to the crease between his shoulder and neck, snuggling it deeply with an amused smile. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"You told me you'd tell me why when we got married two months ago and you haven't yet." Aiden snickered into his shoulder. "What is it?"

"The reason is that's the wine, champagne or whatever spirit it is they were drinking the night she was conceived. That's why her name is Chardonnay."

Clint laughed so loud he woke Dylan. When Aiden got up to quiet their son, he buried his face in the pillow to quell his laughter. When she returned, he rested his head on her shoulder and threw one leg over hers.

It was Aiden's turn to run her hands over his back. She reveled in the feeling of the muscles that corded under his skin. He really had bulked up since they had moved to New Orleans. It could have been because now he had workout partners he could switch every other day, and her brothers and friends were not very forgiving. They pushed him hard. If she had a guess, he had packed on fifteen pounds of pure muscle.

"Now you're the one thinking too much," he said.

She knew he could feel it through their bond so she didn't bother refuting it. "Yeah, I know."

He rested his chin on her shoulder and looked at her. "What's on your mind?"

"What are Austin and Tyler planning?"

He made a face then shrugged. "I don't know. All I did was tell them your assumptions. Whatever they're planning now I have nothing to do with it."

"I know you don't but I wish I knew what my idiotic friends are up to."

His voice was muffled as he dropped his face to her skin and inhaled. "You can always look." She shook her head silently, fingers digging gently into his skin. "If they're willing to help you, don't worry about it."

She gripped his chestnut hair and pulled his head up to look at her. She laughed at the look of pain he made even though she barely had a good grip on it. He knew she wouldn't hurt him. He also knew how adventurous she could be.

"Last time I didn't worry about what they were doing, they nearly got arrested for hacking the United States national security plans. Now I keep a close eye on them to make sure that doesn't happen again," she whispered.

"Well, aren't you such a good friend." She punched him in the kidney for that. He laughed and rolled to the side. "I guess whatever they find means they've hacked a system of some sort."

She nodded then released her bottom lip from where it was caught between her teeth. "Yep, that I can attest to but what concerns me is the trouble they're going to cause in the aftermath. Those two have uncanny ways of making sure to cause the most trouble for people. I'm fairly sure they mean it most days."

"Can you handle it?" She didn't answer him. He voice took on a darker, more serious tone. "Aiden, can you handle it?"

"I think so."

He propped himself up on his elbow. "You don't sound too sure."

"Well, I got a lot more people to worry about instead of just the four of us. Now I have you and Dylan, not to mention my family and the others coming onto the Council. It's a little overwhelming."

He took her hand in both of his and kissed it. "I have your back. You don't have to worry too much."

She smiled at him. "All right."

"Now, sleep."

He couldn't stop her from overthinking, but he could put her mind at ease on where he stood. He knew she'd write about it later because he'd seen the four leather bound journals stacked on her desk. If it was the way she was keeping herself sane when she couldn't find the words to talk to him, he would let her have that little peace of mind.

When both were snuggled under their sheet and quilt, Aiden let all her thoughts go so she could sleep in peace. Clint felt the relief instantly, and every muscle in his body uncoiled slowly. His heart rate slowed down to match hers and he settled into an easy doze.