Loves Me NOT: A Small Town, Second-Chance Romance (Slade Brothers Book 4)

by Alexis Winter

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to use up funds we might need with a wedding and kids in our future.”

  It’s funny how she sometimes doesn’t really grasp how rich my family is. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, so I let it go. All I can do is smile and nod, knowing I’ll give her anything under the sun to make her cheeks turn that color pink I love.

  “I love you, Wyatt.”

  I rub my thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. “I love you too.” I lean over and brush her lips with my own.

  I sit back down and pick up my fork to resume eating.

  “I have one more thing to tell you.”

  I laugh. “Really? What else could there be?”

  “I took another test today.” She looks a little guilty.

  “What? Why didn’t you wait for me?”

  She shrugs as she pushes her food around her plate. “I was nervous. I didn’t want to feel like I was letting you down again if it was negative.”

  “And?”

  “And what?” Her brows furrow together.

  “Was it negative?” I ask, feeling my heart pick up with nervousness.

  “No,” she answers, not looking up at me.

  “So it was positive?”

  She smiles wide as her eyes meet mine. She nods. “It was positive!”

  I jump up and pull her against me, hugging her to my chest as our excitement breaks free. My hands move up, cupping her cheeks so I can kiss her slowly.

  She breaks our kiss. “I still don’t want you getting too excited. Not yet. There’s still a lot that can happen.”

  I nod but kiss her anyway. I’ll get as excited as I want. I don’t want to dull my excitement over worries that may not even happen.

  She pulls away again. “In fact, I don’t want to tell anyone until I’m out of my first trimester. I want our lives to stay the same. Okay?”

  I nod and pull her lips back to mine. “Whatever you want. But right now, we’re celebrating.” My hands find her hips as I pick her up and set her on the island in the center of the kitchen. She giggles as her lips move with my own, but she pulls me closer as her fingers thread into my hair. I can’t contain my excitement. We’re going to have a baby. We’re going to get married and finally have the family I’ve been dreaming of. Finally, we’re getting back everything we thought we’d lost.

  “What do you think of the place?” Destiny asks as we’re walking around the empty, dusty store she’s wanting to purchase.

  I nod. “I think it’ll look great after some work. But luckily for you, I have a brother who owns a construction company.”

  “I forgot about Clay! Can you call him and see if he’d come take a look?”

  I dig my phone out of my pocket, enter the passcode, and dial my brother.

  “Hey, man. What’s up?” he answers.

  “I know it’s short notice, but Destiny and I are looking at a building here in town—the old ice cream shop on Main Street. She’s wanting to buy it and fix it up to make her own little boutique. Would you mind coming and taking a look? If it gets your approval, you can have the job. And I’ll pay you full price, not the brotherly discount,” I joke.

  He laughs. “Yeah, I’m just finishing up. I’ll be by in a bit.”

  I slide the phone back into my pocket and she walks into my arms. “He’ll be here soon,” I tell her, kissing the top of her head. “When is your doctor’s appointment?”

  “Tuesday,” she answers. “It’s only a few days away, but it may as well be months. I just want the doctor’s okay, you know?”

  I nod. “I’m sure everything is fine. How are you feeling?”

  “Icky,” she mumbles.

  I laugh. “Well, maybe we should take that as a good sign.”

  She offers up a small smile. “I guess I’ll deal with it then.”

  To get her mind off the baby and how she’s feeling, I change the subject. “So, how are you going to have this place set up?”

  Her eyes shine brighter now. “I was thinking about putting the counter right here,” she says, pulling away and standing in the back of the store. She moves her arms back and forth to show me which way it’ll be laid out. “Then I was thinking about having some racks over here to hang clothes. Maybe a big table to hold jewelry. We could put shoes in that corner and purses in this one. We could build an area over here for dressing rooms. What do you think?” Her smile is wide with excitement, making her eyes shine brighter than I’ve ever seen them.

  “I think it all sounds perfect,” I agree.

  “And even with the counter being right here, there would still be enough room to set up a portable playpen for when the baby is born. We could also put in a small office in the back.”

  “How happy are you right now?” I ask around a smile.

  “So happy,” she says, closing the distance between us.

  The door opens and Clay walks in. “This place is great!” he says, looking over the walls and ceiling.

  I laugh. “You just saying that to screw me over on construction fees?”

  His grin breaks free. “No, but I am looking forward to that.”

  “What’s your schedule like?”

  He slides his hands into his pockets and bites his lower lip as he thinks it over. “Well, we’re working on a house right now, but by the time we get the details hammered out and receive all the supplies for this place, we’ll probably be about done with the house. We could even split up and have a few guys starting here while a few finish there if you want.”

  Destiny jumps up and down, squealing, making us both laugh.

  “Okay, let’s do it then!” Destiny says, bumping her shoulder against my arm. “Let’s put in an offer.”

  I nod. “Let’s do it.”

  Destiny and I take the keys back to the realtor’s office and put in our offer. Then we make plans to get together with Clay and Autumn to get the plans underway. It’s going on 7 p.m. when we get back to the house, and the two of us are sitting on the couch eating pizza when my phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket and answer without checking to see who’s calling.

  “Hello?”

  “Mr. Slade?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good evening. This is Della with Thorne Reality. How are you doing?”

  “Great, and yourself?”

  “Wonderful. I just wanted to call and let you know that the family has accepted your offer on the building.”

  I want to jump up and down, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise. “Oh, okay,” I say, probably confusing the poor woman on the phone.

  “So, if you’d like to come in tomorrow, we can get all the paperwork signed and the place will be yours. Would 11 a.m. be good for you?”

  “Yes, that’s okay. See you then,” I say, hanging up.

  “Who was that?” Destiny asks.

  “The realtor,” I answer, taking another bite of pizza while my eyes remain on the TV in front of us.

  “Well, what did she say?”

  I finally turn my head and look at her. “She said that the family has accepted our offer.”

  Her mouth drops.

  “Congratulations, you’re officially a store owner!”

  She starts bouncing up and down, cheering, until she leaps into my arms. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I couldn’t have done this without you,” she says, pressing her lips to mine as she wraps her arms around my neck.

  I laugh, but kiss her back while tossing the box of pizza onto the coffee table in front of us. When my hands are empty, I lace my fingers into her hair and pull her closer. I can never get enough of her. It wouldn’t matter if we had sex four times a day—I would still be completely caught up in her, waiting for her touch, begging for her kiss.

  Even though I know she could’ve done this on her own because she’s that amazing, I’m so excited she involved me, and I accept her excitement, kisses, and love. We’re finally on the right track and we’re speeding along like I knew we would. We’re engaged, a baby i
s on the way, and now she owns her own business. We’re setting up the rest of our lives quite nicely, and neither one of us will be looking back. From here on out, we’re only living in the moment—no worry for the future or thought of the past.

  26

  Destiny

  Days pass by in a blur. We’re so busy completing all the paperwork for the store that Tuesday sneaks up on me. I wake early and get dressed for my appointment. When I walk downstairs, I’m surprised to find Wyatt at the stove, making breakfast.

  “Hey, what are you doing home? I thought you had to work,” I say, pouring a cup of coffee.

  He flips the bacon in the pan. “I called in. I’m going with you to the appointment.”

  “You are?” I ask, feeling a sense of relief washing over me. I’ve been a nervous wreck waiting for this appointment. Knowing that Wyatt will be there with me, holding my hand through it all, quiets all the fears and worries.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he says, leaning in and giving me a kiss.

  The two of us have breakfast together at the table before loading up in his car. The day is warm and sunny and I can’t help but watch the trees as the wind blows through their branches. I love the way the wildflowers sway back and forth, and how the sky seems more blue than usual. I think about our future child and wonder if I’m carrying a boy or a girl. If it’s a boy, I wonder how much he’ll be like Wyatt. If it’s a girl, I’m curious if she’ll be like me. Who will this baby resemble more? I space out the entire drive and am surprised when he slows the car to turn into the parking lot.

  “Ready?” he asks.

  I nod. “Ready,” I reply, both of us opening our doors at the same time.

  When we check in, I’m given a clipboard full of papers to fill out, and as I write the information on the sheet, I realize how much my hands are shaking. The longer I sit in this chair, the more fear slowly slips in. What if the test was wrong and I’m not pregnant? What if I am pregnant, but there’s no heartbeat? What if I miscarry again?

  “Destiny?” a nurse says as she opens the door to the back.

  Wyatt looks at me and holds out his hand. With a deep breath, I place mine inside his and stand up as we follow the nurse together.

  We stop in the hallway where I’m weighed and have my height checked, then we’re shown to a room where I’m asked to replace my clothes with a cloth gown. Wyatt sits in the chair in the corner while I strip down and climb onto the examination table.

  Moments later, a doctor walks in. “Good morning, Destiny. I’m Doctor Davis. How are you?” he asks, holding out his hand to shake.

  I shake his hand quickly. “Good. This is my fiancé, Wyatt, the baby’s father.”

  The doctor turns and shakes Wyatt’s hand, then washes his hands and pulls on some gloves.

  “The only way we can determine how far along you are is by measuring the baby. Now, at this early stage in the pregnancy, the only way we can do this is by inserting this little wand,” he holds up the wand on the machine next to me, “into the vagina. That okay with you?”

  I nod. “Let’s do it,” I agree.

  The nurse turns off the light and the doctor gets to work readying the machine. The wand is inserted and I take a deep breath, trying to force myself to relax.

  Wyatt stands up and walks over to stand at my side, so he can see the little screen on the machine.

  “That little flicker right there,” the doctor says, pointing to a spot on the monitor, “is your baby. Looks like you’re about eight weeks.”

  “That’s it?” I ask, squinting to see it. It’s so small it’s hard to make out.

  “That’s it,” he replies. “It doesn’t look like a baby yet. Right now, we’re seeing its heart. That’s why it looks like it’s flickering—it’s beating. Fast too: 155 beats a minute.” He pushes some buttons on the machine and takes his pictures and measurements before removing the wand.

  Finally, I’m handed a little picture of the baby. I can’t do anything but hold it and look at it with a stupid smile on my face. Before we leave, the doctor gives me a prescription for some prenatal vitamins and a card with my next appointment date.

  When we climb back into the car, Wyatt looks over at me. “Do you feel better now?”

  I nod, smile still in place.

  “Does that mean we can start telling people?”

  “No,” I say firmly, looking up from the picture at him. “There’s still plenty of time for things to change. Right now, let’s just keep our little secret.” I stick out my bottom lip and he laughs.

  “Fine. If that’s what you want,” he agrees, putting the key into the ignition and starting the car.

  The rest of the day is spent in a fog. I don’t want to do anything but look at this fuzzy black-and-white photo that hasn’t left my hand. I image the way the baby will look and I pray he looks more like Wyatt than me. It’s not until that thought that I realize I’m hoping for a boy. A little boy to fit in with the rest of the Slade men—another protector for poor Milly, who probably won’t be able to date until she’s 30.

  Then I start to think about watching my son grow up. I’m sure he’ll be rolling in the dirt with all his cousins, doing daredevil stunts, and scaring the crap out of me. I couldn’t tell you how many times I watched Wyatt get rushed to the emergency room back in high school for trying a stupid stunt. Well, maybe our son can be more like me and look more like Wyatt. I already feel sorry for all the little girls who haven’t been born yet who will have their hearts broken by him.

  Wyatt comes and sits at my side, his eyes landing on the picture I’m still staring at. “Has it changed any?” he jokes.

  I laugh. “No, but I do have an idea.”

  “What’s that?” he asks, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table.

  “Let’s play ‘What would you do?’”

  He frowns. “What’s that?”

  “It’s future-kid edition,” I joke. “I’ll make up some wild scenario that our future kid could—but probably won’t—ever do, and you tell me how you’d react.”

  “Okay,” he agrees.

  I think back on some of the more stupid things I’ve seen Wyatt do. “What would you do if you caught your son having sex with his girlfriend?”

  “How old is he?” he asks, thinking seriously.

  I shrug. “Let’s say 16.”

  He smiles. “I’d do what my dad did. I’d pat him on the back and give him a box of condoms.”

  I roll my eyes. “Okay, what would you do if you caught your 16-year-old daughter having sex with her boyfriend?”

  His face turns red. “Probably go to jail because I’d beat the shit out of that guy.”

  I laugh, hoping he’s not serious. “What would you do if your son came up and said, ‘Dad, I want to marry my girlfriend right out of high school’?”

  He snorts. “Fine by me.”

  “Is that what your dad said?”

  He picks up my foot and starts massaging it. “Nah, I didn’t tell him. I didn’t care what he thought. I was going to make you mine whether he liked it or not.” He smiles wide.

  “What if he rides on the roof of a car and falls off, breaking his arm?”

  He laughs. “That was one time. And it works perfectly fine now.”

  I join in on his laughter. “After how may surgeries?”

  “Four.” He rolls his eyes.

  I shake my head and think of another question.

  For the rest of the day, Wyatt and I hang out at the house, not bothering to get off the couch until 6 p.m., when we head over to Clay and Autumn’s for dinner so we can go over my ideas for the store.

  When we enter their B&B, which is also their home, Bryce is running through the house with a toy airplane in his hands, pretending it’s soaring through the sky at lighting speed. Clay comes around the corner holding baby Logan in his arms.

  “Hey, guys. How’s it going?”

  Wyatt shakes his hand. “Great. How are things around here?”

&
nbsp; Clay nods. “Good. Loud, but good,” he says just at Autumn bangs some pots and pans in the kitchen.

  “Care to hold him a sec? I’m going to see if she needs help,” Clay says, passing Logan off to Wyatt.

  Wyatt takes the baby but looks totally freaked out. His eyes are wide and his whole body is stiff. Not to mention, he’s holding the baby out in front of him rather than against him.

  I laugh. “What are you doing?” I ask. “That’s not how you hold a baby.” I push the baby closer to his chest, take one of Wyatt’s hands, and place it under Logan’s tiny little butt. “What are you going to do when we have a baby?” I whisper.

  “That’ll be different,” he says.

  “How?”

  “That baby will be mine.”

  I laugh. “Well, this baby is your nephew. Get some practice.”

  Clay comes back out and takes Logan from him. “I’m going to get him tucked in, then we can sit down and have some dinner. After that, we’ll start on your sketches.”

  I nod as I watch him rush up the stairs.

  Wyatt and I have a seat in the living room, watching Bryce play. He’s sitting on the floor now, smashing two cars together. By the time Clay comes back down, Autumn is sticking her head out of the kitchen letting everyone know that dinner’s ready. We all move to the kitchen, where the table is already set. In the center is homemade chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and rolls.

  “You should try the green beans. It’s the first batch out of the garden,” Autumn says, taking a seat between Bryce and Clay.

  “I definitely will,” I say, reaching for the bowl.

  The five of us sit and eat while talking and laughing. Dinner is amazing and I eat way more than I should. By the time the table is cleared, I’m so stuffed I can barely move.

  “I’m going to get Bryce cleaned up and put to bed. I’ll be back down shortly,” Autumn says, giving Clay a quick kiss before leaving the room with Bryce.