by Amy Brent
“I love you, too,” she echoed as we both drifted off to sleep.
Epilogue
Abigail
Eight Months Later
I wasn’t entirely sure what had woken me up. It was dark in the bedroom that Ian and I shared, and I could tell it was still the middle of the night. I rolled over, trying to get back to sleep, but I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen, almost as though the baby were giving me a pinch. I yawned and got out of bed, waddling toward the bathroom. With my due date just around the corner, I was massive, and I wasn’t even carrying twins!
I rubbed at my belly as I looked in the mirror. Soon. Very soon.
Over the past few months, Ian and I had done everything we could to prepare for having a baby. I had moved into the master bedroom with him, and we had turned the spare bedroom, my old bedroom, into a nursery, even though the baby would sleep in here, at the foot of the bed in a crib, for the first part of his life. We had debated the pros and cons of that, but in the end, we’d decided we wanted him to be close by whenever he cried.
It was going to be a he. The only thing we hadn’t been able to decide on just yet was a name for the little one. We’d found out it was a boy pretty early on, and even though I had read stories about the doctors sometimes getting it wrong, I had felt certain even before the ultrasound that it was a boy.
So, the nursery was all done up in blues and greens, with giraffes and elephants decorating the walls. We’d gotten some of the most adorable clothing for the little one, and we’d picked out the outfit we were going to bring him home in from the hospital.
Ian and I had spent hours lying on the couch with his head next to my stomach and his hands feeling for the baby’s little kicks. “He’s going to be a soccer player,” Ian said.
“No. He’s going to be a musician,” I argued. “He’s kicking in preparation for that bass drum.”
We were just joking, but at the same time, it all seemed so real. I really wanted to imagine that little baby boy as part of our lives, and it was becoming easier and easier to do now that we had the stroller, the crib, and everything else.
Everything was ready. Now we were just waiting for the baby to arrive.
As if on cue, I felt another of those sharp, pinching sensations. Suddenly, there was a gush of fluid in between my legs. I stared dumbly down at the clear fluid puddling on the floor. “Oh,” I said.
It was time.
I looked at myself in the mirror one more time, a huge smile breaking over my face. I was going to be a mom.
I hurried back into the bedroom, flicking on the light. “Ian, wake up,” I said.
He shot up as though he’d been electrocuted. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Is everything okay with the baby? With you?”
I bounced on the bed next to him, burrowing into his arms for a second. “It’s coming,” I told him. “It’s really happening. I’m having a baby.”
“Now?” Ian clarified, already sitting up.
“My water just broke,” I told him. I frowned. “I should actually probably clean that up. And I’ve just made a mess of the sheets. Look.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Ian said, rolling his eyes at me and giving me a fond smile. “I’ll have a cleaner come over if I have to. Let’s just worry about getting you to the hospital. The last thing I need is for you to have the baby in the car on the drive over. You’ve already made my life way more interesting than I needed it to be.”
I laughed and stood up, already moving to get dressed. My bag was all packed and so was Ian’s. We were ready. I didn’t even feel the nervousness that I’d expected. I was just excited.
Well, I was a little nervous, but I would have been more worried if I wasn’t.
Ian, as though sensing my thoughts, came over to me, putting his arms around me and kissing me on the tip of my nose. “You’re going to do great, Momma,” he told me. “And I’ll be right next to you every step of the way.”
“Good,” I said.
On the way to the hospital, I called my parents even though it was the middle of the night. Things between Mom and I had become better ever since I’d turned to her for advice about the pregnancy and the baby. She was excited to be a grandma, and she accepted that I was settling down into something more like the life she’d imagined for me. I think she still pictured me with someone other than Ian, but I at least didn’t have to hear her lecture me about it.
“Mom, the baby’s on the way,” I said when she picked up the phone with a groggy “hello.”
Instantly, she sounded more awake. “Are you on your way to the hospital? Have you called your doctor already?”
“We’re on our way and so is Dr. Jensen,” I confirmed.
“We’ll be there,” Mom promised.
“You don’t have to come now,” I told her. “I’m sure I’m going to be in labor for a while. My contractions aren’t even that bad yet.”
“Still, I want to be there as soon as the baby is born,” Mom said stubbornly. “I want that baby to know it’s got family all around it.”
“Good,” I said softly, smiling.
When I hung up the phone, I turned to Ian. “I feel like there’s something I’m forgetting,” I admitted. “I know we packed the bags weeks ago, and I know I have everything I need in there. Work knows I’m on my maternity leave at the moment, and I called my phone there just to make sure that my away message was turned on, but I just feel like I’m forgetting something.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Ian assured me. “Whatever you might have forgotten, and I don’t really think there is anything, I’m going to be right there with you. I’ll be your errand boy or anything else that you need.”
“You’re the best,” I said, squeezing his hand.
Not only had he helped me prepare for the baby, but he’d been so good to me through my pregnancy. No matter what time of night it was, if I was craving something, he went to get it, even if I never wanted it by the time he got back. He had massaged my feet, gone with me to all my appointments, talked me through all my panic, blocked all the blogs that caused that panic, and more.
He had the patience of a saint, and I was so lucky to have him, especially given how suddenly we’d been thrown into all this.
We got to the hospital, and seven hours later, around eight in the morning, I finally got to hold my son in my arms. “He’s beautiful,” I murmured, staring down at that little face, those tiny hands, and that miniature nose.
“Damon,” Ian said suddenly. “I don’t know why, but he looks like a Damon.”
I smiled. “Damon,” I said, rolling the name around on my tongue. “I like that.” I grinned at Ian. “Now all we have to decide is his middle name.”
Ian shook his head. “As long as you don’t give him five middle names, or a girl’s middle name, or a middle name that rhymes with his first name, I’m fine with whatever you choose.”
“I love you,” I said, the words coming easily to me now.
“I love you, too,” Ian said. He reached out and lightly stroked Damon’s cheek. “And I love you, too.”
Even though I knew from all my research that babies didn’t start smiling until much later on, I imagined I could see Damon’s lips curl up into the tiniest of smiles at his daddy’s words.
There was a knock on the door, and we both looked up. It was Zach and Mikayla. “We came as fast as we could,” Zach said, hurrying over to the bed. “How are you? How’s the baby?”
“We’re all fine,” I assured him. “Meet your new baby nephew, Damon.”
“Damon. I like that,” Dad said from behind Mikayla. He came in and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Glad to see Momma and baby are both doing well.”
“Do you want to hold him?” I asked Dad.
“I don’t know,” he said seriously. “It’s been a long time since I held one of those things.”
I laughed. “I don’t think that’s the kind of thing you can forget,” I said, already holding the baby out to him. He cradled the litt
le one expertly against his chest, cooing down at it.
Mom held him next, and then Brittany, who snuck in while we were all cooing at Damon’s tiny yawns. “Man, I’m going to have to get pregnant just to give this little guy someone to grow up with,” she joked.
“Well, actually,” Mikayla said slowly. She glanced over at Zach, who nodded at her. “Part of why we wanted to get married at the courthouse a few months ago is that I actually found out I was pregnant.” She rested her hand over her stomach. “I’m due in four months.”
“I knew it!” I said. “Mother’s intuition.”
“Are you saying you could tell I was getting fat?” Mikayla joked.
“They’re going to be best buds,” I said, smiling. “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl yet?”
“It’s a boy,” Mikayla said.
Ian groaned and looked at Zach. “They’re going to be just like you and me growing up.”
“Don’t worry. Damon’ll be the older one, always there to throw the first snowball,” Zach said, winking at his best friend.
Things were good between all of us now, and I was glad everything had worked out. I didn’t think I could stand it if things had never gone back to normal between all of us. But by now, Zach was used to the idea that Ian and I were together, especially now that he and Mikayla were officially married. Ian and I weren’t quite to that step yet; we’d been so focused on getting everything ready for the baby. We went on a number of double dates with Zach and Mikayla, though.
“You guys aren’t the only ones with an announcement to make,” Ian said.
“We all know about your baby,” Zach teased. “We’ve already all held him. Unless you’re telling me you’ve got another one on the way.”
“Not yet,” Ian said, but the dark promise in his eyes made me shiver a little.
“Let’s wait until we see how the first one is before we start planning for the second one,” I said.
Everyone laughed.
“Anyway, I wasn’t going to say anything about another baby. Not yet,” Ian said. “But, Abigail Foley, I was hoping that with all our friends and your family and our little baby son here to witness it, you would do me the honor of agreeing to become my wife.”
He held out a ring box and popped it open, revealing a small but brilliant diamond.
“Oh, Ian,” I said, putting a hand over my mouth. This day just couldn’t get any better. I realized I was crying, and Ian apparently wasn’t even done with what he wanted to say.
“Abigail, I know I’ve loved you for a long time, and I hope you feel the same way about me. I want to build a family together, you and me and Damon. And maybe a dog and some other children and whatever else. I want to take on the world with you by my side. You make me the happiest that I’ve ever been, and I can only imagine what it would be like to grow old by your side.”
I nodded, not even able to say the words. “Oh, Ian,” I said again. “Yes. Absolutely. Yes.”
Ian grinned at me. “So, unfortunately, I know that your fingers are all swollen right now from the pregnancy, but I got the ring sized for that so that you would always remember when and where I proposed. But when your fingers shrink back down, I promise I’ll get you another one.”
I laughed even as I swatted him on the shoulder. “Don’t laugh at my sausage fingers,” I said.
Ian grinned and slid the ring onto my third finger, lightly kissing my knuckles. “I love you,” he said quietly.
“I love you, too,” I replied.
“And I know it’s too early to start planning the wedding right now, especially with this little one about to make our lives very busy,” Ian said, taking Damon from Brittany and rocking him gently, “but, Zach, I hope you’ll do me the honor of being my best man.”
“Of course I will,” Zach said, clapping Ian on the shoulder.
“Brittany, you’re going to have to be my maid of honor,” I said. I grinned at Ian. “What day are we supposed to get married, April thirteenth?”
“That’s the one,” he said.
Brittany shook her head. “Are you saying that I’m not only going to be a godmother but also a maid of honor?” She put a hand on her head. “That’s so much responsibility.”
“If you don’t want to, I’m sure Mikayla would step in,” I teased.
“Too late. I’ve already accepted,” Brittany said, playfully sticking her tongue out at Mikayla, who only laughed.
Right then, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. But Ian had made me feel that way every day since I’d moved in with him. I could only imagine what the future might have in store for us.
*** The End ***
P.S. Included in this book is Baby Fever – A Full Length Mountain Man and Virgin Fake Marriage Romance. Just flip the page and continue reading!
Exclusive: Baby Fever
Chapter One
I drummed my fingers on the table in front of me, glancing around nervously. I was still sure that this was some sort of huge mistake, that at any moment some maniac would swoop in and kidnap me as my punishment for thinking that I could reply to ads in the newspapers and get away unscathed. Or without Richie finding out about it. I reached down to check my bag was still there, gripping the handles once again, reminding myself that I was ready to get out of here at a moment’s notice.
The door jingled again and I looked up – nope, it was just a woman a little older than me, hand in hand with her boyfriend. My heart sank. Even though I knew that it was the right choice to leave Richie behind, I couldn’t help but hurt a little when I saw happy couples hanging out together. Would I ever have that again? Had I ever had it in the first place?
I looked down at my cup of coffee, my distorted reflection looking back at me. I couldn’t think like that. Just because I had walked away from Richie didn’t mean that my life was over. I couldn’t think like that – It was only going to land me in trouble, being so fatalistic. I was on my way out and that was all that mattered now. I was going to make it out of this city, out of this scene, start my life over-
“Miss?” The waitress paused next to me, and I looked up at her, jumping slightly and jiggling everything on the table in front of me.
“You want a top up?” She nodded down to my cup, and I managed to nod and hold out my cup. She topped it up, and I returned my gaze to the door. I had asked to meet at a spot way out of town, to be sure that Richie and his cronies had no chance of stumbling across me by accident, but I was still sure that I was going to see one of them walk through that door at any moment and drag me back to the life I had just escaped from. But no-one came in, and I was left there, alone with my overcaffeinated thoughts, as I waited for the guy I was meeting to arrive.
I still couldn’t quite believe that I was doing this. After so long telling myself that I wasn’t going to put up with it any more, here I was, not putting up with it anymore. Sure, it had taken me getting caught in the middle of a drug deal gone wrong to get out, but now that I had I felt this freeness that I hadn’t in a long time – like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. No more having to turn my head when I saw Richie involved with something he shouldn’t have been. No more having to duck my head down every time a cop walked by me, in case my face had been attached to whatever low-level drug shit Richie had been pulling these days. None of it, not any more.
But I knew, when I packed my things and left that morning, that Richie wasn’t going to let me get away from all of this that easily. That wasn’t the kind of guy he was. He was possessive, obsessive, and when he figured out I wasn’t coming back he would tap into his people across the city to make sure I didn’t get far. I only had a matter of time before that happened, twenty-four hours at the most. And that’s why I’d replied to that crazy advert in the newspaper. In the hopes that whoever had left it there would somehow come through for me.
The door opened again, and this time I knew at once that this had to be the guy that had placed the ad. He carried himself differently than everyone else in this pl
ace – shoulders rolled back, like he was used to walking into a room and owning it. He was wearing a suit, far removed from the rest of the casual diners in the neon-lit place I’d insisted we meet at. His hair was cropped short, dark brown like his eyes, and there was a smattering of stubble over his jaw that looked deliberate. He glanced around, narrowing his eyes for a moment, and then he must have noticed me staring at him as he made his way towards me and planted his hands on the table before me.
“Laurie?” He asked, and I nodded. He slid into the seat opposite me; the booth was so small it felt as though it could barely contain him, but that might have been my imagination.
“Good to meet you,” he extended his hand towards me in a businesslike fashion, and I took it. As our fingers connected, I felt this sharp jolt of electricity pass from his skin to mine. I wondered if he felt it too – if he did, he didn’t register it on his face.
“You too,” I murmured. I realized I didn’t know his name. “Uh, so you’re the guy who left the ad in the paper, right?”
“Yep, that’s me,” he nodded. “Cormac Miller.”
“Right, cool,” I wrapped my hands around my coffee cop, and realized that they were shaking slightly. I took a deep breath and tried to figure out what to say next. I guessed there was only one thing to ask now that I had him here in front of me.
“Is this for real?” I asked, raising my gaze and looking at him dead in the eye. He cocked an eyebrow, and the glimmer of a smile passed over his face.
“Yes, it’s real,” he nodded. “But I get why you’re asking.”
“Yeah, I mean, a million dollars, one year, outside of the city, all expenses paid,” I ticked off everything that had been in that ad in my head. “It’s pretty much-”
I almost said perfect, but I didn’t want him to know why the advertisement had appealed to me so much. I shut my mouth.
“Unbelievable, it’s pretty much unbelievable,” I burbled, trying to cover my tracks. I had a feeling I wasn’t doing a great job.
“Well, it’s kind of an important job,” he eyed me for a moment, as though trying to figure something out.
