by Magan Vernon
So, I had to resort to my own devices.
"Hey, babe, I'm going to be in the bathroom for a while."
"Ew, I don't want to know about your pooping habits." Dina sat on the couch next to Libby. Some reality TV show was on, but Libby was looking from the TV to her computer.
After our talk, she had curbed her online shopping habit, but with Dina now going in on the business with her, they were both making plans. I never thought I'd see the girl work as hard, but she was always pulling up spreadsheets and looking at other similar companies' business models.
I hated to admit that it was kind of a turn on to see a hard-working woman.
A lot of her friends and my family members had been coming by to help us out with dinner and whatever chores needed done. I was working less since I was doing piddly jobs in Elsbury, but that didn't stop people from coming by.
People were always over. Sometimes a man just needed his privacy.
"I'll make sure I'm extra loud with the fart noises for you, Dina." I winked and grabbed a magazine from the coffee table for good measure before I sauntered into the bedroom.
Finally, I could be alone, and when I closed my eyes, I could think about another time. Before babies. Before married life.
Libby giggled, covering her mouth.
Damn, I should have known the little glowing candles would be too much. I'd never tried so damn hard for a girl, but there was something special about her. Something that I knew deserved more than throwing her down in the back of my truck and jack hammering her.
"What? Too much?" I put my arms out as if I was encompassing the entire room.
"It is a little cheesy." She laughed again, removing her hand from her mouth.
"Dangit. I just wanted to do something…to make it you know…special and what not." I dropped my hands and took a few steps toward her.
She bit down on her bottom lip and looked at the floor. I knew I was a goner right there looking at the sweetest little thing in the glow of the candlelight. "Are you sure?"
I lifted her chin so that her eyes met mine. They were slightly hooded and I had to bite my tongue to stop from just telling her how bad I wanted her. If she would have told me 'no', I'd have to excuse myself to the bathroom and get it all out. "Libby, I'm not going to do anything you don't want to do."
I took her hand and led her further into my bedroom. It was about time I explained myself instead of running like I always did. "When I wouldn't sleep with you at Jackson's, it wasn't because I didn't want to. Trust me, I did." I smiled, blowing a breath of air out of my nose.
"I just wasn't going to have it be some meaningless thing, just throwing you down on someone else's waterbed at a party. You are definitely too good for that, and I wanted to make sure that is not how you remembered the first time we did it."
I meant it. Every damn word. She deserved more. Hell, she probably deserved better than me, but there was something about her. Something special. She was perfect, even her flaws made her that much more perfect to me.
I took another step closer and peeled my shirt off, throwing it to the side. I hadn't worked out much, but manual labor more than made up for that. I could tell she appreciated it by the way her eyes roamed over my body.
"Joie De Vivre?" she questioned, putting her arm around my waist and pressing that tight little body against me.
"Zhwah duh viv-re," I said in my best French accen,. "It means the joy of living."
She looked up at me, unhooking her lip from her teeth before she grinned. "Then let's enjoy."
She kissed me hard and that was all I needed to pull her closer and let a little sigh escape her lips. I growled, deepening our kiss and wanting all of her as soon as possible.
"I didn't wear the lingerie, so I hope you aren't too disappointed," she whispered as I trailed a line of kisses down her neck to her collarbone.
Her body trembled as I slowly pulled off her little jacket and tank top. Damn she was beautiful. She was all tanned skin. My eyes trailed down to her belly ring and the curve of her hips that dipped into her shorts that I wanted my hands in so damn badly.
"You know baby, we don't have to do anything you don't want to do...We can still play Duck Hunt…" I leaned in and placed feather light kisses on her collarbone, barely touching her, but letting my breath trail over her skin.
She pulled on my belt loops and pressed me against her. I grinned, taking the chance to unhook her bra and let it fall to the ground. Her small, perfectly rounded breast pressed against my chest and I was about to burst out of my boxers.
We walked slowly toward the bed, peeling off my pants on the way there. Once we go to the bed, Libby laid down and slowly I pulled down her pants and those little white panties. She was even more perfect, naked, in all her glistening glory.
I kissed down her legs and then back up before reaching for my boxers. But before I could she put her hand on the top of my waistband.
"Wait," she whispered.
"Do you really want to stop right now?" I was practically falling out of my boxers and with her laying on my bed, spread out, there was no way I could stop.
"No." She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and if I wasn't already hard as a rock, I was now even harder.
"But…um do you…you know have something? You know a wrap it before you tap it?''
God damn, she was cute as hell. Her cheeks flushed as she hooked her bottom lip in her teeth again.
I couldn't help but laugh. "You mean a condom, Libby?"
"Yeah."
I didn't say a word, I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed a gold foil package from the fresh pack I bought, hoping I'd get to use it with her.
"Do you want to do it?" I asked.
"Ew!" She scrunched her face and if at all possible, she looked even cuter.
"Really Libby?" I raised an eyebrow.
She sighed. "Blaine, please just do me already."
I slid the condom on, tossing the wrapper to the side. Splaying my hands on either side of her waist, she immediately hooked her legs around my middle and her eyes rolled back as I slowly slid in, filling her completely.
If there was a heaven, I was pretty sure that's what Libby felt like.
"Blaine? Are you...OH MY GOD!"
I didn't hear the door, but I heard Dina's voice loud and clear as she caught me with my pants down, literally seconds from finishing.
Quickly, I pulled them up, zipping, and fastening my belt. "Dina, don't you knock?"
She covered her eyes. "I didn't see anything!"
I shook my head, all the blood rushing from my pants up to my face. I wasn't the guy who got embarrassed, but damn, I'd just got caught masturbating in my own bedroom. At least she didn't know it was because I was thinking of the first time with my wife.
Hell, she didn't need to know that or that I masturbated.
"Um, you have a visitor. She's in the kitchen." Dina kept her eyes covered as I walked out of the bedroom.
"She?"
Dina nodded.
"Hey Dina?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
"Can we not tell anyone about this?"
Dina laughed. "I'd be too embarrassed to ever bring it up."
I nodded. "Good. Now I guess I should see who my guest is."
I walked down the hall with Dina following behind me and she practically ran into me when I stopped and stared at the blonde haired girl in my kitchen.
"Nikki? What are you doing here?"
Libby sat at the kitchen table. "I asked the same thing."
Nikki put her hands out. She was leaning on the counter with four large foil trays in front of her. "Now, don't get mad at me. I thought this might be sort of a peace offering. My older sister, Tammy, and I wanted to help y'all out and made some freezer meals so y'all wouldn't have to worry about the cooking. These should last you at least a couple days and the directions are on them."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, that was awfully nice of the two of you."
Nikki sighed.
"It's about time I did something nice. I've been a real bitch. I mean, what the hell kind of girl gets drunk and starts yelling nonsense at a wedding? Not the kind of girl that I want to be."
"Yeah, it wasn't one of your finest moments," Libby muttered.
Nikki frowned. "I'm sorry, to both of you. For everything. I know that this isn't going to make up for it right now, but I'm going to keep trying. Blaine has been friends with me and my family since we were all running around in diapers. I should have never let my little crush get in the way of that and I did. I become a crazy girl because of it."
Libby smiled. "Sometimes we do crazy things for the boys we like."
I looked between the two girls. "So, does this mean we're all cool now?"
Libby stood up slowly and waddled over to the counter, examining the foil containers. "No, but I think that this Cajun chicken pasta may be a good start."
Chapter 17
Even when we don't want it to, life moves and sometimes life moves too quickly.
August had gone by in no time and things were slowing down even more at work.
Libby was done with school and spent her time getting things ready for the baby. She was still on bed rest, but that didn't stop her from sneaking away to fold some baby clothes or try and put together whatever toy she could.
I finally gave in to getting her out of the house when Jackson and Dina said they were hosting a Labor Day barbecue.
I still wasn't able to look Dina in the eye since she caught me with my pants down, but she was Libby's best friend and I had a feeling the two were going to make the announcement soon that they were taking over Dee's shop.
"Is it lame if my dish to pass is a Jello-O salad that Nikki made?" Libby asked as she finally got out of the car.
Her poor body was so swollen that it was like hell for her to get in and out of the car. Her face may have been puffy and there may have been dark circles under her eyes but nothing could stop her beautiful smile. Sawyer really was right, she was a ball of sunshine.
I shook my head, letting her hook her arm through mine. "Naw, I think Nikki will appreciate you sharing."
"Is she going to be here today?" Libby asked.
"I assumed so. You talk to her more than I do."
She laughed. "Only because I think that girl thinks that feeding me and bringing me baby clothes is going to win my heart."
I arched an eyebrow. "Is it working?"
"A little."
We went around the back of Jackson and Dina's place where the party was already in full swing. Jackson was behind his new giant grill and Dina was at the bar, but they both stopped what they were doing as soon as we walked in.
"The Crabtrees have finally left their house!" Jackson yelled, cupping his hands together.
Everyone parked in their chairs raised their glasses and let out a "whoop".
Jackson put his arm around Libby and helped guide her to an empty chair. "And now that they're here, I have an announcement to make, well more like Dina and Libby do."
Libby looked from me to Dina and then back again. All eyes were on them.
Libby slowly stood up from her chair and then made her way to stand next to Dina. "Well...should I tell them or should you tell them?" Libby asked.
"Just tell us!" Butch Sinclair yelled.
Libby rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine! Dina and I are going to be partners."
"Y'all are getting hitched?" Butch asked.
Dina threw an empty beer can in Butch's direction and he ducked before it hit him. "No, stupid, business partners! We are taking over Dee's shop!"
Everyone clapped and let out another "whoop".
"Now it won't be for another few years, but slowly you're going to see some changes and I think you guys are going to love it," Libby said, the smile plastered on her face.
Jackson sauntered over the girls, but his eyes were on Dina. "Yeah, there are some mighty big changes happening around here. Blaine and Libby are having a baby. Libby and Dina becoming business owners..."
Slowly Jackson bent down until he was on one knee and then pulled out a small black box that he opened to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. "And I'm hoping that Dina agrees to be my wife."
Dina practically tackled him with tears in her eyes. At some point I'm guessing she said yes because Jackson started hooting and hollering and picked her up, throwing his fist in the air.
With all the commotion and people congratulating, I lost Libby in the crowd. But when I found her, I knew something wasn't right.
Her hand was on her stomach and she leaned against one of the chairs as Nikki hovered over her, smiling and carrying on.
"Excuse me, Nik, I need a moment with my wife," I said, pulling Libby away.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
Libby winced. "No. I don't think I am."
My eyes widened. "Are you? Is this?"
Her face wrinkled again and I held onto her as she breathed heavily and then sighed, leaning against my chest. "I think it's time to go to the hospital. I think Mathieu is ready to make his debut."
***
I sped like hell to the hospital, not giving a lick about the holiday traffic.
As soon as we got to the emergency room, a nurse came with a wheelchair and got us back to a room.
Libby held onto my hand, practically crushing it every time she would writhe in pain.
"It's going to be okay, baby. Breathe!"
"YOU BREATHE!" she yelled as she laid back on the hospital bed.
The wide-eyed nurse stood at the foot of the bed. "Okay, Libby, I'm just going to check you to see if you're dilated."
The woman slipped her hand under Libby's gown. "Now you're going to feel some pressure."
Libby clenched her hand onto mine and I swore that she turned it white.
The woman was down there an awfully long time, I thought, before she finally pulled a gloved hand out. "You're about five centimeters."
I looked from the nurse to Libby. "What does that mean?"
"You have to be at ten to deliver," Libby said.
The nurse smiled. "It means that you're going to be a daddy."
***
A guy in scrubs came in and shot a needle in Libby's back for an epidural. They said it might slow down the process of her dilating, but it would take away some of the pain.
It didn't slow down shit.
Another nurse came in a few minutes later and Libby was still writhing in pain. "I feel like I need to take the biggest poop ever," Libby whined and I tried not to laugh.
"Well, let's just see if anything is moving along," the nurse said, putting her hand under Libby's gown again. All these nurses were getting more action than I was.
The nurse pulled her hand out and then put it on Libby's knee. "I'm going to go find your doctor. It's time to push."
Libby's eyes widened. "What? Really?"
"I'd better go call my mama and yours," I said and tried to pull away, but Libby locked a death grip on my hand.
"NO, you're not leaving me right now. I need you!"
I looked down at her big brown eyes and her trembling lip. This was it. The moment we'd been waiting for these last few months. She was right. I couldn't leave her now.
A lady came in wheeling some little cart with a light on it, followed by Libby's doctor in scrubs.
"Okay, Libby, are you ready for this?" she asked.
Libby shook her head. "No, but I guess I have to be."
Two nurses put Libby's legs in stirrups.
"Okay, Daddy, I'm going to need you to stand where you are and help hold her leg. Now, Libby, tell me when you feel a contraction and then your husband is going to count to ten with me and you're going to push for ten. Then stop. When you feel another one we'll do the same thing."
"I FEEL IT, I FEEL IT!" Libby screamed.
"Okay, let's push!" the doctor said.
I counted as Libby's body shook and her face scrunched up. We did this, what seemed like a hundred times, and nothing moved.
&nbs
p; "Maybe we could take a little break and come back. Your body might not be ready," the doctor said.
"Like hell," I replied and looked down at Libby, smoothing her sweaty hair from her face.
"Baby, you've got this."
She shook her head, tears springing from her face. "No, I don't. It's too hard. I should just let them do a C-section."
I put my hand on her chin and forced her to look at me. "Nothing is too hard for my girl. You've gotten through college, survived marrying me, and you're about to own your own business all while being a new mama. You're the strongest woman I've ever met and it's why I love you. It's also why I know you can do this. I'm going to be right here every step of the way."
She let out a big breath and nodded. "Okay. I'll try."
"That's my girl." I kissed her forehead, then moved back.
"Okay, I feel another contraction," Libby said weakly.
Then with her legs pulled back she yelled, scrunching her face as the doctor counted.
"That was a great one, Libby. A couple more of those and I think your baby's birthday is going to be today."
I squeezed her hand. "Come on, Mama, you can do this."
She pushed again and within a few more pushes, I heard the most glorious sound in the world, Mathieu's cry.
The doctor laid him on Libby's chest as I cut the umbilical cord, but I could barely take my eyes off of him. He had soft white hair and the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. Bluer than mine. His skin was tanned and everything about him was more perfect than I could have ever imagined.
I thought I fell in love with Libby the moment I first spoke to her, but I fell even more in love with her the moment I saw her holding our son.
"Do you want to hold him, too, Daddy?" Libby asked, looking up at me.
I smiled. "Of course."
I took Mathieu in my arms. I knew I only had a few moments before the nurses would whisk him away to clean him up and do whatever tests they had to do. But in that moment, looking into my sons eyes, I didn't think about the future, or what else the crazy world had to offer. I just knew that this was my family. This was my happiness.
