Hot tears seeped in my eyes as I soaked in his words. This man was turning me into an emotional wreck—in the best way possible.
“Since I’ve come back to Creekview, you’ve given me everything I ever wanted,” I whispered, half-talking, half-crying.
After my husband made love to me until the wee hours of the early morning, we showered together and returned to bed, lying in each other’s arms.
“Best honeymoon ever,” I whispered.
He tightened his hold around my waist, and just as we drifted to sleep, Joseph began to cry.
“Paxton.” I nudged him. “You’re going to have to let me go, so I can get him.”
“You stay put, and get some sleep,” Paxton ordered. “He wants his daddy.”
Exhausted, I closed my eyes, listening to the soothing tone of Paxton’s voice as he talked about quarterbacks and wide receivers and tight ends. And as I drifted to sleep, I dreamed of Paxton playing football in a big backyard with three boys. One of the boys was Joseph, and he stood several inches taller than his younger brother, who passed the football to Paxton. It was the third boy, the smallest of the children, who ran and grabbed Paxton by the leg, tackling him.
As they lay on the ground, laughing, I realized the third child wasn’t a boy, at all, but a little girl with short dark pigtails.
As the dream progressed and I watched the smiles on the children’s faces as they played with their father, a gentle peace washed over me.
One month later….
Paxton
We had visited my parents a few more times in the last four weeks. My mother hadn’t exactly warmed up to my family, but she hadn’t been dismissive, either. Even though it didn’t seem like progress, I knew my mother, and I counted it as a small victory.
We were going to my parents’ for Thanksgiving dinner, and the smell of apple pie wafted through our tiny apartment.
“You ready, babe?” I asked, buttoning the sleeves of my dress shirt as Jess finished dressing Joseph and handed him to me.
“Let me get my pie out of the oven.” She rushed out of the bedroom.
“Wait till you taste your Mommy’s apple pie,” I told Joseph, who giggled as I tickled his belly.
I followed Jess into the kitchen. “Have you already packed his diaper bag?”
“Oh!” she exclaimed, turning in my direction with a potholder in each hand. “I forgot to put more diapers in there, but I packed everything else.”
“I’m on it.” I sat Joseph on the floor while I stuffed diapers in his bag. He pulled up on the edge of the couch and shuffled along it sideways. “Where’re you going, Baby J?” He turned and grinned at me.
I scooped him up and grabbed the diaper bag. “I’m going to load him in the car,” I called to her in the kitchen.
“Be right there.”
As I loaded Joseph in his car seat, Jess rushed down the sidewalk with her purse hanging on her arm and her hands holding on to her prized apple pie. When my mother asked her if she could make one for Thanksgiving, Jess had tested three different recipes, searching for the best one.
I popped the trunk, so she could store her precious cargo in the spot with the least chance of mishap.
She looked pretty in a red fitted sweater with dark tresses curling around her shoulders. After she deposited the pie, I snatched her arm before she had a chance to high-tail it to her side of the car. She looked at me in surprise. “Hey, gorgeous, give me a kiss.”
Her red lips curled into a smile, and she lightly touched my lips with hers.
“You call that a kiss?”
“I have on red lipstick,” she explained, puckering her lips.
“I noticed.”
“I don’t want to get it all over you.” She gave me a sly smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you when we get home.”
I pointed at her. “You remember that.”
Her smile widened. “If I happen to forget, I’m sure you’ll remind me.”
“Damn straight.”
“Let’s go,” she urged. “We’re going to be late.”
A few minutes later, we pulled into the driveway and parked beside Cade’s truck. While we unloaded, Evan pulled up. Jess carried in her pie, while I grabbed Baby J and his diaper bag.
“Hey.” I tilted my chin at Evan as I met him in the driveway.
“What’s going on?”
“Got something to show you.”
“Oh, yeah?”
I nodded toward the house. “Come on.”
As soon as we walked into the house, I could smell baked ham, and my mouth watered in response. My dad greeted us in the living room, and I could hear my mom bustling around the kitchen.
While the rest of the group chatted, Mom showed Jess where to put the pie, and then they both rejoined us in the living room.
“Perfect timing,” my mother said. “Everything’s done now. We can eat whenever y’all are ready.”
“Before we do,” I said, “I’ve got something to show everybody.” I grabbed the magazine I had tucked in Joseph’s diaper bag and held it up. “The November edition of Muscles & Mayhem. Have you seen it yet, Evan?”
“No, I looked for it one day at Boone’s Pharmacy, but they didn’t have it.”
“Jess found this copy for me, but it was the last one. I think she’s going to try to get a couple more copies of it, aren’t you, babe?”
Jess nodded. “We should get them in the mail in a couple of days, and I started a subscription for the gym.”
“I’ll give you a copy of it when it comes in,” I told Evan.
I flipped it open and showed everyone the article about the bodybuilding competition in which Evan had placed third. “There are a couple of pictures of Evan right here, and if you flip over a couple of pages, you’ll see an article about getting ripped, written by yours truly.”
My family passed the magazine around, everyone congratulating Evan and me. Once everyone had a chance to see it, we gathered around the dining room table, pulling up an extra chair and a high chair to accommodate our growing family.
My dad carved both a ham and a turkey while everyone passed around the sides.
Midway through the meal, Seren excused herself. Cade watched her leave the room and quickly stood. “I’m going to check on her,” he said. “She’s been sick a lot lately.”
A few minutes later, Seren returned.
“Are you okay,” Jess asked as Cade walked back in the room.
He laid a small stack of crackers on the edge of her plate. Seren plastered on a smile. “I’m fine. I’m just going through some morning sickness. Trust me,” she said, “I’m thankful for every minute of it.”
Cade rubbed her back as she dabbed at her tears.
“Do you guys know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Evan asked.
“Not yet,” Seren said, “but we should find out soon.”
“I can’t wait,” Jess said, squirming in her seat. She clapped her hands together. “It’s so exciting!”
“I know your friend is giving you one big shower,” my mother said, “but if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
I could tell Seren was surprised by her offer, but she quickly smiled. “I will.”
“So how’s the addition to the gym coming along?” Dad asked.
“Making progress,” I told him. “Jess has a couple of massage therapists lined up for interviews, and she’s been building a marketing campaign, which she’ll start shortly before we open.”
“I’m super excited,” Jess said, her enthusiasm evident in her voice.
“And the editor at Muscles & Mayhem has already told me he’s interested in an article on the benefits of massage therapy,” I added.
“Boom,” Cade said, holding his fist in the air and extending his fingers. “You go, boy.”
“And I have a friend,” Seren said, “well, more of an acquaintance at this point, but anyway, she’s interested in hiring Evan for a photo shoot.”
“That’s awesom
e,” I said, turning my head toward Evan. “What kind of shoot?”
“Lingerie,” Evan replied, a mischievous grin on his face.
“And boom,” Cade said, repeating his hand motion of an exploding fist.
“Hey.” Evan shrugged. “It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.”
Dad gazed around the table. “Sounds like you boys are going to have plenty to keep you busy.”
“We have a lot to be thankful for this year,” Cade said, his eyes locking with Seren’s as he reached out and tugged a strand of her hair.
After finishing our meal off with an assortment of desserts, we walked out on the front porch to enjoy some autumn sunshine. Seren and Jess sat in the brown wicker love seat, while Dad and Evan took the last two chairs. Cade sat at the steps, and I stood, propped against a column.
We chatted about everything and nothing, and after a few minutes, I noticed my mother was the only one who hadn’t come out.
I walked over to Jess and took Baby J from her. “Y’all stay outside,” I instructed. “I’m going to let Baby J work his magic.”
“What?” Jess asked, her brow creasing.
“Just trust me,” I instructed. “Everybody stay outside.”
I carried Baby J in the house and found my mother in the kitchen, staring out the window into the backyard.
“Hey, Mom,” I said, and she immediately turned her head in my direction, waiting for me to continue. “Thanks for dinner.”
The corners of her mouth tilted upward. “You’re welcome.”
“Oh, I need to run out to the car. Here,” I said, motioning for her to take Baby J, “could you hold him a minute?”
She reached her arms out, and once she had him, I walked back out the front door and left it cracked.
“Where’s Joseph?” Jess asked.
“Mom’s got him. I figure if the little guy can win me over, Mom’s a shoo-in.”
“A shoo-in?” Cade asked, in disbelief.
“Cade,” Dad said, in the same manner he had used when we were boys. It was a discreet warning not to talk negatively about our mother.
We chatted a few more minutes, and then I said, “Hear that?”
Everyone quietened.
Mom’s voice drifted through the crack of the door. “Peek-a-boo.”
It was followed by Joseph’s giggles.
“Peek-a-boo.”
Baby J burst into another fit of laughter.
“Peek-a-boo.”
He laughed again, harder this time, and the sound of his merriment had everyone on the porch smiling.
“Told you.” I pushed off the column and opened the door. “Hey, Mom, why don’t y’all come out here with us?”
She carried Joseph out on the porch, and Evan immediately sprang from his chair. “Here, Mom, have a seat.”
Mom sat down, arranging Joseph in her lap, so that he faced her. “You want to play patty-cake with Grandma?” They played, and after a few moments, she turned him around, so that he could see everyone else. “Dave, I think we should put a porch swing up, so we can sit out here with our grandbabies.”
My dad nodded. “We can do that.”
She pointed to a tree out in the yard. “And maybe we could put a baby swing under that tree this summer.”
My dad looked in the direction she was pointing. “Perfect spot.”
My mom sighed. “Well, I should probably start washing dishes.”
Jess quickly stood. “You stay out here, Mrs. Mayfield. I’ll wash the dishes.”
“I’ll help you,” Seren said.
“No, you’re not feeling well,” Jess told her. “Pax will help me.”
I followed her into the kitchen and pulled out a dishtowel and a dishcloth from one of the drawers while Jess filled the dishwasher until it was full. Once it was running, she ran hot water in the sink, and she washed the remaining dishes while I dried.
She glanced out the window over the sink, looking out to the backyard. It took me a minute to realize tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“What’s wrong, Jess?”
She quickly shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Then why are you crying?”
“This is the best Thanksgiving I’ve had in a very long time.”
“Me, too,” I told her. “Cade was right. We have a lot to be thankful for this year.”
“I’ve got something to tell you,” she said, her eyes still focused out the window.
“So tell me.”
“I’m scared.”
I gently grasped her chin and forced her to look at me. “You’re my wife. You don’t ever have to be afraid to tell me anything.”
She swallowed, her eyes roving over my face as if she were trying to discern whether I spoke the truth.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered.
I studied her face, and all I could think was how beautiful she was and how much I loved her. Obviously, I was well aware that we’d had unprotected sex a time or two and that pregnancy was a possibility, one that I welcomed.
But to know that she was now carrying my child….
Even I could have never expected how happy that news made me.
“Pax, say something.”
I pulled her into my embrace. “So after this one…nine more to go until we have our own football team.”
Laughter erupted from her, and it was one of my favorite sounds on the face of the earth. Since she and I had married, I noticed that she laughed a lot more often, and I wanted to make sure it was always that way between us.
She smacked me lightly in the chest. “I hate to break it to you, buddy, but I’m not having ten more.”
“Okay, two for now, and we can have one more down the road.”
“You’re not worried about having two kids less than two years apart?”
I shook my head. “Not a bit. If they get too rowdy, we’ll just duct-tape them to the wall and throw Cheerios at them.”
“Are you sure you….”
I pressed my lips to hers, cutting her off mid-sentence. When I finally pulled away, I whispered, “I’m sure, Jess. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Max.”
I smoothed the hair away from her face. “And I love Baby J.”
A smile touched her lips. “I know you do.”
“Thank you,” I told her.
“For what?” She tilted her face up, waiting for me to answer.
“For being my wife, for giving me a son, for having my baby.”
Tears glistened in her eyes. I knew how much family meant to her.
But this was the first Thanksgiving that I realized just how much it meant to me.
If you enjoyed Paxton and Jessica’s story, would you please take a moment to rate this book? You’ll have the opportunity to do so at the end of this file, and I would greatly appreciate it!
Love,
Suzannah
***
The Whiskey Nights series continues in Whiskey Nights #5!
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Acknowledgements
Readers, never doubt that your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you for purchasing my books and giving them a chance.
Bloggers, thank you for supporting authors and readers with your tireless efforts.
Thank you to my family for your support.
Louisa Maggio of LM Creations, I love your designs.
To my beta readers, Lisa Atherton and Ginelle Blanch, I’m grateful that both of you ladies were willing to spend a little time with Paxton and Jessica and help their story shine. I appreciate both of you!
Thank you to everyone who has promoted my books, whether it was telling a friend or posting on social media. I sincerely appreciate it!
Books
by
Suzannah Daniels
Young Adult
Dangerous (Dangerous #1)
Devious (Dangerous #2)
Delirious (Dangerou
s #3)
Ghostly Encounter (Ghostly Series #1)
Vampire’s Bane (Vampire’s Bane #1)
New Adult
Perfectly Able
Wasted (Whiskey Nights #1)
Ignited (Whiskey Nights #2)
Deceived (Whiskey Nights #3)
Betrayed (Whiskey Nights #4)
Historical Romance
Viking’s Embrace
Book List on my Website
About the Author
Suzannah Daniels has had an affinity for words for as long as she can remember. She grew up in North Georgia with four brothers, so she learned at an early age to admire snakes and motorcycles. When she wasn’t pestering her brothers, she could usually be found reading or writing.
After high school, she married the love of her life, and they had three beautiful children, the oldest of which became a sweet angel at the age of five. Currently, she lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee with her husband. Her children live nearby. The family pets include a black Lab mix named Achilles, a Basset Hound named Annabelle, and a Shih Tzu named MooMoo.
She loves to hear from her readers. Contact her:
Website: www.SuzannahDaniels.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzannah-Daniels/366971616695887?ref=hl
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Betrayed (Whiskey Nights #4) Page 29
