“I love living in this bubble with you. But it’s not a fantasy, this is our life, and it only gets better from here. You’ve rescued me physically, you’ve literally saved my life—you’ve convinced me that heroes do exist. More than that, you’ve shown me that true love is real, regardless of how messy life gets or how hard it is. I know you’ll never desert me, you’ll never hurt me, and you’ll never break my heart…because you’re the best man I’ve ever known, Nick.”
We fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms and secure in our love. Whatever happens next, happens. But we’ll get through it together…good or bad.
Over the next few days, Savannah and I work to finish unpacking every box, setting up every room, and hanging every picture. When I say we, I mean me, of course, since I insist on doing all the heavy lifting. She supervises. It works. When we reach the apartment over the garage, she drags me to the furniture store and chooses a few new pieces to make it as homey as possible for Miranda. We venture over to the nursery furniture, and I watch as she fingers every item, from the crib to the rocker-glider chair to the changing table. She keeps saying if it’s meant to be, it will be, but she can’t hide how much she wants it to be.
“Have you thought about setting a date for our wedding yet? It may be caveman-ish of me, but I really want to see Savannah Fields changed to Savannah Tucker. Soon. How about tomorrow? Is tomorrow too soon?” I intentionally change the subject before her thoughts go too far down the baby-making path.
Her nervous laugh causes a flash of alarm to run through me. “I actually thought I dreamed you proposed to me. It was a wonderful dream.”
“It definitely was not a dream. You already said yes, so you can’t take it back now.”
“Zero chance of that happening, my love. What about a long weekend trip to Vegas, a drive-thru wedding in a rented car, and a honeymoon where we never leave the hotel room? They have room service. We can be back before you start with the CIA Monday morning.”
“Can you be more perfect for me? I’m making the reservations tonight. Nonrefundable tickets.” I lean down and kiss her, but I’m not kidding about making travel plans.
“Fine with me. I’ll go pack our clothes. Let’s leave tomorrow when I get off work—Thursday to Sunday is a perfect short getaway.”
After a long weekend of drive-thru nuptials, champagne and strawberries delivered to our suite, and nonstop lovemaking on every surface in our expansive room, we’re flying back to DC as Mr. and Mrs. for the first time in my life, and the only time this will happen. Six months ago, if someone had told me that getting married would’ve made me the happiest man on the planet, I would’ve shot them in the head and put them out of their misery. Now, I’d buy them a beer and convince them to join the newlywed cult if they hadn’t already.
When we pull into the garage back at our home, we sit in silence inside the truck, holding hands and staring at our wedding bands. The diamond will come, we’ll pick it out together, but the forever bands on our ring fingers hold the most meaning to me. “Mrs. Tucker, are you ready to be carried across the threshold and start the rest of our lives together in our own home?”
“Absolutely, Mr. Tucker. I love you…so much.”
After getting her out of the truck, I carry her across the threshold and straight up to our bedroom. We have a few hours left before I have to report to The Farm for training. Thanks to my previous experience, I don’t have to live there like some of the recruits do. I’ll be home most every night and weekends, but some of the spy boot camp sessions will require more of my time than others. With our combined work schedules, we’re flexible enough to work around the time apart.
Speaking of flexible, the gorgeous redhead beckoning me with her big emerald-green eyes is very bendy and flexible, and I’m one lucky son of a bitch to have landed her. She straddles my waist, lowering herself on me until she’s fully seated, taking all of me. She begins to move, throwing her head back in ecstasy and releasing the sexiest fucking moans I’ve ever heard. Like a jigsaw puzzle that’s been completed at last, being joined as one with the only woman I’ve ever honestly loved feels as if the missing piece of the puzzle inside me found its mate.
My soul mate.
Before I drift off to sleep, exhausted from the long day and nighttime acrobatics, my phone chimes with a text. I pick it up and glance at the screen, releasing a sigh of relief over the message from Silas.
Okay to move forward with your plans, but there’s much more to the story than we thought. I’ll fill you in when I get home. See you tomorrow.
Chapter 23
Savannah
The past few months have been nonstop running from one place to another for both Nick and me. After our whirlwind weekend in Vegas, Nick started his new job, and the grueling training schedule has kept him super busy. Miranda didn’t have many possessions at the shelter, so she and I were able to move everything without help. She was thrilled to have more than a single room at a crowded shelter. The privacy and proximity afforded by her new home brought her to tears—happy tears. Karen has been over several times, looking as if she is ready to pop at any time, but she’s as invested in Miranda as I am. I’ve enjoyed having another friend nearby as much as Miranda has enjoyed getting to know Karen.
Nick comes home most every night, but sometimes it’s very late and he’s completely exhausted. However, his schedule hasn’t stopped him from making time to help ensure the entire in vitro fertilization process flowed smoothly. The first few appointments were for Miranda and me—medication to synchronize our ovulation cycles to prime my body for the extraction. Medication for her so her body can prepare to accept the embryo. Then the trigger shot for me—the last step before they collect my eggs.
Nick and I talked at length about how many embryos we’d want implanted, then sat down together to share our decision with Miranda. Since she’d be the one impacted the most, we wanted to make sure she was on board with us and understood what she faced. I shouldn’t have been worried about her reaction, but I couldn’t just assume she’d be fine with whatever we decided to do with her body.
Turns out, she was fine with whatever we wanted to do with her body.
We assured her that two implanted embryos were enough for us. If they both take, we’d get two for the price of one, considering we may never have the opportunity for such an amazing gestational surrogate again. If only one embryo implanted, we’d be equally as thrilled and consider ourselves blessed to have a baby at all.
After all the buildup—watching the calendar, going to doctor appointments, getting shots, taking medication, having the egg retrieval performed, and fertilizing the eggs in a laboratory then having them transferred to her uterus—we were finally ready for the big day. It was time for the pregnancy test. I was so nervous and excited, I couldn’t eat or sleep all weekend, waiting for the end of the fourteen days to pass. The wait was more than excruciating—it was downright cruel and unusual punishment. The entire process was mentally grueling.
And it all came down to one little test and a positive or negative sign.
While Miranda took the test into the bathroom with her, I slipped into Nick’s lap, wrapped my arm around his neck, and laid my head on his shoulder. He smelled so good, the combination of sandalwood and coffee reminding me of the first day we met. Believe it or not, that memory calmed my racing heart. I remembered how I felt, looking up into his eyes when he knocked Butch on his ass. Nick was my hero that day, and he’s still my hero today. He was my rock that day, and he’s still my rock today. No matter what Miranda’s pee showed, we would still have each other, and that was all that mattered.
A few minutes later, Miranda emerged from the bathroom with the stick in her hand. Her eyes were downcast and her feet moved slowly toward me. The doctor warned us several times that the embryos might not attach the first time. That’s why they take plenty of eggs and freeze the embryos that are not implanted right away. If she was willing, I reasoned we could always try it again after another cy
cle of medication and clinic visits.
She handed the positive pregnancy test stick to me and grinned from ear to ear. “Congratulations, Savannah. We’re pregnant!”
At first, I was completely speechless. I had prepared to be let down after the first try, knowing many people have to try more than once before an embryo attaches. But I sat there holding my breath and pinching myself, waiting to wake up from a wonderful dream. Nick squeezed me, wrapping both arms around me and burying his face against my neck. He kissed the delicate skin there, moving up to my jawline, across my cheek, and finally capturing my lips. His soft, lingering touch brought me out of my trance. He pulled his head back, looked into my eyes, and smiled warmly at me.
“We’re having a baby, darlin’.”
With screams and shouts loud enough to alert the entire neighborhood, I jumped up from Nick’s lap and danced around in excitement. Then I grabbed Miranda and hugged her, so very thankful for this incredible gift she’s given us.
That was six weeks ago. It’s now June, the beginning of summer, and we’re preparing for an ultrasound to confirm the embryo is developing and thriving. This has been another excruciating wait. Are we having one or two babies? Does it even matter? We’re having a baby! Another concern I’ve pushed to the back of my mind is the frequency of miscarriages after IVF. But Miranda has been great about my overprotectiveness and checking on her multiple times a day, even between patients while I’m at work. She refers to me as her helicopter mom, but I think she secretly likes the attention.
“Miranda Petrovio family.” The nurse stands in the doorway, holding it open with her hip when she calls us into the exam room.
Miranda is already in her paper gown and leaning back on the exam table. She looks relieved when we join her, and the full understanding of the enormous task she’s agreed to hits me like a runaway train. She’s completely alone without Nick and me. No family to help her. No one to turn to for advice or just to lend an ear and a shoulder. And now she’s pregnant with a baby that’s not hers, all to help someone she barely knew just a few short months ago.
Nick and I take seats beside her, and I reach over to grasp her hand. She squeezes mine in return, and I notice her visibly relax. The doctor steps into the room, and the sonogram technician readies her supplies. When they find what they’re looking for, they turn the screen so all of us can see the images with them.
And there it is…
Or, I should say, there they are…
Two distinct embryonic sacs.
We’re having twins.
I’m hyperventilating.
I don’t think Miranda is breathing at all. Her eyes are bugging out of her head and her mouth is wide open, but I don’t see her chest moving. I can’t stop mine from heaving.
“Hell yeah!” Nick shouts from beside me, drawing everyone’s attention and breaking the spell Miranda and I are both under.
Everyone in the room bursts out in laughter and huge smiles. At least we’re breathing normally again. Congratulatory hugs are passed around freely. Miranda doesn’t release me when we hug, though. Instead, she slides over a little to give me room to recline beside her. Then she looks at the technician.
“These are her babies. I’m just carrying them for her. Can you please show her again?”
“Of course. Congratulations, mamas. You should both be very proud.” The technician slides the wand over Miranda’s stomach again until she finds the two raspberry-sized babies. Two separate, tiny heartbeats. Two distinct pieces of Nick and me that I love instantly at first glance.
Yes, I do believe in love at first sight. Because I’m totally and completely in love with our babies right now.
“No wonder I’ve had so much morning sickness and been so tired lately. These two babies are already zapping my energy.” Miranda laughs but keeps her eyes glued to the screen. “Savannah, I’m so happy for you. You’re going to be the best mom ever.”
We leave the clinic with the next appointment scheduled at the regular obstetrician’s office. Miranda is doing well, and the babies seem to be thriving in her womb, so the IVF clinic’s job is done. We climb into Nick’s truck, and my phone starts to ring.
“Hey Karen, I should’ve known you’d call right about now.” I love my best friend.
“Oh yeah? Is all the magic gone from our relationship? Am I that predictable?”
“Only when you want to know all the details about my baby mama.” It’s a running joke between us. I’ve told a few people at work that Miranda is pregnant with my baby and then laugh hysterically when they’re unsure of how to reply.
“How is your baby doing?” Karen asks with a smile in her voice.
“My babies—plural—are doing good. Twins, Karen! We’re so excited!”
“Oh, love, I’m so happy for you and Nick! That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Well, maybe the second-best news.”
“You have other news? Tell me!”
“My water broke. Spence and I are on the way to the hospital to have this baby today!”
“Oh my God! Nick—you have to turn around and get to the hospital right now!” I realize after I scream at him that my words could be misconstrued. His horrified expression confirms my suspicion a little too late. “Sorry, Karen’s in labor. We’re having a baby today. Let’s take Miranda home first so she can rest, then we’ll go to the hospital.”
“Thank you—I was going to say the nausea is a little much. I’d love to see her baby, but I’m afraid the hospital odors would completely do me in right now.”
“You got it. Tell Karen we’ll be there as soon as we can.” Nick keeps a level head while I freak out enough for both of us. Excitement overload.
Hours later, I’m sitting beside my best friend, holding my goddaughter in my arms, and promising her I’ll always be here to help take care of her. After we returned from our impromptu wedding in Vegas, Karen chastised me for not asking her to be my matron of honor but relented after I reminded her that she couldn’t travel. She forgave me then asked me to be Kate’s godmother. Naturally, I said yes. Holding this precious baby and showering her with love, I can’t imagine how much stronger my love for my babies will be when I finally hold them in my arms.
“When you have yours, I’ll be there with you, Savannah. I can’t wait until that day.”
“I can’t either.” My gaze lifts to meet Nick’s, and I instantly feel his love flowing into me. “We’re going to have a great family.”
“You bet your sweet ass, we are.” Nick winks then takes Kate from my arms.
If I could actually get pregnant, it would spontaneously occur from seeing Nick Tucker with a tiny baby girl in his arms.
Time flies when you’re having fun, a best friend with a newborn, a woman pregnant with your twin babies, and a husband in training day and night at The Farm or wherever else they decide to send him. Another holiday season has passed, and another new year has now begun, bringing promises of everything I’ve ever wanted. But time really doesn’t care if you’re ready for the upcoming changes or not. They happen regardless of the best-laid plans or whether it’s under the ideal circumstances.
For us, those changes are a baby boy and a baby girl who will be delivered via a scheduled Cesarean section. Thankfully, both Miranda and the babies had an uneventful pregnancy, by medical terms. Every day was a magical event for me. The first time they moved. The first time they had the hiccups. The protruding feet and elbows just under her skin. All the major milestones that I was able to experience with her as if I experienced them myself.
When I step back inside the labor and delivery ward, I feel as if I just left here after Karen’s little bundle of joy was born. That was more than half a year ago now, and this time, we’re here for our own flesh and blood. A day I didn’t think could happen just a short year ago, yet here I am, waiting for my twins. I’m scared and thrilled and scared some more and so damn happy, I can’t keep it all inside.
Nick and I scrub in with the doctors to give Miranda al
l the support we can and watch the delivery of our babies. Nothing in the operating room will bother me—I’ve seen much worse in the emergency room. But my heart is pounding so hard, I feel light-headed. Two pediatricians are on standby to grab the twins and perform assessments the moment they emerge. They’ve appeared healthy all along, but the doctors’ presence just makes sense under the circumstances.
Nick and I sit on either side of Miranda’s head, and I slip my hand under the sterile cover to hold hers. She grips it tightly, scared and nervous about what’s to come, but there’s no turning back now. She turns her face toward me and whispers.
“I’m so glad you’re here with me. I know there’s nowhere else you’d be right now, but I’m so grateful for you, Savannah.”
“I’m the grateful one, Miranda. You’re giving me the greatest gifts I could ever ask for—and they’re both fully Nick and me. I’ve never known anyone as selfless as you are. No one else would’ve done this for me.” I lean over and kiss her forehead. She’s become like a younger sister to me, especially in the time since she’s been living over our garage.
Once the obstetrician begins, the entire birthing sequence seems to be over in the blink of an eye. Everyone proceeds in orchestrated movements, the entire team knowing their specific job to the point of perfection. Once the pediatricians have given the all clear for the twins, two nurses approach Nick and me, each offering us a swaddled baby. Pictures are snapped and too many tears to count are shed, but every single moment is perfectly perfect.
Once we’re moved to a private room, Miranda sleeps while Nick and I enjoy quiet time with our babies, lying on the fold-out couch with Gavin and Kinsley Tucker snuggled between us. For the next eight weeks, I’ll take care of Miranda along with the new loves of my life. It’s the least I can do to repay her for this incredible life she’s given Nick and me. Now I understand what it means to wear your heart on your sleeve, because my heart is now completely laid bare, embodied by these three perfect humans lying here with me.
Fine Line (Crossing Lines Book 1) Page 21
