by Mia Ford
“By next Christmas, we’ll tell everyone. Hopefully, it will all have blown over by the holiday and we can just be together like we have every other year.” Payne gave me a hopeful smile, followed by a kiss as his hand trailed down my stomach. “I love you, Vie. I love you so much.”
“I love you,” I responded as I felt him move closer to me.
We fell asleep together with the door still open. I knew that I would sleep lightly, worried that someone would come back for an odd reason and that we’d be caught. I didn’t want to ruin Christmas that way. I suspected that Lauren knew that something was going on by the looks that she gave me more and more. She was a smart woman and it wouldn’t surprise me, though I worried that she would be the one to tell Dad and get the issue started.
I mostly dozed against him, waking up to every noise with a smile as I felt Payne beside me. I was up early and making coffee when I felt my stomach growl and a feeling that I needed to eat come over me suddenly.
It was almost violent the way the nausea came over me and I held my hand over my mouth as I grabbed a cookie from the plate. It soothed me and I brewed coffee but it seemed to turn my stomach further as I frowned. I opened the fridge and pulled out orange juice as my mind raced with possibilities.
I’d been feeling off lately, though it wasn’t as obvious as it was this morning. Things that I loved didn’t agree with me anymore, like wine and coffee. I was hungrier and made a point to eat a hearty lunch and make dinner nearly every night. I was tired and fell asleep on Payne often in bed when we relaxed together.
I was new to sex but had a lot of friends that experienced pregnancy scares and the real thing. All the things that I was feeling were textbook as I thought back and I sipped the juice slowly. I was on the pill. I had been for over half of the relationship, but there had been a few times when we were careless together. I hated myself for taking the chance and I closed my eyes as I heard footsteps on the stairs. “You made coffee! Are you having any?” Payne asked me as he kissed me gently. He went to pour a cup and waited for my answer, one that never came. “Vie?”
“I need to go to the store,” I told him as he slipped an arm around me and kissed my hair.
“Something for today?” Payne asked as I turned my eyes to him. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“I need a pregnancy test. I’m so sorry,” I started to cry as he set the cup down and took me in his arms. “I didn’t plan this and I am so scared.”
“Get dressed and we’ll go,” Payne said to me as I ran upstairs. We both knew that we had precious time to figure this out and pull ourselves together. I pulled on jeans and a shirt while he changed into jeans and a shirt in the bathroom downstairs.
Payne drove us in his car, finding an open corner drug store and rushing inside as I sat stunned in his car. We talked about next Christmas being different, not this one. I wasn’t ready for so much at one time and I sipped the juice that I’d brought along with me. What would I tell Dad? What would happen? I rested my face in my hands as I felt a headache coming on as the door opened to my left.
“I got a few. Let’s get home,” Payne told me as I looked over at him with heavy eyes. He looked nervous as I was, but there was a smile on his face. “You might be having my baby.”
“Is that okay with you?” I asked as he looked at me at the green light. “It’s sudden and accidental.”
“It will make us face this, once and for all. If you are pregnant, I am making you mine no matter what the consequences.” Payne opened my gate and we pulled in, relieved to see that Dad and Lauren weren’t back yet. I went inside to my bathroom, needing my private space as I opened boxes and read directions before doing the deed.
I walked out to see Payne sitting on my bed, staring at the bathroom door. I sat beside him, wrapping my arms around him as I cried softly. I needed to pull myself together for Dad, but the emotions were hitting heavy right now and he held me tight. After I heard my phone chiming through the open door of the bathroom, Payne stood and offered me his hand.
Together, we learned that we were going to be parents. There were smiles, tears, hugs and kissed before I took a shower to get all the crying out. I was determined to make today as normal as possible for everyone. I cried and let the steam clear my eyes as best as it could before I got out and dressed in black slacks and a festive red sweater.
I joined Payne downstairs once I had some make up on and felt a little better, though I was still reeling from the news. I made breakfast though he ate far more than I did, feeling his gaze on me from across the table. “I knew that you looked different. I knew that you looked beautiful and like you were glowing, but I never guessed why.” I smiled at his words. “This is going to work, Vie. I loved you before this but now I want to go house shopping and get ready for our future. I want to do it all.”
“Let’s get through Christmas first,” I bit into my bacon and stared at him. “Will I still work for you?”
“There’s nothing saying that you can’t. There are a lot of couples that work together and since I’m handling trials, you’re not involved in anything much more than the research. However, you wouldn’t need to work. You could stay home or pursue something else, no worrying involved.” Payne smiled at me. “The future is open.”
We both heard the gate and I wished that I could drink as I looked out the window to see Dad pulling in. “We’re telling him later. Alone.” My voice was firm and Payne nodded as he stole one more kiss before sitting across the table again.
“Merry Christmas!!” Their voices called as they came inside of the house. Lauren popped into the kitchen first with a big smile as she looked at us. “Thanks for being so understanding about this. We had such a good time and brought you goodies.” I exchanged a look with Payne that made her frown. “Are you okay?”
“Of course,” I replied as I stood to hug her as well as Dad, who walked in a few minutes later. “Merry Christmas. I am guessing that you don’t want any breakfast?”
“Her mother made a feast. I’m not eating until dinner,” Dad told me as he looked at both of us. “I’m glad you stayed here, Payne. I don’t know how much she likes being alone these days. It used to bother you.” He smiled at me.
“It was good, but I never sleep well the night before Christmas,” I joked as they laughed around me.
I washed the dishes for some time alone to gather myself together while they sat by the tree and talked about the night before. Lauren was glowing over a diamond necklace Dad gave her last night and Payne gave me a wide-eyed gaze for a moment. He was going to give me something but we got distracted and he flashed me an apologetic smile as I looked away.
We went to the tree and finished opening gifts. Mine were all beautiful but I was so distracted by what was happening that the day was a blur. I excused myself to take a nap before I started dinner, closing my door as I dropped onto my bed. It still smelled like us and I closed my eyes as I turned to my side, picturing a future with Payne. Next year, we’d have an infant that wouldn’t quite know what Christmas was. We would, though.
I woke up later, realizing that I’d slept longer than planned. I hurried downstairs to find everyone in the kitchen getting the turkey and sides done, apologizing as I grabbed another cookie. I was suddenly starving and I pulled out the vegetables that I’d purchased to snack on as Dad offered me some wine. I looked at Payne and declined, grabbing a cold water instead. That was always the part in the movies where people guessed that a woman was pregnant and I waited for it, relieved when the conversation just carried on.
Dinner was delicious and I felt a lot better when I sat down to eat. I felt the love that always surrounded me at Christmas with my small family. This year, as scary as it was, I knew that I had a promise of something better to come.
We were up late watching Christmas movies before Payne headed home with a long look at me. I knew that we’d be telling Dad soon so we wouldn’t have to be apart too long. It was too sad when I was carrying his baby. I hugged him a beat longer than normal and wat
ched him drive away before I excused myself to go to bed.
I texted Payne all night as we planned our future. I was still scared to death, but he was a good man and Payne would give me a great future. It would be stable and full of love and he would cherish this baby once he or she was here.
I reminded myself of all of that when we met Dad for dinner at his favorite steakhouse. We wanted to tell him in a public place to try and make it a reasonable discussion. I parked and walked in, touching the diamond drop necklace under my shirt as I entered the building and glanced around. Dad was already there, sipping a beer and smiling as I hugged him. I sat down and looked through the windows as I sipped the water. “I have a feeling that we’re here for something serious.” I looked at my dad and licked my lips. Should I start this so soon?
“Hey,” Payne said as he took over the room and sat down in between Dad and me. I looked at him with a warm smile and he gave me a look before we both gazed at Dad. “Thanks for coming.”
“What’s going on?” Dad asked as Payne looked at me.
“Let’s order some drinks and food. We’ll get to that,” Payne said, knowing how hungry I was. Over the last week, I’d been snacking constantly and he provided anything that my heart desired. Luckily, the waiter came by and we placed our orders before Payne looked at Dad. “Matt, you know that you’re my best friend and have been for years. You’re like a brother to me.”
“Absolutely,” Dad agreed as he leaned back and looked at Payne.
“I…I am in love with Vienna,” he jumped right in and I watched as Dad narrowed his eyes.
“She’s like a daughter to you. What are you talking about?” He asked as his face started to redden.
“Vienna is not my daughter. I have watched her grow up into a lovely, smart woman and somewhere along the way, we fell for each other. We didn’t want to tell you for a while because of so many things, but it’s time. I want to be with her out in the open and we want you to accept us.” Payne was direct and I appreciated that as I reached for his hand.
“You’re sleeping with him, Vienna? He’s your boss and so much older than you. Why would you do this?” Dad demanded of me as tears slid down my cheeks. “I thought you got the job to pursue your degree, but you were there to just be with him, weren’t you? You just wanted to do what you did in his office. I thought more of you.” Dad’s words hurt and I looked down as I struggled with a response.
“I’ve always loved Payne, Dad. It’s transitioned over the years and now it’s in a way that I can’t be without him. It was never an agenda with me as far as the job, but it reminded me how much I did want him in my life. I’m happy, Dad. Just let it be.”
“There’s more, Matt.” Payne looked at me for a long moment. “We’re having a baby.”
“Holy shit. I can’t believe this.” Dad finished his beer and stood as he glared at both of us. “What the hell are you thinking, Payne? She’s barely out of college.”
“I am an adult!” I yelled as everyone around us stopped talking. Dad sighed and set his empty beer bottle down before he left us there, and I started to cry. I wanted him to be involved in my life, our lives, the same way that he always was. He’d seen me through every first and took to the challenge when Mom left us. We grew close due to the circumstances and my heart was breaking right now, but I prayed that he came around.
Payne calmed me down and we managed to pick at our meals as I listened to him talk about how good things were going to be. It sounded like a bright future though a lonely one without my Dad involved and I went to Payne’s that night to stay. I slept in his arms worrying about everything as he soothed me and told me that our baby needed me to rest. I had some clothes over there in anticipation of the dinner going wrong, so I could manage work and life.
He didn’t call Payne or me for weeks and I grabbed clothes while my house was empty in that time. I was living with Payne and loving it as we looked at houses online after work, but I missed Dad. We ate out and I cooked at the condo and slowly started to act like a couple out in public.
The doctor confirmed that I got pregnant before we started with the pills, during one of our careless moments. I was two and a half months along when I found out and it seemed like forever until the baby was here, even while it flew by. Payne went to every appointment with me and soaked up every bit of information like a sponge, buying all the books that he could to read.
EPILOGUE
It was one of the most exciting times of my life, yet I felt alone until I saw Dad’s name on my phone. I sat down at my desk and answered softly, scared to hear his voice. “I’ve already spoken to Payne,” Dad said as I frowned and glanced at the closed door to his office. “He explained a lot of things to me, including how much he loves you and the baby. He’s jumping in more than I have seen him do with anybody before you, Vienna. I won’t say that I’m not upset, but I am willing to see this through. I don’t want to be without either of you and I miss my daughter.”
“I miss you, Dad. It’s been so hard not talking to you.” I wiped a tear from my eyes as I heard the door behind me open. We talked about coming over for dinner this week and the houses that Payne and I were looking at. We both cried when we talked about my moving out, at which point Dad said he might look for something with Lauren. They were getting serious and I was happy for him, since he’d dedicated so much of his life to me.
I hugged Dad when we arrived for dinner, crying all over again. I made a roast and vegetables in the oven as the guys kept me company and we just talked about everything. It was all out in the open now. That felt good as we laughed and spoke freely in the room.
I kept working at the firm since I was as addicted as Payne and my dad to law. I still took good care of myself and got a lot of sleep, which was easy when I was going to bed with my love every night. We made love easily, knowing that I didn’t have to leave anymore. I was as happy as I’d ever been.
We found a house that overlooked the ocean in about six months. We wanted it before our daughter was born and I fell in love with it just looking at pictures. Payne took care of all the moving and made me rest, which wasn’t hard with my growing belly and increasing fatigue.
He proposed on our first night there, right in the master bedroom that overlooked the water. I cried and accepted as I pulled him into my arms for a long kiss.
Our new home was four bedrooms and three bathrooms with a large garage. The nursery would be upstairs with us and the other two bedrooms would be on the first floor. Dad and Lauren came over for dinner to celebrate the engagement with us, showing us pictures of the homes that they were looking at on our laptop.
Payne made the decision to start his own law firm once Nola was born. He could run it and not work as many trials that way, being home a bit more. He had a great name in the industry and soon had a great staff and a partner in my father. Lauren and I would help but we would have time to be at home as well. I had a baby now and she was planning on one after they got married in six months.
Payne and I just had a small wedding on a beautiful beach in Santa Barbara. We wanted small and just to be married after knowing one another for so many years. I wore a sapphire necklace that belonged to my grandmother, a light, cream dress, and ballet style shoes. My hair was down and curly. I looked radiant and happy as I kissed him for the first time as my husband and we left Nola with Dad and Lauren for the night to go to a hotel for the night and enjoy some time alone.
Within three years, I had a son named Nathan and the law firm was doing very well. I never thought that I’d find love with Payne when I returned home from college but I couldn’t be happier. I loved him more than anything, thrilled that I’d decided to wait for him.
He was worth the wait.
THE END
Betrayed - Cover Reveal & Blurb
BLURB
I’d gone undercover before, but never with the intention of getting a suspect into my bed. That’s how hot Sean O’Connor was. He might have been the head of a criminal organization,
but he was the hottest crook I’d ever seen. I wanted to cuff him to my bed and make him sing like a bird, and that’s what I’d do soon as I got the chance …
I swore to uphold the law, but it’s hard to slap the cuffs on a guy when his tongue is in your ear and his arms are wrapped around you so tight you can barely breathe.
Sean O’Connor is a criminal, but he’s also dedicated and loyal and so sexy he makes my mouth water and my panties melt.
I know if I’m not careful, he might steal my heart and run. I can’t let that happen. I’m a cop and he’s a crook. When it comes down to the wire, Sean O’Connor is going down, no matter the cost.
