by Mia Ford
“How are you?” He seemed genuinely interested for the first time in a very long time.
“Honestly?” I looked at him and smiled. “I’m doing amazing. I feel so much better now that you guys have worked things out. Everyone has stopped treating me like the woman with the red letter on her chest, and I’m really super happy with Jason. I really thought there for a second that my best course of action was to go to San Diego and have this baby on my own. I was scared, but everything worked out just like I wanted. And I am so happy you and I can talk like this.”
“I’m really glad that you found someone like my brother,” he said smiling. “Or exactly my brother to be specific.”
“Why?”
“I have known both of you for a really long time, and I can’t think of anyone more perfect for you than Jason,” he said, nodding his head. “Even me.”
“Thank you,” I said with a bright smile. I leaned in and hugged him again, relieved that he had moved past the hurt and the anger. It had only been a few days, but I knew if he could come this far in that short amount of time, we were all going to have an amazing relationship. This was the family I had always wanted and never thought I would have. Sure, I missed my brother, but we talked on a regular basis, and he was extremely supportive of my life. This, though, this was even better, having everyone I needed right there.
“Thanks, man,” Jason said walking around the corner. “That was probably the nicest thing you’ve said about me your whole life.”
“He heard me,” Jordan whispered. I laughed and pulled away watching as the two brothers embraced. I loved the fact that they had been able to move past all of this, and they even seemed to be closer than they were when I had first came into the picture. Even Jordan had seemed to change, and I just couldn’t get over how down to earth they acted toward each other.
“You still hit like a girl,” Jordan whispered as Jason pulled back.
“I don’t know, man,” he said, walking over to me. “That’s a pretty tough girl. I distinctly remember blood spilling from your mouth and nose.”
“I bleed easily,” Jordan replied. “Besides, I was smiling the whole time, so it couldn’t have hurt that bad.”
“Didn’t you end up getting like two stitches?” I had to throw in my two cents.
“Where did you hear that? Damn office drama. I’m going to fire someone.” He laughed.
“They can’t pick on me anymore, so they chose a new target,” I replied. “Better you than me, any day. Instead, I get the hoard of creepy smiling zombies every day. I am waiting for them to start leaving gifts on my desk, so I don’t have to buy my own snacks every day.”
We all laughed, and I looked at Jason as he slid his hands gently around my waist. He pulled me in close, his eyes sparkling, and pressed his lips deeply against mine. I let out a deep breath as his lips glided sweetly across mine. He kissed the corners of my mouth, my cheeks, and both of my eyes before pulling back and looking deep into my eyes. I loved this man so much, it was insane. It hadn’t been very long, but we had decided to take our relationship into turbo mode, sex, baby, and love all in the span of a month. If it had been anyone else, I would have been freaking out, but Jason had stolen my heart a long time ago, and I hadn’t realized it until our first kiss. He was the man I was meant to be with. I had just taken the long route to get there.
Jason pulled me in for a hug and squeezed me tightly, his face pushed into my neck. I could feel him taking deep breaths of my perfume as I stood there holding tightly to him. I looked up at Jordan who was looking at us adoringly. He smiled and took a deep breath, diverting his eyes to the drink in his hands.
“So,” he said, stretching. “When are you two fools going to get married?”
Jason lifted his head and leaned back, kissing me on the nose before letting go. He turned toward Jordan and smiled, looking back at me as he stuck his hand in his pocket. I watched him pull a small box wrapped in a red bow from his pants, and I looked up at him in confusion.
“Speaking of,” he said turning toward me and walking over to the door. “Can I have everyone’s attention? Everyone, please come to the break room immediately.”
He walked back over to me and watched as everyone funneled into the break room. Once the place was full, he turned back toward me and smiled. Slowly he bent down on one knee and opened the ring box. I put my hands over my mouth and gasped as he cleared his throat.
“Tiffany, you are the most amazing, the bravest, the strongest, and the sweetest woman I have ever met. You are carrying the only other thing in this world that could match the importance of you. I could not go another day without knowing you were going to be with me for the rest of my days,” he said, gazing up at me. “Will you do the honor of accepting my hand in marriage?”
I threw my head back and laughed, completely and utterly surprised by the whole thing. I nodded my head, answering yes, and walked forward as he stood up and took the giant stone from the box. He slid the ring across my finger and pulled me in close, pressing his lips firmly against mine. It was the perfect day. I had pulled my family back together, and now, I was going to get to spend my life with the man I loved. Everything had worked out just as I thought it would. Absolutely perfect.
Epilogue
Jason
“Jason,” Tiffany said, slapping me in the chest and raising me from a dead sleep. I jumped up on the bed and looked around, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. My breathing calmed, and Tiffany switched on the light. She was standing on the floor, bent over holding her very large belly.
She was officially three days past her due date and that baby had seemed like it was perfectly content with just hanging out inside of her. We’d moved into my SoHo apartment, not wanting to share the same house that she’d had with Jordan, but had ended up going to the Greek District to avoid the stairs at my place. I was terrified she was going to fall down the stairs while I was at work, and though she fought me on it, being stubborn as hell, we moved over to her old place and had Mona staying in the spare room while I was at work. My father had said she wasn’t allowed to work when she reached 38 weeks, so she had been sulking and waddling around the house, trying to keep herself busy. She was probably the most adorable pregnant woman I had ever seen.
“Baby,” she said in a panic.
“Yes, sweetie, what do you need?”
“No! Baby. I got up to get something to eat and my water broke.” She pointed at her soaking wet clothes.
“Oh.” I ran over and grabbed her bag. “Let’s get you changed really fast.”
She nodded her head, and I helped her pull on some dry clothes before making our way out to the car. She breathed deeply, the contractions hitting her hard. I reached over and grasped her hand, laughing as she forced a kind of terrifying smile. I whipped through the streets and pulled in front of the hospital. As soon as I got out, I helped her out of the car, grabbing a wheelchair and pushing her into the front. The nurses sent us directly upstairs to the maternity ward, and before we knew it, she was lying on the bed in a hospital gown and with a monitor strapped across her big, round belly. I could see the baby kicking, pushing on her skin like something from a horror movie.
The doctor came in and checked her, looking surprised and then running from the room. I watched the monitor and grasped her hand as another wave of contractions moved over her. She breathed in and out just like the class she went to taught her, groaning as the contraction hit its peak. She was in so much pain, but she held tightly to her beliefs, refusing the epidural they offered her. When the doctor came back, he was dressed in a coat and was wearing gloves, the nurses scurrying along behind him.
“It looks like this baby is ready to get moving,” he said with a laugh.
They lowered the bed, and she scooted forward, sweat beading on her forehead. I held her hand while the doctor told her to keep breathing and not to push just yet. The nurse watched the monitor as the spikes began to rise, looking over at the doctor and nodding. H
e moved forward on his stool and reached his hands below her gown.
“Okay, when I say so, I want you to bear down and push,” he instructed.
Tiffany shook her head and breathed deeply, feeling her belly begin to contract. As the waves moved up on the screen, the nurse nodded again and the doctor took his position. I leaned down and pressed my head against her forehead and whispered “I love you” into her ear.
“Now,” the doctor said.
Tiffany grabbed tightly to my hand and held her breath as she pushed down hard. She screamed out as the doctor put his hand back in the air to signal her to stop.
“Okay,” he said. “The shoulders are out, one more good push, and you will be a new mother.”
She looked at me with tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. I kissed her lips and nodded my head, waiting for the doctor’s orders. As soon as he said push, she began, and after a few short seconds, he lifted a beautiful baby boy into the air. The baby began to cry immediately, and they rested him on her chest, cleaning out his airways and cutting his cord. Tears filled my eyes as we huddled together, just the three of us.
“I love you,” I said, crying.
“I love you, too,” she replied through laughter and tears. “I am thinking Justin is a perfect name.”
“I love it.” I watched the nurses take him and start doing their weighing and blood work.
They cleaned up the baby, wrapped him in a warm blanket, and handed him to me as they finished up with Tiffany. I walked out of the delivery room and down the hall where my mother, father, and Jordan were all waiting nervously. They looked up as I rounded the corner, and my mother burst into tears, looking down at the sweet blond-haired boy in my arms. He looked just like Tiffany, and even Jordan joked about making sure I was the father. My family took turns holding him before I could take him back to the room. It was late at night, so they kissed us both and went home, promising to come back the next day to give Tiffany love and see Justin again.
By the time I got back, they had moved Tiffany to her room where she was patiently waiting for me to return. I put Justin in her arms and stood back, completely in awe of the two of them. The nurse had her feed the baby before she could finally rest, leaving him to fall asleep in my arms. I looked down at his little cheeks and back up Tiffany, who had fallen asleep right away. I leaned back in the chair in the room and soaked it up, knowing that life wouldn’t be this simple again for a very long time. Justin cooed and smacked his lips, looking up at me as I held him close. The nurse turned the lights down low, and I rocked Justin slowly until his eyes closed and he slept quietly in my arms. At that moment, I couldn’t help thinking about how lucky I was. I was sitting here with a healthy baby, a healthy wife, and the best life I could have ever dreamed. Justin was even more beautiful than I could have imagined, and I couldn’t believe how much you could love someone. My heart was bursting, looking down at his absolutely perfect little body. He had been made with love and brought into the world to two parents who couldn’t have been more excited to have him join the family. Even his Uncle Jordan teared up while holding him, which is something you didn’t see often. Life was perfect. The silence of the hospital was peaceful, but holding him like this, I didn’t want to fall asleep and miss a thing. Instead, I hummed a nursery rhyme to him and waited for his mom to wake up again. She had been through hell, so I wanted to make sure she got enough rest.
Suddenly Tiffany gasped, sitting straight up in the bed and looking around frantically. Carefully, I stood up and walked to her side, taking my free hand and stroking her head. She focused in on me and looked down at Justin in my arms. Her face went relaxed, and she put her hand to her heart, letting out a deep breath.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered. “I woke up thinking I fell asleep with Justin in my arms. I just about had a heart attack.”
“Say, no, Mommy, I’ve been sleeping in Daddy’s arms.” I walked back over to sit down with him.
“It is so amazing watching you bond with our little boy,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine a better father for him. He is going to be so spoiled.”
“Haha.” I laughed. “Maybe not by us, but definitely by his grandma and grandpa.”
“And probably Uncle Jordan, too,” she added.
“Oh, yeah.” I shook my head. “They probably already have a car full of goodies and a lifetime membership to the candy company.”
“Oh, Lord,” she sighed. “Can we make a rule that if you feed him candy, you have to keep him for the night?”
“Sounds legit to me,” I said, looking over at her and laughing. “You give him a sugar high, you pay the price.”
“Done.” She laughed again. “Gosh, what a day. That definitely happened a lot faster than I expected.”
“You were amazing,” I said. “Seriously, I love you so much and you were a freaking rock star.”
“I thought I was going to break your hand there for a second.”
“Me, too,” I scoffed. “But all is well. I love you, Tiffany, so very much. I’m so proud of you. You did such an amazing job.”
“Meh.” She waved a hand. “It was easy being a human incubator—said no one ever.”
“You’d do it again.” I winked at her, knowing I was right.
“Maybe once I can walk straight again.”
I stood up from the chair and walked over to her, leaning down and kissing her on the forehead. I gently placed Justin in her arms and stood back watching as she fed him, humming the same tune I was humming earlier but with much better vocals. I stared at the two miracles in the room with me and just couldn’t believe how lucky of a man I really was. I had the most beautiful wife and child I had ever seen. My life had been so empty before they came around, even though I didn’t realize it until now. Before Tiffany, I didn’t really live. I had simply gotten up every day, went to work, drank, and went home. I’d had nothing substantial to look forward to. When Tiffany came barreling through my world, it was like she shined her light into every dark corner of my life. Even the days I wanted to sit and mope, she was there to lift me up and bring her amazing smile to my world. In the ten months we had been together, my entire life had turned completely upside down and in such a good way.
I pulled the chair over to the bedside, and Tiffany and I talked as she nursed the baby and rocked him to sleep. We talked about life changing, we talked about what we wanted to show and teach our son, we talked about his future and our future, and we sat there bonding until the sun came up the next morning. She looked over at me and smiled as I poured her a cup of decaf and unwrapped the sandwiches I had grabbed from the cafeteria. Her eyes were light and hopeful, and she giggled as the baby grasped onto her finger.
“I love you more than anything little man,” she whispered to Justin. “And I love your father that much, too. I can’t wait to get you home and all comfy in your new pajamas.”
Looking at these two, I felt like the luckiest man in history. I couldn’t wait to get them home as well and all settled into their new life. Tiffany, Justin, and I were a family now, and I would never let anything come between us. It was the best gift I had ever been given, and I couldn’t imagine life getting any better than it was right then. No matter what sleepless nights, temper tantrums, or fits came our way, I had the most perfect family in the whole world.
Hot Seller: First Time with the Major
Blurb
Molly
I think he wants to control me.
My life is comfortable, predictable and boring….
Until,
That guy next door walks into my café..
He says he is new in the town.
And I wonder if he is experienced with…..women.
Those hard abs under that crisp shirt make me wonder how HARD I could make him.
Those Greek God like looks make me want to surrender.
And that voice…
My world turns upside down.
As he whispers my name.
But how can I do this?
Should I let go of the fears from my past and try and venture into the unfamiliar future that awaits me?
Should I let this guy control my desires….and my life?
Chapter 1
Molly
I laughed as I unlocked the door to the shop, giving my best friend Noel a sharp look. “I can’t believe you told him that. You were on a date and he was being decent. We don’t have a lot of men in this little town, so why run off the ones that are here?”
“I will not have some man ordering for me at a restaurant. I’m capable of making a proper decision for myself.” She leaned down to slide the muffins she’d made into the display case carefully, tossing her red ponytail over her shoulder.
This was our coffee shop, called Mountain Brew. Being that we lived in Mountain Home, it certainly wasn’t original but it fit the theme of our little home. We were surrounded by mountains after all and a lot of our customers made a living from those beautiful peaks. I thought the shop was cute with tables and couches sprinkled around the bright, spacious room. I had the idea of adding some bookshelves and taking in donated used books from people in town to give customers something to do when they were here. There were a lot of poor people living around here that didn’t even have books to begin with, so we could provide that. Noel had agreed to the idea, but I knew that she wasn’t thrilled with it.
I ran the front, and she did all the baking with my assistance. We got up early to be here, darkness settling around the cafe as we danced and sang in the kitchen. We drank too much coffee and laughed while we worked, making me so proud to have done this with Noel.
