I thank him and he smiles at the rest of the family, offering his congratulations before walking out of the room.
Connie leaps out of her seat, jumping up and down, clapping her hands together as she squeals with joy, “I’m gonna be a grandmom! I’m gonna be a grandmom! I have to call Betsy and Carol and…”
“Settle down, Ma, you can’t go telling people until they are ready,” Aidan laughs.
I turn to Travis, still in shock over the news the doctor just gave us. As soon as we are face-to-face, his hands cup my face and his lips crash hard against mine. The force of his kiss hurts my busted lip but I don’t let him know. Travis’s kiss is filled with passion that ignites me to my core and makes me feel alive, something I need right now more than I ever have before. Pulling back, he moves one hand up to gently caress my cheek.
“I’m gonna do whatever I can to protect you both, I promise you that,” he whispers.
“I know you will,” I whisper back.
“I love you, Gracie, more than you could ever imagine.”
“I love you too, Travis.”
Travis pulls back and climbs off of the bed. Remy walks over and gives him a playful shove.
“I can’t believe you are going to be a father,” Remy says, shaking his head.
“You and me both.” Travis laughs.
There is a part of me that is surprised that Travis is taking this news so lightly. I would have thought that a baby wouldn’t fit into his world or that he would still think that he would make a terrible father. My mind drifts back to that night a few months ago, right before he relapsed, when he admitted that the thought of becoming a father terrified him. Watching him joke around with his brothers, with a beaming smile on his face, I realize that there is nothing about him that would suggest he still feels that way. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure who is more excited right now - Travis or his mother.
“Are you okay?”
I glance over to see Henry staring down at me with a look of concern on his face.
“Yeah, I’m just a little bit nervous. I mean, what if something did happen earlier? I’ll feel better when they do the ultrasound and I know for sure that everything is going to be okay.”
“I’m sure everything will be fine.” Henry glances around the room, smiling as he watches his family. “You know, I never thought I would see Travis happy again. Things got better after he went to rehab but he never smiled the way he did when he was a boy, not until you came along.”
I look over at Travis, watching him as he talks and laughs with his brothers. He’s not the same guy that he was when I first saw him at the diner. That guy probably would have flipped out after hearing the news he was going to become a father. That guy probably would have snapped and yelled at me before storming out and leaving me to deal with this news on my own. Travis glances over at me, his teeth sinking into his lower lip as he smiles. Everything is going to be okay. It has to be.
~*~
“All right, Gracie, let’s take a look and see how your baby is doing.” The ultrasound tech flashes me a kind smile as I lean back against the table. She pulls out a tube, explaining that the gel might be a little cold before squirting it on my stomach.
Travis grabs a hold of my hand as we wait patiently for her to start the ultrasound. My hands are shaking; I am so nervous. Travis seems so calm, and if it weren’t for the way his fingertips were drumming against my palm, I would believe that he really was.
“Here is your uterus,” she says as she moves a wand over my belly, “and this little jellybean shape right here is your baby.”
She taps a couple of buttons and the room is filled with a wub-wub-wub sound. My heart comes to a complete stop. This is really happening. Travis and I are going to have a baby together.
“Is that…is that?” Travis stammers.
“That’s the heartbeat,” the tech confirms.
“When will we know if it is a girl or a boy?” Travis asks.
She smiles again. “Not for a few more weeks. I’m going to show these scans to the doctor and he will be in in just a few moments.”
We don’t even realize the tech has left, it’s just the two of us wrapped up in our own little bubble. Travis sits down in the seat next to me, pulling it so that he is as close to me as he possibly can be. Leaning forward, he presses his forehead against mine.
“I said I wasn’t going to do this,” he mutters.
“Do what?” I ask nervously. Maybe the reality of the baby is settling in and he is starting to panic. I can do this on my own, I know that, but I don’t want to do this without Travis.
“I said it was unromantic, but I also once told you that I was not a romantic kind of guy,” he says.
“And I told you I didn’t expect you to turn into a refined gentleman overnight,” I say, recalling the conversation we had when we first became a couple.
Travis’s nose brushes against mine as he lips hover over my lips. “Marry me,” he whispers.
“Yes,” I say breathily.
Travis’s lips press hard against mine as he kisses me with more passion and love than he ever has before. His hand cups my cheek gently, his thumb caressing my skin in a feather-light touch. Someone clears their throat, and we pull back, realizing that we aren’t alone in the room anymore.
“The scans look good, there doesn’t seem to be any issues with the baby, but you should make an appointment with your OB as soon as possible, let him or her know what happened. They will probably want you to go in for another ultrasound. According to the scan, you are looking at a due date around September 25th. Congratulations.”
Dr. Bullard hands me an ultrasound picture, showing our tiny little jellybean. Travis leans in to press his lips against mine again.
“I love you, Gracie, you and our baby, and I meant what I said when I told you that I will do anything I can to keep you both safe. You are my world, my reason for everything that I do, and I vow to be the best man I can be for you both. The man you deserve to have.”
“You already are, Travis,” I tell him. “You already are.”
Epilogue
Travis
Dabbing on the last bit of pink paint, I set my brush down in an empty can and take a step back to admire my work. Never in a million years did I think I would be painting ballerinas on anything, but after we found out we that we are having a girl, Gracie fell in love with this ballerina bedding, and I knew I wanted to do this for my girls.
My girls.
I shake my head and snort. I still can’t believe I am going to be a father. And to a girl. I always thought I would dread hearing that I knocked up someone, but finding out that Gracie was pregnant with my child sent excitement coursing through my body that I never expected I could feel. It was the ultimate high. It was the feeling I thought I got from doing drugs, only a million times better.
It’s hard to believe that only a year and a half ago I was so angry at everyone and everything. To put it simply, I was an asshole. Now I have everything I never thought I would want and I am happier than I ever thought could be possible.
Kneeling down, I begin to recap my paint when the sun shines through the currently curtainless window, catching on the brushed tungsten band on my left hand. A few weeks after Gracie got out of the hospital, we were married in a no-fuss ceremony that was held in my parent’s backyard. It was a small wedding; we only invited the people that we are the closest to. I always assumed girls wanted big fancy weddings with tons of people. To be honest, I was more than thrilled when Gracie said she wasn’t interested in any of that. I just wanted to be hers and for her to officially be mine. Our honeymoon was spent camping at the same place I took her to back in November. It wasn’t some big exotic getaway, but it was romantic. We managed to find a spot away from other campers. Our days were spent taking walks through the woods and our nights were spent cuddled up around a campfire with s’mores before retreating into our tent.
It was perfect.
Life was crazy for a while af
ter Gracie was released from the hospital. Both Melanie and Veronica were charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault and intent to cause bodily harm. I hope they go away for a long time. I don’t ever want to see those two psycho bitches again. Evan was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and sentenced to probation.
I spent so long thinking I was damaged, that I was a bad person, because of the mistakes I spent the majority of my life making. Being with Gracie has made me realize that I am none of those things. I may have spent a long time lost, and struggling to find my way, but I know now that I deserve everything that I have. My house, my art, my family, my wife, my daughter - who is due to be here in a few short weeks - I deserve them all. I deserve their love and I am more than happy to give them my love in return.
Acknowledgments
First, I would like to thank my daughter, Madison, for being so understanding when I have to work. All of this is for you little bear!
To my favorite author pal, C.M. Cahill, I would have gone crazy (or crazier!) a long time ago if it wasn’t for you! You keep me sane when I feel like I am banging my head against my desk. Thank you for everything you have done for me, even when you were swamped with your own work!
To my editor, Nicole. I am so glad that you came into my life! Thank you so much for your patience and understanding when I had to push editing back…a couple of times! You are so wonderful to work with and I would recommend you to anyone!
To my ultimate partner in crime, Felicia. I couldn’t have gotten through the past couple of months without you. There were times I really struggled – with writing and with life – and you were always there to help me along the way. I’d be lost without you.
To Samantha, whose side notes always crack me up. I love that we have never met and you are so honest with me.
To Kelly, whose insights and suggestions meant so much to me. You can Beta read for me anytime!
To all of my readers, thank you so much for your support. Because of you, I get to write, which is something that I have loved to do since I was a little girl. Thank you for continuing on this journey with me. I love every single one of you!
About the Author
Rebecca Elise lives with her daughter in Southeastern Pennsylvania. She has a degree in Communications and Journalism and enjoys writing as both an author and a journalist. She spends her time reading, writing, watching Grey’s Anatomy and Boardwalk Empire, hanging out with family and friends and playing princesses with her daughter.
You can connect with her online:
Email - [email protected]
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rebeccaeliseauthor
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/reliseauthor/
Website - http://rebeccaeliseauthor.wix.com/rebeccaelise
Current Books by Rebecca Elise
The Subzero Series
Fall into my Heart
Always in my Heart
Captivate my Heart
Forever in my Heart
Dominate my Heart
The Foster Brothers Series
Travis
Coming Soon
Nathanial – Foster Boys Book 2
Remy – Foster Boys Book 3
Party Girl
Travis Page 24
