by Megan Smith
Jaylinn reaches over and grabs my hand entwining our fingers together. “I keep thinking about what Layla told me Brian had said to her.” She turns her head in my direction. I glance over to her then back to the road. “You might be laughing now but you’ll be crying later.” “I honestly believe it was him who did this, Coop. Who the hell else would do this to them?” Out of the corner of my eye I see her shaking her head. “I don’t believe for a second it was just the wrong time and wrong place.”
I grip her hand a little tighter. “I wouldn’t put it past him either after learning everything about him. Did you mention it to the cops?”
“Yeah, when they asked me if I had any ideas who might have done that to them.”
“Jay,” I bring her hand up to my mouth a place a kiss on the back of it. “We’re adding extra security to Fierce now but I need you to promise me that you will not walk out of that building unless someone is with you.”
She doesn’t answer for a moment probably thinking back to Eli’s statement about how he let Layla walk to her car in the middle of the night by herself.
“Jay…”
“I promise.”
I pull up alongside Eli’s car and we go into the front entrance. I don’t think I could ever go in through the back again. The memories would just be too painful.
The downstairs is mostly dark but I can see the light on in Eli’s office. I knock on the door and take a step inside. Eli doesn’t look at us to acknowledge that we’re here so I glance down to see what he’s looking at, remnants from Jaylinn’s last moments with Layla in his hands. “Oh God,” Jaylinn whispers.
“Eli,” she calls his name. His mind must be going a million different directions thinking that test is Layla’s.
He still doesn’t look up so she tries again.
Still nothing, so she kneels in front of him and puts her hand on the test. “It wasn’t hers. It’s mine.”
Eli’s face contorts in confusion but his shoulders sag at the same time. “How do you know?”
“Because she was here with me when I took the test,” Jaylinn whispers.
“You're pregnant?”
“Yeah, I found out the day she...” Jaylinn doesn’t finish the sentence since it’s still so painful to say her name.
He sits back in his chair and blows out a deep breath. “Thank god. I don’t know if I could have handled that.”
“Sorry we scared you, man.” I speak up from the door way.
He sits up and looks me in the eyes and his words hold more than one meaning. “It's okay. It’s not your fault.”
I stick my hands in my pockets and rock back and forth on my heels. “Listen, I’ve got a meeting I’ve got to get to.” I tilt my head in Jaylinn’s direction. “Think you guys can keep each other company.”
I wait for the sexual jab about him taking my girl away from me to come. Eli’s always quick with the smart ass comments. “Yeah, I think we can do that.”
I nod quickly. “Okay, I’ll meet you back at the house later?”
Jaylinn comes over and kisses me on the lips. “Yeah, Eli can give me a ride home.”
“Love you,” I whisper so only she can hear.
“Love you, too.”
When I get back to the house after my meeting with my new management staff it’s really late. I figured Jaylinn would be sleeping but she isn’t. She’s laying on the couch reading, finally doing something relaxing. I used to make fun of her all the time for reading those silly romance books because she’d get lost in her own little world. Now, I’m thankful she has that escape.
“Hey,” I say slipping my coat off and hanging it on the back of the kitchen chair.
“Hey, how’d your meeting go?”
I take a seat next to her on the couch and put her legs over my lap. “Alright, I guess.”
“You guess?”
I shrug. “I’ve got a late night flight out tomorrow to head down to Florida.”
She nods her head. “I guess we’ve got some explaining to everyone to do before you head out.”
I gauge her reaction for a minute. I sense that she doesn’t want to tell anyone just yet. “We could wait till I come back at the end of March,” I offer. I’m perfectly fine keeping this between us.
Jaylinn sits her Kindle down on her stomach. “Is that what you want to do?”
I feel like she’s baiting me. “It’s whatever you want to do. If you want to call or go tell everyone right now let’s do it. If you want to wait a few weeks we can do that, too.”
She stares at me for a few long minutes and I wish I could get inside that head of hers. “Maybe we could just tell my mom? You know, in case anything happens.”
“Nothing is going to happen.”
“Never say never.”
“Jay,” I warn.
She looks down shaking her head. “I’m sorry.”
“Damn it,” I snap. “I said no more sorry’s.”
Her eyes snap up to mine and now I feel like I need to say sorry for snapping at her. “I’m on edge because I’m leaving tomorrow and I don’t want to leave you like this.”
Her eyes have unshed tears in them. “I’m not going to break, Cooper. I’ve handled some pretty fucked up shit in my past and I’ve come out okay.”
I pull her so she’s sitting in my lap now. “I didn’t say you were going to break but I feel the need to be here for you. To protect you,” I place my hand over her belly, “and him or her.”
She lifts a hand and places it against my cheek. “I don’t want to fight with you tonight.” Jaylinn takes her free hand and puts it on her stomach. “We’re going to be okay. Can you just take me to bed and make me forget that you’ll be leaving in less than twenty-four hours?”
I don’t respond. I simply lift her in my arms and carry her to bed. For the next few hours we get lost in each other. Giving and taking as much as the other can handle until we’re both completely spent.
The next morning Jaylinn and I decide that we need to tell Sadie. Someone needs to go to these appointments with her while I’m not around. Jaylinn also reminds me that Eli knows, which is sort of a relief, that I’ll have a second set of eyes in case something happens. I know he’ll look out for her and make sure she’s okay.
Jaylinn and I have always been so close to our family so in a way we feel bad by not telling them but we’re doing what we think is best for us. It’s not like we aren’t telling them at all but just not right away. And from what we’ve read online most couples don’t announce that they’re pregnant until after twelve weeks, which Jaylinn will be when I get back.
“You ready?” I ask as I watch her slip on her sneakers.
“Yeah,” Jaylinn is dressed in a pair of yoga pants and an old Old Dominion hoodie she got from Hunter. “Can we run past my school real quick, too? I need to drop that one class since I missed too many to catch up.”
With everything else she’s still got school to attend. “Why don’t you just drop all the classes this semester and pick up again during the summer?”
She shakes her head. “That’s the only class I got too far behind in. The other four are online and as long as all my assignments are turned in by the due dates I’m fine.”
“That isn’t adding to much stress on you, right?”
Jaylinn shoves me towards the door. “Nope, it’ll help keep me busy while you’re gone.” I guess I can’t argue that.
We pull up in front Jaylinn’s mom’s house and I catch a real smile on her face as she waves to her mom from the front window.
“Ready?”
She nods. “Ready.”
Sadie opens the door for us when we get closer. “How are two of my favorite people doing?”
Jaylinn hugs her mom. “Good, how are you doing?”
I lean down and kiss her cheek.
“I can’t complain.”
I shrug out of my jacket and lay it on the back of the recliner. “That’s great, Mom. So the new cocktail is working?”
Sadie
walks into the kitchen and pours us a cup of coffee. She places one in front of me and one in front of Jaylinn. My eyes cut over to the cup in front of Jaylinn. She’s already had two cups today when she should have only had one.
Jaylinn scoops a teaspoon of sugar into the cup and stirs it. I glance up and see Sadie looking at me funny. “What’s the matter?” I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “Do I have something on my face?”
Sadie looks between Jaylinn and I, narrowing her eyes as she does. “What’s going on, you two?”
Jaylinn drops her spoon and it clanks against the ceramic cup. “Mom,” I put my hand on her leg. “Maybe you should sit down.”
“Okay,” she pulls out a chair at the kitchen table across from us. “Now what’s going on?”
“I’m pregnant,” Jaylinn blurts out. I thought the game play was to ease her onto the idea not line-drive it to her.
“Well,” she clasps her hands in front of her on the table. “I’m not going to ask how that happened because obviously I know but I thought you guys were waiting.”
Jaylinn’s shoulders slump. “That was the game plan.”
“Jay,” she looks up to her mom. “Congratulations.”
“You’re not disappointed in me?”
Sadie holds her arms out for Jaylinn. She gets up and runs around the table. “I’ll never be disappointed in you. There’s not one thing my kids could ever do that would make me disappointed in them.”
Sadie’s eyes roam over to mine. “Come on, get over here.”
Whew, this went a lot easier than I thought it would. “I know that you two didn’t plan this but I think you’re both responsible enough to handle the situation.”
I wrap my arms around the two of them. “Of course.”
Jaylinn and I sit down back at the table and the two of them go on and on about pregnancy for a few minutes.
“Mom, we have one favor to ask though.”
I squeeze Jaylinn’s leg. “Can you keep it between the three of us for a little while? With me leaving and everything that’s happened recently we want to keep it on the down low.”
Sadie smiles brightly. “Of course, thank you both for telling me first though.”
The three of us sit and talk about the follow up with her OB and how Jaylinn wants her mom to be there with her since I can’t be. It’s nice to sit back and actually have a true smile plastered on my face.
I’m fucking tired and all I want to do is go back to the hotel and pass the fuck out. Since arriving in Florida three days ago and missing a few practices because of the funeral, coach has been running my ass into the ground. It’s weird not being here with Mason this time around but he was picked up and traded over to the New York Yankees. I’m happy for my brother; he’s always talked about playing in the major league.
Practice just ended and I’m heading to the showers. I go over to my locker and check my phone to see if I missed any texts or calls. I only have one from Mason asking how things are going.
“Cahill, get your ass in here!” Coach yells from his office.
“Fuck,” I mutter slamming my locker shut.
“They are drilling your ass,” Montz comments.
“Tell me about it.”
I walk into coach’s office. “Shut the door.”
Shit, this can’t be good.
“Have a seat.”
I take a seat and glance around the table to a few of the other guys from management. “How do you think you’re adjusting, son?”
Adjusting? “I’m doing fine,” I answer honestly. It’s really not any different from A league.
“Good, because you’ve just been called up to AAA,” my heart starts pounding. “Brown’s got a knee injury and is out for the season, so you’ll be catching for the Iron Pigs.”
And my life just got a little sweeter. It sucks for Brown and all, but hot damn I went from having a shitty day to a great day. A little less bullshit to deal with every day makes all this so much better. A pay increase, better hotels, and better road trips. Only thing that could make this better is having Jaylinn by my side during every game.
Jaylinn
It’s the middle of March and Cooper will be here any minute. I’m eleven weeks pregnant and with each passing week my belly is getting more and more noticeable. I’ve been wearing oversized sweat shirts anytime I see one of our family members. At this point, I wouldn’t put it past one of the girls to know, Chloe especially.
She’s been coming over a lot lately to just hang out. I thought it was a little strange at first but then she told me that she and Jackson were having some issues and she just needed a break. I didn’t mind, I liked the company. Plus, Alex cracks me up. He’s such a Cahill with his charming looks and quick tongue.
Cooper and I have FaceTimed a few times and even some of those calls got a little hot but I always made sure to steer clear of my belly. I sort of want to see the look on his face in person when he gets here.
I hear Cooper’s truck pull into the driveway and I’m out the door running for him before he even gets out. He jumps down from the truck and scoops me up in his arms.
“Damn, I’ve missed the hell out of you.”
I kiss his cheek and then his lips. “I’ve missed you, too.” From the last few weeks of grueling hours with training, strength training and everything else I can see the work has paid off. Cooper is more lean and hard and is even sporting a nice tan now.
He sits me down and grabs his bag from the truck. We walk back into the house, he tosses his bag back down and I’m back in his arms again. He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “I even missed the smell of your hair.”
I laugh and shove his shoulder. “That’s creepy.”
Cooper takes a seat on the couch and pulls me so I’m standing between his legs. He brings his hands up to the hem of my hoodie and pushes it up so he can see my growing stomach. His eyes get a little bigger when they land on my little baby bump. “Wow, you really did start showing?”
I nod. “I told you.”
“I know but I guess I wasn’t expecting this.” Cooper slides his hands around my hips and pulls me closer. He gently kisses my stomach and says, “Hey, little one. I missed you, too.”
Yes, I just swooned.
Cooper pulls my hoodie back down and pulls me down onto his lap. “It feels so damn good to be home. You’re a lot nicer to look at then those ugly mugs I’ve spent the last few weeks with.”
I loop my arms around Cooper’s neck not wanting him to get a second away from me. “When does Masey get back?”
Cooper digs around in his pocket and pulls his cell phone out. He taps the screen to check the time. “He should be home in about an hour or so.”
“We still going to your mom’s for dinner with the family?”
“No,” Cooper wraps his hand around my neck and pulls me in to kiss me. “I’m not going anywhere but right here.”
I moan into his mouth as his tongue brushes against mine. When we come up for air I cup the side of his face. “How about you let me take you to bed—” Before I can finish what I’m saying he’s carrying me back to the bedroom. “We’ll swing by your mom’s for dinner, or maybe just dessert.”
“Dessert and that’s if we even make it for that.”
I laugh as he lays me on the bed. His body covers mine and that’s enough to stop me from laughing. Hell, it’s enough to make me stop breathing.
Cooper and I are in the bedroom getting dressed to head over to his mom’s house. Our homecoming ‘reunion’ was interrupted and we were threatened that if we didn’t show they would all wind up here so it was our call. I slip a pair of jeans on which I can still wear for now. I walk over to the closet on Cooper’s side of the room and pull one of his sweatshirts off the hanger.
“What are you doing, babe?”
I push my hands into the arms of the sweatshirt. “Getting dressed,” I say rolling my eyes. What the hell does it look like I’m doing?
Cooper stops me from pulling the
sweatshirt over my head. “Let’s tell them tonight,” his eyes are pleading.
“Are you sure?” I don’t want him to feel pressured to do it tonight. He did just get home. “We can wait a few days.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want to wait.”
I smile. “Okay, let’s do it then.”
I toss the sweatshirt back in the closet and get one of my long-sleeved shirts from my side of the closet. It’s not tight but it doesn’t exactly hide my stomach. If no one knew any better they could think I was just really, really bloated or I was shoving my face full of food all day.
I walk back over to the mirror and check out my profile.
Cooper’s groaning has me whipping my head back around. “Okay, maybe you should put the sweatshirt back on. I’m not going to be able to take my eyes off of you.”
My eyebrows bunch together. “Are you serious?”
He comes over and wraps his arms around me from behind cupping my boobs. “These have gotten bigger and I’d rather stay home and play with them. I really don’t want to go to dinner,” he pushes my hair off my shoulder and kisses my neck. “I’d rather strip you out of those clothes and stay naked until I have to leave in two weeks.”
Whew, I was really nervous there for a second. “I don’t have a problem with that but your sister said they’d just come here. Do you really want them here with me naked?”
Cooper bites that sensitive spot where my neck and shoulder meet. “Hmm, naked.”
Shaking my head back and forth I push him back. “You just had me an hour ago. I think you can wait a few more hours for round three.” Cooper wasn’t satisfied with having sex just once; nope, it had to be at least twice.
Cooper frowns. “One hour max, Jay. That’s it.”
“We’ll see about that once they get a look at me.” I run my hand over my stomach. “I just hope by waiting that we didn’t piss anyone off. They have to respect that we wanted to wait, right?”
“Right, and fuck’em if they have a problem with it. It’s our lives, our baby, our decision.”
“Well then, let’s go.”
