This time, she laughed fully and sat up to look at him. “You’re ridiculous.”
He cupped her cheeks. “Yeah. I know.” For almost a minute, he stared into her eyes. “I need to tell you something, Dakota. Don’t freak out.”
Opening her lips to respond, he placed one finger over them. “Wait. Just…let me get it out. Everything is negotiable, okay? I haven’t just made plans without thought. They’re necessary for my sanity and I hope you don’t hate them.”
A shiver of fear rippled through her.
“I’ve been working to take as much of the company remote as I can.” Her eyes felt huge in her face. “The guys are going to run the daily operations. I put my house on the market and most of it is already packed.”
“Gunner…”
“There’s more. Bear with me. I’m nervous.” She blinked in surprise. “Yeah, I get nervous, Dakota. I want to do shit right. I don’t want to be one of those macho douchebags who tries to stomp his way through your life. On the other hand, I’ll fight like hell to keep you.”
She lifted her hands to hold his face. “You don’t have to worry about being perfect. I-I love you the way you are.”
Sitting up sharply, he wrapped his arms around her. “You love me?” She nodded, oddly relieved to have the words out at last. “I’m so fucking glad. I thought so but I wasn’t sure.”
He kissed her and she fell into it.
Leaning back, he rested his forehead against hers. “I found a house half a mile away. My stuff can ship anytime.”
“You…wouldn’t stay here?”
He asked cheerfully, “Do you want me to?”
Inhaling deeply, she said, “Yeah. I’d really like you to be here with me, Gunner.”
All the stress of the past few days bubbled up inside her. “I didn’t mean to do it. They, the doctors, all said it wouldn’t…it couldn’t happen. I’m not like that. I wouldn’t lie.”
“Hey! Anyone who’d suggest you have a dishonest bone in your body doesn’t know dick about you. Breathe, Dakota.” He rubbed her back as fresh tears fell and she buried her face in her hands. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together.”
“It’s a pretty big thing for me, too. I need you to know that. Something of a shock, honestly.” He didn’t look away from her face and she was exhausted. “I’m pregnant.”
Smiling slowly, he said, “That’s kind of a miracle, right?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“That’s the best news I’ve ever gotten in my life.”
“What?”
He pulled a box from his pocket and held it on his palm. “I’d say the timing couldn’t get much better. I picked this up a while back and couldn’t wait to ask you. You just gave me the perfect opening.”
With a small, somewhat hysterical, laugh, she took the box. “You were planning to ask me?”
“Since before I left. I ordered your ring the next day.” Their eyes met. “How could I not beg a woman like you to marry me, Dakota? You’re the perfect storm in more ways than one.”
He kissed her until she was breathless. “I can’t visualize a woman better suited to motherhood.” He tucked a strand of her long curly hair behind her ear. “I can’t imagine anything better than a life and a baby with you. I love you.”
Opening the black box for her, he whispered, “It would be such an honor if you’d marry me, Miss Harding.”
She nodded. “I’d love to marry you.” He took the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger. “It’s beautiful.”
“So is the woman wearing it.”
“You need to know…the doctor isn’t sure I can carry the baby to term. I’m high risk and pregnancy was the last thing on my mind. I haven’t been careful.”
He smoothed his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. “Then it isn’t meant to be. It doesn’t change the way I feel about you. Maybe we’d get another chance someday.”
Through her tears, she asked, “You mean that?”
“Yeah. I’m here for you, pretty girl. It’s always you. You’re telling me this is dangerous so you need to know if it comes down to a choice between your safety or keeping the baby, I’ll choose you. I can’t live without you.”
“You don’t have any kids…”
“We have Bubba. He’s already the coolest fucking kid on the planet.” He stroked his thumbs over her jaw. “You’re not a breeding factory. We protect you as much as we can, hope for the best, and see what happens. We do it together.”
He gave her a smacking kiss and stood up with Dakota in his arms. “First, I want to tell the guys you agreed to marry me before you try to back out.”
One more kiss and they went through the French doors into the kitchen. Shawn, Chaz, and Bubba scurried away from where they’d been listening and attempted to be nonchalant.
Gunner laughed loudly. “Never mind, I guess. Note to self, conversations of import away from the deck.” He set Dakota on her feet and held her to his side.
They were hugged tightly and congratulated profusely.
Chaz told her, “We’re going to take Bubba to dinner and crash on the boat so you two have some privacy.” Dakota started to object. “No arguments. I’ll drop him to school in the morning. Shawn will help cover the dive tours with me this week so you can take time off and adapt.”
She looked at the big man. “Thank you. Maybe we can all have a chat while you’re here.”
“And…that’s our cue to leave.” Chaz kissed her cheeks, hugged her hard, and murmured, “Mind your business, brat.”
“I’m still me. A medical oddity version but still me.”
Meeting Bubba’s eyes, she said, “You’re a very clever boy. Too old for your age by far.” She raked her fingers through his shaggy hair. “If you had anything to do with moving this timeline along a bit faster…thank you. I love you.”
“I plead the fifth and also…I love you, too.”
The three of them loaded Chaz’s SUV and drove away, waving from the windows.
Gunner wrapped his arms around her. “I say we order pizza and vegetate on the couch. I haven’t slept right since the last time I slept beside you and I’m fucking exhausted.”
“Me, too. I have leftover steak and the makings for salad. Let’s eat while we watch something mindless and crash early.”
“An even better plan.”
An hour later, freshly showered, they turned off all the lights and locked up the house.
As they climbed into Dakota’s bed, he told her, “Have I mentioned how happy I am that your bed fits me? Because that’s not something I usually experience.”
She winked. “Like I knew you were coming. Eventually.”
“If I’d known you were, I’d have gotten my ass here a lot sooner, pretty girl.” He opened his arms. “Come here.”
Curling into the hold of a man who never failed to make her feel calm on the inside, she sighed.
“I’m so fucking glad you booked that first charter.”
He kissed her forehead. “I caught the love of my life.”
She chuckled. “And a sailfish. That was pretty awesome, too.”
Talking nonsense, they drifted into deep sleep for hours.
In the middle of the night, she woke him with soft touches, whispering the words she’d held inside for months.
He made gentle love to her until she fell apart beneath him and he followed with a relieved groan. Too tired to shower, they wiped down in the bathroom and went back to bed.
Rolling against him, her ring caught the light and she smiled with tears in her eyes. “I almost forgot.”
“I won’t let you. I’m not a religious man but I’m going to say a little prayer that everything goes well. I won’t lie, I’m afraid for you. I can’t lose you.” He settled his palm on her belly. “Having a mini you would sure be nice though.”
“Or a mini you,” she whispered.
“We hope and make our plans. One day at a time.”
“I love you. Thanks for co
ming back when I needed you most and putting my heart, and mind, at ease.”
“I’m glad I did. I love you, pretty girl.”
Holding each other, they listened to the sound of the waves lapping the shore with pale moonlight slanting through the windows.
Neither of them were perfect and both carried more than a few scars…but they were perfect together. Dakota allowed the darkness of sleep to take her, still smiling.
She’d found peace at last in the arms of a man she never saw coming.
Epilogue
June 2009
Erick Harding stood waiting on the deck when Gunner pulled up to the house. He grinned as one of his favorite people got out and made his way up the steps.
“Welcome back!”
After a hard hug, the man he considered more of a father grinned. “I’m glad to be back. How is she?”
“Obnoxious and deadly as usual. Were you hoping for a miracle?” Gunner laughed loudly. “She’s good. Stubborn as hell and fighting with Chaz again.”
“Over what this time?” The big man wrapped his arm around shoulders that must have hit a growth spurt while he was away. “Please tell me she’s out of the fried everything stage. She doesn’t need to stroke out.”
“When she tried frying pineapple, I knew she’d gone over the edge. That’s gotten better this week. Hasn’t put that nasty appliance on the counter once.”
“Thank god. I need to sneak the thing into the trash.”
Davis Lang jogged around the corner of the house. “Hey, Gunner. I came to grab Erick. You guys, um, should get in there. Things are escalating quickly.”
The son of one of Gunner’s employees, Davis was staying with them for a few weeks while he was on summer vacation. Two years younger, he was coming along with sparring and working on the water. It was awesome to have company.
They were running the poor kid through the ringer.
The slender blonde with the most unique copper eyes gestured in the direction of the small room they used as an office. “They’re in there and it’s getting ugly.”
Gunner was confused. “How did things get to this point? I’ve only been gone three days.”
Erick shrugged. “I think she was waiting for you to pull out of the driveway honestly. You know you’re the only one who can rein in her crazy.”
At almost fifteen, not much ruffled him but Chaz was ready to have their sister committed.
As the three of them neared the small door that led to the room, they could hear the twins yelling. Gunner loosened his tie and took a deep breath as he opened the door and took in the scene with his characteristic grin.
“You do not tell me what to do, Chaz!”
“I’ll damn well tell you what you won’t be doing! I’ll keep my motherfucking promise to look after your stubborn ass if I have to tie you to a chair until your man gets back!” He held out his hand. “Now give me that goddamn paint brush!”
Shawn leaned casually against the wall and gave Gunner a salute. He was as entertained with the rows the Hardings had as everyone else not named Dakota and Chaz.
Her response was to put her hands on her hips, splattering her thighs with paint. “I want this done. I want to do it. It makes me feel better and keeps me busy so I don’t go crazy. I’m using safe paint with no fumes.”
Leaning down so they were practically nose to nose, Chaz growled, “Then learn to crotchet or clip fucking coupons because you’re not painting in your condition.”
While some would think her brother was overreacting, the people who loved Dakota knew better.
She’d lost her first child at the end of her third month and spiraled into deep depression. It took more than a year for her to shake the aching sadness that could sideline her out of nowhere.
Gunner never flinched. He gave her what she wanted and what she needed, challenged her, and forced her to fight her way back to their life together.
Just before Thanksgiving, she went to the doctor for a physical and left with a pregnancy diagnosis. At first, she carefully monitored her movements, her food, and her stress.
Around her eighth month, she kind of lost her mind.
Inactivity and anxiety made her insane and, by association, everyone around her. It was natural that her twin was more susceptible.
When Gunner left for company business, he told everyone to let her do what she wanted within reason.
Erick figured everyone agreed painting a room was not within reason.
“Dakota.” She turned her head and her eyes lit up. “What is it exactly that you’re doing, sweetheart?”
Her little scowl returned. “Don’t yell at me. I am nesting and it is totally normal.”
Chaz ran his hands over his face and Erick struggled not to laugh. “She’s been cleaning, organizing, and generally scaring the shit out of us for two days. Climbing ladders, moving furniture, and giving herself coughing fits from dust.”
Dakota tried to interrupt. “I have…”
Raising his volume, her brother continued, “The woman is going to deliver any fucking minute and she’s trying to paint a room like that’s okay. You reason with her because what she really needs is a damn spanking!”
He stormed out on the patio and Shawn dropped a kiss on Dakota’s head as he passed. “Sweetheart, you’re going to give your poor brother a coronary. He loves you and he’s scared for you.”
She sighed. “I know. I-I’m sorry. I feel like if I don’t get this room painted the world is going to end.”
Shawn laughed. “It’s hormonal. Relax a sec and welcome your husband home while I talk Chaz down from the ledge. Hopefully it’s not a literal ledge.”
He walked away and Gunner took the paintbrush, placing it back on the paint pan.
“I’m being careful. I am.”
Hands on her shoulders, he said gently, “I know you very well, pretty girl. You probably think you’re being careful but actually taking unnecessary risks.” He kissed her thoroughly.
“I have a compromise.” Guiding her to the patio, he pulled the chaise lounge close to the open doors and nudged her down to the cushion. “You sit here and soak up some fresh air. I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
Erick and Davis leaned against the railing of the deck. They could still hear Chaz ranting as he walked up the beach with Shawn beside him.
Two minutes later, Gunner was back in ratty shorts and a tank top. Picking up a roller, he started painting.
“Now. You fill me in on everything that’s happened while I’ve been gone forever.”
A huge smile broke over her face and Erick was so damn thankful Gunner entered their lives when he did.
“I missed you. We got the stuff for the nursery in the mail the day you left. That’s what inspired me.”
On and on she talked while Gunner painted. Fifteen minutes later, Shawn and Chaz returned and picked up rollers without a word. Erick and Davis brought everyone drinks and set up a fan to blow any possible fumes away from the pregnant lady.
“I love you all so much.” She sniffed loudly. “I’ll make snacks.” She put her feet on the floor and moved to stand.
It looked like she wet herself.
Her sharp gasp drew everyone’s attention to varying degrees of panic.
Erick said calmly, “Oh, your water broke. Time to go to the hospital.” He went to grab Dakota’s bag as well as a go-bag for himself filled with items to keep him busy.
Again, he and Davis stood in silence while the three adult men scrambled, talked over one another, and tried to haul her to the car. She tugged against them in the kitchen where the boys were eating granola bars.
“I’m not leaving yet!”
Gunner stared at her confusion. “What do you mean you’re not leaving? Of course you’re leaving. We have to go to the hospital.”
“I need to take a quick shower and change my clothes.”
As her husband and brother sputtered in alternating states of frustration and confusion, Erick laughed.
&n
bsp; “Best to let her do it so we can go.” He wrapped his arm around Dakota’s shoulder. “Do you have an outfit ready?” She nodded. “Shower and dress. We’ll pack the car.”
Looking at Gunner over his shoulder, he added, “You should shower with her and change. You have paint everywhere.”
The big man realized he was making sure his sister had a keeper. Nodding, he led Dakota to their room.
Fifteen minutes later, with Chaz on the verge of a nervous breakdown, they headed for the hospital.
His sister calmly timed her contractions in the front seat.
In the third row, Erick grinned at Davis. The boy smiled back and shook his head.
He turned to the window and passing scenery to keep from laughing out loud. He couldn’t stop smiling.
Having siblings like Chaz and Dakota ensured life was never boring. He connected to them and the people in their lives better than any other people on the planet.
They were good, hard-working, and loving.
The one thing he’d always been grateful for was being born to a selfish mother who didn’t want him.
In a matter of hours, he’d be an uncle. No matter what happened in his future, he had these connections to these people to fall back on.
He’d always be loved and have people to love who earned his respect with every word, every minute they spent together.
First, he had to get these big babies through labor and delivery.
Dakota was a fighter and he knew she’d be fine. Any kid of hers was destined to be a fighter, too.
It really came down to keeping the big, bad ex-military men from losing their shit.
As they pulled into the emergency entrance of the hospital, Erick had only one thought about the experience unfolding.
No sweat.
Author’s Note
Two years ago, I unpublished more than 75% of my catalog on Amazon. Since then, I’ve been steadily working my way through the original stories, treating and re-releasing them to my readers.
Permission to Come Aboard (The Great Outdoors Book 2) Page 12
