by Elle Linder
Parker smiled at her. “Yes, but it’s ours, not just mine.”
She shook her head. “I can’t wrap my brain around that notion. You’ve seen where I live.” She frowned. “Next month when I become your wife my life will do a three-sixty. I’ll go from the pauper to a princess.”
He pulled her into his arms. “You’ll be the queen and we’re going to be the happiest we’ve ever been. When we get back, you can quit your job.”
“I can’t just quit.”
“Yes, you can. It’s not like you’ll ever have to work again…unless you want to?”
“Parker, I have expenses I acquired before you and…”
He put his fingers to her lips and she stopped talking. “Marie, I want you home and now you’re pregnant with our baby. You need to take care of yourself. Plus, I need you all the time. Let me take care of you…all of you.”
“Wow, I love you so much.”
They were the sweetest words to hear, words she wanted to hear. She was the luckiest woman in the world and Parker knew how to make her feel adored. She had never dreamed of having such a generous, loving man in her life. Not only was she hopeful for the future, but she also couldn’t wait to announce the baby on Thanksgiving. Life was beautiful.
Marie woke early Thanksgiving morning with Parker by her side. Now that he was back to his usual, amorous self, they were making up for the twelve days they were apart. Their intimate life was back in full swing, despite Marie’s queasy stomach and exhaustion. She needed Parker as much as he needed her. They took their time indulging in each other. After they made love, they showered together, extending their time.
Parker strutted into the bathroom dressed for the day’s festivities and looking quite satisfied, with a ridiculous grin on his face. Marie was curling her hair when she noticed him gawking at her.
“What?” She put her hands on her hips, just the way he liked.
“Do you even have to ask?” Parker laughed out loud. “You know I can’t get enough of you and now, with your changing body, I’m doomed.”
“Doomed?”
“Yeah, ‘cause I can’t hide away with you for the rest of our lives.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck.
“I think we’ll be okay.” She giggled, and the instant she felt him growing hard she pushed him back. “Parker! Seriously, it’s Thanksgiving and we have guests.”
“See, I’m doomed. I’m addicted to you.”
“Well, it’s time you learned self-control. After all, you’re going to be a father.” She grinned.
“A father…you’re absolutely right, I’ll go check on Jackson while you finish getting ready. But tonight, you’re mine.”
“Promise?” He cupped her face and kissed her until she moaned against his mouth. And then it ended. “Wow, glad to know I can count on you,” she said as she fanned herself.
“You can always count on me. Now don’t be too long.” He winked and walked out of the bathroom, leaving her swept away as he often did.
Parker had plans to take the kids tubing with Troy, Dave, and Tessa while everybody else stayed behind preparing the meal. Marie heard Parker talking in the kitchen, so she followed his voice.
“Hi, baby.” He nodded as he put his mug to his mouth.
“Hi.” She gave him a flirty look. “Morning, Nancy. I see you’re hard at work. What can I do to help?”
“Well, this bird is bigger than I thought,” she said, looking in the sink. Marie walked over to take a look. The smell and sight of the raw poultry turned her stomach. She bolted out of the kitchen straight for the bathroom. “Marie, are you okay?” Nancy called. The commotion drew attention from Ann, Tessa and Brooke who were in the living room with Dave, Troy and Peter.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Parker said, following after her. He closed the bathroom door behind him.
“What was that?” Ann asked, entering the kitchen.
“Oh dear, I think Marie may have the flu,” Nancy said. “She just ran off to the bathroom and Parker followed after her.”
“I’ll go check on her,” Ann said. “It would stink if she was down with the flu.”
“Indeed, it would.” Nancy nodded, staring at the turkey.
In the bathroom, Parker did his best to support Marie as she hovered over the toilet seat. But he honestly didn’t know what he could do, other than be there for her. She stood up and flushed the toilet.
“This is the not-so-fun part.” She took a deep breath, with her hand on her stomach. Parker studied her with compassion. What else could he do. It wasn’t like he could take her queasy stomach away. “I’m not going to be able to help your mom,” Marie said, rinsing out her mouth.
“Don’t worry about helping. You need to take care of yourself.”
“You’re sweet, but I’m pregnant, not gravely ill.” She smiled at him.
“Doesn’t matter, I don’t want you worrying or overdoing yourself.”
A knock at the door caused Marie to jump.
“Yeah?” Parker asked.
“Parker, is everything okay in there?” Ann called through the door as Lexi and Isaac walked in from outside with Jackson.
“Yes, we’ll be out in a minute,” Marie hollered. “Shoot, Ann might be suspicious,” Marie whispered.
“What’s going on? Are Mom and Parker in the bathroom together?” Lexi asked.
“Why would they be in the bathroom together?” Jackson asked.
“Let’s not worry about it.” Ann ushered them into the living room. Marie stared at Parker with her brows pinched together.
“She knows. I know she knows,” Marie whispered.
“Well, if now’s the time to announce the baby, then let’s do it.” Parker grinned, rubbing his hands together. “I’m ready to shout it from the rooftops.”
Marie took a deep breath. It wasn’t exactly the way she wanted to announce the baby…after hurling into a toilet. “Let’s just see how it goes,” she suggested. “Maybe nobody will think anything of it. Then we can make a nice announcement during dinner as we planned.”
“Okay.” Parker smiled.
They walked out of the bathroom and Ann appeared out of nowhere. “I hope you’re not sick.” Ann eyed Marie with care. Up and down her gaze followed the length of her.
“No, I’ll be fine.” Marie smiled, but inside she shook like an earthquake along the San Andreas Fault. “The raw turkey just turned my stomach is all.” She gave Ann a dismissive wave walking into the great room.
“Right, turned your stomach. That’s quite odd considering you cook the bird every year.” Ann challenged.
“It is odd that you would suddenly have issues with raw meat,” Tessa agreed.
Marie just glared at both of them. Then, Brooke raised her eyebrows, as if she wasn’t buying Marie’s story either. They were going to force the announcement out of her, instead of her and Parker deciding when the time was right. All eyes were on Marie with expectant expressions. Parker pulled her close. She looked up at him and he winked.
“Well, I don’t know what the big deal is,” Parker teased. “I thought a queasy stomach was a common symptom?”
“Common symptom for what?” Nancy asked.
“Well…pregnancy of course,” he said matter-of-factly. Nancy stared at him.
“Pregnancy,” Lexi said, staring at Marie.
“Holy shit, I knew it,” Ann blurted out.
“Yes, she’s pregnant and we are ecstatic,” Parker said with a wide grin.
“Well, this is turning into quite the eventful holiday! Congratulations!” Nancy hugged Marie. “Don’t worry about the bird, I’ve got it covered.” She winked.
That year’s Thanksgiving would go down in the books as one of the best for Marie. Not only was she engaged to be married to the love of her life, but she was also having a baby with him. There wasn’t a single worry in her body. The day unfolded with those she loved all under one roof and there was nothing better than that. Once all the hugs were given and questions we
re asked, the day settled into a leisure day of tubing, games, and good food. It had been a perfect day and Marie was beyond thankful.
Chapter 23
He’s My Son
December arrived sunny and bright, just like Marie loved. The night they returned from Idaho, she didn’t want to leave Parker. It didn’t take much for her to be convinced to stay at the mansion with the accident still fresh in her mind.
Before Marie knew it, she had spent the entire week with Parker. He was on a break from filming for the month, so the timing was perfect. This made him available to be her personal driver, a service he was happy to provide if it meant she would be with him every night. Each morning, Parker drove her and Jackson into Sherman Oaks. They’d first drop Jackson off at school and then he’d drop Marie off at work.
When she gave her two-week notice, Natalie cried, though she understood. After all, Marie was marrying Parker Nichols and he was the perfect reason to quit her job.
Marie had her first appointment Friday afternoon and it reminded her that she was engaged to a celebrity when they walked into the office. The looks and whispers were hard to ignore. Marie thought for sure Parker would be asked for a picture, but to her surprise and relief, no one bothered them. Her first appointment was routine, with the usual lab work, exam, and questions. Marie was in perfect health and had an estimated due date of July 8th. The ultrasound was the highlight of the appointment. There was nothing more endearing than watching Parker. The minute the tech turned the screen on, it captivated him watching the baby and listening to its heartbeat.
After the baby’s appointment, they had another a meeting with Eve Manchester, an interior decorator. Parker had hired her when he first bought the mansion and now he wanted her to convert the second-floor office into a nursery. Marie was delighted by his surprise. The sweet gesture was another way to acknowledge the baby in a unique way. In addition to the nursery, Parker gave Marie free rein to make any changes to the mansion she wanted, as it was her home too.
“Parker, I love, love, love the idea of turning the office into a nursery for the baby. But I can’t think of anything else I’d want change.”
“What about our room? New furniture, linens, paint?”
“Hmm, well maybe a few changes to our room would be nice.” She smiled.
Then it was settled. Renovations of the office-turned-nursery and their master bedroom would begin after the New Year. As Marie sat in the passenger seat, she glowed with her hand resting on her stomach.
“You know, we forgot Jackson’s room. We’ll need to call Eve and add his room to the list of projects,” Parker said.
“No, that’s not necessary. We can just move his stuff from the townhouse to the mansion. You don’t have to spend any more money. You’re already pay a ton on the nursery and wedding.”
He laughed out loud. “Baby, I’m loaded and so are you. I don’t want you to worry about money. Let’s let Jackson decide what he wants in his room.” Then he played with the tips of her fingers and she melted.
Back at the townhouse, Marie and Parker found Jackson sprawled out on the sofa watching Pierce. It was his weekend at Craig’s and as usual, he wasn’t going willingly.
“Hey, buddy, how was your day?” Marie asked.
“Why do I have to go to Dad’s this weekend? I want to stay with you and Parker,” Jackson whined.
“Jackson, be reasonable. You know the schedule is every other weekend. Parker and I won’t be doing anything you’d find fun. We’re just doing some wedding planning.”
“Yeah buddy, next weekend we’ll do something fun. Anything you want,” Parker added.
“Ricky and I have been talking about Disneyland. Can we go?”
“Absolutely.” Parker nodded.
Marie furrowed her brow. “But that will be just two weeks before the wedding. What about if you go after the wedding?” Jackson scrunched his face as if in pain.
“Oh, I think we can squeeze Disneyland in. Aren’t you and your girls getting together next Saturday for dress shopping?” Parker reminded her.
“Yes, you’re right. So then, you’ll take the boys on your own?”
Parker laughed. “Yes. I think I can handle two twelve-year-old boys.”
“Yes! Okay, I’ll go to Dad’s,” Jackson agreed.
Marie shook her head and smiled at him.
“So how did your doctor’s appointment go?” Jackson asked. “Is the baby okay?” His questions gave Marie pause, remembering how he felt about having a baby brother or sister.
“Yup, so far everything looks good. The baby will be born in July.” She bent down and kissed the top of his head.
“Cool! Will you find out if it’s a boy or girl?”
“Um, I don’t know if we want to find out the gender of the baby.” She looked at Parker.
“It might be fun if it were a surprise,” Parker said.
“Yeah, I guess,” Jackson agreed. The doorbell rang and without being told Jackson went to open the door. Marie looked at Parker with raised brows as they followed him to the entryway.
“Hi, Dad,” Jackson said when he opened the door.
“Hey, Jackson. Are you ready?” Craig looked at Marie, who was standing next to Parker. “Marie…Parker.” He nodded.
“Hi, Craig.” Marie turned to Jackson. “Give me a hug, buddy.” When she wrapped her arms around him, Craig saw the large diamond ring on her finger. The scowl on his face was juvenile.
“So, what? You two are getting married?”
“Yes, we are,” Marie answered. “In fact, after this visit, we’ll need to set up a new arrangement for your weekends with Jackson.”
“What are you talking about?” Craig asked.
“Well, we won’t be living here. We’ll be living with my husband,” she said matter-of-factly. She felt Parker’s hand on her lower back. It was a comfort to her, and it strengthened her. “Rather than have you come to our home we’ll just meet you somewhere convenient for both of us.” She could see the tension in Craig’s jaw. She knew there was nothing more he hated than to be told what to do, especially by her.
“Why after this weekend? I don’t want my son living at his place when you’re not married,” he said, glaring at Marie.
“Craig, get over yourself,” she snapped. “Parker and I are getting married this month. I don’t see the problem with us moving into our new home a couple of weeks before the wedding.” She shook her head at his ridiculous assumptions. His fair skin turned red as he filled with rage. Craig’s eyes met Parker’s intense gaze. If Craig were smart, he’d tread with caution.
“Well, I want more visitation,” Craig demanded. “Sasha and I want shared custody.”
Marie stiffened and Parker rubbed her back.
“What does that mean?” Jackson asked with a tone of worry and confusion.
“It means you’ll live with Sasha and me for half the month and your mom the other half,” Craig explained.
“What!? No,” Jackson whined. He looked at Marie and Parker for assurance.
“Look, you’re just a kid and you don’t get to decide,” Craig scolded.
“And neither do you, Craig,” Marie interrupted. Craig glowered at her. “Have your lawyer contact mine if you want to discuss this further.”
Jackson looked at her with a panicked expression. She winked at him and kissed his cheek, giving him the reassurance he needed. There was no way in hell she’d let Craig have Jackson for half of the month.
“My lawyer will be in touch. Let’s go, Jackson,” Craig said, waltzing out of the house.
Parker closed the door behind him.
“Man, he’s an asshole,” Parker said. He pulled Marie into his arms and kissed the tip of her nose. “You did good, baby. You’re feisty when you’re pregnant, and I like it.”
“No, I’m stronger because of you. You’ll need to call Neil. Craig will not get Jackson for half the month,” she said decidedly.
“No, he won’t. I’ll call Neil.”
&nbs
p; It was all coming to a head with Craig, just as she knew it would. The moment she noticed him staring at her engagement ring, it was game on. He was no longer the ‘big dog’ free to control her, manipulate her, or hurt her. Parker would never allow it and she could see Craig knew it. The relief and comfort Marie felt with Parker by her side was indescribable. Everything would be okay, and she was no longer afraid, or alone.
“Okay, let’s get busy. We have a lot to accomplish this weekend while Jackson is gone. First and foremost is the wedding.”
Saturday evening, Parker walked out to the veranda where Marie had been camped out with a list of calls to make. She was focused and driven, and he loved it. Watching her talk about the wedding with her mother and then Lexi warmed his heart. They were both happy and in love, and nothing could spoil their excitement. Not even Craig. Parker would do everything in his power to make sure Craig didn’t continue to be a problem, and Neil had reassured them Craig wouldn’t get shared custody.
Parker’s phone buzzed, interrupting him from his script. He stood up and walked out by the pool so he wouldn’t disturb Marie’s call. Glancing at the number, he was not thrilled about taking the call.
“Hello, Sasha.”
“Hi, Parker. How are you? I hear congratulations are in order?”
“Yes, thanks.” Dread filled him. What did she want? He didn’t want Marie to know it was Sasha. It might ruin their weekend.
“Listen, I’m calling about Craig. I know we aren’t on the best of terms, but our lives have reconnected in the craziest way. I do care about Jackson.” Her tone had turned serious.
“All right, what about him?”
“When Craig got home yesterday from picking him up, he was furious. He said Marie was trying to replace him with you in Jackson’s life. He told me the only reason she’s marrying you was to steal Jackson away.”
Parker laughed out loud and he noticed Marie had stood up, looking over at him.
“I can tell you that’s not the case at all. Marie has to encourage Jackson to go with Craig every time. The boy doesn’t want to go to your house. Why do you think that is, Sasha?”
