by Pamela Ann
I gazed up at him, meeting his gorgeous grey eyes. “It’s not really slaving yourself away when you love what you do,” I quipped back, teasing. “So, don’t play that card with me. We both know you’re passionately nuts about your work.”
He smirked, scratching the stubble on the side of his chin while giving me an amused look that made me fall for him harder. “You do have a point there.”
“I do,” I sighed whimsically, having a hard time resisting to touch the side of his face just so I could rub my palm on the harsh, springy texture. “Do you honestly think it’s safe to go home?”
“Yes, but if it makes you feel safer, I can hire a nurse to be there with you at all hours.”
“Okay, now you’re just going overboard!” My eyes went wide, immediately protesting his horrendous suggestion. Drake had a major tendency of doing things way out of proportion sometimes. Some were sensible, while others were purely insane.
“Maybe I am, but I’m not joking, either.” He took hold of both my hands, bringing them to his lips and kissing them. “Whatever makes you happy, Lil,” he said with his whole heart and with his eyes boring inside my soul. “You and the baby are what’s important now; that’s all I care about. If going the extra length to make sure you’re safe and not a bunch of nerves, then heck, let’s have a professional there to guide you all the way until the baby’s born.”
“Hmmm. I’ll think about that, but not right now,” I said. Hiring a professional after I gave birth made sense, but not before it. Since Drake would be occupied with work anyhow, it would make life easier. Althoughmy mom and Patricia would be there to help—I knew that—I also understood they had their own lives to live. I couldn’t fully expect them to be there at all hours when I was having a panic because the baby wasn’t latching onto me while feeding like it should be.
“If you say so. Your wish is my command.” He was grinning from ear to ear, looking silly and pleased by winning the so-called argument.
“Silly.” I nudged him before finally agreeing that maybe we should take the doctor’s advice and go home. I did miss Skully. Poor thing was probably freaked out that we had left without saying goodbye to him. The very thought of him all sad and blue made me more eager to get moving, sign the discharge papers, and go home to be with family.
Drake had taken the liberty of calling both of our parents to announce the amazing news, and seeing how his eyes sparked, I couldn’t help feeling as though I should take extreme measures to keep that fire brightly lit for as long as possible.
All my worries aside, I was over-the-moon to learn I was pregnant. It was a nice surprise since I hadn’t been feeling the normal pregnancy symptoms. I didn’t even think of it when my period didn’t come. My cycle wasn’t always that precise, and it would be off a week or so most of the time; therefore, I hadn’t thought there was anything to worry about.
When the doctor gravely advised “bed rest,” I knew I wasn’t fully expected to be on my back twenty-four seven, but on the fourth day of rest, I was ready to throw in the towel from boredom.
Seriously, how many hours could one dedicate to watching television? How many days and nights could one watch movies and documentaries? It was selfish, but I was itching to go back to work.
Masie didn’t even bat an eyelid when I told her the news and that Drake suggested hiring someone to help at the bakery. Masie merely obliged him. She and I had discussed hiring a few people since the business was slowly picking up. With Valentine’s Day coming up in a couple weeks, it was in our best interest to not lose any business while providing excellent service and still make incredible cupcakes. As much as we both loved working together, it was high time we took on help to carry some of the workload.
One of the highlights of my days was getting calls from Drake, which was rather sad. When he called, I tried to sound upbeat, as if watching any more Cake Boss shows was better than being at work, making my own dream happen.
“How about I bring some lunch over tomorrow? Would you like that?” he said while I reached for the remote to mute the television.
I knew he was extremely busy after Hugh’s sudden stroke, and trying to balance out his hectic schedule so he could still cater to me was beyond touching.
“Babe, I’d love that, but you don’t have to. I have Skully to keep me company,” I tried to reassure to no avail.
“My schedule is crazy, but I’ll always try to make time for you, Lil, so please don’t argue with me on this one. Anyhow, I called Mom earlier to make sure she drops by later.” He paused, as if waiting for me to say something. When I didn’t, he continued. “I don’t know if you had a talk with your mom about this, but I thought you’d want another woman to speak to about pregnancies and babies and all that …”
“That’s nice of you to do that, but seriously, you didn’t have to pester poor Patricia on my part. I’m sure her plate is full as it is.”
“It is—trust me—but this is her grandchild, after all, so she’s just as invested as I am. She’s been dying for me to make babies for as long as I can remember.”
Did that happen while he was with Shannon, too? The thought made me shiver.
“All right. If you insist,” I finally relented to his request.
Drake and I spoke for another five minutes before he had to cut the call to get back to work, much to my dismay.
I supposed there was not much to do other than watch television and sleep until Patricia decided to show up.
*
My sweet godmother, who is also my mother-in-law, came by while I was napping out on the patio. Skully instantly started barking his tail off because there was someone else to pester for more attention.
It was funny how she always brought something for me to snack on. This time, it was her amazing mini-blueberry muffins, an absolute favorite of mine.
“Someday, I hope to get my hands on this recipe. These are divine,” I gushed as I took half a bite of the baked goodie, shutting my eyes and feeling almost giddy at the buttery taste and sweetness of the fresh blueberries. “So … good,” I said just as I finished off the rest before licking my fingers.
Patricia looked like she was having the time of her life watching me devour her present. “I’ll bring in my recipe book. I’ve accumulated quite a lot through the years, though some were passed down through the generations.” Her eyes lit up, as if she had just had the most brilliant idea. “You know, why don’t I bake here next time? That way, you can learn it as we go since you know how these things work. The recipe guides you, but it’s our tongue and gut feeling that measures its perfection.”
That much was true. How often had I started back from scratch when the recipe I was presented with didn’t taste right? Most especially with baking, overdoing or underdoing the process could shift the taste of the outcome.
“I would love that. I don’t think I’ve seen you bake with that red apron of yours since I was what? Ten years old?” Grinning, I plucked another muffin out of the basket before peeling the moist wrapper off. The memory of her baking in that red apron was one of the things I remembered from childhood that made me think I wanted to be a baker like her. My mother wasn’t particularly fond of baking; as a result, my having the trait could only be accounted to those good memories I had of Patricia.
From then on, our conversations were dominated by recipes and the new ways of fondant making that was popular today. I even promised to teach her how to do those since she was curious about it. Though she did open up about the subject of the baby, I appreciated how she didn’t probe much about if I was still going through a rough time about the previous miscarriage. The fears remained constantly in the back of my mind, and I wasn’t ready to go there yet. Maybe after I reached the second trimester, when everything was mostly secured and safe, maybe only then could I open up to anyone other than Drake.
Right after Patricia left, I was surprised to find Emma Anderson Cole walking up the driveway, appearing as if she was hiking around the area since she was geared
in one of those head to foot black spandex outfits with hot pink accents. She looked like she wasn’t pregnant at all. How far along is she? I wondered as I grinned from ear to ear, meeting her halfway up the driveway.
“I just heard the news! Bass told me this morning after speaking to Drake, so I had to nag him to text your husband for your home address so I could make a house call and congratulate you myself!” she exclaimed, beaming before giving me a congratulatory hug.
“That’s very nice of you, though you didn’t have to! How far did you trek? How can you even walk in that outfit, Emma? You sure don’t look pregnant to me.” She looked like a woman who had stepped out of a sports magazine. Even though we had become close since our visit in Aspasia, I still couldn’t get over the fact that she was the most down to earth woman I knew and who also happened to be one of the most beautiful women I had ever met. Nevertheless, she seemed oblivious to the fact that she was so gorgeous. It was crazy, really.
“I’m about ten weeks, so it’s not that obvious yet.” Her blue eyes sparkled as she pet her flat tummy; looking the happiest I had ever seen her. “You don’t know how excited we are for having this second chance. Losing the first one was devastating.”
As was mine.
Moving on to a safer subject, I invited her inside my home. “I’m sure you’re parched.”
“Yes, some juice would be good.”
Strolling into the kitchen, I quickly glimpsed at her. “How’s Bass? Drake’s been so busy, and this whole bed rest thing isn’t all that’s cracked up to be. It can get very exhausting. I didn’t know resting could ever be, but it definitely is.”
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing we’re neighbors, ‘cause it’s getting very lonely with most of my friends back in Santa Barbara and with Lindsey deciding to stay in Athens. It’s good to have someone to talk to about girly stuff.”
Funny how I hadn’t realized how much Emma and I had in common. She had also gone through a miscarriage and was now experiencing her second pregnancy. Did she also have the same fears as I? I was tempted to ask the entire time we were conversing on the patio, sipping our refreshing drinks, but I was too scared to ever dare tread along that line.
Someday perhaps.
Chapter 10
Drake
“How did Mom’s visit go?” I asked Lily the moment I got inside the house, sitting myself down as she took her time making a tasty looking meal of green salad, baked potatoes, and pork chops.
Taking a seat right beside me, she gave me a quick rundown of what they spoke about, surprising me that Mom offered to come here so Lily could watch her bake some of the pastries that had influenced the most cherished memories of my childhood.
“That’s very nice of her to offer¸” I stated before taking the salad bowl, serving Lily’s plate first before giving myself a helping or two.
She looked radiant, beaming with complete happiness as she gazed those beautiful, deep eyes towards mine. “Your mom’s a darling. It’s a good thing, though, because at least I get to learn to do something while I’m supposed to be resting and getting my skinny ass plump and fat for this little bundle of happiness.”
“Plump and fat … I love those kind of asses, too.”
“I’m sure you do,” she retorted as she gave me a piece of baked potato before adding a good dollop of sour cream and fresh cut chives sprinkled on top. It was pure deliciousness.
“I so do, Lil.” I paused while my eyes took her in, admiring. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look today? Maybe it’s this glow that’s lighting up your face … I don’t know. I can’t seem to pinpoint what it is, but you look different—good different—and I can’t stop staring at you.”
There was something about her that got my heart stomping faster. It could be the pregnancy. , or it could be the happiness we were both experiencing and its reflection in her eyes. Whatever it was, I loved it.
Gazing at her with pure adulation, I smirked, giving her a look that made her blush. “Don’t blush like that, Lily, ‘cause my cock won’t ever go down if you keep blushing that way.”
She glared at me, reprimanding. “Oh shush. No sex, remember? Doctor’s orders.”
Oh fuck!
“Shit! I totally forgot about that for a second.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“I so fucking did. What the hell!” My dick needed to go down, or I would be in big trouble. Besides, jerking off in the shower was not a feasible option when I had a wife I couldn’t take my eyes off of. “Distract me, babe. Talk to me about something else, please.”
She was laughing at me; I couldn’t believe it. Her small laughs turned into a string of hiccupping, deep bellied ones that made me only more frustrated that I couldn’t feast on her on this table like we used to.
“Jesus, Drake, you’re going to suffer, aren’t you?” Her eyes twinkled of mischief, as if the wheels in her brain just started turning, wickedly concocting how to prolong my suffering.
“Nice of you to point that out. Well, unless you offer to remedy it, I’ll suffer for a while.” One could dream, I supposed.
“Not happening tonight,” she said, giving me a stern look. “Pregnant woman here, too tired to move.”
I was sure she was worn out by too much resting. From where I was sitting, she looked too good to be drained of energy. I could already see her using that as an excuse for everything.
“This better not be your go-to line whenever you’re trying to ditch your wifely duties.”
She audaciously winked at me before taking a small bite of a cherry tomato. “I’m going to milk this opportunity, and you know it.”
“We shall see, dear wife. We shall see,” I murmured at her, challenging and teasing at the same time.
We could turn this into a wicked game that could turn into something that had a gratifying outcome. That surely would sweeten the deal, wouldn’t it? I wouldn’t mind the sufferance as long as she delivered the bargain in the end.
Our night was spent quietly in the safe confines of our bedroom. Lily opted to continue her reading, looking cozy with Skull on her lap on the chaise lounge, while I sat across from her on the sofa, working on my laptop. It was moments like these that I loved about our marriage—the quiet solitude that was shared between us that could go on for hours, focusing with our minds on the tasks at hand, yet our hearts remained in touch with each other. I hated being a sentimental fool, but fuck, those moments didn’t come often in my relationships before Lily. Though she had similar traits to my exes—the neediness and all that jazz—she also had her limits. She knew how to value herself, and she also knew when to stop and make me work hard for it.
I must admit, the times she made me work hard for it only got me even more determined to get back in her good graces. Sometimes, it was good to remind men they had to strive and to keep on striving, even though they had the woman of their dreams. Men loved to be challenged, to be provoked and stimulated. As much as we loved to be aroused and rock hard by the sight of our women, it was a double threat when a woman could rouse our minds. It simply gave that extra boost, that extra kick we all enjoyed so much, that smell of challenge, the chase of wanting to capture her once more and the sweet taste of success at seeing her beg and submit to her man, , loving her man the way he loved to be treated. That was the high I got from Lily and our marriage. It was hard to top that with anything else, because not a lot of women could stir me.
It wasn’t such a hardship to understand that I wouldn’t want for anything when it came to relationships and my kind of marriage with Lily. Not only did we have equality, but when it came to certain things, she knew when to be subdued and when to bring out her prowess. She knew when to fight back or when to submit. We were a perfect match, and I had never been so completely happy nor satisfied in my life. People would never comprehend why I had settled so young when there was still a lot of women to sample.
I admit that there was a point in the beginning when I was contemplating, but thinking back, I was gl
ad I hadn’t strayed. I could imagine what might have gone down if I didn’t follow my gut instinct. Another man could tell when there was wife material in a woman, and Lily would have been snapped up by that man named Jared. What would I have had then? More women to sample? I thought not. Sometimes, a person should know when they’d had enough fun. I’d had my fair share, and never a day went by that I was not grateful I had that out of my system.
Gazing across at my partner, my chest constricted at the sight. When my eyes dropped to her stomach, I felt something funny inside me. My wife and growing baby, I thought smiling, feeling blessed for having a family. Someday soon, we would officially be parents.
I hadn’t anticipated that becoming a father would be this breathtaking.
One thing I didn’t counted on the next morning was a visit from someone I would rather not see for as long as I lived. However, it was just my luck that she was standing right outside the office building, waiting for me to arrive. When she spotted me, she immediately perked up, appearing more conscious of her appearance, like I cared if a strand of hair was out of place or if she had bothered to shower. When would she understand that I didn’t give a damn if she was dead or alive? It was fucking harsh of me to admit that, but why lie even to myself? I fucking hated the woman. I only tolerated her because I didn’t want her to go crazy again, but damn, she was really pushing the wrong buttons by coming here uninvited.
“Shannon,” I said bitingly, but she didn’t regard my harsh greeting towards her. Instead, her smile got even bigger, perking up more at the sight of me acknowledging her sad existence.
“Drake, thank God!” she gushed, scurrying towards me with her ever too high heels. “The security wouldn’t let me in for some reason! It’s not like I’d steal staplers or any of that crap.”
