by Nella Tyler
“It always is.”
“That’s the same thing my brother said, I think.”
“Lance?” He chuckled again, not able to hide his amusement. “I wouldn’t be taking too much advice from him if I were you.”
I punched him squarely in the shoulder. “I don’t even know if she wants me around to take care of this baby.”
“I’m going to ask you a question.” He climbed to his feet and hovered above me. “Do you want to be in this baby’s life?”
“I think I already answered that question.” I cocked my head upwards to look at him. “Yes.”
“Then fight for it. Fight for her. Hell, I’ve known you for years and I’ve never known you to be a sucker for a woman, but something about Lindsay feels different. And if I feel that difference, then I know you do too. So, you get on that flight and you don’t come back without that girl in your arms.”
“Really?” I arched one brow. “You really think—”
“I think you’re running out of time.”
I closed my eyes for a second before realizing that he was right. I was wasting time having this conversation with him, so I jumped to my feet and embraced him with a manly hug. He pounded his fist against my back before breaking away, and just like that, I was off.
I ran down the long and narrow steps of the courthouse, wasting no time to hail a cab instead of waiting for my private driver to show up. I directed him towards the airport and offered him a hundred-dollar tip if he got me there as soon as possible.
In my entire life, the only thing I ever had control in was my education. Even when it came to my business, it became apparent in the courtroom that I didn’t have as much control as I thought I did. Control was something that felt like an illusion. But there was one thing I could control, or at least try to control. This thing with Lindsay? I had control over what or how to win her over. I had control in not giving up. I had control in reaching for the stars for the first time when it came to love.
And I was going all in.
Chapter 38
Lindsay
I had been on the beach most of the day and the sun was beginning to set in the distance. I must have passed out for a lengthy nap as I hadn’t planned on spending the entirety of the day outside. In fact, I was looking forward to dinner with my parents more than anything.
But I was content lying there on a towel. More than that, I was loving life again. It’s amazing the kind of mood you can be in just being so close to the salty sea. It’s a euphoric feeling, listening to the crashing of the ocean waves. It’s calming too, and in the calmness, I found reflection. I made up my mind to go back to Seattle in a few days to try and make it work with Caleb, if he wanted the same.
Most importantly, it was important to me that my child was raised by a good man, and Caleb could fit that bill with a few minor adjustments. I had seen the goodness of his heart on the outskirts of his persona.
A shadow phased over me and I could tell—maybe it’s my sixth sense or something—just by the shape of the shadow, that it was Caleb. But it couldn’t be. I must’ve been dreaming.
But when I looked up to him, I knew I wasn’t dreaming. I knew this was reality, an improbable reality, but reality nonetheless. I jumped up with glee and threw my arms around him, taking refuge in the strength of the hug he returned to me. It felt real. It felt sincere. It felt as if he was holding me so tight because he was afraid of letting me go. Maybe that was just my mind reading into things that weren’t there, but I was comfortable with that.
And when he broke away from the hug, I felt something wash over me. I’m not sure exactly what, but it was like two pieces of a puzzle being ripped apart. That all vanished in an instant when he bowed his head to land a gentle kiss against my lips, followed by a more passionate kiss, where his tongue pressed past my lips.
This was what I had been searching for: craving, lusting. This is what I was fighting for. To feel his smooth lips against mine, to have him devour me with his mouth instead of his penis.
“Well…” I began with a light huff as I pulled away from his embrace. “You’re not in prison, so I assume that turned out for the better.”
“You have no fucking idea.” He shook his head and grinned a sexy grin. “Thank you for believing in me, believing that I was innocent since the beginning of this. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Sure you could’ve.” I rolled my eyes and took a measured step back. “I didn’t really—”
“Don’t,” he interrupted me. “Don’t you dare try and play coy. You did this. You set me free. You save me. Because of you, the real culprits were outed in court.”
“Tara and Fred?” I questioned with a slight nod.
“They were nothing more than mere henchmen.” He chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. “The criminal mastermind was Lance.”
“Really?” I let out a long drawn out groan. I had begun to suspect him but didn’t want to say anything until I was sure. “He was always such a prick.”
“He’s fired now.” He grinned. “They’re all fired, and hopefully going to the slammer soon.”
“How poetic,” I said and reached for his hands. “Do you want to take a walk with me?”
“I didn’t fly all the way down here just to tell you that I’m a free man.”
“Shut up.” I punched him lightly on the chest before tangling my fingers with his and leading him down the shoreline. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in a short amount of time and I still don’t know what I want.”
“And that’s okay.” He chewed into his bottom lip. “I don’t know either, but I do know that I want to try. I have to try. There’s a good chance we’ll fail, but it’s a risk that’s worth taking.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say that because I’ve been thinking the exact same thing.”
“So…” He glanced over his shoulder at the beach house behind us. “This is your parents place?”
“Yes.” I stopped and turned to him. “But you knew that already. Otherwise, how did you find me?”
“Right.” He grimaced, caught in the act. “Let’s just say I know things.”
“Anyone can know anything in the age of the internet.”
“True.” He nodded with pursed lips. “For example, did you know that there are actually benefits to underwater births…”
“Seriously?” I arched one brow, slightly mortified at the thought but also with a warming of my heart that he had done any research at all.
“I got bored on the flight.”
“It’s not even an hour flight. By the time you hit the air, it’s like you’re already landing.”
“That seems familiar,” he said and I couldn’t help but to feel it was a pointed observation, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much. “Can I meet your parents?”
I dug my toes as deep into the sand as possible. Even though we were right on the outskirts of my parents’ property, it still didn’t ever cross my mind that he would meet them. It felt too soon and inappropriate. After all, Caleb and I weren’t even a couple. Although, I guessed that meant nothing since I was carrying his child inside me.
“I have to be honest with you,” I chuckled nervously as I bowed my head. “My father doesn’t like you much.”
“He doesn’t even know me.” He jerked backwards slightly before straightening himself out. “I get that though, I guess. I haven’t really played my cards right.”
“It’s fine.” I waved off his concern with my hand. “I don’t think either of us have exactly handled this thing the best way possible, you know?”
“So…” He swiveled on his feet and glanced at me. “Can I meet them?”
I sighed followed by a light laugh. “It’s your funeral.”
Even though it was still my house by proxy, because I had a guest with me, I decided to knock on the door. My heart began to race as I waited for either my mother or father to open the door and I hoped that it would be my mother.
To
my surprise—and horror—my father was the one to answer the door. The first thing he did was size Caleb up and down, and by the look on his face, I knew he knew exactly who Caleb was. I was just waiting for my father—a loving man by nature—to throw the first punch against Caleb.
Instead, he just smiled and offered his hand to Caleb. “You must be Caleb.”
“And you must be her Dad. I see where she gets the good looks,” he joked, trying to lighten the mood as he shook my father’s hand. “I just need to say from the get-go that I’m sorry for whatever damage I’ve caused and I’m trying my best to make things right.”
“Uh-huh.” Dad glanced at him and broke away from the handshake. “It’s never too late to do the right thing, Caleb. That’s something my father once taught me and it’s tuck with me since I was a child.”
“I like that.” Caleb nodded as Mom approached from behind Dad. She too was smiling, almost too happy to see the man with whose baby I was carrying out of wedlock. “You must be her mother,” Caleb said with a grin. “Now, I really see where she got her good looks from.”
“Careful now,” Dad warned Caleb jokingly. “We’d love to get to know you.”
“Dinner will be done in an hour,” Mom added with a warm smile. “I’m sure we all have lots to discuss then.”
I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that they were getting along so well. I knew it was just the very first interaction, but with what limited information my parents had about Caleb, it could have easily turned into a bloodbath. I was thankful it didn’t, but more than that, with each passing minute, I started to believe more and more in the idea that Caleb was the best version of himself, one I had always dreamed about but was never actually quite sure existed.
While we waited for dinner to be finished—mother was always the type to refuse any sort of help in the kitchen—I instructed Caleb to put on his swimsuit in the guest house while I went down to enjoy the serenity of the waves by myself.
My heart was overflowing with happiness and possibility, and I felt like a million dollars standing beside the sea, even if I was already beginning to show physical signs of pregnancy.
The lust that I had felt for him initially and through the entirety of our relationship was slowly turning into seeds of love, and it was so much more powerful than I ever could have imagined.
From behind me, I heard Caleb approaching—running—towards me, and by the time I could spin around to face him, he scooped me into his arms as he ran towards the ocean. His legs kicked through the waves as he led us deeper and deeper into the sea until he was covered up to his waist and he dropped me to my feet.
The waves crashed just beneath my breasts as I wrapped my arms around his neck for safety, but to also be close to him. And there was silence where neither of us said a word. We didn’t have to. For the first time, there was a silent understanding between us.
“I…” he began before correcting himself, “We, I mean. We’re going to figure this all out together and whatever we’re going to be is what we’re meant to be, and I’m okay with that. Truly.”
“Truly truly?” My eyes bore into his. “Is that a promise?”
“It’s a damn promise, and it’s a promise without an expiration date.”
“That might be the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“Yeah?” His lips curled into a sexy, bitable grin. “More romantic than this?”
Before I could respond, his lips were pressed against mine. Salty as the ocean, but I didn’t mind. And under the weight of his kiss, I knew without a doubt that somehow we were going to make us work. It was going to take a lot of hard work, but we had an undeniable connection, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
Chapter 39
Caleb
Two Months Later
It was no small feat pulling the surprise off, but I knew it was going to be worth every damn penny and minute spent coordinating the effort. I had rented out an entire restaurant, a fancy five-star eatery on the West Side with a towering view overlooking the ocean in the near-distance. The proposal was set to take place right as the sun was cresting over the horizon, settling into the night sky.
There were people in the fancy place, but they were all hired actors. I didn’t want to take any chances on some stranger mucking up the experience for Lindsay. Like I said, it was expensive as hell, but worth every penny.
There had been a lot of changes in my life and in Lindsay’s, and I’m not talking specifically related to work-life, but mostly that. Lindsay was promoted to senior accountant, while her best friend Ina took over Tara’s former position. We were in the process of hiring someone to fill Fred’s shoes and we simply eliminated Lance’s position which was basically worthless from the beginning anyways and only existed to appease our one mutual parent. Speaking of Lance, he was serving time in prison for the bullshit he pulled on me, but I didn’t care.
After having a five-course dinner of all of Lindsay’s favorite foods, I dragged her to the center of the room where there was a dance floor.
How Do I Live Without You played over the speakers as all the actors in the restaurant pretended to go on with their own lives.
“See all these roses?” I questioned, referencing the thousands of white roses covering everything from walls, to the tables around us. “These are all for you.”
“What are you talking about?” She cocked her head sideways as we continued to sway in a circle, matching the slow beat of the love song playing over the speakers. “Do you mean to tell me?”
“I don’t know.” I couldn’t help but to grin, to show how extremely happy I was in that moment, because I knew what was about to happen. For whatever reason, it didn’t appear as if she had a clue what was about to transpire, and that excited me even more so. “I was thinking, if we’re going to have a girl, maybe we could call her Rose?”
She frowned and chuckled slightly. “I’ve seen Titanic one too many times for that to ever be a real option. I feel like it’d be dooming her to a lifetime of heartbreak and sadness.”
“I…” I laughed. “I think that’s a little bit of a stretch.” I readjusted my palms around her hips and tried to come up with a new name. “How about Lance if it’s a boy? To honor the man who brought us together.”
“Seriously?” She cackled. “That’s so freaking ridiculous.”
“He did bring us together; you know that, right?” I smacked my tongue over my lip, all of a sudden nervous. “And it was you that saved me from a life behind bars, and I could never think you enough for that.”
“That’s it,” she said with a devious smile, “let’s name him after the IRS.”
“You’re such a brat,” I cooed. I glanced down at her stomach, which was showing slightly through the beautiful, white dress she wore that cut off just above the knees. “A brat that I need to ask a question.”
“Why kind of question?” She cocked her head at me as she tightened her grip around my neck.
“When we decided two months ago to try this, I didn’t know if it was going to work.” I stumbled on my own breathing as the nerves continued to ratchet higher and higher and I could feel my chest threatening to close up. “All I knew was that I had to try, and now we’ve gotten to know each other and I see you for so much more. I see the beauty of you inside and out, and maybe, just maybe, you see me differently too.”
“You know the answer to that question,” she said lowly with a smile. “I think the world of you.”
“That’s good.” I cleared my throat. “So damn good… because…” I broke away from her, leaving her in a state of confusion for the shortest of moments until I lowered myself onto one knee and pulled a small jewelry box from my pocket.
“What are you doing?” she questioned in a whisper as her lips began to ripple into a half-smile, half frown, but I just knew it was because she was overwhelmed with happiness, which in turn overwhelmed me with the same feeling of love. “Are you…”
“You know w
hat I’m doing, so let’s just skip all the bullshit.” I locked my eyes with hers, my eyes boring into her soul. But it was she who was pulling me inside out and making me squirm. “Will you—”
“Yes.” She nodded her head feverishly. “Yes, you fucking idiot.” She reached for my hands and helped guide me to my feet and before I even had the chance to place the ring on her finger, she initiated a deep, passionate kiss right there in front of an audience of strangers.
And she barely even took one damn glance at the ring; that really told me everything I needed to know. She wasn’t in this—or with me—for the money. She was so different than every other girl, so different from what I had imagined all girls would be like. She was mine and she was a winner in every sense of the word.
I kissed her like someone kisses someone when they’re in love. That’s not a feeling I had ever known, but fuck if it wasn’t the most amazing thing in the world. The idea that you could love someone so completely that you love them more than you love yourself. That was always a foreign idea to me, but she forced it to become my reality. It’s like I never even stood a chance from the first time I opted to take her home with me.
Finally, when we were both out of breath with our foreheads pressed against each other, I reached gently for her finger and rolled the ring onto its rightful place.
And that was the very first second of my own happily ever after…
Epilogue
Lindsay
Five Months Later
My eyes flashed open and the darkness dissipated in an instant. This was it! This was the big moment I had been dreading from the day I first found out I was pregnant, but also the day that I began to long for as my pregnancy seemed to go on and on.
I was more than ready to meet my baby—though we still weren’t sure if we were going to have a boy or a girl. In my gut, I just knew that the baby was going to be a girl, but Caleb was certainly hoping for a boy. And after meeting his little brother and seeing their relationship, I was content either way. I just wanted to meet our baby.
