Lucy managed to give her sister a weak smile. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
Turning back to her work, Liv also smiled. “Plus, being born with six aunts and uncles, this kid is going to be the most spoiled baby on the face of the earth.”
This time, Lucy’s smile was genuine and she let out a small laugh. “I don’t doubt that one bit.”
“Can you come and pick me up at the bakery?” Lucy tried to keep her voice normal as she spoke to Jack.
“Yeah. Everything okay?”
“It’s fine. Just come and get me.”
He hesitated and then spoke softly. “I can tell when something is wrong with you. What happened?”
She sighed loudly. “I’ll tell you when you get here, okay.”
“Fine. I’m on my way.” He clicked off abruptly and Lucy knew he was probably tearing out the door already.
She turned to her sister. “He’s coming.”
“As if we had any doubt.”
“I’m so nervous.”
“It’s going to fine.” Liv slipped on her oven mitts and opened the oven. Bending over, she removed the chocolate cake from the racks and set it on the counter. “Anyone can see that Jack loves you. He’s not going to run because of something like this.”
Lucy told herself she knew that she and Jack belonged together, that their relationship was fated and unshakable, but this was something so huge, she couldn’t be sure. They had never even talked about kids or what the future held beyond what was happening at the moment. The Empress and her vendetta on the Estmonds, plus Jack being her son, was enough for them to deal with at one time.
But now, it was happening and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“I know he’s not going anywhere,” she told Liv. “But wondering how he is going to react is making me crazy.”
Liv moved to the other side of the kitchen and extracted a box from beneath the counter. “You were already crazy. Here, go out front and put some doughnuts and muffins in there. Make sure to add the chocolate for Greg and the Dutch apple crumble.”
Lucy tilted her head as she accepted the box. Raising one eyebrow she examined her sisters face.
“What?” Liv asked when she caught Lucy staring at her.
“Those are the muffins Aiden wanted.”
“So.”
“So, I thought you hated him.”
Liv rolled her eyes. “I hate him, but that doesn’t mean I want him to starve.”
“These are the ones he asked for though, so it’s almost like your trying to do something nice for him.”
“Oh my god, Lucy.” Liv turned to face her. “What is wrong with being nice? He’s living at my house for crying out loud. We have to start getting along at some point. Even if I don’t like him, it doesn’t mean I have to be a total bitch.”
Lucy laughed. “I kinda think he likes it when you’re a total bitch.”
Liv jabbed her finger at the door. “Go get the muffins.”
Laughing, Lucy clutched the box and pushed through the swinging door into the main room of the bakery. Amy was behind the counter, mixing up a latte or something. She glanced up when Lucy entered. “Hey, Lucy.”
Lucy waved with her free hand. “Liv wants me to stock up on treats for the family.”
“Go right ahead.” She gestured to the glass case with all the baked goods. She finished making the coffee and stuck a plastic lid on the to-go cup, then rounded the counter and handed it to a customer who was staring at the paintings of scenery on the walls while they waited.
Bending down, Lucy opened the glass case began to randomly select a variety of doughnuts and muffins, using tongs to pick them up and set them in the box. She had just finished up when the she heard the door swish open and the bells jingle roughly as they bounced off of the glass.
She peered through the glass and saw that Jack had arrived. She straightened to get a good look at him. Every time she saw him was like meeting him for the first time. Well, not necessarily their first time, since she and Liv kicked his ass that time, but the first time she really saw him for the sexy, amazing person that he is.
“Lucy.” He caught her gaze and strode quickly past the tables where customers were enjoying their pastries and coffee. He wore a black tee shirt and jeans and his hair was a mess, sticking up and tousled, as if he hadn’t bothered to fix it before he left the house. His boots slammed into the tile floor as he made his way to her.
She set the box on the counter and let him lift her up into his arms, then he lowered his head so that his lips could meet hers. There was no burn, like when any other Keeper and Reaper touched, but she still felt an electric current course through her body and goosebumps erupted over her skin.
“Hey,” she whispered after he pulled away.
“Hey,” he responded, his voice low.
She stared up at him and their gazes were locked. She could tell that he knew something was terribly off with her. “Thank you for coming,” she told him.
“No need for thanks.” He straightened, standing a bit taller. “When my woman calls, I come running.”
Somewhere behind her, Lucy heard a long sigh. She tore her eyes away from Jack and turned. There, she found Amy staring at them with a star struck expression on her face. When Amy realized that Lucy had caught her, she offered a weak smile and said, “you two are just awful cute. That was an entrance every woman dreams of.”
“Um … thanks.” Her eyes flitted to the tables where a few customers were also taking in the show, longing smiles on all of their faces. “I’m certainly a lucky girl.” This time her eyes went to Jack, who still had one arm around her waist. His expression was smug.
She rolled her eyes and nudged him with her elbow. “Don’t let it go to your head,” she whispered.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.” He bent down and pecked her on the lips. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah, I just need to give these to Liv.” She held up the box and pushed him back with her free hand. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’m going to grab a lemon filled.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Make sure that you write it down on that pad by the register or Liv will cut us off.” Jack was already bent over, tongs in hand and his head practically in the case. “Got it,” he assured her.
“Don’t forget.” She repeated in a firm voice as she headed through the swinging door into the kitchen.
Liv stood at a large island counter, a variety of tools spread out beside the cake that was in front of her. She was slightly bent, and piping a black swirly design onto the white frosting.
Lucy watched her with fascination. It must be nice to have a something you were good at in life. She didn’t have anything like that. Most of the time she felt like she was the only one out of all her brothers and sisters who didn’t have a direction in life. And now, now she had to figure out how to care for a child when she barely knew how to take care of herself.
Liv glanced up and saw her standing there watching. “Hey, everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Snapping back to reality, Lucy nodded. “Yeah, Jack is here. I just wanted to leave these in here so you didn’t forget them later.”
“Set them down by my purse.” Liv gestured in the direction of where her purse sat on the counter by the door.
Lucy did as she instructed and then collected her own purse, slipping it over her shoulder. “Thanks for helping me with this.”
Liv shrugged. “What’s the sense in having a big sister if you can’t depend on them when things get tough.”
“Yeah, but this shouldn’t have been one of those times.”
“Go.” Liv waved her off. “Go tell Jack.”
Her nerves buzzing with anticipation, she slipped through the door and found Jack leaning on the counter eating a doughnut while Amy flirted with him. “Come on, I’m ready.” She waved him over. He straightened quickly and flashed Amy a smile as he moved to join Lucy. “Later Amy.” He saluted her with the hand his doughnut was in.
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br /> Once they were settled in the truck, Lucy turned to Jack and said. “Let’s go down to the bridge.”
“Why?” He asked, his brows moving together with curiosity. “Don’t we have to go back to the house and prepare, or sleep.”
“Yeah, but I want to show you something first.”
He shrugged. “You’re the boss.” He shifted the truck into gear and pulled out onto the highway. They sat in silence for a few moments while he drove the short distance to the bridge. Once they were there, he pulled into one of the dirt pullouts on the side of the road and parked. “I’ll admit,” he said before opening his door to get out. “I’m awfully curious to know what this is all about.”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” Lucy pushed her door open and hopped out of the truck. “Come on.”
Clutching her purse, with the test securely tucked within, she found the trail on the right side of the bridge and navigated her way down. Unusually silent, Jack followed close behind. The path was rocky, but worn down from generations of people traipsing down to the creek for one reason or another.
Beneath the old stone bridge, the massive support walls were covered in graffiti and carvings. A colorful blend of beautiful art, offensive language, initials and claims that so and so had been there, canvased almost every spare inch.
Lucy didn’t want to sit underneath the bridge in the shadows, so she veered to the right and picked her way along the rocky bank. Finally, after about five minutes, she found a nice sized rock beside a spot where the creek ran shallow. In the water, she could see the moss attached to the rocks, stretching out as the current tried to pull it along.
She climbed up onto the rock and sat with her legs stretched out in front of her. “Sit with me.” She patted the spot beside her and looked up at Jack.
As she stared at him, she knew that she was one of the luckiest women on earth. This man, though he was a Reaper and she was supposed to be his natural enemy, was made for her. Not only was he more than easy on the eyes, with his dark features and fantastic build, this man … he would do anything for her. Anything. He had already risked his life and given up everything he’d ever known to be with her.
In that moment, she knew that there was no one else in the universe she would want to father her child. If he was this protective and loving with her, she could only imagine the lengths he would go for his baby.
Clouds peppered the sky and the sun beat down on them. The fall weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold, just warm enough to feel comforting as it radiated over their bodies.
“Okay, miss secretive. What’s going on?”
No sense in beating around the bush. She’d decided as they walked that it was best just to come out with it. So, she turned to face him, making sure that their eyes were locked and he would know that she was serious.
“Jack … I’m pregnant.”
She watched, every slight motion, every muscle twitch, she wanted to see every type of reaction that his words didn’t portray.
His eyes widened in shock and his lips parted as if he were going to speak, but all that came out was an “Ohh…”
Oh. That was all he had. She fought back the urge to snap at him, realizing that he too needed time to process this. She’d known she was pregnant even before taking the test, so she’d had far more time to adjust to even the idea of a baby.
Give him time, she told herself.
Then, a sudden shift in his facial expression happened. The shocked and confused look disappeared and a glint appeared in his eyes. “Of course!” He blurted, smacking his head with his palm. “This explains so much!”
Now Lucy was the one confused. “What … what do you mean? How does it explain anything?”
“The mood swings, like worse than normal, the puking, how your more tired than usual, the boob thing ...”
“What boob thing?” she cut him off.
He shrugged. “They seemed bigger, but I just figured maybe it was me not realizing the actual size before. And also, your nipples are more sensitive. You know how you like it when I …”
“Okay!” She stopped him again. She withdrew the test from her purse. It was wrapped in toilet paper, so she carefully unrolled it and showed him. “See, two lines means pregnant.”
He took it from her and stared down at the stick with wide eyes. “Lucy … we’re going to have a baby. A fucking baby! My god, I knew we were going to have kids eventually, so I wasn’t expecting it now, but our kid is going to be the most amazing kid on the planet!”
He raised the test into the air as if he were lifting a trophy. “Fuck yeah!” he bellowed.
Lucy leaned back and laughed. “Well, I’m glad that you’re not upset about it, but we’re definitely going to have to work on our language. I’d like it if the kid wasn’t subjected to the word fuck about a hundred times a day.”
His head snapped her way, his eyes suddenly filled with hurt. “Did you think I would be mad?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t know how you would react, this is life changing, I mean … it’s a baby.”
In an instant, he had moved so that he was over the top of her, forcing her backward until her back was flush against the rock. His arms and legs were on either side of her, bracing his weight and caging her in. “I would never, ever be mad at you for this. I am just as much responsible for the actions that make a baby as you are. And aside from that, even though I’m a big fuck up, I don’t have a job, I don’t have any money, I don’t have anything to give this kid, I will be the best parent he could ever ask for.”
A lump formed in Lucy’s throat and tears welled in her eyes. “Jack …” she whispered. “I’m so scared, but this … I mean, your confidence about this means so much more than I can tell you.”
“I love you, Lucy Mae.” His dark eyes glittered with intensity. “You are mine forever and we were destined to have this child together.” He lowered himself down, keeping most of his weight off of her, but enough so that his body was flush against hers. He kissed her gently, and she felt her nerves sizzle as she parted her lips, letting his tongue find hers.
“I love you too.” She panted when he pulled back just the tiniest bit. “I’m sorry this happened right now.”
He lifted himself just enough so that he could meet her gaze again. “Don’t you ever be sorry for this … ever.” He punctuated the last word. “This is a fucking miracle. You. You and me. And now you and me and our baby. It’s meant to be.”
Nothing he could have said would have reassured her more. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes and slid slowly down the side of her face.
“Don’t cry, baby.” He braced himself on one hand and with the other, he used his thumb to wipe the wetness away.
“I can’t help it, it’s just … I’m happy, but …”
“But nothing, it’s amazing.”
She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat and trying not to cry any more than she already was. “Yes.” She managed to get out, her voice low and hoarse. “It is.”
“He lowered himself down again and kissed her once more. At first, his lips were soft and tender, but then as the kiss deepened, it became more demanding. Without realizing it, she felt her hips rise up, searching for him. As if reading her mind, he used his knee and moved one of her legs, so that he could fit himself between them.
A moan escaped from within her and tingles of electric energy washed over her as Jack pressed his groin against her own. She cursed the fact that they were in a place where everyone could see them, she should have taken him home to their bedroom so she could rip all his clothes off and have mind blowing sex.
One of his fingers trailed down her neck, then to her shoulder and then over until he was cupping her tender breast in his hand and gently flicking her nipple through her bra. She let out a small cry and her hips jerked upward. She felt him smile beneath her lips and then he pulled away. “I want you. Let me have you, right here.”
Good lord she wanted him. Every single cell in her bo
dy wanted him inside of her. But she knew that they couldn’t, the fact that they could be seen wasn’t the only thing holding her back, there was one more topic they had to cover before they were able to go home.
Breathless and wanting, she forced herself to put her hands on his chest and push him away. “I … I want you, but we can’t right now.”
“Are you afraid someone will see us?” he teased, grinding his jean encased cock between her legs.
She moaned and turned her head away. “Stop … please.” She begged him, though it probably wasn’t very convincing because she was smiling.
With a sigh, he dropped a kiss on her lips and sat up on his knees. “Fine. But, when we get home, you’re mine.”
“Deal.” She grinned. “But now, we have to talk about the second order of business.”
His eyes narrowed. “Second order of business?”
“The attack, in the morning.”
“Yeah, you’re not going.”
“Jack …”
“Don’t even try.” He moved off of her so that he was once again sitting beside her. “There is no way in hell you are going into a dangerous situation like that with our baby inside you.”
“I have to go!”
He was shaking his head before she even finished her sentence. “Hell to the fucking no. Lucy, you have a life inside of you, if something happens …”
“I am the Chosen One, Jack, how am I supposed to be okay with sending everyone I love into a fight while I stay behind.”
He hopped off the rock and stood, towering over her. “I don’t give a flying fuck if you are okay with it or not, you’re not going.”
“Dammit, Jack!”
“Don’t. That is my baby inside you.” He pointed at her stomach. “Even if I despised you more than anyone on earth, which I don’t, I still wouldn’t let you take my child into a dangerous situation like that. End of story.”
She knew there wasn’t going to be anyway out of changing his mind. Furthermore, her sister was on board with her not going, which meant everyone else was going to feel the same way. “Son of a bitch.” She slapped the rock and proceeded to slide off of it. She bent and grabbed the pregnancy test that Jack had left sitting on the rock. “This isn’t fair.”
Keeper Under Fire (Graveyard Guardians Book 3) Page 7
