by L A Cotton
Kero saw me approaching and waved. I lifted my hand to wave back, but the world spun around me and I felt myself falling.
~
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Doctor Pengala’s rich voice said from somewhere nearby.
My eyes fluttered open to three concerned faces.
“Give her some room, please. We don’t want her passing out again.”
I passed out?
Drew and Kero gave the doctor some room to check my vitals.
“How do you feel, Staci?”
“I’m okay, I guess. A little confused. Oh, I haven’t felt well all week though. I must have picked up a bug.”
Doctor Pengala made a strange sound and left the room.
“You scared the life out of me, Staci. I screamed so loud Drew came running out of his office.” Kero clutched my hand, and I thought she was going to pass out.
“As long as you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, Drew. Nothing a little rest won’t solve. Honest, you guys get back to whatever it was you were doing on our day off.”
“Day off? With this one running the show?” Kero thumbed to Drew. “We can dream.”
Drew followed her out of the room shaking his head.
A few minutes later, Doctor Pengala returned. “I need to collect a urine sample and some blood if that’s okay. Just to be safe.”
“You think I could have picked up something nasty?”
“Maybe, maybe not, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
~
Doctor Pengala insisted on keeping me overnight for observation. It was unnecessary, but when I tried to get out of bed and my legs almost gave way, he demanded a nurse keep a close eye on me. I started to worry that I might have picked up something nastier than I first suspected.
“Ahh, good morning, Miss Staci. Let’s have a look at you, shall we.”
I groaned, still half asleep from my restless night on the donated and overused hospital bed.
“How are you feeling?”
“Tired.”
“But apart from tired? Any headaches? Pains?”
“No, I feel okay. Thank you.”
“We have you test results. You haven’t caught anything nasty.”
“Oh, that’s good news. I’ll just grab my things and get going.” I was halfway off the bed when Doctor Pengala laid his hand over mine.
“You’re pregnant.”
“Wh-what?”
“The urine sample tested positive.”
“I’m pregnant?”
“Yes.”
Fuckety.
~ Kade ~
“Congratulations, man. If we weren’t surrounded by our friends and families, I’d hug the shit out of your right now.” Ethan pulled me into him anyway and clasped me around the neck. “Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again, you hear me. Some of us actually care whether you’re around or not.”
“Ethan Shaw, put my boy down and let this old woman get a hug in.”
Ethan released me, laughing along with our friends, and Mom opened her arms wide. I wasted no time in flinging myself at her, picking her up, and swinging her around.
“For the love of God, Kade Ford, put me down.”
“No can do, Mom. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” The words choked me up a little.
For a second, standing in the courtroom waiting for the jury to deliver my fate, I thought it was going to all go to shit. But true to his word, Stan had worked tirelessly to win them over and the jury delivered a verdict of not guilty. The courtroom had to be called to order after the cheers coming from the crowd.
But no one was more relieved than I was.
Gathered on the steps of the courthouse, each one of my friends and family came to hug me. When Liv reached me, she leaned into me and whispered, “Should I tell her, or will you?”
“I’ll do it.”
She deserved to hear it from me, along with a huge fucking apology for how I treated her when she flew back to see me. I might have had a victory today, but the fight wasn’t over yet.
I still had to go get the girl.
~
Ethan pulled into the drop-off zone and cut the engine. “Are you sure about this?”
“Never been more sure of anything.”
“Well, it took you long enough. Listen, about what I said to you, before-”
“You said exactly what I would have if the roles were reversed. I was scared, man. I was so fucking scared that I was going away for a long time. But it was Mom, and the fear I saw in her eyes. I couldn’t just stand there, Ethan. I couldn’t.”
Ethan raked a hand through his hair. “I know. If it had been any of us, we would’ve done the same thing. Draw a line under that shit. What’s done is done. He’s going away for a very long time, and you and Jess can look to the future.”
“Thanks. For everything. I’ll pay you back, as soon as I get back. Okay?”
“Last thing on my mind. Now go before we have to hug it out again.”
I climbed out of his car and grabbed my bag out of the back, smiling to myself.
Another first.
But this time, I hoped it was a first of many.
~ Staci ~
Pregnant.
It was almost ironic, if it wasn’t so cruel. But if life had taught me anything, it was to always expect the unexpected. And finding out I was almost three months pregnant was a shocker.
Ten years after keeping one pregnancy a secret, here I was doing it all again. While the father was thousands of miles away awaiting his fate by jury. Livy said she would call as soon as they knew, so I was assuming no news was good news. But between the pregnancy hormones and my anxiety for Kade, I was a mess.
What the fuck was I going to do?
With nowhere to run to, and no desire to make any rash decisions, I did what I did best; I threw myself into work. It was probably better that I wasn’t in Gainesville. The last thing Kade would want or need was this to deal with.
Doctor Pengala had been great; he arranged appointments for me at the main hospital in Manta. And for as much as I felt guilty for keeping it from Drew and Kero, I needed time to figure out what I was going to do before I told anyone. Which was why I was headed to the coast. I’d lied and said I wanted to catch some waves. Kero was busy with one of the smaller projects in a neighboring town, and Drew rarely left the office, so it gave me a chance to drive out to Crucita without interruption. I wanted space to think and to sort through my emotions. I had to make the biggest decision of my life.
~ Kade ~
Eleven hours and twenty minutes after leaving Gainesville, I arrived in Portoviejo. I was tired, hot, and in serious need of a shower. But all of that could wait. I needed to see her. The nervous energy bounced around my stomach as the Jeep slowed down.
“This is the place. Go get her.” Drew flashed me a knowing smile, and I thanked him for driving me out here. When I’d showed up at the project, he seemed to know exactly what I was talking about, which I took as a good sign. Staci had talked about me. Which meant there was still hope.
The beach stretched for miles in front of me, and although it was emptying, I wondered how in the hell I was supposed to find her. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. My eyes scoured the coastline pausing at a figure standing in the water. I couldn’t be sure, but my heart sped up as I strained to make out her slender frame and long wavy blond hair.
It was her.
I moved slowly in her direction, taking in the sight of her. Everything felt right now that she was in my world again. Even just being near her calmed me.
Staci bent down to swish her hands in the water, drawing patterns in the crystal blue waters. The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon, illuminating her in a glow. She looked so beautiful, it pained me to think I might have screwed things up between us for good.
When I was near enough to call out to her, I stopped. It hadn’t occurred to me to ask Drew why she was out here alone, but now I cou
ld see there was something on her mind. Don’t ask me how I knew; I just felt it.
My eyes willed her to turn around. To look in my direction.
If only she would look at me.
~ Staci ~
I swirled my fingers through the cool water, drawing lazy patterns. I’d spent the whole day thinking about my life, about the life growing inside of me, and about Kade. I was still no closer to a decision.
My heart of hearts wanted to keep the baby, to have the chance that was ripped away from me all those years ago. But the decision didn’t just affect me. If I kept the baby, Kade was going to be a father. I would be binding us together forever. How could I make that decision without him?
The beach was almost empty, but I loved this time of day, just before the sun set over the horizon. The sea sparkled under the orange glow. It was beautiful. Sensing someone watching, I glanced over my shoulder.
No.
I looked again just to be sure.
Kade looked completely lost, standing in the middle of the beach in his linen cutoffs, light shirt, and sneakers. Neither of us moved. Seeing him standing there sparked something in me and my hand instinctively moved to my stomach.
He made the first move, strolling toward me, stopping only a couple of feet away. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I replied, my voice quivered. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
“I didn’t know I needed a reason to visit my friend.”
A small laugh escaped my lips. “How are you here?”
“Funny thing, I took the plane-”
“Kade,” I warned. My mind couldn’t comprehend that he was here, in Ecuador. I needed answers.
“Okay, sorry. The case was acquitted.”
The relief was instant. Kade was free. I wanted to go to him, but I remained rooted to the spot.
“That’s great news, but you didn’t have to come all the way out here to tell me that. You could’ve called.”
Kade shook his head. “No, no, I couldn’t have called because, you see, if I had called, I wouldn’t have been able to do this.”
His lips crushed to mine as he swept me into his arms. The relief I had felt only seconds earlier was nothing compared to the feeling rushing through me now. Kade had come…for me.
As quickly as it came, the feeling was replaced with a hollow feeling.
“Wait, just wait.” I pushed him off me, putting some distance between us. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
“Staci, nothing you can say is going to scare me away. I just had Ethan lend me six hundred dollars to fly thousands of miles to tell you that I’m crazy in love with you.”
“You’re in love with me?” I stuttered.
“Like you didn’t already know.” Kade smirked. “I’m so in love with you that I thought it would be a good idea to pull this crazy stunt. It’s not going as well as I had hoped.”
I burst into laughter. “Sorry, I’m sorry. It’s not you, it’s us. Look at us, we’re pathetic.”
“Speak for yourself, Jameson.” Kade wrapped me back into his arms and pressed a kiss to my head. “You were saying you have something to tell me?”
It was now or never.
I took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
Kade’s face didn’t change. He just regarded me with that same serious gaze of his.
“Pregnant?”
I nodded too anxious to talk.
“It better be mine or we have a major problem.”
My mouth dropped open, and I smacked him on the chest. But before I could stay angry with him, Kade’s hand dropped to my stomach and he spread his hand across my blouse and a huge grin cracked over his face.
“You’re okay with this?”
“Okay with it? Can you imagine how awesome that child is going to be with fifty percent my genes and fifty percent yours. That is going to be one pretty face.”
“Seriously, this is not how I imagined this going.”
Kade lowered his head to mine and brushed my lips. “Staci, I lost you. And for a minute there, I lost myself. I know what it’s like to live in the dark, and I never want to do it again. I have no idea if I’m ready to be a father. I’ll probably change their diapers all wrong, feed them all of the wrong things, and let them stay up far too late, but as long as I’m doing it all with you, I know everything will be fine.”
“Them?” I arched my eyebrow. “Just one. Singular. One step at a time, big guy.” I looped my arm around his neck and brought my lips to his. Kade was right.
As long as we had each other, everything else would fall into place.
Epilogue
1 year later...
~ Staci ~
"The door, Kade," Jess called out, and he rolled his eyes and dropped a kiss on my head. "I'll be right back."
I smiled up at him, cradling Amelia in my arms as she slept peacefully. I'd quickly learned over the last six months not to let her angelic face fool me. I hadn't had a full night’s sleep since she was born, but she was worth it. Every long night.
"Where are my girls?" a gruff voice boomed, and Dad came padding into Jess's living room, arms full of bags.
"Hey, Dad. Keep it down, she's sleeping." I dropped my gaze to Amelia feeling a swell of love. The same feeling I felt every time I looked at her.
"Can I get you a drink, Bob?"
Dad arranged his bags in a pile in the corner of the room and replied, "I'll take a beer. Where's that lovely mother of yours?"
"I'm right here, Bobby. Come give this old lady a hug."
Kade glanced at me with a worried look on his face as Dad laughed, wrapping Jess into a hug and holding on a little too long. I shrugged. Dad was changed. It had taken some getting used to; the regular visits, how he doted on his granddaughter, and his growing interest in Jess. But it was nice to see him happy, and Jess seemed to enjoy his company. They were good for each other.
Jess went back to the kitchen, and Dad came to join me on the couch. Amelia stirred in my arms as he tried to sit quietly, and he froze.
"It’s okay." I ran a hand over her tiny body soothing her. "She'll wake for a feeding soon."
"How is my little princess doing? She's grown since I last saw her."
"Still doesn't sleep," Kade grumbled under his breath. "You wouldn't think it looking at her now."
Kade's eyes flashed with something. He adored Amelia, I didn't doubt that, but he'd found it hard to share me so soon into our relationship. Jess was always offering to take her for the night, but I wasn't ready and, besides, it didn't seem fair to ask someone else to deal with our little night owl.
“I’ve told them that I’ll take her for the night to give them some time to recharge.” Jess sauntered into the room carrying a tray of drinks and cookies.
“You should listen to the woman.” Dad glanced at us. “We can handle a baby for a few hours, right Jess?”
Jess beamed in his direction. “You need to make time for each other. Parenthood is a difficult path sometimes, you need to-”
Kade interjected, “Okay, Mom. We hear you.” His eyes found mine, softening around the edges. “It’s up to Staci; I don’t want to push her if she’s not ready. Even if I’m going to combust with sexual frustration if I don’t get some alone time with my girl soon.”
“Kade Ford, I raised you better than that.”
“That’s my daughter you’re talking about, son.”
Dad and Jess both looked at him with shock written all over their faces, before exploding with laughter, but I shot him an irritated look. He wasn’t the only frustrated one, but I didn’t need my dad and his mom knowing that.
“Honey, don’t look at him like that. It’s time to let go, just for a few hours. She will be fine.” Jess approached me in an attempt to coax Amelia from me.
I laid her in Jess’s cradled arms and glanced over her shoulder at Kade. He was watching me, adoration shining in his eyes. Parenthood might not have been in our plan, but from the second Kade laid eyes on our daughter, it was love at
first sight. She already had him wrapped around her little finger. But it had also changed things between us. We were stronger. Complete. I saw it every time he looked at me.
“Okay.”
Kade’s face broke into a huge grin, and I knew I’d made the right decision.
~ Kade ~
As my eyes fell on Staci, I made a mental note to thank Mom when we picked up Amelia. Staci had dressed up, the black pants hugging her new curves and the light blouse drawing attention to her full tits, framed perfectly by her long blond waves.
“Someone’s happy to see me.” She dropped her eyes to the growing bulge in my jeans and I barked a laugh.
“I haven’t touched you in forever. The little guy is happy; what can I say.”
“It hasn’t been weeks, Kade.” Staci stalked closer to me with a glint in her eye that told me she was playing.
“Seven weeks and two days. Not that I’m counting.”
Delicate hands trailed up my abs and around to my shoulder blades. A low growl formed in my throat, and I considered my next move. We had reservations at a nice restaurant in town, but that would seriously eat into the time I had with Staci. Time alone.
There was no decision to make.
“Change of plans,” I said, my lips slamming against hers as I literally swept her off her feet.
Staci clung to me as I carried her back into our bedroom. It had been our bedroom for almost a year, after Staci had decided she wanted to settle in Gainesville while pregnant. But I didn’t doubt that as soon as Amelia was old enough, we’d be flying out to Ecuador to introduce her to Mom’s other family.
“Kade, I thought we had plans. A date.” My lips covered hers, absorbing her words. Again and again. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
Laying her down on the bed, I cloaked her body with mine. “I never should have made reservations. This is exactly where we need to be.”
“I lied. It’s been a long time. Too long. I need you.” Staci’s eyes locked onto mine, and I pressed into her, eliciting a moan from her soft lips.
“Not as much as I need you.”
~
“Do you think she’s okay? Should I call?”
