“You’re such a suck ass.”
“I am not! I don’t lie! Right, ladies?”
“Oh damn,” Lauren says, looking around the room excitedly, bouncing in her seat on the couch.
“What?”
She stands up and clutches her phone to her chest then looks down at it again and sighs. When she meets my eyes, she smirks. “Remember those pictures of that guy with his baby in the sling against his chest wearing that insanely sexy leather jacket and aviators?” Her smile is so broad, and her eyes are sparkling.
“What? What picture?” Tess and Carly both ask.
I smile, knowing exactly where she’s going with this. Because that picture made women’s ovaries explode all over the place. And yeah, I’ve thought about it. Just a few hundred times. He’s already a hot dad to his boys. But they’re teenagers. Picturing Andy with a baby? I basically had to chase my ovaries to England, where they exploded to.
“It was going all over Facebook! How did you not see it?”
“So, you can be all judgy of Facebook when people are posting status updates, but not when someone is posting a picture of a hot guy?”
“Of course.”
“Oh hot damn,” Tess says. “Have mercy.” She’s looking down at her phone and looks up with wide eyes and fans her face. “I’m thinking maybe you should ban him from doing… that.” She points to her phone.
I’ve thought the same thing, too.
I see how some of the women in our town look at him.
I’m not blind.
“Holy crap, that picture is panty melting.” Carly’s eyes are a bit unfocused as she stares at it then clears her throat. “So, back to you guys. Is he excited?”
“Umm, yeah. He is. At first? I think he kind of freaked out. He made me pee on a dozen sticks. He went to Walgreens and bought every kind he could then stood in the bathroom with me while he made me chug down bottles of vitamin water to get me to pee.”
“Quite the bonding experience.” Lauren giggles.
“Right? Nothing says love like using the facilities in front of each other.”
Lauren, who sat back down on the couch, sits up straight and stares at me. “Wait. Did he do it, too?”
“Do what?” I ask dumbly. I can’t believe I slipped up like that. No, that’s a lie. I can totally believe it. I would never be able to keep the baby’s sex a secret when we find out. I’m about as bad as Josh and Barrett.
“Pee?”
“Why would he pee?”
“To make you feel better!”
I gasp. “How did you know?”
She points at me. “Ha! I knew it. He totally peed on a stick, didn’t he?”
I burst out laughing, wishing I could deny it.
“He had to brace his arm on the wall to make sure it aimed in the right place!” I shout through my laughter.
We all fall over, tears coming out of my eyes when I think about that night. I was so worried, and he made it a game. He calmed me down and eased my worries.
“Oh, bless his heart,” Tess says, her hand covering her chest. “He’s such a sweet guy. I can just picture his grin.”
When I finally stop laughing, I sit back up on the couch and tuck my feet under my butt. “It was sweet. He got down in front of me while I was trying to pee, holding up a bottle of water with a straw in it, encouraging me to keep going, telling me not to worry or be embarrassed. Then he said, ‘We got this, yeah?’ When I started crying, he kind of nudged my knee and said, ‘My turn. Let me do it this time. I wanna see what it’s like.’ I laughed so hard, I peed. Right then. I was so horrified, so he said he would pee on the stick, too. The whole thing is so gross, but it’s a good memory. By the time we had used all of the tests and only one came out negative, obviously being his, we didn’t have much of a choice but to accept it. He smiled at me and repeated, ‘We got this, yeah?’ and I knew we did.
“He was a little concerned about his boys, and how they would take it. But they’ve been wonderful. And they’re all pretty sure it’s a girl, even though we really don’t know, yet. And now Andy is just this super protective, caring, even more affectionate man. Especially after everything that went down.”
“Oh man. You’re blushing! The sex is hot, huh?”
“Carly!” I laugh. “Seriously, not even the same person.” I can’t help but smile at her, though. “Okay, you’re my people. So, yeah. The sex is uber hot. Which isn’t easy since he has the boys, but since Bri isn’t home, we have a little more freedom at my house when he’s over. The stamina that man has… it’s both exhausting and invigorating.”
“Are you going to move in together? Get married?”
“Yes, we’re going to move in together, but I think we’re going to have to add an addition on to his place to make room for me, the baby, and a room for Bri when she’s home. Married? I don’t know. I would love to be his officially. But we haven’t talked about it, not in the marriage sense.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we’ve talked that we love each other in a forever way, but I’ve been too nervous to bring up marriage. Honestly? If he asked me right now, I’d haul his ass over to the court house and marry him on the spot.”
“Ooh, Bri would be upset if she missed it.”
This is true. Andy and Bri have gotten surprisingly close since we’ve been together. She had a great father figure in Barrett, but the bond she shares with Andy is different. It’s been a beautiful thing to watch.
“I don’t think I have anything to worry about there,” I admit.
“What do you mean?” Tess reaches her hand over to me, squeezing it once when I don’t respond. “Talk to us, Christine.”
“I don’t think Andy really wants to get married. Heather did a number on him, you know? She just… she was just so bad.” I don’t dive back into all the crap that happened with his terrible ex and definitely don’t want to bring up anything that happened with Todd and her. So far, Bri hasn’t heard any of the grumblings around town, and I want to keep it that way. Her memories of her father, even when he was sick, are wonderful ones. I want to keep it that way because no matter what junk was going through his head or how stupid he behaved, he was an incredible father.
“And the way she’s just up and left those boys?” I shake my head and shrug, wiping away a stray tear that starts making its way down my cheek.
“Hey—” Carly comes over and sits on the other side of me while Lauren makes her way over, sitting on the coffee table in front of me. Surrounded by my three best friends, I know I’m not in this alone. I might be having a baby at forty-one years old, but I have the love of my life by my side and the best friends a girl could ask for.
“Listen here, you beautiful, incredible, fabulous woman. Andy knows how lucky he is to have you. He loves you. I bet he’s looking for rings right now. Do you know how much he talks about you? Have you seen how he lights up when you walk into the room? It doesn’t matter if he hasn’t seen you in hours or minutes, his response is always the same. And I can only imagine how much he wants you to take his last name.”
“He looks at me a way?”
“Oh yeah,” they all say in unison.
“I’m surprised your panties don’t melt off from his looks alone,” Tess giggles.
I’m not sure they haven’t a time or two. I hate feeling this way, but I can’t help it. I loved someone with all I had in me once, and he ended up leaning on someone else, rather than coming to me, when he was at his lowest. As much as I’ve tried to not let it get to me, it isn’t easy. And the more I lean on Andy, the closer we get and the harder I fall for him, the more nervous I get.
Tess leans over and lifts my chin so I’m looking at her. “Listen to me, and hear what I’m telling you. Do not let your mind get in your way at this moment. Feel.” She presses her hand to my heart then moves it to my stomach. “How does he make you feel? How does he feel knowing you’re growing someone you made together? By the look on your face, I would imagine that he l
oves it more than just a little bit, am I right?”
I nod my head, feeling overwhelmed by their words.
“Damn pregnancy hormones.” I sniffle.
“Oh, they’re the worst,” Lauren says. “And I only had to deal with it once. But I had a boy and girl in there at the same time. It was like my body was going through whiplash.”
“Thanks, girls. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I say as the waterworks increase and I start weeping. “We’re having a baby!” I wail, half laughing.
“Don’t cry! Then I’ll start crying!” Carly wipes at her eyes that are already leaking.
“A baby!” Lauren shouts, throwing her arms in the air, trying to lighten the mood. “I can’t wait to snuggle it and smell it and dress it up!” Lauren, I can only imagine the clothes she’ll buy this little bundle.
“Me either!”
Soon we’re all huddled together on the couch, each of us crying and laughing.
“I think it’s safe to say she told them,” James’s voice carries over us.
I lift my head and nod, seeing Andy’s smiling face. His eyes soften as soon as we make contact.
“Babe,” he murmurs, making his way toward me on the couch. The ladies move aside as he crouches in front of me and leans up to kiss my stomach. “How’re my girls feeling?”
I hear the ladies behind me aww, and the guys snort.
“I’m good.”
“Yeah? Then what’s with the tears?” He wipes at my cheeks with his thumbs then kisses me softly.
I shrug my shoulders, not wanting to admit how self-conscious I feel about… well, everything. He raises his eyebrows at me, not satisfied with my lack of answering.
“Talk to me,” his voice quiet and so damn sexy.
I glance around the room and notice that six pairs of eyes are on us.
“Don’t mind us,” Barrett says with a cheeky grin. “Just keep talking, pretend we’re not here.”
Tess rolls her eyes, softly hits Barrett in the stomach, and walks over to me.
“We’ll let you two chat. Incredibly happy for y’all. You’re gonna be amazing parents. That’s one lucky kiddo you got growing in that belly of yours, mama.” She leans down and kisses my cheek then squeezes Andy’s hand, turns and grabs a grumbling Barrett, and shoves him toward the door.
Everyone else says their congratulations and good byes, and soon we’re alone.
“Talk to me,” he says again. “It’s just me here.” He’s so reassuring and thoughtful.
“It’s just… you’re amazing.”
He gives me a crooked grin and winks. “And this makes you cry?”
“No! I… you really want this? With me?”
He looks at me with furrowed brows. Just last night I was blissfully happy for us. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone that I was carrying his child, and less than twelve hours later I’m a nervous wreck. No doubt he’s experiencing some whiplash of his own. “Christine, where is this coming from?”
“I don’t know.”
“Bullshit.”
I scoff and roll my eyes, scrunching my nose up at him. “You’re so annoying. Why do you know everything?”
“I love it when you do that, scrunch your cute little nose. I wonder if she’ll do that,” he says, glancing down at my stomach. “And, I don’t know everything. I just know you. And I know you’re getting inside your head right now. Are you having second thoughts about me? I thought…”
“What? No! Why would you think that?”
“Well, gee, I don’t know. I walk in after we’ve told our friends about the baby, and you’re not exactly shouting your happiness from the rooftops.”
“No way. Don’t go there, honey. Not even close.”
“So, we’re still good? You and me?”
“Yeah,” I say, but I can hear the doubt in my voice.
“Christine,” his voice less soft than it was.
“I don’t know how to say this out loud.”
“Try me.”
“Ugh! These stupid damn hormones! One minute I’m perfectly sane then… this!” I gesture to myself and he says nothing, simply gives me a look of understanding. I take a deep breath and rip off the proverbial band aid. “I wanna get married!” I shout then cover my face with my hands.
“Now?”
I remove my hands and look at him. His chocolate brown eyes shine, his smile wide.
“What do you mean?” I ask him in a whisper, fearful that I’m misreading his response.
His eyes soften, and he turns his head slightly. He leans in close, resting his forehead against my own. I inhale deeply, taking in his warm comforting scent that’s all him. “Christine, you’ve gotta know. I’d marry you yesterday.”
“Why didn’t you say anything? I thought marriage was off the table. After Heather?”
He scowls at me. “Don’t say her name and ruin our proposal day.”
“Pro…” I clear my throat. “Proposal day?” I squeak out.
“Well, it wasn’t necessarily planned this way, but I’m taking my lead from James, I guess. I’ve had this, well, I’ve had this for a while now.” He reaches into the front pocket of his jeans and pulls out a little black velvet pouch. “I had to take it out of the box. That thing was annoying the shit out of me in my pocket. But I never wanted to be away from the ring, kind of like you. The boys helped me pick it out. And Bri. I asked her first.”
I suck in a breath and move my eyes from the object in his hands to his mouth. His tongue sneaks out and licks his lips, his teeth grazing his bottom lip. I take in a shaky breath, resisting the urge to bite his lip. It seems that I’ve hit the horny stage of this pregnancy, and even though I couldn’t keep my hands off him before, it’s only gotten worse. Or better, depending on how you look at it. I look up in his eyes and can see that he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
“You… what?”
“I took the kids out for pizza,” he explains, and the fact that he says kids and he’s including all three as if they’re one does something to me. “And I asked them what they thought. They’re excited. All three of them. So excited, in fact, that they dragged me to a jewelry store as soon as we were done eating. They’re probably going to be pretty pissed that I did this without them, actually.”
I couldn’t stop the wetness on my cheeks if I tried.
“Christine,” he raises up on one knee, kneeling in front of me. He takes the ring out of the pouch and slides it over the tip of his forefinger while I wipe the tears from my face and sniffle. “You told me once that I needed to be happy. I listened. You. You’re my happy. You’re Reece and Aidan’s happy. You’re Bri’s happy. And soon, you’ll be our little girl’s happy.”
I giggle and snort and try to remain looking cute but it’s just not possible with the ugly crying that’s happening right now. “You’re just so sure it’s a girl, huh?”
“Hazel’s gonna even out our brood, you know?”
I nod my head, not being able to speak, but I know my smile is watery. He’s so sure of us, of her, he’s named her. And it’s the perfect name. My green eyes. His brown.
“Neither of our lives have been easy, but that’s okay with me, because I think that going through the crap? That’s what brought me to you. But I do wish more than anything that I was your first love, and that you were mine always. I wish we could have shared all those moments together from the start. I wish no one had come before me to have your heart, and I pray I’m the last one to have it. I wish that person who had you first hadn’t hurt you. I wish he wouldn’t have taken advantage of the best thing you have to offer. But most of all, my wish is that you’ll know I’ll never forsake your heart, I’ll never take it for granted, never forget that it’s the most precious gift that you could ever give me. And, if you’ll let me, I’ll care for you, for the both of you.” He leans up and kisses my stomach again. My hands go into his hair and he looks up at me, tears shining in his eyes.
He reaches for my left hand and blows out a shaky
breath. “You’re the love of my life, Christine. I don’t want to wait a second longer. For the rest of our lives I want to wake up to you next to me in our bed. I want to have the privilege of loving you forever and knowing you’re always mine. I want to travel the world with you by my side, I want to cook breakfast next to each other, clean up baby puke, watch our boys play sports, see Bri graduate from college and help her start her life, maybe adopt a puppy, choose paint colors, potty-train this little nugget, argue over who last emptied the dishwasher and what movie to watch and where to vacation next, curl up on the couch together and binge watch shows on Netflix. I want my last name to be yours. I want to show our kids what a real marriage is like for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”
There’s no other answer I could give him. Even before the proposal he just gave me. I nod my head quickly and sob. “Yes! Of course!”
I throw my arms around him, knocking him down and back into the coffee table.
“Oomph.”
“Sorry, got a little excited.” He just smiles and twists so we’re lying on the floor between the couch and coffee table, him hovering over me.
“I have one more question, and I want you to think about this, and we’ll have to talk to them, but… if you want…” He hesitates, suddenly looking nervous and shy.
“Hey, what is it?” I graze the stubble on his face with my fingers, and he closes his eyes, leaning into the touch.
“The boys. They love you so much. I know it’s early, and I don’t expect this to be decided now. But I want to know if you’re open to discussing adoption with them?”
My heart does a double tap against my chest, tears springing to my eyes immediately.
“Yes.” I don’t hesitate.
His answering smile comes quickly and widens across his face. “That’s two yeses. Damn, I’m a lucky man. Can I put this on you, now?” He shows me the beautiful cushion cut diamond ring. It could turn my finger green or be a Ring Pop for all I care.
“What are you waiting for?” I stick my hand up and wiggle my finger, anxious to have the sign of his everlasting love on my finger, and he effortlessly slides it on. We both watch, and as soon as it’s in place he lifts his eyes to mine.
Feels Like Home Page 26
