Rumor Going ‘Round

by Lind, Samantha

  “Lindsay Rae Blackwood, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” I ask, holding up the ring to her. The bar has gone almost silent as everyone waits for her to answer. Her head nods frantically as the tears pour down her cheeks.

  “Yes!” she finally says, and the entire place goes up in cheers. I slip the ring onto her finger and sweep her up into my arms as I stand up.

  “I love you so damn much,” I say before I press my lips against hers in a kiss.

  “I love you. I can’t believe you turned today into this,” she says, pulling back and looking at me.

  “You’re my ultimate present, baby. You saying yes to me today was my one wish, and I’m the luckiest man in the world that you did.”

  “Take me home, fiancé. I’ve got one last birthday present for you.” She gives me the sexiest smirk I think I’ve ever seen.

  “Goodnight, everyone; my fiancée has instructed me to take her home,” I call out to our group of friends. They let out another cheer as I lead Lindsay to my truck.

  “Come,” I tell her once we’re home. We have the place to ourselves. Paisley’s spending the night with my parents, and she took Buckley with her. She’d take him with her to her mom’s if we’d let her, but Lilly doesn’t, which is fine with me.

  Lindsay follows me down the hall and into the bedroom, one that will soon be officially ours. We discussed it the last few days, and she’s officially moving in and we’ll put her place up for rent. Keep it as a little side income for us.

  I link our fingers together, my thumb sliding over the ring I placed on it not that long ago. I flick the switch, turning on the bedside lamps to give us light to see one another.

  I lead Lindsay over to the bed but don’t move to let her sit down. Standing toe to toe, I slide my left hand up her neck, cupping her cheek as my fingers tangle in the hairs behind her ear. “I love you so fucking much, Linds. I can’t wait to make a life with you. Have babies with you, fill this house with memories we make together as a family. Travel the world with you or just stay right here, sitting in the backyard around the fire pit. I want it all, baby, and I want it with only you.” I kiss her, pressing my lips hard to hers, telling her so much with this kiss. Everything I can’t think of to say with words, but that our bodies can tell each other.

  “When?” she asks between kisses.

  “When what, babe?” I ask, pulling back and looking down into her eyes.

  “When do I get to marry you?” she asks, a smile on her lips as the words marry you come out.

  “As soon as you want. I’m all yours,” I tell her, picking her up and spinning us in a circle. “I’d marry you tonight if I thought you’d have gone along with it, but I also figured you’d want time to plan the perfect day. Pick out your perfect dress and plan everything to fit your dream. I want to give you that and so much more.”

  “How about this fall?” she asks, running her fingers through my hair.

  “Done. We can look at a calendar tomorrow and pick a specific date.”

  “How about the third Saturday in October?” she suggests. “That will put us close to the date we started dating last fall.”

  “I don’t care what the date is; as long as I’m the one you’re walking toward, I’m all for it.”

  “You’re making this too easy.” She lights up, kissing me again.

  “No, Linds. You’re the one who’s made it easy. Easy to love you, easy to want you in my life. The way you treat my daughter like she’s your own is something that I can never thank you enough for. I know that I never have to worry about choosing one of you over the other. You complete me.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing we gave in to that rumor going ‘round about us last fall, then.” She laughs, and I can’t help it; I place her on the bed and make love to my fiancée, not stopping until we’re both satisfied and exhausted.

  Epilogue

  Lindsay

  Three years later

  I roll over in bed, feeling like a whale at forty weeks—and five fucking days, not that I’m counting or anything—it really isn’t fair how often I have to get up and pee every night. I know it's for a good reason and all, but damn if this baby can’t stay off my bladder for more than five minutes at a time.

  “Are you okay?” Tucker asks, half asleep.

  “Peachy,” I snap at him, “I’ve only gotten up five times tonight to pee.”

  “Sorry, babe. Our boy’s running out of room in there,” he says, standing up to help me heft myself out of bed. I have the world's best husband. He’s been so understanding and helpful these last few months. Dealt with every craving and pain brought on by carrying his ginormous child. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to meet our son, but I’m blaming his size on his father already.

  I finally make it to the bathroom, only to pee for two seconds. “Really, body?” I call out. “All of that for two drops. Ugh.” I’m so exhausted, and just need a few hours of solid sleep, and I’ll feel like a new woman, but that hasn’t happened in at least a week.

  “Come back to bed; I’ll massage your back. Is it still hurting?” Tucker asks, standing at the doorway into our bathroom. Modesty left the house about the time I moved in, which was months before we got married in the sweetest ceremony at the fire station.

  “Yeah, it’s spasming on and off. It’s probably the start of early labor, the way the pains wrap around,” I tell him as I waddle back to the bed. I lay down on my side, adjusting a pillow between my knees. Tucker aligns himself behind me, his thumbs digging right into the knots in my lower back and applying the perfect amount of pressure to help relieve some of the pain that has been bothering me. “Oh my god, that’s perfect,” I moan; the amount of relief I feel makes me want to cry tears of joy.

  “You know they say that sex helps with bringing on labor.”

  “Tucker Wild, if you even think of touching me with your dick, I’ll cut it off,” I snap at him.

  “No, you won’t. You enjoy it way too much.” He chuckles, calling me out on my BS.

  “Okay, I might not actually cut it off your body, but I’ll cut you off from sexy times.”

  “I think it's worth the risk. I’m going to be cut off for at least six weeks anyway, here soon,” he reminds me, like I didn’t know that fact.

  “But, I’m finally comfortable,” I whine.

  “No need to change positions; just let me take care of it and make you feel good in the process. If it brings on labor, then that’s just a plus. If not, well, then at least you’ll feel relaxed and you might get a few hours of sleep out of the deal.”

  I let him take control; he shimmies my panties off my body, then lifts my leg once he’s back behind me. He slips between my legs, his fingers slipping between my folds as he runs the tip of his cock along with them. His tip hits my clit and has me ready to see stars. He doesn’t stall, lining his cock up with my entrance and pushing in slowly. “Holy shit,” I call out as he fills me completely.

  “Tell me if this is too much,” he instructs, and I can’t think of anything except how good it feels. Strangely enough, with him filling me, all my discomfort and pain evaporates.

  “More,” is the only word I can form and make come out of my mouth.

  “Damn, baby, you’re so tight, squeezing my cock like it's our first time,” he grits out as he speeds up his thrusts from behind me. I don’t know how he manages to reach around us, but his fingertips find my clit, and that’s all it takes for me to fall over the edge of my orgasm. “Yes, Linds,” he calls out as he thrusts through my orgasm as he chases his own. “I fucking love you,” he tells me as he stills, and I can feel his body pulsing inside me as he releases.

  Tucker pulls from me, heading for the bathroom for a washcloth and returning to help me clean up. Once clean, I get out of bed to pee one last time before I can, hopefully, fall back asleep. Now that it is after two in the morning, I hope to not see the clock again until around seven or eight. I waddle back to bed, sliding in and up to his side; my head fin
ds his chest as my left leg goes over his as I attempt to wrap my body around him.

  “You comfortable?” he asks a few seconds after I finally stop moving.

  “Yeah,” I sigh; I can feel the sleep pulling me under, finally.

  “Get some sleep, baby. I love you.”

  “Love you,” I tell him as I drift off to sleep.

  * * *

  “Tucker!” I yell out in a panic. “Tucker! I need you!” I yell a little louder.

  “What’s wrong, Linds?” he calls back, the sound of his voice getting closer as he reaches the bedroom door.

  “It’s time.” I look at him, and I’m sure the panic is written all over my face.

  “You sure?” he asks.

  “Yes, I’m sure!” I snap at him. “My water broke, and I feel like I need to fucking push already.” I suck in a breath and close my eyes. Our little sexcapade last night appeared to work, putting me into labor and getting me to sleep. So much so that I’ve, apparently, slept right through most of my laboring.

  “Let me help you up and out to the truck. I’ve already got the hospital bag in the back seat, so I just need you, and we can go,” he says.

  “No, Tucker, it's time. Like, we’re going to have this baby right here in this bed time,” I tell him.

  I can see the blood drain from his face as his eyes scan my body from my face to my abdomen and slightly lower.

  “You sure?” he croaks out.

  “I’m pretty damn sure this isn’t normal labor pains.” I cry out, the pain almost more than I can endure. I’d never dreamed of laboring and delivering without the aid of drugs, so lying here with nothing is not a walk in the park.

  “I’m going to call an ambulance,” he tells me, pulling out his phone. You’d think the man could handle a woman in labor. It isn’t like he’s never responded to a woman in labor call before. “Hang in there, babe; the ambulance is less than two minutes out.”

  “I can’t wait,” I pant out, my body pushing without me.

  “The dispatcher wants me to check and see if I can see the baby's head,” he tells me, just as a contraction finally lets up.

  “Okay, help me, then,” I tell him, and he sets his cell down on the end table next to the bed. I can hear the dispatcher giving him instructions on what to look for once I’m rolled onto my back.

  “I can definitely see the top of the head,” he tells both of us.

  “Okay, have your wife take a deep breath on her next contraction and bear down; if the head comes out, have her stop pushing until you can make sure the cord isn’t wrapped around the baby's neck. Hopefully, before that happens, the ambulance will be on site. They should be about thirty seconds out.”

  “You are doing fantastic, baby. Just a few more minutes,” Tucker tells me, cheering me on as I, apparently, am going to give birth at home, completely unplanned.

  “I can hear the ambulance pulling in,” Tucker says, for both the dispatcher and me to hear.

  “Can they get in without you going to the door?” she asks.

  “Yes, tell them to come to the front door and down the hall,” he tells her. It doesn’t take them long to make their way inside and to my side. The paramedics take over for Tucker, which allows him to come up and help keep me as calm as possible, all while I deliver our baby in bed.

  “Congratulations, it’s a boy,” the paramedic that delivered our son calls out. I look down and am in awe as they place him on my chest. I kiss the top of Brody’s head as tears slide down my cheeks.

  “You did it, babe,” Tucker says into my ear. He kisses the side of my face multiple times as he looks at the two of us. “You were such a rock star.”

  “Do you have a towel you don’t mind ruining?” one of the paramedics asks.

  “Of course, let me grab one,” Tucker says, stepping away and grabbing one from the bathroom. They wrap our son up in it. He’s still attached to the umbilical cord, so they clamp it and hand over the special scissors to Tucker, offering for him to cut it. He does, and they help get me moved to the stretcher.

  “We’ll transport both mom and baby to the hospital to be checked out. If you want to follow behind us, so you have a way to get home, I’d suggest that, otherwise, you can ride in the back with us.”

  “I can follow,” Tucker tells them; he kisses my forehead before snuggling Brody close and kissing his cheeks.

  * * *

  “Everything looks good,” my OB, Dr. Carroll, says once she’s done examining me. “How are you feeling?”

  “Great, considering the events of this morning,” I tell her honestly.

  “I still can’t believe you delivered so quickly, and at home. Remember that for next time, as they tend to come quicker, the more kids you have,” she muses.

  “Tucking that info away for much later. I’m not sure I’m ready to even think about that right now,” I tell her. Thankfully, Brody and I checked out with flying colors. He weighed in at a whopping nine pounds nine ounces and is twenty-one inches long.

  “You get some rest, the nurses will keep an eye on you, and we should be good to send you home tomorrow. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask or have them page me,” Dr. Carroll tells me, patting the end of the bed before she exits.

  “Are you ready for some visitors, yet, or do you want me to keep them at bay for a little longer?” Tucker asks, sitting on the edge of my hospital bed.

  “I’m ready,” I tell him as I look down at our son, smiling at this amazing bundle of joy we made.

  “You need to do me a favor, and sometime soon,” I tell him before our room is flooded with friends and family.

  “What’s that, babe?” he asks.

  “Go home and strip our bed before it ends up ruined from me delivering on it.”

  “Already taken care of. My mom went by shortly after we left and cleaned up everything. I’ve been told the bed is ready for you whenever you return.”

  “Oh, good. I worried about that the entire drive over here,” I tell him just as our door opens and his parents enter, along with Paisley. She’s got the biggest smile on her face and is proudly wearing a shirt that bears her “Big Sister” title. She’s a pro at being a big sister, seeing as how she’s got two siblings now, at her mom's house, but she’s been super excited that she gets another one at our home.

  “Would you like to hold your brother?” I ask her as she approaches the side of my bed, looking over the rail at him in my arms.

  “Yes, please, Mom.” I smile big at her. She started calling me mom shortly after Tucker and I got married, all on her own, and it was the best gift I’ve ever received. I made sure that Lilly was okay with it. It has never been my intention to replace her or try and step on her toes, and she realized that.

  Paisley gets comfortable next to me on the bed, and I hand over her brother. I can hear the shutter clicks from someone’s camera, or a phone that hasn’t had the sounds turned off. I’m so grateful that someone is catching these precious moments for us.

  “Tucker, get in there, and let me get your first picture as a family of four,” his mom instructs, and he flanks me on the other side. Paisley holds up Brody, and we smile for the camera. I can’t wait to have that image blown up and hanging on the wall.

  Today might not have gone the way I planned it, but like most of the things that have transpired over the last few years, I wouldn’t change it for anything. It played out just as it was supposed to, and for that, I’m forever grateful.

  * * *

  More Lyrics & Love books are coming in 2021! Stay tuned for more information.

  In the meantime, fall in love with Sam & Lauren in Marry Me!

  Afterword

  I hope you have enjoyed this book, and would consider leaving a review on your favorite retailer.

  If you would like to connect more with Samantha, please join her reader group on Facebook!

  Coming Soon

  Indianapolis Eagles Series Book 9

  Winter 2021

  * * *

>   Indianapolis Lightning Series Book 3

  Spring 2021

  Also by Samantha Lind

  Indianapolis Eagles Series

  Just Say Yes ~ Scoring The Player

  Playing For Keeps ~ Protecting Her Heart

  Against The Boards ~ The First Intermission

  The Hardest Shot ~ The Game Changer

  Box Set 1 {Books 1-3}

  Standalone Titles

  Tempting Tessa

  Until You ~ An Aurora Rose Reynolds Happily Ever Alpha Crossover Novella

  Until Her Smile ~ An Aurora Rose Reynolds Happily Ever Alpha Crossover Novella

  Cocky Doc ~ A Cocky Hero Club Novel

  Lyrics & Love Series

  Marry Me ~ Drunk Girl

  Indianapolis Lightning Series

  The Perfect Pitch ~ The Curve Ball

  Acknowledgments

  To everyone who has supported me, thank you! Thank You for the impact you have made on my life and my writing. Please know that I appreciate you all!

  xoxo,

  Samantha

  About the Author

  Samantha Lind is a contemporary romance author. Having spent the first 27 years of her life in Alaska, she now calls Iowa home, where she lives with her husband and two sons. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, watching hockey (Go Knights Go!), and listening to country music.

  Connect with Samantha in the following places:

  www.samanthalind.com

  samantha@samanthalind.com

  Reader Group

  Samantha Lind’s Alpha Loving Ladies