by Jessica Wood
Promises, Love & Baby
(Promises, #4)
JESSICA WOOD
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Jessica Wood
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.
ISBN-13 978-1-940285-18-4
First Edition: December 2015
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ABOUT PROMISES, LOVE & BABY
When Jackson and I got married last year, we promised each other a forever together. We were now expecting our first child and it has only strengthened our love and commitment to each other. We were living our happily-ever-after and couldn’t imagine anything that could break us apart.
But then something unexpected happened. We were both blindsided by it. The last two people we thought we’d ever see again suddenly resurfaced into our lives, bringing with them the secrets we thought we’d buried away with our pasts. Now these secrets are threatening to break us apart and we both wonder if our relationship will ever be the same again.
Will our love be strong enough to get through these new obstacles? Or will we be forced to break our promise of a forever with each other?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Also by Jessica Wood
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Other Books
About the Author
ALSO BY JESSICA WOOD
Emma’s Story Series
A Night to Forget – Book One
The Day to Remember – Book Two
A Night to Forget Series Box Set (Emma's Story) – Contains A Night to Forget and The Day to Remember
The Heartbreaker Series
This is an Emma’s Story spin-off series featuring Damian Castillo, a supporting character in The Day to Remember. This is a standalone series and does not need to be read with Emma’s Story series.
Damian – Book One
The Heartbreaker – Prequel Novella to DAMIAN – can be read before or after Damian.
Taming Damian – Book Two
The Heartbreaker Box Set – Contains Damian, The Heartbreaker Prequel, and Taming Damian
The Chase Series
This is a standalone series with cameo appearances from Damian Castillo (The Heartbreaker series).
The Chase, Vol. 1
The Chase, Vol. 2
The Chase, Vol. 3
The Chase, Vol. 4
The Chase: The Complete Series Box Set – Contains All Four Volumes
Oblivion
This is a standalone full-length book unrelated to other series by Jessica Wood.
Oblivion
Promises Series
This is a standalone series unrelated to other series by Jessica Wood.
Promise to Marry – Book One
Promise to Keep – Book Two
Promise of Forever – Book Three
Promises, Love & Baby
“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”
Antoine de Saint Exupéry
CHAPTER ONE
Chloe
June 2017
“Baby, to me, our love isn’t just a feeling. Our love is tangible, and I can feel it in every breath I take.”
I never really thought too much about what Jackson had meant when he’d said those words to me two months ago, on the night we’d made love and conceived the little miracle that was growing inside me. But ever since the doctor had confirmed last week that I was indeed pregnant, those words began to resonate with me. Jackson had been right. Our love was tangible and I felt it every day growing inside me.
“How did a year pass us by so quickly?” Jackson asked me as we walked along the lake that held so much history for us. I heard the awe in his voice and beamed up at him, knowing exactly what he meant and how he felt.
“Because we’re so happy,” I answered his question with a level of ease and certainty that only came from unadulterated truth. “Time flies when people are happy.”
We walked onto the bridge, hand in hand, our fingers interlaced together like they were made for the sole purpose of being intertwined together. Once we got to the middle of the bridge, I stopped. We both looked over at the red, heart-shaped lock that was secured to the railing. It was the love lock we’d placed there on the day of our high school graduation many years ago as a symbol of our unbreakable friendship, love, and promise to marry each other.
“Can you believe it’s been here for fifteen years?” he asked, voicing exactly what I had been thinking just then.
I watched him reach for the love lock, flipping it over to the side with the etched inscription:
Jax & Clo
June 2003
Unbreakable Friendship & Love.
Promise to Marry in 2014.
“I know.” I met his warm gaze and we shared a meaningful smile. “You were right, Jax.”
“I know I’m usually right,” he agreed as he flashed me his boyish grin. “But what am I right about this time?”
I couldn’t help but giggle at his playful arrogance before explaining what I’d meant. “When you’d gotten this love lock for me on our high school graduation, you had said that there was this belief that if two people locked a love lock against the railing of a bridge and then threw away the keys, it was supposed to symbolize unbreakable love.”
I paused and looked from the love lock to meet his gaze with a smile.
“I think we’ve proved that belief right. We’ve gone through so many obstacles since we put this lock here. But despite it all, our love has remained strong and unbreakable.”
His face radiated with happiness and his eyes were brimming with emotion as he held my gaze. He pulled me closer to him and lowered his face toward mine. Right before his lips met mine, he whispered. “I love you, Mrs. Pierce.” His kiss was tender yet passionate.
I let out a sigh of contentment when our lips parted. “I love you, too, Mr. Pierce.”
“So,” he began in a low, husky voice, “what is this anniversary gift that you’re so confident will be better than the one I got you?”
He raised an eyebrow and looked at me dubiously, causing me to smirk in amusement. While I’d been dying to give Jackson this gift and the huge news that came with it, I had to admit that there was a small part of me that really enjoyed watching his curiosity get the best of him.
“Ye of little faith,” I teased and shook my head as I made a tsk tsk sound with my tongue. “Mr. Pierce, you should know by now that your wife is always right.”
He chuckled lightly as he enclosed his strong, protective arms around me, allowing
me to sink deep into his inviting embrace. He buried his face against the curve of my neck and I heard a deep inhale as he pulled me tighter into his fold. As I relaxed my body into his, I felt as if I could live in this moment forever.
“Mrs. Pierce,” his deep, low voice pulled me back to the surface of reality, “you should know by now that your husband is very stubborn to admit things, even when he knows his wife is right.”
I let out a giggle and rolled my eyes at him.
“So where’s my anniversary gift?” he insisted playfully.
Unable to hold back the news any longer, I reached for the small box inside my purse and handed it to him.
“It’s this.”
He stared at it and then grinned triumphantly at me. “I’m pretty sure my gift for you will be better—it’s certainly bigger.”
I laughed. “Bigger doesn’t mean better.”
He cocked an eyebrow and flashed me a crooked smile. “You’ve never had any complaints.”
I smacked his chest with my hand, causing him to reach for his chest and feign a pained expression.
I rolled my eyes and smirked at him. “Now open the box, and you’ll find out that my gift is better.”
“Fine,” he said. He tried to sound bored and disinterested, but I could tell from the spark in his eyes as he eagerly opened the box that he couldn’t wait to see what was inside.
When he looked at what was inside, it took him a few seconds to react. But with each passing second, I could almost see the excitement building inside him.
He flashed me a look of surprise and finally said, “It can’t be.”
I grinned. “Take it out,” I insisted without answering him directly. “Let’s put it against the railing and throw away the keys. I want to make sure this will also be an unbreakable love.”
With a stunned expression on his face, he took the new love lock from the box without uttering a word. He looked at it in awe as he held it out between us. I beamed at him before looking at the inscription that was etched on this new love lock:
Jax, Clo & Baby
July 2017
Unbreakable Love & Family
Expected Arrival in February 2018
The intensity of our emotions was almost palpable in the air between us as we secured the love lock against the railing, right next to the love lock we’d placed there over fifteen years ago. For the longest time, neither one of us said a thing as we took in this moment together. It was a moment where our thoughts and feelings were completely in sync, and words were no longer required.
When we finally threw the keys into the lake together, he pulled me back into his embrace and held me tightly in his arms.
“Clo,” his deep voice was full of emotion, “I never thought I could be any happier than the day you married me.” He cupped my cheek with one hand and caressed it gently with his thumb. “But today, you proved me wrong. You’ve made me the happiest man on Earth for a second time.”
I put my arms around his neck and gazed up into his rich, emerald eyes. Pulling his face down toward mine, I kissed him slowly and tenderly, savoring this moment together for as long as I could.
When we finally walked back to the house to share the news with Aunt Betty and Uncle Tom, I felt thankful. I was thankful for every moment I shared with Jackson, for every meaningful smile he flashed me, and for every kiss he gave me that always sent delicious shivers through my body.
I knew our love story wasn’t like those vanilla, cookie-cutter fairy tales parents told their children as a bedtime story. Our love story had been an intense journey that tested the strength of our friendship and love. There were moments I’d thought we wouldn’t make it. There were moments I’d thought giving up and letting go were my only options of self-preservation. There were moments I’d lost faith in what we shared together. But despite all the heartache and turmoil that were thrown at us, we inevitably found our way back to each other. We inevitably found our happily-ever-after we’d promised each other.
CHAPTER TWO
Jackson
We walked across the lawn from Aunt Betty and Uncle Tom’s house to our driveway before we came to a stop.
“I’ll see you back at the house?” I kissed Chloe’s cheek and gave her one last embrace.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” She looked at me with curiosity, like she was trying to figure something out.
I pulled her into my arms again and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll be just a few minutes. I just want to pick a few things up from the store.”
“But I don’t mind coming along,” she insisted. I sensed something else in her tone but I couldn’t quite place it.
I kissed her forehead gently. “Clo, we’ve been out all day celebrating our anniversary and then celebrating the news of your pregnancy with Aunt Betty and Uncle Tom. I can tell you’re tired and now that you’re pregnant,”—I reached down and placed my hand on her stomach—“I don’t want you to overexert yourself.”
“Okay.” There was a look of resignation on her face. “Well don’t be long.”
“I won’t. Promise.” I met her gaze and grinned. “I’ll be so fast you won’t even miss me.”
A small smile finally broke through her tentative face as she looked up at me with an air of defiance. “Who said I’d miss you?”
“Ouch.” I clutched my chest with both hands and twisted my face.
She only laughed and rolled her eyes.
“Well,” I began as I tilted her face up toward mine and kissed her lips, “I miss you every single second we’re apart, so this separation will be pretty rough for me.” I winked at her and smiled. “It must be nice to be married to someone who loves you more than you love him.”
She giggled at my teasing words and nodded. “I won’t lie. It’s a pretty amazing feeling.” She swung her arms around my neck and pulled me down for a deeper kiss. “I love you, Jax,” she whispered in my ear, “more than you’ll ever know.”
An indescribable feeling of warmth and elation spread through me from her words. I knew I would never get tired of hearing her tell me she loved me—it felt as amazing now as it had felt the very first time she said them to me.
“Clo, you always have a way of making me feel like the luckiest man alive.”
A bright smile radiated across her face. “I feel the same way,” —a smirk suddenly appeared on her lips—“I do always have a way of making you feel like the luckiest man alive.” Her eyes twinkled with playfulness as she grinned up at me.
I chuckled at her joke. “You definitely keep me on my toes.” I kissed the tip of her nose before pulling away. “I’ll see you soon, babe.”
“Okay.” She watched me get into the car and start the engine before she finally turned to head into the house.
***
As I drove the fifteen minutes to Safeway, a wide, goofy grin was permanently glued to my face as my mind replayed on a continuous loop the very moment I found out that I was going to be a father. By the time I entered the store, I felt like I’d won the lottery as I walked through the store with an extra pep in my step. The news that Chloe was pregnant and we were expecting our first child was the best anniversary gift I could have ever received. I smiled and greeted every person that I’d passed, unable to contain the overload of happiness that was coursing inside me.
When I reached the florist section of the store, I looked through the bouquets and picked out a bouquet of tulips--Chloe’s favorite--a bouquet of peonies, and a bouquet of dahlias. I knew how much she loved flowers. Even though I’d gotten her a massive bouquet of flowers that were delivered to the house this morning to celebrate our one-year anniversary as husband and wife, I wanted to get her some more flowers—this time to celebrate her as the soon-to-be-mother of our first child.
“Hi,” I said to the clerk behind the florist desk.
“Good evening. Can I help you with something?”
“Yes. Could you arrange these three bouquets into one
arrangement? I just found out my wife’s pregnant with our first child, so I wanted to get her some of her favorite flowers.” I was sure the lady didn’t care to know why I wanted these flowers in a new arrangement, but I just couldn’t help myself. Chloe and I were going to have a baby. I was going to be a father. Life felt amazing right now.
“That’s wonderful news. Congratulations to you and your wife!”
“Thank you. I still can’t believe it.”
She nodded with understanding and gave me a warm smile. “I still remember the day my husband and I found out I was pregnant with our first son eight years ago. Those few minutes we had to wait for the results to show up on the pregnancy test were agony. And when it finally appeared, we were both so emotional. Can you believe it was the first time I’d ever seen my husband with tears in his eyes?”
I smiled as I heard the nostalgia in her voice and thought to myself, Today would definitely be a day I’ll remember and think back on with a similar fondness.
A few minutes later, I was heading to the front of the store to go through checkout. As I walked through the aisle, I suddenly stopped when something on the shelf caught my eye.
Pregnancy tests. And not just a few but an entire section of pregnancy tests.
I scanned the large selection and felt overwhelmed by all the choices.
“Damn, why are there so many different ones?” I reached for a box at random. Then the clerk’s words echoed in my mind. Those few minutes we had to wait for the results to show up on the pregnancy test were agony. And when it finally appeared, we were both so emotional.
