She fiddled nervously with her gown, then brought her big brown eyes to mine. “I love you too,” she said, and I swear my heart soared at hearing those words. “I am used to dealing with things on my own, but I promise to try and come to you, rather than push you away. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said, the relief evident in my voice.
“Well, hello,” the doctor said as he opened the door and walked around the curtain. “I was pretty surprised to open my chart and see I had another Zahn girl as my patient.”
“Hello, Dr. Phillips,” Chloe replied. “I have to admit, I’m just as surprised as you are.”
“And who do we have here?” Dr. Phillips asked me.
“Reardon Lewis, sir,” I replied, shaking his hand.
Dr. Phillips eyebrows rose as he took us in.
“Another Zahn and Lewis, huh…”
“Yeah,” Chloe said with a nervous laugh, “We’d make a great soap opera.”
“Excuse me,” the doctor said as he moved closer to Chloe, bringing the machine with him.
Not wanting to get in the way, I moved to the other side of the bed and watched him spray some gooey gel on an apparatus. Luckily, it wasn’t the thing that goes in the vagina.
“Go ahead and lift your gown so I can get to your stomach,” he requested, then used the machine to spread the goop around on Chloe’s belly.
I saw her flinch, but at my worried glance, she smiled and said, “Cold.”
Seconds later a strange sound filled the room. Almost like a whooshing.
Chloe reached out and grabbed my arm, and I followed her teary gaze to the little monitor on the machine.
“That’s your baby’s heartbeat,” Dr. Phillips said, pointing to a small flapping thing on the screen.
It was like an out-of-body experience. My heart pounded, my head got fuzzy, and a bright light seemed to fill me from within.
I am going to be a father.
Chapter Forty ~ Chloe
The last couple days had been great. I’d felt a little bit of queasiness, but nothing unbearable, which was a relief. With Chris, I’d had terrible morning sickness for the first twelve weeks.
No, it wasn’t the baby that was making me nauseous, it was the fact that Reardon, Chris, and I were on our way to Reardon’s parents for dinner.
Sure, I’d met them on plenty of occasions, and they were very nice people. But now, not only was I the mother of their great nephew and woman dating their only son, but I was also carrying their first grandchild.
They just didn’t know it yet…
“It’s going to be great,” Reardon assured me for the gazillionth time. “They already adore you, now they’re going to absolutely love you.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, looking out the window in hopes of a tornado or something.
“Mom, calm down, Uncle Rob and Aunt Jenny are the coolest,” Chris chimed from the backseat.
“I’m calm,” I lied.
“Okay,” was his sarcastic reply.
Chris had taken the news of being a big brother, again, in stride. He seemed perfectly happy that Reardon and I were together, and was already head over heels for Evie, so he welcomed the idea of another baby with open arms. He’d even asked if that meant Reardon and I’d be getting married.
I’d put a pin in that for now. I could only handle one life-changing event at a time.
“So,” Chris began, his head popping up between the front seats, “are we going to move into Rear’s house, or is he moving in to ours? Not that it really matters, since we’re right around the corner.”
“Um,” I began, not sure what to say.
“Either would work, for now,” Reardon answered, and I swung my head toward him. “But eventually we’ll need to get something bigger. We have enough rooms for one baby, but if we decide to have more, we’ll need to expand. Plus, I’m not sure how your mom would feel about having my Star Wars collection in her office.”
“Um,” I said again.
“We could always move out by Gabe and Zoey, find some land and build custom, or stay in the subdivision. They have some new four and five bedrooms being built.”
“Dad and Zoey’s place is cool, but I kind of like where we are, since there are kids and I have friends already and stuff,” Chris put it.
“Um…”
“That settles it then, we’ll stay in Copper Woods and get one of the bigger houses,” Reardon turned his head to me and asked, “Do you want to wait, or just do one move?”
I was sure my mouth was gaping like a fish, opening in closing, as I sat there in a stupor.
Why did moving in together never cross my mind? I mean, he’d mentioned wanting to get married one day, but we haven’t discussed living together.
“We don’t have to decide today,” Reardon assured me with a sweet smile.
“Jeez, Mom, get a grip,” Chris chided from behind me.
I lost my chance to say something witty in return, because we pulled up to the Lewis’ home and I had something new to fret over … again.
Reardon came around and opened my door for me, then took my hand and assisted me out. I would have smiled at his chivalry, which I always appreciated, but I was too busy watching the front door open and his mom step out onto the porch.
Nerves made my hands shake, which Reardon must have felt, because he leaned in and whispered, “I love you.”
I smiled and told myself everything was going to be great, then let him lead me up to his mother, who was already hugging a happy Chris and letting him inside.
“Hello, Chloe, son, I’m so happy you’re both here,” Jenny said sweetly, giving us both quick hugs and kisses on our cheeks. “Come in, dinner’s almost ready.”
“Thanks for having us, Mrs. Lewis. Christopher has been excited all day,” I said as we entered the house. “He’s still raving about your meatloaf.”
“Such a sweet boy, our Christopher,” she said, her compliment of my son warming me. “And, please, call me Jenny, dear.”
Reardon gave me a wink and thumbs up behind her back, then took off in search of his father.
I surmised this when I heard, “What’s up, Pop,” from the other room.
“Can I help you with anything?” I asked as I followed her to the kitchen.
“Well, the chicken is doing its thing in the rotisserie, and the potatoes are roasting. All I have left to do in here is add the bacon to the Brussel sprouts, but you can take that tray of cheese and fruit out for the men to start on, if you’d like.”
“Okay,” I said, lifting the tray, then noticing the other item I asked, “Oh, what are those?”
“They’re little sandwiches. It’s just sourdough bread, buttered and toasted, with melted provolone and sliced strawberries.”
“They look delicious!” I exclaimed, and they really did. My stomach was growling just looking at them.
“Reardon mentioned you loved strawberries,” Jenny said, causing me to look up at her kind face and smile.
“How thoughtful,” I said, meaning not just her gesture, but Reardon’s. I’d been craving strawberries something awful so far.
Jenny smiled in return, then I turned to deliver the appetizers to the guys in the living room.
I placed the tray on the table and watched with a laugh as Reardon and Chris swooped in and started snacking.
“Well, hello, Chloe girl, don’t you look lovely as always,” Reardon’s father said as he stood up from his recliner to give me a hug.
“Thank you, Robert, and thanks for inviting us.”
“Our pleasure,” he said with a jovial smile. “Young Chris is always a joy, and you a treasure, my dear.”
I smiled so hard, I’m sure I was beaming, basking in the glow of his sweet words.
Not having parents who were very good at sharing your love meant I appreciated every kind word and gesture that the Lewis’ bestowed on my son and me. I knew they’d be amazing grandparents, not just to mine and Reardon’s baby, but to Chris as well.
&n
bsp; Reardon patted the seat next to him, indicating I should sit, but I pointed toward the kitchen, trying to relay that I was going to go help.
“Mom, can you come in here a minute?” he called, and my eyes widened.
“Now?” I breathed, and when he nodded, I took the seat next to him.
“What is it, Rear? I don’t want my Brussels Sprouts to burn,” Jenny said, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel as she walked in.
“This won’t take a minute, Mom, just have a seat.”
Jenny looked between us, then at her husband, before sitting and putting a hand over her mouth.
“Are you getting married?” she asked excitedly, and my stomach dropped as I worried about disappointing her.
Reardon shook his head.
“No, not yet anyway, but it is coming, Mom. We just aren’t engaged yet.”
“Oh,” she said, a lot less chipper.
Reardon held my hand in his and grinned at his parents.
“But, you are going to be grandparents,” he announced. “Chloe and I are having a baby.”
“Oh,” Jenny said again, but this time it was more of a squeal. “A baby? Did you hear that Rob, we’re going to have a baby!”
At the excitement in her voice, all of my nerves uncoiled.
Chapter Forty-One ~ Reardon
After breaking the news to my parents, Chloe had seemed to fully relax into our relationship. I think my parents’ approval eased the last of her worries, and now she was comfortable with our relationship and no longer worried about the opinions of others.
Surprisingly, my Aunt Annabeth had been thrilled about the pregnancy. My aunt was a wonderful woman, and cared deeply about her family, which often made her come across like an angry bear, but I always knew her heart was in the right place.
Now that she saw how happy I was, and how committed Chloe and I both were, my aunt had turned over a new leaf.
Even though we weren’t married yet, Chloe was already officially a member of our family in the eyes of everyone. Although I’d told her I was willing to wait to get married, I hadn’t told her how long I wanted to wait, which was why, after just four months together, I was currently staging my marriage proposal.
Was it quick? Maybe.
Did I care? Absolutely not.
I’d measured every woman I’d dated against her and they’d all come up short, and now that I had the woman of my dreams on my arm, I wanted to make sure she stayed there. Permanently.
“I bought Laurel out of magnolias,” Dillon said as he pushed a cart of the fragrant flowers down the aisle of the movie theater.
“Thanks, man,” I said as I rushed to meet him.
We made a trail with the buds that led from the entrance of the theater to the large open walkway at the front. I’d first thought of leading it to the chairs we’d sat in when we’d watched Star Wars together that first night, but I’d decided it made more sense, and gave me more room, to do it in the front.
I scattered the flowers in a large circle, leaving room for me to kneel before her, then set candles out strategically throughout the circle.
“Old Mr. Thomas know you’re planning to light a fire in his theater?” Dillon asked, looking over his shoulder as if expecting to see the fire marshal come in at any moment.
“It’ll be fine,” I assured him. “I’ll light them when Zoey gives the signal, then blow them out as soon as I’m done. He’ll never know the difference.”
“Small-town lawyer, arrested for starting fire during proposal,” Dillon said in his best news anchor voice. “News at eleven.”
“Oh, shut up and help me clean this up.”
Once everything was in place, Dillon started to roll the cart and empty boxes out of the theater. He stopped when I called out, “Thanks, Dillon, I owe you one.”
“Anytime, brother,” he replied with a quick grin over his shoulder, then made himself scarce.
I looked around at the space, satisfied that it looked pretty damn good, when my phone went off. I almost dropped it as I tried to get it out of my pocket and to my ear, but luckily I held on long enough to answer.
“Hello?”
“Yes, this is Zoey, I just wanted to confirm that you’re showing Thor tonight at seven.”
I didn’t answer, that was my cue, so I just hung up and started moving frantically around, trying to light the candles with shaky hands. My stomach started clenching, and I worried I was going to vomit as the realization of what I was about to do hit me.
What if she said no?
“What is going on, Zo? Why are you pushing me? It’s pitch black in here.”
I got in place and stood tall, eyes on the entryway as I took a cleansing breath.
As soon as I saw Chloe, gorgeous in her purple sundress, hair done up in a sleek ponytail, eyes wide on me, all of my nerves fled.
“Reardon?” she said breathlessly as she looked around the theater.
I held out a hand, urging her to follow the flower path to me, then watched as she moved forward.
“Oh my god,” Chloe said, her voice full of tears as she entered the circle.
I took her fingertips in mine and dropped to one knee.
“Chloe Zahn, you amazingly beautiful soul,” I began, my voice strong and clear. “I have loved you since the first moment I saw you across the smoky bar, and have since dreamed of calling you mine. You’re even more wonderful now, fourteen years later. More beautiful, more smart, more kind, and savvy. You’re a terrific mother, loving sister, and loyal friend. You’re the woman of my dreams, and the star of my reality. I want to spend the rest of my days loving you, and being a father to our children. I know I’m your perfect match, your perfect partner, and I can’t wait any longer to let the world know that we’ll be spending our lives together.”
I reached in my suit pocket and pulled out the jewelry box, opening it to expose the cathedral diamond engagement ring within.
“Chloe, here, in the place where I first felt hopeful that you’d see me as more, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Tears flowed down her face, and she dropped to her knees, joining me on the theater floor.
“Yes,” she shouted happily. “Yes, yes, yes!”
Epilogue – Chloe
I walked through my new kitchen, running a hand lovingly over the marble countertops as I took in the double oven, large freezer on the bottom refrigerator, and the cute, retro décor.
I absolutely loved my new kitchen.
At first, I thought Reardon was crazy when he suggested we just go for it, sell both of our houses and buy the big one they were building in the neighborhood. But, when he reasoned that we’d want something bigger eventually anyway, and if we packed up and moved both houses now, rather than one of us moving now, then moving again in a couple years, I had to admit he made sense.
I rested my hand on my large round belly, and promised our unborn son that Mommy and Daddy would get married before his first birthday. I’d always dreamed of having a simple, yet stylish wedding, but even more, I’d always dreamed of the dress. Call me vain, but I didn’t want to walk down the aisle big and pregnant. I wanted the time to plan, and get my pre-baby body back.
Reardon had agreed.
So, although we were technically living in sin, we were extremely happy and currently planning the wedding of our dreams, while prepping for the new addition to our family.
“Grill’s all set,” Reardon said, his arms coming around to cradle my belly as he pressed his lips to the base of my neck. “Once they start arriving, I’ll start cooking.”
“Okay, babe,” I replied, leaning back in to his arms. “I’m all prepped here too.”
We were having a housewarming party. Our first party together, and I was really excited. I couldn’t wait to have the whole family together under our roof. It felt like a rite of passage, validation that I was finally part of an honest-to-goodness family.
Not just me, Zoey, and Chris, which had been wonderful over the years, but st
ill not as amazing as having an extended family like the Lewis’s.
The doorbell rang and my house quickly filled with friends and family.
Chris, Gabe, Reardon, and Dillon were out on the patio, manning the grill and swapping manly stories.
The elder Lewis’, Robert, Jenny, Annabeth and Zeke, along with Serena, Jazzy, and Dillon’s parents, all sat in the sunken living room, laughing as they passed around little Evie.
Jazzy, Rena, and Laurel were all in the kitchen with Zoey and me. Jazzy and Rena were finishing up the twice-baked potatoes, while Zoey make buffalo chicken dip and I put the finishing touches on our mother’s version of a noodle casserole.
I was turning to open the spice cabinet when I noticed Laurel staring out the window. I followed her eyes to see Dillon bent over laughing at something Gabe had just said.
I moved closer and lowered my voice so no one else would hear.
“Have you talked to him?”
Laurel startled, then shook her head when she realized it was me.
“Well, he’s been helping you with the business plan, right? Maybe you could broach the subject…”
“He acts like I’m still in pigtails,” Laurel complained. “He’ll never see me as anything other than a little sister.”
“Maybe you need to show him that you aren’t a little girl anymore. Slap him in the face with it,” I suggested.
“How do you mean?” she asked, glancing quickly over her shoulder to make sure everyone was still far enough away.
“You always look great, classy,” I said, taking in her sweet shorts and tank set. “But to get his attention, you’re going to have to shake it up. Shake him up … Make sure the next time he sees you, he has no choice but to see the woman you’ve become.”
“I don’t know,” Laurel said, worrying her lip between her teeth.
Too Complicated Page 15
