In a bold move, especially for Christine, she ran her hand down the front of my pants, stopping to speak. “Now why would I want to do that? The princess is going to need a sibling someday. And she can’t have one if anything down here gets broken.”
“So, all that matters of me is making babies?” I raised a brow at her.
She grabbed my shirt and tugged me forward until we were toe to toe. “Nope. You mean the world to me.”
With her grip still tight on my shirt, she leaned up on her toes and captured my lips. The familiar taste of vanilla overwhelming my senses once again. A tingle rush ran down my spine. My tongue tangled with hers and my cock begged to be freed.
Then just as quickly as the kiss started, she let go and stepped back. “Let’s get food, I’m hungry.”
Without another word, she turned and opened the door, stepping out into the hall. I shook my head, watching her retreating back as I adjusted my cock.
Forget food. I pulled a couple of deep breaths through my nose, willing my dick to calm itself. Christine knew exactly what she did to me every time our lips connected.
If she was going to tease me at every turn this was going to be a much longer nine months than I’d originally thought.
Here was hoping for patience to make it through.
25
“The caterers have everything set up on the lawn.”
Christine paced our bedroom, wringing her hands together. “Okay. What about the tables? And the drinks? What about the cake?”
I walked into the bedroom and stepped into her path. Christine still made herself crazy when it came time to plan anything big. Thinking about nights like this while we were planning the wedding still made me stop and pause.
I placed my fingers under her chin and brought her gaze to mine. “Everything is going to be perfect. You’ve done an amazing job, like you always do.”
“But—”
I placed my finger over her lips and my free hand on her slightly rounded belly. “No buts. All that matters today is that we celebrate this little one and find out whether we’re painting the room pink or blue.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, exactly like I hoped. I drew her attention away from her nerves about the success of the party to something I knew she jump onto immediately.
She plunked her hands onto her hips. “There will be no pink or blue. You know I hate those stupid stereotypes.”
I laughed and wrapped my arms around her waist. “This I know. We’ll paint whatever color you want.”
She sighed and curled into my arms. “Thank you. I needed to be brought back to reality.”
“I know. Remember I know you almost as well as you know yourself.”
“Love you,” she whispered against my chest.
We stayed there for a little longer, simply holding each other. Eventually, Christine stepped back and peeked out the window onto the back lawn.
“People are starting to arrive.”
“Guess we better get down there then. Wouldn’t want the guests of honor to miss their own party.”
I gestured toward the door and followed her out and down to the first floor of the house. A flurry of activity surrounded us when we stepped into the kitchen on our way out the back door. I thought about directing Christine through the French doors leading onto the deck, but I knew she’d never be able to enjoy herself unless she knew that everything was running smoothly.
“Things look like they’re okay in here.”
I pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “I told you, they have everything under control. Let yourself enjoy the day and don’t worry. If something goes wrong, I promise I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.” Her whole face brightened as we walked out the door and onto the lawn, which was now covered in tables and tents.
Off to one side of the yard sat a huge buffet table and next to it a bar ready to serve guests as they arrived. I’d offered to have the caterers walk around and serve anything, but Christine wasn’t having it. She wanted something simple, something more intimate than a huge luncheon.
At least I’d gotten her to agree to let us cater the party in the first place. Otherwise she’d still be in the kitchen trying to cook for all of our friends and family.
“Everything is perfect.” Christine clasped her hands together in front of her.
“Anything for my favorite woman.” I pulled her closer to me and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“They finally made it,” Carla cheered.
“Mom.” Christine rolled her eyes.
But even her mother was smart enough to know that Christine would over do it if given the chance, or she would be a nervous wreck that the party would be a disaster.
Carla smiled. “Enjoy yourself today. All that matters is what’s in the middle of that beautiful cake over there. She pointed to the other side of the lawn where a three-tier cake sat. Decorated in a combination of white, purple, and green, it was exactly what Christine had wanted.
“Damn, that’s good-looking cake. Can we eat it now?” Jackson’s voice hit my ears.
Christine turned around and gave his arm a swat. “No, you may not.”
He grabbed his arm. “That hurt.”
His wife Megan laughed. “That’s what you get. I told you not to pick on a pregnant woman.”
Christine winked at him. “That’ll teach you for the future.”
Both women laughed. Christine held her hand out to Megan. “Come on, I want to show you what we got started in the baby’s room.”
“Ah, I can’t wait.” Megan put her hand in Christine’s and followed her back into the house.
I sighed. “Damn, I just got her to come out and stop worrying.”
Jackson bumped my shoulder. “Megan will get her back out here. Let’s be thankful they get along as well as they do. Could imagine if our wives hated each other?”
“Fuck, that would suck.”
I wandered in the direction of the bar, Jackson following me over.
“What can I get you?” I asked, stepping behind the wood counter.
Jackson glanced in both direction. “No bartender?”
I snatched two bottles of beer from the ice chest and popped the tops, sliding one across the bar to him. “Nope. She wanted a simple backyard barbecue. No waiters, nothing that made it feel over the top.”
He lifted the beer to his lips. “No trimmings and trappings of your success, I guess.”
“Not this time.” I took a sip of my own beer. “I think she likes the simplicity she remembers; it reminds her of home, especially when we’re across the country from her parents.”
“Tell me about it.” He rested his arms on the bar. “I’m still trying to convince my in-laws to let me buy them a house out here so we don’t have to keep flying back and forth. It’s freaking exhausting.”
A deep rumbling laugh left my lips. “Did you ever imagine a day where we could travel anywhere we wanted, whenever we wanted and all we rather do is stay home?”
His shoulders shook. “No, but when you say it like that, it does seem incredibly ironic.”
Jackson and I grew up anything but poor. As a lawyer, his dad made decent money, not to mention his mom’s job as a chemist. Each of our parents owned a vacation home where we spent summers or winters. But nothing compared to what we each had now.
“Are you really taking time off from recording?”
“Not really. We all agree that we need time to work on new stuff without all the pressure we had before. LiteStar is a hell of a lot easier to work with than Punk Beat.”
“They are. Hell, if they have the patience to deal with Monty’s nonsense, they can handle anything.”
I twisted the bottle between my fingers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Christine and Megan come out of the house and start greeting others that had arrived. “Mainly I want to take off the first few months, write new shit, then head back into the studio once we get settled into things. What I really don’t want to do for a while i
s tour.”
“I can’t blame you. It’s exhausting. I don’t mind flying somewhere for a one or two-night gig, but after that I want to be home in my own bed, not cramped inside a tour bus.”
“Amen.” I held up my beer and tapped it against his.
Jackson peered over his shoulder. “Not going to say hello to everyone?”
“I will, but I also promised Christine I’d stay behind the bar until everyone got a drink. With no bartender, someone has to do it.”
He slid off the stool. “Want me to take over so you can at least say hello to your parents?”
“You don’t mind?”
He quirked a brow. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not that hard to pour wine and open a few bottles of beer. It’s not like you’re making all of these elaborate cocktails today.”
“I don’t have time for that shit.” I walked around the front of the bar and patted him on the arm. “Thanks. I won’t be long.”
“Take your time. I’m sure Megan is on the baby train again. It’ll give me a chance to think of all the reasons we should wait.”
“Just tell her you aren’t ready.”
He narrowed his eyes and nodded with a smirk. “Oh, I’m sure that will go over fabulously. Hey, babe, I know you really want to start a family, but I’m an immature asshole who doesn’t want to yet.”
I rubbed my thumb and finger over my eyes. “Jesus. You know that is not what I said.”
He scoffed. “Might as well be because that’s exactly what she’s going to hear.”
“You know what? It’s time to grow up gracefu—”
“Shit,” Jackson snapped.
“What is it?” I searched the backyard, trying to figure out what had him so worked up. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“You had to invite my mom?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my own brow at him. He had to know better. Of course I was going to invite his mom. No way was I going to have Mom go home and tell Kathy Hadden all about the party and not have her here. Mrs. Hadden was the scariest mom of them all, but I knew she loved us, which was why she made sure we were always doing the right thing.
He held his hands up. “Okay, okay. I get it. But now she’s talking to Megan and they’re both going to be all over my ass about babies. Isn’t one in the band enough?”
I shook my head laughing as I started to walk away. A few steps away I stopped and glanced over my shoulder. “Just give in. This isn’t a fight you’ll ever win.”
“Oh like you really got to decide.”
I smirked. “Maybe not, but I wouldn’t change a thing.” I winked at him like Christine had done earlier and walked away.
I sidled up next to Christine and wrapped an arm around her waist as she talked to my mom.
Mom stopped talking and turned to me. “Aiden, where were you?”
“Nice to see you too, Mom.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. I just didn’t see you out here before.”
I threw my thumb over my shoulder in the direction of the bar. “I was getting the bar set up, but Jackson told me he’d watch it for a bit so I could say hi to everyone. And so he could hide from his mom and his wife.”
Mom giggled. “That sounds all very familiar, except the wife part. Kathy wants grandchildren, so I’m sure she’ll find him at some point today.”
“That’s what he’s afraid of.”
Mom shook her head. “Boys.” She turned back to Christine. “Do you need anything? A chair? A drink? Something to eat?”
“No, I think I’m okay for now.”
Christine seemed distracted, so I watched her for a moment, only to realize her eyes kept straying to the cake.
“I think she’s getting really impatient about cutting the cake.”
“Can you blame me?”
“Not really. I really can’t wait either, which is why I’ve been trying to distract myself.”
She leaned into my side. “Then I guess we better distract ourselves with our friends and family.”
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “We can do that.” I glanced around. “Where’s Dad?”
Mom smirked. “He’s coming. He had to get the gift out of the car.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Christine said.
I lifted a brow at my mom. “Guess you missed the no gifts part of the invitation.”
“Nope. I just ignored it.” She shrugged.
And I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. My mother was absolutely incorrigible. She’d been dying for grandchildren for years. When Christine and I first talked about trying and letting the chips fall where they may, I didn’t tell her because I knew she’d go crazy buying shit we would probably never need long before we even knew Christine was pregnant.
I had no doubt this would be the first of many things for the baby. The kid would super spoiled by my mom and dad. I’d say he’d keep her under control, but he was as bad as her. Actually, I was surprised she waited this long to start dropping things off, but that probably had something to do with the two-hour drive to our house, but that was better than the five-hour flight it required before.
“Why am I not surprised?”
Dad strolled around the back of the house with two large boxes stacked on top of each other in one hand and an array of gift bags in the other hand.
“Damn, Dad.” I let go of Christine and jogged over to take some things out of his hands before he dropped something. “She doesn’t do anything small, does she?”
“Your mother?” He gave me the you must be crazy look. “Never in her life has she done anything small.”
“Let’s put this stuff inside, so her impulse purchasing doesn’t make other people feel bad about not bringing gifts.”
Dad chuckled and nodded. “Lead the way.”
With one of the boxes in my hands, I used my elbow to push down the handle on the French doors. Might as well leave them open so people could come go into the house as they pleased. I moved through the living room and into the family room on the far side of the house.
I set the box on the coffee table and unloaded the rest of the things from my dad’s hands. “We’ll open these later after everyone leaves.”
“As long as your mother gets to see you open it, she’ll be happy.”
“Not you?” I laughed.
He ran the back of his hand across his forehead. “Maybe, but at the moment a drink would make me very happy.”
I laughed a little bit harder. “Come on. Jackson’s manning the bar for now.”
Once Jackson got my dad something to drink, I noticed the backyard had filled in rather quickly. Friends and family from all over came to find out whether we were having a boy or a girl. The caterers eventually brought out the food and things settled down a bit as everyone filled their plates and began to eat. But I wasn’t hungry. The butterflies in my stomach had my entire focus on Christine and the cake.
Finally, I set my plate down. I’d eat later when I knew the answer. Then I’d be able to focus on what I was eating instead of what color might be inside that cake. The longer it took people to eat, the more nervous I became. After what felt like hours, it seemed like everyone was finally done. And if the murmurs in the crowd were anything to go by, they were getting just as antsy as I was.
A small hand landed on my arm. “Ready to know?”
I peeked over my shoulder to see Christine, a mixture of excitement and nervousness in her smile.
I sighed. “I can’t even concentrate on the food.”
She placed her hand to my head, like she was checking my temperature. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
“Ha-ha, smarts. Let’s get this show on the road.” I linked her fingers with mine and led her over to stand in front of the cake.
“Can I get everyone’s attention?” Heads started turning in our direction. “Thank you all for coming today. You don’t know how much we appreciate it.” I lifted our joined hands to my lips and pressed
a kiss to Christine’s.
There were a couple shouts of we love you from somewhere in the crowd.
“But I’m sure if you’re anything like us, you can’t wait to find out.” Christine was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
“Cut it,” Carla yelled.
My mom walked over with a knife in hand. Everyone seemed to take that as a hint and made a semicircle around us and the table.
I handed the knife to Christine and covered her hand with my own. “Ready?” I whispered in her ear.
“Definitely.”
We set the knife on the top tier of the cake. The second and third layers were vanilla and chocolate, respectively. The top layer was the one to give away all the answers. Before we pressed down, I lifted the knife away from the cake.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” I asked with a smirk.
“Just cut it, attention whore.” Jackson’s voice was unmistakable. Then again, neither was the oomph, as either Megan or his mother smacked him upside his head. He rubbed at the back of his head. “Now I know how Monty feels all the time.”
Megan chuckled and I turned back to Christine. “Let’s do this.”
We lowered the knife again and I pressed a brief kiss to her lips before pushing it through the cake and pulling it out again to slice the other side of the piece. I let go of the Christine’s hand and grabbed a plate to lay the piece on.
She slid the knife below it and with a hand on top, she slid the piece out, revealing chocolate cake filled with…
Pink candies.
“It’s a girl,” she screamed and started jumping up and down, almost upending the piece of cake on the plate.
I dropped it, cupping Christine’s cheeks and pulling her lips to mine. We were going to have a little girl. It was one thing to think about being a dad. It was entirely another thing to think about having a baby girl.
A daddy’s girl.
I could hear my mother screeching in the background. But all I could focus on was three little words. Three little words that would change the rest of my life.
First and Always: The Forever Duet Page 18