Just With You (Taphouse Blues Series Book 3)

by Heather Lyn

  Jules sprints off to Stella’s spare bedroom to grab all her stuff and then comes running back. She gives each of us the biggest hugs, and then they’re gone, leaving Stella and me alone. She gives me a kiss on the cheek, then pads back to the kitchen, grabbing the teakettle she boiled just before Isabelle came.

  Pouring herself a large mug to the brim, she settles down at her small table, and I join her.

  “So, we never got a chance to discuss last night,” she begins, and I reach for the last piece of bacon on the plate in front of us.

  “Yeah, we were a little busy.”

  We both laugh, and I continue. “I know you have a lease on this place, and I’ll do whatever you want, but I’d really like for you to move in with me, Stell. Make my place our home. There’s plenty of room with the three bedrooms, and I can move my workout equipment into the basement if we need to.”

  “That’s what I want too. I love your house, and I can see these two munchkins running around your backyard. But the thing I wanted to talk to you about?” She takes a sip of her tea. Setting the cup down, she looks at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “I already called my landlord and told her that I needed to break the lease, and she’s good with it. I also told her that with the exception of some things, I wanted to leave my furniture for the next person who moves in. So whenever you’re ready, I can move in.”

  The grin I already had on my face grows, and I get out of my seat, hauling her up into my arms. Kissing her deeply, I pull back so I can frame her face with my hands.

  “How about today?” I whisper.

  She nods, giving me a watery smile. “Sounds perfect.”

  “I’ll give Drew a call and see if I can borrow his truck.”

  “I guess I’ll try to find some boxes.”

  Setting her down on her feet, I follow her into the bedroom, calling Drew as we go.

  §

  Loading the final box in the truck bed, I close the tailgate and turn to find Stella standing behind me, holding a large laundry basket.

  “Stella, give me that,” I say, rushing to grab it from her.

  “I’m perfectly capable of holding that,” she grumbles, watching me toss it in the cab with her hand on her hip.

  “I know, but I don’t want you carrying anything, okay? Just relax and let me finish this up.”

  “Miller, I swear to God….”

  “Swear all you want, but I’m not budging on this. You’re carrying my babies, sweetheart. No picking up heavy things, and no pushing yourself, okay? I want you all safe and healthy.”

  She rolls her eyes at me, but I drop a kiss to the top of her head and slide around her to go grab the cooler we filled with perishable food. I take it out to Stella’s rental car and set it in the trunk. Closing it, I stride back inside and find her packing the last of her things in the living room.

  “So, something else, babe. We need to get you a new car.”

  She nods while stacking DVDs in the box.

  “Yeah, I was thinking of going this weekend to the dealership. At first I figured I could get another Honda, but I think we might need something bigger for our family.”

  “I agree. I’m trading in the Challenger next week.”

  Her eyes widen and she abandons what she’s doing to come sit next to me. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I was talking to Garret the other day, and he mentioned how Sadie had finally upgraded her sedan for an SUV, and it got me thinking about my own car. It’s not big enough for us all.”

  “But, Jace, you love that car.”

  I nod, shrugging a shoulder. “Yeah, but I love you more.”

  She gives me a wry grin and then goes back to packing. I help her, and when the box is all loaded up, she leans across it to kiss me.

  “Let’s go home.”

  “Best idea ever.”

  §

  “Why am I so nervous? I think I’m gonna puke again, and not just ’cause of your babies.” Stella is pacing around the kitchen, wringing her hands together. Our families will be here in about twenty minutes for dinner, and tonight is the night.

  “Stell, come here.”

  She walks over and I pull her to me, her arms squeezing tight around my waist as I gently hold her face. “It’s going to be fine, baby. I promise you. They’re our family, and they all love us.”

  She nods, and I drop my forehead to hers. Her twelve-week appointment was the other day, and we finally got to hear their heartbeats. I’m not ashamed to admit it brought me to tears. Her too. Stella has a tiny bump, and if she’s in tight clothing, it’s obvious, so tonight she’s in a flowy shirt that hides her stomach.

  Taking her by the hand, I guide her over to the couch and sit down, extending one of my legs up on it and pulling Stella down so she’s between my spread legs. She leans back against my chest, and I rest my chin on her shoulder.

  “Thank you,” she murmurs to me, and I kiss the side of her neck.

  “For what?”

  “You’ve been a rock these past weeks. I never thought we’d celebrate our one-year anniversary with twins, that’s for sure. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about life, it’s that it’s way too damn short, and we should enjoy every moment we can. I can’t wait for our family to be complete.”

  “God, I love you,” I tell her, taking her lips in a searing kiss.

  “I never asked. What do you want?” she asks, and I raise an eyebrow.

  “What do I want?”

  “Yeah. Boys, girls, or one of each?”

  I shake my head with a laugh. “Healthy, that’s what I want.”

  “Me too.”

  I lean over for another kiss when my doorbell rings, and I let out a groan. “I’ll bet everything in my wallet that’s Drew. Asshole is always early.”

  Stella and I stand from the couch, and I go answer the door, turning to give Stella an “I told you so” look when I find my brother standing on the porch.

  “Well, if it isn’t my favorite brother and his gorgeous lady,” he jokes, giving me a hug before wrapping his arms around Stella.

  “I figured you’d drive with Mom and Pops,” I grumble, shutting the door.

  Drew shrugs and moves into the living room with us.

  “Mom was still baking something when I left earlier, so she said they’d see me here. My best guess is she’s bringing a pie or something and that’s why.”

  “Sweet!” Stella fist-pumps and Drew joins her, leaving me to just shake my head at them.

  Drew starts talking about some badass ride he got to work on today when the doorbell rings again. This time Mason and Jules are standing there.

  I get a hug from Jules, and Mason hands me a bottle of red wine. I accept it, noticing that it’s Stella’s favorite kind. I’m moving to shut the door when I see my parents come pulling in the driveway.

  As they’re walking up, I find Stella across the room and wink at her.

  Showtime.

  §

  Stella’s vegetable lasagna was a hit, and I’m glad to see everyone getting along well and enjoying themselves. Drew helped me clean up the table, and now it’s time to break the news. Stella and I agreed on a unique way instead of just shouting that we were expecting. Making my way toward my girl, I grab her hand and squeeze.

  “Hey, guys, if we could have your attention for a moment,” I begin, and everyone turns to us. “Stella and I have something special for Drew and Mason in the living room, so if you wouldn’t mind joining us?”

  Our brothers both give us strange looks as we usher everyone in, and they both find identically wrapped presents sitting on the coffee table. Drew sets his beer down and reaches for them, passing one to Mason. I wrap my arm around Stella, and we move next to my parents to watch the guys open the gifts.

  They both tear into them, but Drew is faster. He sets the box down and takes out a white T-shirt from inside. When he flips it around to read it, his reaction is instant.

  “No fucking way!” he shouts, the smile on his face growing
larger by the second. Mason pulls his out, and while his reaction is much more reserved, his smile is genuine.

  “What are they?” Jules asks, and they both turn them around at the same time.

  Uncle. Est. 2021.

  “Oh my gosh, you’re having a baby?” Mom exclaims, and we both grin at her.

  “I’m due May 22,” Stella tells them, and she’s immediately engulfed in a hug from Mom, who promptly bursts into tears.

  Drew grabs me in the tightest hug imaginable and grips the back of my head. “Congratulations, brother. I’m so damn happy for you.”

  “Thanks, Drew.”

  He pulls away to go hug Stella, and I yank my mom in for a hug, laughing when she cries into my shirt. “These better be happy tears, Momma.”

  “Oh, Jace, I am so thrilled for you kids. So thrilled. You’re gonna make the best dad, and I’m so excited. I can’t wait to be a Mamaw.”

  “Love you,” I tell her, and she reaches back to cup my face.

  “Love you, baby.”

  Leaning around her, I find Jules bouncing up and down, and I swing her up into my arms. “So what do you think about being the big cousin, kiddo? You excited?”

  “Heck yes! Is it a boy or girl?” she asks, and Stella pulls away from my dad to look at her.

  “We don’t know yet. But there is something else we have to tell y’all.”

  “What?” Jules asks, and I nod at Stella to share the news.

  “We’re having twins.”

  The entire room erupts at her words, and Drew grabs me around the shoulders cheering.

  Through all the chaos, Stella comes over to me and I hook my arm around her neck, kissing her in front of everyone, my heart filled with pride at all the love we have surrounding us.

  We’re the luckiest people in the world.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  STELLA

  Two Months Later

  Standing in front of the full-length mirror, I sweep my long hair back and into a ponytail, staring at my reflection. Running my hands over my belly, I try to figure out how a watermelon has already made its way into my stomach. I swear, if I was only having one baby, you’d think I was nearing the end of my pregnancy, but no. I’m only halfway through.

  Goodbye, feet. I’ll see you in a few months.

  Hearing the front door open and close, I turn toward the door, watching Jace walk into the room. “Truck’s running, babe. Should be warm in just a few minutes.”

  “I’m ready whenever you are.” Today is our ultrasound to find out the sex of our babies and to check in and see how they’re doing. We’re still unsure if we want to do a gender reveal party with Christmas so close, just a couple weeks away. Slipping my feet into my Birks, I follow him into the living room, where I left my jacket and purse.

  “So, we taking bets on what they are?” he asks, pulling a gray beanie on his head.

  “Betting on our kids? Gee, we’re gonna make wonderful parents,” I tease, and he laughs, pulling me into his arms.

  “Damn right we will.”

  “I think it’s boys,” I tell him, kissing his scruffy cheek.

  “I think you’re right. You keep giving me babies and soon we’ll have our very own baseball team.”

  “You’re dreaming if you think I’m giving you seven more children, Jace Miller. These two are more than enough, thank you.”

  “We’ll see about that, woman.”

  Jace holds my jacket open for me, and I slide my arms in, laughing when he tries to pull it closed, my belly having other plans.

  “We need to get you a new jacket. I can’t have you in the cold like this.”

  “Stop your fussing, I’m fine. I have on a thick sweater, and I’ll only be in the cold for a few seconds.” Swinging my purse over my shoulder, I motion to the door. “Shall we go?”

  Muttering at me, he kisses my temple and opens the door, ushering me into the cold. He holds my hand down the walkway and pulls the door to his new Chevy open. It’s getting harder to climb into it, and I giggle when he grabs my ass and pushes.

  “I swear you bought this truck just so you would have to do that.”

  “Nope, but it certainly doesn’t suck.”

  “What am I gonna do with you, Miller?”

  Jace just swats my ass and closes the door behind me. Climbing into his own seat, he buckles and we take off. When we pull into the parking lot of my OB, I turn to him, reaching for his hand to squeeze tight.

  “I want to find out what we’re having. No gender reveal party. We can FaceTime everyone tonight.”

  “That’s what I was hoping you’d say,” he says with an infectious grin.

  “Let’s do this.”

  §

  “Okay, so baby B looks to be just a tiny bit smaller than baby A, but that’s perfectly normal for twins. Both have strong, healthy heartbeats, and everything looks perfect.” Sandy, our ultrasound tech, smiles at both of us, showing us the image of our little ones. The black-and-white image makes them look like they’re cuddling each other in weird little alien form.

  Jace takes my hand and brings it to his lips, his eyes trained on the screen.

  “Now let’s see if these two will cooperate so we can find out what you’re having.” Sandy moves the wand over my stomach, spreading the gel so she can get a better view of the babies. I have no idea what I’m even really looking at until she points to the screen.

  “Okay, there’s baby A. Let’s see if we can get a better image. Do you want to know what they are all at once or one at a time?”

  “All at once,” I say, and Jace agrees with a nod.

  “All right, let me take a couple photos, and then I’ll move on to baby B.” She taps on her keypad. I watch the screen flash a few times, and then she moves the wand again, bringing us face-to-face with our other nugget. She does the same thing, moving the view around before taking some more pictures. When she’s finished, she hits one final button, and photos begin to print.

  Grabbing the small hand towel hanging next to the bed, she cleans my belly up. I pull my shirt down, sitting up as best as I can. Jace helps me get comfortable, and then Sandy hands me the strip of photos, a warm smile on her face.

  “Congratulations, you two. I sure hope you like pink, because you’re having two girls.”

  My jaw drops and I turn my head to look at Jace, whose eyes are about to bug out of his head. I look back to Sandy and start laughing, covering my mouth with a hand.

  “Oh my freaking God.” I giggle, and Jace scrubs a hand over his face.

  “In a matter of seconds, I just became outnumbered,” he jokes, and I grab his face to kiss him. “Wouldn’t have it any other way though.”

  “I love you,” I whisper to him, and he hugs me tight.

  “Love you too, Stell. Wait till Jules finds out. She’s gonna hit the roof.”

  “More like wait till your mom finds out.”

  “Oh no.” He groans, shaking his head with a chuckle. “She’s gonna lose her mind. She always wanted a daughter, and now she’s getting two granddaughters all at once.”

  “Should we go home and start spreading the news?” I ask, holding my hand out so he can help me climb off the table.

  “How about I take my girls to an early dinner, and then we break the news?”

  A sharp kick on my right side has me grabbing Jace’s hand and pressing over the spot, both of us laughing when his hand shifts a moment later with another kick.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  I shrug back into my jacket, and he walks us from the room, the ultrasound photos now tucked securely in my purse. We both wave to the ladies behind the front desk and then make our way out to Jace’s truck, my hand firmly clasped in his. That gorgeous smile of his is permanently etched into his face, and it makes my heart happier than anything.

  §

  Strolling the aisles of the small shop, I try like hell to find something for Jace’s Christmas present. I’ve come to a complete dead end every time I think of s
omething.

  I round the corner and find a table set up with cameras, several of them out on display. And it’s like a lightbulb goes off in my head, a conversation I had with Jace not long after we found out I was pregnant.

  We’re sitting out on the back deck at Jace’s, curled up under a blanket on his wood swing. The breeze is blowing my hair around, and I pull the blanket up higher, my head on his shoulder.

  “So, did you always want to be a police officer? Did you grow up playing with a fake badge and arresting your stuffed animals?” I ask, and he laughs, shaking his head.

  “No. I went to college for business. I was going to open my own photography studio one day. But after the accident, and seeing how broken the system was, knowing that even on a twenty-five-year sentence, that asshole could be up for parole after killing two people, I needed to do something.”

  I burrow into him, and his hold on me tightens. “Photography, huh?”

  “Yeah. I loved taking pictures, no matter the subject. A sunset, my parents, one of Drew’s sport games. But my life has changed so much now, and I couldn’t abandon the department. I love my job, and maybe it’s not what I always wanted to do, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “Is that why you’re always snapping selfies of us on your phone?”

  “Memories fade, voices and sounds disappear, but a photo is forever, Stell.”

  I’m broken from my thoughts when an employee asks if I need anything. Looking back over at the display, I paste a smile on my face.

  “Actually, yes. I want to get my boyfriend a camera for Christmas. What would you recommend?”

  He gives me a smile and gestures to one on the table, and as he begins to rattle off the features and add-ons, I know it’s perfect.

  The perfect gift for the perfect person.

  §

  A couple hours later, I pull into our driveway and find that Jace isn’t home yet. He went to his parents’ to help Drew and their dad hang up Christmas lights. Carrying his gift into the bedroom, I leave it on the bed as I kick my boots off, my coat thrown on the chair in front of my vanity. We’re going out when he gets home to pick out a Christmas tree, so I need to get this wrapped before he gets back.