“Mm-hmm. I want to be sexy again.” I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck.
“I think you’re extremely sexy.” He nips the soft skin of my neck, something that would usually have me ready to go, but being the size I am, I just can’t seem to want sex right now. Not after seeing every swollen angle of myself in the mirror.
I push him back. “All right. Let me shower. We have a long day ahead of us.”
He laughs but retreats into the bedroom, leaving me alone to get cleaned up.
I take a long time in the shower, enjoying the warmth on my skin and letting the heat ease my sore muscles. Packing all this extra weight is hard on my normally small body. Muscles I didn’t even know I had are hurting.
When I get out of the shower, I grab one of the extra-large towels we recently bought and wrap it around myself. I walk up to the mirror and wipe the steam away to brush my teeth and comb my hair. I quickly blow-dry my hair and pull it back into a sleek ponytail to keep it out of my face and save me time trying to fix it. I don’t bother with makeup. I’m too tired.
I walk back into the bedroom and to the closet to find something to wear. I grab a pair of leggings and a sweater that looks more like a blanket, but when you’re as big as I am, decent-looking clothes are few and far between. I pull on a pair of boots and grab a jacket before exiting the bedroom and finding Foster in the living room, playing with the dogs.
“Ready to go?” he asks.
I sit on the couch and let out a long breath. “I guess so. My back is killing me already and I’ve barely been on my feet today.”
“Do you want to skip it? We don’t have to go if you don’t feel up to it,” he says. “We can stay here and I can make you breakfast.” He picks up my hand and kisses the back.
I smile. “I’m not really hungry yet. And I want to see the new house.”
“All right. Let’s go. We won’t rush and you can take as many breaks as you need.”
“The new house has an elevator, right?” I joke, not looking forward to walking up all those stairs to get to the second floor.
He laughs. “No, but we could probably have them add one in if you want.”
I smile but follow along behind him out to our new SUV. A few weeks ago, we thought an SUV would be a much more family-friendly vehicle than his Ferrari or my Jeep, which was getting hard for me to climb into with my huge belly.
Just walking out and getting in the car is enough to have me huffing and puffing as my lower back screams in pain. But I guess back pain is just part of the territory, so I try to deal with it by turning on the heated seat.
The drive to the new property doesn’t take long, and it seems to go by even faster with the soft, warm seat that fits my expanding body perfectly—at least my back and ass. On the drive, his hand stays in mine and his soft touch is enough to have me relaxing and forgetting about how uncomfortable I am.
“Here we are,” he says, pulling me from my thoughts.
A tall brick wall on the right side of the road comes into view just as I open my eyes and lift my head from the little catnap I tried to take. Foster slows the car when we come up to a black iron gate. The gate is open and a couple of guys are installing a camera and box on the side. He smiles and waves, then crawls up the concrete drive. The property already has trees here and there, and it seems they’ve built the drive around these trees. It’s long and winding and makes me think we’re about to approach a castle even though I’ve seen the plans for the house.
Finally, there’s a break in the trees and the house comes into view. While I’ve seen the blueprints and the layout, I haven’t actually seen the outside of the house. When I do, my mouth falls open.
Knowing Foster and his extravagant ways, I was expecting something more like a mansion with pillars and statues. But this is nothing at all like that. This is a big log cabin. The front of the house is nothing but glass windows—providing a ton of natural light inside. There’s a wraparound porch that I’m already dreaming about decorating with a swing, mums in the fall, and decorative pillows.
“Well, what do you think?” he asks with a smile as he looks between me and the house.
“This is . . .” I’m speechless as I take in the house and the vehicle slows to a stop. The landscapers are already hard at work planting shrubs, bushes, and flowers along the front of the porch and the pathway that leads to the back of the property. “This is perfect and not at all what I was expecting.”
He laughs as he shifts into park and turns off the car. “What were you expecting?”
I shrug. “I don’t know . . . something more along the lines of Bianca’s parents’ house, to be honest.”
He nods. “I’ll admit that was my first thought, but then I figured something like this would be more suitable for you and the shelter. I wanted an aesthetic that would fit in with the property—adding to the beauty instead of stealing from it.”
I can’t hold back my smile. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” I lean over the center console and press a kiss to his lips. He kisses me back softly for a long moment. When the kiss ends and we pull away, he’s wearing a proud smile.
“Let’s go check it out.”
By the time I remove my seatbelt, he’s already pulling my door open for me and holding out his hand. I place my hand in his as he gently and slowly helps me to my feet. He wraps one arm around my lower back while his hand stays in mine and leads me up the few steps to the porch. As we’re making our way to the beautiful wood-and-glass front door, the contractor steps out with his orange hard hat, handing us our own hats.
“Foster, how are ya?” he asks, holding out his hand to shake.
Foster smiles wide. “Good! We’re come to see the progress. Are you ready for us?”
He nods. “Absolutely. Just remember that not everything is done yet.”
Foster laughs and nods along. “Understood. Gary, this is my wife, Harley. Harley, this is Gary, the guy I’ve talked your leg off about on many occasions.”
I smile and hold out my hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Gary.”
“Likewise, ma’am,” he says, shaking my hand and slightly bowing his head. “Follow me and I’ll give you the grand tour.” He leads us into the house and we pause in the entryway.
The hardwood floor beneath my feet is shining like it’s just been polished. I look up and find logs running the length of the ceiling. The shiny dark wood is striking in comparison to the bright white ceiling. The walls are painted in a white shade while the lower half has dark wooden beadboard to match all the natural wood tones. There’s also a beautiful chandelier hanging in the center, but not one that’s shiny silver with fake diamonds hanging from it. It’s also made of dark wood and has glazed glass lampshades around each light.
In one direction is the kitchen, and it’s as big and fancy as you can imagine, with the same color scheme. There’s a big island in the center, an area for a breakfast table in the front, and top-of-the-line appliances. Off the kitchen is the laundry room, which has plenty of cabinets and storage areas, along with two washers and dryers. There’s also a small half-bath off the laundry room. The next room we’re taken to is the dining room, followed by the living room and Foster’s home office. The last room on the ground level is a full-size bathroom. We’ve only seen one floor and I’m already sore, tired, and out of breath. My back feels tighter—like my muscles are being squeezed. My hand that’s in Foster’s tightens and he immediately looks at me with alarm.
“Are you okay?”
I breathe deeply and nod. “I think I just need to sit down and take a little break. We’ve done a lot of walking and my poor back is paying for it.”
There’s no furniture in the place yet, so he leads me over to the staircase and I sit on the third step. My hands move to my round stomach, rubbing back and forth over it. It’s funny . . . now that I’m sitting, I feel like my stomach muscles are tightening up too. It’s like everything’s cramping. A sharp pain rushes through me and I let out a groan.
Foster’s eyes widen. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nod. “I just need a minute. It feels like everything is cramping. I’m probably just dehydrated given how much time I’m spending in the bathroom.”
I breathe through the pain, and just when I think I have a grip, another sharp sting shoots through my abdomen.
“Okay, I think we’d better get you to the hospital and get you checked out. I think . . . maybe you’re in labor.”
I wave him off. “Don’t be silly. I’m days away from my due date. It’s probably just those false labor pains the doctor was telling us about at my last appointment. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
He looks worried but nods. “Okay, if that’s what you want to do.”
While I rest and try to get a grip on my body, he and the contractor start talking about the property and things that still need to be done. The pain starts to ease after a couple of minutes. This step isn’t the most comfortable thing to sit on, so I hold out my hand to Foster. “Okay, I’m fine now.”
Foster looks at me with one eyebrow raised, but he doesn’t argue as he takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. Several things seem to happen at once. One, the pain is back and it’s severe. Two, I apparently pee my pants like the pain has left me completely unable to control my bladder. And three, the contractor hears my painful cry and comes rushing toward me to help in any way he can. He slips in my pee and falls hard on the floor.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry!” I start, but my words are cut off with the most intense pain I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s like someone has stabbed me with a knife right between my hip bones and is now twisting said knife.
“Harley, your water just broke!” Foster says.
“Wha—?” I say, looking down at myself and seeing wet leggings and my feet in a rather large puddle. Another pain ripples through me and my knees give out, but Foster is quick and has both arms around me, already rushing me out the door and handing Gary our hard hats. Guess I didn’t pee my pants after all.
“Sorry for the mess, Gary, but we clearly have to go,” he says as we’re crossing the porch.
This is the fastest I’ve moved in months and I’m pretty confused by how I’m even doing it, but the pain is too much for me to think about it for long. In fact, I don’t even remember climbing into the car. Hell, maybe Foster picked me up and set me on the seat. Again, there’s too much pain to make much sense of anything.
The next thing I know, I’m saying nothing but a string of cuss words as I’m being transferred into a wheelchair at the hospital. I’m told my doctor is already here and is scrubbing up—whatever that means. The pain blinds me and I don’t see anything inside the hospital. All I know is that I’m now sick from the fast trip. My body isn’t used to moving that fast anymore.
Foster and a nurse help me change as I cycle through periods of screaming, cussing, and vomiting. Finally, I’m put into a bed and being wheeled down a long, bright hallway. Foster is no longer in sight.
I’m crying, my vision is doubling, and I’m holding on to my stomach as more and more pain takes over my body. “Where’s Foster?” I ask the nurse closest to me.
“He’ll be here in a minute, sweetie. He’s just getting suited up,” she says.
Suited up? What, is he Superman now? Why does he need a suit?
I’m pushed into a cold, sterile room and there are people flying around me. In the blink of an eye, Foster is back at my side, wearing a blue and yellow outfit that all the nurses are wearing. Oh, I guess that’s what they meant.
A needle is shoved into my arm and a sheet is pinned up in front of my face.
“How you feeling, Harley?” Dr. Mays asks as she peeks over the sheet blocking my view.
“I’m great,” I say between clenched teeth.
She giggles. “Just give us a few more minutes and I promise the pain will be gone.” She gets to work doing something I can’t see.
Foster leans over me and takes my hand in his. “You can do this,” he says. “These babies are ready to come home.”
I smile at his words and realize that I suddenly feel no pain—just a weird pressure that’s close to pain but far enough away that I’m comfortable.
“Are you ready to finally meet Stephanie and Sidney?”
I smile as sleepiness takes over. “I can’t wait,” I tell him.
He smiles and it reaches his eyes, making them shine. “Me neither. I guess we’ll have to go back and look at the house another day, huh?”
I laugh. “At least I might be able to make it up the stairs next time.”
He joins in with soft laughter, and the next thing I know, I’m pushing. It feels like just a few minutes before I hear the most beautiful sound in the world. A baby crying. And then I’m back to pushing.
My eyes open wider. “Who’s here?”
He looks around the sheet. “It’s Stephanie. It’s a girl!” He beams, tears forming in his eyes.
I smile. It doesn’t take much longer before there are two babies crying in the room. He looks again and says. “It’s a boy! Sidney.”
“How do they look?”
He smiles and lets out a nervous laugh. “They look perfect. They both have heads full of dark hair. They’re so small.”
After everyone’s cleaned up, I’m taken back to my room and the babies are brought in. I’m handed my son and then my daughter. They weighed in at five pounds seven ounces and six pounds four ounces. Both measuring in at 18 inches long. Stephanie has a rounder face but Sid looks longer due to him being smaller. They both have blue eyes, dark hair, and olive skin. How can they have perfect tans already? Each of them has 10 tiny fingers and 10 tiny toes. They have the most perfect button noses and full lips. Looking down at my two children, I know that the last nine months, the weight gain, and all the pain in the world . . . everything was totally worth it.
Foster snaps a picture of me holding both babies and then leans down to the bed and presses a kiss to each of our foreheads. “I love you,” he says when his lips touch mine.
I smile. “I love you too,” I whisper, suddenly feeling tired.
“Do you want me to take them so you can sleep for a little bit?”
“In a minute,” I tell him, nowhere near ready to let either of them go just yet.
Foster sits on the edge of the bed and I watch as he gently runs a finger over each of their soft cheeks. Just looking at him looking at them, I can see how much love he holds for all of us. I never thought I wanted to be married, and I didn’t even think about children. But now that I’m here and have it all, I know that everything happens for a reason. The plans you think you can make for yourself always have a way of making sure you have exactly what you’re meant to have. I never thought I’d be where I am, but I couldn’t be more thankful that I got too drunk and got kicked out of a bar . . . because that’s where our story started.
Foster takes the babies and I slide down in the bed. My eyes drift shut and I’m asleep in no time. It’s a deep, dreamless sleep, and when I wake up, I feel like I’ve been out for days when it’s really only been a couple of hours. I wake up when I hear the sound of the door softly clicking closed. When my eyes flutter open, I find Bianca and Cora walking into the room, their eyes glued to the two newest members of the family.
After checking on me, they go right to the babies and pick them up. Foster joins me on the bed so they can sit while they hold the babies. I can’t do anything but watch the way my two little babies already have all of us wrapped around their little fingers.
“So, what do you say we try this again in a few months?” Foster says as his head is resting against mine while we watch our little family.
I laugh and smack him across the chest.
“Ow!” he says, rubbing the spot.
“You’re lucky I just smacked your chest. It could’ve been a more important part that you wouldn’t have been able to use for a very long time.”
He laughs and pulls me against him, careful not
to hurt me. “I’m just joking. I have a feeling these two are going to keep us on our toes for a while.”
I laugh. “Yeah, like, for the rest of our lives.”
He looks at Bianca. “So what do you think, B? Does it make you change your mind on marriage and kids?”
She looks up and rolls her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong . . . this little guy is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, next to his sister, but no. I think I’ll just play with yours and give them back when they cry, poop, or puke.” She smiles. “What are aunts for, anyway?”
We all laugh, but deep down, I can see the wheels in her head turning, already thinking about something she never thought she would. Bianca is as close to me as Cora is now, and she’s already family. I can see how great a wife and mother she’d be, and it feels like it’s going to happen sooner than she thinks. One of these days, she’ll find a man she’s drawn to—just like I found Foster. And when you find the person who was made for you, they’re impossible to resist.
* * *
If you loved My Accidental Forever then read Cora and Grayson’s story in The F*** It List HERE!
* * *
You’d think getting dumped at the alter would be the most embarrassing moment in my life.
Well, it was…before my hot as hell co-worker found my ‘F It List.’
* * *
Things on the list:
1. Go camping.
2. Run a marathon.
3. Finally have the big O.
The F*** It List SNEAK PEEK!
You’d think getting dumped at the alter would be the most embarrassing moment in my life.
Well, it was…before my hot as hell co-worker found my ‘F It List.’
* * *
Things on the list:
1. Go camping.
2. Run a marathon.
3. Finally have the big O.
* * *
My Accidental Forever (Love You Forever Book 5) Page 19