“It’s early,” I said frantically. “A couple of weeks. Is that bad?” I waited with bated breath for his answer.
“Not at all,” he said gently. “Babies showing up a little early isn’t out of the ordinary at all. If all of your prenatal exams have been looking good, I wouldn’t worry about a thing.”
The relief was like nothing else. An expression of total assurance took hold of Johnny’s face. He gave my hand another squeeze.
The nurses helped get me out of my clothes and into a gown, laying me back down on the bed right in time for another spasm of pain to hit. I let out another wail, feeling like my belly was about to burst.
“Okay,” said Dr. Taylor. “This baby’s coming, and it’s coming fast.”
I couldn’t believe how quickly this was all happening. I remembered my own mom telling me that it’d taken hours for me to come out.
“Is this normal?” I asked. “For it all to be happening so fast?”
“Babies come on their own terms,” he said with a warm smile. “Just means that this little kiddo is really, really anxious to see you.”
Then he flicked his eyes to Johnny.
“Do we want the husband in the room?” he asked.
Husband. There was another issue that Johnny and I had been ignoring. But now wasn’t the time to worry about that.”
“I’m not—”
“He’s not—”
Johnny’s eyes flickered over to me, and we shared a knowing look.
“I want him here,” I said.
“Yeah,” said Johnny. “Not a chance I’m leaving her side.”
“Hopefully I don’t break your hand,” I said.
He smirked. “If you do, we’re in the right place.”
“Okay,” said Dr. Taylor. “Then we’re going to need to get you cleaned up and dressed. Come on.”
He gestured to one of the nurses, who led Johnny out of the room. Dread took hold of me as he and the nurse disappeared out of the door.
“Where’s he going?” I asked, despite having been told only a few seconds ago.
“He’ll be right back,” said Dr. Taylor as nurses formed up all around me. “But right now we need to focus on your breathing, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now, when those contractions hit, I want you to take quick, full breaths. And when you breathe out, I want you to push. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Another spasm of pain, another wail. But I did my best to keep the doctor’s words in mind, breathing and pushing.
Johnny rushed back into the room, now clad in the same scrubs, gloves, face mask, and hair covering as the rest of the staff. He hurried to his place at my side, taking my hand. The latex was cool and smooth against my skin.
“Wow,” said Dr. Taylor as he stood at the end of the bed.
“I hope that’s a good ‘wow,’” said Johnny.
“Very good ‘wow,’” he said. “Baby’s coming very fast. We’re going to have the kid out and in your arms lickety-split.”
This was exactly what I wanted to hear.
“I’m right here, baby,” said Johnny, now holding my hand in both of his. “We’re going to get through this.”
“Now,” said Doctor Taylor. “When the next contraction hits, I’m going to need you to breathe and push with all you’ve got. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said, psyching myself up.
Then it hit. Hard. I screamed, my voice filling up the room.
“Push!” called out the doctor.
I did, breathing and pushing with all I had.
“Crowning now,” said one of the nurses.
More pain poured through me. Hot tears formed in my eyes as I pushed and pushed and pushed.
“Almost there!”
“You got this, babe,” said Johnny. “Our baby’s almost here.”
I couldn’t believe how far only a few words from Johnny went in making me feel so much calmer, even through the pain.
“Push,” said the doctor.
“Here he is.”
He?
Then I heard the sweetest sound that I could’ve possibly imagined—my baby’s cry.
“Oh, my God,” Johnny breathed.
The pain slowly subsided as the baby came out and into Dr. Taylor’s arms. I was dazed and delirious, and all I could think about was the baby.
“Good news, Miss Peters,” he said. “We’ve got a perfectly healthy, gorgeous baby boy.”
I didn’t know what to say. My arms dropped down to my sides, Johnny letting me go as he hurried over to our baby.
Johnny stopped short as he reached the doctor, the baby still wailing in his arms. My legs were propped up, and the sheet covering them blocked the baby from my sight.
All I wanted to do was see him. The rest of the world might as well have not existed.
“He’s beautiful,” said Johnny, staring at the baby.
“I want to hold him,” I said. “Please.”
“Just one second,” said the doctor. “We need to get the cord snipped and clean him up. He’ll be in your arms in less than a minute.”
He did the work on the cord before handing the baby off to a nurse, who left the room with him. The minute passed like an eternity, but soon the nurse returned.
And then I saw him. Clean, squirming and red-faced, our little boy was swaddled in light blue blankets, his tiny hands reaching out into the air.
The feeling I had when my eyes finally fell on his face was indescribable. The nurse slowly, carefully handed my baby over to me. I took him and held him close, tears of pure joy trickling down my face.
“Hey…” I said, my voice trailing off. I couldn’t think of anything else to say. What could I say to my baby that would reflect just how I felt.
“That’s him,” said Johnny, kneeling down to get a good look at the wrinkled-face little baby. “That’s our boy.”
The baby’s cries faded and were replaced with soft coos. I couldn’t believe how easy-going he was, how smoothly he’d come into the world. It was like he was meant to be.
“We made you,” I said, caressing the baby’s tender little cheek.
“We did,” said Johnny.
A strange look came over his face.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “Something right. Something very right.”
“What do you mean?”
“With you and him, I feel like my life is complete.”
He turned back to me, a small smile on his lips. I couldn’t have imagined sweeter words.
“I love you, Kendra,” he said, leaning in and kissing me softly on my forehead.
“And I love you.”
“You ready for the next adventure?” he asked.
I looked up at him and then down at the baby, a smile on my face. “With you two in my life, I’m ready for anything.”
Epilogue
A Year Later
JOHNNY
“You hear that?” Kendra asked.
“What?” I said.
“Exactly.”
I said nothing, noticing that the only sound to be heard was that of the soft, morning breeze gently blowing the curtains of our bedroom.
The air through the open window was perfect —not too warm, and just mild enough that curling my arm around Kendra’s slender body and pulling her close felt like heaven.
“Is it possible that we actually both woke up in the morning when we wanted to and not to Josh crying?” she asked.
“I think that just might be the case,” I said.
She narrowed her eyes in a thoughtful expression.
“Let me make sure this isn’t too good to be true,” she said. “Don’t want to walk in there to see nothing but a note saying he’s gone to LA to start a band.”
I laughed as Kendra rolled out of bed. She was wearing nothing but a thin, white T-shirt and a pair of sleeping shorts, and I let my eyes linger on her body as she left the bedroom. My girl was still as beautiful as the first day
I saw her, back when she was dressed in that silly delivery outfit.
As she was gone, I slipped my hands behind my head and let out a long, contented sigh. I’d slept like a dream last night and was ready for the weekend ahead.
“He’s sleeping like, uh, well, a baby,” Kendra said as she stepped back into the room.
“Perfect,” I said. “That means we can… Hmm—what did we used to do before we had that little guy?”
“Good question,” she said, standing at the foot of the bed, her arms crossed and her hips cocked to one side. “Wait a minute,” I said. “I think I remember something…”
A small smile spread across my face as I looked her up and down. She raised an eyebrow, and I knew right then we were on the same page.
“Is that right?” she asked. “And what might that be?”
“Come here and let me show you.”
She flashed me a sexy smirk before she dove back into bed, a giggle bursting out of her mouth as she did. I pulled her close and tight, kissing her softly along the lovely slope of her neck until my lips reached hers.
Kendra grabbed her shirt and pulled it off, exposing her perfect breasts. So was so gorgeous that I wanted to burst. I didn’t keep her waiting as I kissed her. With a quick motion, I slipped out of my boxer briefs, my manhood already solid and stiff and ready for her.
She reached down and grabbed onto it, stroking it slowly, a soft growl sounding from my mouth through our kiss.
“Hold on,” I said.
She looked confused. “What’s up?”
I propped myself up on my arms, moving between her legs. In the bright light of morning, she looked like something out of a dream. Her eyes shined like emeralds, her soft, wet mouth was gorgeous and inviting, and her blond hair was spread out around her head like a halo.
“Nothing,” I said. “Just want to burn into my memory how gorgeous you look right now.”
Her fair skin turned a deep shade of red, and she glanced away in an adorably coquettish way.
“Stop,” she said. But her smile sent another message.
“If you don’t want to hear about how beautiful you are, you sure as hell shacked up with the wrong guy.”
She turned her eyes back to me, her face so close I could feel her soft breath on my face.
“I love you,” she said.
“And I love you.”
No more words. I reached down and slipped off her little shorts and tossed them aside. Once they were gone, I place my hand between her creamy thighs and felt her warm wetness. She let out a long sigh as I stroked her, making her ready for me.
She closed her eyes as I rubbed her, her thighs twisting with pleasure. Kendra and I had made love so many times by this point that I knew exactly what she wanted, exactly how to make her feel good. And she knew the same for me.
“I need it,” she moaned. “Don’t make me wait any longer.”
That was all I needed to hear. I took my member into my hand and placed it right where she wanted it as I leaned down and softly kissed her nipples.
With a slow, deep motion I entered her. Kendra let out a long sigh as I penetrated her, filling her completely. She gripped me hard, pleasure and warmth surrounding me with each inch deeper that I went.
Soon, I was buried to the hilt. Kendra stared at me with burning, sensual eyes as she ran her hands through my hair, the dark strands draped down both sides of my face.
She felt like heaven. Despite how many times we’d made love by now, I never grew tired of her body wrapped around mine, her face locked in the throes of passion, and the way she seemed to be made for me, and me alone.
My slow movements began to take on a faster, more urgent pace. Each full, deep thrust pushed out another gorgeous sigh from her lips and a hard grunt from mine. Her slim fingers danced over the broad muscles of my back, her nails soon digging into my thick, tattooed skin.
“I’m close, baby,” she moaned, her eyes locked onto mine. “So…so close.”
I was right about there myself. I could feel the orgasm building inside of me, the world beyond the two of us vanishing.
Then her body convulsed, a moan sounding out as she climaxed. She gripped my rear with both hands, pushing me deeper into her as she came. It was too much for me to take.
I hit my peak feeling her climax, my body tightening hard for several perfect seconds. I came right along with her, my manhood exploding with an eruption of unrestrained pleasure.
When I was done, when we were both done, I lowered myself on top of Kendra, staying inside, her arms wrapped around me.
She kissed me softly on the ear, a smile breaking out across my face.
After a handful of minutes passed, I heard an unmistakable sound from the other room—Joshua’s crying.
“I think that means it’s time to get up,” she said with a smile.
“I’m ready if you are,” I said.
She nodded, and we were off, ready to start the day.
KENDRA
I reached down and picked the adorable, wriggling baby up and held him close to my chest.
“There’s my little man!” I said as I covered his precious face in kisses.
As I kissed him, his cries turned into giggles and coos.
“Looks like all the little man wanted was some attention,” said Johnny from the entrance to the nursery.
“You’re right about that,” I said.
I stepped over to Johnny, and he did the same thing that I’d done, kissing Joshua all over his chubby cheeks.
“That’s my boy,” he said.
I took a look at Joshua, noting how as the months had gone on, he’d looked even more the spitting image of his father. He had the same coal-black hair and piercing blue eyes, and I wondered if down the road he’d grow up to be the same lady-killer his father was.
“Okay,” said Johnny as we made our way down the hallway toward the kitchen. “What kind of day you want to have today?”
I stepped into the sunny, open kitchen of our house and placed Joshua in his high chair.
“Let’s see what’s on the agenda,” I said, crossing my arms and leaning against the counter. “How’re the recordings coming along?”
Over the last year, Johnny had been hard at work on his first solo album, getting his sound and lyrics down just how he’d wanted them. And all to be released by Avalon.
“Not bad,” he said. “Still smoothing it all out. You’d think solo acoustic stuff would be easier to write.”
“Nah,” I said. “Fewer instruments and production means all the attention is on you and your voice. But if what you’ve played for me so far is any indication, you’ve got something special on your hands.”
I gave him a wink before putting some coffee on, the sound of percolation filling the room. And as I did, Johnny took music duties, some mellow ’60s rock bringing a little life into the space. Joshua let out a giggle and clapped his hands.
“Looks like someone approves of the music,” I said.
“He’s got good taste like his old man,” he said with a wink.
I gave Johnny a playful poke as I made my way around him.
“Oh,” he said, taking a seat next to the high chair. “I finally came up with an album title.”
“Is that right?” I asked, knowing he’d been deliberating over the name for quite some time.
“Yep,” he said. “Pine Bluff.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Is that right?” I asked. “The name of the town?”
He nodded.
“And what made you settle on that?”
The coffee was ready, and I poured him a tall mug. He wrapped his hands around it and looked away thoughtfully before speaking.
“When I sat down to finish up the songs, all I could think about was you. You and Josh.”
I glanced around the house, having a hard time believing it’d almost been a year since we’d moved. The two of us had gone back and forth about where to live after the baby was born. My label was in Seattle, but the musi
c industry was in LA. So, it seemed like we’d live one of those two places.
But the more we thought about it, the more we both had realized that neither of us wanted to live somewhere simply because we had to. And that’s when Johnny suggested Pine Bluff, his hometown.
The more we talked about it, the more perfect it sounded. It’d be quiet and away from the chaos of the cities; we’d have his parents there to help—and they’d proven more than happy to; and Seattle and LA were only short flights away if we ever wanted or needed to swing into town.
So, we bought a gorgeous, three-story Victorian home in his old neighborhood. And I couldn’t have been happier. It was big but cozy and had plenty of space if we decided to have more kids. With how much joy Joshua had brought to our lives, I was sure that more babies were in our future.
“Go on,” I said.
“And the more lyrics I wrote, the more I couldn’t imagine these songs being about anything other than how damn happy I’ve been since you and Josh came into my life. So, it only made sense that I’d name it for the place where it all happened, where we’ve built this amazing life together.”
I quickly wiped away the tears that had formed in my eyes at his words. I hurried across the kitchen and threw my arms around him.
“I love you so much,” I said.
“And you too.”
Before we could get too mushy, however, Johnny’s phone rang. He answered it and spoke. As he talked, I fed Joshua before plopping him onto my lap and starting on my coffee.
After a couple of minutes, he finished the conversation and set the phone down, a slightly bemused expression on his face.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“You feel like a trip to Seattle tonight?”
Part of me couldn’t believe I’d let him talk me into it. But as I sat in the audience of the club, Joshua on my lap, Johnny’s parents on one side of me, and Blaire and the crew from Avalon on the other, I knew I’d made the right call.
The place was packed; word of the secret show must’ve spread like wildfire.
I glanced over at the bar where Johnny and the rest of the guys from Memphisto were gathered, having a few drinks and joking and laughing. It made me feel pretty damn good to see that he was still on great terms with those guys.
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