by Brook Wilder
“If she knew who you were beforehand, you wouldn’t have got a look in.”
“I realize that.”
Jeremy’s finger was not on the trigger anymore. When Jeremy tucked his gun into the back of his shorts, Jace felt as though he could breathe again. Jeremy’s scowl was still prominent, but it had lessened, almost as if he had given up the fight.
“Do you still want her?”
Jace knew telling a lie right now would make things worse. And his chest was hurting from more than just Jeremy sitting on him. He nodded.
“Yes, I do.”
“Then you’re going to have to fix this,” Jeremy said grimly. “You put yourself in that baby’s life, you put yourself in Maddie’s life as well. Tell me you’re willing to provide for both of them or I will have you thrown out of here so fast you’ll leave skid marks behind.”
Jace had no doubt that Jeremy would do that. He wasn’t the president of the club for nothing. The man was not someone to piss about. He stood, still rubbing his neck.
“I already told Maddie that I wanted in. That’s why she told you I was the father; she said she wouldn’t involve me if I didn’t want to be identified. But Maddie doesn’t want me. She refuses to have me around beyond being a father.”
“Well, she’s going to have to lump it.” Jeremy swiped his hands with a cutting motion. “Both of them or not at all.”
Jace stared.
“You can’t give me an ultimatum.”
“I can because you’re in my building and I have the power to throw you out.” Jeremy went towards the door, giving Jace one last warning scowl as he reached the hall. “Hurt my sister and I hurt you.”
Then he left, leaving the door open. With a growl, Jace slammed it closed and then kicked it. This was all he needed. Maddie wanted him either out altogether or just in his baby’s life, and Jeremy wanted him either out altogether or in Maddie’s life as well. Jace wanted in to both, but Maddie wasn’t making it easy.
And getting an ultimatum from both made him want to scream.
Chapter Four
Maddie wandered out of her appointment in a daze. Until she had been sitting there talking to the OB-GYN about her unborn baby and other things related to a pregnancy, it hadn’t seemed very real at all. Now it was very real.
And Maddie was terrified.
The doctor was brilliant. She had asked gentle questions and didn’t press her on anything. She did ask about abuse with the partner and should that be of any concern, but Maddie had immediately said there was no cause for concern. Whatever Jace had done to her as teenagers, he had never done it as an adult. With her, he had taken care of her and made it clear he would never hurt her. There was no doubt in Maddie’s mind when it came to her child: Jace would never hurt the baby.
They had also done an ultrasound. The doctor had assured her it was just to check the baby’s heartbeat and to measure the baby’s growth. That sent Maddie into a mini panic attack, something she hadn’t experienced for some years since college. She had dreamed of having a baby, becoming a mother, although these circumstances weren’t the best. She didn’t want to look at the screen and find that the baby had no heartbeat or that there was no baby.
But it had been quick and painless. The sonographer had shown her the little peanut-shaped vision on the screen, moving around inside her belly. Maddie had almost burst into tears when she heard the heartbeat and saw her child wriggling around. She had even felt the flutters as the fetus moved.
She had never seen anything so beautiful.
The measurements were taken, and Maddie had been given a due date. Christmas time. Maddie was having her own baby as a present. A new addition, in time hopefully to celebrate the big day.
There were a few moments when she had thought of Jace and how much she wanted him to be there to experience this with her, but then Maddie had shoved it away. She didn’t want anything to do with Jace. Everything they had gone through as teenagers was still fresh in her mind, now Jace Howard was back on the scene. And Maddie could feel the nasty taste in her mouth still. He may have said he wanted to be involved, but Maddie didn’t want this special moment to be ruined because of her childhood memories.
She would concede and let him have a picture of the ultrasound. That was the least she could do. And Maddie would tell him what was happening with the baby, information he needed to know. But that was it. Once the baby was in the world, they would worry about everything else.
Information only, nothing more.
Maddie was still in a daze when she left the hospital, the ultrasound picture in her hand. She had a little body growing inside her. Maddie couldn’t quite believe it.
She was going to become a mother.
“Maddie.”
Maddie looked up and stopped short. Jace was leaning against his bike, which was parked in one of the closest spots to the door without violating the parking laws. He pushed off his bike and came to join him. Maddie wished she could look at him without heat burning in her belly, her pussy suddenly contracting enough to make her gasp and her breasts feeling heavier than before.
Her whole body lit up when Jace was around. Maddie wished that it didn’t.
“Jace.” Maddie swallowed. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.” Jace shrugged and nodded towards the door. “The nurses wouldn’t tell me where you were, so I thought I’d wait instead of creating a scene. I didn’t think you’d be too long.”
He looked good. In jeans and a t-shirt, he looked good; but in suit trousers with an open-necked black shirt, he looked very dashing. It was as if he had lived in suits all his life.
The man was so inter-changeable that Maddie wasn’t sure she could keep up with him. She realized she was staring at him and her gaze was lowering to his crotch. Coughing, Maddie dragged her eyes up and saw that Jace was grinning at her.
Dammit, he had caught her.
“Since when have you owned a suit?” Maddie queried. “And why are you wearing one?”
“Jeremy told me where you were, and I thought I’d make a better impression on the ladies.” Jace tapped his arms. “Plus, it hides my tats. I thought nurses might be more amenable to me looking presentable than looking like I normally do.”
“I don’t know,” Maddie quipped. “You seemed to manage before.”
“And it didn’t work this time. So much for dressing nicely.” Jace undid his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, revealing the Celtic tattoos curling up his forearms. “How was it? Are things okay with the baby?”
Maddie was staring at his tattoos. When they had first had sex, she hadn’t been paying attention to his body. But then she took the time to trace them later. They were practically all Celtic and Chinese symbols, tasteful and yet fascinating. And very seductive. Maddie could stare at them all day.
Then she realized what she was doing and looked up. Jace was looking at her expectantly.
“Huh?”
“How is our baby?”
“Oh.” Maddie shook herself and focused on the appointment. She held up the picture. “Yes. I got an ultrasound. The baby’s growing well and there don’t seem to be any defects as of this moment. I’m healthy enough with my eating habits and I do my best to keep fit.” She managed a smile. “It’s going well.”
“That’s good.” Jace paused, looking unsure as he glanced at the ultrasound. “Can I…”
“You want to see your child?” Maddie had a spare in her bag. She held out the one in her hand. “I got a copy for you. I thought you might want one.”
Jace took the picture and stared at it with an expression that could only be described as wonder. Maddie had never seen Jace look like that. It made her soften towards him, but only a little. She wasn’t about to let her guard down again completely. The last time had got her into trouble.
Jace swallowed and rubbed at his eyes. Maddie stared.
“Are you crying?”
“I’m trying not to.” Jace gave her a lopsided smile. “Can’t ru
in my image, you know?” He shook his head as he stared at the picture. “I never thought I’d feel this emotional over anything. I feel like a right pussy.”
Maddie smiled. She laid a hand on his arm and tried not to gasp as electricity tingled up her arm to her shoulder. It seemed to shoot to her nipples and hardened them against her bra. Jace’s arm flexed under her touch and Maddie thought she heard him growl.
“It’s natural to feel like that, Jace.” Maddie tried to concentrate on what they were saying instead of wishing she could jump him right there in the parking lot. “This just makes the father part all the more real for you.”
“I guess it does.” Jace was now starting to smile. A light in his eyes that Maddie hadn’t seen in a long time was there. “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl yet?”
“Not yet. That’s for twenty weeks.” Maddie’s hand was getting very hot and she was itching to touch elsewhere, so she withdrew her touch. “All I know is the baby’s healthy and there is definitely only one baby.”
“Nice to know,” Jace chuckled. “What would you have said about multiples?”
“Help.”
Jace laughed even more. Maddie liked the sound of his laugh. And she wished she didn’t. Then she realized something: she had never told Jace when the appointment was.
“How did you know where I was, anyway?”
“Jeremy.” Jace shrugged. “Before you go off on him, he said I had to be there. No arguments.” There was a significant pause. “He didn’t want me leaving you out in the cold.”
Maddie then realized what her brother had been doing. Jeremy was very big on family and children meant marriage. He had no qualms about sex before marriage, but he was the sort of person who wouldn’t leave a woman high and dry with a baby; he would marry them to do the right thing.
For someone who was part of a group where a lot of the members weren’t married to their children’s mothers, it was a little strange to hear that opinion.
Maddie didn’t really care as long as she was in a committed relationship. That was where their opinions differed. She groaned.
“I wish he wouldn’t do that. He knows I can take care of myself.”
“Well, he is worried. His little sister is pregnant by someone neither you nor he like, and the only way he can stop beating me to a pulp and leaving me in an alley is to make sure I do right by you.”
“I still wish he hadn’t done that.” Maddie could feel her hands itching but for another reason. She wanted to punch her brother. “He knows I hate him getting involved with my business.”
Jace sighed.
“Well, you can’t blame him for being an over-protective brother.” Then he looked a little nervous, rubbing the back of his neck. “How about we go and get a coffee? If you’re allowed coffee, that is.”
“I can have a little bit, but I want to eat the amount of caffeine I’m allowed in chocolate.” Maddie saw Jace’s face fall and realized he thought she might have turned him down. She hurried on. “But we do need to talk. I’m not above you having a coffee and me breathing in the fumes.”
Now Jace’s grin was back and Maddie was feeling tingly all over again. What was she letting herself in for?
Chapter Five
Jace was still on a cloud. He was going to be a father. That had been firm in his mind, but now it had really sunk in. The ultrasound just made it all real.
He felt bad for not being there when Maddie needed him, but she had made it clear she wanted to do this alone. Jace wanted to respect that, but Jeremy would get on to his case if he didn’t support her. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, so having Maddie agree to this made it feel a little better in his mind. She was slowly opening the door to him.
It would take a while before it was open completely, but Jace would take whatever he could.
There was a diner across the road. Jace felt more comfortable taking Maddie there. Slipping her into a booth, Jace sat opposite and ordered a coffee for himself and a vanilla shake for Maddie. He hadn’t forgotten her favorite milkshake. Maddie gave him an appreciative smile as the waitress walked away.
“You remembered.”
“I may have been mean to you, but I didn’t forget your likes and dislikes.” Jace looked down at the ultrasound, which was still in his hands. “I’m still in a bit of awe about this. I’ve never seen a scan photo.”
“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?”
“It is. And I never thought I’d be saying I’m looking forward to being father.” Jace scoffed at himself, rubbing at his jaw. “I didn’t think anyone would want me as a parent.”
Maddie smiled. Jace had missed that smile. It lit up her whole face, put a sparkle in her eye. His heart turned a somersault.
She was beautiful.
“There’s a first time for everything.”
There certainly was. Jace laid the picture on the table as their drinks arrived. He put in extra sugar and stirred.
“Have you thought about what names you’re going to call the baby?”
Maddie shrugged, taking a big slurp of shake.
“Not for a boy yet. But I thought of Sarah for a girl. After my mother.”
“How about Jason Junior?” Jace grinned. “Or JJ?”
Maddie stared at him in disbelief.
“Seriously? You want the baby to have your name?”
Jace spread his hands.
“It’s easy enough. He’ll be JJ, I’ll be Jace.”
Maddie laughed and shook her head.
“I don’t think so, but I’ll think about it. Maybe as a middle name, perhaps.” Maddie twirled the straw in her fingers around the glass. “Do you want the baby to have your surname?”
That was something that Jace would have put his foot down on immediately. If he had ended up with someone pregnant with his child, the least he wanted was to pass his name on.
“I want to be in the baby’s life, don’t I? Surely I get a say if he has my name.”
He thought Maddie was going to fight him on that. She was a proud woman and probably wouldn’t want her childhood bully’s name associated with her child. But Maddie nodded.
“That’s what’s going on its birth certificate. And I need you to be on board.”
Jace didn’t realize he had been so tensed up until he slumped on the seat. That meant a lot more than Jace realized.
“That’s not going to be a problem.” He sipped at his coffee. “Have you thought about what’s you’re going to do with accommodation? Your condo’s not quite big enough for a baby.”
“I’ve already thought of that.” Maddie grinned, and she sucked on her straw. Jace groaned as his cock twitched. “A couple of the guys in Broken Hounds are in the construction business. I’ve got enough land to build on. I can extend the back and have another room put on. My room will become the baby’s room and I’ll have my own room and extra bathroom on the back.” She paused. “I do need to mention that to the guys, though. I haven’t brought it up with them yet. Only Jeremy knows that I’m pregnant so far.”
“I can help with all that.”
Maddie blinked.
“Really?”
“Really.” Jace shrugged and gave her his best smile. “I’ve done construction and worked for an architect. I know enough to help out.”
Maddie was staring him as if she was beginning to see him in a different light. It was then that Jace realized Maddie hadn’t expected him to be completely on board. She had thought he would make a half-hearted attempt but then wouldn’t bother after a while. Jace wasn’t one of those people who would run out on a baby. He ran out on women, but he wouldn’t do it on a baby. His baby.
“Okay.”
Jace wished she could smile at him like that more often. It was only fleeting and Jace wanted more. But what they had was tenuous. He wanted to make the most of it.
“Would you object if I asked you to be at the birth?” Maddie asked suddenly, staring at her drink.
Jace paused, his cup halfway to his mouth. At th
e birth? Witness the birth of his child? He stared at Maddie, who was glancing shyly up at him.
“You really want me to be there?”
“I’m having Beth with me, no question. And I would have Jeremy, but I don’t think he wants to see me legs akimbo squeezing a human out of me. I’m allowed two birthing partners.” Maddie’s mouth twitched in a smile. “You are the father and I want you to be involved. You can be one of the first people to hold our child.”
Hold his child. Jace’s arms warmed at the thought. He grinned.
“I’d be honored. I’m good in a crisis.”