Between The Sheets

by Julie Prestsater

  Dad doesn’t waste anytime staring down my mother. “How did you know?”

  “She came over to visit and as soon as I saw her, I just knew. Look at her, she’s glowing like an angel at Christmas.”

  His attention reverts back to me and so does his smile, thankfully. “Anyway,” I continue, “Mom suggested that I might have a bun in the oven so she took me to get a few home tests.” I leave out the part about the dildos in the aisle at the drugstore and move on to tell him about my doctor’s appointment. With tears in his eyes, he listens as I recount listening to my baby’s heartbeat. “I don’t want to tell Ty over the phone so I’m going to drive back up tomorrow morning and share the news.”

  “He’s going to be so happy, I’m sure of it.”

  I can only hope. Secretly, I have my fingers crossed. I haven’t forgotten what he said about Shel wanting to have a baby. The best thing about her having a kid is the ability to give it back. Well, he can’t give back this one. This little peanut is his … forever.

  Chapter 13

  Melissa

  Nine hours is a long time to contemplate how to tell the man you love you’re having his baby. Too fucking long if you ask me. By the time I reach Ty’s apartment, I’ve sucked down three iced teas from Starbucks and had to stop to pee once every two hours. This weak bladder is killing me.

  I was ready to strangle the barista at the last stop because, apparently, it is too much to ask to brew some decaf tea and then pour it over ice. I feel her though. This decaf shit is going to get real old. I don’t know if I can hold out the entire nine months. As it is, I’m going through withdrawals without my glass—glasses—of wine. Not to mention, new flavors of Stella Rosa have popped up and I’m dying to head to the winery for a tasting. If it was still 1960, I’d be able to take a drink. Damn those doctors for figuring out alcohol and a growing fetus shouldn’t mix. I laugh to myself at my joke.

  Ty is waiting outside, sitting on the bottom step of the staircase that leads up to his place. He closes the distance to my car in a flash. My window glides down and he pokes his head in for a kiss before I can get out a hello.

  “Dang, Mel. Hungry much?” He eyeballs the empty container of Pringles on the seat next to me. And the half eaten package of licorice next to it. And the exhausted bag of hot-n-spicy beef jerky.

  “It was a long ride.” I open the door so I can get out and stretch my legs.

  “Remind me to pack a cooler for you for the way home. Or a refrigerator,” he teases.

  I punch him in the gut. “Ha ha. You’re so funny.”

  His arms curl around my waist and tug me closer. Instantly, I feel at home in his arms. Allowing myself the comfort of his embrace, I rest my head against his chest with a long sigh of contentment. How could I be worried about telling Ty about the baby? He’s always been there for me. Since we were kids he’s been my safe house, my security blanket. The one person besides Shel or my parents who I could turn to for just about anything.

  “Hey,” he says, rubbing his hands up and down my back. “Can you believe I’m going to be an uncle? When Shel said she wanted to get preggers, she meant it.” This could be my opening. “I thought they’d wait a little longer though. They haven’t had much time to enjoy being newlyweds. I don’t envy them or the lack of sleep they’re in for. I’m so not ready for that responsibility.”

  Okay, maybe not. My body tenses as I back away from him. Oh shit. This is going to be a lot harder than I could have ever imagined.

  After Ty has dropped my bags in his room, he leads me into the kitchen where the scent of garlic is wafting through the air.

  “I thought I’d surprise you with an early dinner.” His heart-melting smile hits me in the chest and makes my knees go weak. If I were a cartoon, you’d see me in a puddle on the floor already. “I didn’t think you’d want to go out after the long drive.”

  “You cooked for me?” It smells like more than just mac-n-cheese or Ramen so I’m impressed.

  “Yeah. My mom helped me.”

  “What?” I yelp, and my hand flies up to cover my mouth. “Oh. Sorry. I mean, you called your mom.”

  He laughs because he knows how insane it sounds. “No need to apologize. It took me a good hour to work up the sanity to call her. And by the time I was finished, I regretted it but, at least, we have something good to eat.”

  I know how much of a pain in the ass his mother can be. I feel for him and Shelly. The woman is downright nasty. Especially to Shel. So much so that she hasn’t even told her mom she’s expecting because she doesn’t want her watching over her every move and inserting herself into every decision she and Matt make.

  “We could’ve had Taco Bell.” If I were Ty, I would have made some Hamburger Helper before I made the call to Cruella.

  “I wanted to do something special for you for making the trip. And since Shel and Matt only eat Captain Crunch or pasta, I had no choice.” He shrugs.

  “Well, I’ll just have to show you how much I appreciate the gesture.” I hook my finger into the waistband of his jeans and pull him closer. “So what are we having?”

  “Umm. Pasta.” I chuckle, but he holds up a finger to shh me. “But it’s homemade. Not from a can like Shel uses.”

  I arch a brow at him. “Impressive.”

  He arches a brow right back at me. “I hope you’re saying that later.”

  “You haven’t touched your wine, Melly?” Ty gestures at my glass. “I got your favorite. It’s not some cheap shit.”

  Damn. I didn’t think he’d notice. “Oh, thanks.” I raise the glass to my lips and take a pretend sip. “It’s good. I just haven’t been feeling it lately. Since Shel can’t drink, maybe I’m having sympathy sobriety with her.”

  He laughs at my joke. “You think you could have sympathy boobs too?” He chuckles. “I hear that’s one of the perks.”

  “Oh, really. Mine aren’t big enough for you? You only have two hands.”

  “Honey, your breasts are perfect. My two hands are very grateful for them. Along with other parts of my body.” He winks.

  “You’ll just have to show me later.”

  “Or now. I’m done.” He tosses his napkin on his plate. “That was delicious. I’ll have to email my mom to tell her so.”

  “Email?”

  He shakes his head with a smirk. “You don’t expect me to call her again, do you?”

  My eyes roll back. “You and your sister are terrible.”

  “You don’t have to tell us that. We’ve heard it our entire lives. Shel even more so. Maybe she should have considered my mom before she decided to get knocked up. The only grandparents the kid is going to have are my mom and dad. Thank god for my dad. At least, he’ll have one sane grandparent.”

  “He?” I wonder if he realizes he just gave the baby a gender.

  “I hope so. My mom is a lot easier on the boys. I had it ten times better than Shel ever did, and I tried to bear some of the grief for her.”

  “Enough about your mom. When you email her, tell her I thought the recipe was delicious and you did an amazing job.” Which he did. The sauce was fabulous with the perfect combination of spice and tomato. And the homemade ranch dressing for the salad was mouthwatering. “Now, let’s get this place cleaned up so you can take me to bed.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

  Waking up in Tyler’s arms again feels like heaven. I study the lines of his face while he sleeps. He was always good looking as a kid, but he’s grown into this gorgeous strong man. His long chiseled jawline and cheekbones are like something you’d see in his paintings. I wish I had an ounce of his artistic ability so I could sketch him, and his sexy as sin beauty mark. I’d love to see his features etched across a blank page, coming to life with the subtle movement of my hand.

  “You’re staring at me while I sleep,” the muffled words escape his sexy mouth.

  “I’m committing your face to memory. Drawing you in my mind since I can’t do what you do.”

 
; With his eyes closed, a grin spreads across his lips. “Okay. Gawk all you want.” He peels back the sheet to reveal his naked body. “Commit this to memory also. I wouldn’t want you to forget the most important part of me while we’re apart.”

  In a flash of movement, Ty’s body is hovering over me and his face is an inch from mine. “It’s my turn. But I don’t just want to see you, I want to feel you too.” His lips press to mine, hard and still. Then his mouth slides down my neck to my chest, his hands molding over my breasts causing heat to pulse through my sensitive body.

  “Maybe you are having sympathy pains for Shel.” He squeezes my boobs. “Before, they were a handful, now the cup overfloweth.”

  “You’re silly,” I tell him with a smack to his shoulder.

  “They’re nice and soft too.” He sucks hard on my left breast, dragging his teeth over my nipple.

  I can’t help but cry out with the sheer pleasure of his playful teasing. My hands press to his shoulders to steady myself from the overwhelming sensation. How did the tenderness of my breasts just multiply all of a sudden?

  The gentle graze of his fingertips down my sides tickles but causes a few stuttered breaths.

  “Mmm,” Tyler moans against my heated flesh. “Your whole body feels so soft to me. So warm and soft. I love it.” Kisses trail to my belly, and without even thinking, my knee shoots up to protect myself … and my baby.

  “Is that a nice way to tell me you think I’m getting fat?”

  “Fat? No way, there isn’t an ounce of fat on your body, Melly. You just have softened a bit. You don’t look like you could kick my ass as easily as you could before. He goes back about his business of sprinkling my body with kisses.

  “Fine. Carry on,” I tease, running my fingers through his thick locks.

  After Ty has stuffed me with the best ham and cheese omelet ever, we snuggle on the sofa to watch the tube. I sit with my back against the armrest and my legs thrown across his lap while he hugs my body with his head resting on my chest.

  “My very own body pillow. How long do I get to keep you?”

  “As long as you want, baby.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He doesn’t say anything else so I just try to enjoy the closeness of our touch and the happiness I should feel being in Ty’s arms. Except it’s hard to enjoy it when something big, something so monumental is a secret between us. It doesn’t have to be, but I’m being a Grade A pussy who can’t open her mouth and say what’s on her mind for once. For the first time in my life, I’m at a loss for words and I feel like my throat is closing every time I open my mouth to get anything out.

  “Hey, have you talked to my sister?” His question pulls me from my over analyzing mind.

  “Yeah, I chatted with her the whole way up yesterday.”

  “Baby talk?”

  “Is there any other kind?” I say, happily thinking of my friend, but nervous about my own situation.

  “Yeah, I bet. She’s probably talking Matt’s ear off. When is she due anyway?”

  “Just after the New Year,” I tell him.

  “So how far along does that make her now?”

  “Didn’t you talk to her already?”

  He chuckles. “Yeah, but I don’t remember. I was just in shock when she told me. I didn’t expect her to get pregnant so soon. They just started trying.”

  “She was pregnant already when they decided to try. It wouldn’t have mattered if they wanted to or not. The baby was already coming.”

  With his head still on my chest, he continues, “Lucky for them. I think whenever we decide to have babies, we should really plan it. Make sure we have everything in order before we take a step like that.”

  “We?” He wants to have babies with me. That’s something, right?

  “Yeah. We. Not now, of course. We don’t even live in the same zip code. That should be a requirement before we go that route, don’t you think? Hell, we’re not even married. We have a long way to go, Melly Belly. But just think. We can get some practice with the little Shel or Matt.”

  Yeah, we can get some practice.

  Only one problem with that.

  Our baby is coming first.

  Ty’s off to work at his volunteer gig so I take the opportunity to call my mother while I’m alone.

  “Have you told him yet?” she asks when she answers the phone.

  “Well, hello to you too, Mom.”

  “Never mind the pleasantries, Melissa. Did you tell Tyler you’re pregnant?”

  I feel like my doggies, with my head between my legs scurrying away. “No.”

  “Why not, mija?”

  As if I can just blurt out the words. It’s not like he’s been inviting the topic. “Mom, there just hasn’t been a good time. I almost died the other day when he mentioned he wanted us to plan our family and not just have it dumped in our laps.”

  I hear a deep sigh on the other end of the phone. “Don’t you think everyone would love to plan a family? If it happens, that’s great but more often than not, kids come along unexpected. And then the parents deal. Just like Shelly and Matt have. And you and Ty will too. I think you’re making a big mistake keeping this from him. You’re not giving him the credit he deserves.”

  “Maybe not, Mom. But I’m scared. I can’t imagine what it will be like to see the disappointment in his eyes. It hurts so bad and it hasn’t even happened.”

  “I think it’s more than that, mija.”

  Oh goodness. Here it comes. The psychoanalysis from my mother. She thinks just because she’s watched every episode of Oprah and Christina she can figure out what makes everyone tick.

  “You’re deflecting your feelings for Nick and your breakup onto Tyler.”

  “Deflecting, Mom? Really?”

  “Yes, deflecting.”

  “I don’t give two shits about Nick or our breakup.”

  “Maybe not, but it has you scared enough to believe Tyler might leave you too. Couple that with the bad timing you’ve had in the past with him, you don’t think you two will ever be truly happy. I think you’re ready to sabotage it now before you take a chance on the love you share. You think it will hurt less if you walk away rather than giving it a shot.”

  I shake my head. No. That’s not it. Why would I want to walk away from the one man who I’ve thought about my entire life and who is finally within my reach?

  “Take a chance on Ty, mija. Give him the chance to prove you wrong. He’s not Nick. He’s not the teenage boy you fell in love with. He’s a man now. And he loves you too.”

  A long sigh releases from my mouth. “I know, Mama. I know.” My phone beeps and I pull it away from my ear to glance at the screen. “Listen, Mom. I gotta run. It’s Shelly on the other line.”

  “Okay. You need to tell him. Now. Before he figures it out on his own.”

  “Fine. I’ll tell him. Bye.”

  “Tell who what?” Shel’s voice is in my ear.

  Oh shit. I must have hit the swap button too soon. “Nothing. What’s happening, Shel? How’s that belly of yours?”

  “Growing. It’s crazy. I didn’t notice anything before. But now that I know I’m prego, I have all these symptoms that weren’t there before.”

  Tell me about it. Earlier I had to rub out the worst cramp in my leg. It was like a Charlie horse to my calf with the grip that wouldn’t let go. My toes curled in pain until it was over. As soon as Ty left, I Googled it on my phone and sure enough, cramps come with the territory. I wonder what else there is.

  “Like what?”

  Shel doesn’t waste any time telling me about how she wants to sleep all day, her tender boobs, and how horny she is. “I never thought it was possible to want my husband any more than I already did, but the man can just kiss me and I feel like orgasmic. It’s crazy. I’m surprised there’s not some sex drug that mimics the sensation of being pregnant. It’s intense.”

  “Thanks for sharing.”

  “Hey, there’s another thing. I had Matt dump out my beer so I
wouldn’t be reminded that I’m going to be cut off for quite some time. Then it hit me. I’d been drinking this whole time before I knew I was having a baby. I totally freaked. Got on the phone and called my doctor’s night line because I sure as hell couldn’t wait until the morning.”

  Alright already. Spill it. What did he say? I want to strangle it out of her while she goes on and on about how difficult it is to speak to someone when you need them. I hadn’t even thought about all the wine I’ve had since the baby was conceived. Was it before Ty and I drowned ourselves in Patron in Vegas? Oh, fuck me. On second thought. Don’t. That’s what got me in this mess.

  “I’m sure the baby will be fine,” I interrupt her rant so she’ll get to the point.

  “Oh, yeah. That’s what the doctor said. He said it’s not like I’m an alcoholic.”

  A snort erupts from me.

  “Hey,” she yelps. “I’m not. I don’t drink every day. And I don’t always have a six pack. Anyway, he said as long as I stop now, we should be just fine and there’s no sense in worrying about something I can’t go back and change now.”

  “I bet you want a beer now more than ever though.” This stress is making me want a glass of wine. Or a bottle.

  “Definitely. But Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is doing the trick for now. I may gain a hundred pounds but it’ll be worth it.”

  “Amen to that, sister.”

  “So how’s my brother?” I guess baby talk is over. Well, if she knew the whole story, her brother and baby talk would actually go together. What sucks just as much as not telling Ty about the baby is also keeping it from Shel. But I can’t put her in the situation of keeping something so big from her brother and I really would like the chance to tell him first.

  “He’s at the teen center right now.”

  “I asked how he is,” she whines.

  “Oh, he’s great.”

  “Great? Did that dummy do something stupid?”

  “Not at all.” Not intentionally anyway. He has no way of knowing he’s putting his foot in his mouth every time he talks about babies. “He said he wants to have babies with me.”