“Maybe some toning, but you’re looking good.” Callie blew a kiss to Zara as we walked past her.
“Thanks, Callie.”
I stepped into my room and eased Zara down into her crib. She didn’t stir at all. I watched at her for a moment, intoxicated by her sweet little face. Then I looked back at the assortment of clothing on the bed.
Maybe Zoe and Callie were on to something. It couldn’t hurt to try on one of the more revealing outfits. I would just be showing it off for the girls. What harm could that do?
I decided on the slit skirt and the blouse that had a plunging neckline.
When I pulled on the skirt I found it was a bit snugger than the last one. The blouse was also snug across my chest. I guessed that while my breasts were swollen with milk any top I tried to wear would be snug.
When I turned to the mirror, I had to look twice. Was that really my reflection? It was hard for me to believe. The blouse accentuated the growth in my chest and hugged my hips in a way that made me run my hand across the perfect curve. I couldn’t imagine going out in it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the way I looked.
I hesitated to go out into the living room and show it off to my friends. But I knew it would disappoint them if I didn’t. I decided to just go with it and make the wildest entrance I could. I was supposed to be having fun after all.
I slung the door open and spun out through it, allowing my skirt to billow and reveal even more than it should have.
“You guys were right, I am one sexy mama!” I laughed as I turned to face them and bumped right into the solid chest of my husband.
“Wow!” He took a step back as he stared at me.
“Jake!” I gasped and smoothed my skirt down. “What are you doing here?”
“I caught an earlier flight. Hanna, you look amazing.” He reached for me.
I blushed as he pulled me into a hug. I hadn’t expected him to be there, that was for sure, and though I was happily surprised by his presence, I was also quite embarrassed by it.
I shot a look over his shoulder at my friends for the lack of warning.
“I didn’t realize you were here.”
“I’m glad I am.” He caught my cheek and looked into my eyes. “You are absolutely stunning.”
“Hm, I think we have to see a man about a pizza. Don’t we, Callie?”
“A pizza? What?” Callie stared at her.
Zoe elbowed her. “Remember, we were going to pick up a pizza for dinner?”
“Oh—uh—right.” Callie stood up quickly. “Right, we should go get that. And the pizza place is really—like—on the other side of town. It’s probably going to take us a little while.”
“Yup.” Zoe nodded. “Plus you promised to show me that one place.”
“Right, I almost forgot.” They headed out the door.
Jake smiled as he stared at me. “I don’t think they were really planning on getting a pizza.”
“I don’t think so either.” I grinned. Then before he could say another word, I leaned close and kissed him. I kissed him with all the passion the look in his eyes stirred up within me. It was still unusual for me to initiate our affection, but when I did, it made me feel so empowered.
As I pulled away from the kiss, he looked into my eyes.
“Sorry if I interrupted your fun.”
“You didn’t.” I smoothed down my skirt and felt myself blush again. “I probably wouldn’t have been wearing this if I knew you were coming.”
“Then I’m glad I didn’t call.”
“Did your meeting go okay?”
“Yes, very well. I had planned to stay overnight there, but I thought I’d rather spend the night here and then we can leave at any time tomorrow. How does that sound to you?”
“Perfect. Let me just go get changed.” I started to turn toward the bedroom.
He caught my hand and pulled me back.
“Or you could just stay in that a little while longer.” He brushed my hair back over my shoulders. “Sweetheart, I know all of this happened fast and you’re dealing with a lot of changes, but I need you to believe that the one thing that will never change is how much I love you.” He leaned in to kiss me. “And you look absolutely stunning in that outfit.”
Chapter 18
“I love you too, Jake.” I took a deep breath. “I promise I am working on getting my confidence back.”
“Anything I can do to help you with that, you just let me know.” He kissed my forehead, then he pulled me close again.
Just as our lips were about to meet, Zara began to cry.
“Oops.” Jake grinned. “I guess our time is up.”
“I guess so.” I started to pull away toward the room.
“Let me get her. I’ve missed her so much.”
“Sure.” I smiled as I watched him head into the bedroom.
He was right. It only deepened my attraction to him to see what a great father he was. The dynamics of our relationship had changed, but the core of it had only gotten stronger.
When Zoe and Callie returned with pizza, my stomach flipped with excitement.
“Food!” I laughed as I dug into the box for a slice. “Yum!”
“Enjoy.” Callie grinned. “I made sure there were extra toppings. Are you sure you three are going to be okay driving home?”
“I’d rather drive than fly.” I nodded. “I’m just too nervous about taking Zara on a plane.”
“I don’t blame you. I wish I was driving home tonight instead of flying. But I want to be able to spend some time with Wes. We both have a busy day tomorrow with website stuff and I have a few clients lined up.” Zoe took a big bite of her slice of pizza.
“Speaking of business.” Callie shifted her attention to Zoe. “I have a proposal for you.”
“Oh?” Zoe wiped some strings of cheese from her chin.
“I’d like you to come with me on location to one of my gigs. I know the other models would love to work with you, and personally, I think you would be a better consultant than the one we have right now. He keeps trying to put us in dresses that look like shower curtains—fancy curtains—but curtains, just the same. It’s ridiculous.”
“I’ve never worked with actual models before.” Zoe raised an eyebrow.
“You worked with me.” She popped the collar of her blouse. “I wouldn’t be looking this fabulous if it wasn’t for you.”
“That’s true.” Zoe grinned. “And you do look fabulous.”
“I know!” Callie smiled. “So what do you say? Would you be interested in something like that?”
“It would be a great experience. Absolutely. I wouldn’t turn it down.”
“Great! I’ll let you know the details as soon as I know and we can make a plan.”
“Oh, speaking of plans.” I grinned as I watched the two of them glow with the possibility of working together. “I was thinking that with everything going on we’re overlooking the fact that Dawn and Garrett got engaged!”
“Yes, you’re right.” Zoe nodded. “I’ve been talking with Dawn now and then, but she’s been busy with the bakery.”
“I think we should plan an engagement party for them. Maybe if I can get everything together fast enough for next weekend?” I looked between them. “What do you think?”
“I’d love to be there. My schedule should be pretty open.” Callie nodded.
“I will agree to this only if you let me help you with everything.” Zoe pointed a finger toward me. “No overdoing it.”
“Okay, okay.” I laughed. “I will accept any and all help. Let me check with Blu to see if she would be available.” I sent off a quick text to her, then glanced at Jake. “What do you think?”
“I think a party is always a good idea.” He smiled. “But, keep in mind, we have grandparents that are quite eager to meet Zara.”
“Oh, that’s true. We could have a little dinner party at our house maybe. Friday night? Let everyone come meet her?”
“That could be okay.” He hesit
ated.
“You don’t think so?”
“I just don’t want you to put too much on your plate. We’re going to be adjusting when we get home with Zara, and even though I have some time off work, we’re going to need to get her in to see her pediatrician and get everything set up in her room. I just don’t want you to be overwhelmed.”
“I’ll be fine.” I waved my hand. “Trust me.”
“I do.” He looked into my eyes, then took my hand and kissed the back of it. “Just don’t forget, we’re a team.”
“Absolutely.”
A few hours later I had a nursing baby and a pile of clothing to sort through and pack.
Jake snored on the bed.
I was exhausted. I didn’t feel very much like a part of a team. But I’d insisted that he sleep because he would be doing the majority of the driving the next day. I had to go through the clothing to pack it because I wanted my new clothes packed a certain way.
I told Jake I wouldn’t feel overwhelmed, but the truth was I already did.
No one warned me just how long nursing took or how painful it could be. I didn’t regret my choice in general, but right then, as she clamped down in a way that made my whole body cringe, I wondered what I’d gotten myself into.
The whole house was quiet. I felt isolated in the deep dark of the midnight hour. As my eyes grew heavy, I wondered if she would ever finish and then I realized that it would only be a matter of time before she was hungry again. I had to get used to the demands on my time and on my body, because it wasn’t going to get easier any time soon.
Maybe Jake was right; maybe I was taking too much on by planning the dinner party and the engagement party.
Zara gazed up at me—her beautiful eyes sought mine. The instant I looked into them, all the stress and tension in my mind and body eased.
There she was, my precious child. She made everything worthwhile.
Chapter 19
The drive home was pretty uneventful, despite traveling with a newborn. I discovered that sitting for long periods in the car reminded me that I really was still recovering from birth.
For most of the drive, I fired texts back and forth between Zoe and Blu as we made plans for the engagement party. I also touched base with my family and Jake’s family to make sure that everyone was available for a dinner party on Friday night. Since Jake and I would both be home, I figured we would handle getting the parties set up just fine.
When we pulled into the driveway, I was thrilled to see our house. It was strange to think that I’d left home pregnant and was now returning with a new member of the family. I knew it would be a bit of a struggle to get everything settled.
When Jake unlocked the door and opened it, I was stunned to see bunches of balloons and bouquets of flowers all over the living room.
“How did all of this get in here?” I laughed as I walked Zara over to see some of the flowers. “Aren’t they beautiful?”
“There was a note on the refrigerator from your sister.” Jake walked back out of the kitchen with it in his hand. “And you won’t believe this—the entire kitchen is stocked. She must have gone shopping for us. She is incredibly helpful.”
“Yes, she is.” I sighed as I took the note from him and smiled. “She thought of everything, didn’t she? Despite the fact that she’s so busy with her own life.”
“She just wanted to do something special for you.” He kissed my cheek. “I bet she missed Zara so much. You should give her a call and have her come over.”
“I will.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “She’s still at work right now, but maybe we can have her, Wes, and the boys over for dinner? You’re the one that’s been driving all day. What do you think? Would you rather just rest?”
“No, it’s fine. I’m sure I can whip something up.” He started toward the kitchen.
“Let’s just order in. That way we can all relax and just spend some time together.”
“That sounds good. Pizza?” He shrugged.
“Great.” I nodded as I carried Zara toward the room that we’d designated as her nursery.
When I walked inside, I was in for another surprise. Noella had stocked it with diapers and had washed all the newborn clothes—now neatly folded on the shelves.
I set Zara down in her crib and dialed my sister’s number at work. I knew if she was too busy she wouldn’t answer.
A second later, she picked up.
“Noella, you are amazing! Thank you so much for everything you did!”
“You’re welcome. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay and help you with Zara. I figured I’d do my best to get you set up for when you got home.”
“Are you free tonight? Can you all come for dinner?”
“Are you sure you want company?”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait to see you and I know Zara wants to see her aunt and cousins too.”
“Perfect. The boys are so eager to see her again and so am I. Do you need me to pick up anything?”
“No, we’re all good here. Love you, sis.”
“Love you too.”
After I hung up the phone I found Jake in the kitchen making himself a sandwich.
“Do you want one?” He held up the knife.
“No thanks, I just ate not that long ago. Remember the burger run?”
“Oh yes, I do.” He laughed. “You really seemed to enjoy it.”
“Too much. Starting tomorrow I have to get focused on eating healthy again. I am really starting to feel run down from all the grease.” I patted my stomach. “It is not agreeing with me.”
“I’m sorry, hon. Noella stocked us up with plenty of healthy food, so we should be good to go.”
“I’ll be glad when I can get out there running with Dawn again.” I grabbed a notepad off of the counter. “We need to make a list of everything we need for our dinner party. Do you think your parents will be okay with roast?”
“I’m sure they will love anything you make.” He smiled.
“I think we both know that’s not true. Remember the macaroni salad?” I raised an eyebrow.
“To be fair, you put hot sauce in it.” He laughed.
“By accident.” I rolled my eyes. “I just wasn’t paying attention.”
“Hey, I thought it was delicious.” He wrapped his arms around me and drew me in for a kiss. “Let’s just make sure that we slow down and focus on our family during this time too. I’m going to go check on Zara. Why don’t you take a nice bath?” He kissed me again, then pulled away.
“Are you trying to say I smell, Jake?” I called after him as he disappeared into the nursery.
I said it mostly as a joke, but when he didn’t answer, I sniffed my armpit. “Ugh, I do smell.” I sighed and headed straight for the bathroom. Hygiene had been the last thing on my mind lately.
With ideas for the party running through my head, I started to fill the bathtub. I was excited for our families to meet Zara, but I was also a little nervous. They would be seeing me as a mother for the first time. Would they think I was doing a good job?
Chapter 20
By the time Noella arrived for dinner, I was not feeling as confident. Zara was fussy, likely from her brand new surroundings, and Jake had taken a business call that had been going on for over two hours. I had planned to get things set up for dinner but hadn’t had the chance to put Zara down.
When I opened the door for my sister, I was feeling frazzled.
“Noella, I’m so glad to see you.”
“The feeling is mutual.” She hugged me, then took Zara into her arms. “Oh my, she has already changed so much. She is even more beautiful.”
“She has?” I studied my daughter’s face with surprise. Had she changed and I’d missed it?
“Oh, you won’t notice, sweetie. You see her every minute of the day and the change is gradual, so it’s hard to notice. But since I haven’t seen her in so long I can see that she has changed a bit. And you?” She placed her hand on my shoulder. “How are you holding u
p?”
“Okay, I guess. I think Zara misses the penthouse.”
“I bet she does.” Noella laughed.
“Where are Wes and the boys?”
“Oh, they’re on their way. Wes said he’d bring them so that I could come straight from work.” She grinned. “I’m still getting used to the idea that I have a partner.”
“It will take some time to adjust, I’m sure. But I’m so glad he’s treating you so well and that he’s getting along well with the boys.”
“As well as can be expected; a little better than that, actually. Well, of course, they have their moments.” She snuggled Zara. “Oh, sometimes I do miss the moments like these, when they’re so tender, so precious.”
“Hm, do I hear a bit of baby fever?”
“No, absolutely not.” She smiled. “I love my sons and they are more than enough for me. But I do adore having a niece to dote on. Want to see your present, Zara?” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small rattle. “See what I have for you?” She waved it gently in front of Zara’s face.
When I saw Zara reach for it, I nearly melted into a puddle on the floor.
For a moment I wondered how Noella could be so sure she didn’t want another child. Then the front door burst open and two very loud, very angry boys barged in.
“Mom! It’s his fault!” they both shouted at the same time.
“Oh boy.” Noella sighed. “What happened?”
Wes stepped in right behind them. “Sorry, Noella, they got away from me.”
“It’s alright.” She smiled. “You did your best. Do you know what’s going on here?”
“Apparently there was an incident involving Rosie.” He raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, Rosie.” Noella nodded. “Best to let them work it out. If you two can’t be calm you’ll have to go outside. Zara needs peace and quiet.”
“Who is Rosie?” I watched as the boys chased each other into the backyard.
“A girl in their school that they both like.” She rolled her eyes. “They have been at it for over a month over her. Poor little girl probably doesn’t even know they exist.”
Then Comes Baby Page 6