by Scarlet West
“Hey old man, get your grubby hands off my woman!”
Nolan came in from the kitchen and I laughed while his dad held up his hands in mock defeat. His father took the box and headed towards the kitchen, his chuckle following behind him.
Nolan pulled me into his arms, kissing me within an inch of my life. When he finally let me up for air, he dragged me into the kitchen.
I looked around in surprise. “It’s done!”
Nolan nodded. “Me and Dad finished the cabinets last night. What do you think?”
“It looks perfect.”
Nolan laughed and shook his head. “You’re the perfect one.”
I scanned the kitchen remodel. It was flawless. And this wasn’t the first room they’d worked on. Over the last six months, Nolan and his father had cleaned up and repaired the entire house.
And the house wasn’t the only clean one. Nolan had encouraged his father into recovery. There had been many long nights and lots of hard work on Nolan’s part, but his father was now sober for the past three months and was even seeing a nice lady from the yawn emporium.
Nolan’s father set the box on the counter and opened it, exposing a flawless strawberry cake. “Wonderful,” he said, clapping his hands. “It’s Nanette’s favorite.”
“You’re definitely gonna get my dad laid tonight,” Nolan whispered in my ear and I had to bite back my laughter.
“I’m glad you like it,” I said. “I hope you both enjoy it.”
“We will,” he said, then turned back to us. “Now you two need to make yourself scarce. I got a date tonight.”
Nolan laughed. “We’ll be out of your hair in just a few minutes. There’s one more thing I want to show Molly.”
Following Nolan out the back door, we entered the garage. It was dark, despite the waning light outside, so I couldn’t see anything.
“A little farther,” Nolan said, leading me deeper.
“Maybe you could turn on the lights before I trip and die?”
He laughed. “I’ll protect you. Just a little further. Here.” Nolan grabbed my hand and placed it on something. My palm came in contact with smooth polished wood.
“What is this?”
I could hear Nolan hustling back to the door. He flicked the light switch, and I let out a gasp when I realized what was sitting before me.
It was a wooden crib, polished to perfection. “You…you built this?”
Nolan nodded. “With my dad’s help. Couldn’t have done it without him.”
I couldn’t help it. I started to cry. Nolan came up behind me, wrapping his hands around my belly and kissing me on the neck. “Surprise.”
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, knowing the word didn’t do it justice.
“I’m glad you like it. I figured we needed one, once I realized what ‘embarazada’ meant.”
I laughed. “I don’t know how Esmerelda knew. It was the morning after our first time. But somehow, she saw it in my face.”
Nolan turned me around, brushing my hair off my shoulders. He cupped my cheek, his thumb gently brushing my tears away.
Feeling overwhelmed, I asked him the question that woke me up at night from a dead sleep from time to time. “It’s only been a few months, and this pregnancy was totally unexpected. Are you sure this is what you want?”
Nolan smiled, his words reassuring me yet again. “You’re what I want. You and our baby.”
“But you never planned to stay in Hatfield.”
“Plans change. I want to be here, working in the bakery, living under the same roof as you. Sharing our days.” He looked down at me, heat filling his eyes. “And our nights.”
Surprisingly, Nolan had been a tremendous help at the bakery. Not only could he lug flour around like a champ, but he’d gone to each of the customers that were behind on their payments and suggested they be timelier with their bills.
Confronted with the brawny ex-military man, most of her customers had seen it his way. But he was more than just muscle. He had a good grasp on the market in a remarkably short time, and with his help, my business was growing.
I couldn’t remember ever being happier. To have someone who was not only a partner in my business, but a partner in my life, was beyond amazing.
Blinking away my tears, I told him the only words that mattered. “I love you.”
He kissed me tenderly. “I love you too.” Placing my hand on his chest, I could feel his heart beating. “Only you could find my sweet spot.”
I smiled, knowing then that I’d be happy with him, and our baby, forever.
THE END
About the Author
Scarlet West is an emerging author of contemporary romance. This is Scarlet’s first book.