“I’m sorry to hear about her sister, but thankful she shared that with him if it helped.”
“It did. We’ve already spoken about it.” He scooted me over a bit and stretched out beside me on the tiny hospital bed, taking up the majority of the space with his large frame. The entire time his hand stayed cradled around my belly. “I can’t believe I was gone so long that I didn’t even know you were sick, let alone bad enough to end up in here.”
“Stop. You heard Chief earlier. Things happen. Please, don’t beat yourself up about it. I didn’t tell you I was sick because I didn’t want you to worry if you were in any danger out there. I just wanted you to stay focused on what you had to do so that you came home safe to Brant and me.”
“I love you, Poppy!”
“I love you too, Jared Lewis!” He grunted at my use of his given name, causing me to giggle.
“I hope you like that, because before long you’re going to be Mrs. Jared Lewis. There’s no way in hell you’re bringing our baby into this world while you’re still wearing another man’s name.”
I sighed then. “I think it has a nice ring to it,” I offered wistfully at which point he kissed the side of my head and tucked himself around me, giving me his heat and his strength so I could get better and get the hell out of the hospital sooner.
Chapter 20
I was six months pregnant by the time I was summoned to appear in court for my divorce proceedings. Heading down to Georgia with my burgeoning stomach and Brant on my heels wasn’t exactly an easy trip, but Smoke did his best to make it pleasant even though what should have been a five-hour trip took nearly eight thanks to all the bathroom stops between Brant and me.
I still didn’t understand why I was being made to go all the way back to get this done, but once we were there the truth would be revealed, or I supposed I should say Walker’s fabrications were revealed. I had been forced to attend this mediation farce and it was not making my cranky, needing-to-pee every five minutes, tired-of-traveling self very happy.
“I don’t understand why I have to attend mediation. I didn’t think Georgia made couples do that,” I stated out loud again to my lawyer just the judge finally walked into the room.
“It is something that we like to encourage when there’s a baby on the way.”
“Why would my pregnancy matter in any way for me staying with Walker?”
“Well, man, we like to try to keep families together.” My jaw dropped.
“He’s not my family,” I huffed out.
“Ma’am, you’re having his baby. Even if your divorce is granted you will still have to deal with one another for the rest of your lives since you share a child together,” the judge informed me.
I glared across the table at Walker, who was squirming in his seat, because he knew I was about to hand him his ass.
“Your honor, I would have to be about 15 months pregnant to be having this man’s baby. That got the attention of everyone in the room. “I am six months along. I kicked Walker out of my house two months before I left Georgia to go live in West Virginia. I certainly wasn’t going to be sleeping with him during those two months, because he was too busy screwing every woman in our town to come check to make sure I was even still alive, let alone possibly in the mood for sex. For a few months prior to that I couldn’t get him to sleep with me either, because sex was a chore for him since we’d been trying to get pregnant for a years at that point. Let me rephrase, I’d been trying to get pregnant while my husband was cheating on me left, right, and center. He was doing so for four years prior to our split, and he admitted in front of an entire room full of witnesses who gladly sent their signed statements along to help me out here.
“I did not step out on my husband ever until after I was confronting with the fact that he had been cheating, I kicked him out, and then I filed for divorce and moved to another state to get away from him and all the bad memories. That is when I found the love of my life and the father of my baby. He’s right outside in the hallway if we need to bring him in.”
“What do you have to say to this?” The judge asked a very uncomfortable looking Walker.
“She had talked to me before about IVF or adopting. I figured we could raise the baby together, like we planned in the beginning anyway.”
“Did you not just hear her state that the love of her life is the father of her baby?” The judge glanced between us. “It doesn’t seem like that is news to you.”
“I was the love of her life!” Walker argued.
“Son,” the judge started, “you probably were once upon a time, before she found out you had been betraying her in such a way, and in a repeated fashion. That kind of behavior tends to kill a person’s love.” He then turned to me. “Mrs. Smithson, I will grant your divorce.”
“I would like a name change as well, Smithson belongs to him, and I don’t want any part of him in my life any longer.”
“Understandable,” the judge concurred as Walker choked on emotion I hadn’t seen in him in years.
“Poppy, don’t do this,” he sobbed out as he wept openly.
“Mr. Smithson, I suggest you take this hard-learned lesson into the future with you, and remember what it was like to love someone and mess it up so bad that the outcome is a woman who no longer wants to remember you.”
The judge turned back to me then and started to tell me that my attorney would have the finalized papers to me within a week. Walker stood to leave and the judge cleared his throat. “Mr. Smithson, you should have a seat.”
“I thought we were done here.”
“I am done with Mrs. Smithson, but you, your lawyer, and I need to have a discussion about the false pretenses I was brought here under today. That type of thing comes with penalties, sir.”
I didn’t wait around to hear what happened to Walker, or what kind of penalties he was about to suffer. Instead, I left and ran straight into the arms of the man I loved while the little boy we were now responsible for came and clung to my legs like a little spider monkey.
I gave Smoke the abbreviated version of what happened as we walked outside to my car, and he just laughed. “I can’t believe that idiot tried to tell them the baby was his.” He shook his head. “He’d better be glad the judge is in there reaming his ass for it, because if he’d walked out here with you I wouldn’t have been able to hold back this time.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I told him. “He’s my past now, officially. They said I’d have the papers this week.”
“Good, the day after you get those papers, be prepared, because you’re about to be my wife.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” I told him, and I meant every single word. There was a time when I didn’t think I’d ever be able to marry again. Hell, I had actually mourned the loss of being able to have children too, because I thought there was no way I’d ever trust another man after Walker. I was so darn happy to know that I had been wrong, and that there were good guys out there still. The kind of guys who were actual men, and knew what it meant to care for someone completely. I’d finally found that in Smoke, and I wouldn’t give up the opportunity to tie myself to him officially for anything.
Two days after my divorce papers came in the mail Smoke managed to throw together the quickest wedding in the world. Ghost was ordained already, as he’d apparently married Wren and his old lady the previous year. I wore a simple buttercup yellow sundress and white ballet flats to my wedding. I wanted something bright and cheery, and thankfully we had an unseasonably warm, spring day full of sunshine and bright blessings for our union. My brother stood ready to walk me down the makeshift aisle on the outside decks behind the clubhouse. The clubwomen had worked hard turning the decks into a gorgeous space filled with yellow ribbons and white and yellow flowers. The entire space was pleasantly peaceful and jubilant all at once. My soul smiled on the space as my brother tucked my arm through the crook of his elbow.
“I know you would rather have dad here, but I have to tell you, Poppy, I’m
glad I’m the one getting to walk you down this aisle, because I know this is your forever. I can feel it all the way to my bones.”
Oh man, the tears started to well up in my eyes with his words. I leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his cheek and patted his arm with the hand I had resting there. “Then get me down that aisle to my future, big Brother.”
That was how my brother ended up marching me down the aisle to the man of my dreams and the little man standing there with him who had also stolen my heart. Brant stood there looking sleek in his black little boy suit with his hair slicked back and smile plastered to his face. He waved at me, causing me to grin even bigger as the tears continued to pool and threaten to spill from my eyes in joyous rivulets.
Brant glanced away from me long enough to look up at his uncle then. “Unc Moke, we maweeying Popwee?”
“Yeah, lil man, we’re marrying Poppy.” Smoke told him as they both glanced back over at me.
“Yes!” The little boy announced loudly and added to his enthusiasm with a solid fist pump too.
“Yeah, buddy, I feel the same,” Smoke agreed with him much to the entertainment of those gathered to witness our union. Speaking of, I hadn’t even noticed a single other person. My boys were all I could see as I moved closer to them. I knew that Kent was there standing in as best man for his brother and Leanne was there standing up for me where my sister, Layla, would have been. Then there was Ghost in the middle of everything waiting to officiate and pronounce us man and wife.
My life was on a crash course with perfect, and there were moments where I couldn’t believe I wasn’t dreaming. This was one of them. Smoke stood there wearing a matching suit to Brant’s. It was dark, and he still had his kutte on over top of the thing, which was perfect in my opinion. He also wore his riding boots, because unless he was running or at work, that was it for him. I didn’t mind, because he looked damn sexy as I finally made my way there and realized Ghost was already speaking.
“I do,” my brother told him as he placed my hand into Smoke’s. “Be good to her,” my brother commanded.
“Always,” Smoke returned before shifting his attention back to me.
“Me too,” Brant yelled before taking my other hand. I smiled down at him and watched as he beamed back up at me. “We gettin’ mawweed Popwee,” he told me quietly.
“I know, baby,” was all I could say before the emotion choked me up. We managed to say our “I dos” with Brant joining in, and I hoped that someone was recording this, because there was no way I wouldn’t want to show this to Brant one day. I was already picturing playing this video for him at his own wedding!
Once our vows were spoken, we received congratulations from everyone, and had some cake Smoke swept me away to points unknown. We hadn’t planned a honeymoon since I was pregnant and we had Brant too. I was curious as to where we were going, but not one single person would give me a hint. They just sent us off with well wishes and promises to keep Brant safe and entertained for the night.
We drove passed the house I was currently renting, and a few blocks further before Smoke turned down a tree-lined drive. We followed the drive for a bit before it opened up into a gorgeous and well-maintained lawn. Beyond that stood a beautiful farmhouse complete with wrap-around porch. The siding on the house was a pale yellow with white trim, shutters, and door. There was also a porch swing hanging there along with white flower baskets that had yellow daisies planted in them. I figured it was some sort of bed and breakfast place, though there were no cars here so that couldn’t be right.
As soon as Smoke killed the engine and came around to open my door I heard the telltale sound of barking. A very specific bark too. “Bubba’s here?” I asked.
Smoke just grinned at me then pulled me to stand in front of him while we gazed out at the house in front of us. “Welcome home, Poppy!”
“Welcome? What?” I asked, not fully understanding what he was saying.
“This is our new home, and my wedding present to you.”
I turned in his arms then so I could see his face. “Are you serious? This is ours?”
“Yeah, honey, it’s ours. I thought it would remind you of the house you grew up in. Chief said it’s a lot like it on the inside, and we’ll have plenty of room for the kids.”
I shut him up with a kiss that could have melted the damn house down. “I love you!” The words were muttered into his lips before he returned my heated kiss ten fold. I honestly didn’t get to see much of the house as Smoke swept me up in his arms, moved through the door, and each of the rooms until we were in the back of the house and walking into a first floor master suite.
“There’s furniture in here already,” I stated dumbly, because obviously there was furniture when he sat me gently on top of king sized bed with the fluffiest down comforter beneath me.
“We can get new furniture if you like. This is my stuff from the condo.”
“What are you doing with your condo?”
“Selling it,” he told me with a shrug of his shoulder. “Actually, Ghost made mention that the club may think of taking it over that way we have a place for anyone who might need it that’s not inside the clubhouse. Besides, Gray’s still staying there for now, but I honestly don’t think it will be long before he…” I shut him up with another kiss.
“Don’t want to talk about Gray or the club right now,” I murmured against his lips. I felt them turn up into a grin only moments before he moved in, and laid me flat on my back, hovering over my body, and kissing me senseless. At least, I would have been kissed senseless if it weren’t so damn uncomfortable. Being pregnant definitely had drawbacks and losing the ability to lie comfortably on my back was one of them. I squirmed beneath him, drawing his attention, and he quickly retreated, backing away until I had room to turn onto my side. I let out a contented sigh as soon as I got comfortable.
“Sorry, honey, I wasn’t thinking.” His hand flew to my belly, rubbing it gently as he watched my face for clues that I was mad. I wasn’t. I had been just as swept up in us.
“It’s fine, Smoke. It’s just really uncomfortable like that.” He moved further away and I my emotions heightened with the impending onslaught of rejection only to be turned on their heads as the man stood before me, removing every stitch of clothing he’d been wearing. Then he came to me, sat me up, and gently lifted my yellow dress over my head, and off my body to join his clothing in painting our new bedroom floor.
Once I was divested of my panties and bra too Smoke climbed in the bed behind me and gently lifted my hair up and off my neck only to replace it with his kisses and warm breath which was torture, because my nerve endings seemed to be a million times more sensitive throughout my entire body. I would blame the pregnancy hormones, but honestly, I think it was just the Smoke effect. His hands glided down my body from my shoulders, fingers teasing down my arms, and launching shivery gooseflesh on in their wake. Then he moved one to cradle my belly and the other to cup my breast as his mouth continued to worship my hairline at the nape of neck and down to the juncture of shoulder and neck where I was super sensitive these days.
Another shiver followed the movement of his mouth and the hand that he’d had wrapped around my belly disappeared momentarily from its position as he moved to test that I was ready for him. I was always ready for him though. He nipped my shoulder playfully with his teeth before sinking himself into me from behind, and then his arm was back around my mid-section gently cradling my belly as he made love to me like that. We didn’t have to be face to face for it to be the most intimate position I’d ever been in. His love wrapped around me in a cocoon just as his body did. His gentle reverence and care for my comfort would have brought me to my knees were I still standing. Instead, they brought me to a blissful release as his hand sunk down and deft fingers toyed with my clit as he continued his slow, languorous thrusting in conjunction with the movement of his fingers.
It didn’t take long to tip me over the edge, and when I went he fell over that cliff into ob
livion with me.
Chapter 21
Contractions were the devil’s work. I was certain of it. There could be no other reason why they felt as though my entire mid section was on fire and being ripped open all at once. “Ow! It fucking hurts!”
“I can tell, honey.” Smoke stated, looking pained as well.
“How can you tell?”
“You mean besides the fact that you’re dropping f-bombs left and right and damn near ripping my arm off with each…” he stopped mid-way through his speech as another contraction rocked through my body, leaving me panting for breath and squeezing the absolute crap out of Smoke’s arm.
“Damn, dude, that looks like it hurts,” my brother called out from somewhere in the room.
“Why is he still here?” I asked on a whine as the contraction released me from its grasp for a moment.
“I was just dropping off your bag since you two were out of the house so fast you forgot it.”
“Hi, everyone! How is our patient doing today?” The bubbly blond nurse asked as she came skipping into the room. I kid you not she was skipping.
“I’m doing,” I said flatly and then the mother of all contractions hit and the exorcist-level demon inside me took over speaking. “FUCK THIS SHIT, I’m not doing just fine at all! Get this baby out of me!
“Oh dear, that sounds like it was a bad one,” the nurse offered in a patronizing tone. I wanted to throat punch her on principle for the skipping, and that just wasn’t like me, but her words were like blades stabbing me in the back, and I wanted to return the gesture. At the thought, I wondered what the hell was wrong with me. It had to be a demon. I was going to give birth to a demon. I just knew it.
“Honey, you’re doing just fine. You use as many f-bombs as you need. I’m sure they won’t be our child’s first word,” he told me at the end, which caused me to roll my eyes just before another contraction ripped through my body.
Redemption Duet (Aces High MC - Cedar Falls Book 0) Page 23