So that’s what comes out of my mouth. “Kids?”
His face softens and he reaches out to grab my hand. I pull it back so he can’t. He sighs. “Of course I want kids. Lots of them. I was hoping we’d start right away after the wedding.”
Kids with Shay? Lots of kids with Shay? Little boys and girls with his blonde hair and my curls and green eyes? I close my eyes and swallow the lump that forms in my throat. In my head, the blonde children fade away and a little girl with my curly brown hair and Linc’s golden eyes take their place.
“Oh my.” I whisper softly at the thought of a child with Linc.
“I see it’s starting to sink in.” Shay grins, apparently taking my response as a good sign for the two of us. Poor guy has no clue how far from the truth he is.
“Oh yeah, it’s sinking in.” I mumble. I believe I’ve finally made my decision, now to find the right time to break it to Linc and Dani.
March
Chapter 23 – Linc
~The Letter~
I’m pounding down sodas and pretzels with Nate. It’s Saturday and we’re watching the Ohio State vs. Syracuse game. There’s a little less than six minutes left in the second half. Ohio State is in the lead and Nate’s pissed because someone from Syracuse just missed a three pointer (he’s a Syracuse fan, while I’m an Ohio fan). The doorbell goes off and we look at each other.
“Who could that be?” Nate asks, turning back to the TV.
“No clue.” I say, standing up to go answer it. I know it can’t be our moms because they’re out having lunch and shopping. I pull the door open and find Wyn standing there and looking all adorably nervous, her fingers latched in a death grip on a little envelope.
I grab one of her hands and pull her out of the cold, closing the door behind her. “What’s going on?”
“Who is it?” Nate hollers from the living room.
“I’m so sorry; you have guests. I can come back later. I didn’t even think. As soon as I saw it came, I drove straight here.” Wyn breaks in before I can answer Nate.
“It’s only Nate, and don’t be sorry. You’re welcome here anytime. We were just watching the game.” I tell her and ask. “What came?”
She holds up an envelope for me to see. “A letter from the school we visited last month.”
“And?” I ask, maybe a little too enthusiastically.
Looking at her shoes, she explains shyly. “I don’t know yet. I was hoping you’d open it for me. I was too nervous to do it myself.”
Taking her hand, I guide her into the living room. I tell Nate. “We’re going to my room.”
He looks up from the game long enough to take in Wyn. He flips out his hand says. “Fine. I’ll record the last part for you to watch. Hi, Wyn.”
“Umm… Hi, Nate.” She replies back as I guide her down the hall towards my room. Once we’re inside and I shut the door, I sit her on my bed and take the envelope from her.
I wave the envelope around and pace the floor in front of her. “Now, you have to promise me that if we don’t get the response we want from this school that you won’t give up. This school might be the ideal location, but there are others and I don’t want you to give up hope.”
“I promise, Linc.”
I stop my pacing to take her in and the sight of her on my bed nearly brings me to my knees. As always, she’s stunning. But like the day we visited the college, she’s dressed casually. A pair of worn in skinny leg jeans, a light purple long sleeved sweater that hangs loose, and a pair of black flats. God, she’s beautiful. And she’s in my room. On my bed!
“Linc?” She calls when I continue staring at her.
“God, you’re beautiful.” I tell her, causing her eyes to warm and a smile to crack across her face.
“The letter.” She prompts softly.
“Oh, yeah.” I finally remember the reason we’re in here. I rip open the end and pull out the small stack of papers inside. Wyn closes her eyes as I scan the top sheet.
“Open your eyes, honey.” I gently command.
Her eyes flutter open and I can see she’s fighting back tears. “It’s ok. I applied to some other schools.”
“You got in.”
Her eyes widen in surprise and then once it fully sinks in, she jumps up from the bed and into my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. She doesn’t give me a chance to say anything else before she slams her lips down on mine in a rough and demanding kiss. I, of course, submit and let her take the lead in this sensual celebration.
When both of us are out of breath, she pulls back just enough to place her forehead against mine and gather herself. Her breathing returns to normal and she smiles. “I got in.”
I tighten my arms around her and confirm. “You got in.”
“I don’t care if I have to work four jobs to support myself and pay. I’m going.” She states the steel of her determination in her voice.
I walk us over to my bed, put my knee on it and lay her down. I lay myself between her legs, my upper body propped up on my hands. I stare down at her and ask. “Are you saying what I think you are?”
Wyn nibbles the corner of her lip as she searches my face. Finally, she releases her lip and nods her head.
“I need to hear the words, baby.” I tell her, lifting a hand to run along her hair line, pushing the stray curls back in place.
“I choose you.” Her words cause a warm feeling to shoot right through me. I roll us over so she’s on top, straddling my hips.
“You choose me.” I repeat her words, more so they’ll sink in than anything else.
“I choose you.”
“You choose me.” I say in awe.
“I think we covered that.” She giggles at my reaction.
I run my hands up her back, making her lean closer to me. “I was trying to savor those three little words that just made my dreams come true.”
“Well I can be quiet and let you continue.” She moves to get off me. “Or I could leave and give you a little time to get yourself together.”
I tighten my hold on her back. “The hell you will. I like you right where you’re at.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I’m leaving my world, otherwise I’d be in trouble for being in this position with you.” She says, appraising our position.
I reposition us on our sides so we’re facing each other. “Better?”
“Much. Thank you.”
“I never want you to feel uncomfortable with me.”
“Not possible, but thank you for being so considerate.” She replies, placing her hand against my chest.
“When do you want to go get your stuff? Now? Later? I can’t wait to have you under the same roof as me.”
“Linc, if we don’t want to cause a whole lot of problems, we have to wait till I’m eighteen.”
I flop onto my back. “I don’t like that idea, Wyn.”
She leans into me and lays her chin on my chest. “I’m sorry, but this is the safest way. I’ll have to keep pretending I’m going along with their plans or they might try to move it up and make me drop out.”
“I really hate the idea of you being around that guy.” I grumble, running my fingertip along her bottom lip.
“I’m not thrilled with the idea either.” She closes her eyes at my touch.
Seeing her reaction to my touch spurs me on. I continue to trace her lips with just the tip of my finger. “I don’t want him touching you here.” I let my finger fall to where her neck and shoulder meet, drawing invisible swirly patterns against her skin. “Or here.” I pull her hand up to my mouth and kiss each fingertip. “Or here.”
She lets out a contented sigh and opens her eyes so we’re looking at each other. “He doesn’t get me like you do. No one does.”
As soon as those words leave her lips, mine close the distance. I slide my tongue along the seam of her lips and she spreads them, allowing me entrance. Her hand slides under the hem of my t-shirt. Her tiny hands run up and down the hard muscl
es of my chest and stomach. I slip my own hand up the back of her sweater to feel the smooth skin of her back against my hands. I could easily move my hand around to the front, but I don’t want to push her too far too fast. Though it’s taking all the will power I have to stop myself.
A knock on the door causes us to jump apart. Wyn literally jumps off the bed and moves across the room. Her cheeks are flushed and her lips are swollen. She moves quickly, pushing her shirt back into place. She looks so damn good, I want to pull her back to me and finish what we’ve started. Instead, I call out. “Yeah.”
“Cover up. I’m coming in.” Nate calls from the other side of the door.
I roll my eyes and Wyn giggles, taking a seat back on the edge of the bed. I pull her back beside me, against the head board and call. “Coast is clear.”
Nate pushes in and surveys the situation. “Two things. One, I finished recording the game.”
“Who won?” I ask as I thread my fingers around some of the curls at Wyn’s shoulder.
“Ohio.” Nate grumbles.
I hold out my hand, palm up. “Pay up.”
He pulls his wallet out of his back pocket and pulls out a twenty. He stomps across the room and slaps the bill into my outstretched hand. I tuck the bill into my own wallet and then ask. “So, what’s two?”
“Oh, yeah.” He pulls out his cell and looks at the time. “Your mom will be home in…well, it was ten minutes, but now it’s more like two.”
Wyn and I both jump out of the bed. She grabs the acceptance letter off the floor and I take her hand as I guide her out of my room. I shove Nate’s shoulder as we pass him. “Dumb ass! That should’ve been number one.”
“Yeah, but what fun would that be.” He chuckles as he follows us back to the living room. I turn around, deciding he might need some sense knocked into him, but Wyn pulls on my hand to make me sit by her on the couch instead.
Nate flops down in the recliner, still chuckling, while I seethe with my arms crossed. “I’ll get my revenge.” I grumble.
Wyn rubs my knee to calm me and I look over to see she’s reading the rest of the acceptance packet. At that moment, Mom walks in. Her hands are filled with shopping bags. She drops them on each side of the recliner and allows herself to fall back in to the chair. “Hey, Boys.” She takes in Wyn and smiles. “Hi, Wyn.”
Wyn looks up from the letter and returns Mom’s smile. “Hi, Mrs. Tatman.”
“Kate, please.” Mom urges.
“Yes, ma’am. I mean Kate.”
“Good.” Mom beams and then notices the letter. “Good news?”
Wyn looks at me and I slip my arm around her shoulder, squeezing her reassuringly. She looks back at Mom with the smile still on her face. “Great news! I got accepted early and they’re offering a full scholarship.”
I turn her to face me. “Really?”
She’s beaming with excitement and she giggles at the surprised look on my face. “Yeah, you must not have read past the first line.”
I pull her into a hug. “That’s great news.”
Mom comes over and pulls Wyn away from me so she can hug her too. “Congratulations, Wyn. That’s wonderful news.”
“Congrats.” Nate throws out from the recliner. He’s commandeered the remote and is flipping through the channels.
“Thank you.” Wyn catches the time on the TV and grabs the letter. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I need to get home.”
I stand up and take her hand. “I’ll walk you out.”
“See you later, Mrs. Tat…I mean Kate.”
“Drive careful, Wyn.” Mom tells her in way of goodbye.
“See you at school, Nate.”
“Bye.” Nate responds back, not taking his eyes away from the reality show he’s found on TV.
I walk her out and once she’s situated in her car, she rolls down the window so I can lean in. “Remember, only I can touch you.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “I believe we already went over this.”
“Just a little refresher for the road.” I explain and pull her closer so I can kiss her. “And don’t forget you can call me anytime. I don’t care if it’s three a.m. and I went to sleep at one a.m. If you have something going on or just need to talk, you call me.”
Her hand cups my jaw as she looks up at me with smiling eyes. “I love you too.” I guess my worrying makes my feelings pretty obvious. Thank goodness she finds it adorable, rather than annoying.
“Be careful.”
“I will.” She promises.
“Text me when you make it home.”
“Linc.” She sighs.
“Okay, okay. Bye, Wyn.” I straighten from the car.
“Bye.” She blows me a kiss and then rolls up the window and takes off.
Chapter 24 – Wyn
~Blame Disney~
My legs are crossed and my foot is bouncing. Mom is sitting across the little white bistro table from me, sending texts. We’re doing our best to ignore each other. So far, we’ve accomplished this, but today we’re forced to be together for the cake testing. I hate that her and Dad are spending all this money on a wedding I don’t plan on going through with, but I can’t tell them I’m leaving. I tried to talk them into a smaller wedding, to cut some costs, but they weren’t hearing any of that. So my hands are tied.
Dani waddles in. Seriously, she’s a month and a half away from her due date and that’s the best way to describe the way she’s walking at this point. She takes the last seat at the table as she rubs her belly. “Bring on the cake. Lil Wyn is kicking me; she’s so excited about this.”
Mom arches one of her perfectly manicured eye brows at the baby’s nickname, but doesn’t respond. I reach over and touch Dani’s belly, trying to feel my niece kick. I catch her movements and smile up in awe. “She is excited.”
“I told you. She’s not even here yet and she’s already acting like you.” Dani teases.
“Let’s hope that changes when she arrives.” Mom mumbles under her breath, but still loud enough for Dani and me to hear.
I take a deep breath and release it before responding. “Just because I don’t want this wedding, Mom, doesn’t mean I’m a bad daughter.”
“I’ve dreamed of planning your wedding since the day you were born and you’re making it miserable. When you and Shay have a daughter, you’ll understand how I feel.” She whines, setting her phone down so she can turn her full attention to me.
“Didn’t you think I’d have my own ideas about my wedding? Maybe even have a say in the man I marry?” I snap back, ignoring the pain in my gut at hearing Shay’s and my name associated with kids.
“That’s not how our people do this and you know that. This is the way you were raised, Arwyn Elizabeth.” She rolls her eyes to the ceiling and asks herself. “Where did I go wrong with her?”
“Blame Disney. All those darn fairy tales made me believe in real love and happily ever after. What were they thinking? You may be able to sue them for messing up your daughter’s perception of love and marriage.” I say as I look at Dani and roll my eyes.
“Don’t be smart.” Mom warns as she rolls her eyes back down to glare at me.
“Or what? You’ll make me marry someone I don’t love? Too late, that’s already planned.”
Grabbing her phone and purse, Mom stands. “I’m fed up with your ungrateful attitude, little girl. You can handle the cake by yourself. And when it turns into a mess, don’t come crying to me.” She turns on her heels and storms out of the bakery.
Everyone in the room stares at her departing form, then back at me. I feel my face flush. The cake designer walks up with a forced smile. Great, now I have to deal with the fallout from Mom’s adult sized hissy fit. I let out a sigh and put on my own smile to reassure her. “Don’t worry about her. I know you do beautiful work.”
“Umm…thanks.” She says hesitantly as she takes the seat Mom just vacated. She sets plates with sample cakes and icings in front of Dani and me and pulls a pad of paper out of
her frilly half apron. She points out the flavors of each cake and icing, then sits back and lets us sample each one.
“Oh my gosh. This chocolate fudge cake with the raspberry chocolate ganache is ah-mazing!” Dani sighs right before taking another big bite and humming her approval.
Promised Page 14