Always Series Box Set

by Becs, Lindsay

  I change out of my work clothes and into my favorite leggings with Bambi and Thumper on them with a black tunic. I brush my teeth and hair and make my way downstairs to wait for him. I’m about to go crazy with impatience when I hear his truck pull into the driveway.

  The second he’s in the door, I run at him and jump into his arms, wrapping my legs around him. He stumbles back a couple steps but holds me tight. He chuckles as he gains his balance and I pepper his face with kisses.

  “That’s one hell of a greeting, Joes, but you gotta warn a guy before you maul him like that.”

  “I’m just excited to see you,” I say, sliding down to my feet.

  “So, is this just a booty call or is there something going on? This isn’t like you. Me, yes, but not you.” Which is true. Travis is known to show up at my office for a quickie or get me to meet for lunch for a quick romp. Now that I think about it, it’s kind of crazy it took this long to get pregnant.

  “Maybe both.” My smile is so big, my cheeks are starting to hurt.

  “Pretty girl, you have to give me something here, because I’m very confused at the moment whether I should be stripping or waiting for someone to jump out and yell surprise.”

  I tilt my head to the side, debating if I should tell him to strip just for fun and because a naked Travis is a glorious Travis, but decide I shouldn’t torture him any longer. I shake the image from my head. “OK.” I take a deep breath. “We’re having a baby!”

  “What?” he asks with a look of confusion all over his face.

  “I’m pregnant. I took a test right before I texted you and another after to be sure. We’re having a baby, Trav.”

  It takes a minute, but the smile that slowly slides onto his beautiful face is all the reassurance I need. “We’re having a baby?”

  “We’re having a baby,” I nod, wrapping my arms around his middle.

  “We’re having a baby!” And then he kisses me hard and deep. I’m lost and intoxicated in him when he pulls away, feeling fuzzy from our kiss. “I love you so much, Josie Gellar.”

  “I love you, too, Travis Gellar.”

  “Holy shit! I’m gonna be a dad.” He looks down and puts his hand on my belly. “Wow. I don’t even know what to say right now.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. Just love us.”

  “Always.” And then he drops to his knees and pulls my shirt up and kisses my stomach, my eyes filling with tears at the sight of him.

  * * *

  We wanted to wait to tell people until after I saw the doctor and we passed the first trimester. It’s been hard not to say anything, especially since I was having morning sickness for the first two months. But today we’re telling Tatum and Ollie. Since Ollie came home for the weekend, it’s perfect timing.

  We’re getting ready to start a game of Uno, and I’m carrying in brownies and popcorn for us to snack on while we play. I look up at Travis, and he raises his eyebrow as if to ask when I’m going to tell them. I bite my lip as I sit down, knowing now is a good a time as any.

  “So, uh, before we start playing, Trav and I have something to tell you guys.” I’m looking only at Travis because now I’m nervous about how they’ll react. He gives me an encouraging smile and nod to keep going. “Well, the thing is, guys, we uh, we’re going to have a baby.” I smile big at Travis because, damn, I’m happy.

  “Ew!” Ollie yells with a look of disgust on his face.

  “Aren’t you too old to have more kids?” Tatum asks.

  Well, that wasn’t exactly the responses I was hoping for, but it’s better than it could have been, I guess.

  “Clearly, she’s not too old if she’s already pregnant, Tate,” Ollie says, throwing a piece of popcorn at her.

  She rolls her eyes at him. “When are you due?”

  “November twenty-third. I just entered my second trimester. We wanted to wait and make sure everything was OK and the baby was healthy.”

  “Do you know what it is yet?”

  I smile at her, glad she seems to be getting excited. “We don’t go for the ultrasound for a while still but haven’t decided if we want to find out or not.”

  “I hope it’s a girl to spoil,” she smiles.

  “What’s wrong with a boy?” Ollie finally pitches in.

  “Boys are gross, that’s why.”

  “I bet Mom doesn’t think so,” Ollie says, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

  “Oliver! Seriously?” I scold him.

  “Point. Made,” Tatum says, making us all laugh.

  “So, you’re ready to be a daddy?” Ollie asks, turning to Travis, who has sat quietly so far.

  “I am.” He smiles at me. “Plus, I’ve had practice with you. Mind if I try putting a diaper on you later?”

  “Dude. That’s so messed up.”

  Travis shrugs. “I have to practice somehow.”

  “Not on a grown man!”

  “I think ‘grown man’ is pushing it, don’t you?”

  “Mom! Dad’s being mean to me!” Ollie yells.

  “OMG, this poor kid is going to be so messed up with you two doing that crap. Good thing she’ll have me,” Tatum says.

  “So, you guys are excited?” I hesitantly ask. I want so badly for them to be happy, but I know so much has been thrown at them, too.

  “I’m happy if you’re happy, Mom,” Tatum says, leaning over to hug me.

  “What she said,” Ollie mumbles around a mouthful of brownie.

  “Please tell me you dropped him as a baby and that’s why he’s like this,” Travis says, shaking his head at his friend.

  “Nope. But I think it’s from his dad’s side.”

  “Makes sense,” Travis agrees.

  “Not cool, guys,” Ollie says, dealing out the cards. “We playing or what?”

  “Yes! I owe Trav a butt kicking from last time,” Tatum says, picking up her cards.

  I smile, looking at my children and my husband at the table. I don’t know how life can get much better than this right here.

  TRAVIS

  “Gah!” I yell, throwing a piece of the crib. I’ve been trying to put this fucking thing together for three hours now. While I’m not the smartest man out there, I’m pretty good at fixing things. But this crib is kicking my ass. I pick up the instructions for the hundredth time, trying to decipher what I’m missing.

  “Do you want help?” Josie asks, peeking into the baby’s room, where I sit surrounded by what looks like an explosion of cheap wood and screws.

  “I think I need to just do this my way because their way isn’t working,” I huff.

  “Why don’t you take a break with me for a little bit? You’ve been at it for hours.”

  “Yeah, OK.” I walk to my wife and kiss her.

  Josie is eight months pregnant and the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. I rub her belly, feeling our baby kick. We decided not to find out the sex, letting it be a surprise. I honestly don’t care as long as the baby and Josie are healthy.

  “Come love your wife.” She pulls my hand, leading me toward our bedroom.

  “Always, pretty girl.”

  We’re stripped down fast, kissing and touching. When my girl wants it, she wants it. These pregnancy hormones have been through the roof. Not that I’m complaining in the least. With Tatum at a friend’s house and Ollie at school, we have the house all to ourselves tonight.

  “Travis, I need you. Now, baby. Please,” she begs, crawling onto the bed on all fours, her round ass perched high with her legs spread for me. This woman is so damn sexy.

  I kneel behind her, rubbing her back with my hand, while rubbing my cock through her wetness, spreading it around and slicking myself. She’s already humming and ready for me. I slowly sink into her, feeling her clench around me. I slide out and in, out and in, and then something happened.

  I freeze, not knowing what to do. “Josie, either you just became a major squirter or your water just broke.”

  “Ohmygosh,” she huffs. “Are you se
rious?” she whines, making me chuckle.

  “Babe, I’m still inside you and I don’t know what to do. Can I finish?”

  Her head falls forward, and I feel her laughter before I hear it. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You need to pull out.”

  I’m freaking the fuck out right now as I move at turtle speed to remove my dick from my wife. The more I pull out, the more liquid seeps from her. It’s weird as fuck.

  “Josie, did I hurt you? Did I hurt the baby?” I ask after I stand up and help her turn to sit up on the bed. “It’s early.”

  “Travis, look at me.” I swallow and look at her, calm and beautiful, in front of me. “I was early with my other kids, too. It’s normal, and we’re at least past the scary-early stage. You didn’t do anything wrong, OK?”

  I take a deep breath. “OK. What do you need me to do?”

  “I’ll call the hospital and let them know we’re on our way. Can you get my bag and a towel for me to sit on in the car?”

  I shake my head that I heard her, but my heart is beating so fast, she sounded far away. I need to calm myself down. I gather her clothes that we threw around the room and lay them next to her on the bed while she’s on the phone. Her grin at me tells me I’m doing alright, so I continue with my tasks. I can do this. I get her bag from the closet, the baby’s bag, and car seat and take them downstairs by the door.

  When I come back up to check on her, she’s dressed, looking calm and collected, the complete opposite of me right now. “Are you ready to go?” I ask her with a towel in my hand for the car like she said.

  “I am, but you aren’t.”

  “What? What am I forgetting? Are you OK?”

  “Travis. You need to put clothes on,” she laughs, looking down to where I’m still balls out and swinging dick. “And calm down, baby. It’s OK. We’re OK. My water broke, but contractions haven’t started yet. We have time.”

  I huff a laugh at myself and step into her, cupping her face and kissing her sweet lips. I need her. “You don’t think the people at the hospital would appreciate me in the nude?”

  “I’m sure they would, but I don’t like to share you, so put some clothes on,” she says, smacking my ass when I turn to pick up my jeans from the floor.

  “Better watch it, or you’ll make me hard again.”

  “I’d offer to finish you, but, oh…” She grabs her belly then, breathing deep. “But I just had my first contraction.”

  “Shit. OK. No more jokes.”

  I collect myself enough to get dressed and get Josie and our bags into my truck. On the way to the hospital, I call Ollie and she calls Tatum to let them know it’s baby time. We reach the hospital in record time and get triaged and in a birthing room within an hour. By then, Josie’s contractions are greatly speeding up.

  Josie is a rock and so strong. She decided to try to hold off on an epidural, and my girl did it. I don’t know how, because after seeing her in labor for four hours, I wanted an epidural.

  Ollie got to the hospital with Tatum sometime around then, but Josie wanted them to stay in the waiting room. She didn’t like the idea of them seeing her in pain, even the good kind, anymore.

  At hour six, Josie was ready to push. She was exhausted, falling asleep between each contraction. I helped hold one of her legs while the nurse held the other, and after four pushes, we had a baby.

  It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. Watching a tiny human come into the world is a miracle, and anyone that says otherwise is an idiot. Hearing that first little squawk of a cry from my daughter made my heart soar. I kissed my wife on her sweat-covered head as she lay back, trying to catch her breath. “I love you, pretty girl,” I told her as I felt tears form in my eyes for the second time in my life.

  * * *

  Ollie and Tatum stayed for a while but then left to head home for the night. They were both so excited to meet the baby, and it was nice to feel like a complete family with us all together, bonded further now.

  Josie is nursing, again, because they said to help build up her milk supply in her one breast she needed to nurse more frequently and probably supplement some, as well. Which I’m actually excited about because then I can feed the baby, too.

  I can’t stop smiling at my girls. My beautiful wife and this little bundle – a mixture of Josie and me, made from our love. I hope she’s just like her mom, strong and brave with a heart of gold. I hope she has her infectious laugh and zest for life.

  “We need to name her, you know.”

  “I know,” I say, kissing her soft, sweet little head smelling of baby lotion.

  “We didn’t really talk about names much before, and now I’m regretting it.”

  “Well, at least we only need to think of a girl’s name now.”

  “Oh, you’re so helpful,” she deadpans.

  “Fine, smartass, what names do you like?”

  “Well,” she starts but pauses to take the sleeping beauty from her breast. We both just look at her, so small and beautiful. “We could always name her Monica.”

  “Monica Gellar? Really, Joes?”

  “I don’t know. I just made a baby,” she laughs.

  “And you did such a good job.” I pick up my daughter and study her features for the millionth time since she was born. I kiss her fuzzy red-brown hair, loving how soft it feels. I trace a finger over her little button nose and across her pouty lips. She so perfect. “Where did this red hair come from?”

  “I don’t know, but I love it. She looks like a little penny,” Josie says, kissing her.

  “She’s my lucky penny then.”

  “Trav, that’s it. Penelope, but we can call her Penny.”

  I smile down at my sleeping daughter in my arms. “Hello, sweet Penny girl. Daddy loves you,” I say before kissing her. “You’ll always be my lucky Penny,” I whisper to my baby girl.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Josie

  Today our lucky Penny turns three. I can’t believe how fast the past five years have gone by. Cancer, marriage, a new baby; talk about some big life changes and challenges. I wouldn’t change any of it though. Cancer is what ultimately brought Travis and me together and without us, there would be no Penny. And a life without her would be a shame.

  That little girl gives us a run for our money – no pun intended – but is the light of our lives. She is full of life and laughter, spunk and mischief. She really is the perfect combination of Travis and me. Her hair lost some of its red and turned more strawberry blonde, but she’ll always be our lucky Penny. She has my blue eyes and Trav’s pouty lips. He’s in so much trouble when she gets old enough for the boys to notice.

  He’s the best daddy any little girl could ask for, too. Those two are always up to something, playing tricks and joking around. They have more inside jokes than anyone I know. He takes her to the garage with him some days when he isn’t too busy and has already taught her what the different tools are. She’s all puffy skirts and tiaras with boots and a grease-stained face. I wish I could say I was jealous of their relationship, but I’m not. I love that they’re so close. I never doubted that he’d be a good dad, but he has more than surpassed my expectations tenfold.

  I’m sitting out back in my lounger by the fire while the rest of my family roasts marshmallows for s’mores. Ollie and Tatum are bickering back and forth, as usual, over who’s the better driver now that Tate is sixteen and has her license. Meanwhile, Travis helps Penny not catch her marshmallow on fire like the previous three she tried roasting by herself. His arms are around her, helping her turn the stick that’s holding her mallow. She’s watching and listening so intently. Her stern little face looks so much like her dad’s at this moment. My heart just soars and bursts watching them all together.

  “Momma, look!” Penny yells, excited by her golden-brown roasted marshmallow.

  “It’s perfect, Pen!”

  Travis helps her assemble her s’more before she crawls up and snuggles with me. “Wanna ite?” she asks me, hol
ding up the melty s’more.

  “No, baby. That’s all yours.”

  She makes quick work at eating the sticky, gooey dessert. She’s covered in chocolate by the time she finishes, making me laugh at how messy she is.

  “Come on, LP, let’s get you cleaned up,” Travis says to her, using his nickname for her. LP, Lucky Penny.

  “But I want Momma,” she whines.

  “Momma is tired, baby girl. Let me clean you up real quick, and then you can come right back and snuggle Momma, OK?”

  “Fine,” she grumbles, scooting off the lounger and walking inside with her dad. I smile at their retreating backs.

  “How you feeling today?” Ollie asks from across the fire.

  “I’m tired, but overall it’s a good day. Thank you for coming home for the weekend to celebrate Penny’s birthday. I know it’s hard for you to get away.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Now this one’s birthday,” he says, pointing his thumb toward Tatum, “I would gladly miss.”

  “You’d think since you’re almost a doctor and all, you’d be better with people,” she challenges back.

  “But you aren’t people. You’re my sister. Big difference.”

  I laugh at them, making me cough in the process.

  Ollie decided to study oncology after my breast cancer and is now in his last year of medical school. I’m so proud of him and all that he’s accomplishing. He’s going to do so much good and be great with his patients.

  “You need some water?” he asks. I shake my head and hold up the bottle I have next to me, still coughing. He sits down next to me and rubs my back. “Nice and slow, Mom.”

  I finally stop my coughing and lean against him. “Thank you, baby.”

  “What have I told you about calling me that? You call Travis that; you do not call me that, too.”

  “Don’t make me laugh again.” I smother my laugh in another cough.

  “What are you doing to my wife?” Travis asks, leaning over to kiss me on the head while he places a clean Penny in my lap.