by Claire Adams
Everyone laughed and raised their glasses. “To Alex and Aspyn.”
After I took a sip, I turned to Mama. “You knew about this?”
She shrugged. “Yes, but honey, it was not exactly planned over days and days.”
I leaned in to whisper to her. “And what if I’d said no?”
Mama shook her head. “He asked me for my permission and what I thought. I told him you wouldn’t say no.”
I leveled a gaze at her. “And you were so certain?”
“Yes. If I’d had even a shred of doubt, I would have told him to wait.”
I pulled away from her, thinking that over. Mama knew me better than I knew myself obviously.
Alex and Carl chatted a few yards away.
I walked over to Carl, glared at him, and poked him in the chest. “You almost spoiled the surprise.”
Perri shot him a glare. “Carl, how could you?”
Panic struck his face. “What? I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the one who brought the lights and champagne, for crying out loud.”
Alex watched our exchange with a smirk on his face. “You left your truck right up front.”
Carl threw his hands in the air. “Of course, my truck was right up front. It’s not like I could walk all this stuff over. You couldn’t carry all this stuff over from my place either.”
Alex playfully punched him in the arm. “You could have driven your truck back after bringing the stuff.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Carl offered him a sheepish grin. “Sorry, bro.”
Alex grinned. “No problem. I couldn’t have done it without you, so I forgive you.”
“Mama,” Kadie said. “Can we live with Daddy?”
I smiled warmly down at her, my heart so filled with happiness, I thought it might burst. “Yes, sweetie, we can live with Daddy.”
Everyone cheered again, and Kadie clapped.
We’d had our ups and downs, made our mistakes, but in the end, Alex and I had still found each other. Our daughter could grow up happy with both a loving mama and daddy.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I rushed over to throw my arms around Alex. “I love you, Alex Kline.”
He kissed me lightly on the forehead. “And I love you, my soon-to-be Mrs. Kline.”
Perfect happiness. That moment was perfect happiness.
Epilogue
Alex
The band I’d booked from Nashville switched to a slow song. I rose and offered my hand to Aspyn. I lowered my hands to her waist, and we started swaying to the music.
I glanced around at the lights strung all over the reception hall and the huge centerpieces dominating each table. The succulence of the steak I’d eaten earlier still lingered in my mouth. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever had a piece of meat that good before.
There was something to be said for going all out for your wedding day. Still, I had a few doubts. Because I had more money than anyone in town, I’d been able to think of little details for the wedding that seemed cool, but maybe I’d gone a little overboard.
“The ice sculpture wasn’t too much, was it?” I asked. No man wants to think he’s pissed his wife off on her wedding day.
“I said it was okay when you asked me about it before.”
“But, yeah, that was before we saw it.”
I glanced at the sculpture standing in the center of the reception hall. It was a good likeness of my beautiful new bride. Well, if she was transparent and frozen.
Aspyn laughed. “Okay, maybe it’s a little bit much, but if you’re not going to go all out for your wedding, when are you?”
I rolled that nugget around in my head for a bit before bobbing my head. “You know what, Aspyn? You’re right. If anything, I should have had a gold-plated statue of you made.”
She giggled. “Now that would have been too much.” She shrugged. “I don’t mind anything you’ve done today.” She smiled up at me. “You’ve catered to my every whim, and you did everything to make this day perfect, even got me those little sandwiches for the reception I know you hate.”
“Not like I have to eat any. I just don’t like the flavor, and of course, I did what you wanted. I needed this day to be perfect for you.”
She gave me a light kiss. “It’s beyond perfect. It’s like a dream come true.”
Warmth filled my heart at her words. I’d not done much of the planning, leaving that to her. My few ideas, such as some of the lights and the sculptures, had been last minute. I wasn’t sure if Aspyn would be mad in the end that I wasn’t deciding a lot of things, but I was a rancher, not a wedding planner.
My gaze drifted from her face to her dress, and I hardened. I sucked in a breath, resisting the urge to bury myself in my wife’s fantastic breasts right there on the dance floor.
Her white wedding gown was maybe a bit too sexy with the cleavage she was sporting, or maybe I was too eager for the honeymoon. For one thing, being pregnant made her already large boobs huge, and once her morning sickness had worn off, she’d become hornier than I was.
Some men might complain about an insatiable woman. I was not such a man.
The only problem was it wasn’t always easy to find some alone time with Kadie wandering the house, but now we’d have a good week alone with her nana taking care of her. Aspyn and I could spend all day and all night making love. No distractions. Maybe we’d even discover new ways to push each other higher into ecstasy.
I was more than happy to satisfy Aspyn’s needs during our honeymoon and try to explore sex. The one good thing about having a kid already and another on our way was that it wouldn’t be awkward.
Even if we were trying something new, we both knew how to please each other in bed. Neither of us would go to sleep unsatisfied. The sexual spark, if anything, had only grown between us.
My gaze roamed over her wedding gown down to the baby bump she was now sporting. It’d been six months since I’d asked her to marry me, and she’d moved in. In just under another six months, we’d have our second daughter, yet more proof of how much time we liked to spend in bed. Though, unlike the wonderful surprise of Kadie, the new kid had been planned.
We didn’t see any reason to wait. We both knew we wanted more kids, and when you already had a child, it wasn’t like you needed to save anything for the wedding night.
Our family was growing. I wanted a son, too, but I didn’t mind another daughter. Besides, with all the money I had, we could have tons of kids, and that was not even taking into account that the ranch was pulling in record profits. I felt blessed.
I looked around the reception hall. The gathered guests were mostly from our church. Aspyn had roped me into going, and it wasn’t like I couldn’t use more God and friends in my life.
Of course, I’d grown up in Livingston, and it being such a small town, I knew most of the people in the church already.
It was strange, really. I was getting to know them all again, even though I’d grown up around most of the people. Some had changed a lot, and some hadn’t changed at all.
Still, I felt good about these people. When I’d lived in Texas, I’d had no one, and when I’d returned to Livingston, I really only had my four friends. Now, though, I had far more than that. I had a loving wife, a beautiful daughter, a great business partner, and a community that cared about me.
I teared up a little at the thought. I’d been lost in the darkness for so long with no idea how to get out. I wondered if the accident hadn’t been a blessing in disguise. If I’d never gotten hurt, I would have never returned home, and I wouldn’t have had my chance to reconnect with Aspyn and my daughter.
I would have stayed in Texas, living half a life, lost in a darkness separating me from even the hope of true happiness.
“You saved me,” I said quietly. “I hope you know that, Aspyn. Every day I wake up and think about how beautiful you are and how you saved me.”
Aspyn teared up and shook her head. “I don’t know how I lived my life without you.” She rested her head on my shoulder, and I kissed her on th
e forehead.
For all the passion we shared, I valued moments like this just as much, moments of quiet reflection and simple love.
I spotted Carl and Perri dancing in the distance. They’d been married for a month, and now they had a kid on the way too. We all couldn’t wait to find out if it was going to be a boy or a girl. All our kids would grow up together, playing on the ranch, surrounded by loving and caring parents. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to grow up.
I searched the room for my daughter. Kadie was dancing with her nana, a big smile on her face. She’d been our flower girl, but she still didn’t quite understand everything that was going on.
Of course, it was our fault. We’d done everything backward. She didn’t see why we needed a big party for her mommy and daddy to be together, but she also liked the idea of a big party, so she hadn’t complained much.
Her birthday was coming up, and I still needed to figure out a good present. I didn’t want to be one of those dads who left the presents to Mom and then signed the card.
I grinned as inspiration struck.
“What’s the look for?” my wife asked. “I don’t know if I like it. It looks really suspicious.”
“Suspicious? You’re questioning me on our wedding day? Ouch, woman.”
Aspyn eyed me. “I know you too well not to, Alex.”
“True enough.” I chuckled and shook my head. “It’s nothing bad. I just realized what we should get Kadie for her birthday.”
“Oh? What?”
“A dog.”
“A dog?”
“Yeah, a puppy. Every kid needs a dog.”
Aspyn nodded. “Sure, but she’s only turning 3. I don’t think she’s ready for that kind of responsibility. I didn’t have a dog until I was much older.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll help her out.”
She chuckled. “So, are you getting the dog for her or for you?”
“Why can’t it be both?”
We both laughed together.
“I love you too damn much, Mrs. Kline,” I said.
“I love you, Mr. Kline.”
That day, I realized something very important. A good man is many things, but he can’t be those things without the love of a good woman.
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KNOCKED UP BY THE DOC
By Claire Adams
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Claire Adams
Chapter One
Eric
If you'd told me, back before I became a parent, that a 10-minute drive across town could be exhausting, I would have laughed. But with Emma screaming behind me, kicking the seat in front of her (fortunately, I'd been smart and hadn't sat her directly behind me), and otherwise pitching a fit, those 10 minutes felt like an eternity.
“I don't want to go to daycare!” Emma shrieked. “I want to stay with Nana!”
“I know, sweetie,” I said distractedly as I parked in front of the house. “But Nana isn't feeling well, remember? Anyway, I'm sure you're going to make so many friends at daycare. And maybe you'll get to draw a pretty picture for Daddy to hang in his office.”
“No,” Emma snarled. “I hate you, Daddy! I'm not drawing pictures for you anymore.”
I wanted to smile at the cute logic behind that, but it hurt to hear her say that, even though I knew she didn't mean it. Being a single parent was rough.
I glanced at my watch and winced. As much as I wanted to sit in the car and talk her down from her sulk before bringing her inside, if I didn't hurry, I was going to be late getting to work. On a normal day, that wouldn't be the end of the world, but Mrs. Glover was going to visit her son in Tennessee for a couple of weeks, and we'd managed to squeeze in her appointment right before she needed to go to the airport. I knew the paranoid woman wouldn't leave the state without a checkup from her doctor first, and I didn't want to make her miss her flight.
“Come on, pumpkin,” I said, unbuckling her seat belt and pulling her out of the car. Not the smartest move, I reflected, as all her limbs were still flailing. “Emma, don't make me tell Nana that you didn't behave yourself today,” I warned, not sure what else I could say. I didn't really want to threaten the girl; I knew that things had been difficult lately and that spending more time with her Nana was the one thing that Emma was really happy about. Now, to have to take that away from her as well, I felt horrible.
It is for the best, I reminded myself. Anyway, I was sure that Emma would have fun if she would only give daycare a chance. The girl had always been good at making friends with anyone she was introduced to.
“Nonononononono!” Emma wailed, her kicking increasing in intensity as I pulled her out of the car.
I groaned and practically collapsed as one of her kicks landed, her shoe digging right into my nether regions. I swore colorfully and half-dropped the girl on the ground, where she promptly burst into tears. I felt bad, but I was busy trying to suck in air through my teeth and not vomit all over the sidewalk.
A shadow fell over the two of us, and I looked up at the woman standing there, a grin on her face. I assumed she had seen exactly what had just happened, but she didn't rebuke Emma. Instead, she crouched down next to her, her voice sweet and soothing. “Hey, kiddo, bad morning?” she asked.
Emma looked mistrustfully at her, but amazingly, her wailing lessened. Through my pain, I wondered who this mysterious dark-haired woman was. I had lived in Tamlin, Illinois for my whole life, but I didn't recognize her.
“Do you like dolls?” the woman continued.
Emma nodded slowly. “Uh huh,” she said, putting her fingers in her mouth.
“Well, you know, I have a brand new dolly inside the daycare, and she needs a name. Would you like to come inside and meet her?”
Emma's lower lip wobbled dangerously. “Don't wanna go to daycare,” she mumbled.
“Oh honey, I know the first day can be scary, but I bet you're going to have tons of fun,” the woman continued, and I finally figured out who she must be: Olivia Sable, the new daycare operator.
What a way for me to make a first impression, I thought, barely refraining from rolling my eyes.
“How about this,” Olivia suggested to Emma. “If you come inside and meet the new doll, I'll get you a glass of apple juice also.”
Emma's eyes lit up at that: apple juice was her favorite. I breathed out a sigh of relief and followed the two of them inside. I just hoped Emma would be on her best behavior for the rest of the day.
Once Emma was settled inside with the doll and a sippy cup, I had the chance to properly introduce myself to Olivia. I held out my hand, holding her warm one for a brief moment in my grasp. “I'm Eric Jones.” I paused. “You're an absolute lifesaver, but if you don't mind me asking, how did you recognize us?”
Olivia raised an eyebrow at me. “You pulled up in front of my house,” she pointed out. “Plus, you included a picture of Emma in your application for her. And if those things weren't enough, my mom, Jeannie Sable, gave me a description of you.”
I grinned at her. “She did, did she? I hope it was a nice description.”
From the way Olivia blushed, I had to wonder just what had been in that description. I tried not to laugh.
“Thanks again for your business,” Olivia said, breezing past that. “It's been difficult getting started with the daycare here in such a small town. I only have one other kid to look after at the moment, an 8-year-old boy named Harlan, and he barely pulls his head away from video games when he gets here after school. I've been looking forward to having someone a little livelier.”
I laugh
ed. “You might regret that wish,” I admitted. “Emma's got enough energy for 10 kids her age, and all the mischief to go along with it! Jeannie recommended you, though, and I trust her. I'm sure you and Emma will get along.”
“If you don't mind me asking, why are you changing daycare providers?” Olivia asked. “Did Emma cause too much trouble before?” Immediately after asking the question, Olivia covered her mouth, looking embarrassed at having said that. “Sorry, I don't mean to imply that she's that much of a handful,” she said quickly. “I'm sure she isn't out of control; maybe just curious.”
There was something about seeing her flustered like that which made me want to get her even more flustered. But I decided to go easy on her. “She's been staying with her Nana while I'm at work,” I told her. “My mother-in-law, Helen.” I glanced toward Olivia, but she was happily playing with the doll and not listening to us. “Helen's getting older, though, and I just don’t think it’s fair to put the task of watching Emma on her when she is starting to have trouble just getting around to take care of herself. I thought it might be best to take some of the stress off. And when your mother told me about your daycare, it just seemed like the perfect solution.”
“I'm sorry to hear that, about Nana,” Olivia said sincerely. She glanced toward Emma as well. “Can I get you a cup of coffee? Or tea?”
I grimaced. I'd really like to stay; there was something about her that interested me. But I knew I had to get going. “I have an appointment that I need to get to, actually,” I told Olivia. “I'll have to take a raincheck.”
“Right, no problem,” Olivia said brusquely. “Well, I'll see you back here at 4 to pick up Emma. I have your cell number if there are any issues, not that I'm anticipating that there will be.”
“Good,” I said, wondering at her change in manner. Maybe the polite thing to do would have been to agree to the cup of coffee. It wouldn't take that long, and I didn't want to think that I had upset her.
I didn't know why the thought of upsetting her bothered me so much, but I tried not to dwell on it.