by Kaylee Ryan
“Ty.” Her smile is blinding, and then she sobers, tears welling in her eyes. “You don’t have to do this. We don’t even know if it’s positive.”
“That’s why I’m doing this now. No matter what happens, regardless of the result, it’s you and me. Forever. If you’ll have me. Reags, will you marry me?”
Tears race down her cheeks. “You really— I mean, you’re serious?”
Standing, I cup her face in my hands, wiping her tears with my thumbs. “I’m serious. I don’t have a ring, because well, I wasn’t expecting this, but I want it more than anything. I haven’t talked to your dad or even Ridge, but all that matters to me right now is that when you walk into that bathroom, no matter what the outcome, you’re going to be mine. For a lifetime.”
She nods.
“I need your words, baby.”
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” She jumps into my arms, hugging me tightly. “This is crazy, Tyler.” I feel like I’m ten feet tall and bulletproof. She’s going to be my wife.
“It’s us, and that makes it perfect.” I kiss her softly before setting her back on her feet.
“I’ve never done this before.” She picks up a box and begins to read the back. I look on, not knowing what else there is for me to do. “I guess I just pee on the stick.” She wrinkles up her nose.
“Want me to come with you?”
“Yes.” There is no hesitation in her answer.
Grabbing the remaining two boxes, I place my empty hand on the small of her back and lead her into the bathroom. “Which one do you want to take first?”
“All of them.”
“Okay.” I open the two boxes, setting the sticks on top. “You sure you want me here for this?”
Her hands land on top of mine. “You said we were in this together.”
“We are,” I say, my voice calm, soothing. “I just wasn’t sure, you know, since you have to pee on the stick.”
“You’ve been down there and seen it all. If this stick results in the word yes, this one two lines, and that one with the word pregnant, you’re about to see more than just me sitting on the toilet.”
“Good point.” I take a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll hand them to you.”
She nods, pulls down her shorts, and sits down. “Just hand me all three of them.”
I do as she asks, not wanting to upset her. She’s staring at the wall, and I can only imagine how uncomfortable this is for her. Reaching over, I turn on the faucet and let the water run, creating noise, and hopefully helping her out in the process. It works. A few seconds later she’s placing one, then two, then three pregnancy tests on the counter.
I stand back while she washes her hands and then turns to face me, tears swimming in her hazel eyes. “I’m scared.” Fear is in her eyes, and to my surprise, I’m not scared at all. I know that no matter what happens, it’s the two of us in this together. Forever. I know that even if the results are negative now, that one day in the future, it will be yes. Even if it’s yes in the form of us signing adoption papers. I know she and I are going to be parents. Together. One day.
“Hey.” I pull her into my embrace. “I’m right here, no matter what happens.”
“No.” She shakes her head. Pulling back, she looks up at me just as the tears start to fall. “I want them to be positive. I promise I didn’t trick you or do this on purpose, but they told me it would be difficult, and I just… I want this.”
I exhale a breath and smile down at her. “Me too.”
“What?” she asks, whipping her eyes to mine.
“I want that with you. Only you.”
“I was so afraid to tell you. I didn’t want you to think I was trying to trap you. That night, it was all on me, and I truly never thought about it until it was too late. But now—” She stops and closes her eyes.
“Now we look at the tests.”
Her eyes fly open. “It’s time?”
“Yeah, Reags, it’s time. You want to look first?”
“No. We look together.” Slowly, she turns in my arms, and I peer over her shoulder. I feel her shoulders shaking as I try to process what I’m seeing.
Yes.
Positive.
Pregnant.
We’re having a baby.
Chapter 13
Reagan
* * *
Pregnant.
As I stare at the three pregnancy tests all telling me the same thing, my heart is in my throat. I never imagined it this way. What little girl dreams of getting pregnant before the wedding? Hell, in my case, when you’re newly dating? Then I think about what Ty said, and he’s right. We’ve been dating far longer than either of us were willing to admit. Our friends and families knew. Everyone was just waiting for us to catch up. Well, we’ve caught up and added our own little twist. A baby.
“Reagan.” His gravelly voice meets my ears. I turn in his arms and look up at him. His blue eyes are swimming with tears. “You okay?” I nod, unable to form words. He holds me close, burying his face in my neck. “You’re scaring me. I thought you would be okay with this. Please tell me that you’re okay with this?” he pleads.
“Are you?” I rasp.
“Of course I am.” He rests his forehead against mine. His hand is splayed out across my flat belly. “We’re having a baby,” he says with awe in his voice.
“We’re having a baby,” I repeat. Before the words are even out of my mouth, he’s lifting me off the floor and spinning in circles. This is a tough task considering the size of my small bathroom.
“Oh, shit,” he says, placing me back on my feet. “Should I not have done that?”
I can’t stop the chuckle that escapes. “I’m fine,” I assure him.
“Come on.” He takes my hand and guides me across the hall to my bedroom. I stand beside him as he pulls back the covers and motions for me to get in. Kicking off my flip-flops, I slide under the covers. I watch as he sits on the side of the bed and takes off his work boots, then climbs in beside me.
“Our clothes are on,” I state the obvious.
He chuckles. “I just want to hold you.” He pulls me close. “We’re having a baby, Reags. And we’re getting married.”
“We don’t have to. I know you were only trying to make me feel better.”
“What?” He lifts his head off the pillow to look at me. “No, Reagan, I did it because I love you. Because I want nothing more than for you to be my wife.” He says the words with such conviction it’s as if he’s speaking directly to my heart.
“I already said yes. You don’t have to convince me.”
“Then no more of this ‘we don’t have to’ bullshit.”
“Fine, sheesh. Easy there… daddy.” I hold my breath, waiting to see how he responds.
“I wish I could tell you how fucking excited I am. You’ve given me everything. Your love, this little one.” His hand rests against my belly. “All I really have to give you is my name.”
“Love, Tyler. You give me love. You take care of me without being overbearing. You let me be my own person, and love me in spite of it.”
“I can promise you something. No one will ever love you like I do.”
“That’s why I said yes.”
“What do we do now? Can we tell people? Should we tell them we’re getting married first? Shit, we need to go ring shopping.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket and hands it to me. “Pull up the jeweler across town. Let’s see what you like.”
“We don’t have to do this.”
“Oh, baby, we’re doing this. You already said yes.”
“Okay,” I say, getting my emotions in check. “First thing Monday, I’ll call to make a doctor’s appointment.”
“And I’ll go talk to your dad, then Ridge.”
“Tyler, you don’t have to do that. This is my choice.”
“Yeah, I know, and regardless of what they say, I’m marrying you. I just feel like it’s the right thing to do. Your dad was like a second father to me growing up, and Ridge, well, we
’re tight, and I want them to hear it from me that we’re getting married.”
“Are you telling them that you already asked me? What about the baby? Are we telling them about the baby?”
“I’ll do it however you want. We’ll tell them as little or as much as you want.”
“Okay, let’s just… let me make my first appointment before we tell them about the baby.”
“Deal. Sometime in there, we need to go buy a ring. You might as well pick it out since I’ve already crushed the proposal,” he boasts.
“You think so?”
“Yeah, I mean, if I’d had the ring, it would have been epic.”
“It was still epic,” I assure him.
“The only other thing I can think of after telling our families about the baby is house hunting.”
“House hunting?”
“Yeah? This place is tiny, and my place doesn’t have a yard. The baby needs a yard to run and play. We need a porch swing to watch it all go down.”
“Porch swing, huh? How long have you been planning this?”
“Tonight, but I won’t lie and tell you I haven’t thought about what our future would look like.”
“Me too,” I confess as my belly growls.
“Let’s get you fed.” He tosses off the covers and helps me from the bed. We make our way to the kitchen, and together, we devour the pizza he brought over. I smile the entire time, knowing this is what every night for the rest of our lives is going to look like. Well, add in the pitter-patter of little feet.
This weekend has flown by. Saturday, Tyler and I went a few towns over to go ring shopping. The first store we stopped at I found my ring—a one-carat oval diamond with baguettes on each side. Of course, Ty didn’t think it was big enough. We walked out of the store with a two-carat oval, with baguettes on each side. We were lucky enough that the store had my size in stock. He tried to get me to wear it as soon as we were in the truck, but I reminded him that it was his idea to talk to my dad and my brother first.
Instead, we went back to his place and scoured the internet for houses. That brings us to today. We slept in this morning, well, we stayed in bed rather, and now this afternoon, we’re out looking at some of the listings we found online.
“This is really close to Ridge and Kendall.”
“It is,” he says, pulling into the driveway. “About two or three miles, I would guess.”
“Wow,” I say, taking in the home in front of us. It’s a brick ranch, with a full basement, four bedrooms, and a huge backyard.
“You like it?”
“Yeah, it’s beautiful.”
“I like the idea of a ranch. We only have the basement steps to worry about when it comes to the baby.”
“That’s what baby gates are for.”
“Yeah, but if this is our forever home, we’re not getting any younger.”
“We’re not even in our thirties.” I laugh at him.
“I’m thinking long-term, babe.”
“I love the big yard. You think we can look around?”
“Yeah, it said immediate occupancy. Better yet, let’s call the realtor and see if we can see it today.”
“Are we ready for that? To you know, make an offer?”
“We’re ready.”
“But you need a down payment, right?”
“Yes, and we have that.”
“Ty, I don’t have that.”
“We have it, Reags. Trust me.”
I settle back into the seat and listen as he calls the realtor. From the sounds of the conversation, she’s close.
“She’s on her way now. She has another showing of this house in an hour.”
“I’m sure it won’t last long.”
“No, but we’re here first, so if you like it, we need to move fast.”
“I love the location.”
“Me too. Let’s go take a look at the yard and everything outside before she gets here.”
“Wow.” Walking around the side of the house, we’re greeted with an oasis-like feel. There’s an inground pool with fencing all around it. A hot tub is off the back patio as well as a huge playset. “You think all of this stays?”
“Money talks.” He grins.
“Mine doesn’t.” I make a good living, but I also live where I work, so I don’t need much. No way could I afford a place like this. Well, I could, but I’d be living paycheck to paycheck. I don’t want that.
“Ours does. What’s mine is yours now, remember?”
“You make this kind of money?”
“Yeah, we get paid well for what we do. Not to mention, my condo is small, and I’ve been saving for years.”
“What for?”
“For you.” He grins and kisses my temple. “Can you see us living here?”
“Out here, yes, but the inside could be terrible.” He gives me an ‘are you kidding me’ look. He’s right. This place is gorgeous. I can only imagine what the inside is like.
“I think she just pulled in. Come on.”
“Well, what’d you think?” Ty asks once we’ve been through the entire house.
“Nope. I want to hear what you think first.”
He laughs. “How about on three we say yes or no?”
“Deal. Okay, one, two, three. Yes.”
“Yes.”
I smile. “So that means?”
“That we’re buying a house. Sasha,” he calls, and the realtor appears in the doorway. “We want to make an offer.”
“Wonderful. I will still show it to the family who’s going to be here any minute. If they make an offer, you might have to up yours if it’s lower.”
“Do the playset and the hot tub stay?” he asks.
“Yes. The family had to relocate, and it was too much of a hassle to move.”
“Full asking price. I’m ready to sign now if you have time.”
“Well, okay then. Let me get it written up.”
By the time we have our offer written up, it’s well past the time for the other family to show. “Looks like they were a no show. I’ll send this to the owners, and if they accept, we’ll mark this as pending.” She places the paperwork away. “Congratulations,” she says, shaking both of our hands.
When we’re back in the truck, I pull out my phone and take a picture of the house.
“It’s also immediate occupancy, so we’ll be able to start moving in right away. It’s move-in ready. We don’t even need to paint,” he rattles on.
“Well, the baby’s room,” I remind him. I press my hands to my still flat belly. I know it’s soon, and I haven’t even been to the doctor, but this feels right. This feels like home.
“Yeah.” He looks over at me, his blue eyes sparkling. “The baby’s room.”
On the way back to my place, I think about all that’s happened in the last two days. It’s been a whirlwind, but I can’t ever remember a time when I was happier.
Chapter 14
Tyler
* * *
Pulling into the shop on Monday morning, I don’t even try to contain the permanent smile that’s been etched on my face since Friday night. I arrive early, hoping to get some time with Ridge.
“Hey, what are you doing here so early?” he asks as I step into his office. “And what’s with the shit-eating grin?”
Taking the seat across from his desk, I pull the black ring box out of my pocket and set it beside his computer. “This.”
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Open it and find out.”
He grabs the box and flips open the top, letting out a whistle. “You sure about this, man?”
“As sure as my next breath. I love her, Ridge.” I don’t care what he says; he’s not going to talk me out of this.
He stares at the ring a few seconds longer before shutting the box and holding it out for me. My heart races and the realization that my best friend might not approve of this hits me hard. “Welcome to the family, brother,” he says as he places the box in the palm of my hand.
I exhale loudly, making him laugh. “What, did you think I wouldn’t approve?”
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure, but I gotta be honest. It wouldn’t have mattered to me what you said. Yeah, I’m glad you’re on board. But if it was the alternative and you weren’t, it wouldn’t have kept me from asking her.”
“Good.”
I raise my eyebrows in question.
“I felt the same way about Kendall. Nothing and no one could keep me from her.”
“Exactly.”
“So, when are you doing it?”
“Soon. I need to find time to talk to your dad.”
“Really? You prepared to do that now?”
“Yes.” Zero hesitation on my part. “Although, I have to admit. I don’t really care what he says. I mean, I do. I want his blessing, but I don’t need it. I love her.”
“Looks like today is your lucky day.” He points to the door and I see their father standing with his arms crossed over his chest.
I stand from my seat and face him. “Curtis,” I say in greeting.
“You don’t care what I think, huh?” he asks.
Shit. He heard more than I thought he did. “Of course I do. I want you to be okay with this. It will make things easier for everyone, but no, sir. I don’t need your approval to ask her to marry me.”
He stares at me. I don’t know how long we stand here, but I hold his stare, not willing to back down. Reagan is my life, and I’ll fight for her, even if it’s her father.
“You think you can make my little girl happy?”
I nod. “No one will ever love her like I do.”
“I’m her father,” he tells me.
“Yes, sir, but a father’s love and that of a spouse is different.”
He nods. “You gonna let me see the ring?”
I hold out my hand that grips the box. I’m making him come to me. It’s a ballsy move, but he needs to understand nothing he can say is going to change the outcome. I’m going to marry his daughter, we’re buying a house, and she’s having my baby. Sure, he doesn’t know any of that, but I do, and my future wife and unborn child are all that matter to me. My hand stays suspended, waiting for him to come to me. Finally, he takes one step then another and another until he’s close enough to take the box from my hand. I stand still, barely breathing as he opens the lid and peeks inside.