by J. M. Madden
They walked slowly back to her car, hand in hand. After he threw his duffle into the car, he took her into his arms again. “I can’t get over the thought of a baby. I mean, I was pretty much resigned to the fact that I was going to be alone, you know? Then you came into my life and turned everything on its head. Do you know what the sex is?”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to know or not, so I had the doctor put it in an envelope for us. We can open it or not, together.”
His brilliant not-quite hazel, not quite blue eyes filled with tears again and he nodded, obviously fighting emotion. Lincoln hadn’t had the greatest upbringing and his brother had committed suicide a few years ago, so he didn’t have a lot of family connections. She had a feeling that this baby would mean the world to him. He pulled her into his arms and just held her for several long minutes.
“Let’s get out of this damn parking lot.”
BB held out the keys and he grinned as they climbed into the car. As they pulled away from the base, BB reached her hand out to hold his. “I have to warn you, I’ve made some changes.”
He glanced at her. “I expected you to, totally. Don’t worry about it. Whatever you’ve done I’m sure I’ll be happy with.”
She smiled slightly and decided to let him discover the house renovation on his own. She did tell him about Louie, though.
“Wait, you named him Louie?”
BB smiled at the odd look on his face. “Yes, Bleu Louie. Why?”
Lincoln chuckled, glancing at her as he stopped at a light. “My Grandad’s name was Louie. It’s just funny you picked that name.”
Lincoln listened to her talk about the dog, nodding his head, and commiserated on the time she’d spent caring for the pup.
“So, will he have problems with this cleft palate anymore?”
She shook her head. “Nope. And they’ve already neutered him so that he can’t pass the issue along.”
“That’s good,” he said, nodding. “Another dog, huh?” he laughed.
BB shrugged apologetically. “What can I say? I was so lonely when you were gone,” her throat tightened again but she forced herself to work through it. “When I took the pup on I had no idea I was pregnant.”
Link shook his head, grinning. “I went from a family of three to a family of five in one deployment.”
BB grinned too. “I hear that happens on military bases.”
He barked out a laugh. “So true!”
As BB pulled up in front of the house, Lincoln didn’t seem to notice that the house itself had gotten longer. They went up the steps and across the porch and let themselves inside. He dropped his bag as soon as they got in the door and he looked at the Christmas tree on the table. BB had positioned it beneath the shelf with his brother’s mementoes.
“That’s really cute,” he said, crossing the room to it and fingering the little lights. He glanced around the room at the rest of the decorations. “It’s beautiful, babe.”
The dogs were barking in the laundry room and Lincoln looked curiously at the upended hamper in the hallway.
“Little bastard chewed the wicker,” BB huffed as she removed the baby gate.
Frankie was ecstatic to see Lincoln and cried like a true drama queen, bouncing and rolling to her back in a bid for attention. Louie, on the other hand, was a little reserved and growly.
“Take him outside and play,” she told Link, watching him closely. He still hadn’t noticed anything more about the house.
He called the dogs and started down the hallway, then paused and looked around. “What the hell?” he said as he reached out to touch the door jamb.
BB laughed as she joined him. “We were out of space, so I had some renovations done.”
Blinking, he looked down at the hardwood beneath his feet. “Uh, yeah, you did. Hell, woman. I thought you’d changed out a rug or painted or something. Maybe added some new fake flowers to the flower boxes. I didn’t expect you to damn near double the size of the house.”
BB laughed as he explored and as she’d expected, his eyes softened as he looked into the nursery. “This will be where the baby sleeps?”
She nodded. “Maybe not at first. We’ll get a bassinet for when he or she is tiny to keep in our room, then when the feedings regulate, we’ll be able to move him or her out.”
“Are you going to breastfeed?” he asked quietly.
“Definitely. If I can. I know it helps with allergies and stuff and is better for the child and the mother.”
Lincoln had closed his eyes and was shaking his head slowly back and forth. “The thought of your breasts..." his voice trailed off and he glanced at her chest.
BB grinned. “I’ve already gone up a cup size,” she told him, watching his face. Then her eyes shifted lower to the more obvious reaction. She chuckled lightly. “Yes, you are the big fertile man and got your woman pregnant.”
Lincoln rested a hand against himself and grinned at her, not even a little bit shamefaced. “What can I say? The thought of getting you with child gets me hard.”
“You’re just hard-up,” she laughed as he dragged her into his arms for a kiss.
“Granted,” he growled, gently biting her lower lip. “But I think it’s more than that. It’s so funny because I’ve been having dreams of making you pregnant.”
She leaned back in his arms, lifting her brows. “Really? Well, it came true then.”
“Yes, it did,” he said, resting his hands on her belly again. “I’m so glad I made it back in time to watch you grow. Pregnancy is such an incredible process.”
She nodded. “I have a feeling this is going to be a serious learning experience for us both. Come on, you have more to look at.”
Lincoln staggered comically when he saw the outdoor kitchen. Then he sobered and gave her a look. “BB, this is amazing. You put a lot of money into this.”
“I did,” she agreed, “but we needed the space. And I needed an office. If you’re going to stay in the military and we’re going to stay in this house it had to fit us.”
Link pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I completely agree. I love you, BB. I’m sorry I was away and you had to deal with all this alone. But I have to say, I’m super impressed with what you’ve done in the time I was gone.”
BB relaxed into him. “Thank you. Coming from a non-military family, this has been one of the biggest trials. It was hard being without you, Lincoln.”
He wrapped his arms around her and just held her. “I’m going to try to change jobs. It’s hard right now because we’re down a few guys from injuries, but I’ve already put in my request.”
She nodded against his chest, basking in just having him close. He felt so good. She looked up at him. “Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?”
He shook his head definitively, grinning. “I’m on leave for the next three days and I’m all yours.”
BB looked up at the beautiful California sky. “Looking a little overcast. Maybe we should go cuddle in bed and decide what we want to do today.”
His eyes lit with excitement. “You have no idea how exciting that is to me.”
They watched the dogs go pee, then they went into the house. It was a process to get Lincoln out of his working uniform and boots and when he did, he sighed, slouching into his recliner. His eyes drooped and BB had a feeling he would totally drift off if she let him. She bent over and picked up the uniform, wrinkling her nose. “I think these things can stand up on their own.”
Lincoln laughed. “You ought to see my dirty ones in my pack.”
BB stuck her tongue out theatrically. “I think you can wash those yourself.”
They laughed and Link lowered himself to the floor to try to make up with Louie. The pup eyed him thoughtfully, sniffing Link’s hand when he held it out. BB was surprised at the dog’s reluctance. Everyone else he mauled to try to get attention. Lincoln was patient and when Frankie came over for attention, he gushed all over her; told her how pretty she was in her sparkly
dog collar and basically sucked up to her. Louie seemed a little more eager for attention then and let Lincoln scratch him on the head. Within just a couple of minutes Louie had melted into Lincoln, sprawling on his back. Lincoln scratched him dutifully and BB knew that Louie would be head over heels for him in no time.
Lincoln looked up at one point and seemed to realize that he wasn’t paying attention to the right person. “Sorry, baby,” he grinned. “He’s a cute pup. I think you did good, taking him on. He’s too nice of a dog to be put down.”
BB blinked rapidly, hating that everything he affirmed for her made her weepy. When did she become so dependent upon another person?
When she fell in love with him, she thought with a sigh.
Suddenly, he was in front of her, looking lean and fierce in his sage green t-shirt and athletic underwear. Just in the four months he’d been gone it looked like he’d lost honed down, making his muscles look even more defined. She put her hands on his waist and pulled him tight, resting her head against his chest. The steady thud of his heart was like a balm to her soul. They stood there holding each other for a couple of minutes before Lincoln cupped her face and kissed her. It was amazing to her that this never got old. And when he leaned down to swing her up into his arms, they maintained the kiss, even as he maneuvered them to the bedroom. They broke apart when he dropped her to the mattress, but he was there on top of her within seconds. BB’s thighs separated and she nestled him against her, the move as natural to her as breathing. This was where he belonged, within her sight and touch. Then he shifted down to focus on her tummy. With gentle hands he relearned her shape and introduced himself to their son or daughter. Then he worked his way back up her body, appreciating her full, sensitive breasts.
Lincoln seemed determined to remind her what she’d been missing for the past four months. BB didn’t know if it was the pregnancy or the fact that she’d missed him so bad, but he played her body like a master, bringing her pleasure over and over again, first with his mouth and hands, then when he entered her. BB was crying as he slid deep into her body. He paused, his gaze connecting to hers. “You don’t know how much I missed this,” he breathed. She was shocked to see tears in his eyes as well. “You are the most important part of my life, BrandiLynn Beatrice Jones. I love you so much.”
Those words and the subtle movements of his body made her orgasm again, and this time he joined her, his harsh cries echoing hers. They held each other as they caught their breath, sinking into the mattress even deeper together. Lincoln rested his hand on her belly and they dreamed of a future for their son or daughter. It was pure magic.
BB woke the next morning refreshed. She’d found that the pregnancy was tiring and more than once she’d had to slow down for a nap. When she woke, though, she always felt like she’d slept a solid twelve hours. Sliding from the bed she looked back at Lincoln. He slept like he’d been awake for days, and maybe he had. Gathering her clothes, she left him sleeping and went to work for a while.
Lincoln came into her office after lunch, freshly showered. “Are you going to be here for a bit? I need to run to town. I want to get meat for the new grill,” he grinned.
BB nodded. “I’ll be here. We might have some chicken in the freezer…”
He shook his freshly washed head, grinning. “Nope, won’t do. I need real, red meat.”
Laughing, she accepted his kiss, watching as he leaned over to rub on the dogs before walking out of the room. She might have watched his tight little ass as he left…
Lincoln was back within two hours, loaded down with bags. Louie bounced on his back feet, excited that his new play buddy was back. BB almost cried as Lincoln handed her a big beautiful bunch of fiery-orange lilies. They were so stunning and distinctive. Then he pulled out a box of her favorite chocolates. It wasn’t even the items that got her, it was the fact that he was trying to pamper her the way she’d grown to miss. “I love you,” she whispered, leaning toward him for another kiss.
Louie took that moment of inattention to jump up and snap at them, but the grocery bags were between them. Louie’s sharp teeth snagged one and it ripped open, dropping a container of blueberries to scatter along the floor. BB and Lincoln jerked back with a gasp. “Damn it, Louie…” he growled.
BB went down to her knees, setting the flowers on the floor beside her as she started gathering up the runaway berries. Louie, thinking this was a game too, lunged at her, scrambling them even worse. She tried to shoo him away but, butt wiggling in the air, he harrumphed at her. Lincoln started to move in and Louie, obviously looking for a final chance to be a shit, grabbed the plastic wrapper around the flowers as he spun away.
“No!” BB cried, but the damage was done. As Louie disappeared down the hallway, he left a scattering of very expensive lilies.
“Damn it, dog!” Lincoln growled, lunging after him.
BB dropped back onto her ass, laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. Lincoln thumped through the house, chasing the dog, and she shook her head. Wiping tears from her cheeks, she glanced up as he walked in, handful of bruised flowers in his fist. He saw her laughing on the floor and his own face relaxed into laughter. Crossing the kitchen, he knelt in front of her, handing her the lilies. “Not how I expected this to go,” he said with a laugh.
BB took the flowers, trying to straighten them. They would be okay.
“You know,” he said thoughtfully, his eyes brilliant, “I never could have imagined being in this position six months ago. I was lonely as well as alone, and you’ve changed the course of my life completely. I used to live to be a Navy SEAL, now I live to see the way your eyes light up, or the way you love me. I live to hear the little sounds you make when you orgasm.”
She laughed, peeling a mangled leaf from one of the flowers.
“There’s nothing I would change about us,” he continued. “Well, there is one thing,” he said thoughtfully.
BB blinked and looked up at his words, wondering what he meant. Then her eyes caught the glint of silver in the midst of the petals of one of the lilies and she had to gasp. There was a stunning solitaire in a flower shaped, diamond studded setting. Lincoln went to one knee in front of her. “BB, my love, this has been too long in coming and I want to fix it. Will you marry me and make me the proudest man in the world? Though you haven’t been a part of my life long, you are as vital to me as breathing.”
The lingering laughter turned to tears, but BB didn’t even hesitate. She nodded, unable to say anything as she fought for control. Lincoln took the flower and pulled the string holding the ring from the stem, then he held his hands out for hers. Shaking, BB held her hand out, allowing him to slip the ring onto her finger.
“I hope this fits. I called your sister Carolina to guess at your ring size.”
She laughed through her tears. “I’m sure she loved that.”
“Oh, she’s positively busting to tell anyone, but I swore her to secrecy, because I didn’t know when I was going to make it home. This has been at the jeweler for several weeks.”
BB frowned thoughtfully. “You know, she did text me a lot asking me if I’d heard from you.”
Lincoln nodded, looking at her. BB leaned over and kissed him. He wrapped her into his arms and cradled her against him. BB tucked her head under his chin, amazed at the feelings swirling through her. Six months ago, she didn’t even have a dating prospect. Now she was engaged to be married, pregnant and had a military family she never could have imagined. “Are you sure?” she whispered, breathing him in. “This has been so fast.”
Lincoln chuckled. “It’s been fast for you, maybe, but I’ve been stewing over this for the past four months. I had ordered the ring before I left in the hopes that it would be done by Christmas. I never expected to be gone this long. I love you, BB Jones. In case I haven’t been clear, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
She cried because she had to. The emotion inside her was, quite simply, overflowing, and she didn’t know what to do with th
e excess, so she poured it out over him. Lincoln held her and rocked her, telling her everything would be all right. And when the baby kicked at the sound of his voice, it seemed like agreement between the three of them.
Louie howled in the background, giving his agreement as well.
Epilogue
They decided not to open the envelope. Not right then, anyway. Later, after they had a chance to talk about everything, they might change their minds, but for now the envelope stayed under the cactus magnet on the fridge.
Lincoln’s entire SEAL Team came over the next night to celebrate. Mary arrived early to supervise the troops and to make sure BB didn’t do too much.
“When did you know I was pregnant?” BB asked as soon as the men left, looking at her friend closely.
Mary laughed, propping her hip against the kitchen counter. Her nose scrunched with guilt. “When we went to get our nails done months ago.”
BB’s mouth dropped open. “No way! That was before I even knew!”
Mary shrugged, tearing the plastic from a cheese block. “I’ve had three kids and I’ve helped more wives than I can count. But I wasn’t going to say anything until you told Lincoln.”
BB hugged her tight. “Thank you for that. I felt like crap not telling you.”
Mary laughed. “Well, you can feel like crap if you want but I understood. I think we should go celebrate and not worry about it.”
Sounded good to her.
When she walked out the door her eyes found Lincoln quickly. He stood with his buddies around the grill, looking dangerous in his faded t-shirt and tan shorts. Actually, all of the men had that look, but Lincoln was the one her heart had fallen in love with.
As if he felt her look he glanced up, the brilliant piercing color of his eyes locking on hers. And he smiled. Only for her. His gaze fell to her baby bump, slightly more visible in the dress she wore today. Then he looked back up and mouthed ‘I love you’. She mouthed it back and was struck with how ridiculously sappy she was any more.