by E. L. Todd
But I reminded myself I took care of Abby every day and I did a decent job. A baby would be more work but I would be able to handle it.
Right?
“Everything alright?” Arsen came to my side and grabbed the washed plates in the sink and placed them in the dishwasher.
I didn’t hear what he said and kept going.
“Beauty?”
“Hmm?” I turned to him, the sponge in my hand.
“I asked if you were alright.”
“Oh…yeah I’m fine.”
“You were quiet during dinner.”
“Just thinking about work and stuff…”
Arsen continued to eye me like he didn’t believe me.
“Thanks for helping me with the dishes.” I need to stay something quickly otherwise he would still pester me. I wasn’t ready to talk about the pregnancy. I was still shocked. I knew he would be happy so there was nothing to be scared of.
But I had to come to terms with it first.
***
Dad walked inside with his hands in his pockets. “Hey, sweetheart. How’s it going?”
I knew exactly why he was there. It was the reason Mom had called me so many times. I hadn’t returned her calls because I knew exactly what she wanted. But she couldn’t get away from work like Dad could. “Good. You?”
“Great.” He sat at the table. “I just did a tattoo of a mermaid made out of multi-colored scales. Looks pretty cool.”
“That sounds nice.” I put my sculpture away then returned to the table.
“So…did you take the test?”
I still wasn’t ready to talk about it. But both of my parents already suspected it. “Dad…” My bottom lip trembled and I felt a breakdown approaching. “I just…”
When Dad saw my lip quiver he rose to his feet and wrapped his arms around me. “Sweetheart, it’ll be alright. Don’t be scared.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Yes, you can.” He pulled away and gave me an affectionate look. “You are amazing with Abby. Both of you are. I have no doubt you will be an extraordinary parent.”
“Really?” I whispered. “I don’t work too much? I’m not too serious?”
“Of course not. You’re always there for Abby no matter what. You’ll do the same with this little one.” He squeezed my shoulders. “I was scared when I found out I was having you. And you know what? Having you and Slade has been the greatest and most rewarding experience of my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“But you’re perfect…”
He chuckled. “Silke, I’m nothing close to perfect. But I love both of you with all my heart. Just love your child and everything will be fine.”
“It’s just sudden…”
“Everything happens for a reason.” He brought me close to him. “I know you don’t see it right now, but this is one of the greatest days of your life. There’s nothing like being pregnant. Just ask your mother.”
Feeling more calm, I rested my head against his shoulder.
“Arsen will be very happy. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“I’m not ready to tell him.”
“Why not?”
“I need time to come to terms with it myself. And I don’t want anyone to know right now.”
“Why?” He pulled away with a quizzical expression on his face.
“Conrad and Lexie are about to get married. I don’t want to steal their thunder.”
He rolled his eyes. “I really don’t think either of them will care.”
“I’d still rather not. I can wait until after the wedding.”
“Well, that’s considerate.”
“And it’ll give me time to process all of this. I know Arsen will be happy. So will Abby. But I guess it’s just so life changing. My existence will never be the same.”
“In a good way,” he said. “And if you ever really feel worried about it, just think about this. Slade has a baby. If he can do it, you can do it.”
I chuckled when I didn’t think it was possible. “You’re right.”
“So just relax. Take some time to soak it in. But once we are back in New York after the wedding you need to tell him.”
I nodded. “I will.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Roland
I walked past my dad’s assistant and walked inside with the bag of take-out on my arm. “Hey, Dad. I got subs from that place you like.”
He was leaning back in the chair with the phone held to his ear. He glanced at me and gave me a quick wave. “I think a round of golf sounds great. But we’ll have to do it tomorrow because I’m leaving for a week.” He listened to the other end of the line. “Hawaii. My nephew is getting married. Yeah, thanks. And don’t tell Scarlet about golf. She’ll have my ass for it. Her orders are to sit around all day and hardly move.” He chuckled. “Yeah, she’s a bit protective. Alright, see you then, John.” He hung the phone on the receiver. “Hey, son.”
“Hey, Dad.” I set the bag on his desk. “I got you a sandwich. They had that salad you like so I picked that up too.” I pulled the containers out of the bag and set his meal up with the utensils.
Dad watched me, his eyes locked to mine.
“What?”
“It’s very thoughtful but you don’t need to get me lunch every day. I have an assistant.”
“I don’t mind. I was on my way.” His stitches had been taken out and he looked as good as new. He was a little thinner because his muscle mass decreased while he was on bedrest. But other than that, he looked good.
“I can also get lunch myself too,” he reminded me.
“Why would you do that when you have a son to get it for you?” I set the glass of iced tea in front of him then sat down with my food. I spent every lunch hour at my dad’s office. Sometimes Heath came by when he wasn’t piled under a stack of work.
Dad chuckled. “True. But I don’t want you to worry about me. I’m fine, really.”
“I know…” I almost lost my father twice, and I was an ass to him when I shouldn’t have been. Now that I understood how much I took him for granted I never wanted to do that again. I couldn’t picture my life without him.
Dad studied me, the wisdom behind his eyes. “Ro, you need to forgive yourself. I have.”
“I was an ass…”
“I was an ass too. Don’t forget that.”
“But…” I opened my container and stared at my sandwich. “I almost lost you.” My eyes welled up with tears immediately and I didn’t even know where they came from.
“Roland.” Dad came around the desk and kneeled at my feet just the way he used to when I was a child.
“I took you for granted when I shouldn’t have. I can’t picture my life without you. I wouldn’t know what do with myself. I don’t want to make the same mistake again. I love you, Dad.”
Dad grabbed both of my arms and gave them a gentle squeeze. “I love you too, son. But I’m not going anywhere for a very long time. I’m gonna be here every single day to love you, protect you, and annoy the shit out of you.”
I stopped crying when a laugh escaped my throat.
“Stop thinking about the future and the past. Just live in the moment. I’m here with you now. Let’s move forward and be happy.”
I nodded and wiped my tears away with the back of my forearm. I was a grown man and shouldn’t be crying but I couldn’t help it. When it came to my family I was sensitive and emotional.
“You know what?”
“Hmm?”
“That was a total nightmare but something good came out of it. We’re a lot closer because of it. And that makes it all worth it.”
“Yeah…I guess so.”
He patted my shoulder before he stood up. “So, excited about your cousin’s wedding?” He sat behind his desk and pulled the salad toward him. He grabbed his fork and began to eat.
“Yeah. He asked me to be his best man.”
“That’s awesome. We’ll have a lot of fun in
paradise.”
“I think so too. Heath and I just went on our honeymoon but we’re down for another trip.” I opened my container and grabbed my sandwich by both hands. It was a meatball sub and it was messy as hell.
“So…any kids anytime soon?”
I rolled my eyes because he was already being annoying.
“Sorry, after Slade and Trinity had Ryan I started thinking about you two.”
“I think Heath and I just want it to be us for a while.”
“That’s smart. I loved having you and Skye but I did miss that alone time with your mother. You won’t get it again until you’re my age so treasure it while you can.”
“You have Cedric anyway. It’s not like you don’t have a grandson.”
“Yeah…he’s pretty great.” Dad smiled to himself before he took another bite of his salad. “She told me they’re trying for another one. I hope that happens soon. Your mother and I could never have enough grandchildren.”
“We’ll probably have two,” I said. “So you’ll have four grandkids.”
“Awesome. That’s a lot of spoiling we have to do.”
“And babysitting.”
He laughed. “Your mom would love that. I can picture four kids running around the house while she chases them everywhere.”
“Well, she wouldn’t babysit for long then.”
The office door opened and Slade walked inside, Ryan inside a satchel that hung from Slade’s chest. Straps went over his shoulders and Ryan faced forward, his feet dangling from the holes at the bottom. “What’s up?” He shut the door and sat down like nothing was unusual.
Slade removed Ryan from the carrying device then rested him in the crook of his arm. “What’s the smell? Meatballs?”
“What the hell are you wearing?” I blurted.
“It’s a baby case,” Slade said. “It allows me to walk around hands free.” He took on half of my sandwich and took a bite. “I just ate lunch but I’m still hungry.”
I didn’t care about the sandwich because I was still surprised Slade walked around like that. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Dude, it’s awesome,” he said. “I can go grocery shopping, have lunch, walk around downtown and do pretty much everything.”
“You can do that with a stroller too,” I reminded him.
“Nah.” He spoke with his mouth full. “This is easier. What’s up, Uncle Sean?”
“Nothing much,” Dad answered. “How about you?”
“Trinity needed some alone time so I decided to take Ryan out for a walk.” He finished the sandwich in a few bites and had sauce all over his face.
I handed him a napkin. “She needs a break? Aren’t mothers obsessed with their kids?”
Slade immediately got defensive. “Hey, she just had my baby two weeks ago. She’s still in pain, her nipples are sore, and she barely gets any sleep because she has to check on him all night long. She deserves some off time here and there.”
I raised both of my hands. “Sorry…I didn’t mean anything by that.”
“Well, watch your mouth,” he snapped. “Just because she’s the woman doesn’t mean she’s solely responsible for childcare. That’s sexiest and you know it.”
Dad covered her lips with his fingertips and tried not to laugh.
“Dude, I said I was sorry,” I said. “You can chill now.”
“You better be sorry.” He grabbed my bag of chips and immediately began to devour them.
“Anyway…” Dad tried to break the tension. “Excited for Hawaii?”
“Hell yeah,” Slade answered. “Ryan will love it. Maybe I can find a sea turtle to show him.”
“Are you going to marry Conrad and Lexie?” I asked.
“Hmm…I don’t know,” Slade answered. “They haven’t ask me. But I probably will because, you know, I marry everyone.”
“I think it would be nice,” Dad said. “You’re Trinity’s husband, who’s his sister. Makes sense.”
“And I’m just good at it.” He looked down at Ryan, who was staring up at the ceiling with fascination. “Maybe Ryan can help his old man out, huh?” He tickled his stomach lightly until Ryan chuckled. “Awe…look at that smile.”
I’d never seen Slade be so sensitive, not even with Trinity. I watched him in fascination as he got lost in his son. I couldn’t picture myself as a parent right now, but seeing that interaction made me warm up to the idea.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Trinity
“Alright, baby?” Slade adjusted the blanket on my lap while he held Ryan with one arm.
“Yeah, I just hate flying…” It was an irrational fear but I couldn’t shake it. Having no control over my destiny was a struggle. I like to have a say in what happened next. But now I was at the mercy of the pilot and the engines.
“It’ll be alright. We’ll be there in no time. Just relax.”
“I’ll try.” I extended my hands because I wanted my baby back. It was one thing that could comfort me no matter what circumstance.
Slade handed him over and placed him on my thighs.
My hands scooped him from either side and I stared into his cute little face. “He looks just like you.”
“I know.” He leaned in and looked down. “You know, I didn’t realize having a baby could be so cool. He’s just a little dude. I went grocery shopping with him the other day and we had a good time.”
“He’s perfect.” I felt his small feet and gave him gentle tickles.
“You wanna make another one?”
“Right now?” I asked with a laugh. “I have to wait at least three months.”
“Then let’s start in three months.”
“You’re serious?” I asked.
“We’ve always wanted to have them close in age, right?”
“Yeah…”
“I think it’s a great idea. Hopefully, we’ll have a girl this time.”
My heart ached when I heard that confession. “Awe…”
“And maybe she’ll look just like you. I can see your face every time I look at her.”
“That sounds nice.”
“So…how about we try in three months?”
“You’ve convinced me.”
“But we can have sex before that, right?” he asked in fear.
I chuckled. “Yes, Slade. We can have sex before that.”
“Oh, thank fucking god.”
Skye walked to our row with Cedric held against her chest. “Can we visit Ryan?”
“Yeah sure.” Slade undid his safety belt and left the chair. “I’ll go hang with Cayson.” He moved to the chair Skye had just vacated and sat down.
Skye took the seat and laid Cedric on her thighs. We were on Sean’s private jet so we could move about the cabin whenever we wanted. That made the flight a lot less difficult. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“How are you feeling? I have some ginger in my purse if you need some.”
“I’m okay. But thanks.”
Skye peered down into Ryan’s face. “Awe…so stinkin’ cute.”
“Thanks…I’ve never been so in love.”
“I know what you mean. Cayson used to be my whole world until Cedric was born.”
Cedric had grown a lot in the past year. He was significantly larger than the newborn in my lap. “Slade and I are going to have another one as soon as I can conceive.”
“Awe. That’s exciting.”
“Slade wishes we could start right now,” I said with a laugh.
“I remember going through that with Cayson. The second the doctor said everything was okay he wanted to go for it.”
“So, have you guys made baby #2?” They didn’t struggle making the first one so they shouldn’t have a problem with the second one. It was a lot more difficult for Slade and me to get pregnant.
Skye grinned from ear-to-ear, and her cheeks reddened as well.
“Skye…are you pregnant?” I kept my voice down so no one would hear.
&nb
sp; She nodded. “I went to the doctor yesterday for a check-up. That’s when I found out.”
“Oh my god—”
“Shh!” She placed her forefinger over her lips. “I haven’t told Cayson yet.”
“Why the hell not?” I asked.
“I don’t want to ruin Conrad’s day by announcing I’m pregnant. I’ll tell Cayson when we get there but I don’t want anyone else to know right now. So you keep your lips shut.”
“Can I tell Slade?”
“Absolutely not. He’ll tell Cayson in a heartbeat.”
“Oh, come on. He wouldn’t do that. He would never take that moment away from the two of you.”
After a moment of consideration, she agreed. “Okay. But only him.”
“Okay. I’m so excited for you.”
“I’m excited too. Hopefully, Cedric will have a sister to play with.”
“If I get pregnant in three months they’ll be so close in age.”
“It’s perfect,” Skye said.
“I don’t know how you’re going to keep this bottled inside for another day. I’d have to blurt it out.”
“I’m trying not to think about it. Cayson will be so excited.”
“He’ll be over the moon.”
Cedric started to cry in her arms, his hands forming little fists.
“He’s hungry.” Skye stood up with Cedric in her arms. “I’m going to give him lunch. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“Alright.” I zipped my lips so she knew I would keep her secret.
She returned to her seat and Slade came back. He sat down and immediately looked at Ryan. “Good. He’s still as cute as he was when I left.”
“I have to tell you something.” There was no way I was keeping this in until we landed.
“What?”
“You have to keep it a secret. Don’t tell Cayson.”
“Oh no. Skye is getting a boob job, isn’t she?”
“What?” Both of my eyebrows rose.
“Cayson likes them big but he doesn’t need them any bigger. Trust me on that.”
“What?” I repeated. “No, she’s not getting a boob job.”
“Is she going back to PIXEL?” He shook his head. “Cayson won’t be happy about that. He wants her to stay home. He’s told me that before.”