by Nikki Chase
After spending my life scrimping and saving for every single penny, money had ceased to be an issue—just like that.
Old habits die hard, though. Luke still laughs at me when I cut coupons from boxes and set a weekly food budget. But it helps me stay grounded and not forget where I came from.
I check my watch—Kayleigh’s birthday cake was supposed to be here an hour ago, but it still hasn’t turned up. I walk up to Luke and hand the baby off to him.
“Your turn for some baby-wrangling,” I say.
“You got it,” Luke says, his eyes lighting up as he takes Kayleigh into his arms. “Have you been giving your mom trouble, you little monkey?”
He lifts her above his head and starts flying her around the room like a plane, complete with sound effects. She gurgles and laughs, deliriously happy, and I smile as I watch the two of them play.
Luke’s a great Dad, just like I knew he would be. Even with all his work responsibilities and stress, he always finds the time for us.
I leave them for a moment, smiling and making small talk as I make my way through the crowd. The house is busy, packed with guests. Friends, workmates, and Luke’s relatives all stand around chatting and laughing.
I head back to the kitchen and pick up the phone, dialing the bakery’s number. “Hello? Yes, I’ve got a cake that’s supposed to be delivered today? Tessa Alder . . . What? But I specifically said today. It’s my daughter’s birthday!”
The cake isn’t ready. There’s been a mix-up about the date. I’m all ready to chew them out, but I take a deep breath and look around.
Everyone’s smiling and having a good time. The house feels like a home, something I never had growing up. There’s the clinking of glasses, the laughter of children, and that special buzz of contentedness that warms my heart.
“Never mind,” I find myself saying into the phone. “Just cancel the order, please. Have a great day.”
I set the receiver down and smile. Life’s too short to sweat the small stuff, especially when everything else is going so well.
I never could have imagined, in my darkest days, ever being this happy. I’ve got everything: a handsome, successful husband, a beautiful little girl, and good friends by my side.
I interrupt Claire and Brock, who are getting along like a house on fire. “Claire, did you say that you brought a cake with you?”
“Yeah. I’ve got a little caterpillar one, it’s really cute! It’s only a grocery store one though.”
“That’s fine. In the fridge?” I ask.
She nods, her gaze already drifting toward Brock.
“I’ll leave you two alone, shall I?” I ask. But she’s already forgotten me, her hand on Brock’s arm, her eyes devouring him hungrily.
Poor guy. He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. Ah well, he’s a big boy, he can handle himself . . . I hope.
I retrieve the dinky little cake and carry it through to the den, where Luke is now on all fours, stalking around the room with a yelling Kayleigh on his back.
“Okay, Mr. Tiger,” I laugh. “Time for some cake!”
I scoop up Kayleigh while he sticks a single candle into the cake. He throws me a questioning look. “Didn’t we order a different cake?”
I shrug as he lights the candle. He clinks a fork against the side of his glass and everyone crowds around, singing Happy Birthday as Kayleigh does her best to blow the candle out, probably covering the cake in dribble. She looks thoroughly impressed with herself as the candle eventually sputters out and everyone cheers.
Luke hands Kayleigh off to his mom, then beckons me over. He wraps a loving arm around me, smiling warmly.
“I just wanted to say a few words,” he says, clearing his throat. “Humor me, then I’ll let you get back to your wine.”
A ripple of good-natured laughter, then silence. All eyes are on us.
“As all of you know, about a year and a half ago I went on a little weekend trip to Vegas. And, as most of you also know, I came away from that trip a married man. To say that it was planned . . . well, it wasn’t planned. My beautiful wife here, she gets some wild ideas in her head sometimes. I’m just along for the ride.”
My face is burning and I elbow him, to the amusement of the crowd.
“But that night in Vegas . . . it was the best night of my life. Tessa taught me what it means to be spontaneous, to just let life grab you and drag you, kicking and screaming, wherever she wants you to be. It was fate that we met that night, it was meant to be. I really believe that.”
I’m struggling to hold it together as I listen to his heartfelt words.
He turns to me and looks me deep in the eyes. “Tessa, I know it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, and I know that we’ve had our difficulties. But I want you to know that you make me the happiest, luckiest man in the world. You’ve given me the greatest gift a man could ever have in our beautiful daughter, and I can’t wait to see what our future holds. Together, forever.”
It’s not only my eyes that are watering now. I hear a few sniffles from our guests.
Luke leans down and kisses me, just like the first time, his soft lips pressed against mine. Cheers and applause all around as we kiss. I feel safe in his arms—secure, comforted, loved.
I know that I made the right decision that night in Vegas. I used to think that I was too impulsive, that I made bad choices.
But that all led me here, to this: wonderful, loving husband, a beautiful family, and the best friends a girl can possibly ask for.
I can see our future, stretching out in front of us, and I can’t be happier.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Tessa and Luke’s story. :)
Want to know just what exactly happened to Gio, Tessa’s first husband? Check out Claiming His Baby.
Bonus: His Virgin
A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance
Caine
“Hey! There’s a line here!” shouts a man somewhere behind me.
He sounds angry, but I don’t give a fuck. The Chief of Medicine himself said we’d always get the priority here, so that guy can go to another hospital if he wants.
I guarantee, though, that there’s no place in the world where everyone is treated equally. That’s just a hippie pipe dream.
Hey, I don’t make the rules. I just happen to be good at this game called life, and I’ll admit there were also quite a few lucky rolls of the dice.
So there are benefits to being a Foster. You can hardly blame a man for taking advantage of all the privileges he’s been given, especially at a time like this.
A young nurse behind the laminate counter fixes her green eyes on me like she’s ready to chew me out. “Sir, I’ll have to ask you to go back to the end of the—”
“Listen,” I say calmly, cutting her off. “Maybe you’re new and you have no idea how things work around here, so I’m going to let that attitude slide. You’re going to do exactly as I say or you’re going to lose your job. Understand?”
She looks bewildered, her pretty green eyes big as saucers. No doubt her training hasn’t prepared her for this. To her credit, she shuts up and gives me a small nod.
There’s a hint of defiance in the way she clenches her jaw. She’s indignant, but she doesn’t want to get fired. Smart girl.
Under normal circumstances, I’d crush every little sign of impudence in her. She looks exactly like the kind of girl I’d enjoy doing that to. But this is not the time.
“Daisy,” I say as I glance at the name tag on her chest. “Get someone who’s in charge and tell them Robert Foster needs immediate attention. Repeat the name for me so I know you understand me.”
“Robert Foster,” she says with a pair of furrowed brows over her angry eyes. She’s not happy about being treated like an imbecile, but I need to know she’s going to relay the correct message. My father needs immediate medical attention; who cares if her feelings get hurt?
“Good girl. Now go,” I say.
I’d love to watch her walk
away. The baby-blue scrubs she’s wearing don’t cling to her body, but I can just make out some little indications of the tantalizing curves underneath. I’m sure I could get a better idea if I took a better look.
I have more important things to do, though. I turn around to see the automatic glass doors of the main entrance part to let Pop into the lobby of St. Peter’s Hospital. Some guy from the office has managed to find a wheelchair for him.
Pop is clutching his chest. He looks like he’s in pain. His breaths are labored, his whole body covered in a layer of cold sweat.
Seeing him in that condition makes me want to shout at somebody to fix him right away, or at least give him something to get rid of the pain. The man seems weak; it just looks wrong.
“Mr. Foster?” A voice from behind the counter calls me. A man’s voice this time, alert and ready to jump into action. When I turn around, I see him already taking big strides around the counter to approach me.
Good. This is the kind of urgency I expect from one of the biggest recipients of our corporate charity program.
“My father needs help.” I put one hand on the back of the man in scrubs and lead him toward the wheelchair. I have no idea who he is, but he knows who we are and that’s all that matters.
He rushes toward Pop, a couple of younger men in scrubs following behind him.
I watch from the sidelines as the men do what they do best. This is the best damn hospital in San Francisco, and this is exactly why we’re so generous toward them—for times like this.
I take deep breaths and follow the men down the hallway. Depressing fluorescent lighting and the smell of disinfectants fill my senses. My muscles slacken a little, knowing Pop is in good hands, even as my heart continues beating faster than usual.
I ball my hands into fists. If it weren’t for them, my father wouldn’t be in this condition.
Fucking cops.
Daisy
“Are you okay?” Katie touches my arm softly, but it’s enough to make me jump in surprise. She gives me a mischievous grin when I turn to look at her. “I love when I accidentally manage to prank you. I wasn’t even trying.”
I shoot her a dirty look. I’m not in the mood for any of her shenanigans today.
Don’t get me wrong, I love how fun Katie is. That’s why we hang out a lot since we were in nursing school together, and also why we decided to get an apartment together.
Turns out she sucks as a roommate; she’s messy, loud, and makes a habit of bringing home a carousel of men into her room—a different one every weekend.
But she’s my best friend, and my surrogate family. The only family I have, other than Jack.
“What happened? You look like you want to stab those potatoes to death.” Katie drops her plastic tray on the table and pulls out the chair across from me, the metal legs dragging noisily against the linoleum floor. She ignores the annoyed stares of other hospital workers around us in the cafeteria.
“An asshole happened,” I say curtly as I impale another piece of potato with my fork and put it in my mouth.
“Oh, that’s right. I heard you met Caine Foster.”
“Yeah.”
I’m not surprised Katie knows his name. Apparently, I’m the only person in the entire hospital who hadn’t heard about that guy. Caine Foster, everybody says, his name always mentioned in full and in a voice full of admiration.
“Tell me all about it.” Katie picks up her ham and cheese sandwich and looks at me with anticipation.
“There’s nothing to tell. An asshole came. He was rude. That’s all.”
“Damn. Everybody else is raving about how hot he is and how lucky you are to have talked to him. And here you are, acting like it was nothing.”
“It was nothing.” I shrug.
“Yeah, sure. That’s why you’re fuming. Because it was nothing.” Katie takes a big bite of her sandwich and raises her eyebrows.
“Okay, fine. It wasn’t nothing. He was condescending and entitled. He acted like he’s superior. He treated me like an idiot.” The red-hot anger in my chest flares up again, the fire kindled by Katie’s comment. Now I remember all the infuriating things he said, the words I’ve been trying to forget all day.
Good girl. Like I’m his damn dog.
“Well, he is superior, if you think about it. Let's see. Caine Foster is rich, hot, and he practically holds Dr. Pratt’s balls in his hands. In what way is he not superior?”
“Why would he have Dr. Pratt’s… Why would he have anything to do with Dr. Pratt?”
“Oh, Daisy. You sweet summer child. You can't even say balls.” Katie grins. “It's not even technically a bad word. Even kids say balls all the time. Hell, they play with balls.”
I grimace. “That's...disturbing.”
“What? That kids play with balls?” The grin on Katie’s face widens.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
“Oh, Daisy!” Katie gasps and places a hand over her mouth. “Honestly, that is nasty. Get your mind out of the gutter, young lady.”
I give Katie a flat stare. With impatience, I ask, “What's the connection between the Chief of Medicine and the asshole?”
“You're no fun today.” Katie sighs. In a low, gossipy tone, she says, “The hospital got into big debt when we built the new wing, which was Dr. Pratt's idea. We almost had to abandon the project halfway through because the construction ended up costing way more than expected. The Foster family bailed us out.”
“That's crazy, that a family can be that rich.”
“Right?”
I nod. “I feel bad for Dr. Pratt now.” I know how it feels to be chained down by debt and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
“Why? It's not like he has to pay them back. They saved his ass.”
“Yeah. And now they own his ass.” I know how debts work. They're never free.
“I guess,” Katie admits. “But all he has to do is give them preferential treatment occasionally, when they need medical attention. It's a small price to pay for a new hospital wing, don't you think?”
“No, he just sold the dignity of the entire hospital. Now we have to do what they say, no matter how crazy the request, or how rude they are.”
Katie narrows her eyes at me. “What exactly did Caine Foster ask you to do?”
I pause, hesitant. I know Katie’s not going to get it. She had to be there to see it for herself to get it.
“He skipped the line, and he wanted me to call someone who's in charge,” I say.
“That's it? Jesus, the way you act, I thought he wanted your firstborn.” Katie breaks into another grin and adds, “Or your virginity.”
“Hey! Not so loud.” I look around to check that nobody's heard what Katie has just said.
I'm already twenty-one, and it's embarrassing that I’m still a virgin. I feel like people would treat me differently if they knew.
“Word on the street is, Caine Foster is an absolute beast in bed. He knows what he’s doing, if you know what I mean.” Katie moves her eyebrows up and down to emphasize her point. She takes a deep breath, stares into the distance, and lets out a dreamy sigh. “Oh, what I wouldn't give to have my first time be with a guy like Caine Foster.”
I roll my eyes. “That ship has sailed, a long time ago.”
“Ouch!” Katie winces and looks me in the eyes. “Words hurt, Daisy.”
It's my turn to grin. I don't know when it happened, but talking to Katie has cheered me up after all. I still hate Caine Foster's guts, but now I'm mostly wondering how nice it would be to have that kind of money.
“God, the number of problems I could solve if I just had enough money…”
“Hey, Daisy, you still need money?” Katie pops her head into my room as she leans on the door frame.
“Err... Hello, have we met?” I look up from Jack’s homework, lean back on the headboard, and squint at Katie. “I always need money.”
“Good.”
“Good?” I frown.
“Yeah. I
mean, I have good news for you… But only if you still need money. And since you do, well, I have good news for you.” Katie grins and beckons with her hand. “Come outside.”
I glance at Jack, my twelve-year-old brother, who’s playing a game on my old phone while sitting in front of the cheap particleboard desk by the small window, the only window in the room. “Hey, you have five more minutes to play and then you need to finish this homework, okay?”
He grunts in reply, not even bothering to look up.
I roll my eyes. Teenagers.
It wasn’t too long ago that I was a teenager myself, but I had to grow up quickly, considering my childhood.
I started working really hard as soon as it was legal for me to get a job, so I could move out of Mom’s as soon as I turned eighteen. Then, I continued to bust my ass so Jack could move in with me.
I didn’t want him to have to endure Mom’s verbal abuse longer than he had to, or deal with her lousy boyfriends. Sure, nobody ever beat us up or anything, but that woman doesn’t have her shit together and shouldn’t have had kids. I know what hell it is to live with her.
Now that Jack’s here, he can actually play and study in peace. I ruffle his hair as I get up and walk away before he can swat at my hand.
Outside, in the living room, I join Katie on our second-hand Ikea couch. The seat is hard and sagging from years of use. There’s no give when I plant my butt down on it.
Katie’s grinning from ear to ear, which is always a bad sign. Whatever plan she has in her head, it must be diabolical.
“So, what’s your big idea? Rob a bank? Mess with an old lady’s will so we’ll inherit all her wealth?”
“Have some faith in me, Daisy. I would never hurt another person. First, do no harm, remember?” The grin remains plastered on Katie’s face, which doesn’t instill me with much confidence in her good will.
“Alright, let’s hear it.” I take a deep breath. This can be anything.