“Of course,” she agreed. “I just have one request,” she informed. “You don’t tell him. I made this mess, it’s mine to clean up,” she said.
“I’ll agree, on one stipulation,” Seth rebounded. “I’m here when you tell him,” he said. “I’ve left him high and dry for too long now, it’s time I make it up to him.”
Lucy didn’t respond, she just merely nodded her head.
Chapter Eleven
Lucy
Almost three weeks later, February the twelfth, Lucy was released from the hospital. She smiled when the nurse pushed her wheelchair out to the pick-up area. There, standing against her mini-SUV, were her three favorite men.
Over the past few weeks Seth had doted on her like a puppy. He’d brought her flowers, red roses with little Valentine hearts dispersed between the blooms, a giant chocolate kiss and a teddy bear that said “Be Mine” with a mournful expression on his cute face. He’d sat and visited with her and then picked Jacob up from day care and headed home. Chris had merely moved into the hospital room with her, refusing to leave her side for even an hour.
It hadn’t taken long for her to remember just how deeply her feelings for Seth went. She’d kept them on a tight leash for so long, it was difficult having him in her everyday life.
She wanted to reciprocate his affection, but upon hearing what the doctors said about her prognosis, she was glad she didn’t. They were optimistic that the chemo and radiation worked, but they couldn’t promise anything. A relapse was possible. She couldn’t afford to form any new connections. Her time on this earth was iffy at best.
Of course, Chris hadn’t made things any easier. He’d played his buddy up every chance he’d gotten. She knew what he was up to and a small part of her dared to dream of a life with Seth Landers. They’d get married and finally give Jacob the family he deserved; but another part of her rebelled at the mere idea of letting herself or her precious son care for the frivolous playboy.
Although Seth argued, Lucy had asked for paternity tests in order to prove her claim. She refused to have anyone accuse her of being a gold-digger. She knew Jacob was Seth’s son. Seth had been the only man she’d ever been with, but she’d kept that little gold nugget to herself.
“Ready to go home, Mommy?” Jacob asked, his chubby little face alight with happiness.
Lucy smiled in return and waited for the nurse to lock the wheelchair. Pushing herself to stand, she almost laughed when both Chris and Seth raced to offer her a hand. She waved them both away like buzzing gnats and bent to envelope her baby in a hug so fierce she even surprised herself. All the extra physical therapy was paying off and she had gotten some of her strength back.
“You bet I am,” she whispered in Jacob’s ear. “I’ve missed you so much.” She smiled when his little arms tightened around her neck and he buried his face in the hollow of her throat.
“I’ve missed you too,” Jacob responded and then stepped back and smiled up at Seth.
“But Uncle Seth has taken good care of me,” he announced proudly. “He even made me wash behind my ears.”
All three adults chuckled at the little one’s affirmation and Lucy rose, turning a smile on Seth. He stood proud, chest protruding like he’d pitched a perfect game and won the World Series. She had to admit that he’d certainly changed in the past couple weeks. He’d gone from playboy millionaire to daddy-slash-nanny.
Trusting him with her precious child was simply the most difficult thing she’d ever done. It had been a risk, but she was glad she’d taken it. On impulse, she turned and moved toward Seth, sliding her arms around his waist for a hug.
Her entire body hummed to life when he wrapped his large arms around her still small frame. She owed him much more than he owed her.
“Thank you,” she murmured against his chest. “Thank you for taking such good care of my baby.”
She inhaled sharply when Seth leaned down and nuzzled her ear with his lips.
“Our baby,” he responded and she shivered when his warm breath brushed across her skin.
Chris cleared his throat, obviously recalling their attention back to the here and now. Lucy’s cheeks heated in a school-girl blush. She extracted herself from Seth’s tight grip and turned, motioning toward the car.
“You guys taking me home or what?” she quipped and winked at Jacob. The little boy squealed and climbed in the backseat, scooting over to allow room for her. Seth closed her door and then folded himself into the passenger seat while Chris took the wheel.
“Seatbelts,” Chris called and waited for everyone to comply before putting the car into gear. Her brother’s eyes met hers in the rearview mirror and she didn’t miss the little wink he gave her. She smiled back and nodded, happy and in the same moment, sad beyond belief. She didn’t know how long she had to live and these men were going to be almost impossible to leave.
She made a mental note to speak with Chris about her Will and let her mind wander to all the things she needed to get done. After that, she started building her bucket list.
Chapter Twelve
Seth
Now that Lucy was coming back home, Seth began making plans to get closer to her. He knew she felt their connection when she’d hugged him but convincing her that he could and would provide a good life for them as a family was going to be difficult. She hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him of their son, so he knew he had a lot to prove and he also knew that he was ready.
Chris pulled the car into Lucy’s parking space and killed the engine. Seth immediately got out and opened the door for Lucy. He smiled when her brown eyes widened in surprise. Score one for the Landers’ team, he mused to himself.
Chris extracted Jacob from his booster seat and the little tornado whirled around, pressing himself between Seth and Lucy.
“We have a surprise for you, Mommy,” Jacob declared and took her hand, pulling her toward the curb and the stairs leading to their apartment.
“You do?” Lucy asked in delight.
“Me and Uncle Seth did it,” Jacob boasted. “It was all his idea!”
Lucy looked at Seth and noticed the light blush creeping across his cheeks. She could only imagine what her creative four year old son and manly-man, Seth Landers had come up with to surprise her. She almost feared what it might be. But she allowed Jacob to slowly lead her up the stairs and once they reached their door, he stopped her and stood between herself and the door.
“You have to close your eyes,” the little boy announced.
Seth moved up behind her and pressed his chest to her back, placing his hands on her shoulders.
“I’ll cover Mommy’s eyes and lead her at the same time, that way she won’t fall,” Seth offered and moved his left hand up to gently cover the top half of her face. He wrapped his right arm around her tiny waist and pulled her even tighter against him. Lucy’s breath caught in her throat as his scent filled her nostrils. A pool of moisture bloomed in her core and she summoned every ounce of strength to quell the urge to turn in his arms and claim his lips as her own.
Her body had never reacted to another man the way it did with Seth and it both frustrated and thrilled her. But quickly on the tail of that thought came the reminder that she didn’t have long and couldn’t wrap Seth in a relationship that was doomed from the beginning. No matter how much she loved him, she wouldn’t condemn him to that kind of pain. Sure, she knew he wanted her, but she wasn’t sure how he felt about her.
She heard keys jingling and the sound of the door opening. Seth gingerly nudged her forward, helping her keep her balance and move forward at the same time. He reminded her of the threshold, told her when to pick her feet up and such until they were well into the living room. She inhaled deeply and her body melted like butter.
Home.
She was home and surrounded by the three most important people in her life. What more could a person ask for? If she died tonight, she’d die happy.
“Ready, Mommy?” Jacob asked, his voice coming from in front of he
r.
Afraid her voice would betray the touching sentimentality of her mood; she merely nodded her head and giggled when Seth struggled to keep his hand over her eyes.
“She’s trying to peek,” Seth accused and laughed, his chest vibrating against her back. It felt good to be in the comfort of his arms and she could almost allow herself to dream of a lifetime of embraces like this. If only she had the time and Seth loved her like she did him.
“Okay, Uncle Seth,” Jacob said in a serious voice. “She can look now.”
Seth tentatively removed his hand and she slowly opened her eyes. Her mouth gaped open when she took in the scene before her. New furniture and a multitude of flowers and Valentine paraphernalia filled her apartment. A new sofa sat against the wall, recliners built in on both ends and a comfy looking lounge chair sat in the corner heading toward the kitchen.
A brand new wooden dining table with four fancy chairs graced her small eating area and a tiny chandelier dangled above it, little diamonds hanging like unshed teardrops. New carpeting, in a beautiful butternut squash color, covered the floor and several side tables sat against the walls.
Tall, elaborate lamps, decked with ornate carvings of angels wrapping around the post sat in most all the corners of her living room and the shades had the small teardrop diamonds to match the chandelier.
“Want to see my room?” Jacob asked his voice high in delight and Lucy couldn’t help but emit a nervous laugh. Her emotions warred between furious that he’d dared refurnish her home – probably discarding her own possessions – without her knowledge or permission and delight that her home looked so comfy and polished. She’d always dreamed of new furniture, especially when it came to her and Jacob’s bedrooms.
She wanted the best for her son, but second-hand had been all she could ever afford.
Seth must have felt her body stiffen because he released her and moved around to stand in front of her. He took a few moments to study her reaction and then immediately began apologizing.
“I’m sorry,” he rushed out. “I can have it all taken back. I had all your old stuff put in storage. I just wanted to do something nice for you and Jacob. Please don’t be upset, I can fix this,” he rambled, running his fingers through his, now, disheveled hair.
Speechless beyond reason, Lucy reached out and placed her hand on Seth’s forearm, stopping him in his tracks. Worry marred his face like a mask.
“It’s alright,” Lucy admitted. “I’m still processing, don’t panic,” she confessed. “I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.”
“Seriously,” Seth took both her hands in his. “If you don’t like any of it, I’ll have it removed immediately. If you want something else, you name it and I’ll get it,” he offered.
“Maybe Mommy would like to sit down?” Chris looked down at Jacob and nodded toward the lounge chair. “She can always see your room after she rests a bit,” he advised when the little boy’s lower lip protruded slightly.
Lucy almost laughed at her son’s expression. Apparently he was very satisfied with his and Uncle Seth’s presentation and wanted her to take it all in – at once. She was tired but making her son happy was first on her to-do list. So, she shook her head and pulled her hands from Seth’s.
“Why don’t you show me your awesome room?” she asked, offering her son her hand. He grabbed her outstretched arm and tugged her toward his door, which she now noticed had his name painted on it in big bold letters. What she saw when she walked past the door flat stole her breath away.
The inside of his room looked like a baseball diamond had exploded. His plain little bed had been replaced by a large rectangular home plate with a wooden headboard. His comforter, pillows, sheets and floor rug were all baseball themed and a large poster adorned his far wall. She grinned as she took in the huge picture of Seth Landers in full-on pitching mode.
His color scheme was all St. Louis Cardinals.
“Look at this, Mommy,” Jacob urged and Lucy turned to take in his new chest-of-drawers. Among his normal contents, a few trophies now stood proudly among various little boy toys. Upon closer inspection, Lucy noticed they were actually Seth’s championship trophies; the newest one dated for the Cardinal’s 2011 World Series win.
“Uncle Seth gave them to me,” Jacob bragged. “Aren’t they cool?”
“Very,” Lucy agreed and turned to see Seth standing in the open doorway. She cocked her head and gave him a smirk and he responded with a shoulder shrug. He knew he’d gone overboard, but in the end she couldn’t deny the man had good taste.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “All of this is great, but Seth you didn’t have to do this,” she said and approached him. “You don’t owe us anything.”
Seth looked down at his feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Inhaling deeply, he brought those beautiful blue eyes back to her and finally smiled.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he responded, his voice low and serious. “I owe you both everything.”
* * *
Seth waited with bated breath while Lucy walked the rest of her apartment. He knew he’d taken a huge risk by refurnishing her home. But he’d wanted to give her something – hell, anything – to account for all the time he’d missed. He couldn’t express how much he admired her.
She’d experienced being pregnant and childbirth on her own. Chris had told him of how her parents had disowned her upon finding out she was pregnant. He’d gotten so angry at the two people who should’ve have been there for her no matter what. But he now understood her reluctance to involve others in her life.
Chris and Amber were the only ones she really trusted and therefore, the only ones she interacted with.
Not to mention the fact that she’d raised one hell-of-an awesome four year old boy. Seth was proud to call Jacob his son and all that kept him from shouting it from the rooftop was his promise to let Lucy be the one to tell him. He just hoped she didn’t wait too long.
She praised the living room, Jacob’s room and the dining room and had been pretty excited to see new a new refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher. She’d argued that it was the landlord’s responsibility to provide those, but Seth waved her protest away. He’d already spoken with the landlord and made sure Lucy’s rent was paid up for the next year. He secretly hoped that he’d make some progress with their relationship in that length of time and prove a proper home for their new family.
She’d noticed and only slightly commented on the Valentine’s decorations, but Seth saw the pleasure she tried to hide in her eyes and her smile.
But nothing compared to the delight in her eyes when she saw her own bedroom. She stood, frozen in the doorway and simply let her eyes roam the interior of the room. He’d bought her a California King, cherry wood canopy bed, complete with all that fancy, gauzy netting that wraps around the top and each post. It was the fanciest, most expensive one he could find and Jacob agreed that his mother would, indeed, love it.
He’d chosen a deep pink comforter and dozens of matching pillows. He’d never understood women and their desire for a multitude of pillows, but he was more than happy to oblige her. A soft, shaggy rug adorned the floor and a fancy nightstand sat beside the bed; both in various colors of pink.
“It looks like a pink cloud,” Lucy admitted on a soft breath. “It’s so beautiful,” she finished and turned those doe eyes on Seth. “I love it.”
Seth felt the heat bloom across his face and wondered why the hell he was suddenly bashful. But, ultimately he remembered it was because Lucy was more important than any other woman he’d ever been with. He wanted more than just to be a great lover, he wanted to please her in ways that had nothing to do with sex.
“If ya’ll are done sight-seeing, I have dinner ready,” Chris called from the small kitchen. “What does a man have to do to get some food around here?” he added in a low mumble.
Lucy laughed at her brother’s impatient tone and moved to brush past Seth. He gave into the urge to grab her arm as she
slid past and pulled her closer to his side. Leaning down so that he could whisper in her ear, he made the bold decision to lay it all out there.
“I’d love to test the comfort of that bed with you,” he rasped. “Just something for you to think about,” he finished and slowly opened his fingers, releasing her arm.
Chapter Thirteen
Lucy
The moment he severed their physical connection, Lucy’s skin erupted in goose pimples. She didn’t know whether it was his suggestion, her reaction to his suggestion or the fact that he’d virtually read her mind that disturbed her the most.
One look at the huge bed and all she could imagine was her and Seth, naked with limbs tangled in heated passion. Him breathing words of love and adoration and her caressing every square inch of his body.
Suddenly feeling bold, Lucy reached up and placed her hand on his chest over his heart. His eyes zeroed to hers.
“I’d like that,” she admitted and then hurried to the dining room before she could embarrass herself. Oh, she wanted him, she wanted him bad. But, her body was weak, they weren’t alone and she still questioned her bold move.
She wasn’t surprised to see new – matching – plates and silverware delicately placed around the table. Each place setting had one of those fancy napkin rings containing a real cotton towel. The placemats matched the little blue design on the plates and bowls and her inner girl squealed in glee.
“He really outdid himself,” Chris murmured, gesturing toward Seth who’d walked up beside her. “I honestly didn’t think the man had any taste at all, but looking at all this, I’m not afraid to admit I was wrong.” Her brother moved the elaborate centerpiece of daises and set a cardboard bucket of fried chicken in its place. Jacob, making multiple trips, followed with smaller containers of mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw and rolls.
A Family By Valentine: A Secret Baby Second Chance Romance Page 5