by LeAnn Ashers
“Why do I feel like you won’t be satisfied until I am bed bound?”
He looks back, a wicked grin on his face. “Because I won’t be. You in bed all the time leaves you at my mercy.”
I smack his ass hard. “Behave.”
* * *
“Time to get up.” Wilder shakes me for the tenth time and, at this point, I am ready to murder him.
“Why?” I ask, my face half muffled by my pillow.
“I made an appointment for the baby doctor this morning,” he informs me, and I flip him off.
“Baby.” He laughs and shakes me again.
“Travis!” I scream. I pull the blanket that Wilder is trying to tear away from me, opening my eyes for the first time, and I glare at him.
The door opens, revealing Travis. He takes in the sight of us and laughs.
“Help me.” I kick my legs at Wilder, who catches them and pulls me down the bed.
“Sorry, no can do,” Travis says. “We have a baby appointment.”
I raise my head, looking at him. “We?”
He just winks, walking out of the room. I repeat, I don’t understand men one bit. Travis was supposed to be my friend, but he betrayed me.
“Traitor!” I yell.
He peeks in the door and flips me off.
“Wilder, he just cursed me.”
“Want me to kick his ass?” Wilder asks.
“Yes!” I hiss and flip Travis off in retaliation.
Wilder gets off the bed, looking like he is actually going to kick his ass. “I was kidding, Wilder.” I laugh.
He arches an eyebrow. “I wasn’t.”
Don’t I know it. “I will be down in a few minutes, let me get dressed.”
“That’s my girl.”
I roll my eyes. He is so lucky I love him, or I wouldn’t be getting up at the ass crack of dawn. The clock just striking eight o’clock.
Wilder
“You’re one lucky bastard,” Travis tells me, leaning against the wall in the kitchen.
He is right there—I am one lucky man. Joslyn is pregnant with my baby, and I am going to marry her ass and keep her pregnant.
There is no better feeling than seeing your woman pregnant with your child. I was already possessive of her, but that has doubled.
Travis is lonely. I’m seeing that for the first time, and I’ve got to admit that was me, all of those months ago, before I had Joslyn. You never know what your life is missing until you have it.
“Travis, she is out there, man.”
He stares at the wall. “I know she is, man. Makes you wonder what she will be like.”
I grin thinking of the woman he will get stuck with. I bet you a hundred fucking dollars she drives him crazy.
Joslyn
I watch in utter horror as the doctor squirts lube on this wand thing that she is about to put up my vag. But I turn my head and relax after the procedure begins, letting her do her job.
A few seconds later a sound blasts through the room, and I look at the screen. “There’s our little bean,” I whisper, my voice choking.
“It’s a boy, I feel it,” Wilder tells me, hand on my stomach. His hand has stayed there since the moment I got up.
“The baby’s heartbeat sounds good, everything seems to be going well,” the doctor says. She prints off the pictures and hands them to me. “Here is a prescription for prenatal vitamins.”
The doctor turns everything off, and Wilder helps me off the bed. “I will let you get dressed, and the front desk will schedule your next appointment.”
She opens the door, revealing Darla, Travis, and my father. The doctor sidesteps, allowing the others through. Darla rushes over and takes the pictures from me, and she shows them to Walker. “Look!”
I lean my head against Wilder, enjoying the sight of them all excited and happy. Walker is just staring down at the picture and then back at my stomach. I feel like he is fighting something. I need to spend time alone with him. I want to get to know him on a more personal level.
“Dad, want to come over and spend the day with me?”
He grins. “I would love that, Baby.”
I would say we could go out to eat, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to be out in the open any more than we have to be.
I scratch my nose, and something catches on my lip when I bring my hand up. I see a ring on my left hand with a huge diamond encrusted with small ones. “What is this?” I spin around and look at Wilder, who is smiling like he is having the time of his life.
“It’s an engagement ring,” he says nonchalantly.
I blink at him. What? “You’re supposed to ask me…” What kind of caveman move is this?
Wilder puts his hands on either side of my face. “Baby, I love you. You’re carrying my baby, and my cut is on your back. You’re already mine, but call me selfish—I want the rest of the world to know it too.”
How could someone say no to that? “Fine.” I sigh, and I laugh at the incredibility of it. Only Wilder would do something like this.
“I am craving Mexican food,” I tell him and he shakes with laughter. Even though I just got engaged, the thought of food is not leaving my mind for a second.
He bends down and kisses me on the lips softly. I can feel the love and tenderness coming through this kiss—I feel it down to my soul. Without a doubt he loves me as much as I love him. He breaks the kiss and puts his lips next to my ear, whispering something only I can hear. “God, I love you so much.”
I squeeze his forearms, trying to my hold myself together. I was already emotional before getting knocked up, but now I know it’s only going to get worse.
17
Joslyn
Three Months Later
“Man, I didn’t do anything!” Travis begs. Wilder is holding him down by his neck. He walked in to the sight of me crying and Travis telling me he was sorry.
“What happened?” Wilder asks me. He is shaking with anger.
His loud voice makes me sob harder. “He ate my Hershey bar.” I bury my face in my hands. I just can’t seem to stop crying.
Wilder roars with laugher and lets Travis go.
“You’re crazy,” Travis whispers under his breath.
Satan takes over my body, and my head whips up to Travis, whose face is pale. I glare at him. “I will not make you food anymore.”
He pales further. “Joslyn, I am sorry.”
“Don’t ‘Honey’ me!” I scream and scramble off the couch to the kitchen. Today has not been my day. I have morning sickness and my back hurts; then he ate my candy.
I just started crying and I don’t know why, but now that it is over I feel a lot better. Honestly, life has gone back to normal. The cartel has kind of slipped off the radar, but we have not let our guard down.
I get the food I just cooked out of the oven: three plates of steaks and fries with a side of veggies. I set my and Wilder’s food on the coffee table, and I catch the look on Travis’s face. I suck in my lips to hide my laughter; he looks like I kicked his puppy.
I go back and grab his plate, and I roll my eyes at the sight of his hopeful expression. Travis is like my younger brother; I love him so much one second and, the next second, I want to hurt him. I do consider Travis my brother. He comes over every day, along with my dad and Tristan. My dad also comes to every one of my ob-gyn appointments, and every day we get closer to the birth of our baby.
Darla is the mom I never had, and she has been there for me through every part of my pregnancy. I am still new at this, and I am scared half the time. I run into something unexpected, and it scares me to death. Darla is always there to talk me down, reassuring me. Wilder is worse than I am—never come to him with questions, or I’ll be dragged off to the hospital.
Which did happen. I told Wilder I was a little dizzy, and he carried me to the truck and took me to the hospital. Then he told everybody that I was at the hospital, and twenty minutes later half the club was there. I thought poor Darla was going to fall over.
<
br /> I hand Travis his plate, and he smiles at me. See? You have to love him. I plop down on the couch next to Wilder, who has already cut up my steak.
I stare at the wall, collecting myself. “Wilder, why did you cut up my steak?” I ask calmly and Travis laughs.
Wilder laughs. “I was afraid you were going to cut yourself,” he confesses and I just melt into a pile of goo, even though what he did is strange. He is over the top, but that’s Wilder.
If I have a little boy, I just know he’s going to be a little Wilder, but I secretly hope I have a little girl. I want to see her drive Wilder crazy.
Nausea hits me all of a sudden, and I put my plate on the coffee table in front of me. “What’s wrong?” Wilder asks.
I shake my head, because I am afraid if I talk I am going to be sick. My stomach turns once again, and I jump off the couch and hurry to the bathroom.
I bend over the toilet, throwing up everything I have eaten all day. “Fuck, Baby,” Wilder whispers harshly and pulls my hair back into a bun. I sit down on the floor, my head resting on my forearms. My body is hurting at this point, and I don’t want to mention my head. I take the washcloth Wilder hands me and clean my face, only to get sick again.
“Oh God,” I whisper, my eyes closed.
“Let me take you upstairs.” He lifts me off the ground, and my head falls to his chest. I try not to think about my sick stomach.
“Travis, call the doctor and have him come here. I believe she has gotten the bug going around.”
Oh God, I surely hope not. I don’t need the flu on top of being pregnant—the stomach flu at that. Wilder hurries up the stairs, and I smack his shoulder. I am already sick again.
He sits down on the floor with me in his lap, and I try to push him away, not wanting him to see this.
“Don’t even try that shit with me, Joslyn.” He gently sets me on the floor; then he strips out of his clothes and turns on the shower. He pulls me up. My whole body is shaking and I feel weak.
I have morning sickness and that is not fun—it leaves me feeling weak all day—but this is just horrible. It hit me all at once, but it could also explain why I was so emotional.
He takes off my clothes, and I follow him into the shower. My eyes closed, I get under the spray. It is scalding hot at this point, but I just want to get warm.
Wilder washes me and I just stand there like an invalid. This is so different from my previous life. Whenever I was sick I just slept in the bathroom in front of the toilet, because I was scared to get up and down too much and I had no one to take care of me.
The need to throw up hits me again, and I put my hand over my mouth. Wilder takes me over to the toilet. I still feel the conditioner in my hair.
He pushes a toothbrush into my mouth and brushes my teeth, and I just stare at him. If it is possible I just fell in love with him all over again. “I love you,” I whisper, and my face falls onto his chest. I am perched on the counter.
“Through sickness and health, sweet girl.” He kisses my forehead. “You’re hot, Baby.”
I laugh, my whole body shivering. “I know.” I know what he meant, but I couldn’t resist.
“We’ve got to finish washing out your hair.” He helps me off the counter and straight back into the shower. “Be still, I am going to get you some clothes.”
“Thank you.”
I hear the door open and some cold air comes into the room, making me shiver ten times worse. I am sure this is what hell is. I have a fever, my head is about to fall off of my body, and my whole body hurts—it even hurts to rub my arms—and don’t forget lightheaded because of throwing up.
Finishing rinsing my hair, I slide down the shower wall and sit down on my butt. I don’t want to fall; that is one of my worst fears, that I will fall and lose my baby. I am sure everyone has these fears, but it’s a scary thing. I am carrying a life inside me, and the thought of losing her is scary.
“Wilder ran to the store and got some Gatorade,” I hear Travis say, and I smile and bring my legs up, resting my head against my knees.
I hear someone walk into the room, and I look up to see Wilder, who is now dressed. He reaches into the shower and turns off the water. He reaches in and wraps his hands around my forearms, lifting me gently. Once he is sure I am on my feet, he wraps the towels around me before sweeping me off my feet.
He carries me into the bedroom and sets me on the edge of the bed. The cold air is a lot worse the moment we walk into the bedroom. I shiver even worse if that’s possible.
He slides my panties up my legs, then my pants, and throws his shirt over my head. Don’t cry, Joslyn. A hairbrush is in his hand, and he brushes my hair.
“Whatever did I do to deserve you?”
“You were born, my sweet girl, you were made for me. You’re mine and I will take care of mine.” My bottom lip quivers, and I cover my face with my hands. My heart feels like it’s about to burst.
“I love you,” I manage to choke out. “God, do I love you.”
He kisses the side of my head. “Love you too, Sweetheart.”
My stomach churns again, and I run to the bathroom.
This happens over and over, until the doctor shows up twenty minutes later. I’m covered up in the bed, with only my head peeking out, when he comes into the room with a bag. He’s a club doctor—it happens to be Konrad, much to my surprise. He doesn’t look like a doctor. “I heard someone was sick.”
“Hey,” I croak out, my teeth chattering. My wet hair isn’t helping.
Wilder tells him about all my symptoms, and Travis hands me a Gatorade. I reach out for it, but my hands are shaking so bad I am sure I will spill it.
Travis opens it for me, slips in a straw, and lifts my head so I can take a sip.
“Thank you.” I touch his hand, getting his full attention, wanting him so see how sincere I am.
“Wilder, here are her meds, and here is the dosage and something to help her stomach.” He hands him a piece of paper.
Konrad turns back to me and touches my forehead. “You’re hot.” He places a thermometer under my tongue, and it beeps a few seconds later. “One hundred and two.” He stands up. “Give her some broth and pump as many fluids as you can into her. She will be lightheaded so don’t let her walk alone. I can already tell she is dehydrated.”
At that Travis walks over and gives me more Gatorade.
“Thank you, man.” Wilder shakes Konrad’s hand.
“Call me if she worsens.” He leaves and Wilder walks over with my meds. He lifts my head and gives me a pill along with some liquid medicine. Then he holds out the Gatorade for me, and I chug the rest of it down. He hands me the remote and I turn on the TV; the first thing on is Jersey Shore. I laugh. Wilder hates that show more than anything, and I love to tease him with it. Right now I have the constant urge to throw up, but I manage to hold my medicine down.
“I am going to go make you some broth.”
“Already on it!” Travis yells, and Wilder just climbs in beside me instead.
“Wilder, I don’t want to make you sick,” I tell him when he pulls me against him.
He glares at me. “If you’re in bed with me, then I am going to be holding you.”
I scoot over. I just want him right now, and I don’t even care that I stink. “You’re so warm.”
“I wish I could take your sickness from you.” He moves my hair over my shoulder, and his fingers trail down my back.
Thirty minutes later Travis walks in with a bowl. He sits down on the edge of the bed, and Wilder lifts me up so my back is against the headboard. I reach for the bowl, but Wilder takes it from him. “Open,” he says, bringing the spoon to my mouth.
“You guys are so nice to me.”
Travis laughs and Wilder rolls his eyes. “Open.”
I eat as much as I can before the sickness becomes too much.
“Sleep.” He covers me up and turns off the TV.
My body sinks into the bed, exhaustion finally taking its toll. I h
ave no energy. Wilder wraps his arm around my waist, warming my back. My feet are like ice so, like any woman, I press my feet against his legs.
“Mean ass.” He chuckles.
I cover my laughter and, closing my eyes, I drift off to sleep.
* * *
Two days later I feel much better, and now it’s time to find out the gender of the baby. Darla is here with us, and I know I’ll be kidnapped after this because I am allowing her to plan my nursery.
“Alright, let’s see what we have!” The doctor moves the Doppler over my stomach, and Darla is almost nose-to-nose with the screen.
The baby pops up on the screen. “Well, we know what you’re having. He is letting it all hang out.”
He?
“He?” Darla screams.
“Fuck yeah!” Wilder says, kissing me hard.
Two little Wilders running around, Lord help us all. I grin at the sight of Darla hugging Wilder; she is so happy. I am so happy. I have a baby boy inside me, a baby that I am going to spoil.
Darla jumps up. “Time to go shopping!”
Wilder
We arrive at the baby store an hour later. A son—I am having a boy—and thank God because I am not sure how I could handle having a daughter, especially if she ends up like Joslyn, because she is an angel.
My son is going to be the next generation of the MC. He can become and do whatever he wants, but the MC will always be a part of his life.
We all live very well. We busted our asses to have close to fifty thriving businesses, and that means we are set for life, along with our kids.
Walker meets us at the store, because he wants to be a part of this event in Joslyn’s life. He may not have been there for her growing up, but he wants to be there for the baby.
We walk in the store, and Joslyn closes her eyes as the cold air hits us. The Texas heat is fucking scorching outside.
“Oh my God.” Joslyn rushes out, her eyes lit with pure happiness, taking in all of the baby stuff.
She is my world—my life never began until I met her. I was just going through the motions of living my life.