Bella took a step back and smiled. “Dinner first, then I’ll tell you.”
I pulled her back to me. “Seriously? You’re going to hold out on me?”
She laughed and pushed me back a bit. I gave her a good once-over and said, “Wait, you cut your hair.”
Bella lifted a hand to her hair. “I did. Bree and I went to Boston yesterday to do some shopping, and she talked me into seeing her hairdresser.”
Her hair was just below her shoulders now and cut in a way that made the blonde waves look curlier. “I like it shorter.”
“Me too. We also got our nails done.” She held her hand out and wiggled her fingers.
I took it and kissed the back of her hand. “You look beautiful, Bella.” She smiled, and I placed my hand on the side of her face. “Did you get a facial or something? Your face is glowing.” Tears formed in her eyes, and I leaned closer. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Shaking her head, Bella said, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Everything is perfect. More than perfect. It’s amazing. The world is beautiful!”
I tapped the tip of her nose. “Then why do you look like you’re about to cry?”
A part of me worried she’d somehow found out where we’d gone. But then I imagined she’d be angry with me, or at least upset, so that couldn’t be it. She had a smile on her face and her eyes twinkled.
She brought her hands to her mouth and let out a little sob of laughter. “I can’t wait another second. I have to tell you!”
Smiling myself, I asked, “Tell me what?”
Bella grabbed my hands, placed them on her stomach, and held them there. She drew in a slow, deep breath and then exhaled. “Hunter, we’re going to have a baby.”
I blinked a few times, letting her words sink in. “Wait—are you saying that someday we’re going to have a baby and that thought makes you so happy? Or are you saying we’re going to have a baby because you found out we’re pregnant?”
She giggled. “We’re going to have a baby because we’re pregnant! I’m so sorry, I took a home test. I just had to know.”
My heart and stomach both jumped. I thought I loved Abby before, but I fell for her even more right then and there. A rush of happiness like I’d never experienced assaulted my body in the most glorious way.
“We’re having a baby? Are you sure? How do you know? When did you find out?”
She held up her hand and said, “Wait.” Then ran toward the bedroom and reappeared with a plastic baggy and held it up. There had to be at least ten pregnancy tests in there.
“I took a test the morning you left. I’d been feeling off, and you already knew I missed my period. I couldn’t wait a second longer—I had to know. Are you upset I did it without you?”
Reaching for the bag, I looked at the tests. All of them indicated that we were pregnant. Laughing, I replied, “Sweetheart, I could never be upset with you. And…you took a test, or a million of them?”
Bella dropped her head to my chest and giggled before she looked back up at me. “I was so shocked, I called Bree and asked her to buy another test so I could be sure. She stopped at like four different stores to buy all these different brands. Some are multiples, as you can see.”
“I see!” I said, holding up the bag again. “So Bree knows, then. Does anyone else?”
“No. I wanted to tell you before anyone else found out. Although, I’m pretty sure most of Boggy Creek now suspects Bree is pregnant after her mad dash to buy up all the tests in town.”
I wrapped my arms around Bella and pulled her to me. I hugged her tight, but not too tight since I would never want to hurt the baby. “I can’t believe it! We’re going to have a baby!”
Bella squeezed me tighter, and I put the bag on the counter, leaned down, and picked her up.
“What are you doing?” she asked with a wide grin.
“I’m going to make love to you. What else would I be doing after you tell me such beautiful news?”
“No! Hunter, my dinner! It’ll burn! See, this is why I wanted to wait.”
Glancing back over, I saw the table set up with candles and flowers and realized how much time and effort Bella had put into this surprise dinner. I walked back over to the salad and slowly placed her back down on her feet.
“Fine. We eat first. Then I’m taking you to our bedroom, and I’m going to kiss every single inch of your body before I make love to you.”
A wide grin appeared on her face. “I like the sound of that!”
Arabella
Hunter held my hand, and we looked at the screen as Dr. Morgan got ready to show us our baby.
Leaning down, he whispered against my ear, “Breathe, Bella.”
I exhaled and let out a nervous laugh.
Of course, with his warm breath hitting my neck, I couldn’t help but think about how he’d woken me up this morning. While Dr. Morgan continued to get ready for the sonogram, my mind drifted back to a few hours ago.
Warm, soft kisses moved along my jaw as I let out a contented sigh at the feeling of Hunter kissing me.
His lips moved down my neck, then to one of my breasts. I groaned when he sucked my nipple, also noticing how sore my boobs had become since getting pregnant.
“Hunter.” I blinked my eyes open and looked down at him. He was gazing up at me with a smile so big, I felt butterflies take flight in my stomach. His dimple was out in full force, and I knew I would be waking up in the most delicious kind of way.
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
“Good morning.”
He moved his mouth to my other breast, then down my stomach until he was between my legs. My body already ached with the need for him to make me come. He blew softly on my clit, and I lifted my hips in a silent plea.
“I was hungry,” he said, slowly running his tongue over my sex.
Gasping, I called out his name. “Hunter!”
Another slow lick. This time he flicked my clit, and I threaded my hands in his hair.
“More. Please, more!”
He chuckled softly before saying, “My pleasure.”
He put his mouth on me and slipped his fingers inside, filling me in the most beautiful, mind-boggling way.
“Oh God,” I whimpered as he thrust his fingers deep and moved tortuously slow with his tongue.
I lifted my hips and pushed his head closer. “More. Hunter, I need more!”
He withdrew his fingers and covered my sex with his mouth, and I nearly expired with the pleasure it instantly brought me.
“Yes. Oh yes!”
When he pushed his tongue inside me, I let out another whimper and grabbed at the sheets, moving my body to get the friction I wanted. No, needed.
He moved his mouth back to my clit and then slipped his fingers back in and flattened his tongue over me—and I exploded.
“Hunter! I’m coming. Oh God, I’m coming!”
He didn’t let up, only increased the pleasurable torture until I couldn’t take it any longer.
Then he was on top of me, slipping inside my body while his mouth found mine. I moaned at the taste of my own pleasure and wrapped my legs around him.
“More, Hunter. God, I want more. Fuck me fast and hard.”
“Fucking hell, Bella. I’m going to come right now if you talk like that.”
I dug my nails into his back. “I want it harder. Please!”
He drew back some and looked at me with concern. “The baby?”
Smiling, I placed my hand on the side of his face. “Is perfectly safe. Now fuck me, Hunter! Please!”
He readjusted his body and put his arms under my legs, grabbing onto my hands. He started to move faster. Harder. I cried out in pleasure when he hit a spot so deep inside of me, I immediately came again.
“Bella, I’m coming!” Hunter gasped as he dropped my hands and moved over me, capturing my mouth with his. “Oh God. Yes, feels…so…good.”
I wrapped my legs and arms around him, holding on while his body shook with his own release.
> He slowed and stayed inside of me for a few moments, staring down at me.
“You are my entire life, Bella. God, I love you so much.”
Smiling, I ran my fingers through his hair. “And you’re mine. And I love you more.”
He grinned and rubbed his nose against mine. “Come on, let’s go take a shower.”
Pulling out of me, he quickly lifted me in his arms and carried me to the bathroom and into the shower.
It didn’t take long before he was down on his knees, his mouth once again between my legs, pulling another mind-blowing orgasm out of me. Hunter liked shower sex. I liked shower sex, too, and we had a lot of it.
With my head resting against the cold shower tiles, I took in deep breaths to settle my pounding heart. Lifting my head, I laughed. “Now I know why you made this shower so big!”
He winked, and I fell even more in love with him.
Dr. Morgan’s voice brought me back to the present.
“Okay, so let’s see here. First thing I’m going to do is take a few measurements, so we can measure the baby as the pregnancy progresses and gauge how far along you are.”
Staring at the screen, I nodded as I tried not to seem flustered from my thoughts.
Dr. Morgan worked in silence for a few moments, then turned to me and Hunter and smiled before she pointed at the screen. “Look right here at the tip of my nail. This is the yolk sac and the gestational sac. Do you see that little movement? That’s the baby’s heart beating.”
Tears instantly ran down my cheeks as I stared at our tiny baby. Our baby. Hunter and I had made him or her together.
“Looks like you’re a little over seven weeks, by my measurements,” Dr. Morgan said. “Let’s hear that heartbeat, shall we?”
I nodded and wiped at my tears, keeping my eyes locked on the little white blob on the screen. Suddenly, the most amazing sound I’d ever heard in my life filled the room, and I felt Hunter squeeze my hand.
“That is one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard,” Hunter said, wiping at his own tears.
Dr. Morgan smiled at us. “We want the heartbeat to be over ninety beats per minute.” She clicked a few more keys. “We have a strong heartbeat, at one-hundred-and-sixty-five beats per minute. As you get farther along, the heartbeat will decrease and could range from one-twenty to one-eighty beats per minute.”
“So, she’s got a strong heart, then?”
I looked at Hunter and almost cried even harder when he referred to the baby as she.
“Yes, everything looks perfect. The baby is about the size of a blueberry. She’ll do a lot of growing and changing. Do either of you have any questions or concerns?”
Hunter and I both shook our heads. “I don’t think I have any right now,” I said.
“None from me,” Hunter agreed.
Dr. Morgan gave us a wide smile as she looked back at the screen and did some more typing, moving the screen around to get a better look at the baby.
Five minutes later, she stood and cleaned me off before discarding her gloves. “I made a video and took some photos for you.” She handed the photos to Hunter. “The video will be digital, and one of the nurses will email it you, Arabella. Is the email we have on file still good?”
My mind was swirling around with the sound of the baby’s heartbeat. I nodded. “Yes, thank you so much.”
Dr. Morgan smiled again. “Congratulations to you both. I’ll give you a few minutes, then I’ll meet you up front with some more information. I’d like for you start some prenatal vitamins as soon as possible, but I’ll give you all that information before you leave.”
“Sounds good, thank you, Dr. Morgan.” Hunter shook her hand before she swept out the door and left us alone. The screen had a snapshot of the baby on it, and I stared at it until Hunter said my name and held out his hand for me.
Placing my hand over my stomach, I took in a few deep breaths while Hunter helped me sit up. I swung my feet over, and when he helped me down, I nearly swooned at what a gentleman he was.
“That’s our baby on that screen. Our baby, Bella.”
“I know. When I heard the heartbeat…it was so beautiful.”
Hunter nodded. “How do you feel? Okay?”
I hadn’t experienced any morning sickness yet. But this morning when I’d gotten out of bed a rush of dizziness had hit me, and I’d felt sick to my stomach. Hunter had nearly jumped over the bed to get to me, and I laughed when he almost fell on his ass. Just his hands on me had instantly made the queasiness go away.
“I feel perfectly fine now. I am hungry, though.”
He smiled, and I felt my knees go weak again. “I can’t have my girls being hungry. How about we hit up The Coffee Pot for lunch?”
Smiling, I nodded and took hold of his hand. “Do you want a girl?”
Hunter grinned. “I don’t care. I just want you both to be healthy and happy.”
Tears pricked at the back of my eyes again, and I had to blink a few times to keep them at bay.
“Do you want a girl?” he asked.
“I feel the same as you. I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, I just want them healthy.”
Hunter brushed a kiss across my lips before he leaned his forehead on mine and then laughed. “We’re going to be parents, Bella. Holy shit.”
I giggled and placed my hands on his chest. “It is a bit scary, isn’t it? You’re not upset it’s happening so soon, are you?”
“Hell no. Are you?”
I drew back and looked into his beautiful blue eyes. “Not at all. I knew the first night we were together I wanted to have a baby.”
He kissed me once more, laced his fingers with mine, and guided us out of the room to meet Dr. Morgan.
An hour later, we were sitting at The Coffee Pot. I had a large French dip sandwich with French fries in front of me, along with a chocolate milkshake.
“How’s the milkshake, sweetheart?” Hunter asked with a wink.
I’d been craving one for the last two days and hadn’t stopped talking about it. “It’s amazing. No one makes a shake like Tess does.”
Hunter chuckled. “I agree.”
After taking a bite of my sandwich, I wiped my mouth and looked at Hunter. “So, I know we’ve had a lot going on with us moving into the farm house, transporting the hives, and now with the baby…”
“It’s been a whirlwind, but an amazing one with lots and lots of…downtime.” He smiled.
I felt my cheeks warm.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, Bella. I see your brain working overtime.”
The way this man knew me so well still boggled my mind. It was as if he could read me like a book. “I’ve been thinking that I know we said we were going to wait for warmer weather to get married, but I want to get married now.”
His brows shot up. “Now? As in, like, right now?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “No, not this very moment. But soon. I don’t need a large, over-the-top wedding. And even though I don’t think I’ll be that much bigger in May, I’d like to be your wife sooner rather than later.”
A brilliant smile lit up his face. “I like this plan. What were you thinking?”
“Well, maybe we could get married at the church, with just family and our closest friends, and then when the weather turns better, we can exchange vows again in the gazebo. Just the two of us and Jack.”
Hunter swallowed hard and cleared his throat. It was clear he was trying to get his emotions under control. “You have no idea how much it means to me that you want to include Jack.”
I reached across the table and took his hand in mine. “He’s a part of our family, Hunter. I love him, and he somehow always knows when I’m having a bad moment. I couldn’t imagine not having him with us when we get married.”
“Even at the church?”
“Yes! Of course.”
“If we were at home, I’d totally take you on the table right now.”
I quickly looked around and then flashed him
a stern look. “Stop that, Hunter Turner, or you’ll make me want to abandon my lunch, and the baby and I need food!”
He winked. “Later, then.”
I giggled as I whispered, “Later.”
Two weeks later
Five sets of eyes stared back at me as I looked at myself in the mirror.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful bride in my life,” Candace said, placing the simple diamond and pearl tiara on my head. My hair was pulled back in a low ponytail with my bangs swept back. Little bits of baby’s breath were woven through my hair to give it the perfect touch.
Greer sniffled and wiped away a tear. “I agree.”
I met her eyes. Greer and Hudson were planning a summer wedding at their house in the back garden. It was going to be stunning. “You’re going to be a beautiful bride, too, Greer.”
She smiled and nodded. “I know.” We all laughed, and Greer chuckled. “Wait, that’s not what I meant!”
I took her hand in mine. “I know what you meant, sweetie.”
“This dress, though, I can’t believe we found it as fast as we did,” Abby said as she adjusted the ribbon tied around my waist.
Willa sighed. “It’s so romantic looking.”
“Like it’s from a storybook,” Greer added.
I looked back at myself in the mirror. The A-line gown was made of chiffon, tulle, and lace. The illusion lace bodice and three-quarter sleeves were perfect for a winter wedding and added just the right amount of romance to the dress. The waistline was natural with lace draping down onto the softly gathered chiffon skirt. I turned and looked at the deep-scooped back that led to satin-covered buttons and more lace. I moved my leg to reveal the side slit. It was the perfect blend of romantic, sweet, and sexy.
After I’d told the girls that Hunter and I had talked to Buck Gale, the pastor at First United Methodist Church, and told him we wanted to get married as soon as possible, Bree and Candace had planned a shopping trip to Boston. We found the dress at the very first bridal shop we walked into. Or, I should say, Bree found the dress. The woman ought to be in fashion.
“I still can’t believe how fast Maddie altered the dress!” Candace said. “That woman needs to be working in Paris and not owning a little quilt shop in Boggy Creek.”
Surrender to Me (Boggy Creek Valley Book 4) Page 23