by Jani Kay
I kissed him, a big, open-mouthed sloppy kiss. Ryder had been amazing. Even if I woke in the middle of the night and craved something we didn’t have in the house, he’d get on his bike and go out to get me whatever it was. I loved how well he took care of me.
“Ready for your appointment, babe?” he asked as he pulled a T-shirt over his head.
My mouth hung open. “You’re coming with me? I thought you hated hospitals and doctors.”
He grinned. “I want to see the baby on the ultrasound and hear her heartbeat.” He took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles. Then he leaned down, lifted my top and planted kisses on my stomach. “Hear that, Peanut? Today we are taking pictures of you.”
“Okay, I love that you are coming . . . but I was planning on shopping after the appointment,” I said apprehensively, biting my bottom lip as I waited for his reaction.
“About that . . . I was thinking I could take you to lunch and then tag along and help you pick all the nursery stuff.” He gave me a smile that melted my heart. Ryder and shopping did not mix. He’d never put his foot inside a shop if he didn’t need to. But his offer was sincere and I was going to jump at it.
I smiled. “Baby, that’s so sweet. Lunch and shopping. I think it's going to be an awesome day.”
“So come on, Princess, let’s get the day started. Get your purse.” He kissed my cheek then pulled me by the hand toward the door.
Five minutes later, we were driving to the doctor’s office. Ryder didn’t want me on the back of his bike since I’d had morning sickness, and no matter how much I tried to convince him that I was indeed fine now, he didn’t like the idea of exposing us to the elements. So we were in my little sports car, Ryder driving with the same skill he used when handling his bike.
“Been thinking, babe, we are going to need a family car once Peanut is born. A big SUV that has safety features and a shitload of airbags.”
I laughed. “Seriously? The biker wants a safe vehicle?” Ryder was surprising me. I’d never imagined he would be concerned about these issues. We still had months to go before Peanut was born. But I couldn’t suppress a smile—it made me happy that he was thinking long term. And about the wellbeing and safety of our family.
“Yeah, I’ve been researching the safest SUVs. I'm test-driving two next week.”
I gulped. This was moving fast—in a few short months I’d gone from being a daddy’s girl, safely living with my parents, to now becoming a parent myself. With my biker. And talking about being responsible. I chewed my lip as I watched Ryder from under my lashes. Was he going to go the distance with me? Once the baby was there, would he stick around to be a daddy? He had no real role model on which to base his ideas of fatherhood. Would he handle it, or would he run when he saw how much a baby tied a person down?
Ryder’s freedom meant the world to him. He cherished it and thrived on it. It was what made him who he was. When things got too much for him, he’d jump on his bike and do a runner. Now I was basically asking him to stay put—to have permanent responsibilities. Me and Peanut. Could he do it?
Luckily I had my investment portfolio that would take care of me if it ever came to it, but I'd much rather build a life with my man. And women with babies could have a successful career, too. Nobody could take my education away from me.
“Why are you frowning, babe? That’s going to give you wrinkles,” he joked, knowing how anal I was about taking good care of my skin.
Playfully, I swatted his arm. “You never cease to amaze me, Ryder Knox. That is all.” My gut told me that Ryder was in for the long haul—I had to stop doubting that he would always be in my life and start being grateful to have him. My life with him wasn’t going to be the white picket fence or the mansion on the golf estate as I’d always believed it would be, but it would be filled with love and laughter and happiness. And that was so much better. I couldn’t ask for more.
We pulled up at the doctor’s office and Ryder came around the car to help me out. It was getting progressively more difficult to do simple things, even this early in my pregnancy.
“Thanks, honey.” I stood on tiptoes and kissed him. “For everything.”
Strong arms circled my waist, pressing me to his chest, both of us hardly aware of the people around us although we probably got a few incredulous stares. He kissed me hard, and for that moment everything was perfect.
We were just in time for the appointment. I lay on the bed, cold gel all over my stomach as we stared at the black and white image on the screen.
“Let’s measure the body and the head, shall we?” The mouse clicked on one point and then another. “Ah, everything seems fine. The baby is growing at the normal pace and all seems well.” She flipped a switch and a strange sound filled the room—like a heartbeat in water, but a lot quicker than I’d expected.
“Wow, that sounds eerie,” I said in a small voice, overcome with emotion. Ryder smiled down at me as I wiped a tear from my cheeks. His eyes were misty too, but I pretended not to notice. His goofy grin was so adorable that my heart filled with overwhelming love. I was the luckiest woman alive. I squeezed his hand and smiled through my tears.
“All normal.” She wiped the gel from my stomach, smiling. “And you can take this picture home for your baby album.” She handed me the picture of Peanut with the big head and the perfectly formed nose and mouth. I counted the toes and fingers on the hand and foot that were visible. Ryder’s smile nearly split his face. “It's all good, babe. Everything is there.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven — Jade
Lunch was divine. We’d found a place near the beach that overlooked the ocean. While Ryder tucked into a man-sized steak, I opted for the chicken stir-fry with salad. Ryder washed his meal down with a beer and we kept looking at the picture, both in love with our baby already. We each had a list of baby names and some of the things Ryder came up with made me laugh so hard I had to hold my stomach.
“That name rivals all the crazy celebrity baby names. There is no way in hell I’m calling my daughter Thirsty.” I laughed that he would he propose such a name, but I knew it was to tease and get a reaction out of me.
“But it rhymes with Kirsty. And I'm always thirsty, babe, you know that.” He wiggled his eyebrows so that I got he didn’t just mean for beer.
“Oh, I’m sure it will set a new trend. How about Steak if it's a boy. It rhymes with Blake,” I tried, using his own logic on him.
He burst out laughing. “OK, you got me there. Back to brainstorming. Both names suck,” he admitted before taking another swig of his beer. “But in all honesty, I think we should wait until Peanut is born to choose a name. I think every child has a name that’s just right for them, but we won’t know until she’s born and we see what she looks like.”
“Or her temperament,” I added.
“If she is anything like her mother, she will be a fiery little girl. And beautiful.”
“You’re so convinced it's a girl, you nearly have me believing that too.” I grinned at him, delighted that he wanted his daughter to be just like me.
“Come, woman; I promised you shopping too. Or are you too tired? We could just go home and make love?” He raised a hopeful eyebrow. “I’ll go slow if you want . . . kiss you from head to toe.” The salacious sparkle in his eyes made me squeeze my thighs together.
“As tempting as that offer is, I will save that for tonight. Now I want to go and choose baby furniture while I have you with me. Who knows when you’ll make such an offer again? But your patience will be rewarded.” I winked at him as I got to my feet, ready for the next part of our lovely day together. I was going to take more days off work in future so that we could do this again. Soon.
Ryder paid the bill and led me back to the car. Just as he opened the door, I saw a man who’d followed us out of the restaurant storm down on us. It was none other than Marcus Masterton, his fists balled and his face contorted in anger.
“Ryder, watch out!” I shrieked as soon I realized he was going to att
ack Ryder from behind. Coward.
Ryder swung around in time to face Marcus and ward off the blow that Marcus swung at him. “What the fuck is your problem?” Ryder growled, blocking my still open door so that Marcus couldn’t get to me.
“I was watching the two of you in the restaurant. And I know your secret. I saw how you were touching Jade’s belly. I asked the waitress what you were celebrating and she gushed all about the baby picture you were gawking at.”
“It's none of your fucking business. Back off before I knock you out,” Ryder threatened. His fists were balled by his sides; he was ready to strike.
“It's very much my business. The two of you have ruined my fucking career. Here I am schmoozing a new law firm because old man Summers wants to send me away to some godforsaken little office.” The venom in Marcus’s voice was deadly. Ryder smirked. “No, fucker, you did that all by yourself. But you sure did me a huge favor, because I got the girl.”
Marcus turned to me, sneering. His eyes bugged out of his head and his lips curled up, showing his teeth. He looked like a rabid dog. How could I ever have thought that he was good looking? “If I get sent away to some dead end place like your old man is planning, I'm coming after you, Jade. I'm going to make you pay.”
“You’ll be dead before you touch my girl,” Ryder said with a steely voice. A shudder ran through me.
Marcus lost it. “You fucking lowlife. An eye for an eye. I'm telling Jade’s old man that she’s fucking pregnant. I bet he doesn’t even know you knocked her up.”
Ryder gripped hold of Marcus by his shirt collar, pulling him within inches of his own face. “Listen to me, fuckface. You breathe one word to anybody, and you’re dead. You forget I have brothers that will take you out in an instant, and with a smile; I just need to give them the word. Stay away from me and especially stay away from Jade. I'm not going to warn you again. Next time I see you, I will fucking kill you. Got that?”
Ryder pushed Marcus backward so that he landed on his ass on the pavement. He shouted obscenities I couldn’t hear because Ryder had closed my door and was rounding the car to get in.
“Sorry, babe,” he grumbled as he put the car into first gear and sped away, his jaw set like granite. We drove in silence for a while, me rubbing my stomach and Ryder glancing at me every few minutes to check if I was okay.
“We have to tell my parents before it leaks out. It's better if it comes from me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. Just when things went perfectly, something came along to screw it up. I couldn’t take any more chances; it was time to tell my family.
“From us, Princess. I’m going with you.” Before I could protest, he added, “and that’s final. No arguments. We are in this together—we will face it together.” He took hold of my hand and brought it to his lips.
I nodded. “I'm going to arrange for us to visit my parents . . . so we can tell them.”
Overwhelmed by how things could change so suddenly, I wasn’t in the mood for shopping any longer. “Let’s just go home, Ryder. I’m tired.” I slumped back into the seat, all my energy drained.
“Sure. I think you should take a nap.” He made a turn at the next traffic light and sped in the direction of our house.
As soon as we got inside, Ryder helped me take off my shoes and lifted me into his strong arms. I giggled into his chest at how overprotective he was being—there was nothing wrong with me, I was perfectly able to walk. But I loved being cherished, so I allowed him to carry me to our bedroom and lay me down on the bed.
He pulled the throw at the end of the bed over us and snuggled behind my back, spooning. He held me to his chest, our fingers laced together. A deep shudder followed by a sigh left my body, letting out the stress I’d felt build up since the Marcus encounter.
In Ryder’s arms I felt safe, as if nothing could harm or touch us. Here we were free to just be us. But the moment we stepped out of these doors, things changed.
“Stop worrying. Sleep, Princess,” Ryder murmured, kissing my neck.
“I can’t sleep. I’m wide awake. But it's nice to lie in your arms,” I whispered.
The questions from earlier in the day still rattled around my brain, plus Marcus’s threat really scared me. What would happen if my parents found out and all hell broke loose? I had to get some answers.
“Ryder?”
“Yeah, Princess?”
“Will you still love me when my stomach is so big I can’t see my feet?”
“Yes. I will even tie your shoelaces.”
“And when my body is all out of whack after the baby?”
“I will massage oils into your mommy marks every night. Before fucking you,” he murmured by my ear. Goose bumps scattered over my skin.
I laughed. “Promise?”
“You can bet on it. Both. Every night, Princess, without fail.”
I sighed. So far, so good. “And when I’m old and the kids have left the house? Will you still love me then?” I held my breath, waiting for his answer.
“Then I will love you even more. We will do all the things we couldn’t with a young family. And I’ll get a sidecar for my bike. Just for you, babe.”
I sucked in a breath. “You would?” I could just imagine us—the grey-haired biker with a grey beard and his Princess. But no way in hell was I going grey.
“Princess. It’s you and me, babe. From now until forever. Can’t be any other way. We were made for each other.” He pulled me tighter to him. “Now shut up and let’s make love,” he said as his lips came crashing down on mine.
Forever. I loved that.
Chapter Twenty-Eight — Jade
It was time to tell my family that Ryder and I were officially a couple. I stopped my car in the driveway to my parents’ house and let myself in. Ryder wasn’t aware that I planned to do it like this, but I simply had to do it face to face—alone—so I called my mother to tell her that I was coming over straight after work.
She didn’t pick up the call, but minutes later Mom had messaged me that she was out picking up the dry cleaning but wouldn’t be long, and that I should put the kettle on for a cup of tea.
Does Mom suspect anything?
I’d dropped little hints whenever I spoke to her, and thankfully she’d never reacted badly. She’d probably told Daddy that she thought I had a new man, but I felt it was the right thing to tell them myself. I was going to be a mother; I had to finally stand up for myself and act like an adult.
Once they knew the truth, and that we were living together, I’d organize for us to have dinner so that they could finally meet Ryder. Then together we’d break the news of our baby.
It wasn’t only Marcus’s threat that prompted my desire to tell my family. At nearly four months pregnant, my baby bump was starting to show, and I couldn’t hide it from my family any longer. And I didn’t want to come to the usual family dinners without Ryder any more. It was time they accepted that I'd made my choice, and lived with it.
Daddy was going to be at the office for a while, so I’d have a chance to talk to Mom alone first. I filled the kettle and turned it on, relieved that I'd finally gotten to this stage of facing my parents.
When I heard a car drive up and the door open behind me a few minutes later, I turned, surprised to find Harrison standing there.
“Hey, Sis,” he greeted, both of his hands in his pockets.
“Hey, stranger.” I smiled. I hadn’t seen Harrison in a few weeks, and he looked tired and drained. His skin was sallow as if he hadn’t seen much sun, and he had uncharacteristic bags under his eyes.
His lips brushed my cheek. “Is Mom back with the dry cleaning yet?”
“No, I'm waiting for her. I’m making tea. Want some?”
He nodded and sat at the breakfast bar while I waited for the kettle to boil.
Our dynamic had changed so much since I’d met Ryder and it felt plain awkward having a stilted conversation with him when we’d always been so casual with one another. We made small talk while I poure
d the tea and placed a mug in front of him.
“Why are you wearing a big, sloppy sweater to work? It's not like you.” He took a sip of tea as he appraised me over the rim of his mug, one eyebrow raised.
My nerves were so raw, that I decided to come clean. Big mistake.
“Harrison, I . . . um . . . it's because I’m . . . pregnant.”
His skin paled and his mouth twisted as if he were in pain.
“Please, Harrison, be happy for me,” I begged, wringing my hands together.
He paced the room, pushing back his hair, a look of despair on his face. “Jade. You don’t know what you’re asking me.” His face was grim, his lips pursed together. “Of all the things in the world, you get pregnant by . . . a criminal. The kind of person who took Amy and my child.”
With no back-up or support, Harrison was going to be more difficult to handle than I’d believed. He stared at my stomach as if I were carrying the devil’s child. I’d never expected him to react this way. I knew he disliked Ryder, but I’d thought he would accept this baby once he knew how much it meant to me.
“Harrison, what you went through—no person should ever have to live through that. Yes, Ryder may have done unsavory things in his past. But no—he’s not the one who killed Amy . . . or your baby. You’ve got to get over it.”
“Jesus! Get over it?” he roared, making me jump. “Never. I’ll never get over it.” He grabbed hold of my upper arms. “Why, Jade? Are you trying to kill me?” His eyes narrowed as he glared at me. “Did he do it on purpose? Getting you knocked up?”
“I . . . didn’t mean for it to happen—I was on the damn pill. Ryder didn’t get me pregnant on purpose—”
“What do you mean?” His voice was raw.
Before I could think, I blurted out the truth. I’d never really lied to Harrison, except for small white lies, and I didn’t want to start now. “I thought Ryder would kick me out when he found out I was pregnant. I didn’t think he’d want kids.”
“Fuck that,” he hissed.