My heart beat hard against his. “I’d love that. It’s been so long.”
He groaned. “Believe me. I know.”
I bent down to ruffle Scotty’s hair and say good night, and he made eye contact for a second and said, “You and me, we’re in a club now.”
I smiled but looked up at Levi, a little confused.
Levi seemed baffled for a moment too, but then it must have clicked. “It’s from Up, a movie he likes.” His voice cracked a little. “The character that says it is named Ellie, and I think he associates her with you because I was talking about you last time we watched it.”
“Oh my goodness, yes! I love that movie!” Touched, I leaned down to Scotty again. “You’re exactly right, we are. We are in a club now.” I held out my fist, and he bumped it with a grin.
When I looked at Levi again, he went to say something but ended up just shaking his head, and I realized he’d gotten too choked up to speak. I took his face in my hands—I’d never get enough of that beard against my palms—and kissed him once more. “I love you. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He nodded and whispered, “I love you too. You have no idea.”
Levi
On Christmas morning, I invited Jillian to come over for coffee, and together we watched Scotty open his gifts from Santa. He usually did it at my parents’ house, so it was a first for Scotty and me to be in our house, a family on our own. With Jillian there too, it felt so perfect, I knew in my bones this was how Christmas morning would be for the rest of my life.
She brought a few gifts for me—a great bottle of scotch, a new dark blue shirt, and a pair of cufflinks with the Slytherin crest on them. “To remind you,” she said, her eyes dancing with mischief.
I kissed her cheek and bit her earlobe before whispering in her ear. “As if I could forget.”
For her, I’d purchased a gift certificate to the spa she liked, which she could open in front of Scotty, and lingerie in her favorite shade of red from La Perla, which she could not. So while Scotty played with his new Legos, I pulled her into the bedroom, sat her on the bed, and took great delight in watching her jaw drop and her cheeks go pink when she unwrapped it.
“It’s gorgeous,” she murmured, holding up the bra. “Exquisite.”
“I can’t wait to see you in it.” But I better stop thinking about that, or I’ll get—fuck, too late.
“Want me to put it on right now?” she asked coyly. “I could wear it under my clothes today.”
I jumped up and adjusted myself. “Are you trying to kill me? We have to go to brunch at my parents’ house! I wouldn’t even be able to sit next to you at the table if I knew you were wearing that.”
She laughed. “OK, OK. I’ll save it for later.”
“Except now I’m hard. Fuck.” I turned away from her and walked over to the window, singing the Michigan State fight song in my head, which was always my go-to trick for getting rid of an untimely erection.
“What are you doing?”
“Shh. Don’t talk.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m trying to make my hard-on go away, and hearing your voice gives it ideas.”
“I could make it go away,” she said sweetly.
“Gah! Stop!” I put my hands over my ears. “You’re giving it hope!”
She laughed throatily. “Come on over here and let me get my mouth on you. You’ll come so fast, we won’t be missed, and I’ll swallow every last drop so you won’t even have to change your shirt.”
“Jillian.” A warning.
“What’s the matter?” She put one finger in her mouth and pulled it out slowly. “You don’t want it?”
And that, kids, is how the tradition of The Christmas Morning Blowjob began.
Later that morning we drove up to Charlevoix, blinking at all the bright white snow that had fallen overnight. At my parents’ house, I introduced Jillian to everyone, watching with pride as she charmed them all with her kindness, her intelligence, her smile. She listened with rapt attention to embarrassing stories my mother and sister told about me, laughed and cooed over pictures of me as a kid and then Scotty as a baby, fielded a thousand questions about her family, her education, her job, and her interests with an easy grace, and complimented the meal. Monica and my mother elbowed each other incessantly, nodding at each other with I knew it in their eyes all day long, as if they had planned the whole thing.
Scotty seemed to be having a good day, so I asked my mother if it would be all right if I stayed in Traverse City for the night when I drove Jillian back.
“Of course,” she whispered, patting me on the back. “Scotty and I are going to have a great time. We have it all planned out.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. You need to spend time with her. A woman like that is one in a million, Levi.” She turned me around and pushed me out of the kitchen. “Go. Make me another grandbaby.”
“Jesus, Mom.” I shook my head, glad Jillian wasn’t around to hear her. I didn’t want her to feel any pressure from my family—she got enough of it from her own.
We said goodbye and drove back to my house, and Jillian chattered the entire way home about how wonderful my family was.
“They loved you,” I told her.
“You think so?” She twisted her hands together in her lap.
“I know so. My mother told me repeatedly how lovely and smart you are. Much too good for me.” I took her hand and kissed the back of it.
“She did not say that.” Jillian laughed and kept her hand on my leg. “But I’m happy she invited me today. I loved seeing where you grew up and hearing about your teenage antics.”
I groaned. “You can forget those now.”
“And the pictures of you with Scotty as a baby are so precious.” She sighed. “I love that you’re a dad. It’s so damn sexy.”
“It is?”
“Yes. Why do you think I couldn’t control myself around you this morning?”
“Uh, I think that was me who lacked control this morning. But I plan on making it up to you tonight—repeatedly.”
“Nothing to make up for.” She squeezed my thigh. “I quite enjoyed myself.”
We drove to her parents’ house, where it was my turn to hear stories about smart, bossy big sister Jillian, and page through albums of her as an adorable baby, a gap-toothed kid, and a pretty teenager with killer legs and a huge smile. The Nixons were warm and welcoming, asking lots of questions about my son, my business, and my family, and I could see where Jillian got her blue eyes, her brains, her curiosity, and her sense of humor.
Natalie and Miles took some shit for keeping their wedding a secret, but the teasing was good-natured and they just shrugged and explained they’d made the decision to get married before the baby was born and Christmas Eve seemed as good a night as any, since all the family would be gathered in one place.
Around ten o’clock, we pulled up at my house, where Jillian’s car was parked on the street.
“Meet me at my place?” she asked, unbuckling her seatbelt.
“Would you like to come in? Stay at my house tonight?”
She looked over at me. “I’d love that.”
“Why do you look so surprised?”
“I don’t know.” She thought for a second. “I guess I think of this as your house with Scotty. It seems strange to stay the night.”
I took her hand again. “I love you, Jillian. And I want a life with you. I don’t mean that we have to rush anything, but I don’t like being apart from you so often. I don’t want you to be my Girl Friday anymore—I want something more.”
“Me too,” she whispered, her eyes shining in the dark.
I leaned toward her, kissed her lips. “So let’s go in and see how it feels.”
It felt fucking amazing, of course.
To be naked in my bed with her, where I’d thought of her, talked to her, dreamed about her so many nights. Where I’d chastised myself for being so stubborn and scared. Where I’d tortured
myself, believing I could never have her.
To wrap myself around her and feel her wrapped around me, limbs twined around bodies like vines.
To feel free to love her and accept her love, without guilt, without reservation, without end.
To make promises.
“Spend forever with me,” I whispered, buried deep inside her. “I’ll make you happy.”
“Yes.” She held my head in her hands, her eyes shiny in the dark. “Yes.”
Looking down at her, our bodies joined, I felt a euphoria beyond measure, something so much more than merely physical—something boundless and timeless and fathomless, something that made the room spin and my eyes water and my heart pound. Something that made all the pieces of me come together in perfect, blissful harmony.
For the first time in my life, I felt complete.
Jillian
“He’s so beautiful, you guys. Congratulations.” I leaned over to kiss Natalie on the cheek, and then hugged Miles, who stood by her side, dazed and beaming. At eight last night, right in the middle of my engagement dinner, Natalie had gone into labor. Twelve hours later, she’d delivered a healthy baby boy without any complications, despite being two weeks early.
“Thanks. You ever going to give him back, Mom?” Natalie called to our mother, who sat in the window seat cradling the baby, our dad right next to her.
“Never.” She didn’t even look up from the baby’s sweet little face. “Oh God, he just sighed and opened his eyes. He’s brilliant.”
Natalie and I exchanged a look, and then she grabbed my hand. “Jillian, I’m so sorry about the party. I feel like we stole your thunder.”
“Don’t be silly! You made it more memorable. Levi and I are thrilled.”
She looked like she didn’t believe me. “Are you sure?”
I squeezed her hand. “Positive. He’s downstairs right now getting some coffee.”
“Tell him to come up!” she said.
“Are you sure? We have Scotty with us, and Levi wasn’t sure if you’d want a bunch of people in here.”
She flapped her hands. “It’s all family. Plus I need to hear about how it went. Let me see your ring again.”
I laughed. “You’ve seen it,” I said, but I held my hand out for her anyway.
She sighed and fanned her face, tears welling. “Sorry. I’m emotional right now. But it’s so beautiful. I’m so happy for you guys.”
“Thanks. I’m happy too.” After I texted Levi the room number, I looked at the ring again too, dazzled by its sparkle and luster, but even more by what it represented—a future with Levi. He’d surprised me with the proposal last weekend, which he and I had spent curled up in a romantic cabin in the woods with every intention of skiing, but never quite making it outside our cozy little place (that was the point of the pinky swear anyway, right?).
On our first night there, in front of a roaring fire, between sips of whiskey, and after round one of hair-pulling, toe-tingling, cabin-shaking sex, Levi had knelt before me with the ring and asked me to be his wife.
He said he didn’t expect me to be Scotty’s mother, but would be honored and grateful to have my help in raising him alongside any children we had. I’d nodded and cried, my heart too full to speak as he slipped the ring on my finger.
Later, when we were lying in bed, gaining our strength back after round two, he showed me a letter that Scotty had written for me. It was printed in pencil on lined paper, and there were a few holes in it where he’d erased mistakes too vehemently. Dear Jillian, it read. I hope you say yes. You make Daddy smile. I like you. It was signed, Scotty Brooks.
I put a hand over my heart, choked up again. “Oh my God, he’s so sweet. So he knows about this?”
Levi nodded. “He does. And he understands that means we will all live together and maybe at some point buy a bigger house.”
“So we’ll live in your house first?”
“I hope you will. And I hope you’ll move in right away … the past few months with you have been the happiest of my life, Jill. The days when I don’t see you are always … lesser, somehow.” He brushed my hair off my face. “That day you crashed into me at your sister’s wedding was the luckiest day of my life.”
I’d blubbered some more and agreed to move in as soon as I could, and when we got back, I’d called my realtor about putting my condo up for sale.
“Can we come in?” Skylar appeared in the hospital room doorway, Sebastian, Levi, and Scotty behind her.
“Sure,” said Natalie, motioning everyone in. “It’s a big room.”
Miles went over to shake hands with the guys, including Scotty. “Thanks for coming,” he said.
Sebastian thumped him on the back. “So happy for you guys. Congratulations.”
“How’s everyone feeling?” Levi asked, looking from Natalie to the baby. Scotty hung onto Levi’s hand, but he looked over toward the baby curiously.
“Amazing,” said Miles with a grin. “I’ve never felt better.”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “We’re all good. I’m exhausted but running on adrenaline right now.” She turned to Skylar. “You checked in at the coffee shop, right? Everything was OK?”
Skylar laughed. “Yes, crazy. Everything is fine at work. Jeez, you just gave birth. Relax a little.” She went over to Sebastian and took his hand. Together, they walked softly over to my parents and peeked at the baby.
“So what’s his name?” Levi asked.
“Gotham,” announced Miles.
Natalie glared at him. “We’re still deciding that.”
“Right, so for now, we might as well call him Gotham,” Miles said, as if it made perfect sense.
“Let me have him now.” Our dad reached over and took the baby from our mother. “I need a turn.” Once the baby was in his arms, he looked up. “Hey, Scotty, come on over here and see my new grandson. Isn’t he small?”
Scotty looked up at Levi, who encouraged him with a nod. “It’s OK. Go see him. That’s how small you were once.”
Scotty twirled one hand in his hair as he walked over to the window, and my dad angled his body so Scotty could see the baby. My heart beat hard with love and gratitude for my dad, who’d been so good with Scotty over the last couple months.
My mother pouted. “Somebody better give us a second grandbaby, and soon,” she said, giving Skylar and me a look, “or there’s going to be trouble. One baby simply isn’t enough to go around.”
“Don’t look at me.” I laughed, holding up both hands. “I just got engaged a week ago.”
Skylar cleared her throat. “Actually …”
All heads turned in her direction.
“Actually, it’ll be me having the second grandchild.” She grinned deviously. “And the third.”
Jaws dropped. Eyes bugged. Silent seconds ticked by.
“Twins?” I finally managed.
Skylar looked at Sebastian, who appeared to be hoping the ground might open up and swallow him. “Yep,” she said, giggling a little. “It was confirmed by ultrasound this week.”
“Twins?” Our mother continued to gape at her, one hand moving to her heart.
“Twins,” she confirmed again, rising up on her toes.
“Guess the pressure’s off, huh?” Levi whispered in my ear.
I smiled up at him and whispered back. “Thank God. Now we can take our time.”
“I can’t believe it,” Natalie said, shaking her head, a huge grin on her face. “Twins!”
“Congratulations, you guys,” Miles said, sinking onto the bed next to Natalie. “And Sebastian, it’s the best feeling in the world, being a dad. I never thought I’d say that, but it is.”
“I’ll second that,” said Levi.
“And I’ll third,” added my dad.
“Twins,” my mother said again, her eyes misting. “I can’t believe it.”
“Well, you know Sebastian,” Skylar said, giving her husband an elbow in the side. “Two is always better than one.”
Smiling, I
leaned back against Levi’s chest, feeling his arms come around me. I was surrounded by love, laughter, and three generations of family.
It was exactly where I wanted to be, now and forever.
THE END
Melanie Harlow likes her heels high, her martinis dry, and her history with the naughty bits left in. In addition to the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, she’s the author of the FRENCHED series (contemporary romance), the SPEAK EASY duet (historical romance), and MAN CANDY. She writes from her home outside of Detroit, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and one insane rabbit.
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Celebrating Autism Awareness Month
What is Autism?
Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3
Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, and cognitive function. Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities
Individuals with autism often suffer from numerous co-morbid medical conditions which may include: allergies, asthma, epilepsy, digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, feeding disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, and more
Autism is diagnosed four times more often in boys than girls. Its prevalence is not affected by race, region, or socio-economic status. Since autism was first diagnosed in the U.S. the incidence has climbed to an alarming one in 68 children in the U.S.
Autism itself does not affect life expectancy, however research has shown that the mortality risk among individuals with autism is twice as high as the general population, in large part due to drowning and other accidents.
Love Happens Page 62