The Baby Maker

by Tia Siren

  She looked beautiful though. Nothing could ever take that away.

  “Hey,” she said, her voice a bit raspy. “I didn’t expect you to be here so soon.”

  I sat down next to her on the hospital bed. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, I savored the feeling of Jenna leaning up against me with a steady exhale of breath. Her skin felt warm and soft through the hospital gown she wore.

  “Your mother bailed me out,” I said, pressing a kiss against her hair, which still smelled fresh from her shampoo. “I owe her about five thousand dollars though.”

  “Five thousand?” Jenna pulled back to look up at me in alarm. “Why was it so high?”

  “I crushed his face,” I said calmly. “That’s why.”

  Jenna shook her head in dismay. “I still don’t understand why they arrested you. You saved me.”

  “They didn’t know what to think when they pulled up,” I replied, shrugging. “The charges will be dropped given your statement, so don’t worry about it. They were doing their job.”

  “And Leon?” Jenna asked hesitantly. “Where is he?”

  “Jail,” I said, and I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for the lie when Jenna sagged against me in relief. “He won’t be able to bail out either. The judge denied bond for him.”

  “I bet that made his family happy,” she said, snorting. “The doctors said I can go home in an hour.”

  I picked up her hand that rested between us. Pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles, I rubbed them with the pad of my thumb.

  “I talked to Owen,” I said.

  “About us?” Jenna asked.

  “Yes, about us,” I said, twining my fingers through hers. “He understands that you aren’t going to replace his mother. I’ll explain the rest later when he’s old enough to understand it.”

  Jenna was quiet for a long time as we both watched the television for a few moments, leaning up against one another. She eventually looked down at our twined hands. Taking a deep breath, Jenna looked back up at me. “I wanted to move away earlier today because I was afraid of how I felt about you.”

  The soft confession didn’t surprise me. I had felt that same overwhelming urge several times to put distance between us before either one of us could get hurt.

  “I don’t think either one of us expected this to happen,” I said.

  “No,” she murmured in agreement. “I didn’t expect it at all. What do we do?”

  “For starters,” I said, smoothing a few stray hairs back from Jenna’s slender face, “we can talk about you permanently staying at my house.” I caught her wide-eyed stare and added, “If you are comfortable with that. I won’t force you into anything.”

  “I want to,” Jenna said. “I’m just amazed that you are offering to let me to stay there with you, as you’re…”

  She trailed off uncertainly, looking at me for help.

  “I’m not one for titles,” I said. “Dating isn’t even something I want to consider. You’re with me, and I’m with you. Is that a good enough explanation for you?”

  Jenna smiled brightly at me before her face crumpled in pain. I rubbed her shoulders soothingly as she regained her composure.

  “I was going to kiss you,” she said. “I can’t smile without hurting.”

  I grinned at her. “You have plenty of time to kiss me all you want starting when we leave this hospital room.”

  Jenna sighed loudly.

  “My mother is going to be exasperated when I tell her that I’m selling the house after all,” she said.

  “We’ll deal with it together,” I said. “You won’t have far to move this time.”

  She pressed a soft kiss to the center of my cheek. “Thank God for that.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jenna

  One year later

  The trees were splashed with fiery oranges and yellows when I stepped out into the chilly afternoon air. A wetness coated the ground from the recent bout of rain. Everything felt crisp and ready for fall. Soon the leaves would fall and even Lone Tree would be bare for the upcoming winter.

  The passenger door opened. I turned to see Owen slipping out of the car while trying to fumble with the zipper of his sweater. Crouching down, I helped him work the zipper up with a smile.

  “Keep your sweater on,” I said. “It’s going to be cold all day. The summer days are gone.”

  Owen pouted unhappily at that. “I want to go back to the ocean then where it’s warm, and where my mommy lives.”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but it was Derek who beat me to it. He came around the front of the car to place a hand on my shoulder as I rose from my crouching position. He gave Owen a stern glance.

  “We talked about that, bud. You can visit your mommy for Thanksgiving this year.”

  “Fine,” he puffed out dramatically. “I guess that’ll do. I don’t like the cold here.”

  “Me either,” I said, shivering against the crisp air. “Let’s go inside to eat. My mom is waiting from what I can see.”

  Owen darted up the stretch of stone steps that led to the small restaurant in Lone Tree that all the retirees visited daily. It did have good food despite the “old people” smell, as Owen had put it one time. He had bonded, though, with my mother, who enjoyed having him around. “He reminds me of you as a child,” she’d tell me, beaming happily.

  Derek guided me along the stone steps with his hand resting on the curve of my lower back. It felt nice to be guided and protected as we followed Owen up into the restaurant. The second I walked through the patio doors, I reared back in surprise to see the entire dining area decorated with balloons and flowers.

  My mother stood in the center of it all, dressed in loose trousers and a coffee-colored cashmere sweater.

  “There you two are!” she exclaimed, resting her hands on Owen’s shoulders. “You’re late, Derek. What took you so long?”

  “We hit traffic,” Derek said, pushing me through the doors so he could shut them behind us.

  I caught sight of the word “Congratulations” on a balloon floating in the back. It made perfect sense then why Derek had insisted on seeing my mother this weekend. I turned to look at him, and he smiled innocently.

  “You know about this?” I asked, scowling. “You know I hate surprise parties like this.”

  He didn’t reply. Instead, he pushed me forward into the center of the room where everyone shook my hand. My mother tugged me into a tight embrace.

  “I’m so proud of you, Jenna,” she said, beaming at me through tears in her eyes. “You must feel proud for finally finishing your bachelor’s degree.”

  Embarrassed from all the attention, I patted my mom on the shoulder awkwardly as she guided us into the room to sit down at a table. I did feel proud, but a surprise congratulations party was a bit over the top in my opinion. I kept that to myself though, because I knew Derek and Owen had also planned everything.

  My stomach churned queasily at the faint smell of garlic and butter. I looked over at Derek as he took a seat next to me, placing a reassuring hand on my knee underneath the table.

  “Breathe,” he said, squeezing a lemon into my water. “Try drinking some water to fight the nausea.”

  “Nausea?” Anna turned to look at Derek. She immediately placed a fretting hand on my forehead, much to my annoyance. “She doesn’t feel warm. You didn’t tell me she felt sick.”

  “I’m fine,” I grumbled, swatting her hand away. “Don’t worry about it, Mom. This is really nice. Thank you.”

  “I like all the balloons,” Owen said, happily tugging at the string of one. “I helped pick out all the balloons for you, Jenna.”

  “Thank you,” I said sincerely. “I really like all of them. We can see how many we can pile into the car afterward.”

  Once Owen was occupied with talking with my mother, I leaned into Derek’s side to whisper in his ear. “You could’ve warned me about this. You know I don’t feel good right now.”

  His fingers squeezed my kn
ee. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t find a way to tell your mother no. If I said anything, she would’ve figured it out. Speaking of that”—he paused, leaning forward to press a kiss to my lips that instantly soothed my already bad mood from trying to find something to wear that fit— “when do you want to tell everyone?”

  “Well, I—”

  “Tell everyone what?” Anna asked. She was far too perceptive sometimes.

  I turned to glare at her as she hovered above me again. “I’m going to turn that hearing aid off. It makes you prone to eavesdropping.”

  “You sure are moody for a joyous occasion,” she replied, frowning down at me.

  I didn’t know what to say to that. The wheels in my mother’s brain were already turning rapidly. Then realization filled her eyes.

  “Oh my!” she said, one hand clutching at her chest. “Please me tell that what I’m thinking is right.”

  I looked over Derek, who didn’t even bother hiding that charming and knee-trembling grin of his. Pride flashed in his eyes. He reached up to cover the small bump I had strategically hidden underneath a loose and oversized sweater.

  “You’re thinking right,” he said. “There’s a baby bump that is making Jenna a horrible grump today.”

  I rolled my eyes in exasperation at that before I was embraced again by my mother, who was practically bouncing in her heels from excitement. It was a right damn miracle that Owen hadn’t told her yet. He was excited to have a sibling to play with.

  “I didn’t tell,” Owen said proudly. “I kept the promise like you and Dad asked.”

  Derek reached over to ruffle his hair fondly. “You did good, Son. I’m proud of you for keeping quiet.”

  My mother sidled down into the chair next to me as a waiter arrived with a platter of various fruits and cheeses. She placed a hand on my stomach with a happy grin.

  “When is the due date?” she asked.

  “May 24th,” I said. “I’m nearly out of my first trimester.”

  “After everything that has happened,” Anna started whimsically. She smiled over at Derek, who returned it. “I’m so happy for you both. A baby and a future wedding to plan.”

  “You only like Derek because he got me to complete college,” I said, but a grin tugged at my lips as well.

  Even if I felt sick to my stomach, and unable to fit into my clothes, it was hard to contain the joy and happiness I felt. I stared down at my left hand, where the overhead lights sparkled off the ring there. It still felt bizarre and good at the same time to have a ring there.

  “At least he got you to,” she replied, sniffing back tears again. “I’m just happy that everything worked the way it has for you. The both of you are blessed with Derek taking on that job as a lead investigator for a private firm, and finishing school after so long…” Anna sighed in relief and sat back to fan herself. “I’m just so relieved too. A baby. A baby. So many changes that I hope you both are ready for.”

  I reached over to grasp Derek’s hand. He smiled at me in faint amusement as he gave my fingers a tender squeeze.

  “Ready for those changes, Mr. Summers?” I asked teasingly.

  He winked at me playfully. “More than you know, Mrs. Summers.”

  THE END

  ***

  Misbehave: A Navy Seal Romance

  I've made it my mission to guard the Admiral's daughter's virginity. But who will protect her from me?

  She seems like a wild child. But everyone on base knows she's a virgin and has never even had an orgasm. They're all lining up to be the first to pull her trigger.

  When she struts around in her tight shorts and no bra, she sure as hell fires up the missile in my pants.

  So when her father, the Admiral, orders me to let her babysit my baby daughter for the summer, I know he wants me to be her protector.

  I don't need this sh*t. She brings out feelings in me I haven't had since my wife died. That's a battle I don't want to deal with.

  But keeping my hands off the Admiral's daughter is the toughest order I've ever had to obey.

  Because she's made it her mission to make me want to misbehave.

  ***

  Chapter 1

  Cam

  I’d just wrapped up the final lesson of the day with the current batch of sea cadets. I’d served my tours overseas and now had family commitments at home. I put in for the post of extensive SEAL training for the cadets who had taken their two-week placement at the Thirty-Second Street Naval Base.

  I headed out of the training quarters and made my way across the base, straight to home. I was lucky that I managed to bag a small home that was on-base which fitted my needs perfectly. I had no need, at all, for a larger home; just something big enough for me and Emmy was sufficient.

  I strolled across the concrete, amidst the faint hooyas, and watched as SEALs returned to base after their grueling runs, with backpacks crammed with gear and some asshole physical trainer screaming obscenities at them for being weak maggots and pushing them to their limits.

  “Hey Cam, wait up!” Someone called out from behind me.

  I turned my head to see Owen jogging toward me with a huge grin on his face.

  Smelled like trouble, he was grinning.

  “Owen. You done for the day?”

  “Done and dusted my friend. So, how's life as a teacher?” he asked as he ruffled my dark cropped hair, annoying the fuck out of me on purpose.

  “Jealous! You know damn well it isn’t a desk job. These cadets need some honest instructions; they have some serious decisions to make once they’ve completed their courses.” We carried on walking.

  “The same old Cam Cross, always being the protector; always was, and always will be. Damn, this country is lucky to have you on board,” Owen pressed, strolling beside me as we headed towards the day care center.

  “You should know; I’ve saved your ass on more than one occasion,” I said, smiling at Owen as I shoved him onto the grass verge.

  Owen grinned at me and nodded. “Don’t I know it. And now, it is time for payback.”

  I looked at him, confused. “Payback, what do you mean?”

  “Mikey is getting hitched, and he's throwing a party off base tonight. It’s about time you got back into the flow of things. You have been AWOL for too long.” Owen nudged my shoulder.

  “I don’t know; I have Emmy to think of. I’m just on my way to pick her up from daycare.” I shielded my eyes from the afternoon sun that shone behind Owen, making me blink.

  “Come on Cam, it will be cool. Just get a sitter for Emmy, she will be fine. It is only one night or just a couple of hours at least,” Owen said, moving to help shield the sun.

  I smiled and laughed. “Who can sit for me? Your soon-to-be ex?”

  Owen screwed up his face. “Fuck no! I don’t want her knowing what I’m up to.”

  “Come on Owen, she's ideal. She knows Emmy and you can pick her up once the party is over,” I grinned.

  “Too God-damned complicated. This divorce is a bitch, with all the lawyers back and forth. And, I will probably end up with nothing,” he said in a low tone.

  “Well, you know I have got your six, so just holler if you need anything.”

  Owen regained his playful composure. “What I need is for you to come to this damn party, that is what I need.”

  As we walked, I thought about life since I had lost Stacey and how she had tragically died nearly two years ago during childbirth. My world had turned upside down. I had dreamt of being the perfect dad in a perfect family, and now I was struggling to be just an ordinary father; I didn’t have enough time on my hands to be perfect.

  I had never forgiven myself for not being there the night that Stacey had died. I had been on duty when the call had come in. Fuck, by the time I had reached the hospital, it was too late; she had already gone. I had no final chance of holding her hand or telling her that I loved her and that everything would be all right. The only good thing was that Emmy, my beautiful daughter, had survived and I de
cided I would rather die first than make that mistake again. I had to become that perfect dad, even if it killed me.

  “I will think about the party if I can find a sitter in time, but I’m not gonna promise anything. My concern is only for Emmy,” I replied as I watched Owen head toward the base gates with a sly grin.

  Owen saluted and vanished through the security gate. He had his hands full with his divorce and I felt sorry for him. He had not told me the reason for the breakup, but I could see he was torn up inside.

  I approached the base’s daycare center and walked into the hallway, pushing my head against the glass of the door. The teacher looked in my direction and gestured to the back of the classroom where Emmy played. She was cute and gorgeous. She had her mom's eyes.

  I looked on as the teacher called Emmy and she looked up, her eyes beamed and she smiled. I could see her mouth the word “Daddy” as she toddled toward the door.

  When she got to me, I scooped Emmy up into my arms. “How’s my princess?”

  She wrapped her arms around my neck. “Daddy!”

  She didn’t have a big vocabulary yet, but we tried. I sat and read to her every night, and she would fall asleep by my side on the bed.

  I placed Emmy onto my shoulders and she put her hands on my head. We strolled casually toward our small home situated at the far end of North Point Street and had to pass by some of the bigger homes for families based here. I walked up the road toward where the Admiral lived and could see some activity outside their home; it was strange that there’d be someone outside at this time of day, especially washing a car.

  As I approached, I could see a petite girl in a very skimpy red bikini, busy covering a VW beetle in massive amounts of soapsuds.

  I stood at the bottom of the driveway and called out to her. “Good afternoon.”

  I watched as the girl slowly turned toward me. She appeared to be about eighteen or twenty years old, and she looked like the Admiral. Maybe his daughter. Fuck me, she was a bombshell.

  “Katherine, is that you?” I called, admiring her slender body and her pale blonde hair.