by Evan Grace
I knew it wasn’t true because when my dad was home I was all he focused on. He made me feel like I was his whole world, and still does. It wasn’t until I moved to Chicago that my dad told me the truth about my mom. My dad had tried to get custody of me so I could live with his parents, my grandparents, to get me away from my mom when I was ten. At the time I had let it slip that my mom had me on a diet because she said I was getting pudgy.
He had surprised me that weekend, and he happened to show up when Mom was in one of her moods. She was informing me how I dumb I was, and that I needed to work on my looks because when I was older that was the only way I was going to get a man. Dad made me sit in my room while they screamed at each other.
When Mom found out he was trying to take me away from her, she told him that she’d take me and run—that he’d never see me again—so as always, my mom got what she wanted—me, and my dad’s money.
Of course, I didn’t tell my dad that I already knew about him trying to get custody of me, and what Mom did.
Delilah: Hello Mother. It’s nice to hear from you too. Yes, I’m very excited to be a mother. Your grandson is cooking nicely.
Mom: Just when I think you can’t get any more stupid you surprise me. I’m no one’s grandmother. You’re ruining your life, and the poor shmuck’s that you tricked into getting you pregnant.
I should block her number, but I don’t. No matter what, she’s my mom and I love her, even though she fucking hurts me every time. Why doesn’t she love me? I wipe the tear that slips from my eye. I hate that she does this to me, and that I let her. I know Dad told me to never engage her, not until she could be nice, but I keep hoping she’ll change. Maybe I am stupid.
My phone gets pulled from my hand. Reece looks at the screen, and I see his jaw clench. I quickly grab it from him, shoving it in my bag. He opens his mouth to speak, but I turn on him. “Don’t. It’s not your business.”
I head outside and stand next to his car. He comes out and opens the door for me, and I climb in. We’re both silent the whole drive to the office, and I’m thankful for that. I’m not even sure I’ll tell my dad she reached out. I’m always afraid that one of these days she’s going to push him too hard, through me, and he’ll finally do something about it.
We get to the office, and again neither of us speaks as we ride the elevator up to our floor. As soon as Carrie sees me, she comes around the front desk and pulls me into a hug. Well, a sort of hug since our bellies are getting in the way. “Are you okay? I wanted to come check on you, but your dad wouldn’t say where you were.”
“I’m sorry. I’m staying with Reece since he just started. If whoever attacked me knows the people who work here, they shouldn’t know him.” Reece disappears into the back.
“Egan says Reece is the father of your baby.” I nod. “You’ll have to tell me that story later.”
In the back I head to my office, and it’s well past lunch before I finally get a chance to eat. I’ve had a steady stream of the guys checking on me. The only one who has been scarce today is Reece.
I know the guys have all been curious about Reece and me, but they luckily haven’t asked. My dad probably asked them not to. Speaking of my dad, he’s standing in the doorway to my office. “Hey, honey. Are you doing okay?” I nod. “Reece said your mom texted you spewing her bullshit again.”
Of course Reece told. He’s going to kiss my dad’s ass to keep him from killing him for knocking me up. “It’s not a big deal. I just ignored her.” I know he doesn’t understand why I still answer when she calls, and why I don’t block her, but I just can’t.
“If she contacts you again, you tell me. Okay?”
“Yeah, okay.” I sigh. “Was I really that terrible?”
My dad’s pissed—I can tell. “Never. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Yes, we were young, but from the moment I knew you were coming I loved you so much. The moment the doctor put you in my arms, you stopped crying. Yes, I was scared as hell, but I was so fucking happy to have you. As far as your mom goes, her parents weren’t nice people, and they taught her the same.”
That statement right there scares the shit out of me. “What if I become her?” I whisper, my voice cracking.
“Baby girl, that’s ridiculous. You’ve already shown this baby so much love, and he’s not even here yet. I have complete faith that you’re going to be the best mother.” I get up from my desk, coming around to hug my dad.
“Thank you. Thank you for not killing Reece.”
He laughs softly. “I don’t like it, but he’s a good man. He’s had my back more times than I can count, and I’ve had his. I just have to accept the fact that he’s the father of my grandbaby, and that he can handle the task of keeping you safe.” Dad kisses my forehead. “I’ll let you get back to work.”
Reece doesn’t come back to the office until it’s time to get me. The ride back to his place is uncomfortable, and I don’t know why. I didn’t do anything, and he can’t still be bent out of shape because I masturbated this morning. It can’t be because I didn’t want to tell him about my mom, either.
After he pulls into the garage, I climb out and grab my bag. He hasn’t given me keys yet, so I follow him into the house and head up to my room. I quickly change into a pair of red knit shorts and a black ribbed tank top. In my bathroom I wash my face, brush out my hair, and braid it quickly.
My stomach growls and I head downstairs to start dinner. Reece is a pretty healthy eater, so I cook chicken, mixed vegetables, and quinoa. When it’s finished, I sit down at the breakfast bar and eat…alone. By the time I’m done, he’s still not back from wherever he went. I clean up the kitchen and decide to look in the garage to see if his car is gone. It’s still there, but the motorcycle that was on the other side is gone.
Sadness washes over me, and I don’t understand why. We had one night, and he didn’t even stick around. I’m only staying with him now because it’s safer. I’m the mother of his baby, but I don’t think I mean anything more to him. Why would I? Ugh…No pity party.
My mood deteriorates quickly, so it may be safe for everyone if I just go to bed. In my room I stack my pillows, snuggle into bed, and open my Kindle. I immediately get lost in my story. I love it: they were high school sweethearts and they split after an accident. When they’re reunited a few years later, he finds out that she has a child, but it’s not his. She won’t talk about it.
I’ve cried multiple times already. It’s not long before my eyes feel heavy.
***
A loud crash has my eyes flying open. I lie very still, trying to hear anything, but I don’t. I go to sit up, but a hand covers my mouth. I scream against the hand and start fighting the person. They pin me to the bed and straddle me. My head thrashes around as I try to get loose to scream. The mask-covered face gets close to mine. “Delilah! Delilah, wake up.”
My eyes pop open, my light is on, and Reece is sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at me with worried eyes. I put my hand over my racing heart and curl into a ball. My son is moving around like crazy inside of me, and I know for him I need to calm down.
I feel Reece’s hand on my back. “Are you okay?”
“Y-Yes. I thought I heard a loud crash, and then someone’s hand was over my mouth. H-He climbed on t-top of me and held me down.”
“Sweetheart, there was no crash—no one was in here. You were screaming in your sleep. When I came in here you were thrashing in bed.”
From my position curled up on the bed, I nod. “Thanks for waking me up.” I roll over until I’m facing him, resting my hand on my exposed belly. “The baby didn’t like that.” Without thinking I grab his hand and place it on my bump.
Reece is incredibly good-looking, but when he feels our son move and smiles, he’s breathtaking. His thumb strokes my skin back and forth, but I don’t think he knows he’s doing it.
“I’m sorry I snapped at you this morning. My mom is not a very nice person and has made it her mission to hurt me over a
nd over again. From the moment she learned I was pregnant, she’s been on me to have an abortion.” Reece’s hand tenses on my belly. “That was never a thought. No matter what, I wanted this baby.”
“I’m sorry too. I know I’ve been off today. It’s not you, I swear. There’s just a lot to take in and deal with right now. We haven’t found any clues yet to who attacked you. Erik and I have been everywhere looking at surveillance tapes, and we only have one that we caught a glimpse of him, but he’s smart and kept his head down.” He scrubs his free hand over his head. “You’re safe with me. Even though I was gone earlier I had eyes on the house, and the system was on.”
“Where did you go? You just left.” It takes a second to realize that my hand is resting on top of his on my belly.
“I went to work out, burn off energy. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving. Thank you for dinner. I ate some when I came back, and it was delicious.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” I cover my mouth as a yawn slips out, and I’m disappointed when Reece stands up. I already miss the warmth of his hand on my belly. “What time is it?”
“It’s nine-thirty. Do you think you’ll have a problem falling asleep? I can make you some tea.”
“I’m exhausted. I shouldn’t have any trouble falling back asleep.” I stand up and quickly realize I’m only in my tank top and panties. Reece’s eyes devour me, and my nipples harden under his gaze, but he clears his throat, says goodnight, and runs like his ass is on fire.
I use the bathroom and brush my teeth before turning off the light and climbing back into bed.
It’s a couple of hours later, and I’m no closer to falling asleep. Maybe I should make a cup of tea.
I climb out of bed and head silently down the stairs to the kitchen. While the water boils, I stare out the back window. I grew up in a town similar to this—quaint, and quiet. This is the perfect place to raise a child. I can totally picture our son running around the backyard.
Hands slide around my waist, causing me to jump, but in the window I can see it’s Reece. I turn in his arms so my belly is pressed tightly against him. His gaze holds mine, and my heart races waiting to see what he’s going to do. I want to bury my nose in his chest. Reece’s scent is addictive.
“Can’t sleep?” His voice is rough with drowsiness. I must’ve woken him up. He is a military man, so I’m not surprised he’s a light sleeper.
“No.” I don’t know why I whisper. It’s just us.
Reece starts to slide his hand down my back until he’s cupping my ass. My breathing speeds up as I place my hands on his bare, hard abs. His hand flexes on my butt cheek, and I moan softly. His cock is rock hard—I can feel it poking me in my belly.
I lick my lips and watch Reece’s face descend toward mine. At the last minute the damn tea kettle whistles and ruins the mood. He steps back, tells me goodnight, and disappears upstairs, leaving me horny, confused, and frustrated. I shake it off because it’s probably not a good idea for us to do anything. But he can’t possibly deny that there’s some sort of connection between us that’s undeniable…I felt it too.
After making my tea, I take it up to my room.
Chapter Seven
Reece
I’m in fucking hell. Delilah has me walking around with a constant hard-on. It’s been a week since I almost foolishly kissed her in my kitchen, but fuck, she looked sexy standing there. Knowing that if she turned around I’d bear witness to her swollen belly, I never thought I’d find pregnancy sexy, but maybe it’s because she’s pregnant with my baby.
I’ve never jerked off more in my life. Every morning I wake up hard and want nothing more than to go crawl into bed with her and remind her how explosive we are together in bed. It’s becoming more than just physical. I’m finding that I really like her. She’s funny, witty, and mouthy, but in an appealing way. Even though she works for her dad, she doesn’t act like it.
Delilah is constantly busy, doing what needs to be done to have everything run smoothly. It’s impressive, and she’s so much smarter than she gives herself credit for. All of the men respect her, and not because of her dad. She’s earned their respect. I’ve seen the guys talking to her in her office like they’re old buddies. It actually makes me a little jealous, which is ridiculous.
Today she has a doctor’s appointment, and I’m going with her. It’s a follow-up from her attack. She said we’ll probably get to hear the heartbeat, and maybe actually see the baby during an ultrasound.
Later today I’m finally going to tell my parents about Delilah and the baby. I’m sure they’re going to be happy because I’m happy. Sure, I never expected to have children of my own, but now knowing my son will be here in a few months is surreal.
I’ve been reading every book I can get my hands on, but while trying very hard not to tell Delilah what to do, not after the morning I took her coffee from her and I thought she was going to maim me. I really hope that she’ll allow me to be there when he’s born.
Co-parenting books are mixed in with the pregnancy books I bought. We’ve yet to talk about that stuff, but we should talk sooner than later. It would be best for us to have a game plan set. She doesn’t have to worry about me getting married to someone else, or anything, but what about her? She’s young, and beautiful. She deserves and needs to be with someone her own age.
Not someone who has no intention of getting married. I’ll support her and our child even when she meets someone else, but I’ll be damned if my son calls another man, “Dad.” Fuck, I’m already marrying her off to someone else.
I pull into the parking garage and find Erik leaning against his Explorer, waiting for me. He’s become a good friend. “What’s up?” I say as I shut my door and meet him at the rear of his Explorer. We do the obligatory handshake-back slap combo.
“Nothing—I had the surveillance footage enhanced, but they couldn’t get any more of a clear look at his face.”
That’s not what I wanted to hear. “Shit, that’s not the news I wanted.”
“I know. I’m sorry, man. How is Del feeling?”
“She seems to be okay. I’m here to pick her up for an appointment with her doctor.”
He nods as we head to the elevator. “I still can’t believe you’re the baby daddy. We were all taking bets to see how long it would take for Jack to kill you.”
“Yeah, I thought for sure he’d kill me that morning at the hospital, but I’m keeping his daughter and future grandson safe.”
He turns to me as we wait for the elevator to open. “Do you see you and Del becoming a couple?”
I shake my head. “Not at all. She’s too young for me.”
“Good to know.”
I freeze and turn to the elevator I didn’t hear the doors open. Delilah stares at us with so much hurt in her eyes that my stomach twists.
“Delilah—” I say, but she cuts me off.
“Just save it, Reece.” She walks past me.
I start to follow her. “Where are you going?”
“To my appointment.” Delilah keeps walking, so I follow after her. Erik yells, “good luck,” and I shoot him the middle finger.
“Come on, let’s get in my car. I was planning on driving you. I wanted to be there.” She looks ready to argue with me. “Plus, it’s for your safety.”
That does it, and she reluctantly follows me to my Mustang. I open the door for her then shut it before climbing in. I decide not to say anything for right now. The last thing I want is to upset her before her appointment. We reach the clinic ten minutes later, and I follow her inside. She gives them her name and then sits down next to me.
She types away on her phone, ignoring me completely. My eyes wander around the office, and a redhead across the waiting room gives me “Come fuck me” eyes. I’ll admit she’s beautiful, but she doesn’t hold a candle to the woman currently ignoring me. I turn to look at Delilah and see she’s staring daggers at the redhead.
When they finally call Delilah’s n
ame, I follow her into the back where they do all of the normal vitals, her weight, and blood pressure. In the exam room, Delilah sits on the table and the nurse has her lie back. The nurse exposes Delilah’s belly, squirts some jelly on it, and then places a microphone-looking contraption on the jelly.
In a matter of seconds, the most beautiful sound fills the room. The rapid whooshing sound makes me smile like a loon. I grab Delilah’s hand and squeeze it. I try to hold onto it, but she pulls her hand from mine.
Fuck me, I screwed this up royally. I just didn’t feel it was Erik’s business until I know for sure what the fuck is happening between us. She doesn’t have to be happy with me right now, but she at least will let me continue to keep her safe.
After the doctor comes in and pokes around on Delilah’s belly, they bring us down the hall to a room with an ultrasound machine. The tech comes in and again covers Delilah’s stomach with the clear blue jelly. The monitor gets turned toward us, and there he is…my boy.
Tears cloud my eyes as the tech shows us that he’s got his fist tucked under his chin. We watch as his legs curl up, and then straighten out, like he’s stretching. “It looks like everything is okay with this little one. We’ll have Dr. Stephens take a look at this real quick, and if she clears you, we’ll set up for your seven-month checkup. After that, you’ll start coming in twice a month.”
She disappears out of the room, and I grab paper towels to wipe Delilah’s belly off. I’m shocked she lets me. “Thanks.”
“Will they give us copies of the pictures? I’d like one if it’s possible.”
She nods. “Yeah, I’m sure they’ll give us a copy.”
The doctor comes in. “Well, baby looks great. Placenta is where we want it to be. He is measuring big, so we may do another ultrasound when you hit eight months, just to keep an eye on the baby’s size. Here are some pictures for you to take.” She hands them to me, and I look down. There’s a great profile picture that I’ll have to send my parents and my sister.