Baby, I'm Yours (Life, Love and Babies)

by Chase, Samantha

  “I’m supposed to drive there with Denise. She’s going to be here any minute.”

  “I’ve already taken care of that. David is going to drive her.”

  “Oh,” was all she could manage to say. It would have been nice if someone had informed her of the change in plans, she thought to herself.

  He followed Nicole into the house and smiled at her appearance. She was clearly in the middle of getting ready. Her hair was still a little damp and she was walking around wearing her blue silk robe. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ve got to finish getting ready and pack for Ellie.”

  “Pack? Pack what?”

  Nikki chuckled. “I never go anywhere far from home without at least two changes of clothes for her. You never know what kind of mishaps can happen with a toddler.” She headed back up the stairs, and Josh admired the soft sway of her hips as she climbed. Before he could let his mind wander in that direction, Ellie came scampering down the stairs.

  “Daddy!” she squealed and jumped into his arms. His chest tightened at the sight of her. Only one week away from her and he had missed her terribly. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and held on tight. She had missed him, too, and it filled him with pride.

  Placing her back on her feet, Josh let Ellie lead him to the living room where she twirled around in her pretty new pink dress and proceeded to tell him about all of the times she had played with the new toys he had purchased for her.

  Meanwhile, Nikki was upstairs having a nervous fit. She was going to be confined to the car with Josh for a three hour drive. No, six hours! Groaning, she walked to her closet and pulled out the sleeveless purple dress with the long straight skirt that she had chosen for today. Slipping it over her head, it hugged her in all the right places without being tight or clingy. She finger-combed her hair and did a final check of her makeup. She smiled at her appearance; it felt good to look pretty sometimes.

  Grabbing a pair of sandals, she placed them on her feet. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed her own small over-night bag. Deciding that being in this dress and sandals all day would most likely annoy her, she threw a change of clothes for herself into the bag for the ride home before heading into Ellie’s room to pack her bag.

  “Nicole? If we’re going to get to my parents’ house in time, we’re going to need to get on the road,” Joshua called to her from the bottom of the stairs. She called down that she was just finishing up when it hit her. His being there, reminding her that it was time to go, it all seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Like they were a family getting ready for an outing and it was an everyday occurrence. She smiled to herself because it felt good; she collected the bags and headed down the stairs.

  At the sight of two pieces of luggage, Josh raised an eyebrow at her. “I thought I’d take a change of clothes for myself so that I could be comfortable on the ride home,” she explained. Nodding, Josh took the bags from her and walked outside to put them in his car.

  Nikki grabbed her purse and Ellie’s hand and followed him out. She stopped short at the sight in her driveway. “Is this yours?” she asked, confused by the sight of the brand new silver SUV that Josh was placing the luggage in. She distinctly remembered him driving a black pickup track last weekend.

  “Yeah, I figured it was more practical for when we go out. It was too hard maneuvering that car seat last week. Now there’s a full back seat for all of Ellie’s things. I even purchased the same car seat that you have so that we don’t have to keep moving yours back and forth.”

  She had to admit, she was impressed. In the span of a week, he had given thought to and put into action some of the necessities of being a parent. “I’m sorry that you had to get rid of your truck. It really wasn’t necessary.”

  “Sure it was,” he said as he closed the tailgate. “I want Ellie to be safe and comfortable when I take her out. Now there’s room for all of us to fit comfortably and there’s room for us to grow, too.” The words were spoken lightly, but what they implied gave Nikki butterflies in her belly.

  Room to grow? Room for whom? Her mind began to race. Her first reaction to his words was that he wanted their family to grow, but the pessimistic side of her took over. Maybe there was somebody else in his life that he was planning on having a family with. After all, he had been engaged once, and no matter what Denise’s opinion was, the fact remained that Josh lived several hours away and didn’t spend a whole lot of time with his family. Anything was possible.

  The thought of there being another woman in his life hadn’t even crossed Nikki’s mind until right now, and it didn’t make her feel good. As a matter of fact, it downright depressed her. Climbing into the passenger seat while Josh got Ellie buckled in, she was suddenly feeling a great sense of loss. So much for that earlier observation of everything feeling completely natural, like they were a family. Now all she could think about was the family that was going to grow with him and his stupid new car and how it didn’t include her. She was frowning by the time Josh joined her in the front seat.

  “You okay?” he asked, concern lacing his tone.

  “Fine,” she lied. Josh didn’t give any indication that he didn’t believe her, and before she knew it, they were on the road.

  Interstate 40 is as boring as they come. It was an uneventful drive filled with brief bouts of conversations started by Ellie. Josh marveled at his daughter’s chatty nature and wished that her mother would feel such ease with him. He remembered a time when they couldn’t seem to stop talking. He had hoped that their time together today would give them time to relax with one another before being surrounded by his family, but Nikki spent most of the drive staring silently out the window.

  Josh was sure that she was nervous and didn’t want to add to her unease with unnecessary chatter. He missed the easy camaraderie that they had shared on the night that they met. Where had that woman gone? That night, they had endless conversations, and it was only sheer exhaustion that made them stop. He wished that she’d share with him what she was feeling.

  They arrived at his parents’ home sooner than Nikki was prepared for. As they pulled into the massive circular drive lined with enormous magnolia trees, she sucked in a breath. This wasn’t a house, this was a mansion! Josh looked over at her stunned expression and chuckled. “It’s rather large, isn’t it?” he said casually.

  “I had no idea,” she said in awe. “Denise never mentioned that her future in-laws lived in such a house.” Josh parked the car and moved to get out, but Nikki was frozen to the spot.

  The house and the property reminded her of an old plantation home – all white with large columns along the wide wrap-around porch. Wisteria vines climbed the corner columns and she could see a porch swing in one corner. Her head began to spin. The whole day was going to be awkward enough with meeting Josh’s parents, introducing them to Ellie, and dealing with their opinion of her. But now, Nikki feared she might be viewed as some sort of gold-digger who was trying to trap their son for financial gain.

  Again, stop watching so many movies!

  Nausea rolled in her stomach, and she nearly jumped out of her own skin when Josh opened the passenger door for her. “Oh!”

  “You were planning on getting out of the car at some point today, weren’t you?” he teased.

  She made a face at him. “I just wish I was a little more prepared for all of this.” Climbing out of the vehicle, Josh was treated to the sight of her shapely calf that was exposed through the side slit of her dress. She smoothed the skirt and nervously fidgeted with her hair before turning to Ellie to fuss with her appearance as well.

  Josh placed his hands on her shoulders and forced her to stand still and look at him. The feel of his warm hands on her skin was like a hot brand. Nikki closed her eyes briefly to the sensation of it before meeting his gaze. His emerald eyes scanned her face and registered that he completely understood her uneasiness with the whole situation.

  “Everything is going to be fine,” he whispered. “You are not alone,
Nicole; we’re in this together.” Unable to resist, he pulled her carefully into his embrace and was surprised that she went so willingly. Her body molded perfectly to his and felt so incredibly right that all thoughts of his family, this party and everything else just melted away. His brain was consumed with her and how much he wanted her. Her floral scent intoxicated him, and if he had his way, they’d be as far away from this scene, this house, as possible. He wanted Nicole all to himself.

  Nikki rested her head on the solid wall of his chest and sighed. Yes, she could get through just about anything if this were the reward for it, she thought. Joshua’s hands gently stroked her back. She let out a sigh of pure pleasure at the feel of it all. He placed a hand firmly at the small of her back and pulled her just a little closer to him before whispering, “I think we should go inside.”

  Reluctantly, she stepped from his arms and gave him a weak smile. She was thrilled to see the smoky desire in his eyes. It was a heady feeling. Maybe she had been mistaken about her self-doubt and there being another woman. It was a subject that was clearly bound to come up soon, especially if they kept responding to one another they way that they just had.

  “I’ll come back for the bags a little later,” he said as he helped Ellie down from her car seat, and together they walked toward the house, each holding one of Ellie’s hands. Looking for the entire world like a solid family unit.

  Chapter Four

  They had barely reached the front door when Josh’s parents came racing through it, full of smiles and immediately embraced the three of them.

  “We’re so glad you’re here! I’m Laura Masterson and this is my husband, Tyler.” Nikki blanched a little at the name, but the man immediately embraced her, and her mind instantly cleared. “Is this Ellie?” she asked, kneeling down in front of the child, heedless to the fact that she was dressed in what Nikki could only assume to be a designer dress.

  “Yes,” Nikki replied, coming to kneel next to her daughter, as well. “Ellie?” The child turned to her expectantly. “This is your grandma.”

  Ellie’s eyes went wide. “I get a new grandma, too?”

  Everyone laughed with relief. “Yes, princess; you sure do. And you get a grandpa.” In the blink of an eye, Ellie jumped into Laura’s arms and hugged her. Tyler promptly joined in, and Nikki felt herself sag with relief. Joshua was standing right behind her to hold her up; his strong hands grasping her shoulders as she leaned into his solid frame.

  They entered the grand house and were immediately led toward the back to a glass-enclosed sun room filled with too many tropical plants to count and where glasses of sweet tea were waiting for them all. The Masterson’s kept Ellie with them on a wicker sofa while Nikki sat opposite them in a large wicker chair. Joshua sat on the arm of the chair with his own arm draped around Nikki’s shoulder. She couldn’t help but sink back into that sense of belonging and how natural all this felt. His touch on her arm was a gentle caress, and she leaned into it.

  “We were thrilled when Joshua called us last Sunday night and told us about the both of you,” Laura beamed. “This wedding will be so much more special knowing that our granddaughter is part of it.”

  They sat and talked for at least thirty minutes; discussing Nikki’s teaching career and having her fill them all in about Ellie’s young life. She reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a small photo album and handed it to Laura. “It’s not much, but I put together a collection of pictures of her for you.”

  Tears filled the older woman’s eyes, and she looked at Nikki with gratitude. “Thank you. This is a beautiful gift.” She opened the book, and together they all went through it with Nikki narrating each of the pages and where they were and what was going on.

  Looking up, she realized that she should have done something like that for Joshua, too. Maybe after all of the craziness of the wedding was over, they’d have a day where they could go through all of the pictures she had and let him pick out the ones that he wanted for an album of his own.

  There was a flutter of activity in the main hall before David and Denise appeared in the sun room to greet everyone. When Denise came over to hug Nikki, she whispered in her ear, “Sorry about the ambush. Josh insisted on being the one to bring you here today.”

  While Nikki appreciated the apology, she still felt a little rankled that her best friend had chosen not to call and give her a heads up. She was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of Ellie laughing with David who was now thrilled to be a real uncle to her daughter. He swung her around before carrying her from the room to take her on a tour of the house.

  “Our guests should be arriving soon, so why don’t we continue this visit later after the party?” Laura suggested. All were in agreement, but Nikki hung back in the sun room when the others left. Josh was half way out of the room before he noticed Nikki’s stance.

  “You okay?”

  “What? Oh…sure. Your folks are really nice, and I’m so glad that Ellie’s taken to them so quickly.” Her arms were crossed against her middle, and Josh could read the uncertainty in her eyes.

  “But…”

  “Well,” she began, trying to organize her thoughts. “It’s just that I’m in kind of a strange position here today.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I’m here as Denise’s maid of honor; at least that was what I was originally here to be. But now,” she said as she sighed and turned to look out at the massive gardens beyond the glass, “now I’ll be introduced as the mother of your child or as the mother of the new grandchild.”

  “I’m not sure what the exact problem is here, Nicole,” he said honestly. “Are you ashamed of my being Ellie’s father?” There was a hint of pain in his voice.

  She spun around and faced him. “No! No, that’s not it at all! I just really don’t want to have to share with a bunch of strangers the fact that you and I had a one-night stand that resulted in a baby. Maybe it’s not a big deal to you, but I don’t want people looking at me like I’m some sort of gold-digger or something, and…” All of her fear and anxiety was coming to the surface. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t belong in this house, with this man, with this family; and the day that she had been looking forward to a week ago, now suddenly felt like torture.

  “Why would anyone think that you’re a gold-digger? Where did that even come from?” Josh ran a hand over his face and then forced his hands into his pockets so that he wouldn’t reach for her again.

  “I know nothing about you!” she hissed. “I had no idea that your family lived like this!” She waved her arms around indicating their elaborate surroundings. “But who’s going to belief that?”

  “I don’t care what anyone believes, and if anyone here today has something to say to that effect, then I will set them straight. I’m the bad guy in this scenario, Nicole; not you. I’m the one who lied and made it impossible for you to find me again.” There. He had finally admitted his guilt out loud to her, and it felt like a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

  “Do you have any idea how angry my folks were with me when I told them what I’d done?” Nikki shook her head, tears threatening to fall. “They couldn’t believe that I would do something like that, but they were so grateful that you were the kind of person who valued our baby’s life and chose to keep her. Right now, I believe that they hold you in higher regard than they do me.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” she said quietly, her attention returning to the gardens outside. The vibrant colors of the flowers were captivating, and it made her smile when she spotted Laura showing them to Ellie and even placing some in the child’s curly hair.

  “Yes, it’s true,” Josh said from directly behind her. He, too, was watching their daughter laughing and smiling as she ran through the garden. “When my mother asked if I was bringing you and Ellie here today, it wasn’t a request; it was more like a command. I knew that she wanted to talk to me in person as well as get to know you.”

  Her heart sank
yet again as she lowered her gaze to the floor and furiously blinked away the tears before they fell. She felt Josh move closer behind her. “What?” he asked. “What did I say?”

  She looked over her shoulder at him. “It’s nothing,” she said quietly. “We’d better go and join your family before the guests arrive.” Nikki made to walk around him, but he blocked her and gently grabbed her bare upper arms. The feel of her skin sent waves of arousal though his body. Again.

  “I want to know what I said that caused you to look like you were going to cry.”

  Taking a steadying breath, she looked up at him. “Look, this has been a crazy week, Josh. My whole life is being turned upside down, and when you showed up this morning, I just thought that you were there because you wanted to be with…” Me. “Ellie. But you were there because you had to be.”

  “That’s not true!” His fingers dug into her tender flesh. “It’s true that it didn’t even occur to me to come here today for this bridal thing, but once the idea was planted, I was all for it. I want to be with…” You. “Ellie as much as I can. You have to believe that.” His eyes shone with desperation, and Nikki knew that he loved their daughter very much. Would he ever care that deeply for her?

  “I’m sorry for complicating your life so much. I promise to stay by your side the entire time today and answer any awkward questions that get thrown your way. Okay?”

  Her eyes grew wide. “You can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s a bridal shower, Josh. Men normally aren’t invited to these things.”

  “Call me a rebel,” he said softly, leaning his head ever-so-slightly toward hers. “I told you before, Nicole, we’re in this together.” It was the last thing he said before covering her lips with his own.

  Nikki got the impression that he had meant to be gentle, but she wanted none of that right now. She ran her tongue along the seam of his lips and was rewarded by a growl low in his throat. Josh’s tongue darted out to mate with hers as his arms wrapped around Nikki’s slender body to mold her to him again.