by Delisa Lynn
“I love you so much, Brody. I can’t wait to be your wife.”
“I love you more, and I can’t wait to be your husband.”
When we go into the kitchen, I see heart-shaped waffles with whipped cream and berries on top next to a glass of apple juice sitting on the breakfast bar. This man knows the way to my heart for sure. He even put a smidge of powdered sugar on top.
I take a bite of my amazing breakfast. “Do you know how happy you make me?”
“As happy as you make me, I hope. I told you, we are a team. You and me.”
***
The moment we arrive at Dr. Welton’s office, I get so nervous it feels like my breakfast is about to come back up. Brody hasn’t let my hand go since we left the car. I hope and pray this test comes back negative. My grandfather passed away from lung cancer. That is the scariest thing ever.
“Hi, my name is Nicole Lassiter. I have an appointment with Dr. Welton,” I say to the receptionist.
“Please have a seat. The nurse will call you back shortly,” she says. She hands me back my ID and insurance cards.
Brody and I sit in the corner of the office. My knees are shaking and my palms are sweaty. Brody can feel my body shaking. He wraps an arm around me and places the other on my legs.
He kisses my temple. “We will get through this, baby.”
“I know. Thank you.”
“Nicole Lassiter, please follow me,” a woman in scrubs says as she opens a door. “My name is Danielle and I will be your nurse today. It looks like you are only here for test results. Is that correct?”
“Yes, ma’am, that’s correct.”
“Have a seat and Dr. Welton will be right in.”
We sit in the office for what seems like hours. I keep hearing the clock tick. With every tick tock, I feel my heart sink to my toes.
There’s a knock on the door. Dr. Welton comes in and asks, “Nikki, how are you, dear? Is this your fiancé?”
“Hi, Doctor. I’m good, and yes, this is my Brody.”
“Nice to meet you, sir.” She shakes Brody’s hand.
“I have all your results here. I was just going through them. Everything has come back normal. I see no signs of cancer anywhere. Even all of your hormonal tests were fine.”
“So, I don’t have cancer? I’m fine?”
“Yes, dear, no cancer. We did have one test come back positive and that was the pregnancy test, so I would like to examine you today and do an ultra sound, just to be sure. I will send Danielle back in to prep you. Then I’ll be right back.”
“Pregnant, but how? I thought I couldn’t get pregnant? We’ve been trying so hard and nothing was happening.”
“Well, between the first blood test and the second, you must have conceived. Dear, I’ll be back in shortly.”
“I don’t have cancer, Brody. Maybe a baby, though. I’m so confused right now.”
“Maybe there was an error with the test. If you’re pregnant, that would explain the tiredness and dizziness you’ve been feeling. Make sure to let them know that.”
“Okay, I’ll tell them.”
I place my arm around my waist. A baby…I may be having a baby.
“Okay, Nicole. Put this gown on and I will be back in a few minutes,” Danielle says.
I walk into another exam room. It’s a lot smaller than the one I was in before. I slide my dress over my head and stare in the mirror. No wonder my breasts have been so tender. I run my hands over my stomach, which really doesn’t look different. I go back to the room I was originally in and sit on the exam table. Brody grabs my hand as Danielle walks back in.
“Nicole, I’m going to use this monitor and go over your stomach with a fetal wand. With this, we will be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat.”
I lie back. Danielle straps a band around my waist and turns on a machine. I hear a faint thump-thump. My eyes widen.
“That’s your baby’s heartbeat. You aren’t too far along. Maybe six, eight weeks tops. The doctor will be back in to do a pelvic exam and an ultra sound, so you can just stay in that position.”
“We are having a baby,” I whisper.
“Yes, we are. Are you feeling okay, love?”
“I’m just shocked. I came here expecting the worst, but I’m not dying. I’m having our baby.”
“I love you so goddamn much, Nicole.”
“Okay, let’s get started, shall we?” Dr. Welton asks.
She does the very uncomfortable pelvic examine. Brody holds my hand the entire time. She squirts cold jelly on my belly. One look at the monitor and I’m in love. It’s the smallest baby I’ve ever seen.
“Looks like a pinto bean,” Brody says.
“You’re eight weeks, so you’ll be due around January first,” Dr. Welton says.
“A week after Christmas. That’s perfect,” I say. I look up and see tears in Brody’s eyes.
“Okay, Nicole. Let’s get you your prescriptions and you will be all set. If you have any questions or concerns, please call me.”
***
It’s been a week since we found out we were expecting. We haven’t told anyone just yet, but I’m ready to tell them all. Lila is due in August, Tatum is due in December, and me in January. This is so damn exciting. We will be in Alabama by January. Brody wants to start working on the house immediately. I need to see if I can get my wedding dress altered. There’s no way I’ll be able to fit in it within three months.
Brody rolls over in bed and sits up next to me. “Nikki, have you decided when we should tell everyone?”
“Soon. I’ve almost let it slip several times. I know Lila and Tatum will be excited.”
“You and Tatum have gotten close lately. I think that’s good. But how do you think Lila will feel about your friendship with Tatum?”
“I’m not sure. I try not to mention either of them to one another. I know that what Evan had with Li is in the past, but this whole situation makes me uncomfortable,” I say.
“Yeah, it’s awkward for sure. Do you know she cheated on Liam again? Evan said he spent the weekend with her when she was there. Wait…Nikki, how far along is Li?”
Holy fuck. I can’t lie to Brody, but I can’t tell my best friends secret either. Ugh, why did they have to put me in this position?
“I…umm, I think six or seven months?”
“Nik, her baby isn’t Evan’s, is it?”
Damn, damn, damn. When she has that baby, I’m going to kick her ass, then Evan’s.
“Not that I know of. Come on, let’s get up. We’re hungry.” I grab his bottom lip with my teeth.
“Mmm, you continue that and you won’t only be hungry for food.”
Chapter Fifteen
Lila
Everything’s going well between Liam and me. The baby will be here in six weeks. I finally took time off from work. With everything that’s going on, I’m too stressed and that doesn’t help my clients much. Nikki called me a few weeks ago; she’s pregnant too. I’m so excited for her. She also informed me that her new friend, the one and only Tatum Kelley, is also pregnant.
I hope this baby isn’t Evan’s. I just can’t stand the thought of hurting him or my amazing husband. Liam is insisting that I keep this from Evan. Nikki said that Brody is questioning her. I hope he doesn’t put it all together, at least until after baby bean is born.
Nikki and Brody’s wedding is going to be awkward enough without all the baby drama. Liam still says he’s sure the baby is his. I hope, by the grace of God, that he’s right.
Megan and I are going shopping today. We’re also getting pedicures. I love my girl time with her. I’m going to tell her about Evan today. I hope it doesn’t change our friendship.
“Good morning, sleepy head. Come on, get up, I have a date with Megs today. Are you and the guys still going to look at the building?” I ask Liam as I straddle him.
“You stay on top of me and there won’t be any getting out of bed for an hour or so. Yes, I should call Ash, but that can wait. I need som
e loving from my beautiful wife.”
“Liam, I just got dressed.” He starts kissing my neck. Within seconds, everything I was concerned about disappears. “Oh, that feels good. Yes, they can wait.”
I pull my dress over my head. He unsnaps my bra and kisses my breasts.
“I love you so much. I don’t know how I’m going to wait six weeks again,” he says as he lays me back on the bed and kneels between my thighs. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
“I’ll always be all yours, baby. If I recall, we couldn’t wait six weeks when I had the girls. I think it was more like four.” He slides my panties off with his teeth. “Jesus, Liam, please don’t stop.”
“Looks like I wasn’t the only one turned on. You are so warm, so wet,” Liam says. He rubs circles around my clit.
“Mmm, taste me,” I whisper.
“Tell me, Lila. What is it you want me to do? You want me to make you come, baby?”
“Oh God, yes. Please, I need you.” I feel his tongue go between my folds. “Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted.”
The things this man makes my body do…Just the touch of his tongue is making me come undone.
He takes his time licking and sucking my lower lips. My back arches. I push his head further inside. I feel my toes curling and I know I’m ready to explode.
“Come for me, baby. Then I will give you all of me so we can come together. You want to feel me deep inside of you?”
“Yes, Liam. Right there.”
I moan as I feel one of the greatest orgasms ever envelop me.
“I love the way I make you feel,” he says. He positions himself between my legs. Then he takes his length in one hand and raises my right leg with the other.
In one thrust, he’s deep inside of me, making me moan and scream all over again. Liam increases his rhythm. He doesn’t stop until every ounce of him pours inside of me. He groans against my neck.
A few minutes later, he walks into the bathroom and starts the shower. Damn, I already had my hair and makeup finished, but, for sex that great, I don’t mind having to get ready again.
“Come shower with me. I know we messed up your hair. Are you rewashing it or do you want to put it up?”
“Carry me, please. No, I don’t have time to wash it and fix it. I’ll put it up. Just don’t get it wet,” I reply. I throw my arms around his neck and place small kisses all over his handsome face.
When we finish showering, I reapply my makeup and redo my hair. I can hear Liam on the phone with Ashton. I feel so bad for him; he finally told his Christa he wanted a divorce. She isn’t taking it too well. Thank God he was smart enough to ask for a p-prenup and she was dumb enough to sign it. If he hadn’t, she’d be trying to take everything right about now.
“Hey, babe. Everything okay?” I ask as Liam walks back in the bathroom.
“Yeah, just worried about Ashton. Apparently one of Christa’s dealers has been going to the house.”
“Oh no! That’s not safe for AJ or Ashton. Please have him bring little man over here.”
“Okay. Will you be okay with the both of them staying here? Kade will be here until his condo is finished too. Can you handle a house full of Ellis men?” He swats my ass.
“Oh, you know I can. I will kick all of your asses.” I try to lift my foot to his ass, but I can’t get it up that high. “Well, once I have baby bean. Oh, speaking of baby bean, he needs a name.”
“What have you been thinking?” Liam asks. “I know we aren’t doing junior.”
“I really like the name Lain. It’s kind of like Blain, just without the B. What do you think?”
“I like that. Maybe we should give him a middle name that starts with an A? That way he’ll have my initials. That’s if you want that. You know I’m okay with whatever you want.”
“I really like Lain. And I just thought about this; what about Greyson? After our grandmothers?”
We discovered last year that both of our paternal grandmothers’ names were Grace. They both passed away and I think naming baby bean Greyson would be a great way to honor the two of them.
“That sounds perfect! Our dads would be so happy about this.”
“I know! I think it’s perfect too. Greyson Lain Ellis,” I say as I wipe tears from my face. Glad my mascara is waterproof.
Liam kisses my neck. “Do you have time to eat breakfast? Rosa made bacon. I smell it.”
“No, I’ll grab something on the way there. I need to get going, so keep your hands and lips to yourself.”
“Ahh, so just my hands and lips, huh? You didn’t say anything about this,” he says as he rubs his length along my ass.
“Ugh, I have to go. Megs is going to kill me if I’m late. Make sure you check on the girls and that they stay home tonight. Our mothers can’t keep them forever.”
***
I meet Megan at Panera for brunch. I told her that I have a lot of things to talk about. She and I have been friends going on four years now. We met at the firm. She’s a fantastic lawyer and a beautiful lady. If I get my way, she’ll be in the arms of Kade soon. I know they have a connection. She can’t stop talking about him, and I’ve noticed that he asks about her as well.
“Hey there, preggers,” Megs says. She grabs my arm and walks toward the mall with me. “That dress is super cute. You just had sex, didn’t you?”
“Hi, thank you. And how the hell do you know? It’s my hair, isn’t it?”
“Oh no, it’s that look all over your face. You always have a glow, but today, it’s the, ‘I’ve just been laid’ glow.”
“Oh my gosh, Megan! I can’t believe you said that.”
“What? Who the hell would be ashamed of getting fucked by one of those Ellis men? You, my dear, have a gorgeous husband and his cousins are just as sexy as he is, but you know I’m partial to Kade. At least you’re getting some. My battery operated friend isn’t doing as well as it used to. Maybe I can get a piece of Kade.”
“Bitch, quit looking at my hubs, he’s off limits. But I have to admit they are all fine. You can have Kade; Ashton has too much baggage. You know he and I dated before Liam and I, right? Please find you a man and lay off of the battery operated ones, but I guess a battery operated one isn’t all bad. You don’t have to deal with any drama from them.”
“God, no. I had no idea you used to date Ashton. What happened? Trust me, I would much rather have a man inside of me than a vibrating silicone.”
“Well, as you know, his twin sister, Addison, was my best friend. Anyway, Ashton and I dated for months, but I wasn’t ready to have sex and he was. I was going off to college and he thought I would give in. When I didn’t, he cheated on me, of course. Then I snagged the other Ellis. A few years later, the poor guy got trapped by Christa and they had AJ. I actually almost lost Liam. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You and I have become really close, and I love you and trust you.”
“Wow, I didn’t know all of that. I love you too. You are one of my closest friends and I adore your girls. What happened to Liam? Okay, spill everything. Do we need extra napkins?”
“Yes, extra napkins. Let’s eat before I go into all the details; you may choke. You may also hate me afterward.”
“Oh, Lila, I could never hate you, sweets. We all have a past and lots of secrets. I’ll save mine for another day, if that’s okay.”
“Of course. Now let me eat and I’ll fill you in.”
I take a bite of my bacon, egg, and cheese on ciabatta sandwich. These sandwiches are so good. They were my daddy’s favorite. I remember he used to bring Eric and me here every Sunday morning.
It’s so odd how the smallest things can remind us of loved ones that have passed. I think of Ads every time I eat popcorn or get a pedicure. Hell, I think about her all the time. There wasn’t a day that we didn’t communicate in one way or another. Whenever I eat peanut butter, I think of my grams. She always made us peanut butter pie. See, just the little things.
***
After brunch, Me
gan and I sit at a table in the middle of the mall.
Meg places her hand on mine. “Okay, lady. Spill it.”
“When I was in college, I met a guy named Evan. Nikki’s fiancé, Brody, is his best friend. Me and Nikki met Brody and Evan the same day. Evan and I became friends, but he always wanted more. Liam was in the Army and became MIA. I ended up sleeping with Evan. When Liam didn’t return for months, I started dating Evan and we got engaged. Then Liam came back.
“I chose Liam, of course, but something was missing. My father died and, when Evan came to his funeral, I slept with him. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway. For four years, we didn’t talk to each other at all. Then, seven months ago, when I went to New York for a friend’s wedding, I slept with him twice. And now the baby I’m carrying might be his,” I say. I pause, expecting her to say something, but she looks like she’s at a loss for words. “So, do you still want to be my friend?”
“Sweets, of course I do. I’m no one to judge you. I have my own secrets, as I said before. Do Liam and Evan know that the baby might be Evan’s?”
“Liam knows.” I sigh. “Evan does not, and Liam doesn’t want me to say anything. He wants to raise the baby as his, even if he’s Evan’s. I can have a test performed now or wait until the baby is born, but he still thinks we shouldn’t take the test. I’m so confused, Megs.”
“First of all, Liam is a wonderful man, but he can’t tell you not to have it done. If you feel you should take the test, then do so. If you don’t take the test and Evan never finds out, that’s great, but if and when Evan does find out…I’m sure it won’t be pretty. Does Nikki know?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. She does. I just told her not too long ago, and I’m afraid she’ll tell Brody, who will tell Evan. So, that’s where everything stands. I needed to tell you so I can get some advice from someone who doesn’t know Evan.”
“Babe, the only thing I can suggest is that you follow your heart. Are you still in love with Evan?”