by Lucy Rinaldi
I kiss her just to shut her up. She laughs and pulls away from me. “Of course you can tell your mom. But let’s do it away from the kids. I think we should tell them at home.”
“Okay,”
We’re not even through the door and the kids are screaming happily that they’ve missed us. I pick them both up at the same time, they know their mother can’t lift them. God, by the time she can lift them she’ll have a newborn. Because there’s no way I’ll let her pick them up while she’s pregnant. I’m gonna make damn sure she does nothing that could risk this baby. Not that she’d deliberately do anything to risk our child.
I set the kids on their feet when Todd starts whining that he needs to cuddle his mommy. I still find it amazing that the kids are already calling us mommy and daddy. The adoption isn’t finalized just yet, but there’s no delay, it’s definitely happening. The kids are ours.
“Babies, do you think you can go play in the den while mommy and daddy talk to grandma real quick?”
“Yes, Mommy.” Little Todd laughs as she tickles his little fat belly. She kisses his cheek and then Robyn’s and they run off to play. I help her to her feet and wrap my arm around her waist.
Sydney looks so worried. I can see the scared tears in her eyes. She’s trying so hard not to let them fall. “What did the doctor say?” She swallows hard when I ask if she’ll step into the kitchen with us. She does.
“Daddy, I didn’t know you were home.”
“Just popped back on my lunch break, sweetheart. I’m just about to leave.”
“No, wait!” Callie practically yells at him. He narrows his eyes.
“Oh, god. It’s bad, isn’t it?” Sydney begins to cry in Keller’s arms. “Not my baby. Not again.”
“Sydney,” She turns to look at me. There was once a time this woman hated me. With good reason after what I did to Callie when I left. But we’ve come to an understanding since our talk before the wedding. “The doctor didn’t give us bad news. In fact, he gave us some very surprising news.”
“What news? What did he say?”
I kiss my wife’s head and whisper in her ear, “Tell them.” She nods and turns to her parents.
Both Keller and Sydney look like they’re about to get the worst news of their lives. I can only imagine what it was like for them when they thought Callie would die. I wasn’t here for Callie back then but I am now. And I know without a doubt that should anything ever happen to my daughter, I’m not sure I’d cope.
“Something’s different.” Keller is a smart man, sherif of this town, nothing gets past him. He looks over his daughter, the expression in his eyes changing from fear to glee. He can’t really know, can he? I thought only mother’s had that kind of intuition?
He let’s go of his wife, a smile dancing in his eyes. “Come here, baby girl.” Callie doesn’t even hesitate to walk into her father’s arms. Since the talk he and I had at Della and Freddy’s wedding where I made him realize none of what happened was his fault, that Callie needed him, he hasn’t hidden his feelings for her one little bit.
Sydney strokes the back of Callie’s hair and urges her to tell them what’s going on. “A miracle happened. Didn’t it?” Keller is aiming his question at me and I nod in response.
“What are you talking about, Kel? What miracle? Can somebody please tell me what’s going on before I have a heart attack!” I stifle a laugh. Sydney is just as I remember her, so very dramatic.
“Our baby girl is pregnant.” Sydney’s eyes are so wide I fear they might pop out of her head. “Isn’t that right, princess?”
I fold my arms around my chest, the scene before me bringing a smile to my face. None of these people ever thought there’d be a day like this. I’ve never been a man who really believes that there’s anything out there, no God, no Devil. All that shit was bull to me. But my Callie has always had her faith, Church on Sunday’s every week until she was attacked. And I’ve wondered since the day the twins came into our lives if there really is anything to this God Almighty thing.
Whether there is or isn’t is not for me to say. But just in case, I thank him for everything. For saving my wife, for making me realize where I belonged, for helping her to forgive me, for the twins, and for this little miracle baby inside of her right now. And I will continue to thank him until I draw my very last breath.
“Is that true? Are you pregnant?” There’s shock in her voice. I expect to hear it from a lot of people.
“Yes. Mommy, I’m having a baby!” Here they go. Women and the squealing they do when they find out someone is pregnant. The excited talking, the making plans. It might annoy some, but not me, I’m basking in this.
“She’s going to need taking care of.” Keller tells me as he comes to stand beside me. “A miracle this is indeed, but it will be a harsh pregnancy. This will be God’s test for you.”
I turn my head in his direction so I can look him in the eye. “And I won’t fail him. Nor will I fail you. I know you’ve never really liked me, you put up with me for Callie, but…”
“Hold it right there,” His hand is up in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. “First of all, I have always liked you Hudson Ryker. I busted your ass when you were younger because I knew you were better than your no-good daddy. I didn’t want you to end up like him in any way and drag my daughter down with you. You have a daughter of your own now and you’ll one day understand where I was coming from.
“Secondly: It wasn’t until after you left that I realized just how much you meant to my little girl. Seeing her so destroyed was heartbreaking. But she pulled herself together and showed us all that she was strong. When she was attacked and we almost lost her…” I watch him rub his hand over his mouth and sigh. “I won’t lie to you, the pain was indescribable. No father should have to see his little girl like that.”
I doubt this man has ever spoken about what he felt that day. And he’s right, no father should ever see his daughter that way. No father should feel such pain. No mother either. But it happened, everyone has to move on the way Callie has.
“When you came home, Sydney was worried that you’d make Callie promises, steal her heart, and then leave all over again. I knew you wouldn’t.” I narrow my eyes a little. Keller Harper, in my corner? Well fuck me standing.
“Don’t look so socked, I’ve always been on your side. Yeah, I wanted to kill you when you left and hurt my daughter so badly. But since you’ve been home she’s Callie again. The Callie I thought was lost forever. You put her and her happiness above everything else. You made her your wife. You even gave her the children she never thought she’d have. Now this,” He tips his head towards Callie. I smile because she’s talking a mile a minute with his mother. “The one thing none of us ever thought possible has happened. And you’re going to take care of her, aren’t you?”
“You know I am. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her, Keller. She’s everything and more to me.”
“I know that, son,” He clasps me on the shoulder. “I know that.”
*
The kids are sitting on our couch in their pajamas after just getting out of the bath. It’s almost their bedtime, but Callie doesn’t want to wait another moment to tell them her news. I called my brother to tell him while still at the Harper’s and Callie called each one of her siblings to tell them. Her brother’s are making the trip up here tomorrow to see her for themselves. I don’t think they could believe it.
Callie then made it her mission to call all of our friends and tell them before her sister’s stole that joy from her. It took over two hours to tell everyone and get them off the phone so we could bring our tired babies home.
We fed them, bathed them, now they’re waiting so patiently to hear what I have to say. Yes, Callie has elected me spokes person when it comes to telling the kids. Might have something to do with the fact she told everyone we knew and I only told Enzo.
I’m not petty, she was excited and had every right to be. But I must say I’m as nervous as hell sitti
ng in front of my three-year-old son and daughter. I’m scared of how they’ll react to the news that they’re getting a new baby brother or sister. They may have settled in well with us, but I don’t want them to think anything will change when this baby comes along. Callie and I will love them just as much.
“Daddy, did we do somefink bad?” My sweet little girl. That’s always the first thing she asks when I tell them we need to talk. They’re never bad, just normal kids who like to play.
“No, my princess. You didn’t do anything bad. Mommy and Daddy just have something to tell you. It’s very important and I need you to be big and strong, okay?” Both kids nod.
Callie nods encouragingly with a big smile on her face, her arms wrapped around my bicep as we both sit on our oak coffee table, right in front of our kids.
I reach forward and take their little hands in mine. “Mommy and Daddy are having a baby. That means you’re going to be a big brother and sister”
“Are you gone send us away?”
“No, Robyn” Callie shakes her head. “No one is sending you away. We love you so much, sweetheart. You and Todd and this little baby inside mommy’s tummy are everything in the whole world to us. We just want to prepare you for the fact there’s going to be a baby joining us.”
“Baby!” Todd, child of little words yells to the sky excitedly.
“Okay. But I not changing diapers. And I not giving my bear to the baby. You got to buy it’s own.” I laugh loudly and lift Robyn from her seat. She wraps her arms around my neck, giggling as I tickle her.
I watch Callie sit beside Todd, so I place Robyn beside him and sit down beside her. My arm across the back of the couch, holding my family to me.
I used to wonder what life would have been like if I’d stayed all those years ago. It kills me to think that if I had Jemma wouldn’t’ve died, Callie wouldn’t’ve gone through all she did. Maybe she wouldn’t’ve been attacked because I’d have been here to protect her.
But then I think about what Callie always says, everything happens according to God’s design. He has a plan for all of us. We shouldn’t live with regrets and what if’s. We’re together now with our children and our dogs. We’re married and nothing can tear us apart.
She has a wonderful way of looking at life, and I am so proud to call her mine.
Epilogue
Callie
My life has been perfect since Hudson came home. He made all my dreams come true. He became my husband, a father to my children. Children I honestly thought I would never have.
Todd and Robyn are thriving, and I’m proud to tell you that we became the very proud parents of a little boy a month ago. We named him Donovan. And he is everything to us and more. Just like his big brother and sister.
My pregnancy wasn’t easy by any means, I was in pain constantly. I had many, many hospital visits and a lot of care given to me. I was seen as the miracle woman in town and everyone wanted to help me.
And they did.
Especially my mother, she was fantastic all through my pregnancy, nothing was too much for her to deal with.
There were days when I felt like crying through the pain, and I did a little. But I would stroke my stomach and realize just how lucky I was to be having my little miracle baby. I thanked God every single day for what he’d brought me, I still do.
Donovan had to be born by C-section because my body couldn’t take the pressures of labor. But I didn’t care, I just wanted to see my special boy.
Hudson was with me the whole way through, holding my hand. And the moment Donovan was placed in his arms, I saw him fall so deeply in love with our son. It wasn’t five seconds before he bent down and placed our baby beside my head. I both laughed and cried as I kissed his little head, and I fell so in love with him.
I had to stay in the hospital for five days before I could go home, but I was assured that was normal after a C-section. But after what I’d been through I would have to visit the hospital for some time to come, just to be checked over, to make sure my abdomen was healing the way it should.
Truth is, I’m doing fantastically well.
Having Donovan gave me stretch marks and made a couple of my older scars protrude again. But do you know what? I don’t even care. Hudson loves me the way I am, and I’m finally happy. I am at peace with who I am now, I have the family I always wanted, and nothing will take them away from me.
“Mommy, it’s story time.” I chuckle at my little girl, she loves for me to read her to sleep. Todd likes daddy to read to him, Robyn always wants mommy.
It’s crazy when I always thought Robyn would be all Hudson.
The twins have brought so much joy to our lives and everyone loves them, especially Paige. And they really love her, she’s always taking them out, spending time with them. They even stayed with her while I gave birth to Donovan.
My life is perfect right now.
“Come on, baby girl, Mommy will read to you now.”
I tuck her up in bed and read The Princess and the Frog to her. She’s asleep in seconds. Just like always, yet I keep reading for a little while longer just to make sure.
I smile at my husband as we swap rooms so we can say goodnight to our children. Once we’re done, we meet in Donovan’s nursery so we can say goodnight to him too. Not that he sleeps all night yet, he is only three months old.
In our room, he gently pulls me into his arms. Gently because I’m still healing. I’m not all the way there yet, but it won’t be long before I’m one hundred percent. “I hate leaving you alone right now.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart.” I stroke his face. I hate the pained look in his eyes. “Enzo needs you, as much as he says he doesn’t.”
“I know.” He kisses my head.
It’s been a tough few months for Enzo, not only did he break up with Autumn when he found out he wasn’t the father of her baby, he left her, only to get a call the next day telling him that Charlie, the baby, had passed away. Autumn then took her own life just three days later. Enzo was left to bury them and grieve the baby who wasn’t his.
He loved that little girl, he really believed Autumn when she said he was the father. Of course, he didn’t at first, but she stuck to the story that he was and he finally came around to the idea.
I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s done to him. He hasn’t really spoken to anyone for months. He works, of course, and works-out. He’s gotten more aggressive with his boxing. Underground boxing isn’t even legal, so you can imagine the damage he’s doing to his opponents and not caring.
Hudson is so worried about him, and I’m worried about Hudson because this is stressing him out to the max.
“I won’t be long, baby.”
“Take your time, handsome. I’m just going to crawl into bed and catch up on some sleep.” He chuckles, kisses me and leaves.
I never realized how much sleep a person misses out on when becoming a parent. I work hard in my store, take care of my home, my husband, and my children. But do you know what?
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The end!
If you’re enjoying the story so far, please leave a review of your thoughts. Thank you so much for embracing Oak Springs and it’s residents the way you all have, it means so much to me :)
Keep reading for a sneak peek at book three. Caution: Enzo & Paige.
Sneak Peek!
Caution: Enzo & Paige
Paige
Breathe. Don’t scream. Keep it in until you’re alone. That’s all you have to do, Paige. That’s all you have to do.
Easier said than done.
Why is it I have to repeat myself over and over again? I’m not a bad person, I’m actually a really good person. Okay, I may be a little hot headed, and a little stubborn. But that’s not a bad thing it just means I know my own mind. I have every right as a woman to stand my ground. But right now, I feel like I’m talking to myself. Nothing I say seems to be sinking into this man’s head!
“You’re n
ot leaving me, Paige.”
“Yes, I am, Kyle. How many times do I have to say it?”
“You can’t just throw us aside!”
Raising his voice won’t change what’s about to happen. I’ve had enough. I can’t take anymore. Eighteen months we’ve been together. Eighteen months, and he really thinks I don’t know about his extra curricula activities with half the town? It never used to bother me. Kyle isn’t the love of my life. There isn’t even any real chemistry between us. Hell, we haven’t had sex in ten months. Ten months! And why? Because I can’t bear to have him touch me in that way.
You would think he’d at least try to sleep with me. Okay, he did for a while but he soon gave up. So, in all honesty, I don’t have anyone to blame for his infidelities but myself.
But just lately, I feel like a fool. I know everyone is talking about me. I hear them whispering whenever I walk by. Even at work people talk about me. It’s time for me to face facts, I need to end this sham of a relationship.
I only said yes to dating Kyle because I needed to try and forget about the man I’ve been in love with for the past thirteen years. How do you forget that kind of love? Okay, I may have only been ten when I realized I loved him, but he was my hero.
Stop thinking about him, Paige! He doesn’t want you, never has. The sooner you get that through your head the sooner you can move on with you life and actually have one!
“We’re getting married, Paige!”
Yeah. Right!
“Hell no, we are not! You’ve never asked. And I would have turned you down if you did!”
“No you wouldn’t. You’d be damn lucky to be my wife.”
I can’t help laughing sarcastically. Is he for real?
“You cannot be serious right now?” He raises his eyebrow. How have I let this cocky son of a bitch etch his way into my life? “I’d be lucky to be your wife? You’d be lucky if I ever said yes in the first place!”
He rakes his fingers through his hair and turns away from me.
“Look, Kyle, I’m not trying to be a bitch. But you and I are… It was ridiculous to ever think we could be more than friends.”