“I know you liked a few of the cribs, but Jack didn’t really have time to make one. Mom was determined to have this room finished before you got back, no matter when that was. Of course, she won’t expect to have any grandchildren from me for a while,” Chase said, watching as his wife fought back tears. He sure hoped they were happy tears and not worry ones.
“It’s perfect,” Summer said, giving up on keeping the tears at bay. “I . . . I’m sure she'll like the news we have. The bed is . . . . perfect.” It really was. It was amazing, simple, and . . . . perfect. Summer was sure she wouldn’t have ever been able to envision something like this.
Instead of saying anything, Chase pulled Summer to his side. He couldn’t wait for many things, but for now, he was content to just hold his wife as she calmed her tears. He knew from Clare, and Asher’s many rants, pregnant women were more emotional over just about anything. He certainly hoped his wife didn’t turn into one of those women who cried over everything.
“This crib will be used more than once,” Summer mused.
“You mean you want more than just one child?” Chase asked, surprised. He would be perfectly happy with only one kid.
“At least two. Maybe three,” Summer shrugged. “But no more than three. I think we’d need a bigger house if so.”
“I can always add on to this one. Or we can move,” Chase said, meaning every word he said.
“No, just three,” Summer said, knowing her husband well enough that he would add on to this house. With three kids, and then whatever Clare had too, it would be more than enough.
“We’ll take it one day at a time,” Chase said. He didn’t care how many kids they ended up with. As long as they were happy, healthy, and alive.
A few moments later, the front door opened, followed by Kayla calling for Chase. Her voice was soft but was hopeful all the same.
“Chase?” she repeated. “I know you’re here; your car is out front.”
“Shall we?” Chase asked.
“Will we tell her? Or wait?” Summer asked, not sure when they should tell everyone about the newest baby that would arrive.
“Well, your shirt won’t hide it for long,” Chase said happily amused. Summer had worn a tighter shirt, but it was one she had instantly fallen in love with. A short sleeved dark blue shirt that had a round neckline and went down past her waist. She had on a gray jacket over it with a pair of dark jeans, but it really didn’t hide her small bump. Although, it was only noticeable to someone that knew her well enough. Kayla always could see things most people would bypass.
“I guess not,” Summer said with a smile.
Chase returned it with a laugh before leading Summer out of the room, closing the door behind them.
He’d see how long it took his mom to figure it all out. He didn’t think it would take more than a few minutes.
Chapter 36
Chase and Summer were both brought into tight, almost too tight, of hugs from the auburn haired woman. She clung tighter to Summer for a moment longer before stepping back, a teary-eyed smile in place.
“I am so happy you are back home!” she gushed, looking at both of them up and down.
After a moment, her eyes met Chase’s before jumping back to Summer’s, a pleased look in her light green eyes. She was never the type to miss any differences in her family members.
“Really?” she asked in awe. “Another baby?” She had never been happier since having her own child, who was now grown into a wonderful, powerful man.
“Due in sixteen weeks or so,” Summer said with a blush as Chase squeezed her hand.
“Do you know the gender? Oh, I have to get more things ordered. You’ll need clothes and a swing. And a bassinet for the baby to sleep down here in. I’ll have to order things for my house, too,” Kayla rambled on.
Chase and Summer shared a knowing smile as the woman went on with a mental list of things that she needed to be done, not giving either one of them time to answer anything. Not that it really mattered, of course.
“Mom,” Chase said louder than he needed to after a few minutes when she hadn’t stopped.
“Yes?” Kayla answered before crashing Summer into a hug once more. She was just so happy.
Kayla didn’t think that the Princess would ever try for another child, not after the last time. She wouldn’t blame the girl for not wanting to with her history. She certainly wouldn’t have tried, no matter what. Seeing her son and daughter-in-law standing here before her, she knew that whatever threat that had been out there had been taken care of.
Summer was pregnant!
Kayla had high hopes that the nursery would be used, but she didn’t think it would be so soon. She’d have easily pushed the subject of adopting if Summer wasn’t up to having her own children, but that was no longer a concern.
“Oh, look at you!” Kayla gushed, pulling back, keeping her hands on Summer’s shoulders. Summer’s cheeks were alight with life. “You have that glow!”
“Uh, thanks?” Summer replied, not sure how to reply to such a statement. How was one meant to reply to that anyhow?
“Now, did Chase show you the old office room to you?” Kayla went on, trying to calm herself. Calming was the least thing she wanted to do, but she didn’t want to frighten Summer. Kayla wasn’t even sure if Summer was still the skittish girl that lived here just four months prior.
“Yes,” Summer answered with a smile. “It’s perfect,” she sighed out. “I wouldn’t have done that room any better than what you chose for it.”
“Good. We can add a touch more color to it. Boy or girl?” Kayla launched again with a little bounce on the balls of her feet.
“We are waiting to find out,” Chase answered, pulling Summer against his side. “A surprise all around. So the room is perfectly fine the way it is.” They could easily add whatever color later on if they decided to do so.
“How can I buy clothes for the unborn child if I don't know the sex?” Kayla scolded lightly, not really upset about the fact. Her son always liked to give her more gray hairs than she needed, even with happy moments such as this.
“I’m sure you’ll do just fine, people have done just fine not knowing for years,” Chase laughed out. “Right now, we have everything we will need.” And more so.
“What do you mean by that?” Kayla demanded, setting her hands on her slim hips, taking the motherly stance Chase knew all too well.
“A friend or two bought a few things for us while I was . . . . finding myself,” Summer answered, remembering last second that Kayla may not know what all went down.
“Good,” Kayla said, knowing she didn’t need to know what all went down. “You look so much better, though, dear.” Summer really had found herself, which was past due.
“I had good teachers to help teach me how to get over the past,” Summer said, leaning her head against her husband. “Took Sebastian long enough to not seem like a threat, though.”
“Sebastian won’t hurt a fly if you are on his side,” Kayla said with a smile. “I’m glad he was there for you.” She knew Sebastian’s heart was always on the Princess, even before he knew himself.
“He’ll be here in a day or two,” Chase said. “Along with a few other people. Figured we have more than enough room here for the time being for our guests to stay until they figure out what they would like to do.”
“Oh?” Kayla answered, surprised. Chase certainly wasn’t the type to invite people to stay in his house. It wasn’t often he even let his own parents have too much say over anything, actually.
“You’ll see them soon, mom,” Chase laughed. “Plus, I’m sure you will have a baby shower planning to attend too soon enough.”
“Oh, Emma will be over the moon!” Kayla gushed again. “Can I tell her, or would you like to, Summer.”
“You can,” Summer said. “She’ll find out before I see her here, I’m sure.”
“She can come by tomorrow? Unless you two are busy, of course. Clare should be home in about fifteen
minutes or so, too,” Kayla went on.
“Sure,” Summer said, feeling happy and content. “I’ll be here. I don’t think anyone will let me out of their sight for years to come,” she joked.
“I will never let you go away for that long again,” Chase whispered down to her, a loving look in his eyes. The look melted Summer’s heart. She’d never be apart from him again if she had any say over it.
“I’ll leave you two for now,” Kayla said. “I’m going to make sure that their room is ready for Clare and the baby. She’s tired but ready to be back home. She’ll be even happier to see you both.”
“How is she?” Chase was able to ask before Summer did.
“Tired, but that’s expected. She and the baby are both happy. If she wants to tell either of you more detail, that’s up to her,” Kayla said. She didn’t feel like it was her place to tell them about how the birth was. Plus, if Clare told anyone, it would do her some good.
With that, Kayla gave them a small smile before heading upstairs to the bedroom that Clare and Asher had been using. She was never more glad that her family was growing, and at such a fast rate. Seven months ago, she had worried about her only son. She wasn’t sure he’d be able to the be the man everyone expected him to be.
Kayla always babied him, more than she ever should have. He was her boy, and she desperately wanted to spare her son the life her husband had been forced into. He grew up into a smart, handsome man. He had taken down two of the most feared men in the country, thanks to his amazing wife.
God, did she wish she could have saved Summer all the pain she had endured. The woman knew that the girl was in a hellish place, and there was nothing anyone could really do about it. Not without putting a risk for someone else’s lives in the same pathway.
Even when Emma begged Kayla to take in the small girl, claiming her to be her own. Kayla just couldn’t do it. Not only did Ivan demand against it, but it would have killed everyone.
So instead, Kayla prayed for Summer to be okay. Prayed for the blue eyed little girl to live, to make it through life. Her heart hurt, it cried, knowing her hands were tied.
In the end, she did. Now, Summer was strong in just about all ways. She had a back bone, strength, and beauty all wrapped in one. It was plain as day how much Summer had grown up during her time away. She had a husband who adored her to the end of the earth. Those two were meant to be together, and nothing would tear them apart.
It was amazing how good Sebastian had taken control of the Princess, teaching her what she should have known from the start of life. That alone would make this baby, her first blood grandbaby, the most powerful person of all time.
Kayla really couldn’t get over the fact that Summer was to have a baby so soon. Maybe in a year or two, but now worked just as well. This baby would be spoiled by the entire family, never wanting for anything. It was obvious that the baby wasn’t planned, but was welcomed all the same.
She couldn’t wait for the family to grow even more. Kayla was certain that once Clare saw her sister, knowing everything would be perfectly fine in the end, she’d surely have more kids later on down the line, too.
Clare and Asher were perfect for one another. Even with being so young, as Clare just turned eighteen right before Christmas, they were in love. Their love was just as strong as Summer and Chase’s was. Kayla loved seeing how easily certain people were able to fall in love.
Like her and Ivan. They fell in love at first sight, and wouldn’t change a thing. Even if her own parents disowned her after he showed interest. Not that her parents were the best parents as it was. They cared more about money and social statuses than their own flesh and blood. Kayla was better off without them in her life.
Ivan was always a sweet talker, at least when it came to her. He showed her the way life could be with him, how things would be better without worries. At least not every day normal worries like money, rent, or lack of food.
When Kayla turned eighteen, she left her parents and their money, seeking a life of her own. And she found it in the form of waitressing and paying her way through night college classes. She took it one day at a time. It was by chance that the man in question popped up in the little run down dinner she was working in, and that was that.
It wasn’t long after they met when Kayla moved in with him. How could she not when she couldn’t even afford her own food. He offered her a place to live as she continued her education, and they fell deeper in love as the days went by.
Chase was so much like his father, though. They both wanted to help everyone in any type of way they could. Kayla knew that she had raised her son right, as she saw how he was with Summer.
She couldn’t wait to see what he’d be like with a son or daughter in a few months’ time. He always had been good with kids, so Kayla knew without a doubt that Chase would make an amazing father, and Summer a wonderful mother.
Chapter 37
Summer stood in the hallway out of sight, as Chase talked to Clare in her room where she sat, on her bed resting. Well, Clare should have been resting, but she wasn’t exactly resting as the Prince thought she should be.
She wore dark navy yoga pants and a purple t-shirt that hid her post-pregnancy body. Not that she was ashamed of the bit of baby fat, she just didn’t want to broadcast it. Plus, she was comfy in these clothes.
“You shouldn’t be up so much,” Chase sighed once again when she stood up pacing the room. He just wanted the girl to lay down for a few moments. The room was clean and completely set up for her and the new baby, who was currently downstairs with Kayla.
“I’m fine,” Clare said, rolling her eyes for good measure. He was happy to see that she was mostly back to herself. She looked extremely tired still, but he knew not to push. Asher would be up here soon enough and hopefully get the blond girl to rest, at least sitting down and not pacing the room, fixing little things she thought was out of place. She just couldn’t sit still, mostly because she’d fall asleep if she did. There were a few things that needed the air cleared before she could do that.
“Please, Clare,” Chase sighed out, running a hand through his hair roughly. “Would you let me explain why I was gone for a few days? I know you aren’t happy that I wasn’t there, but you know I have things that have to come first.” He hadn’t exactly promised to be there.
“Don’t you dare!” Clare seethed, turning her burning gaze on the man. “I knew my sister wouldn’t be back, but you, Chase, I asked for you to be there! And you weren’t!” Tears gathered in her eyes, more upset because she had hoped that Chase would be there for her when her sister wasn’t able to be.
Chase just let her rant. Yes, she had asked him to be there when she went to into labor, just in case Asher wasn’t able to be there, or if something were to go wrong. He never promised he would be, but he had said he’d try. But when it came to his wife, Chase would always choose her. Always. Summer was his other half.
“Everything went okay,” Chase said calmly. “I had things that needed taking care of.” His green eyes pinned her in place for a moment, before she dropped her eyes from his.
“There’s always something!” Clare said, flipping her hands up in the air and then letting them thunk against her legs. “But, you couldn’t even bring my sister home all those times you would just leave! Why? Why can’t things just be easier?” she cried out, letting her frustrated tears fall from her eyes.
“Well . . . .” Chase went on, his voice soft. “That’s where I went. I went to find Summer, and bring her home.”
Clare’s bright teary eyes lifted to Chase’s, a questioning look. She didn’t dare to hope. Not now. Her emotions were already all over the place as it was.
Summer took that moment to step around the door into the entryway, a look of uncertainty on her face. Her arms were wrapped around her torso, not sure what to say, or what to do. She missed Clare so much, but with the young girl being so upset, Summer didn’t want to step on any toes.
“Hi,” Summer grimaced as Cha
se wrapped his arm around her, bringing her to his side.
Clare was frozen in place, a look of shock that stopped her tears for a moment. She was left speechless, for once.
“This is why I had to leave,” Chase said, still calm. He understood why Clare was so upset but wasn’t this a better alternative? He sure thought it was.
“You couldn’t just tell me when you walked in here? Or when I walked into the house?” Clare asked, her voice quieter now, then from her angry rant just moments ago.
“You didn’t give me a chance,” Chase said with a blink.
“Sorry,” Clare said, looking down at her bright green-socked feet. After a second, she looked back up, meeting her sister’s eyes. “I missed you.”
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