Baby's First Christmas

by Pratt, Lulu

  I fell asleep on a high, after more orgasms than I could count. We talked and held each other, described our dream homes and I shared every secret I could think of. Jude was making his way into my life, and I wanted him to know I was committed to welcoming him in.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  JUDE

  FOR THE SECOND morning in a row, the sun shining through the window woke me. Holly was asleep in my arms, her lips swollen from our late night of passion. She was beautiful even in her sleep, and I found myself watching her for hours recalling our time together.

  She’d taken over my trip, suddenly becoming the only reason I cared to be in Savannah. A low sound from the nightstand demanded my attention, and I found my cell phone vibrating.

  There was a text message from my mother, telling me she missed our breakfasts dates, and my stomach turned for the worst. The reality that Holly and I still had to tell our friends and family about what was going on with us was a dark cloud over my perfect sunshine.

  As much as I wanted to hide over at her house, avoiding the difficult conversations I knew needed to happen, I had to face the world. My mother deserved to know the truth, and Chris wasn’t a part of my life I wanted to hide anyway.

  As I thought long and hard about how I wanted to broach the topic with my family, I felt a rush of relief knowing how much they loved Holly. Having a child outside of marriage wasn’t something my parents would be thrilled about, but I was happy I wouldn’t be bringing anyone unknown into the fold.

  I couldn’t even imagine their reaction if I had gotten a girl pregnant in New York, because Savannah was home for the Hatches. Holly was already a part of my family, so I hoped my sister and mom would quickly connect with their previous connections. As for my dad, he was an easy sale. If I was happy, he was happy.

  The real concern was Holly’s family, and I wanted us to confront the issue as soon as possible. The longer I put it off, the worse things would be. There was nothing about what I felt for Holly that I wanted to hide. She was incredible, and the way she made me feel was worth more than a lifetime.

  I loved her.

  The realization was clear and direct, with my arms wrapped around her delicate frame. For years I had tiptoed around the feeling, uncomfortable with how strongly I felt for her, but there was no more denying things.

  We had a family and she was the partner I always wanted. She’d given me the greatest gift a woman can give a man, a child. I’d never felt more indebted to a person, wanting nothing more than to dedicate my life to showing my gratitude.

  “Are you watching me sleep?” Holly asked in a groggy voice as she blinked quickly.

  Squirming in my arms, she woke up, kissing me swiftly before climbing from the bed. She was still naked, and in the morning sun she was even more attractive. When she reached the bedroom door, she took a shiny fabric from a hanging knob, wrapping a floral-print silk robe around her body.

  Moving quickly, she left the bedroom, and I listened as she made her way through the house, stopping in the kitchen before making her way to the living room. A few minutes later, Holly returned to the bedroom doorway holding Chris in her arms. Much like her, he was blinking quickly as he scanned the room.

  While I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t in my head, Chris’ eyes lit up when he spotted me while Holly breastfed him. I welcomed them into the bed, wrapping my arms around them both.

  Despite all we still needed to conquer in order to experience our happily ever after, I was content with Holly. More than that, I was happy to care so deeply for her and the life we’d made together. There was a bond between us no one would ever be able to break, and I treasured it more than she would ever know.

  “I should get dressed. I have to get to the hotel in an hour,” Holly announced after burping Chris.

  “Here, I’ll take him,” I reached for our son, taking his wiggling arms into my hands before pulling him close to my chest.

  “What’s going on, little buddy?” I asked, offering my index finger. Wrapping all his fingers around my pointer, Chris smiled, kicking his feet with excitement as we followed Holly into the bathroom.

  “This won’t take me long,” she warned as she rushed into the shower. It was obvious she wasn’t used to having help with the way she constantly thanked me for the simplest gestures. Playing in the mirror with Chris, I made silly faces to his amusement while Holly showered.

  She’d just stepped from the steaming shower when I turned to see her. Falling in deep, dark curls, her hair fell like a frame around her full breasts. Unaware of her beauty, Holly brushed her hair back as she walked to the vanity, sitting on the stool I’d bent her over just hours prior.

  “I love you, Holly.”

  In my mind, I planned to tell her in a more romantic and thoughtful way, but there was no way to stop sharing the news when it was burning in my chest the way my love for Holly burned.

  She gasped, turning to me frozen midway as she pulled her hair into a ponytail.

  “I love you,” I repeated, watching her eyes go wide.

  “I love you too, Jude,” she said, her voice cracking as she spoke my name.

  “I know you do, babe,” I smiled, walking over to plant a kiss on her cheek before leaving her alone to get ready for work. In the next room, I played with Chris, trying to maximize my time with him before dropping Holly off at work.

  An hour later, I helped Holly strap Chris into his car seat before driving her to work. She had a big meeting about some potential reservations at the hotel, and she excitedly told me all about the possibilities on the drive.

  It was exciting to see another side of her. We had been in our own world, cut off from the rest of society, but it was nice to see the business side come out. She was the mastermind behind the hotel empire, and when we pulled into the parking lot and her eyes lit up, I knew Holly would never turn her back on the family business.

  As I put the car in park, I made a mental note that any future between us would not include relocating, because Holly, much like my parents, needed to be in Savannah.

  “I can carry him in,” Holly argued, but I insisted and carried Chris in his car seat all the way to the spa before giving her a chaste hug and kiss when no one was looking.

  I’d just made my way out of the spa when Dylan came through the front doors of the hotel. He was carrying a large box, so I went to help him and we set it on a table at the end of the hall.

  “Thanks,” he said when we finally placed the box on the ground.

  “No problem. What’s this for?” I asked, nodding to the box.

  “More decorations.”

  The sound of her name brought a territorial urge to my chest. I needed him to know about my relationship with his sister not only because of our friendship, but because I wanted everyone to know.

  It was painful having to bite back my good news as he told me all about the work he needed to get through for the day. I wanted to tell him everything, but I knew the time wasn’t right. Holly still had to tell her parents and I didn’t want to jump the gun and rush her into something she wasn’t ready for.

  Holly had been more than considerate while I was away in New York without a care in the world. The way I saw it, the least I could do was continue to keep her secret for a few more days.

  “We need to talk soon. We should get that beer,” I suggested, thinking of how he would take the news.

  Always the protective big brother, no one was ever good enough for Holly by his standards, and I quietly questioned if even I could live up to his expectations.

  After hearing his thoughts on the man who had fathered Chris, I hated to envision the look in his eyes when he found out I was that man. It was a conversation I wanted to have myself, but again I knew Holly deserved to handle everything how she best saw fit.

  I’d have to exercise some patience to take a backseat in her plan. If Holly wanted to take things slow, then that was exactly what we would do.

  “Oh, for sure!” Dylan smiled, extending hi
s hand.

  “Mr. Foster, you’re needed upstairs,” a man called from the stairs, and Dylan began to backpedal down the hall.

  “I’ll phone you tomorrow!” he called out to me.

  Walking to the car, I wondered how I could possibly go about carefully breaking the news to everyone. There was no way to avoid the inevitable outrage and anger from Holly’s family, but that didn’t dampen my eagerness at all.

  What I felt should never be hidden, and I couldn’t find a drop of shame or guilt in me. I loved Holly, and she loved me back. In one night of passion we’d created a beautiful life, and no one was ever going to make her regret that.

  With Savannah passing by, I felt like a changed man in the city that raised me. So much had changed in the course of a few days, I felt aged. I’d just passed the edge of downtown when a call came through, ringing throughout the intercom system.

  It had been days since I talked to anyone from the office, and I knew I was overdue for a status update from my new team leaders. If there was any way I was going to deserve the handsome salary they were paying me, I’d have to spend some time getting to know my new employees.

  While the holidays used to be about family, I had to also remember my career was blossoming, and if I intended on staying on the fast track to partnership, I needed to stay focused. After taking a deep breath and clearing my throat, I tapped a button on the steering wheel to answer the call.

  “Hello? Jude here,” I answered, my voice stern and what I hoped was confident. There was a brief pause on the line before I heard a response.

  “Hatch? Is that you?” My boss’ voice chimed through the speakers.

  “Yes, sir. How are you?” I asked, closing the windows to minimize the wind.

  “I wanted to talk to you about what we could offer you in the new package. Obviously, you’ve had some time to think about it. I wanted to see if I could possibly make the deal even sweeter,” he began, his tone dripping in persuasion.

  “I’m listening,” I said, prodding him forward as I turned down the driveway of my family home.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  HOLLY

  AFTER ONLY TWO nights with Jude, it already felt strange waking up alone in my bed. We’d decided it was best for him to spend some time with his family after he camped out at my place. It was clear Jude didn’t want to go along with my plan, but I was worried his parents would grow suspicious if he spent too much time with me.

  After a year without so much as a close call, I couldn’t risk Jude bringing my whole world down by exposing my secret.

  I just needed a bit of time to find the right way to break the news to everyone and then we could happily share the truth. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of Jude, I just wanted to do things on my own terms, and that meant telling my family when I was ready. Telling them I was pregnant seemed like a cakewalk compared to what I was facing when telling them who the father of my child was.

  Without Jude to keep me up all night, I’d woken up early as I usually did, beating Chris. It was my favorite time of the day. Reaching out, I stretched my arms and legs before climbing from my bed and making my way over to Chris’ bassinet. Still sleeping quietly, I leaned down to kiss his forehead as I wrapped my robe around my body, heading to the living room.

  Between work and Jude, I hadn’t found much time to clean around the house, so I moved about, picking up baby toys and piling files for work into folders. Slowly but surely, it came together, as my small but organized home regained its flair.

  Sharing the space with Jude had exposed just how tiny of a home it was. He swallowed the sofa, making everything appear to be doll furniture. Thinking back to our conversations together about my dream house, I felt my stomach muscles tighten.

  Jude was more romantic than any other guy I’d ever dated. He asked questions even I didn’t consider, pushing me to think about things in new ways. With him, everything seemed possible, and from the look in his eye I knew he was adopting my dreams as his own.

  After cleaning the living room, I moved on to the kitchen. First, I unloaded the dishwasher before filling it with a new set of dirty dishes. Chris’ bottles had taken over my kitchen, so I lined the counter with his freshly cleaned ones.

  Opening my refrigerator, I remembered the chicken Alfredo I planned to make for dinner and made a mental note to ask Jude if he’d want to come over. We had talked about seeing each other later, but as I closed the refrigerator, walking back through the house, I wondered how long I would have to wait to see him.

  Shaking my head for already making plans to see him, I tiptoed through the bedroom, carrying a basket of laundry to the washing machine.

  I snickered as I loaded the machine with a load of laundry. It was so obvious when he didn’t like something about the house, but rather than complain, he chose to ask me what my dream version looked like.

  It was such a positive outlook I wanted to embody with everything. Jude was undoubtedly a ‘the glass is half full’ type of guy, and I needed that type of optimism to counteract my supreme realism.

  By the time I finished with my chores, the house was sparkling from top to bottom. Glancing in Chris’ crib, I decided to chance my luck, rushing to the shower before he woke up, being sure to leave the door open so that I could hear Chris if he woke up.

  With it only being the two of us, Chris was used to seeing me when he woke. I liked to be there so that he wasn’t afraid, but my mother said it would only spoil him.

  As the warm water cascaded down my back, I was certain I’d made the right decision. A relaxing shower was all I needed to wash away the anxiety and stress.

  There was such a wide range of emotion surging through me after experiencing such highs with Jude that I knew would soon be confronted by combustive lows. My family was still in the dark, and the more we flaunted our love, the worse the consequences would be.

  My mother had already begun to ask questions about Jude dropping me off at work, and I hated lying. It was one thing to omit information, but when I was asked a question, I wanted to answer truthfully if I was going to answer.

  With suds covering my body, I imagined my hands were Jude’s, replaying the way he brought my body to life. He had a way of twisting and teasing me in ways I didn’t know were possible. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he knew my body better than me, the way he navigated with precision.

  I’d just rinsed the shampoo from my hair when my phone began to ring from the bedroom. The loud sound of the vibration against the wood nightstand was louder than a ring, and I rushed to turn the water off, afraid it would wake Chris.

  Reaching for the towel rack on my way into the bedroom, I draped the fabric around my body as I answered the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, sweetheart, it’s me,” my mother paused, whispering to someone before continuing, “I need you to come in. There’s a meeting for a new reservation,” she said, sounding as if she was reading from a script.

  “A new reservation?” I repeated her cryptic words.

  “Yeah, I guess they want to talk to you about hosting an event here, but I can’t take Chris today because we have back-to-back appointments here at the spa,” she explained with concern in her voice.

  My mother was known to be dramatic about the business, always making small tasks into insurmountable obstacles.

  “Mom, do you really need me there?” I wondered.

  It was great to bring the family more business, but as we got more events and reservations, I needed help hosting the guests.

  “Well, Dylan is the one who took the call just now. Let me see if he can tell you about it,” my mother said to me before turning away from the phone. Her voice lowered, as she tried to speak discreetly. “Just tell her! She won’t be mad.”

  Before she gave him the phone, I knew my mother was babying Dylan. Dylan was the behind-the-scenes organizer, so naturally, he shied away from everything that meant being the face of the hotel. Because my parents had always encouraged me to
join every time and lead every debate, I was comfortable taking the lead on the front end of things, which made the family business a perfect fit. I loved meeting with clients and hosting events.

  “Hey, it’s me,” Dylan finally said into the phone.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, closing my eyes as I tried to disguise the disappointment in my tone.

  “There’s a rep coming in for this women’s retreat. They’re coming through Savannah three times a year, and they want to book the entire place for eight nights,” Dylan quickly shared the numbers.

  We both knew how impactful a stay of that length could be for the business.

  “Okay, I’ll see if Chris’ babysitter is free today. I’ll be there,” I simply said before ending the call.

  My brother knew what he was doing, and as I rushed through dressing for the meeting, I appreciated how far we’d come as a business. When I first started working for my parents in high school to help around the hotel, it was barely a bed and breakfast, and my parents were the only people there full-time.

  My mom likes to say it was a hobby of theirs, and I turned it into a business. We’d grown into one of the largest hospitality firms in the city, with people traveling far and wide to come and stay at our luxurious boutique hotel.

  Deciding on a black knee-length dress, I turned in the mirror as I struggled to zip the closure, when my phone rang again. I must have accidentally switched it from the silent setting, because the phone rang loud, instantly startling Chris, who screamed from the bassinet.

  Rushing across the room, I tripped as I failed to run in the dress, stumbling across the bed as I reached for the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Sweetheart? I just don’t like it when you leave Chris with a stranger,” my mother began a lecture I was sure she intended to last a few minutes.