by Ashlee Price
“Grace is pregnant,” Michael announces.
I glance at my belly. I am? No wonder I noticed that my hips and my waist were a little larger when I was taking my measurements for the dress. I thought it was just all the good, fresh food I had at Hope Creek.
No.
Now that Michael’s said it, it all makes sense—the dizziness, the nausea, the fatigue, the belching.
I place a hand over my belly as joy floods my chest.
I’m pregnant.
But wait. Michael and I haven’t had sex, which means…
Just then, Travis jumps into the room and knocks Belinda to the floor. The gun falls from her hand and he picks it up.
My heart stops. Travis? Here?
Belinda’s eyes grow even wider than before. “Travis? I thought you were…”
“Dead? I might as well have been.”
She shakes her head. “You’re alive.”
“And you haven’t changed,” Travis says as he tosses the gun away. “You’re still selfish and you still think you’re better than everyone else. Well, you’re definitely not better than the woman I love.”
My heart skips a beat at the words.
Belinda looks puzzled. “Woman you love?”
Travis glances at me and I smile.
Belinda glances at me as well. “I don’t understand.”
“When you threw Grace out of the city, Travis found her,” Michael informs her. “Some trick of fate, isn’t it?”
Belinda looks at Travis. “You…”
“You’re the one who threw Grace out?” Travis steps forward and shakes his head. “I’m ashamed of you, Mom.”
Belinda pales. I suddenly feel sorry for her.
“You’ve lost, Mom,” Michael tells her as he steps forward. “So just give up. We’ll never let you hurt Grace again.”
For a moment, she doesn’t move. Then she drops to the floor and starts sobbing.
Michael steps out of the room and calls the guards. Travis runs to me and throws his arms around me.
“Are you alright?” he asks.
I nod and smile at him. I want to tell him I’m more than alright, that I’m pregnant with his child, our child. I want to tell him I’m glad he came back. I want to tell him I love him and that I’m choosing him.
But I don’t get to say any of those things because a wave of dizziness comes over me again. My stomach turns, and the last thing I remember is throwing up before I pass out.
Chapter 28
Michael
I stand over Grace’s bed as she sleeps soundly, still looking like a bride in her white wedding gown.
A sleeping bride.
I watch her chest rise and fall and glance at the monitor by her bed. It shows not one but two heartbeats going up and down.
My gaze goes to her belly.
It’s still small, but I know there’s another human being in there.
My nephew.
How could I have thought about claiming that child as my own, of depriving him of the life that he was supposed to have?
Crazy.
Seeing my mother earlier made me realize how ugly selfishness is. It destroyed everything around her—and I realized I was turning into her.
Not if I can help it.
I’m not going to be selfish like my mother. I’m not going to decide people’s lives for them. I’m not going to disregard the feelings of those around me and hinder their happiness.
I brush the sandy wisps of hair from Grace’s forehead and plant a tender kiss there.
I love you, Grace. That’s why I want you to be happy.
I take her hand and remove the ring from her finger.
I’m letting you go.
As I place the ring in my pocket, I feel my chest grow painfully tight. A lump rises to my throat as I look at the woman I love one last time.
“Goodbye.”
I walk out of the room.
Travis is waiting there, sitting on a stool.
As soon as he sees me, he stands up.
“How is she?” he asks me.
“She’s fine,” I answer. “She just needs to rest.”
“Why did she faint, though?” Travis asks curiously. “And why did she throw up before that?”
“Don’t worry,” I tell him. “It’s normal.”
“What?”
I draw a deep breath. “Grace is pregnant.”
Travis’s eyes grow wide.
“And you’re the father,” I add shakily.
Travis runs his hand over his mouth. “Grace is pregnant? With my child? That’s…”
“Amazing,” I complete the sentence without enthusiasm.
Travis frowns. “I’m sorry, Michael. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“I know.” I look away. “Can we just not talk about it? I’d rather not.”
I start walking away.
“Wait,” Travis calls after me. “Where are you going?”
I turn to face him. “To my office to change into something less stifling. And less pitiful.”
He frowns. “I’m sorry about your wedding.”
“Will you stop saying sorry?” I ask him. “You know I always hated that about you. Always taking the blame, always trying to shoulder the burden, always trying to save the world and be a hero.”
“I’m no hero.”
“That’s why you left Grace behind, right? Because you decided it was better for you to get hurt than to hurt me.” I shrug. “Well, I got hurt anyway.”
“Michael…”
“And you know why? Because it wasn’t up to you. It was never up to you. So stop, okay? None of this is your fault.”
I turn around again, but Travis grabs my arm.
“Thank you, Michael.”
I grimace. First, sorry. Now, thank you. None of them are words I want to hear.
I look at him. “I’m not doing this for you. Besides, this wasn’t up to me. It was up to Grace, and as much as it hurts me, she chose you.”
“But she was marrying you.”
“Because she didn’t know about the baby and because you left her.”
Travis falls silent.
“She wasn’t going to push through with it, though. Even without knowing you were having a baby, she was going to choose you.” I take the piece of paper that I picked up from the floor of the dressing room out of my pocket. “She chose you, Travis. You’re the man she loves.”
Travis opens his mouth, but I hold up a finger.
“No more apologies.”
He nods. “What do you want me to say, then?”
“That you’ll always love her and take care of her, give her everything she needs and make her happy.”
Travis raises his right hand. “I promise.”
And I know he’ll keep his word, which is what gives me comfort.
I’ve lost the woman I love, but at least I lost her to a better man. To my brother.
I offer him my hand and he shakes it firmly.
“Thanks, brother,” I tell him with a weak smile. “Now go to her side. You’re the man who belongs there now.”
Chapter 29
Grace
I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling. As my gaze rests on steel, I frown.
Isn’t the ceiling supposed to be made of wood? Am I not in Hope Creek?
Then my thoughts clear and I realize I’ve been dreaming. I’ve been dreaming that I was in Hope Creek with Travis.
“Hi there, Sleeping Beauty,” a voice greets me.
I turn my head. Travis?
Right. He’s here. He’s with me. That part isn’t just a dream.
“What is it about you and unconsciousness?” he asks with furrowed eyebrows.
I grin. “Why? You seem to like it.”
“Like it?” He leans on the edge of the bed. “I go crazy for it. I have a thing for unconscious women, you know.”
I frown. “That doesn’t sound right.”
“You’re right.” Travis scratches his head. “
I guess I just have a thing for you.”
I reach out to him and he holds my hand. I smile.
“You came back.”
He nods as he strokes my hand. “I never should have left. I’m sorry I did.”
I shake my head. “All that matters is that you came back.”
“Yeah. I forgot some parts for the dome.”
I pout.
“And I forgot a very important part of me.”
“Well, that part of you has another part,” I tell him.
“So I’ve been told.”
He glances at the monitor and so do I.
“Can you believe it?” I squeeze his hand. “We’re having a baby.”
“Yes, we are.”
I look at him. “We’re going to be a family.”
His eyebrows crease. “I thought we already were—you, me, Duchess, Joachim, Lady, Rosie and the chickens…”
“Don’t forget Toby,” I remind him.
“Of course. How could I forget Toby?”
“I guess our family’s getting bigger now.”
“Well, I think we have room for one more,” he says. “There’s just one thing.”
“What?” I ask him.
“I think we should get married.”
I throw him a puzzled look. “I thought we were married.”
Travis shakes his head.
My eyebrows bunch up. “No?”
“Hey. I thought you got all your memories back.”
I chuckle.
“I mean, we should get married for real,” Travis tells me. “Not that our marriage wasn’t real. It was…”
“Let’s just say it was a rehearsal,” I cut him off.
He shrugs. “Fine.”
“So are you proposing?”
“That depends,” he answers.
“On what?”
“On whether or not you’ll say yes.”
I laugh. “Now, why would I marry you? You smell like horses.”
Travis sniffs his shirt. “I do not.”
“And you like tying me up.”
“Because you like getting tied up.” He gives me a mischievous grin.
“And you’re mean and bossy.” I stick out my lower lip.
He pouts. “So it’s a no?”
“Then again, you can fight.”
He kisses my hand. “I’ll fight for you all my life.”
“And you can cook, though not as well as me.”
He chuckles.
“And well, you are good in bed, so…”
“Good?” Travis’s eyebrows go up.
“Amazing,” I correct myself. “You’re an amazing lover, and you’re an amazing man. And the best thing?”
“Yes?”
“I love you,” I tell him as I look into his eyes.
“I love you, too.”
He leans over me to give me a kiss, and I kiss him back like it’s the most natural response in the world. My heart pounds in my chest.
“Is that a yes?” he asks after he pulls away.
I nod. “Yes.”
Absolutely.
Travis is the man who makes me smile, who makes me laugh so much I almost end up crying. He’s my hero, my partner. He’s the man I love, the man with whom I want to spend the rest of my life.
“Good.” Travis gives me a quick kiss. “Let’s go back to Hope Creek and tell everyone the good news.”
I smile. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter 30
Travis
Eight months later…
“You’re almost there,” I hear Nancy encourage Grace from the corner of the room. “Just take a deep breath and give one last push.”
“One more push?” Grace asks anxiously.
“One last push,” Nancy repeats. “Let’s bring this baby to Hope Creek.”
Grace lets out a scream that bounces off the walls of the attic. Then everything falls silent until a cry pierces the air.
The cry of a newborn baby.
My baby.
I approach the bed as Nancy lifts the baby up.
“He’s a darling,” she says.
A boy. A baby boy.
I smile.
Nancy stands up and places him in my arms and I grow speechless, breathless. At the same time, I feel overwhelmed with joy, love, pride and hope for the future as I stare at his little face.
A son for Grace and me. For Hope Creek. For the world.
I kiss his damp forehead. “Welcome to the world, Philip Xavier.”
“Philip Xavier?” Nancy’s eyebrows shoot up. “You’re naming the baby after Phil? Why?”
“Because he’s like a father to Hope Creek and to us,” Grace answers weakly.
“And because we want the child to be smart like him.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be even smarter,” Nancy says. “Won’t you, darling?”
“What are you talking about?” Phil enters the room.
Nancy frowns at him. “What are you doing here? This is for family only. Grace is exhausted.”
“I want to see the baby.”
“You can see him later,” Nancy ushers him out.
Grace chuckles.
“And Xavier is my father’s name,” she adds.
“Ah. Then he’ll have someone watching over him,” Nancy says. “Aside from everyone in Hope Creek, of course.”
I go over to Grace and lay little Xavier in her arms. Then I plant a kiss on her forehead.
“You did beautifully.”
“Did I?” She narrows her eyes.
“Well, granted you didn’t sound beautiful, but yes, you’ve pulled off the most amazing and beautiful thing of all.”
She smiles and presses the baby to her chest. Her face lights up.
I step back to admire them both, mother and son. My family.
I never felt like I belonged to mine, and after the Icebreaker and how Angie and the baby died, I started to think I’d never have one of my own.
Now, I do.
And my life is complete.
“Just out of curiosity, what would you have named it if it was a girl?” Nancy asks as she places a hand on my shoulder.
“That’s easy,” I answer. “Hope.”
“A beautiful name,” Nancy says. “Nonetheless, this baby is a bundle of hope for all of Hope Creek.”
“Just as Hope Creek is a bundle of hope to the entire world,” I say.
“What do you mean?” Grace looks up at me. “Did you give Phil’s and Martin’s plans to your mother?”
“To Gordon and Dr. Scott,” I say. “Not my mother, even though she seems to have changed.”
When I spoke to Michael a few days ago, he said she was happily overseeing things at the factory she founded—a factory that employs people outside the walls, feeds them and clothes them regardless of their age and their skill level.
“It must be because she’s expecting two grandchildren,” I add.
A few months ago, Michael married Courtney, and just recently, they informed us that Courtney was also pregnant. It’s a delicate pregnancy, though, and she’s currently confined to a special room in the medical wing of the Lab.
“Well, here’s one,” Grace says as she plants a kiss on the top of Xavier’s head.
“Who knows?” Nancy says. “Maybe more will come.”
Grace frowns. “Maybe not for a while.”
I stroke her hair. “We won’t rush. I’ll wait until you’re ready before we have another baby.”
“Will you, now?” Grace asks me.
“We’ll enjoy every day that comes,” I tell her as I sit beside her and put an arm around her. “And look forward to those that are yet to come. That’s what families do.”
Nancy sniffs. “I feel like I’m intruding. I’ll leave you guys alone.”
As soon as she leaves the room, I claim Grace’s mouth in a kiss.
“I’m glad you came to Hope Creek,” I tell her. “I may have brought you in, but you’re the one who saved me.”
Grace tou
ches my cheek. “We saved each other, and from now on, we’ll live for each other. All of us.”
She looks at Baby Xavier.
I nod.
From now on, we’ll live.
Life goes on, and something tells me the best is yet to come.
~END OF THE MAIN STORY~
More from Ashlee Price
BILLIONAIRE DESIRETH
An Alpha Billionaire Romance
Book 1
Billionaire Wanteth
By : Ashlee Price
Description
Desiree is ready for a new job. She’s been looking for several months and has finally scored an interview for a promising internship with the city’s most prestigious hedge fund. She knows that securing the internship would put her one step closer to the job of her dreams. After spending so many years in college, Desiree is looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. She is ready for her life to begin.
When she goes to the interview and finds that she’s just one of hundreds of applicants, Desiree is sure that she has no chance. But her interviewer turns out to be the CEO of the company, and when he tells her that she has the job, Desiree is on top of the world.
It’s only when he starts to ask her out – alone, without the rest of the interns – that she realizes he wants her. The problem is, Desiree wants him too. But she doesn’t want to jeopardize her new job, and an office affair is the last thing she needs. Desiree has to get her mind off of Greg Jefferson before she loses herself and puts her new life at risk.
Chapter 1 – Desiree
“It’s going to be okay. You worry too much.”
“I hope you’re right. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I don’t get this internship. There is nowhere that will even hire me without some type of work experience.”
“I told you last semester to do that work program for Calley’s.”
I nodded in agreement. While Fran had tried to convince me that it would be great on my resume, I hadn’t been thinking about that. All I’d been thinking about was getting the summer off. It was the one time that I didn’t want to worry about classes or financial aid or any of the stress of the rest of the year. Now I was kind of kicking myself for it. I should have listened.
“You were right.”
She looked at me a little shocked. If she had known how many people I had talked to about a job and how many of them told me they would hire me when I got some experience, she wouldn’t have been. Fran had been right, and I now wished I would have listened.