"Shit," he groans, sliding down on the couch. "I can't even pretend to be upset about that. This is only the beginning, isn't it?"
Tully looks across at me with a beaming smile. "It sure is."
I drop down on the opposite couch and my pack instantly falls into mindless chatter. I can't help but feel that I've finally come full circle. My group is together again and this time, nothing is standing in the way of us being the incredible four that we used to be.
I never thought I’d be so happy to have normal back, except this is a much better version of normal. I have my girl by my side with my child growing in her stomach. I no longer have to worry about where I'm going to sleep at night, if I'm going to accidentally run into my father on the streets, or who's keeping Tully warm at night. No, I’ll never have to worry about that shit ever again. This new version of normal is more than I could ever ask for. It’s fucking perfect and for the first time in my life, I’m content.
I have a home now, well sort of. My father is in prison and my mother is right where she should be. And Tully; the most important one of all, is finally standing by my side, willing to live the rest of her life with me, willing to bare my children, and love me until our dying days.
How could I want more in life?
There's only a slight chance that over next few years that I could be deployed again, but I've done my time. I've served my four years and now I have another four years of reserve, but if Tully wanted me to, I'd leave the military. I hope she doesn't, though. I know going away sucks and will be hard, especially with a child to think about, but the Military is my home, just as much as Tully is.
The Military offered me the freedom that I couldn't find anywhere else and no matter what, I'm always going to be grateful for that.
"So," Henley says, stealing my attention. "Has Tully shown you all the progress photos of her bump growing?"
I grin as I look to Tully before glancing down at the bump she's currently cradling. "No, we've, uh...been a little preoccupied."
Noah groans again as Tully shoots to her feet and grabs a folder off her dining table. Not a second later, she comes to sit down on my lap and I can't help but rest my hands against her thighs as she opens the folders and starts showing me every tiny little detail.
She starts right from the beginning where she first discovered her pregnancy. She was at work and the smell of the flowers was overbearing and making her nauseous. She came home early, laid down in bed and after watching a movie on Netflix, she realized that her period was late. She instantly took a test, and the very next page has a picture of the positive piss stick.
I flip through each page, learning about her doctor visits, and taking in the ultrasound pictures. I watch with emotions that I can't quite make sense of as I see her bump steadily growing.
I focus on a photo of Tully at four months. She stands in Noah and Henley's living room, but I can't shake the feeling that something looks different than the last time I was in that room and then it clicks. I look up at Noah. "You got a new couch."
"Yeah," he chuckles. "I had to get rid of the last one after what you two did on it."
"What?" I laugh as Tully rolls her eyes. "But we didn't fuck on it. I thought you knew that."
"I do, but now that Tully's pregnant, I didn't think I'd ever be able to look at my niece or nephew without thinking about the fact that it all started on my couch. So, yeah. I got rid of it. Some dude living in his mother’s basement owns it now.”
I shake my head. "You're a fucking idiot, man," I laugh. "What's going on with you? Last I heard you were thinking about applying for a promotion. Was it the fire chief or something like that?"
He nods. "Yeah, that's right. I was offered the position, but after a bit of thinking, I turned it down. Maybe in another ten years or so I'd be happy to push papers around my desk, but not yet. I like what I do too much and why fix something that isn't broke?"
"Good call. Though, something tells me it's because you like playing hero too much."
Noah scoffs. "Like you're one to talk. Do I need to remind you where the fuck you've been for the past five years?"
"Four and a half," I correct.
Tully scoffs and rams her elbow back into me. "Trust me. It's closer to five."
I grab hold of her, wrapping my arm more firmly around her only to feel our baby inside of her, kicking at my arm. Tully grins down at me. “Do you feel that?”
“Fuck yeah, I do. That’s incredible.”
“Yeah, just wait until I have to push it out.”
“Fuck me,” I gasp, sucking in a breath. I hadn’t thought about that. It’s going to be horrifying. Not the actual birth, but Tully. She’s going to be a fucking monster and I’ll have no choice but to stand by her side and let her tear me limb from limb, but then I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The door opens and not a moment later, Aiden comes strolling in with Barker, actually looking happy for a change and announces to the world that they’ve finally decided to make it work.
Tully shoots up off my lap with Henley and the four of them do some sort of happy dance while Noah and I just stare on, wondering what the fuck is going on.
It turns into a party. Tully calls Candice and tells her that she’s not coming in and warns her that if she burns down her store, she’ll hunt her down and kill her. Henley calls in sick while Noah just goes with the flow as his shift doesn’t start until tonight.
Spencer comes over with Lacey and for the first time, I don’t feel like kicking his ass. Maybe Tully was onto something this whole time about him not being such a bad guy. Though, he’s dating my cousin now so it’s not as though I’m going to take my eyes off him.
By the time night falls and everyone leaves, I'm left watching my girl and realize that I don't want to wait another minute. I walk up behind her in the kitchen and reach around her to turn off the taps; the dishes can wait. "Will you come somewhere with me?" I murmur, kissing her cheek. "I've got a surprise of my own."
Tully turns in my arms, looking up at me with her big eyes. “What kind of surprise?”
“You’re just going to have to wait and see.”
Chapter 20
Tully
Where the hell is he taking me? When he asked me to come with him for a surprise, I figured he wanted me to go to the bedroom with him again. After all, he only got back last night and he hasn't left my apartment. It's not as though he's gone anywhere to organize a surprise. Yet here I am, sitting in the passenger side of his shiny Dodge RAM wondering where the hell he's taking me.
Rivers looks across at me with the same sparkle in his eyes that hasn't gone away since we left my apartment. "Would you quit thinking so hard?"
"I can't help it," I complain. "I'm confused. I don't know what the hell is going on or where you're taking me? I mean, I declared a freaking prank war on you this morning. Who knows what's about to go down? You know," I continue, realizing that I need to stop, but finding that an impossible task. "Stress isn't good for the baby."
"Just two more minutes and we'll be there."
"Two more minutes?" I grunt, looking out the window, but not really seeing much as it's after nightfall and I have only the street lights to go by. "We're in the middle of residential streets. Where could you be taking me? There's nothing out here but houses."
Rivers grins, taking pleasure in my confusion. "You'll see," he promises me, reaching out and taking my hand in his before lacing our fingers together just as they should be.
I groan and fall back into the seat. Have I ever mentioned that I don't handle surprises very well? I’m more than happy to make other people suffer through the knowledge of a surprise, but when it comes to me? Hard pass.
The Dodge RAM comes to a stop on the curb in a road filled with residential homes and I look around, trying to find some sort of clue as to why the hell we're here. There are no stores around, no cafes or restaurants, no parks. It's clear as day that Rivers has just lost his mind...unless there's someone in one of t
hese houses that he's taking me to meet? Hmm, I wonder who it could be? Maybe someone from his past.
I start looking around at the few homes we could possibly be visiting and decide to settle on the one to my right as something about it is...I don't know, familiar. I just can't work out why.
Rivers jumps down from his truck before racing around to help me down. I mean, any other time I'd be jumping from this thing like a pro, but with this baby growing inside of me, I'm taking every precaution to be careful.
Rivers leads me towards the house and I take it all in. There's a pathway that's dividing a beautiful yard, a fence around the perimeter, and beautiful hedges the whole way around.
I look a little harder, confused as all hell while trying to place it. Why can't I figure this out?
As we step up to the front door and Rivers raises his hand, I find myself pulling back on him. "Where are we?" I whisper yell as to not embarrass myself in case the person we're visiting inside can hear.
Rivers looks down at me, watching me as the sparkle in his eyes seems to shine so much brighter. A sheepish expression crosses his features and he looks back out at the yard with pride. "So, I sort of did something."
My eyes narrow on him. "What are you talking about?"
"Do you remember the night before I was deployed?"
"Yeah," I say as my eyes narrow further. "We were looking at home listings."
He nods slowly as if waiting for me to understand something and as I look back out at the property and rake my eyes over the brick home, it finally dawns on me. "This is the house you were looking at."
"Yeah," he smiles. "When I left, I couldn't stop thinking about that night and what I was feeling while we were looking at this listing."
"What do you mean?"
"That look in your eyes," he tells me. "When we were looking at it, it was as though you could see our future here. You could see us being together and raising our family, and the second that happened, I couldn't let this home slip through my fingers."
"You're losing me again," I tell him.
"I bought it."
"What? How? You've been away."
"Don't you worry about that," he tells me. "Just know that I bought this home and I know we've hardly begun, but nothing would make me happier than having you move in here with me where we can raise our baby together. Hell, maybe have another and a few dogs like I know you've always wanted."
Tears well in my eyes as I look up at him. "I've always wanted a bunny rabbit too."
"I'll get you a fucking tribe of bunny rabbits if that's what you want."
I look back at the house. "You really bought this?"
"I sure did, Tullz. I want to build a life with you. I was planning on waiting to ask you to move in with me, but the second I laid eyes on you, I knew that was never going to happen. I need you with me now." Rivers rests his hands against my bump. "You're my everything, Tully, and you've made my world so much bigger with this child. I want to do this right and I don't want to wait."
"You're crazy," I tell him as the tears fall from my eyes. "I can't believe you did this."
"What do you say?" he questions slowly, making me realize that he's actually a little nervous about this.
I push up onto my tippy toes and throw my arms around his neck before drawing him in and kissing him with everything that I've got. "There isn't even a question in my mind. Nothing in this world could possibly make me happier," I tell him. "Of course, I'll move in with you."
Rivers straightens as he looks down at me, searching my eyes. "Are you serious? This isn't another prank and you're about to pull the rug out from under me?"
"No," I laugh. "I'm serious. I want to be here with you. I want to start our family in the right way and I want to give you everything you've ever wanted. I love you so much, Rivers. I've never been so damn happy."
He grins like a thirteen-year-old boy watching his first porn before pulling me in hard and crushing his lips against mine. He kisses me until my knees go weak and when he finally finds the strength to pull back, he takes my hand and practically rushes through the door.
As we walk around our new home, we take it in with wide eyes. This is the first time Rivers has walked through it too, so really, he took a bit of a risk buying the place without checking it out, but the risk paid off. This home is beautiful.
There are three bedrooms and the second I peek my head into the smaller one, I instantly see the nursery and joy overtakes me. We have two months before this baby comes so we have a lot of work to do to make this place perfect for this baby, but we can do it. I don't care about the other rooms, as long as my baby has a beautiful room to sleep in each night, I'll be happy.
The rest of the house gives me 'the feels' just as it had when I was looking at the listing all those months ago.
There's space for a pool out the back with that beautiful tree that creates just enough shade over the yard. I can picture our summers playing out there, splashing around while soccer balls go flying. Maybe we could even build a cubby house for the kids in the tree. There’s a double garage with room for Rivers’ to finally start working on his Freebird and space for me to have my own little reading nook.
Nothing has ever been so perfect.
As we finish walking around, I realize that there wasn’t a hint of hesitation within me. I knew the second he asked that this is what I wanted. In fact, I’ve always known, but fuck, I’m not going to lie. This is one hell of a surprise. I wasn’t expecting this though I had a feeling that over the next few months we’d talk about it, but we’d never get around to it and keep living in my apartment because we’d be busy with the baby.
Fuck me. He just blew my freaking mind.
Once we finish taking it all in, we find ourselves sitting out on the back deck, though without any furniture out here, we’re left to sit on the floor, but I don’t mind.
Rivers' arm circles my waist as he pulls me into him and rests his other hand against the baby that’s been using my rib cage for target practice. “This is the beginning of our future, Tullz,” he tells me. “We’re going to be happy here.”
I lean my head into his shoulder. “We are,” I sigh. “But I’m already happy.”
“I know,” he tells me before looking down at me with a seriousness that’s enough to have anyone pulling back in concern. “How do you feel about all this if I were to be deployed again?”
I press my lips together before looking out at the to-be pool once again. I consider my answer for a moment, trying to picture how I’d handle it. “You once told me that this is the life you signed up for and it’s because of that life that I get to now have you in mine. If you were to get deployed again, I’m not going to lie, I don’t know how I’d handle it. It would be hard and I’d have to learn how to single parent for a while, but I can see how much you love that part of your life and I’d never take that away from you. So, yeah, I’ll adapt, but let’s just hope that they let you stay home for a while.”
He nods and draws me back into him. “Thank you,” he murmurs. “You’re right. I do love being in the military, but if you wanted me to or if it was too hard, you know I’d leave. In a fucking heartbeat. I’d do anything for you.”
“I know you would, but you need to remember that I’d do anything for you too and being in the Military is a part of who you are, and I’d never force you to make that choice. I went into this knowing that deployment is a possibility and if and when it happens, we’ll work it out, but for now, let’s just focus on starting our lives together.”
“I fucking love you so much,” he tells me.
I press my lips together, unsure how to tell him what I need to say, but feel that while we’re discussing our future, now’s probably the right time to get it off my chest.
“What’s wrong?” he asks me.
I shake my head, looking up at him. “Nothing’s wrong,” I tell him. “It’s just…I kind of did something while you were gone too.” His brows pull down and concern begins to flood hi
s eyes. I hurry in to ease his worry, but truth be told, I really don’t know how he’s going to take this. “It’s not bad,” I promise. “It’s just that…I’m not entirely sure that it’s something you’re ready to discuss.”
Relief has his shoulder lowering as he relaxes back into me. “What is it, babe?”
I swallow back my fear and decide to just get it over and done with. “Do you remember that day we were sitting in my car outside ‘Read My Tulips’ and you were telling me about…”
He nods, finishing my sentence. “About my past.”
“Yeah…well, you had told me there were two children that day and that…”
“I never knew what happened to them.”
“I found them,” I tell him, rushing out the words to get it over and done with. “I had this need to check up on them and make sure they were doing alright. Your story hit something within me and…I’m sorry, I should have talked to you about this first, but you were gone and I…”
“You found them?”
I nod, looking up into his eyes that seem so far away. “I did and they’re doing ok.”
“Are…” his words fall short and I realize that he’s not sure of what he wants to know or if he’s really ready to know, but in order for him to heal and move forward, sometimes hearing a bit of good news can help heal wounds that you didn’t realize were still gaping wide open.
“Their names are Skylah and Blake. And you were right, after they lost their parents, life really sucked. I haven’t worked out exactly what Anton had done with them, but they popped up on the radar last year. They must have been able to get away from wherever it was they were as there’s nothing on them before that. It looks like they’re living in Aston Creek now with family.”
“Aston Creek?” Rivers questions. “That’s only a few hours from here.”
“Yeah, I know. I looked that up too.”
“How did you find all this stuff out?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I mean, I had to do some pretty epic investigating and searching to try and figure out their names, but once I did, it all pretty much came out on Facebook.”
Unstoppable: Haven Falls (Book 7) Page 21