Safe With You: Winter's Rose #1

by Lizzie James

  During my speech, he had begun walking us to the sofa. He sat me down on the sofa and kneeled down in front of me. He placed his hand on my stomach over my t-shirt before he looked up at me, a beaming smile taking over his expression. “I’m happy about this,” he confessed. “Are you?”

  “I think so,” I whispered. “This is definitely fast.” We both chuckled. “But it feels right. You, me and bump feels right.”

  He leaned forward and dipped his head before lifting my t-shirt. He pressed a kiss to just above my belly button, tickling the skin there.

  “I’ll be good to you,” he whispered. “To you both.”

  “I know you will.” I stroked my fingers into his hair, smoothing it back and away from his face. “This will be a learning curve for us both.”

  “When do you want to tell people?” he asked.

  “I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. Just for them to assign me a midwife, I guess.” I smiled as he stroked his fingers over my stomach. “I’d like us to wait until I’m past twelve weeks.”

  He frowned at my answer. “I don’t know,” he hedged. “You work in that café too hard.”

  I giggled at how worried he was sounding already. “I’m pregnant, Alex!” I admonished. “Pregnant women can still work.”

  “We’ll have to get you a stool or something for the kitchen.”

  “We’ll see,” I said, placating him. “Let’s see how I go at the doctor’s go tomorrow and we can go from there.”

  Alex was the perfect gentleman and came to my appointment with me. He held my hand as we waited for the results. When they confirmed that we were expecting, he was impossible to calm down. The smile could not be wiped off his face, and I knew that he was just as excited for this baby as I was.

  The weeks slowly passed, and by the time I made it to twelve weeks, Alex was like a firework ready to explode. We had decided to keep the announcement small, so on Monday evening, I had dinner down at the bar. There weren’t many customers in: only a couple of families celebrating birthdays and engagements.

  It had been difficult keeping it from Addie but I’d wanted it to be a surprise. I had become super emotional over the last couple of weeks, and I knew Addie was probably suspecting that there was something going on.

  “You ready?” He leaned his elbows on the bar-top, pinching a fry off of my plate before dipping it in the sauce. “You haven’t touched that burger in the last ten minutes.”

  “I’m nervous.” I looked past him where Addie stood at the jukebox, laughing at something James was saying.

  “Do you have butterflies?” he teased.

  “More like moths.” We both laughed at my description before he came around the bar and took my hand in his.

  “Ladies and gents, I’m sorry to interrupt your evenings.” He took a few steps forward, pulling me with him. “We have a little announcement that we’d like to share.”

  I looked at Addie, smiling at the look on her face. She had her arm looped through James’s and was bouncing a little in her stand.

  “Charlie and I are happy to announce...” A moment’s pause. “We are having a baby!”

  A round of applause erupted amongst the customers but it was quickly drowned out by Addie’s squeals. She came running toward us, arms wide open, and pulled us both down to a hug before she planted kisses on both of our cheeks.

  “I’m going to be an auntie!” she shrieked, looking like the female smurf. She jumped up and down, clapping her hands before she pulled me back into her arms—a solo hug this time. “I’m so happy for you, Charlie!”

  My eyes filled when I saw Alex being hugged by James, both giving manly thumps to each other's backs.

  I pulled back from Addie, smiling when she went straight to Alex and gave him the same treatment that she’d given me. Seconds later, James was pulling me into a hug, giving me a kiss on the cheek before stepping back.

  “So, what are you having?” he asked.

  “We’ve decided to keep it a surprise,” Alex said, placing his arm around my shoulders before pulling me into his side.

  “Free drinks!” James yelled to the bar before disappearing behind it. Moments later, everyone had a glass in their hands, toasting the new addition to our families.

  “Congrats to Alex and Charlie!” he cheered.

  Everyone toasted their glasses and I was filled with a deep sense of warmth and love.

  Warmth for the future and love for our little baby.

  24

  Alex

  The weeks passed a lot faster than I would have liked. One day it felt like we were announcing to our world that she was pregnant and the next, she had a bump big enough to give her trouble fitting into her jeans.

  “Do you think you’re carrying twins?” I asked, teasing her.

  She rolled her eyes at me before grabbing the door handle to her mum’s house and opening it. We had decided to drive up in James’s car. She was just over five months pregnant now and didn’t want to chance going on the train. To say I was a nervous wreck would be an understatement.

  “Mum! It’s me,” she called. “We’re here!”

  “There she is!” A high-pitched shriek came from the back house.

  I stepped back as mother and daughter embraced each other. I smiled, watching them hug. Her mum was the same height as Charlie and had grey streaks in her hair. She gave me a smile over Charlie’s head and pulled back and smoothed the hair back from her daughter’s face before her eyes shot down to the bump.

  “Look at you!” She placed her hand on Charlie’s bump.

  I knew from the beaming smiles on both of their faces that they could feel the baby kicking.

  “This is Alex,” Charlie said, reaching her hand back for mine. “Alex, this is my mum, Susan.”

  “Hello, Ms. Chase.” I stepped back and shook her hand. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

  She looked up at me, smiling before holding her arms open. “We hug around here, sweetie.” She pulled me into an embrace, patting my shoulders before pulling back. “I see they grow them big in London.”

  “Mum.” Charlie giggled.

  “I’m only teasing. Put that bag down by there and let’s go into the kitchen.” She linked her arm with Charlie's and led us through. “Have you ever tasted welsh cakes before, Alex?”

  It was a medium-sized kitchen with worktops around the edges of the room and a small, round table on the left by the door. She grabbed a teapot from near the window and took a seat next to Charlie before gesturing for me to take the seat next to her.

  “No.” I winked at Charlie. “Charlie makes some delicious caramel bites but I don’t think she has ever made welsh cakes.”

  Susan made a clucking noise with her tongue. “And you call yourself a baker,” she teased. “Help yourself,” she said.

  Charlie and I went to grab one at the same time but she beat me to it. She poked her tongue out at me before taking a bite, moaning at the taste. “No one makes them like you, Mum.” She darted her eyes to the plate, gesturing for me to take one. “You may love these more than my caramel bites. Mum makes currant ones and ones with chocolate chips.”

  I took a bite, groaning as the sweetness registered on my taste buds. “These are good.” Another two bites and I was finishing it off, quickly reaching for another.

  “So, Alex. How did you meet my Charlie?”

  “I’ve known Charlie for a while, to be honest, Ms. Chase. She made me wait for her.” I winked at her.

  “So, you’re a patient man, Alex.”

  “No.” I laughed at her words. “Not at all. But I came to learn that she was worth the wait.”

  Charlie reached across the table for my hand, smiling at me when I grasped her fingers. “And now we’re going to be a family,” I continued.

  We spent that weekend getting to know each other. I stepped out for a couple of hours on Saturday, seeing the sights of Cardiff so that Charlie and her mum could spend some time together, just the two of them. I knew that these mom
ents were precious for them, and I knew they would be moments that Charlie would cherish when she got back to London. She also wanted to ask her mother to come up and stay for a few days when the baby was born and get to know her grandchild a little and bond. Charlie didn’t have any family in London, and I wanted to make it as easy as possible for her. I think I underestimated that it must be sometimes lonely for Charlie when she was on her own. I wanted to be her family, but I could never fill the spot that her mother had. I still missed my mum terribly, and I didn’t want Charlie to have to go through that.

  That evening we spent time eating Chinese food around the table as Susan poured over childhood memories and photographs of Charlie when she was a little girl.

  Later that night, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, not able to sleep. Rather than disturbing Charlie, I went downstairs for a drink, surprised when I saw Susan sitting at the table, reading a book.

  “Can’t sleep?” she asked, slipping a bookmark in to mark her place in the book.

  “Not really. I thought I’d come down for a glass of water and try again.”

  “Or,” she said, standing up and walking past me to the sink. “You can have a sit-down and tell me what’s keeping you awake.” She filled a glass with water and came back to me, placing it down in front of me and re-taking her seat. “Are you nervous about the baby coming?”

  “No.” I shook my head before taking a sip. “Doesn’t that sound funny? I should be petrified, shouldn’t I?” I twirled the glass in a circle on the spot, fidgeting. “I mean, having a baby is life-changing.” A pause. “Right?”

  She leaned her elbow on the table and supported her face by placing her hand beneath her chin. “Usually.” She raised her eyebrows at me before continuing. “So, if it’s not the baby, Alex. What are you nervous about?”

  She had the same eyes as her daughter. Open. Honest.

  I blew out a breath, deciding to share my concern with Charlie’s mum. “I want to propose to her.” I waited for her to react badly but when she just stared at me, my shoulders slumped with relief. “You don’t look surprised.”

  She laughed at my words before she placed her hand on mine. “Alex, you and my daughter are having a baby. If you didn’t want to make a life with her, I’d be concerned.” She tapped my hand before pulling back. “Is that the problem?” she asked, pushing further. “You’re afraid that she will say no?”

  “No.” I frowned. “Yes. Maybe.” We both laughed at my flustering. “Charlie is sometimes hard to read. Most of the time, it’s so easy to see what she’s thinking. Other times...”

  “She loves you, Alex.” She stood and walked to the sink, emptying her cup. “She spent most of the afternoon talking about you both. How happy she is living with you.” She walked back to me before resting her hand on my shoulder. “Ask her. You’ll probably find you are worrying over nothing.”

  I nodded, feeling a little better after her admission.

  “Thank you, Susan.” I gave her a small wave before going back upstairs and climbing back into bed.

  “Where did you go?” Charlie sleepily mumbled.

  “Just for a drink.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and cuddled her back against my chest, before resting my hand on her bump. “Go back to sleep, darling.” I dipped my head and kissed her cheek and lay my head back on the pillow, waiting for sleep to claim me.

  After speaking to Susan, it didn’t take me long.

  We were ready by noon for the drive back home to London. After throwing our bags in the boot, I stood back, trying to give Charlie and her mum some privacy to say goodbye.

  Susan kissed her on the cheek before tucking hair back behind Charlie’s ears. “We can arrange some dates for me to come and stay,” she said.

  Charlie nodded at her words.

  Susan turned to me. “Thank you for bringing my baby girl back for a visit, Alex.” She reached up and pulled me down into a hug. “It’s been wonderful to meet you.” She kissed my cheek and stepped back. “You take care of her.”

  “I will.” I waited while they hugged again before helping Charlie into the passenger seat. Another wave and we were pulling away from the kerb, starting the drive back to London.

  We drove in silence for several moments before Charlie spoke up. “Thank you for coming home with me.” She reached across and placed her hand on my leg. “You’ve been amazing this weekend.”

  “You’re welcome, darling.” I reached down and grabbed her hand before pulling it up to my lips for a kiss. “Your mum seems like an amazing woman. It’ll be nice for her to come and stay with us for a few days when the baby comes.”

  “It will,” she whispered. “It’ll be nice for her to meet James as well and to see Addie again.”

  “And our beautiful child,” I teased.

  She giggled. “I can’t believe I’m five months already.” She placed her hands on her bump before softly rubbing a spot next to her belly button. “Kicking a lot lately.”

  “That’s good, right?” I asked, checking. “I mean, activity is a good thing. That’s what it said in the books.”

  “It is.” She leaned her head back against the headrest before closing her eyes. “We are going to be good,” she whispered.

  “Bro! How long are you going to keep carrying that box around?” James gestured to my leg where it was obvious the ring box was in my pocket.

  We had been home for a few weeks, and James had come to the jewellery shop closer to the city centre to help pick the ring out with me. I had suggested recruiting Addie and her expertise, but James had quickly shut that down, insisting that Addie wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret.

  He’d probably been right. She was a very excitable person. Too fucking excitable, sometimes.

  “I’m waiting for the right moment.” I rolled my eyes at him. “It has to be right. Girls care about that shit.”

  “You are the girl!” He chuckled. “Just take her aside and ask her. It’s not difficult.” He looked over at me. “Are you afraid she’s going to say no?”

  Fuck. All his questions were making me edgy. I hadn’t been paranoid before but now I fucking was.

  “Addie!” I enthusiastically greeted her as she came through the door.

  She frowned at me, caught off guard by my enthusiasm. “Where’s Charlie?” she asked. She took a seat on the stool before she began fiddling with the drink mats.

  “She’s upstairs taking a nap.” I grabbed a glass and filled it with coke from the pump, popping a straw and a slice of lime in it and placed it in front of her. “Is there a problem?”

  Charlie had made Addie assistant manager, and she had taken on more servers in the café. She did some of her baking upstairs when she was having an off day, and Addie usually came by to pick up the treats. She had been having a lot of sick days lately, but she told me that it was nothing to worry about.

  “No.” She looked away from me.

  “Talk,” I demanded. “Now.”

  “I don’t want to worry anyone. It’s just...” Her shoulders slumped before she continued. “David came into the shop this morning.”

  “What did he want?” I asked.

  “Cookies,” she muttered. She rolled her eyes. “He walked up to the counter and asked for a box of cookies. He looked awful. He had bruises on his face.”

  Sounded like he’d had that visit from Anton’s boys.

  I stared at her for a few moments, not liking the worry I saw reflected back at me. This was out of character for David, and the last thing any of us needed was David hanging around the place.

  “Is that the first time?” I asked, needing to know.

  She quickly nodded her head. “Yes, it’s the first time.”

  I relaxed a little at her admission. “If you see him again, let me know. Okay?”

  She nodded her head before taking a pull on her straw. “Thanks, Alex.”

  25

  Addie

  Walking out of the bar, I mentally yelled at myself. I’d just fuck
ing lied to Alex. He asked me point-blank if it had been the first time I had seen David hanging around and I fucking lied to his face.

  I didn’t lie. I didn’t like liars. I thought they were cowards and now, here I was, selling myself out and being one. I don’t know why I didn’t tell him the truth. He was probably the one person that I could tell the truth to but instead...

  I shook my head before walking up the steps to my apartment. Sliding the key in the lock, I kicked my shoes off, relieved I had the place to myself. Kelly was out with her friends this weekend and said she wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. She was kind of fun to live with, but it was also nice to have some peace and quiet at times.

  In the last few weeks, I hadn’t seen Charlie much. She wasn’t having the easiest pregnancy and I knew she had been struggling to sleep through the night for a full eight hours. She had mentioned the baby using her bladder as a squeeze toy. Naps in the afternoon or early evening were starting to become a part of the normal routine for her.

  I grabbed the laptop and loaded it up, deciding to get to work on the invitations I had been designing for her. James and I had decided to throw Charlie and Alex a surprise baby shower. They didn’t have a lot of family, and I thought it would be amazing to get all of us together to celebrate.

  All of the bar staff, waitresses and cooks from both of their businesses promised to attend. I had even spoken to Charlie’s mum, and she was going to come up especially for it and stay until after the baby was born.

  James kept teasing me that because he was the uncle, this could maybe boost him up to god-father. He made me laugh. Like there was anyone else to ask to be god-father. He and I had those roles locked down tight already.

  I pressed send, emailing all the invites out to everyone with strict instructions not to let Alex or Charlie know that it was happening. We had decided to have it in two months' time. Not too close to the due date but far enough away so that there wouldn’t be any early deliveries and Charlie could hopefully enjoy it more.