Tangled Up in You

by Samantha Chase

  “The pleasure was all mine.”

  “I wish,” he whispered before looking at the clock. “What time do you get lunch?”

  “I don’t have a set lunch break, but I’m sure I can go now.” She grabbed her purse. “What did you have in mind?”

  Laughing, he replied, “That’s a loaded question, sweetheart. I’d love nothing more than to take you back to your place for a little while and continue what we started up against that wall.”

  She moaned at the thought of it.

  “But we have to be responsible adults,” he said with a sigh. “So how about a quick burger at the pub?”

  “That sounds absolutely perfect.” They walked out together, and she let Gloria know where she was going and when she’d be back. They were walking through the main hallway when she turned to him. “Don’t make fun, but…I just want to run down the hall and peek in at Lucas. Would you mind?”

  He shook his head. “Only if you promise not to make fun because I’m going with you. I’m curious as hell about how he’s doing.”

  Hand in hand, they made their way to Lucas’s classroom and stood there grinning from ear to ear when they spotted him listening intently to the story his teacher was reading.

  “That’s our boy,” Bobby said.

  And Teagan couldn’t help but agree.

  * * *

  “I feel guilty.”

  “For what?”

  “For being this happy.”

  Bobby held her close and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t be. You deserve to be happy.”

  “So do you, you know. It’s nice to see you smiling so much.”

  “The credit goes to you on that one. You’re the reason I’m feeling this good. And not only because of what we just did.” He winked at her comically and she pinched him. “Hey!”

  It was Saturday night, Lucas was with his grandparents and Bobby and Teagan were wrapped around one another in her bed. As much as she loved these moments together, she hated how they had to be so carefully scheduled in order to have some time alone.

  “What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Nothing much. Some laundry, food shopping, the usual. How come?”

  “Well, I’m just about ready to lose my mind living with my parents. It’s time for me to find a place of my own.”

  “Oh.” Why was she disappointed at the thought of that?

  Maybe because she had hoped the next place he looked for would be a home of their own.

  “Do you have any places in mind?”

  He shook his head. “Anna referred me to a former colleague of hers. I don’t know if you knew this, but my sister used to work in real estate.”

  “Wow. I did not know that.”

  “True story. Anyway, we’ve got a couple of places lined up to go look at and I was hoping you’d come along with me. For a little moral support and a second opinion. What do you think?”

  “Sure. Sure. That sounds great. What time were you thinking? I’m going to have to see if my folks can keep Lucas with them. He’d be a handful to bring along.”

  He nodded. “I’m supposed to meet him around one tomorrow and hopefully we’ll be done by three. Will that work?”

  “I’ll make sure of it,” she said, kissing his chest. They lay in companionable silence for a few minutes before her stomach growled, making her chuckle. “Sorry.”

  He laughed with her. “No need to apologize. Skipping the takeout and going straight for the bed was entirely my fault. I couldn’t wait to get you naked.”

  “And I believe I was completely onboard for that, but now? Now I need food.”

  Bobby rolled away and off the bed. “Then by all means, let’s eat.”

  For the next hour, they ate reheated Chinese and talked about their respective first weeks on the job. They saw one another daily at the school, but neither had much time to sit alone and talk. What Teagan noticed more than anything was how much Bobby seemed to enjoy working with the kids. He was genuinely excited about starting some of the safety programs with them.

  It struck her then just how much she loved seeing this side of him. When they’d first met, she’d appreciated how great he was with Lucas, but never realized how much it was part of who he was. If they had met under different circumstances, she probably never would have pegged him as a man who was good with kids in general, not just his own nieces and nephews. Back on Monday, when he had claimed Lucas as theirs, she knew in her heart that she couldn’t wait to have more kids with him.

  Something she wasn’t sure she was ready to bring up yet.

  “You’re kind of quiet,” he said, his voice going soft. “You okay?”

  Nodding, she said, “I’m fine. Just…thinking.”

  “About?”

  Ugh, way to not bring it up, Teagan.

  “You’re just really good with kids,” she said, smiling. “I’m listening to you talk about your week and whenever you talk about the kids, you…you smile more. And I think that’s awesome.”

  He looked a little embarrassed.

  Reaching out, she rested her hand on his forearm. “It’s true. I haven’t been around a lot of guys who are as comfortable with children as you are. I always knew my dad was good with them and obviously Uncle Ian. When I moved here and reconnected with my cousins, it was very eye-opening to me to see all these dads being so hands-on. But I thought it was just because they were the dads. Then I look at you and I’m…well, I feel even luckier.”

  His eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Because you’re someone my son looks up to. You’re an amazing role model for him, and it just makes me love you even more.”

  He pushed his plate aside and gently tugged her into his lap and kissed her. It wasn’t one of their ravenous kisses—no devouring this time. But it was sweet and thorough nonetheless. When he lifted his head, his gaze was serious.

  “That means the world to me, hearing you say that. But it’s not only Lucas I want to be a role model for.”

  “Of course not,” she said, settling in on his lap. “You have Kaitlyn and Brian and Bailey, plus the entire student body at school.”

  But he was shaking his head. “Don’t get me wrong, those are all great but—” He let out a long breath. “Someday, I’d like to be a role model to other kids. Our kids. Yours and mine.”

  Her heart felt like it stopped, and then kicked hard. How did he do that? How did he always know what she wanted—what she needed—and how to put her mind at ease? Hugging him close, she sighed. “I really like the sound of that.”

  He held her for a long time. “Soon, Teagan. I want that for us soon.”

  “Me too,” she whispered. “Me too.”

  * * *

  For a minute, all she could do was stare.

  Bobby was walking up the driveway with Jerry, his real estate agent.

  A driveway that led to a house.

  A large house.

  “Teagan? You coming?” Bobby called from the front porch, and all she could do was nod mutely.

  This wasn’t an apartment. It wasn’t even a condo. This was a house. And that wasn’t what she’d been expecting at all. Clearly, he could see she was hesitant—and confused. She heard him say “excuse me” to Jerry before coming back to her.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, smiling and completely at ease.

  “I thought we were going to look at condos or apartments. I had no idea you were looking for something quite so…” She motioned toward the house.

  Looking over his shoulder, Bobby chuckled. “It’s a nice-looking house, don’t you think?”

  “Absolutely. I just wasn’t prepared for something so…”

  “You can say the word, Teagan,” he teased.

  “It’s big, Bobby. This house is way too big for one person.”

&n
bsp; He shrugged and took one of her hands in his. “Come on. Let’s see what the inside is like.”

  For a half hour they toured the house. It had a full wrap-around porch on the outside that included a swing. Inside, they found a large, first floor master bedroom that would easily fit three of her bedrooms at home. There was a massive en suite with a soaker tub, a large walk-in shower, and a double vanity.

  She could imagine never leaving this space.

  Attached to the master bedroom was a screened-in porch with a hot tub, and Bobby spent a long time listing its merits.

  The rest of the house was just as spectacular. There was a large family room with cathedral ceilings and a fireplace, and the kitchen looked like something out of a design magazine with all top-of-the-line appliances. On top of that, there was a formal dining room, an upstairs with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a large laundry room, and a detached garage with a bonus room over it.

  “So what do you two think?” Jerry asked. “It’s a great house and it sits on a half acre. There’s lake access, plus the community boasts a pool, clubhouse, and tennis courts.”

  By that point, Teagan was fairly certain this place was too good to be true. Everything was just too…perfect. The only thing she hadn’t heard Jerry mention was the price. Although, she was sure he and Bobby would have discussed it before coming here—not that it was any of her business. But she couldn’t help being curious.

  “Would you mind if Teagan and I talked about it for a few minutes?” Bobby asked.

  “Not a problem. Take your time.” With a smile and nod, Jerry walked out the front door, quietly closing it behind him.

  “So? What do you think? It’s pretty amazing, right?”

  Nodding, she said, “Amazing is too mild of a word.”

  “But…?”

  “But,” she said, letting out a breath, “it’s a lot of space for just you. Like I said, I thought you were going to look at condos or apartments. Maybe a cottage, or a bungalow like my place. But this?” She motioned to the space around them. “This is more space than you could possibly need just for yourself.”

  He studied her for a long moment. They were standing in the family room and he took her hand and led her to the french doors that opened onto the back deck. He pulled the doors open and looked out at the property.

  “I know the community has a pool, but it would be kind of nice to have one here in the yard. You know, like Quinn and Anna’s.”

  “Sure,” she said, picturing a pool there.

  Wrapping an arm around her waist, Bobby pulled her a little closer. “And that corner over there? I think it’s perfect for a jungle gym.” Then he grinned. “One that’s twice the size of the one Quinn built.”

  She laughed. “It’s not a competition.”

  “You’re wrong,” he murmured close to her ear. “Everything’s a competition.”

  “Bobby…” But she was still laughing.

  “And on the other side of the yard, I’m thinking of a batting cage. Someplace where a boy can learn to hit a ball and not worry about breaking any windows or hitting anyone in the face.”

  “That’s pretty specific. I mean, what are the odds of—”

  And then it hit her.

  Eyes wide, she stared up at him. “Are you…were you thinking…”

  His answer was to get down on one knee with her hand in his. “I’m not saying it has to be this house, but I want whatever we find to be ours. Yours, mine, and Lucas’s. You’re my family. My heart. My home. And I want nothing more than to start a life with the two of you and build on it.”

  “Oh my gosh,” she whispered, unable to believe this was happening.

  “I’ve waited a long time for you, Teagan Shaughnessy. I’ve been wandering through life, searching for something. I had no idea what I was looking for until the day I met you. And now that I have you, I don’t want to ever let you go. Hell, I barely want to wait. I feel like everything in my life has led to this moment. All I can think about is how much I want you to be my wife and have Lucas as my son. If you’ll have me.”

  He pulled a ring from his pocket and held it up to her. She gasped, too stunned to speak.

  “I know this is soon, and I know you’re going to need time to think about all of this, and I want you to know I’ll wait. I may be grumpy sometimes, but I’ll wait. I’d wait forever for you.” He paused and looked at her with so much love that she felt her knees go weak. “Will you marry me?”

  Sinking down onto the carpet with him, she nodded. “Yes. Yes, Bobby Hannigan, I will. I love you so much and you made me believe in so many things again. Things I never thought I’d have. You’re everything to me too, and Lucas and I would love to be a family with you.”

  Bobby slid the ring on her finger before cupping her face and kissing her. And he kissed her for a very long time. When they finally broke apart, she hugged him tight.

  “Come on,” he said softly, “Jerry’s waiting in the car. There’s only one other house for us to look at today. The third one sold already.”

  “Wow, that stinks.”

  “It’s the way it goes around here. Coastal towns always have a high demand for real estate. That’s why I wanted to start looking now. With school back in session, the demand goes down a little, but a lot of inventory has already sold. I’m hoping we’ll find something we both love and make it happen quick so I can get out of Mom and Dad’s place.” He shuddered dramatically. “Although the free laundry service my mom provides is kind of a perk.”

  She swatted him playfully as they came to their feet. With a sigh, she looked around the room. She could already see it furnished, knew the perfect spot for a Christmas tree, imagined nights sitting in front of the fire. “What’s wrong with this place?” she asked, afraid to meet his gaze.

  “Nothing. Nothing at all. I just thought we were supposed to look at more than one,” he said with a laugh.

  “Normally, I’d agree.”

  “But…?”

  She shrugged. “But this place is kind of perfect.”

  His smile was the biggest and brightest she’d ever seen. “I was hoping you’d think so, because I really love it too! I’m ready to make an offer.”

  “Bobby, do you even know the price? Something like this must cost a small fortune!”

  Pulling her in close, he kissed her soundly. “I’ve been living the thrifty bachelor life for a long time. I make good money on the force and learned to invest when I was young. Trust me, I’m well aware of the price and already know what I’m offering.” Another kiss. “And besides. You, Lucas, and our future are more than worth it.”

  Epilogue

  Six Months Later

  “Good morning, Mrs. Hannigan.”

  Teagan hummed softly as she slowly opened her eyes and stretched. “I really like the sound of that.” Smiling, she placed a kiss on his chest.

  “What’s on the agenda for today?”

  “Hmm, let’s see. There was talk of a lazy morning in bed…”

  “Check.”

  “A whole lot of touching and kissing…”

  “Check and check,” he murmured against her skin, kissing her shoulder while touching her breast.

  “Breakfast,” she said. “I definitely remember breakfast being mentioned.”

  “Hmm…doesn’t ring a bell.”

  “Room service. We said breakfast from room service so we didn’t have to leave the room.”

  “Okay, now I remember.” His mouth was on the move and it didn’t take long for Bobby to roll her onto her back so he had better access. When he moved down her body and stopped over her belly, he looked up at her and grinned. “Still can’t believe it.”

  She knew exactly what he meant. “Nothing like finding out we’re pregnant on our wedding day, huh?”

  “I didn’t think I could be any happier than I was seei
ng you walk up the aisle toward me, but when you told me that news? It felt like my heart was about ready to burst.”

  Raking a hand through his hair, she smiled. “It seems like we don’t waste time in any way, shape, or form. From the moment we met, it was all full steam ahead.”

  He shrugged. “What’s the point in waiting when you know exactly what you want?” Dropping a loving kiss on her stomach, he moved back up her body and kissed her soundly on the lips. “And now I realize breakfast should be first on our list of things to do today.” Reaching for the bedside phone, he called in an order that was for way more than two people.

  “Bobby, I’m eating for two, not twenty,” she teased.

  “I’m refueling too, you know. It takes a lot of muscle and energy to keep my wife satisfied on her honeymoon.”

  Blushing, she playfully pushed him away. “Stop it. It does not.”

  But he was grinning and nodding even as she said it.

  “Okay, fine. Whatever,” she said, kicking the sheets off and rising from the bed. “Is it wrong that I want to go out and explore the resort a little?”

  Bobby came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I kind of wish we had known about the baby before we planned this trip.”

  “How come?”

  “Sweetheart, we’re in the heart of wine country. Hugh told us all about the vineyards we should tour and which wines to taste and now…?” His hand gently patted her belly. “You’re not allowed to do any of that.”

  “We can still do the tours. You can taste them and tell me all about them.”

  “It won’t be nearly as fun.”

  “Somehow, I think you’ll survive,” she said soothingly.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yes, it’s totally weird that we’re standing naked in the middle of the bedroom, and yes, I really have to pee.”

  Chuckling, he released her and swatted her bottom as she walked away. When she came back out, she had on her robe and smiled when she saw he had slipped on a pair of shorts.

  “Sorry,” she said, sitting on the corner of the bed. “I’m sure you really did have a question.”