Cougar

by M. A. Foster

  My gaze drops to my stomach and my eyes bug out. Holy shit. It’s like my stomach grew overnight.

  “That’s because she is pregnant,” Cam announces as he enters the kitchen. “Good morning, Grace.” He kisses her on the cheek, then makes his way over to me. “Good morning, babe.” He pecks me on the lips, then bends to press a kiss to my belly. “Good morning, little man.”

  The sound of silverware clanking against porcelain brings us out of our little baby bubble and back into reality. My attention shifts to Jay to find her face buried in Zach’s chest, shoulders shaking.

  I could junk-punch Cam for being so insensitive and just blurting it out like that. It’s my fault, though. He warned me to stop keeping secrets.

  “Jay.” I set my glass down on the counter and make my way to her side. “Jay.” I press my hand to the middle of her back. Zach shoots me a dirty look over the top of her head, but I ignore it because I know he’s just being protective of his wife. “Tell me what’s going on in your head right now.”

  She straightens in her seat and wipes the tears from her face. “You promised no more secrets. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “We only found out a couple weeks ago. I was trying to wait until after the wedding, because these past few weeks have been about you and Zach, and I didn’t want to take anything away from your special day.”

  “Okay. I get it.” She sniffs. “That explains why you’ve been such a crybaby lately.” She twists in her seat and throws her arms around my neck. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “Are you really?” Tears stream down my face as I hug her back. “You understand this won’t change anything between you and me, right?”

  She nods into my shoulder before pulling away. “You’re having a boy?”

  “Yes.” Jameson Trace Parker was conceived around Valentine’s Day. “We found out yesterday. He’s due in November. I wanted to wait until after the wedding to find out but someone”—I glare at Cam over my shoulder—“couldn’t wait.”

  Cam gives a careless shrug as he finishes off my orange juice.

  “I’ll forgive you for lying on two conditions,” Jay says.

  “What?”

  “One: I get to throw you a baby shower, and two: I get first dibs on babysitting.” She grins.

  “Deal,” Cam agrees from across the kitchen.

  “So does this mean you guys are getting married?” she asks, her eyes flicking between Cam and me.

  “No,” I say at the same time he says, “Eventually.” He shoots me a wink, and I just smile and shake my head.

  “We’re taking things one day at a time.” Cam rolls his eyes. “Your mother isn’t ready for marriage, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to ask her every single day until she says yes. But she is moving in with me,” he adds.

  Jay turns to look at me with sad eyes. “I didn’t even think about that.” She blinks back a fresh wave of tears. “You said nothing would change between us. This house is big enough. We can all live here.”

  I don’t miss the look Zach shoots Cam. I bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

  “Jay,” Cam says. “Sweetheart, this is part of growing up. You’re starting a new chapter in life with your husband. The previous chapters are still a part of your story, but now you’re getting to the good part.”

  “Dude, that’s deep,” Zach chuckles.

  “Fine.” Jay sighs. “But I’m keeping Grace.”

  Cam rises from his seat and taps his butter knife against his glass in order to draw everyone’s attention. Both our families, except for Liam, are gathered here at the house under the impression that this is a family dinner to celebrate Zach and Jay’s wedding before the rehearsal dinner. But actually tonight we’re telling them about the baby.

  The loud buzz around the room fades into a few soft murmurs.

  “Emerson and I have an announcement to make.”

  “You’re getting married,” Cole chimes in sarcastically.

  “Not yet, but we’re having a baby,” Cam replies.

  A chorus of laughter mixes with “congratulations” and a shriek of excitement from Cam’s mother as she shoves past everyone and nearly tackles him to the ground.

  That went better than I expected.

  A strong arm wraps around my chest from behind, and a kiss is pressed to my temple. “I’m so happy for you, Emerson,” Max whispers. “I know you think I’m an asshole most of the time, but when it comes to protecting my little sister, I’m always going to be an asshole. But I love you, and believe it or not, I look up to you because you’re the strongest person I know.”

  Turning, I wrap my arms around his waist and squeeze. “Thank you, Max. I love you, too.”

  “I’m getting married today!” Jay shouts into the intercom system and I jerk awake.

  Cam chuckles as he curls up behind me and rests his hand on my belly. “Take it easy today. Okay?”

  I rest my hand over his. “Lisa closed the salon to the public, so it’s only the wedding party. She’s even having brunch brought in. Then we’re coming straight back here to get ready. Will you be back in time?”

  “Yeah. The game is at one, so I should be home in plenty of time. Speaking of, I should probably get going.”

  “Just hold me for five more minutes.” I snuggle in his arms.

  He presses his lips to my neck. “I’d rather hold you forever.”

  Emerson

  Jay came down the stairs dressed in her white Cinderella gown from the Disney store, her little plastic heels and a tiny purse hanging from her wrist. She’d even put her hair up and finished it off with a jeweled headband.

  “Princess, where are you going all dressed up like that?” Bass asked with a chuckle.

  She paused at the foot of the stairs and propped her hand on her hip. “To my wedding.”

  Marcus chuckled beside me as she walked over to where we were sitting, opened her purse and handed each of us a piece of paper.

  “What’s this?” Marcus asked.

  “Your invitation, Daddy.”

  “Who are you marrying?” Bass asked.

  “Zach.”

  I step into Jay’s closet to find her standing in front of her three-way mirror. I inhale a deep breath through my nose and exhale slowly. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. “You look beautiful, Jay.”

  She turns from the mirror and smiles. Not a hint of an emotional breakdown. Thank goodness, because I’m emotional enough for the entire wedding party.

  “So do you.” Her eyes trail over the Gucci gown she picked out. It’s lavender-colored silk with a sheer jeweled applique overlay. Luckily it still fits, but it does very little to hide my baby bump.

  I press my hand to my stomach and she laughs. “Don’t dim your light just to make mine shine brighter.”

  “Jay—”

  “I appreciate that you were trying to make these last few weeks special, but you’re having a baby, Mom.” She smiles widely. “I’m getting a little brother. I’d say that’s pretty special.”

  Tears pool in my eyes, and I lean my head back to try to keep them from spilling over.

  Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. “I have something for you.” Her gaze drops to the rectangular box in my hand. “I had this custom made for you as a graduation gift, but with all the wedding and baby stuff, I’d completely forgotten about it.”

  I hold out the box and she takes it. She removes the lid and tucks it under the box before lifting the thin cotton strip to reveal a platinum necklace with the word ‘conquer’ written in pave diamonds.

  She gasps. “I don’t even know what to say. This is the most beautiful necklace I’ve ever seen.” She bends slightly at the waist and wraps her arms around me. “Thank you so much.”

  “Thank you, Jay, for giving me so many beautiful memories as your mother and friend. This past year has been difficult for both of us, but we persevered. You are the strongest person I’ve ever known, and every day you amaze and inspire me.”


  “I want to wear this today.” She pulls the necklace from the box and turns back to the mirror. “Will you help me with the clasp?”

  “Of course.” I toss the box on the table and tuck the pamphlet I’d been holding under my arm before assisting her with the clasp.

  “I have one other gift,” I say.

  She turns back to me, her hand fiddling with the necklace. “Did you buy me Minnie Mouse ears for Disney?” she jokes.

  I snort. “No.” I pass her the pamphlet with the words “Mended Spirit Foundation” written across the front. “I made a $100,000 donation in your name.”

  “What is this?”

  “It’s a charity Mimi works closely with. The Mended Spirit Foundation raises money for victims of violence and their families. Everything you need to know about them is in that pamphlet.”

  “This is amazing.” She sniffs as she hugs me again. “Thank you.”

  There’s a soft knock on the door before Bass’s voice echoes from the doorway. “Princess, you about ready?”

  “You can come in, B.”

  He walks in dressed to the nines in his designer tuxedo tailored to his large, fit physique. His eyes zero in on Jay and he sucks in a breath. “You look beautiful, Princess,” he chokes out, immediately clearing his throat to mask the emotion in his voice.

  His gaze flicks to my face, then slides down over my dress and stops on my stomach. “You look beautiful, too, Emerson.” Sighing, he drags a hand down his face and makes his way over to me, pulling me into a hug. “All he wanted was for you to be happy,” he whispers.

  I nod. “I know, B,” I cry into his jacket. Thank God it’s black.

  Bass pulls back and drops a kiss on my head, then turns to Jay. “Come here, Princess.”

  The vows have been exchanged, food has been eaten, and the cake has been cut. Drinking and dancing has now commenced.

  Laughter rings out from the table where Andrew, Tommy, and Chaz are huddled up. They arrived today for the wedding and will be staying at the house until they leave for the tour.

  “What’s happening over here?” I rest my hand on Andrew’s shoulder.

  They all exchange a look before he tilts his head up to me and says, “We’re placing bets on when you’re due.”

  My face pales and my heart free-falls into my stomach. “I was planning to tell you after the wedding. Today is Zach and Jay’s day, and I don’t want to take away from that.”

  Andrew smiles up at me and places his hand over mine. “You were always a selfless woman. I’ve always admired that about you.”

  “Congratulations, Emerson,” Chaz says.

  “You deserve to be happy,” Tommy adds.

  “Thank you,” I reply shakily.

  “So who’s the father?” Chaz teases, and I flip him off. Always the asshole. They know I’m with Cam.

  “Very funny.”

  “So… when are you due?”

  I can’t help but smile. “November.”

  “Yes!” Chaz shoots up from his chair with his arms raised over his head, earning looks from a few guests at nearby tables. “Pay up, fuckers.”

  He snickers as Andrew and Tommy pull out their wallets.

  “Hold up,” Andrew says. “Boy or girl.”

  Another smile spreads across my face.

  “Boy,” a familiar male voice says from behind me, snaking his arms around my waist before resting his hands on my belly and kissing my cheek.

  Andrew barks out a laugh. “Sit down, son.” He points to Chaz. “I won that round.”

  “We’ll talk later,” I say with a laugh as Cam pulls me away and leads me to the dance floor.

  It’s packed as “Say You Won’t Let Go” plays over the speakers. I love this song.

  “Can I ask you something?” Cam asks.

  “You can ask me anything.”

  Cam pauses. “Anything?”

  “Cam,” I warn.

  He lets out a soft chuckle. “You said anything.”

  “How about we shelve the marriage conversation until after the baby is born?”

  “Fine.” He rolls his eyes playfully. “When we do get married one day, do you want this?” He gestures around us. “Since your first wedding was in Vegas.”

  “Yours, too,” I remind him.

  “Shit, you’re right.” He chuckles. “Is this the kind of wedding you want?”

  I shake my head. “I want to get married on the beach at sunset. When I’m ready to get married again. I want to get married on your beach at sunset with just our families.”

  “After our son is born, I’m going to ask you to marry me, and I’m gonna ask every day until you say yes.”

  “I love you, Cam, for so many reasons, but I really love you for never giving up on me.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m a patient man.”

  Emerson

  Something brushes over my cheek, pulling me from sleep. Peeking my eyes open into the dark room, I notice a figure perched on the edge of the bed.

  My breath hitches in my throat. “Marcus?”

  “Hi, beautiful,” he whispers.

  “What are you—” I blink away the sleep haze from my eyes. “Am I dreaming?”

  “Yes.”

  I just stare at him in disbelief. He looks nothing like the shell of a man I lost a year and a half ago. He looks healthy. He looks like the Marcus King I met on the plane twenty-three years ago.

  “You look good.”

  “So do you.” He brushes the hair away from my face. “You’re glowing.”

  I cover his hand with mine. “I’m having a baby. A boy.”

  “I know. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks,” I say softly. “Jayla and Zach got married today.” I lift my phone from the nightstand and see it’s 2:00 a.m. “Actually yesterday.”

  “I know.” He smirks. “I was there. Both times.”

  I huff out a laugh. “I can’t believe she eloped.”

  “Can’t you?” he chuckles.

  I let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Marcus. I really tried, but I feel like I’ve let you down. Our daughter hasn’t had the best year, and then she eloped. And here I am, forty-one and pregnant by a man twelve years younger. Clearly you were the better adult.”

  He chuckles again. “I miss that smart mouth.”

  “I miss you.”

  “You could never let me down. She’s our daughter, and I want her to be her own person, to do what makes her happy. I want the same for you. Are you happy?”

  “I am.” I look over my shoulder at Cam curled up behind me, his hand resting on my belly. “Cam… he’s so good to me. He’s patient with me. He loves me the way I need to be loved. You’re the love of my life—”

  “But he’s your happily ever after.”

  “Yes,” I breathe. “He wants all of me, and I want to give it to him. But I need to move at my own pace. It’s hard to explain, but I’m not that impulsive young girl anymore.”

  “He’ll wait.” He gently pulls his hand from beneath mine and stands from the bed.

  “I’ll always love you, Marcus.”

  A wide smile spreads across his face. “For eternity.”

  Extended Epilogue

  Emerson

  One year and eight months later…

  “Hey, Mom,” Jay calls out from the front door.

  “In here,” I call out from the kitchen. A moment later, she waddles into the kitchen wearing a T-shirt that says “Pregnant AF.” Jay is pregnant with twins and due next month. She moves over to Trace and drops a kiss on his head before she makes her way over to me and kisses me on the cheek.

  “My momma,” Trace insists from his highchair like a little dictator, his little eyebrows furrowed. He looks like Cam with his light brown hair and bright blue eyes.

  I roll my lips between my teeth and try not to laugh. “Trace, Jayla is my baby, too.”

  “Noooo,” he whines and slides down in his seat.

  “Someone need
s a nap,” Jay mumbles under her breath so only I can hear her. Then she says, “Yes,” arguing with Trace. And just to aggravate him, she wraps her arms around me and peppers kisses all over the side of my face. I want to tell her to stop teasing her little brother, but I’m laughing too hard.

  “Noooo!” he screams. “I you babaaaaaaay!” The last part comes out with a screech.

  “Hey!” Cam rushes into the kitchen with wide eyes, then narrows them on Trace. “What’s the problem, little man?”

  “Apparently your son doesn’t want to share his mother with me,” Jay tells him.

  Cam turns his accusing eyes on us.

  “What?” Jay and I both ask with a laugh.

  “Em.” He shakes his head, exhaling an exasperated breath, and turns to Trace. Cam is definitely the disciplinarian between the two of us. “Trace, JJ is your sister. Your mommy is her mommy, too.”

  Cue the meltdown.

  “Stop it, Jay,” Cam chides with a knowing look.

  “What? I didn’t say anything.” She snickers.

  “You don’t have to. It’s all over your face.”

  Jay and I burst into a fit of laughter. Then suddenly she’s holding her stomach and heading for the door.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to go.”

  “But you just got here,” Cam says, following us to the door with Trace on his shoulders.

  “I know.” She grimaces. “But I have to go home and change.”

  “Why?” I’m pretty sure I already know why.

  “Because.” She shoots me a pleading look. The one that says “I just peed my pants.” She’s been doing that a lot lately.

  “Where’s your husband?” Cam asks, handing Trace off to me.

  “He’s in class,” Jay replies, leaning in to kiss Trace on the cheek. “Speaking of husbands, when are you two gonna finally make it official?”

  “It’s up to your mother. I’ve been asking her to marry me every day since Trace was born.”

  It’s true. Just as he said he would, Cam has asked me to marry him every single day since Trace was born. I honestly hadn’t intended to make Cam wait this long, but starting over at my age is exhausting. And Cam is gone a lot during the season. Time has just gotten away from us.