Not According to Plan

by A. m Madden

  Suppressing a sigh, I sat on a chair still holding Everly. In only four months and some change, my own child would be part of this mix. Even with it that close, it was still hard to visualize my new life ahead.

  “Mom and Dad will be here soon.” She stirred something on the stove. “So, how’s Max?”

  “That took you five minutes longer to ask than normally.”

  “Smart-ass.”

  “Smaht-ass, smaht-ass, smaht-ass,” Everly chanted.

  I couldn’t help but giggle before saying, “That’s Karma right there, my sister.”

  “And you haven’t answered my question.”

  “He’s good. Busy.” Sapphire stopped chopping a tomato and stared at me, cocking her head while narrowing her eyes. “You’re hiding something.”

  Jesus Christ. “Yes, I am. The truth is Max isn’t the father of my baby. Bradley Cooper is, and he’s not ready to reveal our hot love affair.”

  Before Sapphire could comment, my mom came rushing into the kitchen with my father behind her. “Jade!” She snatched up Everly, passed her to my sister, and molded her hands around my belly. “You’re getting so big.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I said on a sigh, but my focus was on my father. “Hi, Dad.”

  I watched as he worked a swallow. “Hey, sweetheart.” Suddenly he wrapped his arms around me. “I’m sorry for how I’ve acted. I love you and only want you to be happy.”

  Over his shoulder, I watched my mom and sister exchange an all-knowing look. “It’s fine, Daddy.” When he pulled away to search my face, I hid all the worry I held over how things were going to work out with Max. I hid my anxiety over my situation at the firm. Instead, I plastered on a huge smile and said, “I am happy.”

  I blinked, and my twenty-week sonogram had arrived. Gone was the random vomiting, and Max seemed more grateful for that than even I was. I had energy again. My libido remained on alert. I truly felt fantastic.

  Max and I may not have seen a lot of each other, but the time spent together brought us closer. Despite my growing feelings, I kept trying to prepare myself for the possibility that Max and I would co-parent without any other ties between us except for the baby we made. The truth of the matter was he would be spending most of his time in Miami while I was here in New York.

  Because of that, I held back emotionally to preserve my heart. I knew remaining level-headed was my only line of defense to avoid heartbreak…but that was easier said than done.

  My brain could dictate all it wanted, but my heart already argued that I’d take five minutes with Max rather than none at all. It was that realization that scared me more than having a child did.

  Max had gotten under my skin.

  When we started our relationship, we knew seeing each other would be a challenge due to our busy schedules. Unfortunately, recently it seemed like the universe kept throwing obstacle after obstacle at us to prevent from getting together, and it made me very cranky.

  Arriving to my sonogram appointment a few minutes early, I flipped through a magazine waiting to be called in or for Max to arrive. He was on his way over from the airport, and I’d hate for him to get here late and miss it, especially knowing how excited he was for this.

  But ten minutes later, as I lay on the table, when Dr. Laramie walked in with a pleasant smile, I worried he wasn’t going to make it.

  “Hi, Jade. Sorry for the delay. It’s been a crazy day. Babies don’t tend to keep to a schedule.”

  “I was hoping you’d be even later,” I admitted with a shrug. “The baby’s father is on his way.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, hopefully, he’ll get here soon,” she said flippantly. “If not, you’ll be leaving with images to share with him.”

  Which would suck.

  “How are you feeling, Jade?”

  “Today, I’m anxious. But overall, I feel great.”

  “All normal.” She scribbled some notes in my chart.

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “Is it safe for me to fly next month?” It had been something I considered since Max’s invite. I could still see the disappointed look on his face when I said I couldn’t go. Knowing he would be there when Tracey gave birth, I thought it’d be nice to see his gym, meet Tracey and his daughter. “Just to Florida for a few days,” I clarified.

  “Yes, you should be able to. There’s no risk to flying, and many women still do so up until their thirty-sixth week. It really depends on how you feel.” On my nod, she smiled and said, “Shall we get started?”

  “Sure,” I said, my shoulders dropping. Max still hadn’t arrived.

  After my routine exam, she snapped her rubber gloves off, threw them away, and moved toward an antibacterial dispenser on the counter. “Sarah will be in to perform the sonogram. I’ll be back once it’s done.”

  “Okay.” A few minutes later, the door opened, and I couldn’t mask my disappointment for the second time when it wasn’t Max.

  “Hello, Jade. I’m Sarah,” she said with a smile, dragging the sonogram machine closer to the small stool she sat on at the end of the table. She then coated my belly with a cold gel before moving the paddle back and forth. She pointed to the center of gray static imaging. “There’s your baby.”

  I focused on the screen, stunned at what I saw. I didn’t know what I expected, but right there was a fully formed baby, arms moving, mouth opening and closing. Sure, its head was too large for its body, but it had two arms, hands, legs, and feet, all clear as day. As was a cute button nose, an adorable rounded butt, which made it all so very real for the first time since I learned of this tiny peanut I carried.

  The image blurred a bit through my teary eyes, and as I stared in wonder, Max busted through the door.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said, out of breath, before frantically rushing toward me.

  “Max.” My relieved expression spoke for itself. “It’s the most amazing thing to see.”

  His frown softened.

  “Sarah, this is the baby’s father, Max Navarro.”

  “Her boyfriend,” he corrected, ignoring my surprised gaze. “I’m so sorry I’m late.” He positioned beside me, taking my hand and leaning close to my head.

  “Actually, you’re right on time.” Sarah again pointed to the screen, and his focus shifted while he squeezed my hand.

  “Look, Max.”

  “Oh my God,” he said softly. I watched his face as he watched our child. The obvious awe revealed on handsome face, combined with seeing our baby, overwhelmed me.

  Sarah continued typing in between moving the paddle over my belly. After several minutes, she then asked, “Do you want to know the sex?”

  “You can see that?” Max asked.

  My eyes scoured the screen, but I saw nothing that would resemble that part of the anatomy.

  “Sometimes if we shift the mother to her side, that will have the baby behaving less modestly.”

  “We haven’t discussed it yet.” I slid my attention to Max, and the shimmer of emotion in his eyes brought a lump to my throat and caused a tear to roll. Clearly, he was okay with knowing. He already knew Tracey was having a girl. But I…I wasn’t sure yet.

  He glanced down at me and wordlessly smoothed it away as I leaned into his touch. “It’s up to you.”

  “Okay,” I said, nodding, then turned to Sarah. “If you can see the sex, can you seal it in an envelope for us?”

  “Absolutely.” She continued to manipulate the machine. Max barely spoke, and instead of words, he pressed his lips against the side of my head every so often.

  “Okay, Jade. Can you shift to your left?”

  Max helped me do so as Sarah continued to type dexterously at the keyboard while shifting the probe. Every so often, the image on the screen would print out another square, advancing the long continuous line of film. />
  A minute later, she said, “Okay, all done. I’ll print the results for you. Dr. Laramie will be in to answer any questions.” Even in the new position on my side, I saw no sign of a penis or lack of.

  Once Sarah gave us privacy, I turned to face him and met his gaze with a small smile. He kissed me long and hard, and a silent pact passed between us. I knew that regardless of what happened down the road, we both would do anything for this child.

  From that moment on, that tiny baby growing inside me was ours to protect, to love. It was a moment I hadn’t prepared myself for. It was very humbling.

  Dr. Laramie reappeared with my chart in hand. “So, everything looks great.” After flipping some pages, she said, “You’re progressing nicely, Jade. I see you don’t want to know the sex today. The results will be in a sealed envelope waiting for you at the reception desk.”

  “Thank you,” we both said in unison.

  “You’re very welcome. I’ll see you next month.”

  We were left alone to see ourselves out. I looked at Max but couldn’t read what he was thinking. Was he thinking of his other baby? Was the situation finally hitting him?

  “Are you okay?” I asked, taking his hand in mine.

  “Jade…I’m a lot overjoyed, overwhelmingly amazed, and a little terrified.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Max

  Even though it was a very busy Saturday, my assistant manager, Arlene, kicked me out, which gave me the afternoon off for my birthday.

  Truth was I was running myself ragged trying to juggle all the balls of my life without any of them hitting the ground. Despite how stretched thin I was, spending time with Jade seemed to be a magic elixir for my stress. Being with her for the rest of the afternoon and night would miraculously erase my tensions. We hadn’t had that much time together in weeks. In fact, the last time we were together was at her sonogram appointment, to which I was late and then took her for a quick lunch before she had to be back at work, and I had to get to the gym.

  Jade left it up to me what we would do today for my birthday. It was a spectacular day for early November, and I decided to enjoy the mild weather. When I emerged from the elevator, there she stood in her doorway, looking all sorts of adorable in jeans, an oversized Rutgers T-shirt, and sneakers.

  “Hey, beautiful,” I said, giving her my dimpled smile.

  “Hi. Happy birthday.”

  “Thank you.”

  I wrapped my fingers around her ponytail and pressed my lips to hers before she asked, “Did you decide on where you’d like to go?”

  “Part of me considered going down the shore, but I don’t want to waste time in a car. So how does the Central Park Zoo sound?”

  “Sounds fun!” Her whole demeanor brightened. “I haven’t been there in ages.”

  “Let’s remedy that,” I said before giving her another soft kiss.

  Twenty or so minutes later, I held her hand as we wandered into the Central Park Zoo. It was jammed with New Yorkers wanting to swallow up every minute of the gorgeous day before winter kicked in.

  And I wasn’t sure if it was because she was pregnant and I was more observant of children now, but it felt like every young parent in the city was out in full force. Everywhere we looked, there were men and women pushing carriages or holding toddlers’ hands.

  “I love it here,” I said as we approached the sea lion exhibit.

  “Do you come here often?”

  “I used to. For some reason, this place grounds me, reminds me there is so much more to life than profits and expense sheets.” We found an opening along the glass railing surrounding the exhibit and leaned on it side by side. “This is one of the best gems in our city. We need to bring the baby here.” The way I casually threw that out surprised me. We really never discussed the future.

  Jade simply smiled at my comment, just as one of the sea lions started barking. Before we knew it, the rest of them followed suit. Children watching in awe began squealing and clapping for the impromptu serenade. I couldn’t help but laugh as the cacophony grew around us. At the sound of my laughter, Jade joined me.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I voiced over the noise. The smile fell from her face as she stared at my mouth, almost willing me to kiss her. I moved closer to encircle my arms around her and fused our lips. Instantly, warmth spread through my body, and along with it came desire only she could spark.

  Everything around us disappeared—the barking seals, the children. All of it vanished, and the only thing that felt real was the insane connection we had as our gazes remained locked in a trance.

  Right then and there, I knew I wanted this woman in every way. I wanted her heart, her devotion, her body, and her love. Right there in the middle of the zoo, on my birthday, I no longer wondered if I was falling for her…I knew I already had.

  After the park, we headed back to her place to have dinner and properly celebrate my birthday. Jade made me a delicious meal of pistachio-crusted salmon and braised vegetables. She even got a small carrot cake from my favorite bakery.

  “How did you know?” I asked, not remembering ever discussing it.

  “Brad,” she said with a shrug. “He explained every year your mom had to have three entirely different cakes because you all had a favorite.”

  “That is true. What’s your favorite?”

  “Chocolate, with chocolate, and more chocolate. Don’t move.” Adorably, she hustled into her bedroom and returned a few minutes later, holding a big box. “Happy birthday.”

  I unwrapped the present and removed the lid. Inside was a baby carrier with “MAXimum Daddy” embroidered across the front of it. “This is awesome, Jade. I love it.”

  “There’s more.”

  Beneath that lay a dual picture frame. “That’s for your desk. It could hold both baby photos.” She pointed to the box. “There’s something else in there.”

  Buried under the last layer of tissue was a white envelope. My eyes connected with hers when I pulled out a certificate for lessons to learn my favorite Olympic sport, curling. “That’s awesome! These are by far the best gifts ever,” I said before placing a long hard kiss on her lips. When I pulled away, her smile lit me up inside.

  “You like them?”

  “I love them.”

  Touched by how much thought she put into my present, she surprised me further by saying, “I have one more last surprise.”

  The wide-eyed look she gave me forced me to ask, “What is it?”

  “I would like to go to Miami with you.” Before I could reply, she rushed on, “I already checked with Dr. Laramie and got the okay. I thought if I came when Tracey gives birth, I could meet her and the baby…see your gym.”

  That was the last thing I expected her to say. So many times, I had envisioned Jade beside me when I visited my gym but worried it wouldn’t happen anytime soon. And now she would be, and I couldn’t wait to get her there.

  At my stunned silence, she began rambling nonsense. “If you would rather be there alone, I understand. I just thought that maybe it would be great to be there for you in support. But you know what? As I’m hearing myself, it sounds intrusive and—”

  I gently placed a hand over her mouth. “Jade. I’m shocked in a great way. You have no idea how badly I want you there with me.”

  Muffled words came from behind my hand. With a chuckle, I removed it for her to clarify, “Are you just saying that?”

  “It’s the absolute truth.”

  A brilliant smile spread on her face. God, this woman was throwing my world off its axis.

  I wanted to admit how much that meant to me. How my feeling for her scared me because I didn’t know if she felt the same. How with a simple smile she could have me confessing all I felt about her or that any physical affection between us could have my dick aching for her like a motherfucker. I wanted to admit I’d fallen fo
r her.

  Instead, I held her face between my hands and kissed her lips like I hadn’t had them in years.

  She straddled my hips, reminding me of our first night together. When she shimmied closer, feeling our baby press against my torso did something to my ego. Automatically, my hands protectively molded over her belly.

  She trailed kisses down my neck. Her lips traveled across my over-sensitive flesh, settling right below my ear where she sucked on my skin and set me on fire in the process.

  Having her pushing against me, as her hands roamed and her lips teased, was the best kind of torment. But when one hand suddenly pressed against my straining hard-on and squeezed, I bucked embarrassingly in response.

  “Christ,” I said on a visceral groan. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  “Actually, I’m trying to seduce you.”

  Alrighty, then. “Are you, now?”

  “Is it working?” she whispered before latching those luscious lips onto mine.

  Releasing her ponytail and burrowing my fingers into her hair to tilt her head back, I was able to devour and plunder her mouth. And when that sexy moan of hers traveled right through me—well…game on.

  Her body responded as quickly as mine had. I could feel her nipples harden as if there weren’t any clothing between us. My hand slipped beneath her shirt to feel the weight of her breast in my palm. The hardened peak pressed firmly against the fabric and into my skin, forcing another groan to escape from my mouth into hers.

  Wild wide eyes stared at me when I pulled away from her.

  With her gaze pinned to mine, she gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Mesmerized by the way her beautiful breasts continued to rise and fall with each breath she took, it was when she added, “I need you,” that I lost my resolve.