“Maybe we tell her when she’s here for the wedding?” Asher proposed.
“We are not going to ruin your big day.” Law was emphatic. “We’ll do it while we’re in Belgium.”
He heard the sliding glass door open, and the sound of Jill laughing. It helped make things better, instead of thinking about breaking his mother’s heart.
“I refused to put a brownie and strawberry shortcake in the same bowl, so you each get two dishes,” Jill explained.
“I said it was fine, since they’re going to end up in the same place anyway,” Eden said as she handed Asher his two dishes.
“These are pretty big portions,” he said as he eyed the bowl with a hot brownie and melted ice cream, then the bowl with fresh strawberries, whip cream, and shortcake.
“I brought an extra spoon for me,” Eden smirked.
“I wasn’t complaining, I could definitely eat it all,” Ash said.
“Well, now you know you can’t,” Eden laughed as she scooped up a large spoonful of brownie and ice cream.
Law wasn’t surprised to see Jill had brought out three bowls, two for him, and one strawberry shortcake for herself. The woman did like her cream, and she wasn’t about to share.
“So, did you solve the problems of the world while we were gone?” Eden asked.
“Or maybe just of your mom?” Jill queried.
Law laughed. Trust Jill to get to the heart of the matter.
“Asher and I are going to talk to her about Xavier while we’re in Belgium. We really want her to come to the States, but there’s a slight risk she could somehow find out that he committed suicide if she lives here, so it’s incumbent on us to tell her what happened.”
He felt Jill give a little jolt beside him. It was almost imperceptible, but he caught it. He tried to catch her eye, but she continued to look down at her dessert.
What is she thinking?
“Jill?”
“That sounds like a good plan. If you want me to be with you when you talk to her, I’m there, Honey.”
“No, this is something that Ash and I need to handle ourselves, but is something about this bothering you?” Law asked.
Jill sighed. “I’m sorry. But I think you’re going to have to deal with two issues, not just Xavier’s suicide, but also not having been honest with her in the beginning. I think you two better be prepared for some blowback.”
“That’s on me,” Ash said, as he set down his one of his bowls and handed the other to Eden. “I’ll take the hit. And Jill’s absolutely right. I thought about that, but then pushed it aside.”
“You did what you thought was right,” Eden defended him. “She’ll get that.”
“Not to begin with, to begin with, she’ll be angry and hurt.” Asher rubbed the back of his neck.
“Ash, I backed you on your decision,” Law said. “We’ll be able to work through this with her. We’ll tell her at the beginning of the trip so that we’re there for her. You know Maman, she’ll process this, she’ll be heartbroken, but she’ll deal. She always copes. But we need her here with us, and she needs to be here with us.”
“I agree,” Jill said.
“Absolutely,” Eden said at the same time.
Law hugged Jill closer, which caused her to tip some of the strawberry juice onto his jeans. Didn’t that just figure, he thought as he started to laugh.
Eden giggled as Jill rolled her eyes.
“You might as well know now, this is normal for me. Keep me far, far away from your wedding dress before the wedding,” Jill advised.
“She’s not kidding,” Law said as he wiped up the juice from his jeans. “Luckily, she is a whiz at laundry.”
Jill blushed and laughed. “It’s true, I can get out darn near any stain.”
“Even guacamole,” Law said huskily. He watched as Jill’s blush turned brighter.
She grabbed his thigh and dug her fingernails in. Shit, thinking about guacamole and having her grip his thigh was making him hard. He felt his cheeks heat as he put his brownie dish on his lap. He looked up and saw Asher smirking at him. Bastard.
“So we have a plan.”
“Belgium next month, wedding the following month. Sounds good to me,” Eden grinned.
Chapter 16
You done good.
Law’s arm froze in mid-stroke as he cleared the condensation from the bathroom mirror. He waited to see if his brother would say anything else, but Xavier always was a man of few words. Law finished wiping down the mirror and grinned when he smeared the new shaving cream that Jill had given him onto his face.
He took a deep breath as he made the first swipe of the razor along his neck. He and Asher had finally had a long talk about Xavier. It had been a long time coming. Turned out, Law and Maman weren’t the only ones who occasionally suffered from auditory hallucinations. Of course, if anyone was ever going to be tough and stubborn enough to make themselves known from beyond the grave, it would be their big brother.
He heard Xavier laugh.
“Who laughed? Are you on the phone?” Jill asked as she came up behind him.
“You look gorgeous, and you packed the night before. Is it any wonder I’m in love?”
Jill stood up on her tiptoes and looked over his shoulder so she could meet his eyes in the mirror as she watched him shave. “I thought you loved me for my cookies and the sexual favors I provide.”
This time, Law chuckled. “Your cookies come in a sad, sad third, that’s for damn sure.”
“Third?” She kissed his bare shoulder. “Sex is first, cookies are third, so what’s second?”
He wiped his face clean and turned around.
“Uh-uh. You got it wrong. Your kind and beautiful heart is number one. It always has been and it always will be.” He liked the way her eyes went soft and dreamy. He didn’t like the way she then bit her lip.
He pulled it loose and gave her a long, slow kiss. She tempted Law to do a lot more, but if he did, they’d be late getting to the airport. With the way security was these days, that could be a real problem with an international flight, and he still had one more thing planned before leaving.
“What’s got your tail in a knot?” he asked.
“Can’t a girl be worried about meeting her guy’s mom?”
“You’ve already met my mom,” he teased. “Zoom and Skype count. After all, you met Angela’s Rancher Man via Zoom and gave her a thumbs-up.”
Jill rolled her eyes. “So not the same thing. I’ve been on the phone with her probably three times a week for the last two months since the Battle of the Van.”
“Hey. We discussed that.” Law knew his voice was sharp, but he couldn’t help it.
Jill giggled. “Sorry, but what else can I call it? The name is perfect.”
He still had nightmares of that day.
Law went into the bedroom and he shook his head. “You better not have taken any of the suitcases out to the truck.”
“Just out to the living room. I needed the bedroom cleared out so I could make sure I hadn’t missed anything.”
“We’re only going to be in Belgium for ten days and you’re packing four suitcases. How in the hell could you be missing anything?” He went to the closet, got dressed, and grabbed what he needed out of his dresser drawer, then he watched as she sat on the bed and pulled on her socks.
“Hey, two of those suitcases are yours,” Jill protested.
“Yes. And those two are filled with mostly your stuff.”
Jill glanced over her shoulder at him as she tugged on a boot. “You know, a lot of men would be upset, but the weird thing is, you’re not.”
He sat down next to her. “I like that you know that.” He kissed her temple. “I like that you know me.”
She leaned into him and sighed.
“Getting to know you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, Lawson Jacob Thorne.”
“God, Jill, you choke me up when you say things like that. You always seem to have the right word
s.” He pulled her off the bed and onto his lap.
She looked up at him with wide eyes. “I thought sometimes my smart mouth upset you.”
“Except for the Battle of the Van, you’re good.” His eyes twinkled. She traced his dimple.
“Okay, I’ll cool that for a while. It upsets Lesley, too, and she’s finally getting better.”
“Glad to hear it.”
He didn’t say anything else. Just stared at her.
“Uhm, Law, either we get naked, or we pack the car.”
Now the second dimple showed up. “See, you’re perfect, always willing to get naked.” He stroked back her hair. “How’d I get so lucky?”
“You asked me to go out for coffee and dessert.” She winked.
“Maybe.”
She let her head drift against his chest. “Have I ever told you what I really think?” Jill asked tentatively. She knew she hadn’t, but she now felt secure enough with Law to tell him her fanciful thoughts.
“What, Baby?”
“I think that maybe Lorraine and Xavier wanted us to be happy and arranged for us to meet that night.”
He tipped her chin back and she looked into his deep blue eyes. “I like that idea. I like it a lot.”
She sighed, knowing that somewhere her cousin was happy for her.
Slowly, Lawson lowered her onto the bed. “Oh, the naked option. Lucky me.”
“Jillian Lee, you little hussy, we just got dressed. Naked is not an option. As a matter of fact, you’re not dressed enough for our trip.”
“Huh?”
“Jill. The best thing that has ever happened in my life has been meeting you. Laughing with you. Loving you.”
His voice had that smokey quality that went straight to her heart.
“I love you, too.” She wound her arms around his neck. She needed to say more, but his gaze was too intent. She lost her breath.
“Every damned day is better with you in it. Every moment is brighter and I’m happier. Baby, I couldn’t survive if I wasn’t able to spend the rest of my life with you. I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to make you happy and keep you safe.”
He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a blue box, and flicked it open. “Will you do the honor of marrying me?”
Oh my God, he looks unsure.
“Yes!” Jill kissed his neck.
“Yes!” She kissed his chin.
“Yes!” She kissed his lips.
Their kiss was sublime.
“You’re crying. Stop crying, Baby.”
“I can’t, Law. These are happy tears. You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wished for.”
He brushed away her tears. “You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve finally come home.”
Chapter 17
Jill looked down at the two pink lines, and then hugged the test tight to her chest.
“Ow! Yay! Eww!”
Her tender breasts were what had her going to the pharmacy in Montana the day before Ash and Eden’s wedding. She carefully placed the test on the lip of the sink and wet a washcloth and wiped down her chest and breasts where she might have touched the pee-pee stick against her skin. Then, then, she could bask in the knowledge she was going to have Law’s baby.
Jill looked in her bathroom mirror and pressed her hands against her stomach. It always had a bit of a pooch, but she didn’t see any discernable difference. But her breasts? Yep, they were bigger.
She couldn’t wait to tell Law! They’d talked about having a house full of kids, and now they’d gotten a head start on things. He was going to be over the moon.
She grabbed up the plastic bag with the pharmacy logo and the box the test kit came in and shoved them to the back of the drawer that housed the hotel blow dryer. But the actual pee pee stick? That, she was keeping. It was the first time she was introduced to her child. There was no way she was throwing that away. She looked around at her array of stuff on the bathroom counter and saw the baggie full of Q-Tips and cotton-balls. She took all of those out and shoved the stick in. There was no way she was putting a stick she’d peed on in her make-up bag without it being wrapped in plastic.
“Jill?”
She jumped at the sound of Law’s voice. “Yes?”
“I need to leave to pick up Maman and Aunt Claire from the airport, are you still coming?”
“Why don’t you go without me? I need a little bit more time to make sure everything looks good for tomorrow.”
She hated the pause.
“Honey, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Go get your mother and aunt. I’ll be ready by the time you get back, I promise.”
“Okay,” he drawled out the word. “If you’re sure. But if there’s a problem, I can send Asher.”
“No, no problem. You go. I can’t wait to see your mother again.”
Yeah, we can plan my rushed wedding and my large wedding gown.
“Are you sure?”
Damn the man for being sensitive. Jill made sure the pregnancy test was hidden, and opened the door. “See? I’m not ready.”
Law’s eyes immediately heated as he slowly perused her naked body up and down. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and one hand around her neck as he pulled her in for a deep kiss.
Magic. Jill trembled in his arms, and wound her arms around his shoulders, begging for more.
“I’m definitely calling Ash.” Law’s voice was guttural. His hand moved to cup her breast and she flinched. He was Law, of course he noticed.
“Baby, what’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
“It’s nothing.” At his raised eyebrow, she continued. “I promise, there’s nothing to be alarmed about, it’s totally normal.”
“For real?”
“Absolutely. Now go get your mother and aunt, get them settled at their hotel, and come back to me. Okay?”
“That, I can do.” When he started in for another kiss, she pushed him away.
“None of that horseplay. Go.”
“I’ll go,” he said as he stroked her cheek. “Just remember to save my place for later.”
“I’ll remember where we left off,” Jill chuckled.
She leaned against the door after he closed it, and hugged herself.
I get to be a mother!
He got his maman and aunt settled in their rooms, promising them he and Jill would pick them up in a couple of hours for the wedding rehearsal and dinner. When he got to the bank of elevators they took too long, so he took the stairs two at a time and made it to his room in record time. Jill had been acting weird and he was dying to find out what was going on.
But when he let himself in, he found Jill sound asleep, snuggled under the soft white duvet. He looked down at her and saw faint purple smudges under her eyes. He wanted to know what had been going on, but he had to let her rest. He silently undressed and slipped into bed beside her, careful not to disturb her.
“Hmmm,” she hummed softly as she immediately rolled close so she could burrow next to him. Law caught her up into his arms, loving the feel of her soft warmth snuggled against his naked frame. He caught sight of his ring on her finger, and once again felt a jolt of satisfaction rush through him. They hadn’t wanted to set a date until after Asher and Eden’s wedding. But he planned to have her legally tied to him as soon as possible. Jill shifted again, pressing herself even closer, as if she agreed with his thoughts.
Law started thinking about the future. It was probably because of losing Lorraine and how she’d learned to cope, and maybe because of the ‘Battle of the Van’ but she really had her head together about his job. That alleviated a huge part of his fears about the future. It had him spinning daydreams about how their life would play out. God, he loved her.
He must have slept deep, because he woke up in heaven. Jill was leaning over him, her ripe breasts begging for his touch, her smile brighter than the sun.
“Is it later?” he asked.
Jill nodded and her black hair caressed h
is naked chest. He pulled her closer so that his chest hairs could tease her nipples, and she moaned.
“You need to stop.”
“Give me one good reason.” He moved just a little and his woman sighed with pleasure, but then she pushed up against his chest and knelt up. He might be missing the feel of her, but the view was gorgeous.
“This wasn’t exactly what we had planned. But Law, we did it!” She bounced up on her knees.
“Did what?”
She snorted. “If you would quit looking at my boobs and engage your big brain and not your little brain, you’d know.”
She handed him a plastic baggie.
He really was confused, because usually, Jill was clear as a bell. He looked at the baggie in his hand.
Fuck.
He looked up at her.
“I see two dimples. You’re as happy as I am!”
“Damn right I am. You’re having my baby.”
He sat up and pulled her onto his lap, cradling her close. She was everything to him. Scratch that, they were everything. He brushed back the strands of hair that had stuck to her happy tears, and placed the best, most loving, most tender kiss he could give her, on her lips.
She opened to him. His hand stroked down to her stomach and he swore he could feel a difference. Just a little more warmth, a faint spark making itself known.
I’m going to be a father!
Epilogue
They’d done it right. Jill wondered if she could hire Eden’s sisters to coordinate her wedding. For some reason, she’d thought that an outdoor reception wouldn’t work, but it was gorgeous. The night was warm and filled with stars. She imagined the forest animals smiling at the band’s music. Especially when it came to the slow romantic songs. She’d never danced with Law before—now that she knew he was so good at it, he was going to have to take her dancing when they got home.
She looked over the dance floor and saw just a few couples left. One of them was Eden’s maid of honor with an over-the-top handsome SEAL who worked with Asher. She was pretty sure his name was Ezio. If he was really interested, he had a high hill to climb after she’d been basically jilted at the altar.
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