She cringes. “Yeah, but I don’t really want to start applying and having prospective employers run a background check. It’ll draw attention.”
“Right.” Isaac nods. “Well, I need help in my office. I need someone to answer the phone, take care of billing, things like that.”
“I thought you already had someone for that.” She frowns.
“I do, but business is good, and we need more help. You in?”
“You’re offering me a job?”
“Yep.”
She bites her lip, considering his offer.
“Under the table, Bryn.”
“Really?”
He just smiles over at her, and I just love him so much.
“I can start tomorrow.” She smiles big, the first true smile I’ve seen on her beautiful face since she got home almost two weeks ago, and launches herself at him, hugging him as closely as she can with Sophie strapped to his chest.
“Hey, watch your hands, sister,” I mutter playfully. “And don’t crush my baby.”
She laughs.
“If he wasn’t yours, I’d claim him.”
“Ladies, no need to fight. There’s enough of me to go around.”
We both bust into giggles, and Isaac frowns. “Trust me, babe, you’ve got your hands full with what you have.”
“Killjoy.”
“Mom! Mom! I’m gonna feed the ’deer!” Josie screams and runs up to her mother in excitement.
“Great, Jose! How many are there?”
“Eight.”
“What are their names?” Luke asks her and winks at Brynna.
I can’t help but laugh at Brynna’s response to Luke. She blushes like a teenager whenever he looks at her. She still can’t believe that Natalie is married to the Luke Williams.
“Donner, Dasher…” Josie starts.
“Blitzen and Cupid,” Maddie adds, and scrunches up her face, thinking hard.
“Comet and Vixen and Dancer and… and…” Josie and Maddie look at each other, counting on their little fingers.
“And Lucky!” Maddie cries.
“Lucky?” Luke asks with a surprised laugh. We all try to hide our snickers behind our hands but fail miserably.
“Yep.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Auntie Stace, Sophie wants to feed the deer,” Josie says earnestly.
“I think Sophie is too little to feed the deer, sweetie.” I smile down at her and pull her soft, long, raven braid through my hand.
“Well, can I look at her then?” she asks, and Isaac squats, letting the sweet little girl look in the sling at the sleeping baby. Both girls have been a bit obsessed with their little cousin since meeting her for the first time. “Oh, she’s sleeping,” she whispers loudly at Isaac.
“Yes, she is,” he responds with a grin. I can’t help but smile at them.
“Why?” She gazes earnestly into Isaac’s eyes, which are eye level with hers.
“’Cause she’s sleepy.”
Josie smiles sweetly. “Okay.”
And off she goes to continue feeding the deer with her sister.
“You’re good with kids, Isaac,” Jules says casually, while watching her parents help the girls feed the animals.
“What do you want, brat?”
“I can’t say something nice to you without wanting something?”
Isaac laughs and tucks Sophie’s binky in her mouth. “Okay, thanks. I think.”
“For the love of the baby Jesus in a manger, will you stop?” Jules suddenly exclaims, and we all break out laughing at the sight of Natalie and Luke in another passionate embrace.
“Give it up, Jules,” Luke mutters and dips Natalie low, giving us all a show.
“God, I hate you.”
Chapter Eight
“We’re sitting in the back,” Isaac murmurs in my ear as we enter the movie theater. It’s a weeknight, so there aren’t many other moviegoers in the plush seats.
“I’m so not making out with you in a movie theater,” I mumble and hear him chuckle.
“Yes, you will.”
“I’m not sixteen.”
I climb the steps to the top, and we claim seats directly in the middle. We are in a theater that offers reclining leather seats rather than the typical theater seats. It’s new, and I swear to God, I’m never going to another run-of-the-mill theater ever again. Isaac raises the armrest, effectively converting the space into a cozy love seat. We settle in and wait for the movie to start.
“I can’t believe you agreed to watch a chick flick.” I shove a handful of popcorn in my mouth and take a sip of soda.
“I don’t plan on watching much of it.”
“I’m not making out with you during the movie. I’ve been waiting for this movie to come out for weeks.”
“I’ll buy it for you on Blu-ray.” He shrugs and eats almost half of his hotdog in one bite.
“Then why did we spend almost fifty dollars to come to the movies?” I ask.
He grins at me and swallows. “Movie Make-Out Date.”
“Excuse me?” I ask with a laugh.
“We’re on a date.”
“Clearly.”
“At the movies.”
“Okay.” I frown up at him and then immediately return his lazy smile. God, I love it when he looks at me like that. His eyes are all happy and cocky.
“Where it’s dark.” He pulls me closer to his side and wraps his arm around me, resting his hand on my hip and, whispers in my ear, “And no one can see me touch you.”
Holy shit, he just turned me on in a movie theater.
“How long have you had this little daydream?” I ask him drily.
“Since I was about thirteen.”
I laugh and rest my head on his shoulder while I munch on my popcorn. A few more patrons file in and find seats, well below our perch in the back row.
The lights dim as the movie starts. After fifteen minutes, I set my popcorn tub on the floor, having had my fill, and lean back into my warm husband. He shifts in the wide seat until his back is against the armrest, and he pulls me between his legs, wraps his arms protectively around my shoulders, and kisses my hair.
With a big sigh, I relax into him. The actors in the movie are passionately arguing and then are suddenly kissing, just as passionately. Isaac’s hand roams from my shoulder blade down to my ass, where he gently rubs small circles around my derriere.
He’s not going to give up on his quest to make out.
He tips my chin up and brushes his lips across mine, so lightly I can barely feel it. It’s just a whisper of a kiss. His lips tickle the sides of my mouth, my jawline. He gently kisses my nose. His hand sinks into my hair, and he claims my mouth again, still with absolute gentleness.
I sigh against him and open my lips for him, inviting him to take the kiss deeper, and he answers my invitation eagerly, dipping his tongue inside to play and tease mine, then nibbling my lips again. He pulls back and brushes my hair rhythmically with his fingers.
“Watch the movie,” he whispers.
Oh, right, the movie.
I lay my head back on his chest and feel him kiss my hair and grin. The hand on my ass pulls up and then slides back down, under my jeans, and cups my cheek firmly. His large, warm hand feels heavenly, and I have to physically put my hand over my mouth to keep from moaning out loud.
He’s such a tease!
His other hand moves down from my hair, over my shoulder, and he brushes the backs of his fingers against the side of my breast, then back up again to my neck, where he knows I’m the most sensitive, and very gently moves his thumb back and forth over the spot that makes me tingle all over.
Okay, we can both play this game.
I run my hand firmly down his side, against his ribs, to his hip and under his T-shirt so I can feel his abs. God, they’re so toned and hard. And warm. And clenching and flinching under my touch.
I grin and continue to tickle him lightly, with just my fingertips, tracing the ridges of
his muscles up around his ribs. His erection is growing against my stomach, but my eyes are still glued to the screen, although I have absolutely no idea what’s happening in the movie at this point. I shift to the side and unbutton his jeans and slip my hand inside.
He gasps softly as I grip his hardness in my palm and tease him. The hand on my ass clenches and moves down between my slick folds. “Wet,” he murmurs against my hair, and he kisses my head.
Suddenly, he pushes me back, buttons his jeans and yanks me out of the seat, pulling me behind him to the aisle and down the steps.
“Where are we going?” I whisper loudly.
He doesn’t answer until we’re out of the theater and walking down the sidewalk.
“Eyes, what are you doing? The movie…” He pushes me up against the wall and pins me with his body, holds my wrists up at the sides of my head, and he kisses me voraciously, consuming me and making love to me with his mouth.
“Blu-ray,” he growls, his eyes molten blue, and he’s pulling me behind him again to the car. “I need to get you home and naked. Now.”
“Well, okay then.”
***
Where did all these packages come from? I’d just poured myself my first cup of coffee and was headed back upstairs to shower and get ready for the day before Sophie wakes up. But when I pass by the Christmas tree, there are at least a dozen brightly wrapped gifts with big bows added to the gifts I’d already wrapped and placed under the tree last week.
Setting my coffee on an end table, I kneel on the floor and reach for a big red box with a gold bow.
“Hands off.”
I snatch my hand back and sit on my heels and look back at Isaac guiltily. “I didn’t touch anything.”
“You were about to.”
“Where did these come from?” I ask and gaze back at the pretty boxes.
“Uh, Santa?”
I glare back at him. “It’s not Christmas morning, smart-ass.”
“Calling Santa a smart-ass is not being a nice girl. Keep being naughty, and you’ll get coal.”
“I’ll show you naughty…”
Sophie’s whimpers come through the baby monitor, and I know I have only twenty minutes, tops, to shower before she’ll insist that it’s time to get out of her crib for the day.
“I’ll take a rain check,” Isaac murmurs, and pulls me against him as I climb to my feet. “Later tonight?” he asks, just before his lips brush over mine.
“It’s a date.” I grin and kiss his lightly stubbled chin, enjoying the way it feels against my lips.
“What are you up to today?” he asks.
“I’m taking Sophie to my mom’s this morning. She asked if she could keep her for a few hours, so I thought I’d take advantage of it and go to the grocery store and maybe get a pedicure. Your coffee’s on the kitchen counter.”
“Thanks, baby. Enjoy your quiet time.” He grins and kisses me on his way out the door to work.
“Don’t work too hard.”
***
“But I don’t understand,” I reply to nurse Kimberly. “Why do I need to come back in? I was just in yesterday.”
“The blood work we ran yesterday has come back from the lab, Stacy, and the doctor would like to go over some things.”
What things?
“He said that everything was okay, and you’d be calling to let me know that the labs were normal. You can just give me the results now.”
I’m on my way from the grocery store to the nail salon to get that pedicure I so desperately need. Another unnecessary trip to the doctor seems ridiculous and a waste of time.
“I’m not at liberty to discuss the results of the tests over the phone. Dr. Wilson needs to see you. He has an opening in an hour. Can we expect you then?”
Well, hell, there goes the pedicure.
“Yeah, I’ll be there.” I hang up the phone with a scowl. More doctors’ appointments. Isaac talked me into going yesterday because I’ve still been having headaches. They’re not debilitating, but they are frequent. The doctor suspected that they were due to stress but ran labs just to make sure everything was on track.
Everything had better be on track and this is just routine or I’m gonna punch somebody in the throat. I’m done with doctors for a while.
My phone rings again, and I smile when I see it’s Brynna.
“Hey.”
“Hey, I’m leaving your mom’s. She has Sophie and offered to keep the girls for me, too. Where are you?”
“I was going to get a pedicure—”
Brynna gasps. “Without me? What the fuck?”
“It’s a good thing the girls aren’t with you,” I reply drily.
“I know. I try to get all the swear words out when they’re not around.”
“As I was saying, I was going to get a pedi, but my doctor just called, and they want me to go in for a follow-up instead.”
“You’re still having follow-up visits at almost five months post-partum?” she asks.
“No, I went in because I’ve been having headaches. I guess there’s some blood work they want to talk about.”
“Oh. Well, since I don’t have the girls, want company? We can do lunch after.”
“Sure, thanks. I’ll meet you there.” I rattle off the address to her and end the call. I pull into the office parking lot and wait for Brynna in my car. It doesn’t take her long to join me.
“Hi, Fran,” I greet the receptionist. “Dr. Wilson wanted to see me again today.”
“He’s expecting you. Thanks for coming on such short notice. No Sophie today?” she asks with a smile.
“No, I have a babysitter today.”
Nurse Kimberly comes around the corner and smiles at me. “Oh great, you’re here. I’ll take you back.”
“It’s not terribly busy today.” I’m trying to make small talk to calm my nerves. I hate the doctor’s office. You’d think with all the dozens, if not hundreds, of hours I’ve spent in them over the past three years, it wouldn’t bother me.
It does.
“This time of year is usually slow. Especially this week, the week of Christmas.” Kimberly offers a friendly smile at Brynna.
“Oh, I’m sorry. This is my cousin Brynna.”
“Nice to meet you. Okay, have a seat, the doctor will be right with you.”
“This place gives me the heebs,” Brynna remarks after the nurse leaves. She shivers and looks at a plastic vagina. “What the fuck do they put these things out here for, anyway? I don’t want to see a plastic model of the va-jay-jay.”
“It’s to scare us into not having sex anymore.”
“It’s working.”
There’s a brief knock on the door, startling Brynna, and then the door swings open, and my handsome doctor, Dr. Delicious Wilson, briskly walks into the room.
“Thanks for coming in, Stacy.”
“Sure. This is my cousin Brynna.”
“Brynna.” He automatically shakes her hand, not looking up from the chart in his hand.
Bryn catches my eye, her own big brown eyes wide and mouths, Holy shit!
I know! I respond.
“So, Stacy, I know we discussed yesterday that the headaches are most likely due to stress and not related to the minor gestational diabetes that you had in the latter part of your pregnancy.”
“Right.” I nod.
“And that may still very well be the case because your labs are perfectly normal in regards to your blood sugars.”
“Good.” I smile and drape my handbag over my shoulder, expecting to leave with the results of my test.
“However,” he continues, and I halt my movements, “you’re pregnant.”
“The fuck?” Brynna mutters and then breaks out into hysterical giggles.
Chapter Nine
I stare at Delicious for a few seconds, my mouth gaping, my eyes wide, and then Brynna’s giggles break through the fog surrounding my brain.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“You’re p
regnant.”
And just like that, just as the giggles were under control, Brynna lets loose again.
“Has she been drinking?” the doctor asks.
“No. This is just crazy. You might want to double-check those lab results, Doc. I’m not pregnant.”
“Uh, yeah, you are.”
I’m stunned. I blink at him.
“Only you, Stacy.” Brynna takes a deep breath and wipes a tear from her eye. “Only you would struggle through infertility treatments for three years, finally have a baby, and then get pregnant again right away without even trying.”
“I’ve seen it before,” Doc responds. “Sometimes a woman’s system sort of ‘resets’ itself after a pregnancy, and she’s able to get pregnant right way.”
Huh.
“When was your last menstrual cycle?” he asks.
“I don’t remember. Probably before I got pregnant with Sophie. I just thought my hormones hadn’t leveled out from the pregnancy yet.”
“So you probably got pregnant a couple of months ago.”
“Tahiti?” Brynna mutters.
Tahiti.
“Shit, I’ve had alcohol! I wasn’t breast-feeding, Soph, so I’ve had drinks here and there since Tahiti.”
“More than a few on a daily basis?” he asks.
“No, more like a few a month.”
“You’re fine.” He smiles reassuringly. “You know the drill. Call your OB and set up an ultrasound and consult.”
“So, everything else is okay?” I ask.
“Yep, you’re great. Best of luck to you.”
I stare at Brynna for a minute, my mouth opening and shutting like I’m a fish out of water.
“Lunch,” she says and takes my hand, pulling me out of the office. What is it with everyone pulling me all over the place lately?
“I have to take my groceries home and get Sophie.”
“We’ll take your groceries home, put away the perishables, and then go to lunch. Your mom is enjoying Sophie.”
“Okay.”
“Can you drive?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Because you’re trying to unlock your car with your lip gloss rather than your key fob.”
I look down at the lip gloss in my hand. “Shit.”