Broken Dreams

  I placed my hand on my hip and looked at him. “Why?”

  He put his hand behind his neck and began rubbing it while twisting his head like crazy. “Courtney, what happened in the club was hot—very, very hot. But something like that will never happen again. Baby, what’s gotten into you? Please tell me this is just some crazy thing because you’re pregnant, and you’re not thinking straight.”

  I dropped my hand and leaned against the car. I stood there for a few moments before looking at Reed, horror filling my eyes. I slowly put my hand up to my mouth and said, “Oh my God. What were we thinking? We’re gonna be parents!”

  Reed closed his eyes and whispered, “Thank you, God. She’s coming back to me.”

  I tried not to giggle. “We should have at least gone into the restroom and done it in a stall.”

  Reed snapped his eyes open and gave me a shocked look. “What?”

  I started laughing uncontrollably.

  “What is so damn funny?” he asked.

  “You! I wish you could have seen your face just now.” I pushed off the car, walked up to him, and placed my hand on his chest. “Okay, I’ll admit that I got a little crazy with the whole thing. I’m a bit…competitive.”

  Reed smiled and pushed a piece of my hair behind my ear. “A bit?”

  I let out a giggle. “Okay…a lot. I had no intentions of having sex in the rental car. I just wanted to see your face…and Whitley’s.”

  Slowly shaking his head, Reed pulled me closer to him and placed his finger under my chin, slowly pulling it up until our eyes locked with each other. “I love you so much. Do you know that?”

  “I think you should show me.”

  He leaned down and took my lower lip in between his teeth, and then he sucked on it as I let out a moan. He let it go and began kissing me so sweetly. When his hand moved around my back and pulled me in closer, I wanted to fall apart in his arms. Being in Reed’s embrace, feeling his love pour into my body, was the most wonderful place in the world.

  He pulled back and whispered, “I’m ready to take you home to Texas. I have a wedding gift for you.”

  I wiggled my eyebrows up and down, and then I made a sad face. “I didn’t get you anything.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “I think we can find something I’d like for a present.”

  Layton and Whitley came walking out of the restaurant, laughing.

  “I knew you were totally bluffing, bitch!” Whitley said as she walked up and pushed me gently. “I’m exhausted and still need to pack for the flight home.”

  After we packed up our suitcases and got everything ready for the flight home tomorrow, I was exhausted.

  “We still need to let your parents and my mom know we are expecting,” Reed whispered in my ear as we lay in bed.

  We were both too exhausted to even think of having sex.

  I pulled the pillow over my head and let out a cry. “No! I don’t want to. Can I just text her?”

  Reed snorted and said, “No. If we have to tell my mom in person, you have to tell your mom over the phone at least.”

  I pushed the pillow off and grabbed my cell phone from the side table. “Fine, but when the shit hits the fan, you’re going down with me.”

  He shook his head and let out a small laugh. I hit my mother’s number and held my breath.

  “Well, it’s about time. I never did get that pregnancy test picture, my dear. What about pictures? Do we at least get to see what you were dressed in?”

  I rolled my eyes and let out the breath I had been holding. “Yes, Mom. I’ll send pictures when I get back. The ceremony was beautiful. Daddy’s friends did an amazing job.”

  “Oh, I’m so happy to hear that, honey.”

  I could almost hear the smile in her voice.

  “Courtney, you know your father and I are so very happy for you. If this is truly how you wanted to get married, then you know we stand behind you one hundred percent.”

  I smiled as I looked at Reed. He must have heard her because he smiled and winked at me.

  “Thank you, Mom. It really is. I know this seems fast and all, butI’ve been in love with Reed for so long, and we both fought our feelings, and…well…you know how you’ve always told me when you know something is right to follow your heart. I just followed your advice, Mom.”

  I heard her sniffling, and that caused me to choke back a sob. I placed my hand on my stomach and got ready to drop the bomb.

  “About those pictures…”

  She let out a giggle. “Oh, Courtney. I wasn’t being serious, sweetheart. Okay, well, a part of me was, but I believe you when you say you’re not pregnant.”

  I let out a fake laugh. “Well, about that. You see, when I took the test, I was planning on having Whitley take one also. I was going to mess around with you and all.”

  My mother let out a gasp. “Courtney Marie…that is not funny.”

  I nodded my head even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “Yeah, I know, but the joke was on me, Mom. When I took the test, I had to take seven more.”

  “What?” my mother asked, confused.

  “Yep. The first test showed two lines, and—”

  My mother screamed loudly. “Steve! Oh my God, Steve! Get down here!”

  All right then…clearly, my mother knows that two lines mean pregnant.

  I pulled the phone away from my ear and hit Speaker. “Mom, please stop screaming in my ear.”

  “Hush now, Courtney! Steeeve!”

  I rolled my eyes as Reed began laughing.

  “Is that Reed I hear?” my mother asked.

  “Yes. I had to put your ass on speakerphone, so you don’t break my eardrum.”

  “What in the hell, woman? Why are you screaming about Marie?” my father said.

  I looked at Reed and whispered, “She put me on speakerphone!”

  “Steve, it’s Courtney,” my mother said in an excited voice.

  “How was the wedding, princess? Did that little fucker do you right?” my father said. My mother must have hit him. “What? He stole my baby girl, my second-born. He is a little fucker.”

  “Dad, I have it on speakerphone, and the little fucker is sitting right here.”

  Reed sat up and said, “Hello, Mr. Will, sir.”

  My father cleared his voice and said, “You’ll know how I feel some day, son, when some little fucker—oh, I mean, when another man takes your daughter’s heart.”

  I laughed as Reed’s expression turned to one of horror.

  “Um…yes, sir, I’m sure I will.”

  “He’s a polite boy. Keeps calling me sir. I like that.”

  I shook my head and said, “Daddy, please.”

  “Steve! Oh my God, Steve!” my mother started again with the yelling.

  “Ten Hail Marys and twelve Our Fathers, woman. Settle the hell down.”

  I covered the phone. “Catholic, remember?” I whispered as Reed’s look of terror turned to one of pure confusion. “My father has always said that. No one really knows why, but just go with it.”

  “She’s pregnant!” my mom finally spit out.

  Then, came the silence. Reed began sliding back down in the bed, and I started to join him. We pulled the covers over us, thinking it would protect us in some way.

  Then, I heard my father choke back a sob. “Court? Baby girl…you’re…you’re…”

  I instantly felt the tears building. “Daddy…I’m gonna have a baby.”

  The sound of my father crying over the phone instantly made me cry. Reed immediately pulled me into his arms and began running his fingers through my hair.

  “I found out yesterday when I was going to send Mom a picture of the test, and…” I couldn’t talk. I buried my face into Reed and cried.

  Reed whispered, “Please tell me those are happy tears.”

  I shot my head up and looked into his tear-filled eyes. “Yes,” I whispered back.

  “Um…please remember your mother and father are listening to everyt
hing right now. I really don’t want to hate this boy before I even meet him,” my father said as he cleared his throat a few times.

  Reed and I both laughed. I took the phone off speaker and talked to my father and then my mother for a few minutes. By the time I got off the phone, I was emotionally exhausted. I snuggled into Reed’s side as he lightly brushed his fingers up and down my side.

  As I began to drift off into sleep, I kept seeing a figure standing in a corner, but it was dark, and I couldn’t make it out. I strained to see who it was, but finally, exhaustion took over.

  I sat at Whitley’s kitchen table, sipping a cup of tea, as I listened to Mimi go on and on about the latest book she’d read that I had suggested.

  “How could you, Courtney? I’ve never cried so hard in my life.”

  I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. “It was a good book.”

  Mimi turned and looked at Whit. “What did you call it, Whitley? What kind of crying did you do when you read it?”

  Whitley let out a giggle. “I ugly cried.”

  “Yes! I ugly cried,” Mimi said as she pointed at me and shook her finger around like she was drawing a circle in the air.

  I laughed and sat back. “Did you read the other book, From Ashes? I promise you won’t ugly cry with her second book.”

  Mimi took a deep breath and looked away. I sat up and smiled.

  “You did read it, didn’t you? So, tell me, Mimi, did Gage get you hot and bothered? I know how you love those Texas boys.”

  Whitley started laughing as Mimi jumped up, walked over, and poured herself another cup of coffee.

  “I have no comment for you, missy. Besides, I don’t kiss and tell. Never have, never will.”

  I took a sip of my tea. “Mimi, have I ever showed you the website for Lelo?”

  Whitley dropped a plate, causing it to break, sending broken pieces of glass everywhere. She looked at me with a shocked expression on her face.

  “Oh, dear! Whitley, darling, are you okay?” Mimi said as she quickly bent down and began picking up pieces of the plate.

  I stood up, and Whit mouthed, No, to me.

  I smiled and winked at her as I bent down and helped Mimi. As we picked up the broken pieces of the plate, Reed and Layton came walking in. I glanced over at them and about fell over.

  Oh damn.

  They were both covered in sweat with their T-shirts stuck to their bodies while they were both laughing. Reed’s laughter moved through my whole body and caused me to shudder as I attempted to tame the clenching feeling between my legs. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him.

  The next thing I felt was Mimi placing her finger on my chin and saying, “Let me shut your mouth for you, dear.”

  Reed looked down and jerked his head back. “Why are y’all on the floor?”

  Mimi laughed and said, “Whitley here dropped a plate. Now, Courtney, what is this Lelo website you were talking about?”

  Reed and Layton both stopped and looked at me. Layton grabbed on to the counter to steady himself as he gave me a serious what-the-hell look. I slowly moved my eyes back over to Reed and took in every square inch of him.

  “Um…Mimi, now might not be such a good time to discuss that.”

  Whitley pushed me, causing me to lose my balance, and I landed on my ass.

  Reed bent down and tugged on my ponytail. “Talking book boyfriends again, are we, angel?”

  “I, um…I was just…”

  We’d been back for two weeks now, and every time he looked at me like that, I thought I would come on the spot. I had asked Whitley if she found herself hornier while being pregnant.

  She’d shrugged her shoulders and said, I don’t think so.

  Bitch. She was just horny, no matter what.

  Me, on the other hand—I couldn’t keep my hands off my husband.

  “I…we were talking about—”

  “Books,” Mimi said as she got up and began making sweet tea for both Layton and Reed.

  I nodded my head and smiled. “Yep, books.”

  Reed reached for my hand and helped me up. “I’d give you a hug, babe, but I’m all sweaty.”

  I bit down on my lip and peered up at him through my lashes. Reed’s mouth opened just a little, and I knew he was having the same thoughts I was having.

  “I have something to show you at our house,” he whispered before he leaned down and kissed me.

  I moved my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. I was completely and utterly lost in his love until Layton cleared his throat. We pulled back a bit and smiled at each other.

  “We can finally go home?” I asked.

  Since we had been back home, Reed would not let me come back to the log cabin. We’d either stayed at my house, or we’d stayed with Layton and Whit.

  He tapped the tip of my nose and laughed. “Yep. I can finally carry you over the threshold.”

  I did a little jump and started to run out of the kitchen.

  “Court? Where in the hell are you going?” Reed asked.

  I stopped, turned around, and looked at him like he was crazy. He’d just told me we were heading home, so I was going to pack up to leave.

  “I’m packing up my stuff!”

  Reed laughed and shook his head. “Okay, we’ll have to hurry up. I don’t want it to get dark.”

  I glanced at the clock. It was five in the afternoon. “I’m pretty sure the sun doesn’t go down at six, babe.” I spun around and rushed upstairs. I was so ready to finally get settled and work on the room for the baby.

  I grabbed Reed’s duffel bag and began shoving his clothes in it. He wouldn’t mind. I still didn’t see how he could put his clothes in that thing. I was about to call for him to help me when he appeared in the doorway.

  “You in a hurry?”

  I nodded my head and walked up to him. If I could crawl into his body, I would. The only time I ever really felt completely safe and happy was when we were making love.

  “I just want to make love in our house…as a married couple…on every single surface,” I said as I raised my eyebrows up and down.

  “Every surface?” he asked in almost a whisper.

  “Every. Surface.”

  He grabbed both bags and started heading downstairs. I did a little hop and hugged myself. I loved when I was able to turn him on like that. As I followed him downstairs, he walked through the kitchen and right out the back door without so much as a good-bye. I stopped and looked around at everyone.

  “Okay…I guess we’re leaving,” I said with a giggle.

  I hugged Mimi and Whitley good-bye.

  “Call me later if you’re not too…busy,” Whitley whispered in my ear. “I remember when Layton and I came home from our honeymoon, and let me tell you, there are a lot of rooms in this house!”

  I pulled back and let out a chuckle. As I started to walk outside, Layton joined me. We walked out onto the back porch, and I glanced over and saw Reed putting the bags in his truck.

  “Hey, Court?”

  I spun around and looked at Layton. “Yeah?”

  “Thank you,” he said with a smile.

  I smiled back and asked, “For what?”

  “For making my best friend the happiest I’ve ever seen him in my life.”

  I felt the tears building in my eyes. “I should say the same thing to you.”

  He let out a small laugh. “You have—after you threatened to cut off my balls if I ever hurt her in any way.”

  I winked at Layton and said, “That still holds true.” I blew him a kiss good-bye and made my way over to the truck. I had never been so excited in my life.

  Okay, that’s a lie.

  I had felt more excited when Reed and I went to the doctor the other day. We’d had our first sonogram, and we’d seen our little peanut on the screen. I would never forget Reed’s reaction for as long as I live. The moment I’d seen the tear slide down his cheek, I’d fallen even more in love with him.

  I hopped in the truck, and Reed gave m
e that panty-melting crooked smile of his.

  “Ready, Mrs. Moore?”

  I nodded. “Ready, Mr. Moore!”

  “Reed? What are you so nervous about?” Courtney asked as she reached over and touched my knee.

  Instantly, the electricity shot through my body. I was tempted to ask Layton if he still felt like that with Whitley, but I wasn’t in the mood to have him call me a pussy.

  “I’m not nervous,” I said as I attempted to clear the frog in my throat.

  What if she doesn’t like it? What if she didn’t really mean it when she mentioned it that day? Shit! I should have asked her about this.

  I pulled over about two miles from the house.

  “What’s wrong? Why are you pulling over?” Court asked.

  I looked at her and smiled. I pointed to the glove box and said, “Baby, will you open that up?”

  She looked at me and smiled as she turned and opened the glove box.

  There was a silk scarf in there that I had bought in one of the boutiques in Tahoe.

  “Will you take out that scarf?”

  She pulled it out and looked at me. “Whose is this?”

  I could see the hurt in her eyes. Shit. She thinks it belongs to another girl. Thank God I kept the tag with the boutique’s name on it. “I bought it for you in Tahoe. I was going to wait to give it to you at Christmas, but…”

  She gave me that smile of hers that just melted my heart.

  There isn’t a damn thing I wouldn’t do for her.

  “May I see it?” I asked as I smiled at her.

  She slowly handed it to me as I unbuckled my seat belt and winked at her. “I need you to turn around, angel.”

  “Um…why?” she asked.

  “I need to blindfold you. There is something I want to surprise you with, and I don’t want you to see it.”

  She bit down on her lower lip and let out a giggle. I chuckled at how easy it was to make this girl giddy. She turned around, and I wrapped the scarf around her eyes, snugly tying it.

  “Can you see?”

  She shook her head. “Nope.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked as I ran my finger down the back of her exposed neck.

  She shuddered, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  I leaned over and put my lips up to her ear. “I’m thinking this might be something fun to try for later,” I whispered before pulling her earlobe with my teeth.