“I did.”
“Oh my god.” She hits my chest with the palms of her hands. “My mom is going to freak out that I didn’t tell her.”
“It will be okay,” I say. She raises a brow, and I shrug. “Maybe he hasn’t told her yet.”
“Maybe.” She nibbles her bottom lip, then looks at the clock. It’s already after nine.
After we left the yogurt shop, we made a couple of stops before we came back to my place. We stopped to get her some clothes, then we stopped at Tony’s so that she could tell Libby she was staying with me. When we got to the pizza parlor, we found Libby behind the counter, taking orders from customers and bossing a group of men around in the kitchen. Not that any of them noticed that they were being bossed around by her—they all seemed to love the attention. This seemed to annoy the shit out of Antonio, who was mostly glowering in Libby’s direction.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe he didn’t tell her,” she says, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I gather her close.
“He probably didn’t tell her. I think she would have called when she found out.”
I slide my hand up the back of her shirt, then around to her stomach. Feeling a small bump there, I take a step back and lift up her top to get a better look.
“When did this happen?”
“Two days ago. I woke up, and it was like that,” she says.
I lead her into the bedroom and take off her shirt before I lay her down on the bed to get a better look. To see if I’m imagining things.
“Holy shit,” I mutter, getting onto the bed.
She moves my hand so it’s resting on our growing child.
“I know.” She runs her fingers through my hair.
I look up at her, then place a kiss on her stomach. Her eyes get dark.
“Wesley.”
“Yeah?” I pull her pants down over her hips, then toss them to the floor behind me. This leaves her in a sheer bra and matching panties that barely cover anything. Removing her panties, I toss them to the floor and then open her legs. Sliding my fingers between the lips of her pussy, I place my mouth against hers as my fingers begin to slowly circle her clit. I slide them down over her entrance, and her hips begin to move with my hand. She’s so wet that my fingers slide over her with no resistance. “Did you miss me?” I slide two fingers deep inside her.
“Yes,” she whimpers. I begin to move my fingers faster, and her pussy gets tighter. I know she is going to come, but I miss her taste so I pull my fingers out of her.
“I’ll give them back to you in a second,” I say when she looks at me as I get off the bed and get undressed.
Her eyes lock on my cock, and I swear it grows under her gaze. “Do you want this?” I wrap my fist around it, pumping two times.
“Yes,” she whimpers again as I climb back on the bed and move between her legs.
After kissing her mouth, I move my way down her body. I kiss each of her nipples, licking, sucking, and biting them. The noises she’s making and her nails digging into my hair egg me on once I have given both breasts the same treatment. I kiss down her stomach, licking around her belly button before lowering myself and lifting one of her legs up and over my shoulder. I sit back so I can watch my fingers enter her in smooth strokes, then start fucking her harder with two fingers before lowering my face and licking right up her center, pulling her clit into my mouth.
The heel of her foot digs into my shoulder, and her pussy clamps down on my fingers right before her body goes completely limp. Kissing her clit one last time, I wipe my chin on her inner thigh. I kiss my way up her stomach and slide into her, resting my forehead against her collarbone as her pussy spasms.
“I’ve missed you so much.” She wraps her limbs around me, holding me close.
I drop my forehead to hers.
“Fuck, gorgeous, I’ve missed you, too. You feel so good,” I tell her, raising my head above hers. “So fucking good.”
I move slowly, our bodies sliding against each other easily. Her legs lift and wrap tight around my ass, pulling me deeper. So deep that I bump her cervix.
“Oh god,” she cries as her nails dig into my back.
“I feel it, gorgeous. Fuck, you are squeezing me so tight. Fuck!” I growl, planting myself balls-deep inside her as her orgasm pulls me over the edge. She sucks every last drop of cum from me. Rolling to my back with her in my arms and my cock still buried inside her, I pull the covers up from the bottom of the bed and toss them over us.
Listening to her breathing even out while my hand runs over her hair, I eventually follow her off to sleep.
MAC
A pounding noise coming from somewhere wakes me. I squint one eye open, then the other. “What is that?” I ask Wesley.
He sits up, turning on the side lamp and casting the room in soft light.
“Someone is at the front door.” He gets out of bed and puts on a pair of sweats, looking ready to murder whoever it is.
“What time is it?” I ask, unable to see the clock from my side of the bed.
“Six thirty.” He picks up a baseball bat from beside the bed on his way out of the room.
“Six thirty?” I repeat, shaking my head.
“You got my daughter pregnant!”
I shoot out of bed when I hear my mom’s voice shrieking.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about this! I can’t believe I had to find out from Mackenzie’s father that you two are expecting my first grandchild!” she continues loudly as I stumble around.
Rummaging across the floor, I search for something to wear. Finding a pair of Wesley’s sweats and one of his long-sleeve shirts, I put both on quickly, then rush out into the living room.
Mom is standing there, looking like a madwoman. She has curlers in her hair, oversize glasses on the end of her nose, and she’s wearing a pink, fluffy bathrobe that has seen better days—those days being when my sisters and I bought it for her, when we were little.
“Mom, what the hell?” I blurt.
She looks at me. “You didn’t think to tell me that you’re pregnant with my grandchild?” She crosses her arms over her chest and hitches out one hip. She starts tapping her foot.
“We were waiting to tell everyone,” I say, feeling like I did when I was a kid and she would get mad at me for misbehaving.
“Wesley told your dad.” She points accusingly at Wesley, who is standing shirtless in the kitchen drinking a glass of water like he doesn’t have a care in the world, like this situation is normal and happens every day. “That is not you waiting to tell everyone.”
“I know.” I look at Wesley and narrow my eyes at him.
He shrugs as if to say, “What am I supposed to do?”
“This is all your fault,” I mouth.
He smiles back, mouthing, “Love you.”
“Where is Dad?” I ask Mom. I honestly expected him to follow her dramatic burst into the apartment.
“He’s in the car. He didn’t want to search for parking or double-park in case a cop drives by.” She waves off my question.
“You could have called. You didn’t have to come all the way into the city.”
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. Not that her coming into the city surprises me. I knew as soon as Wesley told me that he told my dad that it wouldn’t be long before my mom found out. I should have called her last night and told her the news myself. We could have avoided all this drama.
“And have you avoid my call? No way.” She shakes her head. “You and your sisters are going to be the death of me. First Fawn runs off and gets married on New Year’s in Vegas just to avoid planning a wedding. And now you don’t tell me that you’re pregnant, but your boyfriend tells your dad. And then Libby . . .”
“Libby?” I say, wondering what the hell Libby could have done.
“Yes, Libby bought a pizza restaurant. Did she tell me about it?” she asks, then shakes her head. “No, she told your dad and had him help her get the loan.”
I blink.
“Did you just say that Libby bought a pizza place?”
“I did.”
“Oh my god. She didn’t tell me,” I whisper. I knew that she had been working at Tony’s a lot lately, but I had no idea she was going to buy it. She never even mentioned it being for sale.
“Well, how does it feel?” Mom asks like a little kid saying neener, neener, neener.
I shake my head at her. It doesn’t feel good, but it’s not the same thing. Libby is my sister, not my mom. Then again, Libby did tell me that she was going to stop sharing things in her life because Fawn and I had been closed off about what was going on in our lives. We kinda deserved this, but that doesn’t change the fact that I will kick her ass for not telling me.
“Mom . . . ,” I say.
She looks at me.
“Wesley and I are pregnant. Right now, your grandchild is about nine weeks old and doing awesome,” I say.
She covers her mouth, and tears fill her eyes.
“Oh, Mom.” I go to her and wrap my arms around her shoulders. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t plan on telling anyone yet. They say you should wait until you are twelve weeks along,” I say.
Wesley makes a noise, so I look at him. “What?”
“Nothing.”
I know he’s lying—I can tell by the look in his eyes.
“What did you do?” I ask in a huff.
“I told my mom and Levi,” he admits, looking sheepish.
“What?” I can’t believe that he’s already been telling people.
“I didn’t know that we were supposed to wait until twelve weeks. In my defense, you never told me that,” he says. I close my eyes and lean my head back to look at the ceiling.
“You know what? Whatever. It doesn’t matter.” I rest my head on my mom’s shoulder and ask, “Are you happy, Mom?”
Forcing me away from her, she looks me in my eyes. “All I have ever wanted for you girls is happiness. Seeing you each get that in your own ways makes me more than happy,” she says softly.
Now it’s time for my eyes to fill with tears.
“I’m so happy for you. I’m so happy that you found your own happiness.”
“Thank you, Mom.” I wipe my eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, honey.” She kisses her fingers and places them against my lips.
“Even though you are crazy, you are the best mom a girl could ever ask for.” I pull her in for one more hug before letting her go. “Now go home before traffic backs up and people going to work are stuck looking at your crazy morning getup.”
“I was in a rush to get here.” She pats her head, and I laugh.
“I can tell,” I say.
She smacks my shoulder. “Love you,” she murmurs. She looks at Wesley. “Come give me a hug,” she commands him.
He comes across the room and wraps her in his arms. She gives a thumbs-up in my direction. Hugging Wesley shirtless is definitely worth a thumbs-up, so I get it. “All right.” She looks between us after she lets him go. “I expect you two over for breakfast or dinner when you both have a day off.”
“We’ll set up a time soon.” I open the door for her. “Tell Dad I love him.”
She waves over her shoulder as she heads up the stairs. Watching her go, I shake my head. I’m sure a few people saw her on the sidewalk this morning, and I have no doubt that they all thought she was a crazy person.
“I like your mom,” Wesley says, wrapping his arms around me and leading me back into the bedroom.
“Do you?” I ask as he pulls his shirt off over my head.
“I do.”
He strips off my pants and his own, then helps me into the bed.
“Did you tell anyone else about the baby?” I ask.
His finger on my hip stops moving.
“I did,” he says.
I wait for a list of names, but he doesn’t continue.
“Who else did you tell?”
“Just a few guys from work.” He kisses the top of my head before settling me impossibly closer.
“You’re happy,” I whisper, realizing that he keeps telling everyone because he’s excited about becoming a dad.
“I’m so happy.” He tips my head back with two fingers under my chin so he can kiss me once more.
“I’m happy you’re happy.”
Kissing his pecs, I close my eyes and say a silent thank-you to whoever it is watching over us and our happily ever after.
Epilogue
MAC
“No.” I pull another pair of shorts out of my drawer and toss them behind me. “No, no, no.” I toss item after item behind me and let out a frustrated breath. None of my stuff fits anymore. In the last seven and a half months, I have gained just about fifty pounds, most of it in the last few weeks. Holding my hands against my naked stomach, I look down at my huge bump.
“Kid, you’re lucky I love you.” My stomach moves like our son knows what I’m saying, and I laugh. I don’t know if I will ever get used to him moving around—it’s the weirdest and most magical feeling I have ever experienced in my life.
“Are you about ready?” Wesley asks. I lift my head just as he walks into the bedroom. “I guess not.”
He smiles, his eyes raking over my breasts and stomach.
“I can’t find anything to wear.”
“What about those shorts you wore the other day?”
I look at the pile behind me, then back at him.
“I can’t. They don’t fit anymore. Nothing fits me anymore.” I take a seat on the side of the bed, completely drained from trying on clothes for the last thirty minutes. “My bras don’t even fit.” I lie back and rest my hands over my full, achy breasts.
“Do you want to go shopping?”
“When have I ever wanted to go shopping?” I ask.
He laughs as he lies down next to me. Taking my hand, he lifts it to his mouth and kisses my fingers, making my stomach melt.
“We could just stay home,” he suggests, sucking my ring finger into his mouth.
I laugh and tug my hand from his grasp.
“We can’t miss the Fourth of July at my parents’ house. I’ll just go see if I can’t find a dress or something,” I say. I yawn, covering my mouth.
His eyes fill with concern.
“I’ll go get you something to wear.”
“You’ll go?” I repeat.
He shrugs, turning to his side to face me. “Yeah, I’ll go. That way you can take a nap. I know you were up most of the night.”
“That’s because your son sleeps most of the day and is up all night using my bladder as a soccer goal.”
“I know.” He wraps his hand around my stomach. “I keep telling him to let you rest, but he doesn’t seem to be listening.”
“He’s stubborn,” I agree, placing my hand over his on my stomach.
“I wonder where he gets that from.” He smiles, and I narrow my eyes on his.
“Shouldn’t you be on your way?” I snap.
Chuckling, he kisses my nose. “Do you have any requests?”
“Requests?”
“Do you know what you would like me to get for you?”
“Something big.” I look down at my stomach and revise. “Really big.”
“You’re not big, gorgeous. You’re pregnant with our son.”
“Yeah, your son who is already nine pounds.” I remind him of the news the doctor delivered two days ago at our last appointment. “Our boy is now the size of a bowling ball, and we still have about five weeks until his due date.”
“His dad is a big guy.” He winks, and I roll my eyes.
“So arrogant.”
“You love me.”
“Yeah,” I agree softly as he glides his fingers across my forehead and down behind my ear. “How did I get so lucky?”
“I ask myself that same question every day.” He rolls me to my back and looms over me. Looking up into his love-filled eyes, I feel tears sting my nose. I don’t know
that I will ever get used to him loving me the way he does. So completely. “Don’t cry.” He laughs, wiping away the tears.
I cover my face. Since becoming pregnant, I cry all the time about the dumbest stuff, which is so annoying.
“I’m not crying,” I sniffle.
I hear him laugh.
“I’m not . . . ,” I gripe.
“Good.” He pulls my hands from my face, kisses me once more, then sits back. “Let me go so I can get back here.”
“I’m not holding you hostage.” I sit up and scoot back to rest against the headboard.
“You’re mostly naked.”
“And?”
“And it’s distracting.” He circles my nipple with his thumb, and my eyes slide closed. “Gorgeous, I need to leave.”
My eyes fly open, and I find him smiling at me. “So go, then.” I cover my chest, and he laughs.
“Do you love me?”
“No,” I tease.
His grin widens.
“Whatever.” I push at his chest. “Hurry and come back.”
“I won’t take long.” He kisses my forehead, then my lips before he pushes up out of bed.
Watching him as he leaves the room, I smile. Then I reach down, pull a quilt up over myself, and lie down.
“Hey, gorgeous.” I blink my eyes open and find Wesley sitting on the side of the bed. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for about ten minutes now,” he says, studying me.
I sit up, then scoot back in the bed. “Really?” I rub my eyes.
“You’re tired.” He rests his hand on my stomach. “Are you sure you want to go out to your parents’ house?”
“I’m sure. Besides, I can sleep in the car on the way there, or take a nap there if I need to,” I say.
I can see in his eyes that he doesn’t like the idea.
Tipping my head to the side, I rest my hand over his. “I’m okay.”
“I know you’re exhausted.”
“I know, but that’s because I’ve been growing a human,” I joke, but Wesley doesn’t laugh.
He takes his job of taking care of me very seriously. Getting up on my knees, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek.
“I’m fine,” I say.
He turns to look at me, then slides his hand up my back and into my hair. Pulling my mouth down to his, he touches his lips to mine.