Chaste

  He looked at her with wonder in his eyes. “You put your boobs in this?”

  She laughed. “Yeah.”

  “It looks like a ray gun. Doesn’t that hurt?”

  She took the pump from him and replaced it on the rack. “Maybe. Birth hurts. Let’s not think about that. What do you think about this outfit?” She held up the pink dress.

  Kelly’s face looked a little green. “Jesus, Ashlynn, we’re gonna have a baby and you’re gonna give birth.”

  “We don’t know that yet.” She didn’t want to get ahead of herself.

  He shook his head slowly, eyes unblinking, mouth quirked in a strange half smile. “No. It’s gonna happen. He or she is in there right now, settin’ up shop for the next nine months. Your body’s gonna swell and bloom. Your boobs are gonna get huge and then there’s going to be a little combination of you and me running around.”

  She tried not to, but she couldn’t help her smile. It all sounded lovely. “Kelly, we have to wait another nine days before we know anything.”

  His face split with the most beautiful grin. “Oh, it’s happening. I can feel it.” Then he threw out his arms and shouted. “We’re gonna have a baby!”

  Her mouth gaped as customers stopped and stared at the crazy man standing by the breast pumps. She tried to calm him down, but he scooped her up and kissed her soundly. When her feet again touched the ground she was dizzy.

  Kelly stared into her eyes. His smile was priceless. He whispered, “This is it, Ash. We’re going to have a family.”

  When they made it to Finn and Mallory’s, Ashlynn was a nervous wreck again. She was so afraid Kelly was going to announce to the family that they were having a child when nothing was certain yet. She’d begged him on the ride over not to say anything, but he just kept grinning saying he was sure she was pregnant.

  Mallory had a full house of crazy McCulloughs. It took Ashlynn a good twenty minutes to get her hands on Gianna. She was beautiful. Sharp blue eyes and Mallory’s light brown hair, she was perfect, like all newborns were.

  She sat in the den, using one of those boppy things to hold her niece. Mallory slipped into the seat beside her. “She’s so perfect, Mallory.”

  “Isn’t she?” Her friend sighed with contentment.

  Ashlynn nudged her with her shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fat, but I’ll get over it. Don’t tell Finn I said that. He’s already on me about criticizing myself.”

  “Well, I think you look great.” She did, glowing actually.

  Mallory looked toward the kitchen where the rest of the family was. She leaned in and whispered, “How are you making out?”

  Ashlynn met her gaze and whispered, “They inserted the embryo this morning.”

  Mallory squeaked and Ashlynn shot her a look begging her to be quiet. “You could be pregnant,” she whispered.

  Ashlynn’s mouth contained a tight smile that wanted to burst over her lips. “I know.”

  “When will you find out for sure?”

  “Nine days.”

  “Was it painful?”

  “Not really. I’d do it a hundred times over if it gave us one of these,” she said, gesturing with her chin to the bundle of perfection in her arms.

  “You have to call me the minute you find out.”

  “I will, but nothing’s certain.”

  Mallory patted her leg. “I think it’ll work.”

  “I hope so.”

  That evening when they returned home, Kelly was acting strange. “What are you thinking about?” she asked as he continued to stare at the ceiling.

  “Do you want to make the big room or the little room the nursery?”

  “Kelly. You can’t start planning that stuff until we know.”

  “I need to keep my mind off your body. We’ve had so much sex in the past year it’s hard not to touch you right now.”

  The doctor didn’t say anything about no sex, but she was sort of thinking along the same lines. She didn’t want to disrupt anything happening down there. “I think we should use the big room.”

  He turned and grinned at her. That was the first committed comment she’d made regarding her possible pregnancy. “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?”

  She should have never opened her mouth. “Kelly,” she growled.

  He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck. “Oh, come on. We can talk about it.”

  “I don’t want to. I don’t want to jinx it.”

  “Please. I love talking about this with you. It’s our family.”

  Oh, those words… Such sweet hope fluttered inside of her it took her breath away. She pursed her lips then mumbled. “I think it’s a boy.”

  “You do? I was thinking girl, but a boy’s great too. Less stressful.”

  She laughed. “Who says?”

  “Um, me. As a revered member of the male species, I can positively say a boy is less stress.”

  “I think your mother would beg to differ.”

  “Ah, but you haven’t talked to all the fathers who warned their daughters away from me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You deserve to have a daughter. Let you feel what you put all those men through, worrying about their little girls running off with some reprobate.”

  “Nah, if we have a daughter she’ll be as chaste as her mum.”

  It was bizarre to think a little human being could be there in nine months and in just a few years they could be raising a person who could either be like him or her. She would be giving someone the one thing she never really had. Something that was priceless and coveted…a mother.

  She thought about all the trouble Kelly used to get into. As insane as her mother-in- law was, it took a spectacular woman to raise a man like Kelly. She didn’t know if she had that sort of stamina. Maybe he was right. Maybe their child would be more like her. “God, I hope you’re right.”

  But deep down, she hoped—if they were blessed enough to have a child—that he or she would be as giving, charismatic and brave as Kelly. For all her fears of motherhood, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Kelly would be an extraordinary dad.

  * * * *

  Nine days had never taken so long. Kelly anxiously waited with Ashlynn for the doctor to call. They’d gone for her test that morning and she still wore a taped piece of cotton on her arm where they’d drawn her blood.

  All of their excitement over the past few days seemed to fade in the face of pending reality. What if it didn’t work? It would take years for them to afford to repeat the procedure. He didn’t know if he could go through this again, the waiting, wanting, the disappointment.

  They had been quiet since returning home several hours ago. The TV was on, but neither of them was really watching it. When he made some popcorn, neither of them took more than a nibble.

  How much longer were they supposed to wait? They’d waited over a year, then thirty-six hours for the hormones to work, then four days for the embryo to form, then nine excruciating days to see if the pregnancy took. Now they were waiting for results and Kelly was all out of patience.

  The phone rang and they both jumped. “It’s the doctor,” Ashlynn said, looking at the screen and then back at him.

  He nodded and she put the phone to her ear.

  “Hello?... Hi… Yes, this is Ashlynn.”

  She stood and Kelly watched her pace to the window. His gaze glued to her face.

  “Okay.” Her voice was tight. Raspy.

  She nodded and turned to the face the wall. He couldn’t tell anything from her voice and now he couldn’t see her expression.

  Oh, God, it didn’t work.

  “Thank you.” Her shoulders fell and she dropped the phone. It crashed to the carpet and his throat choked on built up emotion. No.

  Fuck! Fuck everything! This is so God damn unfair! No! We had an embryo. It worked. It was there, in the dish. Why? Why didn’t they deserve this like everyone else? Your wife is crying. Say something, you worthless prick!

  His v
ision blurred. He needed to be strong for her. “Ash…”

  She sniffled and slowly turned. Tracks of tears marked her flushed face. He couldn’t bear to see her cry. “I’m pregnant.”

  “I know, but we can always—” His words cut off. “What?”

  She laughed and wiped her nose. “It worked. I’m pregnant.”

  The world stilled. Clocks stopped ticking. Everything froze. Pregnant.

  Hug her, you tit!

  He jumped off the couch and grabbed her, hugging her with excruciating care and tenderness as he fought the urge to throw her in the air.

  You’re gonna be a father!

  His mouth found hers and they laughed through many wet kisses.

  When he pulled away cool tears coated his cheeks. His trembling hand went to her belly, reverent, his touch full of unfiltered love. “We did it?”

  She nodded. Her hand covered his. “Yes. We did it.”

  With that he kissed her again, fully, unguarded, his beautiful wife who was having his baby. His mind flashed back over the past several years and he couldn’t remember a time that meant so much. It all accumulated into one immeasurable moment catalogued by several.

  The day he asked her for a pencil. The day her truck broke down. The first time he kissed her in the back of her shop. The night of the dance when he held her in his arms and knew no other woman would ever feel as right there. The night he asked her to be his wife. How awful it felt when her father said he wasn’t good enough. The way she looked on their wedding day. The way she looked as he made love to her that first time. He felt like he’d been chasing her forever and he’d finally crossed the finish line.

  Their lips pulled apart and he looked into her soft brown eyes. “I love you, Ashlynn. I love you more than any man should love a woman. You’re my best friend and you’re going to be an incredible mom.”

  She hugged him. He didn’t need any words. All he needed was her, her and their baby. A family.

  Epilogue

  May

  “Jesus, what died?” Finn said, waving his hand over his face as he entered the den of the big house.

  “It’s terrible,” Luke shrieked into a pillow.

  “Mum farted!” Colin said, a look of horror on his face.

  Kelly gagged as his mum’s face showed wounded fury. “The lot of you fart all the time! Do you know how much shit I’ve had to tend to from you pigs? Why is it funny when you do it, but when I do it it’s shocking and suddenly disgusting?”

  “It’s only funny when you hear them, Mum,” Kelly said. “When you smell them without a sound it’s bad. Especially from your mother.”

  “Mums shouldn’t fart!” Luke yelled, his voice oddly high pitched.

  Their mother stood and raised her chin. “Like I should bear the pain for you bastards! You can make your own damn dinner.” She stormed into the kitchen.

  “You’ve done it now,” their father said. “Never anger a woman who’s been cooking for you all day.”

  “Mum, we’re just kidding!” Finn yelled. “We need food!”

  Their father mumbled something about them being a bunch of insensitive dumb asses as he changed the channel on the television.

  “When’s Bray getting here?” Luke asked.

  “Why? He can’t cook,” Finn said.

  They pouted and stared at the television for several minutes. Kelly’s eyes lit up as he saw Ashlynn waddle into the den, a steaming bowl of cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream in her hands. “Come sit next to me, love.”

  “Not a chance,” she said, holding the spoon in her mouth as she adjusted the pillows next to Finn. Her round belly filled out the front of her overalls as she lowered herself to the couch.

  “How come you get food?” Finn whined, eye fucking her cobbler.

  “Because I’m nice,” Ashlynn said, smiling serenely as she spooned a big heap of his mum’s dessert in her mouth.

  Kelly frowned. “She farts too.”

  His wife stilled and scowled at him. “Kelly McCullough, I do not!”

  “Whatever. I want some cobbler.”

  “You always want cobbler,” she mumbled, making no move to share.

  Finn watched her eat like he was watching a strip tease. “Stop eyeballing my wife,” Kelly grumbled.

  Frank left the room and returned a minute later with his own bowl.

  “Damn it. This is ridiculous,” Luke grumbled as he left and went to the kitchen.

  A minute later there was a loud crash and his mother shouted, “Get yer bloody hands off my desserts, ya’ little shit!”

  Luke came jogging back into the den licking his fingers. “Dad, she’s gone rabid. Do something.”

  “Not my fault,” his father said as he hummed over his ice cream. The smell made Kelly’s mouth water.

  Finn spoke softly into the phone. “Hey, Philly. Nothing. Just called to say I love you. Hey, do you think you could stop at the store and pick up some pie or—damn it.”

  “Hang up on you?” Colin asked.

  Finn sighed and put his phone back in his pocket. “Yeah, she’s still trying to get back to her pre-baby weight. I’ve been living off shitty yogurt and tree leaves for the past month. I need real food!”

  “Pull it together, Finnegan!” Kelly snapped. “You need a little finesse when dealing with the lassies. I’ll show you how it’s done.” He strode into the kitchen and gave Ashlynn a pointed look along the way. She chuckled and went on enjoying her dessert.

  “Mum?”

  “What do you want, Kelly?”

  He approached the stove and glanced at the roast she was cutting. Saliva filled his mouth and he swallowed. It was just mean to deny them and then give his dad and wife dessert first. “I’m sorry we picked on you. You can fart whenever you like. They smell like roses anyway.”

  She glared at him and went on carving the roast. “You know we love you, Mum. Please feed us.”

  “You love my food,” she mumbled. “Like a pack of animals, you come in here sniffin’ around my kitchen, but the minute you sniff something you don’t like Oh! It’s a big laugh then. Go on. Get out of here.”

  He pressed his cheek on her shoulder and she sighed. “May I please have some cobbler, Mum?”

  She shifted her shoulder and stepped away. “Pain in the arse. Get yer damn dessert and go.”

  Kelly marched back in the den like a proud peacock, cobbler in hand.

  “This is bullshit!” Finn snapped, striding into the kitchen like a man on a mission. “Ouch!” He returned to the den cradling his empty hands. “She hit me with the spoon.”

  Luke laughed. Colin stood and gave it a go. A few minutes later he returned with a bowl of cobbler.

  “The crazy wench has favorites!” Luke said, outraged.

  Kelly stretched out his legs and moaned over a large bite, the warm mixture of peach and buttered crumble melted in his mouth.

  Luke scowled. His arm shot out and he snatched the bowl from him. “Hey!”

  Grinning with a look of pure intimidation, Luke said, “Go ahead, take it back. I dare ya.”

  “Kelly.”

  “I ought to kick you in the nuts, brute,” he mumbled, knowing he didn’t stand a chance against Luke.

  “Kelly.”

  “Well, what did I do to her?” Finn whined.

  “Kelly.”

  “You were the meanest about the fart,” Colin commented, shutting his eyes in ecstasy as he bit into his cobbler.

  “Kelly!”

  He turned and saw Ashlynn frowning. “What, love?”

  “Something’s wrong.”

  “I know,” Finn said. “I wasn’t half as bad as Luke—”

  Kelly shot to his feet. “Shut up, Finn.” He went to Ashlynn. “What is it? Are you in pain?”

  She slid her half-eaten bowl on the table. Frank stood, as did the rest of them. Ashlynn suddenly gripped her stomach and doubled over, her voice crying out and cutting right to Kelly’s heart.

  There was a clatter of motion and c
urses.

  He dropped to his knees and gently gripped her shoulders. “Ashlynn! Ashlynn, look at me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “Call Dr. Marcel. Something’s happening.”

  He raced into the kitchen and grabbed the phone off the wall. “You’re not getting any more until after supper—Jesus, Kelly, what’s wrong?” His mother said, her features paling.

  “Something’s wrong with Ashlynn. I think it’s the baby. I don’t know the fucking doctor’s number!” He slammed the phone down in a fit of panic and his mother caught his arm.

  “Look at me, love!” she snapped, a fierce glint in her eyes. “Ashlynn’s a strong girl and everything will be fine. You need to be strong for her. Women have babies every day.”

  “It’s too early to have the baby!”

  “Breathe, Kelly. Give me your phone. The number’s in there. I’ll call and you go tend to your wife. Maybe drive her to the hospital.”

  Right. He had the number in his cell. “It’s Dr. Marcel.” He handed the phone to his mum and darted back into the living room. Finn was holding Ashlynn’s shoulders as Colin spoke softly to her. Luke caught his arm in the hall and jerked him to a stop. He glared at his brother. “Let go!”

  “Kelly!” He snapped. “They’ve got her. Colin says she’s in labor. You need to calm down. Give me the keys to your truck and I’ll drive you to the hospital.” He handed his brother the keys and ran into the den, skidding onto his knees at her feet.

  “Ashlynn, are you all right?”

  Her face contorted with pain as a contraction hit. “It’s too early,” she moaned.

  His mother and father crowded in. In a calm voice, his mother said, “Ashlynn love, go ahead and try to stand. Kelly, give her a hand. The doctor’s going to meet us at the hospital.”

  Ashlynn’s glassy brown eyes met his. He was breathing hard. This couldn’t be it. It was too soon. He saw the fear in her eyes and galvanized his expression. He was her husband and he had to be strong. “Give me your hand, love.”

  The weight of her palm settled in his and she let out a sharp cry. Her head came down and her grip tightened, nearly crushing his fingers. Wasting no more time, he scooped her in his arms and stood. “Get the door!”