A Winter's Date (42 page)

I pull back and catch myself staring at her flat stomach. My hand moves of its own accord, and I lay my palm flat against her. I’m suddenly thrust back into my memories, memories of Heather lying unconscious in a hospital bed with my hand on her stomach. Touching, grasping at the missing baby that was ours, remembering how I wanted it more than anything, remembering how I wanted to believe that she wanted our child, that she’d want a piece of me inside her. A part of me growing inside her while she held onto it, took care of it, kept it alive for us. I wanted to believe that. I wanted to believe I could have that life.

I had imagined how she would look pregnant with my baby. I prayed that we could have that. And when she woke, and I had to tell her what we lost . . . it was the worst feeling in my life. Worse than finding out my entire life was a lie. Hell yes, it was worse than that, having to look my girl in the eye and tell her we lost what we made together. And now this same beautiful woman wants that with me. She wants a part of me in her. She’s willingly asking for it. I’m not being tricked, coerced, or begged. She wants what’s mine and wants to make it ours.

It’s not an accident we’re forced to think about . . . she’s already thought of it and has been planning it. My thumb rubs over a small spot below her navel.

I quickly imagine her stomach growing larger every day, watching her carry our baby with joy, instead of resentment and fear. I imagine kissing her there every night, every day. I imagine how much closer it will make us, going through it together. In that instant, I know my decision. I look up at her, my anxiety and pounding heart calmed.

“Yes. I want it too.”

Her eyes rim with tears, and she throws herself at me, holding onto me as if I’m her only lifeline. I move my arms around to her back and hold her fast.

“Are you sure?” She quickly moves back and runs her fingers into the back of my hair.

“Sweetheart, I want to be with you more than anything, and if this is what we both want, then I don’t see why not.”

My fucking heart is about to beat out of my chest when she smiles. She looks utterly happy, and I made that happen. Me. Nobody else. Her lips are on mine in an instant, and she’s plunging deep with her tongue. I’ve never felt her so worked up before.

I lie back and pull her down on top of me. “You need to stop taking the pill.”

She nods emphatically and I smirk: this little tornado of hormones has already thought of that.

“Now . . . let’s start now.”

Her desperate words break our heated kiss, and I feel her hands move under the waistband of my sweats. I open my eyes and look up at her. I can’t help but laugh at how anxious she is.

“Heather? I’m not sure I can. I’m working with some performance anxiety right now.”

She bites my lip and sits on top of my manhood. Hell, I can feel how warm her pussy is through her yoga pants.

I chuckle and hold onto her hips. “Baby, I appreciate you trying, but we’ve just decided on something major. He’s not going to come out and play right away.”

I sit up with her fully seated on my lap and move her hair off her shoulders, away from her neck.

She gives me the biggest pout she can manage.

“We should probably get you to a doctor to see when the best time for us to conceive would be.”

“But I already know,” she professes in a whine. I cock my eyebrow at her.

“Well, Miss Lane, it looks like you’ve been doing your homework. The professor is pleased.”

She crushes her lips to mine, and I smack her ass harder than I mean to.

“I thought your pussy was sore.”

She claws her little hands up under my shirt and up my chest. “It is . . . so sore,” she says as she rocks her hips to entice me. “But I want your baby.”

“And you’ll get it, but we have to get the pill out of your system first.”

“Gahhh,” she growls and falls back onto the bed, finally giving up on her advances. And thank God, my poor balls couldn’t take much more.

Who the fuck am I kidding? I can’t say no to that gorgeous ass.

I move her and climb on top of her, kissing down her neck. “You win.”

A week passes and Heather and I have made two trips to Long Island to see Henry about her foot. His prognosis remains the same, though. They spend an hour or two doing physical therapy while I watch or help Ellery in her garden. Heather and I have been going at it every night; I’m not complaining because I’m more than satisfied.

Heather is now sitting down at the end of the exam table in her gynecologist’s office. I’ve told her that I don’t need to be in here while she has the exam, but she’s insistent; part of me thinks that she’s worried something could be wrong, but why would something be wrong?

The doctor comes in and within a few minutes she’s inspecting Heather. I feel as if I shouldn’t be in here.

“All right, Miss Lane, we’re all done. Everything looks like it’s supposed to, and I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to conceive.”

“That’s great; could you give us an estimate as to when her birth control will be out of her system?”

Heather beams up at me as she removes her feet from the stirrups.

“Well, different studies have turned out different outcomes, but I’m going to give you an estimate of roughly three months. Now, that is just an estimate, so it could take longer, but it could also happen much sooner than that.”

I’m sitting at the head of the exam table and look down at her. She’s smiling up at me with her hands splayed out on her flat stomach.

“Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure. Miss Lane, please feel free to call me if you have any questions or concerns. The checkout desk will have my card for you.”

“Thank you, doctor,” she says politely and I help her sit up as the doctor leaves the room. She’s looking at me expectantly.

“Are you happy with that news, little ballerina?”

“I’m so nervous,” she says as she looks down at her stomach.

I exhale deeply and rub the back of my neck. “That makes two of us.”

A week passes by since we went to see Heather’s doctor and I’m in full study mode, with a side of research.

Damn, I need to call Dani. And Lana and Dillen.

I decide to put down my textbooks for today while Heather is pampering herself. She says she might be too sore for my lips to graze her skin, so I’m treating her to a full-day, all-inclusive day at the spa with Dillen and Lana. I think there’s still tension crackling between those two, but I believe Joel might have gotten through the tough front that Dillen puts up. Regardless, it’s not my business until they decide to make it mine.

Dillen has been staying at my apartment while Heather and I look for a house on the sound. And from what I’ve heard from Coen, I believe Lana might be interested in Heather’s apartment too.

I open my laptop and pull up Google where my search will begin. It takes me a good three hours to secure everything before I can even call Dani. I let out a deep breath as the phone rings twice before Dani is on the line with me.

“Hello?”

“Hey Dani, it’s Noah. Do you have a second to talk?”

She’s breathing heavily, and I can’t help but feel like I’ve interrupted some sort of cardio workout she was doing.

“Of course I do. How are you? Heather has been telling me about each visit you two have with the Somers. They sound like they adore you two.”

“Yeah, it’s been a learning curve, but I’ve enjoyed having them in my life. I cannot imagine what they’ve been through, though.”

“I know, but you’re all together now. I’d love to come out there and see them again.”

“Well, that’s kind of why I am calling. I’ve planned a road trip for Heather and myself, and I would like for you and Brannon to meet us there. I’m going to have Lana, Dillen, Coen, and Joel, if he can get out of work, meet us there too.”

“Oh sure, we’d love to come. Where, might I ask, are we going?”

“Well, I’ll set up the rooms and pay for them, since I’m asking you all to travel up. I’d like for you all to come up to Moraine Lake Lodge in Canada, on July eighteenth.”

“That’s rather specific, Noah. Why don’t we go up for the Fourth of July instead? I’m sure there will be fireworks.”

“Well, I’m taking the bar in the second week of July, and the following week we will be road-tripping up to Moraine Lake.”

“Oh, that’s right. You’re going to kick this exam’s ass—I have no doubt. So is this just a vacation?”

“Well, you could call it that.”

After I got off of the phone with Dani, I go back to planning our road trip. I’d like to get my SUV before we leave. Hell, I could go to the dealership right now and surprise my little ballerina when she gets back.

But fuck, I want her to be a part of all my decision-making. I want her to be included in everything I do. She’s a part of who I am: she’s my future. Fuck it, I’ll wait, and we’ll go together.

Instead I decide to call Coen. I dial and hit call; it rings three times before he answers.

“Hey dipshit.”

“What’s up, man? Are you too busy with your new chick to hit me up?”

“First off, fuck you. Secondly, damn right I am. What can I do for you?”

“Lana’s great. I think you might have a keeper. Listen, I need you to block off a week starting on July eighteenth.”

“Can do. What’s going on?”

“Heather and I are going to road-trip to Moraine Lake in Canada, and I’d like you and Lana to join us. Of course, you two would fly there.”

“Oh shit. Hell yeah, we’ll join you two.”

“Nice, man. Her sister and her sister’s boyfriend will be there too, and I’m going to ask Joel and Dillen.”

I can hear him grunt over the phone. “Ah fuck. Dillen’s great, but I don’t want any trouble.”

“You? You don’t want trouble? Shit, where did this motherfucker I know named Reed go?”

He laughs. “Yeah, yeah.”

I hear the front door close and Heather yells for me.

“All right, dude, I believe my girl just got back in, so I’ll call you later. Shit, and tell Lana not to say anything about you guys coming up to Canada. I want it to be a surprise.”

“No problem, man, you got it. My lips are sealed.”

“Oh hey, before I forget . . . I think Joel and Dill have something going on. So just a heads up,” I warn him. He’s quiet for all of four seconds before he starts laughing.

“Damn, I feel sorry for him because I knocked the bottom out of that shit.”

“Fuck, man, I don’t need the damn details. I was in the other room.”

“I’m not sorry, dude. But I’ll let you go, and I’ll let you know what Lana says.”

Heather walks in and crawls onto the bed, then into my lap. She leans her head against my chest and my arm automatically moves around her, securing her in place. “Thanks, man. I’ll talk to you later.”

“See ya,” he replies before hanging up.

I set my phone down and smile down at Heather. “Hey gorgeous girl. Did you enjoy the spa?”

“Yes, it was amazing. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby. I hope the girls enjoyed it too, and I found a house I think you might like.” I pick up my tablet and pull up the realtor website that I found it on.

“You did?” She sits up on my lap excitedly and watches me move my fingers across the screen to the website that hosts the house.