Devil May Care: Boxed Set (23 page)

“She really said that?” The awe was clear in his voice.

“She really did.”

“I love that little girl,” he said.

“Me too.” She laughed.

“Can we make another one? A little girl or boy who’s ours?”

“Right now?”

“Maybe we already did. Unless you’re on the pill or something.”

“I’m not. Guess we should have taken more precaution.”

“Too late now.” He let his hand fall to her stomach. “A Jasper Junior could be growing in there right now. It’s crazy to think that.”

Fiona put her hand over his and smiled contently. “I would love nothing more.”

Six Months Later

“Hey, babe, can you come down here a minute?” Jasper called up the stairs.

“Coming!” Fiona answered a moment later.

When she appeared at the top of the stairs, joy flooded him. The way the light came in through the entryway chandelier hit her a certain way. Her hair shone and the light glittered over her eyes and skin. She looked all lit up. Maybe it was partly the glow of pregnancy, but whatever it was, he loved it when she came to the top of the stairs.

She put her hand on her growing stomach and the other hand on the railing as she stepped down the hardwood stairs.

“Sorry, were you resting?” he asked. He couldn’t resist kissing her and pulling her in for a quick hug when she reached the bottom of the stairs and was near him.

“No, I was folding laundry.”

“Why? We have a housekeeper to do that now. I told you to stop cleaning.”

“I can’t just do nothing. And I don’t mind. Folding laundry can be very soothing. Gives me time to think.”

He sighed. “You have all the time to think that you want. Sit by the pool, read a book in the living room, anything. I don’t want you exerting yourself too hard.”

“I’m really not.” She put her hand to his cheek. “But thank you. I can’t get used to all this pampering.”

“It’s only been a few months. You will.”

“Sir?” A man called to Jasper from the den.

Jasper had forgotten all about the men in the other room. He had a habit of doing that when Fiona was near. He could think of nothing but her. Could look at nothing but her. Every time he saw her, he wanted to wrap his arms around her, feel her growing belly. Feel the child that was his and hers growing there, healthy and strong. When they’d found out they were having another girl, he’d almost done cartwheels. Another little girl like Sophia to love and cherish.

“Is that what you needed me for?” Fiona pointed into the den.

“Yes.” He took her hand and led her to the room. “I know I let you pick all the furniture, but I’m just not sure about this one.”

They stood in the den, looking at the couch. The two men from the furniture company waited impatiently.

The couch sat in the middle of the room. It was three cushions long. A basic couch. Fabric covered padding with two arms and a high back. But the problem was the fabric itself. It didn’t match anything in the room. The den was all hardwood and dark furniture. Gold fixtures on the desk and hard chairs. Even the pull chain on the ceiling fan matched the dark colors in the room. He’d thought maybe a leather couch would look nice. And he thought he’d mentioned that to Fiona and she’d agreed.

But the couch that sat in the middle of the room—the one just delivered, the one with a slip he was supposed to sign with his name on it and a price far too high for something that looked like that—this couch looked hideous. It was light pink and cream and covered in large flowers. The flowers were blue and purple. Jasper had taken one look and his stomach dropped. He didn’t even know a couch this ugly existed, let alone was about to be dropped off in his house. And he had enough confidence in Fiona to know she had great taste. She wouldn’t have chosen something like that, would she?

“What is that?” she asked, pointing to the couch with a disgusted look on her face.

Good. That look said this wasn’t what she was expecting. He let out a sigh of relief. “That’s the couch they said you ordered. They’re delivering it.”

“Oh no.” She shook her head. “This is not the couch I ordered. It’s so ugly! I would never pick out something like that. There must have been a mix up.”

One of the delivery men looked over his paperwork. “Everything looks to be in order to me.”

“Well, clearly something got messed up,” Jasper said. “Who do we need to call to straighten it out?”

“The store. So, you don’t want this couch?”

“No,” they said together emphatically.

“I’ll just need a signature saying you’re refusing delivery.” He walked over to Jasper and pointed to a check box and a line that he should sign on.

“Thanks,” Fiona said.

The man tucked the papers back into his pocket. “Sorry about the mix up. I’m sure they’ll get it straightened out.” The men took either side of the couch and carried it out of the room, then out of the house and back onto the truck.

When they left, Jasper turned to Fiona. “Thank God. For a minute there, I thought this baby had stolen your good taste.” He put his hand on her stomach and kissed her.

“Nope. Little Mia will be quite the interior designer if I have any say.”

“Mommy, where is our couch going?” Sophia came running from the living room. “The truck’s leaving!”

“I know. It’s okay.” She put her arm around Sophia. “They brought the wrong couch by accident.”

“But it had flowers on it! I liked that couch.”

Fiona and Jasper exchanged a worried look. “We’ll teach her,” Jasper whispered.

Fiona nodded.

“What does the couch you did order look like?” he asked.

“I got the leather one we looked at in the store that one day.”

“Oh good. That’s perfect. I’ll call and get it straightened out.”

“Did any packages come today?” she asked.

“Not that I saw.”

She frowned. “I guess it could still come.”

“What are you expecting?”

“New curtains. For the nursery. It felt too bare in there and I’ve been doing a lot with all the clothing and everything. Wish I still had some of Sophia’s old clothes.”

“For the baby?” Sophia asked.

“Yes. She could have worn your old clothes, but we don’t have any.”

“That’s okay,” Jasper said. “New is better and this way you can get a fresh start. Who needs those old memories?”

“True,” Fiona said.

After Sam’s death had been ruled officially, Fiona had been able to get back into their house and get anything she wanted. It was all hers now. She took a few items. A few articles of clothing, some jewelry, a book or two, some more of Sophia’s stuffed animals. But most of it had gone to be donated or gone into the trash. She wanted little of it around her, she’d said. Too much bad mojo.

She’d wanted to sell the house, too, to get rid of it and everything that had been tied to Sam. They liked where they lived and with Jasper’s MC being located here, it would have been impossible to move so far away anyway. But she didn’t want to live in that house again, even if they had been in the area. That house where so many nightmares had taken place. They’d put it up for sale and it’d sold quickly.

Then, there had been the surprise check. Fiona didn’t think Sam had any sort of life insurance policy. Maybe he hadn’t told her about it because he thought she might wise up and kill him. Which was, ironically, what had happened anyway. But, a large check had come in the mail with Fiona’s name on it. Between the house sale and the insurance money, it was more than enough to buy their new house and furnish it completely.

They’d been able to buy a nice big place, with plenty of room for them and the baby and whatever kids they decided to have in the future. He’d have ten more with her if he could. But, he also had to be more careful now.

He wasn’t living the life of crime that he had been. He’d decided before when he moved in with Fiona and Sophia right after the fire that he didn’t want to take the chance of getting put away for a long time. Then, when they’d found out she was pregnant, it changed everything much more quickly. He’d gone out that day and applied for jobs.

But getting a straight job wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. He had no experience and no schooling. He’d been out of work so long that it was difficult to come up with a reason why he hadn’t worked in years. He’d made up excuses that made him sound good. Taking care of his sick mother. Looking after his younger siblings. He wasn’t sure if any of the people he interviewed with bought it, but it wasn’t like he could tell them the truth. That he was running around the streets selling drugs and selling black market merchandise.

He’d looked at higher paying jobs first. Things like electronics store manager or even a sales position. He technically had experience in sales and retail, even if he couldn’t list it on a resume. But those jobs required years of experience. He’d had to look farther down the line. He couldn’t manage the electronics store, but maybe he could just work there. He could get a sales job, but it wouldn’t be selling high end pharmaceuticals or insurance policies, it might be selling newspaper ads or cell phones.

Then he’d gotten a little lucky. Aaron’s uncle’s friend owned a bike shop. And he happened to be part of an MC in his younger days. Aaron told him that Jasper was looking to go straight and needed a job. Rob was happy to take him on. Jasper sold bikes during the day, taking a hefty commission when he made a sale, and when things were slow or he needed extra help, he’d work on bikes. But though Fiona assured him that his paycheck was decent for a normal job, it felt like a huge pay cut. He still sold some dope on the side for now. At least until things could get settled in their place and he was making a steadier commission.

The work felt good, though. Honest. He hadn’t expected that, but he got his first check—after freaking out over how much money the government took out—he’d held it and felt proud. Even if they’d taken a huge chunk, he’d paid taxes and the money was clean. He’d earned it fair and square. It felt better than he thought it would.

And he did like the work a lot. He got to talk motors and bike styles all day, help guys find their new ride. On occasion he’d come across someone who was Hawks material and he’d recruit them. On the sly, of course. Rob didn’t want him doing that sort of stuff in the shop. When he wasn’t selling, he was fixing and working on bikes, which had always been something he was both good at and enjoyed. It brought him peace to take something broken and make it run again.

When he came home at the end of the day, Fiona and Sophia were there, waiting for him. Usually, Fiona already dinner ready. Some amazing concoction of chicken and vegetables or cheesy pasta. It was always delicious and he’d never eaten so well. Though, Mama didn’t have to know he felt that way. Wasn’t that the dream, though? Find a woman who can cook even better than Mama can? Well, he had.

And if dinner wasn’t enough, she got up with him every morning, made the coffee while he was in the shower, then got Sophia up and got her dressed before making them all breakfast. And no, there were still no frozen waffles in their freezer. It was all eggs and bacon or waffles and pancakes from scratch. Then, she’d have his lunch waiting for him to take to work. Sometimes it was leftovers, sometimes a sandwich. But even the basic turkey on rye she managed to make taste incredible. He felt like he lived with a personal chef. And he felt spoiled to no end. She took such good care of him.

Fiona had wanted to keep working at the gift shop. She had for a few weeks. But then, one week she said she felt tired and sick, and after several days of that, he’d tried to make her see a doctor. But she had sat up suddenly in bed one night.

“Oh, my God, I’m an idiot.”

“What?” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and turned on his side to look up at her.

“I can’t believe I didn’t realize it.”

“Can you give me a hint, babe? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve been extra tired at night, eating more food than ever, and feeling sick in the mornings.” She shook her head. “I’m probably pregnant.”

That had woken him up. He sat up in bed in a rush and turned to face her. “Are you serious?”

“It makes sense. And it’s not like we ever bothered to use protection or stop it in any way.”