With Me In Seattle: Bundle Two (29 page)

“Should you be drinking coffee?” I ask.

“Let’s not get crazy,” she responds. “I need coffee.”

“I got one of each kind,” I announce and upend the bag, sending small white and blue boxes scattering.

“Uh, Caleb, we only need one.”

“What if we can’t figure them out?” I ask and pick one up to examine it. “All of the instructions are in Italian.”

She laughs hysterically and then stands, wiping her eyes.

“It’s not funny.”

“Yes, it is. Pregnancy tests are pretty universal, Caleb. You pee on it and a line either appears or it doesn’t.” She rubs my arm sweetly and kisses my shoulder before plucking the box out of my fingers. “I’ll be back.”

“I’m coming with you.” I begin to follow her, but she turns quickly with her hand out to stop me.

“Oh no, you aren’t. You are not going to watch me pee on this stick.”

I scowl down at her and cross my arms over my chest. “I helped you bathe and dress and every other damn thing when you were hurt. I can handle watching you pee.”

“Absolutely not.” She shakes her head but then leans in and kisses my chin. “But thank you for helping me when I was hurt.”

She turns and runs for the bathroom, and it feels like an eternity before she comes back out, white stick in hand.

“Well?” I ask.

“It takes about three minutes, babe.” She sits in the lounge chair and stares out over the vineyard. “Are you sure about this whole having-another-baby thing?”

I lean down and pick her up, sit in her chair and settle her on my lap.

“I want more babies,” I whisper and kiss her cheek.

“Okay,” she whispers back and smiles shyly.

God, she can destroy me with just a look. I’ve faced horrors that no man or woman should have to see and faced them without qualms, but this woman and her two daughters bring me to my knees.

“I love you, Legs.”

“I love you, too, sailor.” She grins and kisses me, wraps her arms around my neck and turns her body until she’s straddling my lap.

“Hold up. Check the stick,” I interrupt before we’re both naked and sweaty and the stick is a distant memory.

She glances down. “It’s not ready yet.”

“Go pee on another one,” I instruct her. “This one is taking too long.”

“I don’t have to pee anymore!” She laughs. “
You
pee on one! They say
we’re
pregnant, so it should work just fine.”

“Smart-ass,” I mutter and pull her face to mine so I can kiss the fuck out of her. God, she’s so amazing.

Finally, she pulls back and offers me a lazy smile.

“Look again,” I whisper and lean my forehead against hers.

“It’s positive, babe.”

My heart stops as I gaze into her deep chocolate eyes.

We’re having a baby.

“Really?” I ask.

She nods as tears gather in her eyes.

“Oh baby.” I sigh and gather her to me, rocking us back and forth and clinging to her. “Thank you.”

“You’re such a good daddy,” she murmurs.

I grin and tip her chin back so I can see her face.

“I’m so honored to be your husband, my love. To be the father of our kids. When I left the Navy, I thought I was losing everything that mattered to me, but now I know that it was leading me to you. I wouldn’t change anything. I love you.”

She grins and pulls my face down to hers, presses her body closer to mine and nuzzles my nose. “I love you, too.”

The End

A Safe With Me Halloween

“Bix is a pirate!” Josie exclaims in delight as Brynna pulls the black eye patch over Bix’s bad eye and ties a red bandana around his head. His eyebrows both raise up and down as he looks between Bryn and myself, wondering what in the world he’s getting himself into.

“Really, Bryn, he’s a war hero and you’re dressing him up like a pirate?” I slip my arms around her waist as she stands, rest my hands over her ever-growing belly, and bury my face in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent.

“He’s adorable like this, Montgomery,” she chuckles and adjusts her witches hat on her head as she pulls away from me. “And you are very handsome.”

“I don’t know why I’m wearing this,” I grumble and glance down at my Navy dress uniform.

“Because it’s hot, sailor,” Bryn grins. “And the girls begged, and they have you wrapped around their little fingers.”

I grin down at her, gliding my thumb down her jawline. Fuck yes, they have me wrapped around their fingers. All three of them do.

“Let’s go trick-or-treating!” Maddie exclaims excitedly, jumping up and down in her green and blue cheerleader uniform. Both Josie and Maddie chose to go as Seahawks cheerleaders this year. Bryn put their long dark hair up in high ponytails and put pink goop on their lips, making them look far older than I’m comfortable with.

“They don’t need the fucking makeup,” I growl at Bryn.

“It’s Halloween, Caleb,” she smirks. “I don’t even want to think about how you’re going to be when they’re teenagers.”

Just the thought sends me into a panic attack that has absolutely nothing to do with my PTSD.

I’ll kill any teenage fucker who dares look at them.

“Where are we heading first?” Bryn asks as we all pile into our new minivan. I never thought I’d see the day that I’d drive a fucking minivan, but with the twins, another on the way, and Bix, we needed the space.

“Might as well hit up Nat and Luke first,” I reply and set off down the street to Nat and Luke’s place.

“I hope I get lots of peanut butter cups tonight,” Maddie informs us.

“I’m praying for some Almond Joy,” Brynna whispers next to me and rubs her belly.

“Gonna raid the girls’ candy tonight?” I ask with a smile.

“Hell yes. As soon as they go to sleep, I’m so digging into those plastic pumpkins.”

I pull up to Luke and Nat’s Alki Beach home, and the girls and Bix are out of their seats and running up to Luke’s door before I even cut the engine.

“I think they’re excited,” I laugh as Brynna and I follow our girls.

“Trick or Treat!” the girls yell in unison as Natalie pulls the door open, a beautiful smile spread over her face.

“Oh, wait until Uncle Will sees you guys later! You both look so adorable!”

“Maddie!” Livie exclaims as she claps her hands from her perch on Luke’s arm. She’s dressed as a little ladybug, her pixie face bright with wonder at the costumes we’re wearing.

“No costumes for you guys?” I ask with a raised brow.

“It took me two hours just to talk Liv into wearing hers,” Natalie replies with a sigh. “I’m good.”

Luke kisses Nat’s cheek and runs his hand down her dark hair. “Are you feeling okay?” he murmurs.

“I’m fine,” Nat responds and rubs her own round belly.

Our family is full of knocked up women.

My parents couldn’t be more excited.

“I don’t think your treats will fit in your pumpkins,” Luke informs my girls with a sober face. “So maybe I shouldn’t give them to you.”

“Please! Please!” They jump up and down, giggling, making Liv laugh with them.

“I don’t know. What do you think?” he asks Nat.

“Oh put them out of their misery already,” she laughs and reaches inside for two big black gift bags and hands one to each of them, then throws a treat for Bix, which he catches out of the air and crunches on happily.

“You didn’t have to buy them gifts,” Brynna scolds them.

“They’re my nieces. I can do whatever I want,” Natalie replies with a smug smile. Brynna immediately tears up and sends me a helpless gaze. I just pull her to me and kiss her forehead as the girls dig into their goodie bags.

“Peanut butter cups!” Maddie exclaims.

“Jellybeans!” Josie bellows. “And American Girl outfits for our dolls!”

“Holy shit,” I mutter and sigh. “Really?”

“Don’t judge me,” Natalie replies haughtily. “I like to shop.”

“Thank you so much,” Maddie clings to Luke’s legs as Josie hugs Natalie tight. Luke squats with Liv still in his arms and gives the girls each a hug, then pulls gently on their ponytails.

“You’re welcome. Go have fun tonight.”

“We will!” The girls immediately turn and run back for the van, Bix on their heels.

“Thank you,” Brynna murmurs before we join the girls and continue on our journey to the next house. Because our neighborhood isn’t great for trick or treating, with all of the gated homes with long driveways, and I can’t handle a packed mall full of thousands of screaming kids and their parents, I decided to drive the girls to each house in the family.

They’ll end up with just as much candy, if not more, than if we’d gone through a busy neighborhood.

“Jules and Nate’s apartment?” Brynna asks with a raised brow. “We’re going to pay for parking in downtown Seattle just so the girls can get some fun sized Snickers?”

“Jules would kill me if we didn’t bring the girls by,” I inform her. We ride the elevator to my sister’s floor and Josie rings the doorbell.

“Aaaaaarrrrrgghhhh!” Nate howls as he flings the door open and rushes at the girls, pulling them both into his arms and tickling them mercilessly. “You dare ring my bell?”

“Trick or treat, Uncle Nate!” Josie laughs and struggles to get away. “Daddy! Help!”

“You’re on your own, jellybean.”

“For the love of God, ace, you’ll make them pee on themselves,” Jules scolds him from within the apartment. She has black cat ears on her head and a wide grin on her pretty face. “You two are gorgeous!”

Jules hands them each black gift bags, but also feeds large handfuls of candy into their pumpkins.

“What’s with the gifts?” I ask. “That makes both you and Nat.”

“We did it for the twins and Sophie,” Jules replies. “Everyone else just gets candy.”

“More outfits for our dolls!” Maddie exclaims and jumps up and down. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, sweetie,” Jules replies.

More hugs are handed out before we journey back downstairs.

We drive to Luke’s parents, my parents and Bryn’s parents, where the girls have amassed more candy than I’ve seen in my entire life, and more accessories for their American Girl dolls.

Despite also living in an exclusive, gated community, Will’s neighborhood is a beacon to trick or treaters. The whole neighborhood gets into the spirit of the holiday, decorating their homes and handing out candy to hundreds of kids each year.

Will doesn’t typically participate, but because Halloween fell on a weekday this year, Meg talked him into it.

“I can’t wait to see what they did,” Brynna whispers to me. “She had so much fun planning.”

“Just wait,” I murmur. Matt and I came to help yesterday and it’s a good thing because it was an all day project.

I park near the end of the driveway and we all clamor out of the van, trekking up to the large house my brother lives in with his beautiful fiancé.

The girls and Bix all run ahead. I clasp Bryn’s hand in mine and pull her against me.

“How are you feeling?” I ask as we stop on the paved driveway in the shadows of the trees that line the drive and cup her face in my hands.

“We’re fine,” she replies, grinning up at me. “I’m glad we did it this way. I never would have survived walking through a whole neighborhood.”

“I can carry you,” I offer. Anything to get her in my arms.

“I’m not an invalid, Caleb.”

“Maybe I just want to carry you,” I reply with a grin and lean in to kiss her soft lips. She sighs and leans against me, wraps her arms around my neck, and I sink into her, absorbed in the taste of her, her scent.

Her moans.

Her body has become softer with her pregnancy, and I can’t keep my hands off her.

As if I could keep my hands off her before we got pregnant.

Suddenly, the girls both scream, Bix is barking madly, and I pull away from Brynna and sprint the rest of the driveway.

What’s wrong?

Who is hurting my babies?

But I stop when I get to the front porch and begin to laugh.

Will, Matt and Leo are dressed as zombies, their makeup impeccable, threatening to eat Maddie and Josie’s brains.

“No! You can’t eat my brains!”

The guys don’t respond, they just growl and chase the girls around the yard, making them laugh and scream at the same time. Bix is jumping and barking, enjoying the game.

Sam and Meg are dressed as humans who have been eaten by the zombies, their flesh torn from their bodies. The porch light has been replaced with a black bulb. There are orange lights strung up around the porch, along with fake spider webs and a fog machine is throwing whisps of fog along the porch and out into the yard.

Speaking of the yard, there are crooked headstones and glowing eyes scattered about the lawn.

It’s fucking awesome.

“Who did your makeup?” Brynna asks as she joins us, laughing as the guys continue to chase Maddie and Josie around the yard.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Maddie yells. “They want to eat our brains!”

“A friend of Leo’s who does makeup for a living,” Sam replies, grinning as she watches my brothers and Leo terrorize my kids.

“What are they, twelve?” I growl.

“They’re having fun,” Brynna responds and leans in to plant a sweet kiss on my shoulder. “And this will tire them out so they’ll go to bed when we get home and I can steal their chocolate.”

“Good plan,” Meg replies. “I just ate half the candy I bought before tonight even started. Will ate the rest. I had to make a mad dash for more candy at four this afternoon.”

“Leo bought me cupcakes from our favorite place,” Sam replies with a sigh.

“From Nic?” Brynna asks with a grin and then turns to watch Matt as he picks Josie up and makes chomping noises at her neck, making her squeal in delight.

“Yes, she is so damn talented.”

“And beautiful,” Meg adds.

All three girls look expectantly at me.

“What?”

“What’s the scoop?”

“How the fuck should I know?”

“Matt’s your brother,” Sam reminds me.

“And your best friend,” Meg adds.

“I don’t ask him about that shit. I don’t have a vagina.”

“Glad to hear it, brother,” Will says as he carries an upside down Maddie up onto the porch.