In a Rush

2

three years later

Emme

Late June—end of the school year

“I think that’s everything.” I dropped my hands to my hips and turned in a slow circle, taking in the bare bones of my classroom. “I have a lot of books.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Ryan said, pushing up from where he’d crouched near the low bookshelf near the whiteboard. He ran the back of his hand over his forehead and glanced at me. “Hanging in there?”

He must’ve noticed the watery wobble of my chin as I scanned the empty room. After all these years of calling this corner of the building home—after all these years carving out my niche in second grade—I was moving on.

This time tomorrow, we’d be settling into our new house in Friendship. After Ryan retired from the League and our soccer teams were up and running, we decided it was time for a new adventure. Never would I have guessed we’d be kicking off that adventure in a small Rhode Island town but just like the quirky magic of Twin Tulip, it kept pulling us back in until we agreed to call it our home.

“Yeah,” I said, though there was a lot of hesitance in my voice. “I’m okay.”

“Shut up.” He gave an impatient shake of his head. “You’re not okay.”

“Not really, no,” I said, that watery wobble coming back full force as I motioned to the door to the adjoining classroom. “But Jamie—and Audrey—and?—”

And I burst into tears.

“I know, Muggsy,” he said, crossing to my side and wrapping his arms around me. “You’re going to miss them.”

“Everything’s changing,” I wailed.

“I know,” he crooned, stroking a hand down my hair. “I know.”

“And I don’t know what to do with myself anymore.” His shirt was soaked with my tears. I sniffled hard. “And I’m a snotty mess.”

“You’re perfect.” He reached behind me, plucking something from a box. Then he shoved a stuffed Wildcat into my arms. One of the many that always found their way to my classroom. Even when my Catamounts hunted them down and sent them packing. “This will help.”

“I don’t see how this kitten that can barely hack it in D1 is going to help anything.”

“I love when you insult Arizona football. It’s adorable.” He thumbed the tears from my cheek. “It’s not too late to change your mind. We don’t have to go.”

“We built a house,” I cried.

“Then we’ll sell it.” He said this like it was the simplest thing in the world.

“I resigned.”

I flailed an arm at my classroom. My room. The place I’d called home for years. The students I’d taught in my first year here were graduating from high school now. I’d made lifelong friends here and I’d grown up here and I’d fallen in love here too. And now I was leaving it behind.

“Then call your principal and tell her you changed your mind,” he said simply.

“But—” I settled a hand on the round swell of my belly. I couldn’t do that. We were due in late September.

I wouldn’t have planned it that way but this one wasn’t planned. We’d had a few losses, a few invasive procedures that didn’t take, and then, when it seemed like we were running low on options, a surprise. Part of me still couldn’t believe we’d made it this far. The first few months, every day was a white-knuckled march toward what I figured would be another heartbreak.

But then I felt him kick—and he hadn’t stopped since. I didn’t even mind when he kept me up all night stomping on my bladder because every day brought me closer to holding him, to our little family.

Ryan nodded, murmuring in understanding as he covered my hand. “Yeah, this is a problem.”

“Huge problem.” I motioned to my torso. It looked like I was hiding a beach ball under my dress. People liked to ask if I was having twins or if I was ready to pop any day now. “You and your big-headed backfield baby.”

He kissed my forehead. “I’m so sorry, my love.”

I sniffled. “I know.”

I was excited about taking the year off to be home with my baby but I didn’t know what to do with myself without the rhythm of a school year to structure my life. Shay always reminded me that I could substitute teach in Friendship schools a few days each week if I wanted and that there’d definitely be a few openings at her elementary school a year from now. But all of that seemed like a million years away. I had to give birth and figure out how to be a mother to this baby before I could do anything else.

And I wasn’t sure how I was going to do any of that.

“It’s scary,” I admitted, my face pressed to my husband’s chest.

“It is,” he agreed. “But you’re strong and you’re smart, and no one is going to love this little guy more than us.”

“You better not say that around any of his aunties because they will make you pay for it.”

Between Ryan’s sisters and my friends—and Ines and Danielle, of course—this kid already had an obscene amount of toys, clothes, and books. Danielle and Grace were throwing a baby shower for us next month. It was the least I could do since I never let them give me a bridal shower.

My mom called once a week to ask how I was doing. Things were still complicated with us but she was different now. A little less insistent that my marriage was doomed, which was nice.

“I wouldn’t dare.” He laughed as he stroked my hair again. “All right, wifey. Here’s what I think we should do now.”

“We’re not having sex in my classroom. That—that’s just not an option, Ryan.”

A deep laugh burst out of him. “I wasn’t going to suggest that.”

“You have before,” I said, drilling a finger into his chest.

“At different points in time, when the conditions have been right to bend you over a desk, yeah, I’ve suggested it.” He held my heavy belly in his hands. “I wouldn’t ask that of you now, Em.”

“Fine, fine,” I muttered. “What’s your plan?”

“We go home,” he said, pressing a finger to my lips when I started to tell him that home was mostly empty. “We go home, get you off your feet, and run a bath.”

“Run a bath is code for sex,” I said.

“It’s not a code,” he replied. “It’s never been a code. It’s very obvious what I’m getting at when I want to put you in the tub.”

“And you think I’m going to want that with you? After what you’ve done to me?” I shot a glance at my belly and the unbelievably full breasts above it. It was nearly impossible to shop for bras these days and the ones I did find looked like four-person tents. “I’m not so sure, husband.”

He ran a hand down my spine and gave my ass a rough, crude squeeze. “Yeah, I’m confident you’ll want that.”

The annoying part was that he was right. I was uncomfortable as hell but my hormones were cranked so high that there were days when I couldn’t get enough of him. It required some creative engineering with the pillows though that gave Ryan a whole new purpose in life.

“We’ll get you thoroughly washed,” he said, grabbing my ass again, “order something to eat, and watch a movie.” He glanced away for a second, thinking. “What about The Mummy?”

“We’ve never seen that movie all the way through.”

“Yes, we have,” he argued. “We like it. A lot.”

“Not once. Not a single time. Either one of us falls asleep or you want to snuggle but then everyone ends up naked and before we know it, the credits are rolling.”

“Then we should watch it tonight.” He dropped his hands to my hips, holding me as close as possible. “No snuggling. I’ll stay on my side of the couch.”

“Yeah, as if you’d make good on that promise.”

“Don’t believe me?” He peered at me like I was the one being ridiculous. “I will not touch you unless you ask for it.”

I crossed my arms. “I’m not going to ask.”

“No, you’ll rub that sweet ass against my cock for an hour. You’re devious like that.”

I shot him a disinterested glare even though I had it on good authority I’d fall asleep or demand his attention in my pants before the movie ended. “Trust me, I won’t go anywhere near you.”

My darling husband laughed in my face. “All right, Muggsy. We’ll see how that goes.”

Thank you for reading! I hope you loved Emme and Ryan!