Never Say Never: Gravel Hill Boys Book Two

48. Madison

I’m standing on a stage,waiting nervously as Patrick Swayze wraps his arms around me. The music swells and we begin to dance.

Wait, what?

One eye pops open. It’s not Patrick but Ian who holds me in his arms. My leg is trapped between his, and he pulls me tighter while the music from the finale of Dirty Dancing continues to play.

“Ian,” I whisper.

“Hmm?” He tucked my head under his chin.

“Where’s that music coming from? Is that your ringtone?”

He struggled to open his eyes and then focused on my face before rolling onto his back and reaching for his phone on the nightstand. The music stopped.

“No.” His voice is low and grumbly. “That’s my alarm.”

“Seriously?”

He rolled on top of me and rested on his elbows to keep from crushing my belly. “Yes, seriously. I had the time of my life last night, didn’t you?”

“I did, but if that’s your regular alarm, it had nothing to do with me or last night.”

My only answer was a sheepish smile. Great. Now I had to think about him waking up to that song while in bed with other women.

He kissed my nose and tried to kiss my mouth, but I rolled my lips together and turned away.

“It’s not a big deal; I’ll change it.” He kissed my neck.

“It’s not that. I haven’t brushed my teeth yet. But if you want to change that alarm, I wouldn’t stop you.”

“Consider it done, and I don’t care about morning breath.”

I wiggled out from under him. “Well, I do.” He groaned and rolled onto his back.

“I’m going to brush my teeth and take a shower. My appointment with Dr. Abernathy is at nine. If you’re coming with me, you’ll have to get moving since I assume you need to walk your dog before we go.”

Ian rolled into a sitting position and dropped his legs over the side of the bed. His back rippled as he bent over and grabbed his discarded boxer briefs off the floor and slipped them on. I stood there and gawked as he stretched and twisted, appreciating the way those briefs clung to his ass?—

“I thought you were getting in the shower.”

I blinked. “I am. Just thinking about…what I’m going to wear.”

He smirked. The man was far more intuitive than I’d given him credit for.

My robe lay on the bench at the foot of the bed, so I grabbed it and slipped it on.

“Don’t cover up on my account. I love seeing you naked.”

I frowned. “I’m fat.”

“You’re ripe,” he countered, cozying up to me and placing his hand under my belly. “And beautiful. Hey, how about we do one of those pregnancy photo shoots? The ones where you show off your belly and dress like Mother Earth or something?”

That sounded terrible.

“I don’t think so.”

“C’mon, Maddie. At least think about it.” He took my shoulders in his hands. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and just as beautiful and sexy as you were the night we met.” His voice dropped. “I remember every second of that incredible night. That memory has kept me company every night for months.”

Another stupid lump grew in my throat, so I choked it down.

“You and me, Madison, we were meant to be.” He grinned, probably because he rhymed. I grinned too; happy because I truly loved seeing him smile.

“I don’t care about your morning breath, so I’m going to kiss you, ready or not.”

And he did.

I sat on the edge of the exam table and nervously awaited Dr. Abernathy. I’d thought a lot about what would happen after she updated me on my health and the health of this baby. And I wasn’t the only one feeling the jitters. Ian paced back and forth in front of me, which was funny, because there wasn’t all that much room and his legs were long. Three or four paces and he had to turn around and go the other way.

“You’re the picture of a nervous father.”

His head shot up, but then he grinned and my heart did a little flutter. “I am, aren’t I?” He took my hands and wove our fingers together. “We got this. You’ve been taking good care of yourself, and other than me stressing you out—” He winked, and I tucked my bottom lip behind my teeth to subvert a smile. “—you’re doing great. Liane’s back, and if that fucker over in England gets outta line again, I’ll fly over there personally to knock some sense into him.”

“Says the guy who got fired from his band a few months ago for a stunt he pulled several years ago.”

“Which only goes to show I know a motherfucker when I see one.”

“Good grief. If you don’t get your language under control, our baby is going to grow up with a potty mouth.”

“It’s on the list.”

I smirked. “What list?”

“The Ian-needs-to-improve list.”

I was about to tell him how much I appreciated and noticed lots of those improvements, when there was a quick rap on the door and Dr. Abernathy entered.

“Good morning, how are we feeling today?”

Before I even opened my mouth, Ian answered. “She’s good. Great even. She’s been getting plenty of rest. We hired a chef and she’s been eating healthy and consuming plenty of foods known to reduce blood pressure. Her stress level is much lower…” He gave me a nervous glance. “…for the most part. She’s getting light exercise such as yoga and some walking. Everything’s great on our end.”

Dr. Abernathy’s eyebrows inched higher and higher as she listened. When she faced me, she gave me a quick wink. “Do you concur?” she asked, obviously amused. I’m sure she saw nervous or overbearing fathers-to-be all the time. I was betting that Ian was next level.

“I do. I feel good. The swelling is down. No more headaches or nausea. I am still tired though.”

“You’re a couple weeks into the third trimester, so that’s not unusual. Your baby weighs close to three pounds now, so you’re carrying more weight around, and that’s tiring. Plus, your sleep is probably interrupted because it’s hard to get comfortable or your little one is doing the jig on your bladder. All of that is normal. If you’re having a lot of trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep, you may want to try a pregnancy body pillow.” She smiled at me when Ian whipped out his phone and started tapping away. “I have patients who continue to use them long after they’ve delivered, they like them so much.”

I tipped my head toward Ian. “I’m sure I’ll have one today or tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you lay back and let me do a little poking around.”

As she examined me, she let me know that my blood pressure was back within normal range and there was no protein in my urine, which meant that the precautions we’d taken had reduced the risk of preeclampsia. When she was done, she helped me rise up into a seated position.

“Everything looks good. As of now, no restrictions. Just continue to eat well, rest, and limit your stress.”

“What about work?” I asked.

“If you can keep your stress level low, then it should be fine. If you go right back to the schedule you were keeping before, you may end up right back on bed rest. My best advice is to use common sense. Don’t overdo it and don’t stress. Delegate whenever you can.”

“What about sex?” Ian asked.

“Sex is fine; in fact, it can be quite pleasurable if you’re up for it.”

“Oh, I’m up for it,” he said.

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.

“That’s wonderful, Ian, but I meant that it’s fine as long as Madison is up for it.”

He grinned. “No wonder that didn’t make sense.”

“Just make sure she’s in a comfortable position. Lying flat on her back can be uncomfortable and cause some issues with blood flow after a while. She can lie on her side, and you can enter her from behind.”

She went on to describe—in embarrassing detail—the benefits and pleasures of a variety of sexual positions and practices, including anal and oral sex. And even though the conversation was between Ian and the doctor, I had to be beet red by the time Dr. Abernathy turned to give me a pat on the knee.

“Everything is looking good, Madison. I’ll see you in two weeks. Call the office if you’re having any pain or prolonged contractions. Or if the headaches or swelling returns. Okay?”

I nodded and gave her a wobbly smile. “Sounds good.”

“Guess you’re gonna go back to work,” Ian said after the door closed behind Dr. Abernathy. I caught a quick purse of his lips, but he began to bustle about, grabbing my clothes from the chair in the corner and bringing them to me.

I hesitated. “I could, but I’ve been thinking.”

He slipped my panties over my ankles and slid them up my legs. “About?”

“Liane is back. The two new hires are doing well. I may go into the office in the morning to go over things with her, but then I think I’m going to let her handle things until after the baby comes.”

His eyes searched mine. “Seriously?”

“I think so. These past few weeks were scary. There was a reason for me to be on limited bed rest. My main concern right now is this baby and my health. I have complete faith in Liane, and if things go sideways in London again, I’ll just send someone else. Better yet, I might drop Trevor and his mates as clients. They’ve proven more trouble than they’re worth. And if I know Liane, she’s probably already told them that.”

Ian snickered. “If I know Liane—and I do—she absolutely already told them that.”

“Are you hungry?” he asked after I’d gotten dressed.

“Starving, but what else is new?”

“Want to eat at home or stop on the way back?”

“There’s a cute little Thai restaurant near my office. Let’s go there. Maybe Liane can meet us, if you don’t mind, and she and I can discuss my ‘leave of absence’.” I chuckled along with the air quotes.

“Don’t mind at all.” He lifted my hair out from my coat. “I know it was a difficult decision, but I’m happy you’re going to take the time off.” He slipped on his own jacket, and then grabbed the lapels on my coat, pulled me close, and kissed me. “This way, you’ll get to take it easy, and I’ll get to spoil you.”

“Sounds like a win-win.”

I loved it when he grinned at me. “It does, doesn’t it?”

Liane made a bee line for our table. We wrapped our arms around each other and squealed like teenagers, rocking back and forth like we hadn’t seen each other in months instead of weeks.

“God, I missed you,” I said, pressing the corners of my eyes to keep the tears from overflowing. Stupid hormones.

“Look at you,” she crowed, rubbing my belly. “You’re getting one hell of a bump there.” She turned to Ian and glared. “Look what you did. You knocked up my best friend and now she’s going to have your giant baby.” She followed that with a laugh at Ian’s expense.

For his part, Ian just glowered and sat back down. “I was going to give you a hug but forget it.”

There was no deterring her. “Get up and hug me, you big baby. I know you missed me.”

He rolled his eyes but did as she asked.

“God, I even missed you, and after what I had to deal with in London, working with you is a pleasure Ian, but don’t let it go to your head.”

When Liane had settled in and we’d dealt with all of the surface pleasantries and had ordered our lunch, I cleared my throat and took her hand.

“I’m glad you’re back, and I have something I need to tell you,” I said. “Or maybe ask you.” I didn’t know why I was nervous. This was a good thing. For both of us. Hopefully she would see it that way.

She clenched my hand and all the merriment and ease faded away. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing at all. But as of this moment, this is a business meeting, so make sure you grab the receipt.”

Liane glanced at Ian, who looked as confused as she was. “Aren’t you coming back to the office after lunch?”

“No. What I am doing, is promoting you. To partner.”

Her brow furrowed and her mouth dropped. Again, she looked at Ian, who shrugged. He was unaware of what I’d been about to do. The only person who knew, was my attorney, who was in the process of drawing up the partnership agreement.

“This pregnancy, and the scare with my blood pressure being so high, has really changed my way of thinking. I’ve created far too much stress in my life by micromanaging everything. I think, in part, it was an excuse for me not having a life outside of work. But now that I do and knowing that to continue in that vein could’ve hurt my baby or me, it’s not a risk I’m willing to take. So if you agree, I’m ready to make you a partner and sign over half of the business. You can hire two more publicists to lighten the load—three if need be—so don’t worry that I’m dumping everything on you.” I sat up straighter and tried to appear more businesslike since this was a big deal. “You’ve more than earned this, Liane. This is something I’ve thought about before I’d ever met Ian, so it’s not just about the baby. In fact, there’ve been times when I wondered why I didn’t start the business this way—as a partnership.”

Liane sat in stunned silence. Her mouth partway open and her wide eyes blinking.

“What do you think of Enright Montgomery Public Relations? Or if you have another name in mind?—”

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and I caught the tiniest smirk. “How about Montgomery Enright?”

I gave it some serious thought. “You know what, I like that better, to be honest. Has a nice ring to it.”

Ian laughed loudly, while Liane scrambled to tell me she was joking.

“I’m not. I do like the sound of Montgomery Enright. Sounds like somebody’s name, doesn’t it? Ian, if we have a boy, we should name him Montgomery Enright Donohue?”

“Um…”

I laughed, and it felt incredible. “I’m kidding, but Liane, seriously. You think about it. If that’s what you’d like, you’re going to be an equal partner. What you say matters.”

“Maddie, you don’t need to make me a partner right now just to help you out. I don’t mind running things until you get back. We’ll manage..”

“I’m sure you will, but if you’re on board, I’m promoting you to partner. This is what I really want, and I hope you want it too.”

“Shouldn’t I have to buy in or something?”

“No buy in. I’m giving you half of the business. We’ll take the same salary, so you’ll be getting a substantial raise. Mine, for the time being, will be reduced while I’m on maternity leave.” I didn’t miss the look of relief on Ian’s face. “I’ll also be taking time off after the baby’s born. I’m not sure how long at this point. Possibly a few months, or longer. I don’t really know. But I’ll always be available by phone. And of course my laptop is connected to everything in the office. If I need to work an hour or two a day, it won’t be a problem. When I’m ready to come back, I’ll hire a nanny, but I have no intention of letting a nanny raise my child the way I was raised.”

Liane gripped my arm. “Maddie, I’m so proud of you, and I’ll do anything for you. If this is what you really want, then I’m honored to be one-half of Enright Montgomery or Montgomery Enright or Two Hot Girls in the City or whatever the hell you want to call it. I’m in.”

“Two Hot Girls? I like the sound of that,” Ian said, teasing.

“You be quiet,” Liane and I answered at once.

Ian unlocked the door to my penthouse but after I entered, he remained standing in the foyer, staring off into space.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Absolutely, I was just thinking. I have something I’d like to ask you.”

My heart skidded to a stop. We’d agreed to take this one day at a time. And so far, things were great, but that was only yesterday. If he dropped to one knee again, I might scream. Or I might say yes. There was no telling where my head was most days. Or most hours, it seemed.

The mango chicken and sticky rice I’d had for lunch gurgled.

“Ian—”

“Are you willing to take a road trip with me?”

Road trip? I let out the breath I’d been holding.

“To where?”

“Ashwood. Ma and my sisters would love to see you again, and you can meet my dad too.”

“I love your mom. And your sisters.”

He smiled. “You’ll love my dad too. Plus, there’s something I’d like to show you.”

“I’ve already been to Ashwood’s fine dining establishment, remember?”

He laughed. “How could I forget? I still have the lump to prove it, but it’s not Roosters. There’s something else.”

“And you want to drive?”

“Yeah, it will be easier with Finn and who knows, with the leaves starting to turn, it should make for a scenic trip. It’ll be fun.”

Would it? I’d never taken a road trip. Trips of more than an hour were taken by helicopter or private jet. And never with a dog. But Ian was a lot of fun, and it would be another way to continue to learn more about each other, so why not?

The smile he rewarded me with made five hours in the car with a puppy and a man who often acted like a puppy seem worthwhile.

“Oh, and before I forget,” he said. “I ordered you two of those body pillows.”

“Two? Why two?”

“This way you can see which brand you like best.”

I smiled and chewed my bottom lip. Of course he did.