Chapter Seventeen
One Month Later
Larissa buried her mother on a Friday morning, after getting to know her for one month. It was one of the worst moments of her life, yet it was also one of the best months.
She knew George was supposed to keep this a secret from her.
Her father had been visiting her mother in secret, in a hospice that dealt with end-of-life care.
Her mother wasn’t going to get better, and she used the last of her money to put herself in a place that would take care of her, then she reached out to Jonah.
Larissa never had any idea that she and her mother shared the same name. Her mother never remarried, and never changed her name. She stayed as Larissa Adams.
On the headstone, she had made the changes to include that Larissa Adams was a loving mother placed on the headstone.
Larissa was so angry with her father, yet so grateful to George for letting her have a month.
Her father got half a year with her mother, where they talked about their regrets. Her mother told her that her biggest regret was walking away and thinking she was missing a life that only ever caused her pain. It was heartbreaking and therapeutic at the same time.
Ava had given her some time off, and as she made her way downstairs on the morning after the funeral, she stepped into the kitchen to find George already there. George was not wearing a shirt. In fact, he rarely wore any shirt or apron while he cooked.
“Bacon and eggs are nearly done. I’ve got fluffy pancakes in the oven.” He winked toward her. “All you have to do is make yourself a drink. No coffee either. I have made sure if I want some, I will drink it outside the house, and I even brush my teeth before I come inside.”
“You do?”
“Yep, I have seen how the scent of coffee makes you feel. I am being completely caring and considerate.” He smiled toward her. “How are you feeling today?”
Yesterday, the day her mother passed, she cried. Today, she felt ... sad but also happy.
“I don’t know how I feel right now. I think I am happy because she is no longer in pain, and at least I got to know her.”
George nodded. “I’m glad.”
She didn’t know what happened between her father and George.
They both were sporting black eyes. In the strangest twist of fate, she found herself on George’s side, and it had been the first time since finding out he made a bet about sleeping with her, that she referred to him as Big Dick.
In her mind, his name kept changing between Big Dick and George.
“I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to get to know her if it wasn’t for you,” she said.
“Yeah, well, don’t worry, I more than made up for it. Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Good, because breakfast is ready.”
She made her way to the table, and it was nice to wake up and not want to throw up her guts.
She looked around the dining room, and they had already put out the Christmas decorations.
In the past few weeks with her mother, they celebrated Thanksgiving, and even decorated with her. It had been a lot of fun.
Even though she had been upset with her father, her mother had told her not to hold onto a grudge. Life was too short, and she needed to learn to accept that some people act in their own best interest.
“So, tell me, what is going on with you and this George, man?” Larissa’s mom asked.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re pregnant with his baby. Living with him, and nothing is going on?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Uncomplicate it for me.”
Larissa uncomplicated it for her.
And her mother nodded. “I can see why you’re upset, but you know what, that man didn’t do all of this because of some bet. You might not see it, honey, but that man is in love with you.”
“What?”
“I saw the same look on your father’s face when we were younger, but I was an idiot. I ran away from it rather than embrace it. He loved me, and I spent my whole life looking for that feeling, and I didn’t get it. I got heartbreak and pain.”
“Why didn’t you come home?”
“Fear,” her mother said. “Fear that he would have moved on. Fear that he would look at me and know what I’d done and be so disappointed. You can be angry with him, honey, but if you love him, and he proves he loves you, don’t let it come between you too long.”
“What if he breaks my heart?”
“What if he doesn’t?”
Larissa pulled out of her thoughts and laughed as George carried in a large plate of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and there was even a small pot of maple syrup.
“Are you insane?” she asked. “There is no way I am going to finish all of this.”
“Eat what you can. As it happens, I am starving, and I know I am going to be able to eat for the three of us.”
She felt that warmth.
“Shit, that’s four of us, isn’t it? Fuck me, I am going to have to get used to that.”
“I’m going to get huge,” she said. “Two babies.”
He reached across and held her hand. “And I will be there every step of the way. In fact, I’ve already got some furniture arriving today.”
“You have?”
“Yeah, you left the laptop open, with some of your choices.”
“I was just window shopping, but online, you fill your basket, then empty it out.”
“Are you telling me you didn’t want those two cribs?” he asked.
She nibbled her lip. “I did.”
“So, I got them for you. Also, whatever else you put in the basket.”
She watched as he took a large forkful of food and shoved it right into his mouth. “So delicious.”
She laughed. “So I guess that is what we’re doing today.”
“They should be delivered by nine, but we can go and do some Christmas shopping if you’d like. I could take you to lunch at the diner.”
“You know, I think I quite like the idea of us getting the nursery set up,” Larissa said. “How are you at putting furniture together?”
“I’m good with my hands.”
In her mind she had a flashback to how good it felt having his hands on her. She tried to ignore that feeling, but it was like it came straight to the forefront of her mind, and she couldn’t get it out. It had felt so good.
Stop it, Larissa.
“Do you want to change the color scheme in the nursery?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I like the cream walls.”
“Me too. See, look at us, finally being able to agree and work through important stuff.”
She laughed. “Thank you ... you know, for everything.”
He nodded. “There was no way I was going to keep that from you.”
“Were you in trouble with Smokey?”
“No, I think he wanted me to tell you.”
“Why?”
“You had a right to know.”
She took a deep breath.
“But don’t be upset with your dad for long. Trust me, sometimes it’s best to be angry and then just move on.”
“You know, my mother said something similar.”
“She sounds like a smart woman. She told me I had to take care of you and her grandbabies.”
Larissa put a hand on her stomach. “I wish she would have gotten the chance to meet them.”
“Well, I’m not big on faith, but your dad is, and you believe, so I guess you must have faith that your mother is looking down on them, and she will see them, with you.”
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Big Dick. In that moment, he wasn’t George, he was Big Dick. “That is so sweet, thank you.”
She got to her feet and rounded the table, to throw her arms around him and hug him. It had been the first time she had hugged him in so long. “Thank you for giving me those last moments with her.”
He held her tightly, and it was like she could feel the heat of his hand through her clothes.
“Always. Whatever you need, baby, all you’ve got to do is ask.” He rubbed at her back. “And I will make it happen.”
She loved this man so much. Pulling away, she kissed his cheek and quickly moved back into her own seat, finishing up her plate of food, which surprised her. She had never eaten so much food in one sitting.
Big Dick refused to let her do the dishes, and she had no choice but to dry, because he wouldn’t let her wash. Even when he kept telling her to sit down and rest, she refused.
He cooked breakfast, so she was at least going to help with cleanup, and he was a pain in the ass about it.
Even though they argued, and it wasn’t a serious argument, they got the dishes done.
The house didn’t have a dishwasher, and Larissa was happy about that.
She didn’t want anyone else doing the dishes.
There was no point. She enjoyed washing dishes, which was strange, but it was where she got the chance to think.
Also, she imagined having her kids around her, talking to her, spilling out their problems as they did the dishes.
Once they were done, Big Dick took delivery of the cribs and carried them upstairs.
He still wasn’t wearing a shirt, and Larissa was finding it increasingly difficult to focus.
He looked so sexy with all of his heavily muscled arms on display.
She couldn’t think past the memory of his naked body surrounding her.
It was like she couldn’t think about anything other than sex.
Sex was all she had on her brain. And that was scary, because she was not a sex maniac.
Sex had gotten her into this trouble. Although, it no longer felt like trouble.
So, for three hours, while Larissa read out the instructions, which must have been missing a part, Big Dick built a crib, twice.
The first way, following the instructions, the second way, doing it the way he knew best. When it came time to do the second crib, he had it up and in place with no trouble at all.
After they were assembled, she had him put them into place, which was on either side of the room.
The room already had curtains, and there was a small cabinet along the far wall.
“Let’s make a list of everything you need,” Big Dick said. “I want everything to be ready and prepared for when the babies arrive. I’ve already got Raven and Carlos telling me they are going to be a handful.”