Chapter 37
CHAPTER 37
Morgan
I sat in the rocker in the nursery with my hand on my belly, feeling my baby move around from the two donuts I consumed this morning. I probably shouldn’t have eaten them before having a nutritious protein-filled breakfast, but they were inside the box calling my name.
The room was finished. All her furniture was put in its place, and pictures were hung on the wall. It, indeed, was a bedroom fit for a princess.
Roman’s moms gave us a beautiful shower. I knew only about ten people, and the other hundred were friends of theirs. I had invited my mom, but she couldn’t make it—no shocker there.
“There you are.” Roman smiled, walking into the nursery and leaning over to kiss me. “Wow. You got everything put away? I told you to wait, and I’d help you.”
“I couldn’t help it. I was nesting.” I smiled. “You were supposed to be home an hour ago.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I got tied up with a client. I thought you’d be ready when I got home. We have dinner reservations, remember?”
“Shit. I totally forgot. I’m sorry, but I don’t feel like going out. Can you cancel the reservations?”
I noted the look on his face, and he didn’t look pleased.
“Sure. I’ll cancel them.”
“Thank you, Roman. I’m just tired.” I stood up and hugged him. “I’m going to take a bath.”
“Okay. I’ll go start the water and get you a towel.” His grip around me tightened.
“You don’t have to do that,” I said.
“I want to. You’ve been working your ass off all day, getting everything organized. Let me do this for you.”
“If you insist.” I smiled.
“Good girl.” He kissed my forehead. “Just go do what you have to do, and I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
I went into the bedroom, stripped out of my clothes, and slipped on my robe. Walking down to the kitchen, I grabbed a bottle of water and took it upstairs.
“Is it ready?” I asked Roman.
“Yeah. Come on in.”
I stepped into the bathroom and smiled when I saw him in the bathtub covered in bubbles.
“You don’t mind some company, do you?”
“Not at all.” I slipped off my robe and climbed into the tub, pressing my body against his while his arms wrapped around me.
“This is nice.” I closed my eyes, smiling.
“I missed you at the office today,” he said.
“I missed you all day, too.” I softly stroked his arm.
“I love you, Morgan.”
“I know you do. I love you too, and so does our daughter. ”
“I never thought I could be so in love with someone without meeting them,” he said. “I can’t imagine my life without you and our daughter. Close your eyes for a moment.”
“Why?” I laughed.
“I want you to picture something in your mind.”
“Okay. They’re closed.”
“Can you see our future? Can you see us taking Maddie for long walks in her stroller? Can you see us taking her into the pool or the ocean for the first time? Can you see the years of birthday celebrations and holidays?”
“Yes. Yes. And yes.” I smiled.
“Open your eyes.”
My heart started racing when I opened my eyes and saw Roman’s hand in front of my face, holding an open ring box with a beautiful diamond ring.
“Oh my God.” Tears sprung to my eyes.
“I don’t want to be just your boyfriend and the father of our baby. I want to be your husband and spend eternity with you. Will you marry me, Morgan?”
I quickly sat up and turned around, straddling him and holding his face.
“Yes, Roman. God, yes, I’ll marry you!”
With a grin, he removed the ring and slipped it on my finger.
“I love you so much.” His mouth smashed into mine.
“I love you too.”
“I was going to propose tonight at the restaurant. I had it all planned out with the ring in a glass of champagne. But someone was too tired.” A smirk crossed his lips.
“Aw, I’m sorry, babe. But I think this was way more romantic. Who wouldn’t love being proposed to by the man they love naked in the bathtub?”
Two Months Later
It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day as we pushed the stroller across the grass to my father’s grave. Taking Maddie out, I held her and introduced her to my father.
“Hi, Dad. I’d like you to meet your granddaughter, Madison. You two share the same birthday.” I smiled. “But I’m sure you already know that. She’s such an amazing little girl, Dad. I wish you could meet her.”
I felt Roman’s hand on my shoulder.
“Anyway, it’s such a beautiful day out, and we wanted to spend part of it with you.”
I sat on the large blanket Roman spread out and laid Maddie down in her stroller, shielding her from the warm sun. Roman opened the picnic basket and pulled out the barbecue chicken sandwiches we had picked up from a new deli that had opened close to the house, along with macaroni salad and some fruit.
“Did your mom ever call you back?” Roman asked.
“No. It’s been a week.”
“I’m sorry, babe.”
“Don’t be.” I lightly smiled. “This is her. It’s what she does.”
He reached over and swiped his thumb over the corner of my mouth. “You had a piece of macaroni there.” A handsome smile crossed his lips.
Maddie started crying, so Roman took her from her stroller and held her.
I pulled my phone from my purse, held it up, and snapped a photo of them. He held her like a protective giant, his arms cradling her, and his face filled with pure joy as he gazed down at her.
“Daddy’s got you, princess, and he’s never letting you go.”
Staring at them, my lips curved into a smile. My life was complete and filled with so much love that sometimes I felt l was dreaming.
His phone pinged, and he handed Maddie over to me. He pulled his phone out and looked at it.
“Shit,” he said.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s from Parker. Some new evidence was found in the Rigby case. Fuck.”
“Language in front of your daughter, Roman.”
“Sorry, babe. I have to get back to the office.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“You’re still on maternity leave,” he said.
“Doesn’t matter. I miss my work.” I smiled. “Let’s go.” I stood up and set Maddie in her stroller.
We headed to the office. As we were pushing the stroller down the hall, Julian headed toward us.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked.
“Parker said new evidence was found in the Rigby case, and it isn’t good.”
“Yeah, he told me. Something sounds fishy about that. Hey, you.” He leaned over and smiled at Maddie.
“Do me a favor and watch her while Morgan does her thing. Come on, babe.” Roman grabbed my hand.
“Wait!” Julian shouted. “I can’t keep an eye on her. I don’t like kids.”
“She’s your niece, douchebag!” Roman exclaimed as we headed to my office.
“I mean, she’s okay, but come on, bro! What do I do if she cries?”
“Figure it out!”
“I’m worried.” I glanced at Roman.
“She’ll be fine.”
“I wasn’t talking about our daughter.” I smirked.
“Julian plays this tough guy act, but he can’t fool me. He’ll be fine.”
I sat behind my desk and turned on all the monitors lined up on the wall.
“Thank God you’re here.” Parker walked into my office. “The D.A. handed this over.” He handed Roman a file.
“He’s being framed,” Roman said. “But by who?”
My fingers flew across the keyboard as lines of code rapidly crossed the multiple screens. “Access Granted” finally appeared, and I was in.
I combed through the data, finding a report buried so deep that they never thought someone would find it.
“This has Senator Gibson’s name on it.” I glanced at Roman and Parker. “Fuck, Roman. This goes way up and implicates some very powerful people.”
“This is the smoking gun we needed,” Parker said.
“Now, the problem is how we’re going to present this because of our not-so-legal method of obtaining it,” Roman said. “They’re going to know we hacked into the system.”
“Not if we anonymously submit this to your contact at the L.A. Times. Let them print the story first. Nobody can trace it back to this office.”
“That’s a good idea.” Parker grinned.
Katherine walked into my office, holding Maddie.
“Would you two like to explain why you would leave this precious child in Julian’s care?”
“Mom, what are you doing here?” Roman asked.
“I stopped by to sign some papers for the company. ”
“Hi, Mom.” Parker kissed her cheek. “Hi, Maddie.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll go get the papers.”
“I can take her, Mom.” Roman held out his arms.
“No, thank you, darling. I’m holding my granddaughter as long as I’m here.”