Chapter 85
The morning after Reese learns he’s going to be a father, we wake to the news that Martha has officially been arrested. Everything is going as expected which means Reese and I are in the back of Savage’s SUV on our way to court when my agent calls. “Your publisher read your column this morning along with the rest of the world. They want a book. Ten percent higher than the last deal.”
“Send me the contract to review,” I say.
“To review?” Liz demands. “Are you crazy?”
No, I think, just pregnant. I have a baby to think about, which means deadlines and due dates, have to be considered.
“Do you know how much money this is?” she adds.
Since I keep reading about how expensive babies are, I decide the offer is a good offer. “I’m always cautious. I need to review the contract but it’s probably a yes.”
“Probably?”
“I need to go,” I say, as we pull up to the courthouse. “I’ll call you later.”
Reese arches a brow. “Book deal?”
“College fund.”
He laughs, and a few minutes later, with Savage still by my side, through at least today, I enter the courtroom. Not much later, there’s a press conference with Reese and Milton, and Dana as the special guest. It’s hours before the crowd thins and Dana is so ready to be away from it all that we discover that she’s already packed and Savage is dropping her off at the airport. “Savage talked to Reginald for me,” she says as we walk her to the side exit with Savage moving on ahead to clear the exterior of the building. “He seems to understand why I can’t talk to him.”
We stop at the doors to wait on Savage and Dana hugs me and Reese. There are lots of happy words. Finally, Savage waves her onward to join him outside. We’ve just sealed her inside the SUV when she rolls down the window. “Maybe I’ll take Savage to Paris.”
We both laugh and the SUV pulls away. “You think Savage will go?” I ask.
“Not Savage. He’s not about money.”
“She’s a pretty woman.”
“She’s not a Savage woman. You are, but we took care of that with the lipstick.” He wraps his arm around me and another SUV pulls up in front of us. Reese grabs the back door and once we’re inside, we find Royce is our driver.
“They just cleared Reginald,” he announces as he set us into gear.
“Dana is on her way to the airport,” I say. “She might want to wait on Reginald.”
“Savage told her right as they pulled away,” Royce says. “And the evidence against Martha is damning. This is over for Dana. It’s over for you two.”
“And yet so much more has just begun,” Reese says. “I know. You can stop playing dumb.”
Royce glances at me in the mirror. “We’re not telling anyone but Lori and Cole right now and not until after my appointment on Monday.”
“Understood,” Royce says.
A few minutes later we exit at our apartment and Royce meets us at the door. “Congratulations you two. If you need survival tips. Well, I have survived. You will, too. That’s about the best I got other than calling my wife.”
Reese and I enter our building with smiles on our faces. “Do you think it’s that rough?”
“Of course not,” Reese says. “People always try to scare expectant parents.”
“Expectant parents,” I repeat. “Okay, I’m scared.”
He leads me into the elevator, folding me against him even as he punches the elevator button. “Don’t stress. I’ll find a way to keep your mind off your fears once we’re alone.”
“That’s a big order.”
“I’ll practice until I get it right,” he promises.
Monday arrives and Reese and I attend my doctor’s appointment together. By the time we leave, we do so feeling more like official parents-to-be than ever. We are also weeks from knowing the sex of the baby and we decide when we are that far along, then we’ll announce. For now, we’re going to Lori and Cole which is exactly what we do. I join Reese at the office, and we call them to the conference room. Once they shut the door, I just can’t wait to get it out. “We have an announcement,” I say, grinning. “We’re pregnant.”
“Oh my God,” Lori says, her eyes going wide. “I knew it. I had a gut feeling.” She hugs me as Cole does the same to Reese, because apparently, the baby thing takes away the macho in them, at least a little.
Telling them feels good. It makes the baby feel real and instead of staying at work, Reese and I take a trip to a baby store and start planning for the nursery. It becomes immediately obvious that Reese wants nothing less than everything for this child and it’s really adorably sexy. When I get home, and he’s forced to return business calls, I write all about his sexy, adorable shopping in the journal I still plan to give him for his birthday.
One week before Reese’s party I have to tell him about that, too. He’s too attentive right now and without a case that has his interest, for me to pull off the surprise. Instead, I let him help me pick the food and plan, but I pick the cake. It’s a surprise. It’s his mother’s recipe that I’ve had the local bakery recreate with her permission.
What’s interesting is that my brothers are both attentive as well, though Reid’s version of attentive is cranky and quick, but there’s something different about him I can’t quite understand. I’m a little weird with Gabe, I decide after several calls over several days. I just can’t get over him being so willing to let Wilson be hurt, even if it was to protect me.
Finally, the night of the party arrives and I’m dressed in jeans and a blouse, ready to receive our guests, only to be surprised when Gabe shows up early to help me setup. Together we force Reese to go downstairs to have a drink in the bar while we ready the house for about thirty friends which means Gabe moves furniture while I watch. “Reid’s coming,” Gabe announces after the catering company arrives and we retreat to the kitchen island with coffee in hand. “And bringing a woman.”
I blanch. “Reid? A woman?” I’m stunned.
“She came in like a hurricane, and I do believe he’s recovering from the storm.”
“Now I know why he seems different.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Is she nice? Pretty? Successful?”
“All of the above and tough as nails. She can handle him and then some.”
“That’s good. Really good. What about you? Any special woman these days?”
“Never. I’m not that guy.”
“Reid said the same thing,” I remind him.
“Reid and I are not as alike as Reid likes to think.”
I’m curious about all that I obviously don’t know about my brother. He’s a funny guy and yet, he’s clearly cold beneath that humor. Reid is Reid. Hard and harder, but Gabe’s not that simple. He’s right. They aren’t so alike. The sound of the front door opening has me standing up as Reese calls out, “I’m here!”
I shove off my stool and race to greet him, finding him positively perfection in faded jeans and a T-shirt. I push to my toes, kiss him and then lower my voice to say, “Your last birthday before you’re a father.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Gabe rounds the corner and greets Reese, and I leave the two men to chat. I have a gift to add a few final touches to. I hurry upstairs, shut the bedroom door, and pull out the bound notebook I had all of my journal entries laminated inside. I then go to the bed and pull out a custom-made box that has “Dad to Be” all over it, insert the notebook and then seal it with a combo of pink and blue ribbons.
I didn’t give him his baby news for his birthday. but I’m going to give him the gift of knowing that nothing he feared was on my mind over Debbie was really on my mind. Everything I was thinking was about us and our growing family.
Two hours later, the party is in full gear, my gorgeous husband is the center of attention, and we are surrounded by friends; Lauren and Royce, Cole and Lori, being the ones who stay close to us, above all others. It’s almost time for cake and gifts. I want mine to come first. I grab his hand. “Come with me,” I say.
His eyes light with mischief. “Why?” he whispers, leaning in close. “What are you going to do to me?”
I laugh and give him my back while tugging on his hand. With a quick rush through the crowd, I lead the way to our bedroom and once we’re there, I point to the chair. “Go. Sit. Shut your eyes.”
“Should we do this while the guests are downstairs?”
“Yes. Because we aren’t doing what you keep hinting at. Go sit, husband.”
He kisses me and does as ordered. “Shut your eyes.”
“Okay. Eyes shut, sweetheart.”
I grab the box and set it on Reese’s lap. I sit down next to him. “Okay. Your gift that was supposed to be part of the baby news.”
He opens his eyes and smiles at the box. “Future dad. That I am.”
He opens the lid and pulls out the book, giving me a curious look. “When I found out I was pregnant and decided not to tell you right away, I started writing down all of my thoughts so you’d know you didn’t miss anything.”
He flips it open and starts to read before glancing over at me. “This is perfect, Cat. Absolutely perfect.”
“Now you know Debbie wasn’t on my mind.”
He leans over and kisses me. “Perfect. Like you.”
“Some of my thoughts are pretty silly when I read them now. You’ll get a few laughs.”
He refocuses on the book and flips to a random page and gives me one of those laughs now. “You wondered if you tasted differently?”
My cheeks actually heat on that one. “I—well—yes. I did.”
He sets the book aside. “No, you do not, but why don’t I make sure right now.”
I squeeze my legs together. “No. Not now. And it’s your birthday. I do you.”
He stands up and pulls me to my feet. “We do us, sweetheart.”
“And baby Olive.”
“And baby Olive.”
I open the new journal I’ve been keeping to document my pregnancy and start to write:
Today I’m thinking about the night of Reese’s birthday, my father showed up and he could have ruined the night. He was rude and horrible to Reid’s new woman and he had me shaking all over. I think of this today because my father has never been a man to show love and affection, and while yes, this causes me pain, it also drives home the contrast between him and Reese. Sometimes it’s what we don’t have that makes us appreciate what we do have. And if we don’t, we should. I hope that one day my child will read this and remember to appreciate what she has. Yes, she. We found out today that we’re having a girl. For now, we’re calling her Olive, for fun, but we’re torn between the names Ashley and Heather.
Reese appears in the doorway and holds up an envelope. “A gift from your brother Reid, delivered by courier.”
“A gift from Reid and he doesn’t even know I’m pregnant yet.”
Reese sits down next to me. “He said to open it together.”
I grab it, unseal it and pull out a document. “It’s the paternity test. You’re not the father. Well, not of Debbie’s baby.” I set the document aside. “Just the father of Heather.”
“Heather.”
“Yes,” I say. “I like Heather.”
“As long as it’s not Olive,” he teases, and pulls me down on the couch with him, where we do not keep our clothes on, nor do we shut the door, though those days will soon be history, once baby Heather arrives. Which is exactly why Reese seems to believe we should spend as much time without clothes as possible now, while we can.
I wake in the hospital bed to find that Reese has snuck into bed with me, and our daughter, baby Heather, is asleep in a bassinet next to us. I smile and tangle my fingers in my husband’s hair, but he doesn’t wake up. I snuggle closer to him and close my eyes right as Heather makes a soft sound. Reese is up in an instant, awake for our daughter, then he didn’t even notice me playing with his hair. That tells me he’s that comfortable with me touching him, and that he’s going to prove me right and be an amazing father. Which makes me wish that for my daughter, that all of her dreams come true, and that she ends up with a man just like her father.