Chapter 9
NINE
RIDGE
In the early morning hours with Addy wrapped around me, her small hand splayed across my chest, I gave in to the urge to caress her lower belly. A child. Our child. I knew how I felt about it. At forty-two, I’d thought perhaps I’d never know this feeling. But then Addy had surprised me with the sweetest, sexiest proposition, her smokey grey eyes and curves made just for my hands had bewitched me.
I may have made that damn pinky promise, but by the time she’d left the hotel room, I’d made my own promise. I’d find her. Pineville wasn’t so big I couldn’t locate someone who knew her. And I was right. Now I just needed my sleeping beauty to wake so I could convince her we were perfect for each other. And our bonus baby was simply the proof. I saw him or her as a blessing. I didn’t need anymore time. Addy was the one.
As the morning broke over the top of the trees, she stirred, stretching and waking up my favorite appendage. Well, it had already been half awake, but now with her soft flesh gliding against mine, taking her and cementing my place in her life battled mightily against giving her the space she needed. “Morning sunshine.”
“ Mmm-hmm . Morning?! What time is it? How long was I asleep?” Panic tinged her sleep laced voice.
“About five-thirty. But you, and the baby, obviously need it.” Reluctantly, I let her go. “I’d offer you coffee, but I’m guessing that’s no longer an option or a good choice, so tell me what you feel like and I’ll get it for you.”
Hair tousled and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Addy sat up, her back against the headboard. She tucked the comforter around her hips. “You’re being awfully calm about…the baby.”
“How was I supposed to act?” Tugging on a shirt, I tracked her eyes as they roamed over me.
“I don’t know. Maybe freaked out? I certainly was.”
“Babe, stop looking at me like that or our talk will definitely need to be delayed.” Her face bloomed with a pink blush. But she ignored my warning and nodded at my cock tenting my sweatpants.
“Well, it’s pretty hard not to look.” She rolled her eyes and grinned. That’s when I knew I had a chance with this gorgeous woman soon to be even curvier. Her belly round with my child wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Adjusting myself, I returned her grin. “Okay, I’ll try to make it behave, but only if you tell me what you need. How are you feeling?”
“How about that club soda and crackers I asked for before I passed out?”
“You got it. Stay put. Okay?”
“Promise.” As soon as she said it, she shook her head. “I know, I know. This time no pinky’s required.”
Chuckling, I moved swiftly, collected what she requested and walked back into the bedroom just as she was returning from the bathroom. “You, okay?”
With a sigh, she responded, “Ridge, you need to stop asking me that. My morning sickness is normal. Annoying, yes, since I seem to have it morning, noon, and night, but I’ve been assured I’m fine. Just need to stay hydrated.”
“I’ll try to dial it back, but I care about you, Addy. I’m going to make sure you and baby are healthy, okay?”
Tears pricked her eyes. “Okay.” She whispered. “Now, give me. My tummy is protesting and I want to have that talk before it reaches critical mass.”
“Sure thing. Here you go.” Handing over the glass and crackers, we both settled on the bed. I waited as she drank and ate. The only sounds in the room were her nibbling until she finished them all.
“Thank you. I think that will hold off the nausea for a bit. So….” Addy let out a long breath.
“So. That first night, huh?” Nerves hit me, which was new.
“Yeah, well ninety-eight percent protection against pregnancy isn’t a hundred, especially when you factor that times three.” Addy shrugged her shoulders. “So, yeah, obviously one of those swimmers escaped.”
“Well, my father always warned me about the Beauchamp super sperm. And to be fair, I’d never gone three times in one night, so the odds were against us, or I’d like to think, with us.” I shifted closer and took one of her hands in mine. “I don’t want you to think I’m not happy about this baby, Addy. Sure, I had a moment of shock, who wouldn’t? But there’s no one I’d rather be a parent with than you.”
I watched as Addy’s full lips contorted comically as she started to say something, paused, then frowned. So much emotion on that beautiful face. “I know what you’re thinking. I’ve seen what we're experiencing with West and Lauren firsthand. Minus the surprise baby. I know how I feel about you, Addy. And your being pregnant doesn’t change it, it only amplifies it.”
“How do you feel about me?” My thumb was on her pulse point along her wrist, and I felt the increase in her heartrate as I continued rubbing. Hopefully, she felt the reassurance I was pouring into that simple touch.
Bringing our clasped hands up to my chest, I cupped her chin and turned her face up. “I love you, Addy. I love this baby. You’ve given me the opportunity to have what I never thought would happen in my life. I’d been locked into the role of loner soldier for years. Then, working on the lodge, this cabin for the past few years with West and Lars, I’d fallen into a pattern. Content with creating a space for our brothers and sisters to find solace.” I ran out of breath from rushing through my words, praying she wanted the same thing, felt the same way.
“Um, wow, that’s…a lot. I’m glad you’re happy about the baby, because after I calmed down, and even though it wasn’t planned, I want this baby. Very much. But….”
“I need you to believe me. Isn’t that a big part of what love is? Holding a belief that the person you choose will be there through anything life has to throw at you? I feel it, felt it when you boldly walked up to me that night at O’Malley’s. It was, no, you were like a lightning bolt, Addy. You knocked me over with your smile and all those wicked requests.”
Addy blushed. Lord, I loved those blushes.
“I’ve done a lot of thinking about this since last week. Love is taking a chance on another person to hold your heart as if it were the most precious thing in the world, guarding it from hurt whenever possible. Nothing or no one is perfect, nor is love. I know relationships can be messy and complicated, and frustrating, but that’s the small stuff. The really big stuff, the stuff that requires effort, sacrifice and compromise because you would do anything for the other person to stay in your life? To me that’s love. And I’m not afraid of hard work. You’re not going to scare me off by telling me our love can’t be real or lasting because of the way we met, or how long we’ve known each other, or any other reason you want to throw at me. I love you Addison.”
Rubbing my face, I let out a short laugh. “Damn, listen to me, would you? You’ve got me sounding like a damn poet, for fuck's sake. Is that something a man who is only after your body would say? Because I’ve never said anything remotely sappy to another living soul in my life. Only you.”
Her eyes were bright with tears, but she hadn’t run away screaming, so that was a good sign. And I can’t remember the last time I’d strung so many words together in a such short time.
Would she believe me, give us a chance? To be a family only we could make together, because for me, she and our unborn child were all I’d ever need and if she had to walk away so she could cope with her past, it would be hard, I’d hate every moment of not being with her, but I’d keep fighting for us as she took the time to heal or whatever she needed to process.
The air was thick with anticipation and the longer she looked at me without speaking, the more I prayed for her to read the truth in my eyes. Beatrix chose that moment to jump onto the bed. Mama cat protested loudly that her breakfast hadn’t magically appeared.
Then the cat did something that couldn’t have gone better than if it had been rehearsed. She walked across me and sniffed Addy’s arm. The new mama rubbed her head against Addy’s hand, seeking and getting some well-deserved scratches behind her ears.
“Beatrix agrees with me, by the way. You might think she’s just hungry, but this is how she shows her approval.”
“Shut up, you idiot.” Addison hiccuped, laughed, then burst into tears.
Grabbing the noisy cat, I placed her on the floor, then gathered Addy into my arms and held her as she sobbed, until her crying settled, turning into random sniffles. “You didn’t have to say any of that, but I’m so happy you did. I have to warn you, though, this is just the beginning of my hormonal outbursts, so you have to promise not to overload me with your poetry too often.”
Her watery smile just about did me in. “So, does that mean you’re not going anywhere?”
“You’re never getting rid of me.”
“Never’s a long time. You sure you’re up for me chasing you around the kitchen?” I could picture it now, and immediately my dick got hard again.
“Only if you’re up for three am feedings, fifth-grade math, and the possibility that we could be having a girl, then yes, I’m up for it all.”
“A girl?”
“Well, it is too early to know, but the chances are 50-50 and if this is the only child, we have?—”
I cut her off and said, “Who says?”
“Um, I mean, you are in your forties, so I thought you’d only want one.”
“Well, you thought wrong. We have a lot to talk about, but right now, the only thing I really need to know is that you love me and you’re going to marry me as soon as possible.”
Fresh tears filled my woman’s beautiful gray eyes just as another high-pitched yowl filled the bedroom. “Go feed the queen. I’ll be here waiting.” Addy winked through her tears. “And Ridge, I do love you. So much so I marvel at how quickly it happened. And yes, I’m open to discussing marriage. Maybe not as soon as possible, but you do make me believe that when the right person arrives, letting go of the past is the only way to move forward.”
Before I could answer her, a third yowl from the demanding cat pierced the air.
I guess I better get used to being interrupted now because once our baby arrived, there’d be another small creature ruling our lives, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.