Chapter 30
30
Two weeks later…
I set the little stick on top of its box on the marble bathroom counter. As I wash my hands, I watch the small plus sign vibrantly ink itself onto the little screen.
I really am.
I’m pregnant with Nate Boone’s baby.
Not surprisingly, considering what we’ve spent the past few weeks doing. A lot.
I already knew but I wanted to wait until I was sure. Letting myself adjust to the the newness of my unfolding, surreal, enchanted new reality.
I’m almost a week late.
Our babies will grow up here on the farm and we’ll give them the same golden summers we had, running free and living their best lives .
After spending the past few days in Nashville, I drove back last night. I wanted to wait until I got home to take the test. And this place already feels like it’s that. The farm has always felt like home, and Nate’s— our, he keeps reminding me—house feels like a luxurious haven, with my dreamscape of a little family so excited to see me after a few days away.
Daisy has become my little shadow. She is the gentlest, sweetest child. We already share a surprisingly profound bond, because we both know what huge, tragic loss feels like and we also adore our Nate. We just love him, with our whole hearts. And he loves us.
He brings us presents and cooks for us. The three of us read Daisy’s stories together and we laugh at the voices Nate uses for the different characters. He plays his—pink, which makes it even better—guitar for us. If we beg, he sings to us. And I fall in love with him all over again.
With Dakota and Tobias’s help, we’re beginning to plan our wedding. It’ll take place at the lodge, of course, with our families around us. Daisy has an important role as the flower girl. We have plenty of musicians on hand to provide the music. We’re even going to stay in the cottage with the pink door on our wedding night.
It’s been a whirlwind three weeks, no doubt about that. But then again, we had eight years to prepare for it. To pine for each other and to miss out on what could have been. Once we found each other again, we let ourselves fall as fast and as hard as we’d always wanted to .
I’d never thought much about having babies. Or getting married. A month ago, I wasn’t sure I wanted either. I can now see that, somewhere behind my subconscious, it’s because he left that August day and never came back. I wanted to marry him and have his babies. He was the one I loved.
I still can’t believe he’s mine and that I get to keep him. I sometimes wake up and wonder if finding him again was all just a beautiful dream.
Standing in front of the mirror, I place my hands on my flat belly. “Hey, little one,” I whisper. “I love you.” I already do, so much it hurts. The tiny seed of our wild love, planted inside me.
I put on a sundress and brush my hair.
Then I make my way down the curving wooden staircase designed by Jed, Nate told me, taking in the spectacular view of the river and the dappled sunlight outside the wall of windows.
I’ve set up the home office Nate built for me, and I’ve hired Kristie Anderson to take on some of my workload. She’s fun, organized, whip-smart and she’s not easily intimidated. Which makes her perfect for the job. She also has several contacts in the music industry she used to work with—all women who took time off to have babies but are experienced—who might also be able to join our team.
It could work out well since I’ve suddenly got a full list of clients but I’ve also promised Nate I’d spend more time at home .
And Nate hired Kristie’s husband Shane to help manage his business. Because Shane’s so eager to prove himself, and he’s a quick learner and is extremely good at what he does, Nate’s been able to cut way back on his hours.
Shane’s vision for property development is also very much in line with Nate’s. Nate told me all about the group from Seattle who wanted to build seven hundred houses on the farm next to Sugar Mountain, and that he’d killed the deal. Both Shane and Nate are dedicated to developing land so that it makes sense to the Tennesseans who have farmed it for generations. Which made me love him even more, if that was possible.
My hot rockstar of a fiancé didn’t actually “sign” with me because we didn’t see the need to bother with the paperwork, but he’s agreed to cut an album. He already has a recording studio, after all. And it turns out he’s got enough original material for three entire records. We’re going through them to decide which ones to put on his first album. Kade’s going to do some of the production and I plan to start approaching record labels next week.
Luke and Leo got a record deal with one of the bigger labels—the first one I approached—the week after the hoedown. The deal will easily ensure that they can hire as many farmhands as they want as they record and tour. In fact, they couldn’t believe it when I told them how much money they’d just made.
My brothers insisted that Luke, Leo and Nate come to the warehouse and show them what I’d been raving about. And it’s been decided: the opening acts for The Tucker Brothers Band’s next tour will be, on alternating nights, Ruby on one night and Luke and Leo on the other.
Nate’s not making any plans to perform. Not until after we hear back from Social Services. We’ve also decided to wait to take a honeymoon until things are settled. Nate joked darkly about honeymooning in Cincinnati and I told him we’ll take it as it comes. Whatever happens, we’ll stay together.
I walk into the kitchen to find Daisy and Nate sitting at the table, heads bent over the picture they’re coloring. Her homework assignment was to create a piece of art with the first letter of her name, and to get one of her favorite people to help her color it.
They both look up when I walk in. “Miss Roxie, look! My D has butterflies around it! Just like on my necklace you gave me.” She hasn’t taken it off since I put it on her.
“And they’re pink,” I smile, kissing her blond head.
“Hey, beautiful,” Nate drawls, smiling that slow smile I fell in love with so many years ago. Each time I see it, the love just compounds itself like a spiraling galaxy of stars. I lean to kiss his head too but he slides his warm palm under my hair and kisses my lips.
Daisy grins. “Uncle Nate, you love Miss Roxie so much ,” she giggles.
“I sure do, darlin’.”
I go over to the stove to put the kettle on. “I’m craving hot cocoa with marshmallows. Who else wants some? ”
“Me!” Daisy says.
Familiar, beloved country music is playing softly in the background. The house is clean and tidy and the flowers Daisy picked from Aunt Lou’s garden are in a vase on the table, infusing the air with their soft fragrance.
Everything looks so inviting and homely, I can’t help but wish Ainsley Beal could see us now.
As it turned out, Jenny Jenkins decided to take over Nate and Daisy’s case after the day they visited the warehouse, declaring it “a high-profile and high-priority case” and one that needed to be handled by the department’s director.
Nate’s hopeful, but there haven’t been any other home visits. Each time he calls, he’s told that they’re still waiting for the judge’s deliberation.
Nate’s phone rings from where it’s sitting on the table.
We can both see the name on the screen.
Jenny Jenkins.
We exchange a glance and Nate answers the call. “Hi, Jenny…good, thanks…yes…okay…of course…you did? Can you…yes, we’re home all day…all right, we’ll see you soon.”
He ends the call. That little furrow is back, the one that always shows up when he’s stressed about something—and especially when this particular topic is mentioned.
“Jenny’s in the area and she said she’d like to stop in to see us.”
“Oh. Well, that’s good.” I was just thinking it would be the perfect time for a home visit .
“Is Jenny the new lady who’s deciding if I can live with you?” Daisy asks, her little face worried now.
“Yes. She said she has some news.”
I’m almost afraid to ask it. “What news?”
“She said she’d like to discuss that with us in person. She’s only ten minutes away.”
Daisy’s eyes fill with tears. “I’m scared,” she sobs.
Nate wipes her tears. “Don’t be scared, sweetheart. Remember, we’re a team. We stay together no matter what.”
None of us says much as we wait. I busy myself with making four mugs of hot cocoa, and Nate and Daisy continue coloring.
There’s the crunch of tires on gravel as a car pulls into the driveway.
Nate gets up to open the door.
Jenny Jenkins is dressed in a bright yellow pantsuit. The jacket is open and underneath she’s wearing a Tucker Brothers Band tour t-shirt. The one Travis gave her the day she and the others came to the warehouse, signed by all three of my brothers. I’m almost wondering if she’s taken it off since then. “ So good to see you all,” she beams, as Nate shows her in and offers her a seat. “You have a lovely home.”
“Thank you.”
She’s a ray of sunshine compared to Ainsley Beal.
No one so upbeat could possibly be delivering bad news, could they?
Jenny places a large manila envelope on the table and we all stare at it. Daisy climbs onto Nate’s lap and wraps her arms securely around his neck.
“Would you like a hot cocoa, Jenny?”
“I’d love one, thank you.”
Once we’re all seated, Jenny smiles. “I was in the area, but I also received this this morning and wanted to deliver it to you myself. As you know, I took over your case from Ainsley, partly because it’s the least I could do after you basically made my life by bringing the Tucker brothers into the office.” She sighs and clasps her hands together at the memory. “The experience had a profound effect on us all. The other reason I took over your case is because, after meeting her idol, Ainsley has decided to leave us to pursue her true passion.”
Jenny pauses and I can’t help myself. “What’s her true passion?”
“She wants to become an accountant.”
“Oh. Okay.” I guess it makes sense. Either way, we’ve all been hoping and praying that our chances of keeping Daisy are far better with Jenny than they were with Ainsley.
Jenny pats the envelope. “It’s from the judge. I was ninety-nine percent sure we had an airtight case. The recommendation I submitted was very highly in your favor. Since we witnessed the proposal firsthand—that was so romantic, by the way.” More sighing and hand-clasping.
Nate finally says, “Does that mean…?”
“And since you will be providing a more traditional family unit once you’re married, which was the main concern of Mrs. Sullivan-Smith’s, the contesting party really can’t be favored for that reason alone.”
I can tell that Nate’s about to grab the envelope and rip it open. “What was the judge’s decision, then?”
Jenny smiles. Is it a letting-you-down-gently smile or a triumphant smile? It’s hard to tell. But then she finally says it. “You’ve been awarded full custody which clears the path for a legal adoption. I can help you start that ball rolling now if you’d like me to. Congratulations.”
Daisy’s tear-filled eyes are wide as she looks up at Nate. “Does that mean I can stay?”
“Yes, princess. It means you can stay.”
Daisy squeals and hugs Nate. Nate looks so relieved he sort of slumps back in his chair.
“You make a beautiful family,” Jenny says.
I was going to wait to tell Nate tonight but now seems like the perfect time. “We’re actually going to be a family of four in around eight and a half months. Daisy’s getting a little brother or sister.”
It’s been a busy day. Jenny felt like an unexpected friend by the time she left and we’ve made plans to meet again at the warehouse for a get-together. Then we took Daisy over to the farmhouse and told everyone the good news. It turned into a huge celebration party. And, when I told them our other good news, Aunt Lou and Betty-Ann both had to sit down because they were so overcome with joy.
I FaceTimed my brothers, who were all together working on their album, and in between comments like, Fuck , that Nate Boone doesn’t mess around , they were as emotional as my brothers get—which was sort of adorably emotional. Before I hung up I told them all I loved them.
It’s late now. As we were reading Daisy her story and tucking her in tonight, she said that now she has a Mommy and Daddy in heaven and a Mommy and Daddy down here. She tried the words out and they slid surprisingly easily into place.
I get into bed, savoring the feel of the Egyptian cotton sheets warmed by Nate’s big, always-running-hot body. He’s reading his iPad, which he puts to the side as soon as I crawl in beside him.
He takes me in his arms and gazes deeply into my eyes. “Have I told the stunningly beautiful mother of my babies how much I love her yet today?”
“Maybe…” I pretend to mull it over… “twenty times.”
“Well, that’s not nearly enough. I love you, Roxie Tucker. Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world.” He kisses me with tender lust, which gets hungrier and more intimate, until my entire body is radiating heat.
Then he kisses his way slowly down my body, taking his time, sucking and licking my nipples until they’re budded and rosy.
Nate kisses my stomach, lingering there. “Hey, little baby,” he murmurs. “I’m your Daddy. We love you so much. We’re going to have such a beautiful life together. You’ve got the most gorgeous mama in the whole world and the sweetest big sister. We can’t wait to meet you.”
He moves lower, pinning my legs as he takes everything he wants, feasting languidly, sucking, licking, sliding his fingers inside, until the waves crest and break in starry, luscious bursts.
Then he climbs up my body, laying himself over me. He pushes his big cock into my slippery, still-pulsing pussy, until he’s deep, deep inside. I’m so tightly around him, pulling his release from him lovingly with my own wild pleasure.
“I love you, Nate Boone,” I whisper, until my whispers turn to moans and we come together, drowning and floating in the beautiful bliss of our own happily ever after.