Chapter 12
12
STEPHANIE
Stephanie lay there in bed listening to Lance humming in the distance. He was moving around in the apartment, and she could hear the coffee brewing. She wasn’t ready to wake up yet or say hello – but instead wanted to live in this bubble for a few moments longer.
Last night had turned around quite unexpectedly. They had looked around at baby things and picked out all sorts of toys, outfits, teethers, and such together. It was ridiculous because she didn’t have much family, and what family she did have – she wasn’t close to. Her friends might get her an item or two, but this list they were building was getting quite large, and there was no way it would ever get filled. No, this was simply a fun exercise to do together. Lance had rubbed her shoulders, peering over them as they clicked on each item. He usually had some quip or comment to make that had her either rolling her eyes or laughing – but it was nice.
After a while, they sat on the couch together. They watched television for a bit, giving her time to unwind until she fell asleep unexpectedly. At some point, Lance scooped her up in his arms and carried her into her bedroom, kissing her gently.
“Sweet dreams, princess,” he whispered – and then, if that wasn’t enough, she felt a slight pressure on her stomach as he kissed the material of her shirt, whispering, “You too, peanut.”
And she melted, reaching for his hand blindly in her exhaustion. She managed to grab it, only to feel a kiss pressed to her palm.
“Sleep, Steph… we can talk tomorrow,” he whispered, and she slipped away, feeling safe, comforted, and treasured for the first time in what felt like forever.
That sweetness is what gave her hope when he slipped up, making remarks that got under her skin. It wasn’t like he was trying to irritate her, but rather, it was the fact that he seemed to be content, okay, even accepting of the fact that their lives were spiraling out of control.
Or at least it felt like that to her.
There was so much to decide, so much to do, so many questions were coming at her fast and furious. Do you want a boy or a girl? Have you picked a hospital yet? Are you going to have medication or do things naturally? Have you bought maternity clothes yet? Should you be eating that? Should you be gaining this much weight? Where’s your husband?
And Lance was adding one more level to her stress. He wanted her to move so he could be involved. She understood why, and honestly, it was a blessing, but when her mental ‘plate’ felt like it was cracking under the pressure – adding one more thing seemed to bring out the worst in her.
Sure, she could find another job – but it would be harder when she started showing later on. The idea of looking for an apartment halfway across the country seemed intimidating.
To him, he seemed to think this was all normal, yet it was anything but that. Maybe he was used to picking up and moving, but she had grown up here, had roots here and knew her way around town. She had never been to Florida, and while she loved traveling with Lila and Natalie – they went as a trio. She was never alone, even if she was just holding their seats while they partied and hesitated mid-thought as the bedroom door opened fully.
“Hey,” Lance smiled, holding two cups of coffee in front of him. “I thought I’d surprise you and do my best to keep you from giving me heart failure again this morning. Maybe if I bring the coffee to you, then you don’t end up sprawled all over the kitchen floor.”
“Ha ha,” she began glibly, softening her words with a smile as she sat up. “I could get used to having coffee in bed. Just warning you now.”
“If you wake up like this, smiling at me, I could get used to bringing it to you,” he countered easily, matching her smile as he set it down beside her on the bedside table. “Are you hungry?”
“Food, too? How long have you been up?”
“Well, before you quantify it as ‘food,’” he chuckled easily, smiling at her. “It’s just a little something because I still owe you that T-bone. I thought maybe we could grab brunch together. You know, steak and eggs?”
Stephanie scrunched up her nose and looked at him skeptically .
“What?” he asked, grinning.
“Is that good together? I mean, you had my attention with steak – but steak and eggs?”
“You’ve never had steak and eggs? Well, that settles it. We’re definitely going to brunch. Let me go get your toast…”
“Toast?”
“I said it was a little something… and it’s just a slice of toast, ‘cause we are talking steak and eggs , Stephanie,” he stressed emphatically. “The two greatest foods combined on one plate is supremely the best brunch date ever.”
“I see,” she smirked, taking a sip of her coffee as he went to get the toast he mentioned. When he walked back in, she looked at him. “Thank you,” she replied easily as he handed her the small saucer with a piece of buttered toast on it. “Do you go on many brunch dates the morning after a good time?”
That simple question hung in the air between them – and he sat down on the end of her bed, taking a sip from his cup. He didn’t say a word, and she felt a lump in her throat, already knowing the answer. He was a beautiful man, extremely gorgeous, so of course, he’d been on lots of brunch dates with probably all sorts of women.
“When I’m back home,” Lance started quietly, his eyes focused on the cup in his hands, and she braced herself, expecting the worst. “I usually go with my Mama and sister, Laura. My grandma started the tradition when I was little. After church let out, we’d go have brunch as a family at the little restaurant on Main Street.”
He raised his eyes slowly, meeting hers.
“I normally don’t stick around, I don’t sleep with the women I pick up, nor do I follow up later,” he admitted in a hushed voice full of regret. “I’m not a great guy… but I’m trying to change all of that. You are the first woman I’ ve ever actually stayed and fallen asleep with. Brunch is special to me. It’s for family, for reconnecting and talking – and I sorta wish they could meet you because you are family, my wife .”
“Lance…” she whispered, touched and unsure what to say.
“Stephanie, I know you are scared, and there’s doubt,” he admitted quietly, not holding back. “I haven’t touched another woman since New York. I’ve been keeping busy, trying to figure out how to do better, and how to handle all of this. I still don’t have the answers, but I want you to know that this is special to me, even if it’s scary and new, and I’m really trying for the first time in my life.”
His words seemed to hang in the air as she looked at him. This change, this baby, was going to alter both of their lives, yet he was choosing to make a change for them. Maybe instead of fighting him so hard, maybe she should give him a chance to see what happens because her brain kept saying that someone like her couldn’t end up with the man of her dreams. He was honestly the hottest guy she’d ever seen and had to have been completely drunk in order to sleep with her that night – or had he?
What if Lance was choosing her because she was different? What if he found something in her that was worth hanging onto because she wasn’t like the other girls he fooled around with? What if Prince Charming actually had a thing for the scullery maid, because she made him feel at ease and, he could relax for the first time ever?
“I’d like to meet your family someday,” she whispered hoarsely, not looking away from his eyes. “And I think I’ll pass on the toast. Steak sounds good, and who am I to do away with family traditions?”
There was a flicker of something in his bright eyes as he smiled at her, looking shy and nervous, which struck her as comical. He looked insecure, like someone had handed him a gift and he was afraid they would take it from him at any moment.
“Sooo,” she drawled nervously at his silence. “Are you getting the first shower, so I can finish my coffee? Peanut is gonna be hungry soon, you know…”
The deliberate use of the term he’d dubbed the baby last night seemed to hit just right for both of them. They shared a knowing smile as he looked away, chuckling thickly with emotion, before nodding.
“Finish your coffee, princess. I’ll get the first shower.”
“Lance?”
“Yeah?”
“Remind me when we get home from brunch to show you the sonogram because the baby does look like a little peanut right now,” she offered, feeling emotional at sharing this with him, recognizing that they were at a turning point.
“I would love that,” he said hoarsely, nodding. “Thank you.”
Two hours later, they were both sitting at a booth in a restaurant as the waitress put down a platter before each of them. The amount of food was staggering, but the thrill in Lance’s expression was infectious. He was grinning like a kid in a candy store, his eyes darting at each dish that appeared, unsure where to start first. There was a bowl of ‘breakfast ambrosia’ that he ordered just for the name, a heaping serving of potato casserole. Each of them had a ribeye and scrambled eggs. Then a basket of biscuits was brought over, and a bowl of sausage gravy.
“My word, we’re going to have a ton of leftovers,” she laughed, looking at the spread before them. There was enough to feed an army, and all of it looked so appetizing, smelling so fragrant that her mouth was already watering.
“Speak for yourself, my gorgeous princess – it’s about to be a throwdown,” he laughed, grabbing a spoon and plopping a dollop of the fruit salad on her plate first without asking before dumping another on his own. He then shoveled some potato casserole onto her plate, then his as she just sat there staring at him in shock.
“What?” he asked, looking up a moment later with a panicked expression. “What’s wrong? Was I not supposed to serve you? It’s ladies first, you know – or at least that is how I was raised.”
“You called me gorgeous.”
“Well, duh,” Lance chuckled. “Look in the mirror, gorgeous ,” he drawled pointedly and then hesitated, getting this wildly curious and confused look on his face when she didn’t respond. “Is that okay?”
“I’m not – and you shouldn’t poke fun at me.”
“Princess, when I poke you, it will be in fun , not at fun … and we’ll be in bed again,” he taunted and then looked at her again, his playful expression turning shocked. “Wait… hold up ! Stephanie? Do you really think you aren’t pretty? Seriously?”
This was getting very uncomfortable quickly.
She ignored his questions, avoided looking at him, and simply picked up her fork to eat in silence, refusing to comment on this. Except Lance was obviously not going to let it go.
He reached over the table and stopped her hand, the one holding the fork, and plucked the fork from her fingers, dropping onto the plate loudly. There was a clatter that caused several tables around them to get quiet, looking at them.
Stephanie wished she could just drop onto the floor. She hated attention and was much more comfortable as a wallflower, not the center of the conversation. I should have never said anything, she thought silently, full of shame and regret – only to feel Lance lace his fingers with hers.
“Look at me, Stephanie…” he said softly – and she did. She slowly raised her eyes from her plate toward him as he spoke again. “I’m going to say something that is going to sound utterly terrible and sexist.”
She braced herself for another crass and rude comment, waiting and saw his smirk.
“I don’t have sex with ugly girls,” Lance began, sounding like a braggart and not bothering to lower his voice, almost like he was proud of the facts he was about to toss out for the world to hear. “I’m a twerp, a pig, and I know it – but I’m not blind. I like hot girls, girls who are easy to look at, but you?” he paused, and Stephanie knew several tables were starting to stare at them. They all knew this was a train wreck about to happen before their eyes and she could feel tears of shame stinging her own as she held her breath, waiting. “Stephanie you are incredibly gorgeous from your toes to your nose, princess. I married the hottest girl in the entire world, and she’s carrying my baby now.”
There was something so emotional in his voice when he said those words that the tears that had been choking her threatened to spill over.
“There are millions of Cavanaugh genes swirling around, bonding with yours, and I don’t take that lightly. I’ve got ancestors that would haunt my butt if I knocked up an ugly girl – and right now, they are cheering wildly because I finally did something right in my life,” he said thickly, staring at her. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me – and our peanut is resting beneath your heart, growing… so yeah, Stephanie, you are gorgeous to me in so many, many ways.”
The tables around them began to clap slowly, and she put her free hand over her mouth, holding back an emotional sob only to see him stand awkwardly in his seat, leaning over the table and tugging her toward him. She slowly rose about a foot, and that was enough for him to drop the softest of kisses on her lips.
“I meant every word of that,” he whispered tenderly, brushing his nose against hers… and smiled. “Now, feed our peanut.”
She nodded tearfully, feeling a fragile warmth in her soul as she met his eyes. He reached over and picked up the fork that he’d tossed down. The handle was now covered in food, bounced out of her plate, and Lance reached over giving her his own that was still wrapped in a napkin. As he sat down, he looked at her, his eyes warm and full of emotion.
“I love brunch, don’t you?”
“It’s starting to have its perks,” she whispered, giving him a shaky, watery smile as he winked at her, cutting into his steak.
Watching him out of the corner of her eye and catching his attention everyone once in a while, she ate her meal. They chatted in-between bites. It was just nice to feel this change between them starting to begin, like the bitterness and fear was seeping from her soul. She was beginning to put her trust in him, care for him, because he’d been nothing but sweet toward her since his arrival.
The skeptic in her said ‘wait until he’s gone to hold judgment’ though. As they finished up, Lance leaned back happily and stretched – before moving forward to snag the last biscuit, causing her to laugh.
“Did you want this?”
“I don’t see how you are still eating,” she chuckled, smiling at him.
“Because I know when I get back, it’s the usual stuff and then boredom. I’m not worried about things because when things get monotonous, I go to the gym and work out. Gotta keep this physique lookin’ good for my wife.”
“Don’t you mean ‘ the ladies’ …?” she questioned, lifting an eyebrow at him.
“It’s not ‘ ladies’ unless the Peanut turns out to be a baby girl,” he grinned, “And then absolutely it’s my ladies – the both of you.”
“Good answer,” she teased, feeling inordinately pleased at his reply.
“Good try,” he winked knowingly before glancing at his watch. “But we do need to get out of here. I’ve got to get my bag, get some information from you so I can add you to my file as a dependent when I get this marriage license thing corrected – because I will, ” he said quickly as she opened her mouth and he pointed at her, stopping her in her tracks. “Don’t say it. Have a little faith in your man, okay?”
“All right, I’m going to have ‘faith in you’ – before I get to say ‘I told you so’.”
“If you turn out to be right and I’m wrong, we’ll make sure everyone knows it – right before we get married again.”
“Lance…”
“Nuh-uh,” he interrupted. “We’re married, and I’m kinda getting used to this whole wifey thing. Peanut is going to have my name, and there is no arguing about this.”
“Peanut Cavanaugh does have a certain ring to it,” she teased, treasuring his smile. Yeah, if all of this worked out, she was one lucky woman to have someone like this in her life. “And I guess when you get back to Jacksonville, send me a few links to look at for an apartment.”
“Really?”
“That’s not a ‘Yes’ – but I’m weighing my options.”
“That’s all I ask, princess.”
He stood up from the table and moved to her seat, holding out his hand to her. She put her hand in his, rising and was surprised to have him kiss her once more gently.
“This was wonderful – thank you.”
“This was nice. Thank you for suggesting it.”
“Maybe we can do this again in a month or two – unless we’re unpacking your place up for a move to Florida,” he taunted, wagging his eyebrows at her like the flirt he was – and she laughed.
“Point taken,” she chided as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, walking her out to the car.