CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT THEO
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
THEO
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
I turn around at the sound of her voice as I slip my head through my sweatshirt. Lucy stands in the doorway of the bedroom, a long yellow dress hugging her pregnant stomach, flowing around her ankles. Her auburn hair falls in soft waves, framing the sides of her face.
She’s fucking breathtaking.
She lifts her brows. “Theo?”
I swallow hard, my nostrils flaring as my eyes land on hers.
“You look…” My voice trails off as I close the distance between us, raking my hand through my hair and putting my hat on backwards, “absolutely amazing.” I grab the top of the doorway, my face dipping closer to hers as I push her hair behind her ear. “God, you’re beautiful.”
Her cheeks are tinted pink from her makeup, but the shade deepens as she peers up at me through her dark, long lashes. “Thank you.”
Instinctively, my left hand moves to her stomach, cradling the swell of her belly through the silk material of her dress. I love you. My body immediately stills, my eyes growing wide as those three words linger on the tip of my tongue.
“Are you okay?” Lucy asks, her eyebrows tugging inward. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost?”
I shake my head, collecting myself before kissing her in haste. What the fuck, Theo? “I’m fine,” I lie, smiling at her before kissing her again. “Just got dizzy for a second.”
She pulls away, lifting her hand and pressing the back of it against my forehead. “Are you feeling alright?” Her eyes are wide, filled with concern as they scan my face.
I wrap my hand around her wrist, laughing softly as I pull it away from my face. “I’m okay, love.” I slide my palm against hers, lacing our fingers together. “Come on, we’re gonna be late.”
She hikes her brow. “So, there’s a set time for wherever we’re going. A reservation, perhaps?”
She’s impossible. I chuckle quietly, winking as I lead her out of the room. “You’ll see.”
Lucy’s quiet, her hand cradling her stomach and eyes out the window as we drive down the lane that leads to the clubhouse at the country club. She slowly turns her head to look at me, cocking it to the side. “Are we here for my baby shower?”
Shit. I had a feeling she’d end up guessing it eventually once we were here. There’s no reason why I’d be bringing her to the country club. It’s not like we’re going out for a round of golf. I’m not even a member here and only ever come with the Fords since they’re members.
I glance at Lucy as we pull into the parking lot that’s littered with cars. I’m supposed to have Lucy here at two thirty, but everyone else was instructed to be here by two fifteen since it’s supposed to be a surprise for her. So much for that…
“You’ll see.”
She purses her lips as I ease the car into a parking spot and put it in park. “Come on,” she pleads as I kill the engine and turn to her. “I see my mom’s car, Elena’s, Posey’s…” Her voice trails off. “Hell, there’s my aunt’s car.” She gives me a look. “That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it?”
“I’m sworn to secrecy, love.”
She bats her eyelashes at me, giving me puppy dog eyes. “Please?”
I’m no match. “Yes.” I sigh, shaking my head at how easily I fold. “It’s supposed to be a surprise, though, so pretend when you walk in.”
A smile tugs across her lips. “Come here,” she murmurs, reaching for the collar of my shirt. “I’d lean over the center console if my stomach wouldn’t get in the way.”
Laughter rumbles in my chest as I let her tug me toward her, unbuckling my seatbelt as I lean across the car, hovering over her in her seat.
“I’ll come to you always,” I murmur, my lips finding hers as I steal the air from her lungs.
She wraps her hands around the back of my neck, and my hands slide down her torso, cradling her stomach.
Lucy deepens the kiss, her lips parting, tongue slipping between mine. I’m swept away by her, so caught up in her essence. One taste of her was never going to be enough. I’d always known once we crossed that line, we’d never be able to go back to what we once were.
And the thought of losing her—it still fucking terrifies me.
She isn’t even mine and here I am, afraid of losing her.
I pull away from her, leaning down to her stomach.
Holding it in my hands, I bring my face down to her swollen belly, lowering my lips.
“You be good today. Okay, baby girl?” I smile, feeling the baby move beneath my hands.
“Be gentle and don’t kick your momma too hard.
We don’t want her to be any more uncomfortable than she already is. ”
Lucy slides her hands over my back as I press my lips to her stomach. “I think she recognizes your voice.”
I turn my head, resting it against her abdomen as my gaze collides with hers. “You think so?”
Her eyes are misty and she nods, a soft and tender smile dancing across her lips. “Every time you talk to her, she moves around.”
“Good.” I kiss her stomach once more before shifting my body to kiss her lips. “She’s going to get sick of my voice eventually, I’m sure.”
Lucy shakes her head, her fingertips caressing the sides of my face. “Never.”
My lips find her once again and I have to force myself to pull back. “I need to get you inside. Your mom and Elena will skin me alive if I mess this up.”
“I’d never let them,” Lucy promises, unbuckling her seatbelt as I sit up straight in my seat. “Are you staying?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I grab my keys and phone, pushing open my door. “They couldn’t keep me away, even if they wanted to.”
I get out and meet her at her side. Her door is open, but she waits for me to help her out of the car. We only have six weeks until the baby is here and Lucy has been having trouble getting comfortable as the baby’s been getting bigger and running out of space in her stomach.
Lucy’s hand is in mine as we walk to the front door of the clubhouse. We slip inside, heading down the hall to the main ballroom that has a view of the fairway for the first hole. Melodic music drifts through the air, wrapping around us, leading us to the massive oak doors.
“Ready?”
She nods, adjusting the skirt of her dress. “Whenever you are.”
I pull open the door, and the lights flicker on as Lucy steps inside.
Our friends, family, and teammates all stand around their tables, collectively yelling “SURPRISE!” as she slips into the ballroom.
Her laughter mixes with the commotion of everyone else and I hang back in the doorway, my eyes trailing after her as Elena, her mother and father both meet her in the middle of the room, each wrapping their arms around her in a gentle embrace.
Rowan kisses the top of her head, his eyes flickering to mine from across the space. He holds my gaze for a moment and my spine straightens, a lump lodging in my throat. His expression relaxes, his eyes warming as he gives me a nod before directing his attention back to Lucy.
“Look at you, getting here on time.” Elena smirks as she walks over to me, pulling me in for a hug. We embrace and I release her. She stands next to me for a moment, both of us watching Lucy as everyone takes turns saying hi and congratulating her. “Thanks for helping us with the surprise.”
“She figured it out when we pulled in,” I admit, my voice low.
“Of course she did.” Elena chuckles, shaking her head. “It’s impossible to keep anything from her.”
The guys are all surrounding Lucy now, smiling and laughing. An involuntary growl rumbles in my chest. They’d better keep their hands off her stomach. “Calm down, killer,” Elena muses, knocking her elbow into my arm. “No one’s going to take your girl.”
“She’s not my girl.”
“Goddamn, you’re dense,” she mutters, shaking her head. “If she’s not your girl, then what is she?”
I turn my head to look at her, a ragged sigh deflating my lungs. She’s Lucy, my best friend—my Lucy. “I don’t know,” I admit, my voice quiet.
“You still haven’t told her yet, have you?”
I tilt my head to the side, arching a brow. “Told her what?”
“That you’re in love with her.”
My breath catches and my heart stumbles over itself. My eyes are wide as I stare back at Elena.
“She feels safe with you.” She falls silent for a moment. “You make her happy, Theo. Don’t fuck this up.”
“What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”
Elena exhales, a ghost of a smile dancing across her lips. “Tell her, Theo,” she says softly, ignoring my question. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
“El,” Shaw calls out, his eyes on Elena as the dimples in his cheeks grow. “I need your help with the fruit tray.”
She huffs out a breath. “No one asked him to help, but he was here an hour early, insistent on helping us set up.” She rolls her eyes. “He’s a damn thorn in my side.”
Her annoyance is palpable and I can’t help but laugh.
Cameron Shaw is a complex individual. He’s always the life of the party, always willing to lend a helping hand, yet he’s like a golden retriever that may have hit its head one too many times.
Both of his moms are therapists and I’m not sure if that made him of a sounder mind or fucked him up instead.
Sometimes it’s like he tries to over-read a room and ends up getting it all wrong.
“I’ll be right there,” she tells him before turning back to me. “Stop being afraid of whatever scenarios you’ve created in your head and tell her the truth.”
I stare back at her for a moment, my eyes flicking over to Lucy, who’s taking a seat at the small table at the front of the room. There’s two seats… one for her and one for me. Each with a ribbon sash draped over it. She slides hers over her body and written in bold letters is ‘Mom’.
Emotion wells in my throat as I look at the one on my chair.
‘Dad’.
Lucy’s gaze meets mine, soft and warm. That damn smile tugs on the corners of her lips, her cheeks lifting as she watches me from across the room.
I’m absolutely and irrevocably fucked.
“I will,” I say to Elena, my eyes locked on Lucy’s. “I’ll tell her the truth tonight.”
“Good.” Elena turns to me, grabbing my bicep and squeezing. “Just know, if you end up hurting her, there’s a line of people who will make you regret it.”
I arch a brow. “Do you really think I would do something like that?”
She chuckles, shaking her head. “Not a chance in hell.” She leaves me just inside the ballroom and heads over to Shaw.
She narrows her eyes at him, scolding him for something, and he looks like he’s enjoying every second of it.
Amusement washes over his expression and he bites back a grin, nodding his head at her.
Laughing to myself, I look back at Lucy, my eyes only on hers as I head over to the table. She’s glowing and the sight of her takes my breath away.
“Hey, Daddy,” she says softly with a sheepish grin, her eyes searching mine as she hands the sash to me. Heat blooms in the pit of my stomach, blood rushing straight to my dick. Goddamn, I like those words on her lips.
Now is not the time or place for that, Theo.
I look down at the word on the ribbon, running my thumb over it. My chest tightens, the corners of my eyes burning as emotion hits me in the center of my chest. At twenty-four, I never really gave kids much thought, but when it did cross my mind, there was only one person I’d ever imagined it with.
My gaze drifts back to hers. “Hey, Momma.” I smile at her, putting on my sash and pulling her chair out for her. Lucy smiles back at me as she sits down. I can’t help myself as I lean forward, kissing the soft spot behind her ear. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”
“You did, but you can tell me again if you’d like.”
I chuckle, my lips brushing her ear. “You’re always beautiful. I can’t wait to get you home and tell you how beautiful you look without this dress on.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I murmur, kissing the side of her neck again. She shivers, her breath hitching.
“Okay, lovebirds.” Elena’s voice cuts through the moment as she knocks her hand against the table. “We have some games to play, if you guys can keep your hands off each other for a bit.”
Blush creeps across Lucy’s face, her eyes meeting mine. “We can do that.”
“For a bit.” I laugh, sitting down next to her. I reach for the bottom of her chair, dragging her closer to me as I sling my arm around the top of her shoulders. “Let’s go to the beach house tonight. Just you and me.”
“I’d like that,” she says.
I smirk, winking at her as Elena starts talking to the room of people. “I like you.”
Lucy gives me a sheepish grin. “I like you, too.”
My heart pounds against my rib cage and I attempt to will it into a normal rhythm, but it never happens. It never does when Lucy’s this close. Combine it with those four simple words she spoke and there’s no chance for my heart.
I’m so gone for her.