Chapter 28 #2
I wanted to pick her up, carry her to bed, and shield her from the world forever.
Roxy pulled a 3D ultrasound photo off the refrigerator door.
She handed it to me, along with a small medical file from a nearby shelf detailing our unborn child’s stats.
I stared at the image and flipped through the paperwork, my hands shaking.
I took deep, ragged gulps of air to stop myself from losing control in front of her.
‘I’m a dad?’ I whispered, the words foreign and holy at the same time. ‘A father?’
‘You are, Angel,’ she murmured.
‘Fuuuck yeah,’ I grunted, as fiercer joy bloomed in my chest. ‘How far along are you?’
‘Thirteen weeks,’ Roxy muttered. ‘I’m in a world of agony trying to keep it, but I’m keeping it.’
‘Hell yeah, you are,’ I growled, matching her resolve. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
The look she shot me, one of utter irritated incredulity, shut down any need to seek a response.
I moved closer to her, my entire frame trembling and charged with intense longing.
‘Can I hug you, baby, please?’ I rasped.
Roxy narrowed her eyes, assessing my face for several agonizing seconds before she gave a small nod.
With a growl, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her flush to my chest.
She remained stiff at first, but then she slowly relaxed into the hug.
I buried my face in her shoulder, breathing her in.
I was holding my wife again, and better yet, she was pregnant with our child.
A savage happiness surged through me, and I pulled back with a massive, idiotic grin.
Desire sparked in my veins as I stared down at her.
She was so beautiful.
I bent my head to kiss her, desperate to seal our connection.
Roxy placed a hand against my torso, pushing me away, shutting me down.
Fuck.
‘You need to leave, Angel.’
I gazed into her stubborn eyes for a long time, searching for reassurance, but found none.
With a sigh and my heart sinking, I crossed my hands over my chest and leaned onto the counter behind me.
‘I know you’re pissed off at me,’ I grunted, ‘so go ahead, Rox, rail into me and tell me off. Here’s an idea.
Imagine touring with me to Tokyo and ripping into me onstage.
Cussing me out on the steps of the Ryman Auditorium, loud enough to wake the ghosts of music past, or dragging me through the dirt on a stage in Rio until fifty thousand fans cheer your name.
Then take all that energy and lay it into me here and now. ’
Her lips quirked, which gave me the courage to keep going.
‘Aside from one hell of an unpredictable tour, you have to admit it’d make a killer tell-all album. Just imagine the tracklist, Rox. You could call the EP Angel’s Fumbled the Bag. I’m certain the whole damn world would buy the record and side with you.’
She pursed her mouth hard, and I sensed she wanted to laugh, which gave me some sense of victory.
Then her face hardened, and she waved me away.
‘I’ve no energy to tell you off. Just go, Angel, I can’t with you.’
We stood staring at each other for a long time before I conceded and swiveled to walk out.
She followed me as if to check I’d leave for certain.
At the front entrance, I paused, shoving my hands into my jeans pockets.
‘Can I see you again?’
Roxy shrugged, her expression unreadable.
‘Can I at least help with the baby?’ I pressed, in a growl.
‘I’ll think on it,’ she said, stepping back into the shadows of the hall. ‘Now please go.’
‘You know I won’t stay away,’ I rasped, locking eyes with her.
‘Do whatever, Angel, but right now I can’t deal with you.’
After clashing eyes with her for a beat, I exhaled, shut the door, and walked out to my ride.
I slid inside, my mind whirling with a volatile mix of shock, dread, and pure, unfiltered adrenaline.
I was going to be a dad.
Fuckinghellshit!
My emotions swung from elation to terror, then back to euphoria, until I calmed myself with deep breaths.
‘Roxy, you’re mine, and I intend to claim you and now my baby,’ I whispered, not intending in the least to obey her edict to stay away. ‘For eternity.’
Too tired and jumpy to drive, I got into the backseat of my Defender, nabbed a blanket from the storage under the seats, and covered myself.
I set the alarm for three hours later and fell into the best sleep I’d had in weeks, undone by exhaustion but also by the fact I was close to her.
At 10 a.m., when my phone’s alarm woke me, I climbed back into the driver’s seat.
I stared at the farmhouse, recalling quiet breakfasts with Roxy in our Nashville kitchen, her smile, and the way her laughter filled my house.
To get her to let me back in, I realized I’d need to up the ante and show her my consistent devotion.
I had to throw myself at her feet as I’d never done before.
First, I needed to find out what it took to be a good partner to a pregnant woman.
My stomach growled, and I chugged water from a flask as I opened a browser tab on my phone and typed a search for how to be a supportive father.
The digital screen illuminated the cabin as I scrolled through basic parenting forums, my chest tight, still in disbelief that I was going to be a dad.
I read through threads about hormonal shifts, backaches, and pregnancy cravings, including the golden advice to be present for the mother.
With a few ideas churning, I started the engine and drove toward Nashville as my emotions flipped from explosive elation to cold dread.
One second I was flying on the wonder of her carrying my child, and the next I was drowning in worry about Roxy and the baby’s health, resolving never to leave her alone to it.
When I got into Nashville, I stopped by a Trader Joe’s and stocked up on food, going overboard on fresh fruits and vegetables, plus easy meals in case Roxy’s ban on me extended a few weeks.
Heading to a commercial rental lot, I secured a rugged, fully equipped, state-of-the-art camper van.
After swinging by my house for more clothes and supplies, I returned to Leiper’s Fork by sunset, towing the massive trailer behind my Defender.
I parked the rig right at the edge of Roxy’s gravel driveway, where I wouldn’t obscure her car from leaving but would have a full view of her home.
Her windows seemed curtained up, but I spotted a shift in the material as she peeked at me from her sanctuary.
I eased out of my ride and made sure to salute with a hello in her direction as I moved the shopping bags to her portico and knocked.
Walking away, I studied the entrance from my temporary home as she came to the door and stared down at the bounty I left her.
She shook her head, took the food, and flashed an annoyed glance at the RV before disappearing back inside.
I then settled in for the long haul, starting with making a meal for myself.
I pulled a folding table and chairs into the forecourt beside the camper, then began grilling my sausages and buttering my buns for a burger-and-beer dinner.
That’s when the front door opened, and my lips smirked.
I turned my back and stepped into the RV to get a bowl of salad.
Footsteps rattled on the metal stairs, then a fist banged on the open door.
‘Can I help you, beautiful? Hungry?’ I drawled.
I caught a snort of irritation from her as I swiveled around.
Grabbing my beer for a sip, I leaned with casual nonchalance against the aluminum jamb of the rig’s tidy kitchen.
I plastered on a lazy, confident smile even as my eyes raked her with hunger.
I struggled to hide the fact that I was so in love with her, finding it a hardship to breathe just being this close.
She wore a distressed denim jumpsuit and a floral wool sweater, her curves and the growing swell of her tummy filling out the fabric.
She’d never looked sexier, more sensual, and more adorable than she was now.
My cock throbbed as an arc of desire hit with a vengeance.
‘What the hell, Angel? I told you -.’
‘Not going anywhere, Rox,’ I interjected, crossing my arms over my chest. ‘Like I said, I’m here to stay.’
Roxy glared at me, her face flushed with annoyance as she cursed under her breath. ‘Damn you. Seems I can’t stop you.’
I raised the beer in my hand to her and gave her a smirk.
‘I’m a force to be reckoned with, so watch your six, woman. I’m going to win your heart back,’ I rasped.
With a final curse, she spun on her heel, marched straight back to her porch, and slammed the front door shut.
I grinned, the thrill of the hunt infusing me.
‘Game on, mama,’ I murmured.
ROXY
I’d bottled up my rage for weeks, blocking the pain from Angel’s entanglement with Evangeline.
Now with him around, the floodgates collapsed, and I had no idea how to process this level of acrid bitterness.
I hated my roiling thoughts, but the resentment ran too deep.
I’d given every ounce of my soul to our marriage; still, he’d chosen to protect my sister and not be upfront about it.
By keeping her presence in Nashville a secret, Angel had signaled she was more important to him than I was.
Now here he was, at my grandmother’s farm, claiming he loved me.
The audacity made me want to scream.
All I sought weeks ago was basic communication, honest reassurance, and solid support from my husband.
Instead, he broke my trust.
I couldn’t reconcile with him, not yet.
He had to feel the crushing pain of his actions and experience a fraction of the agony he inflicted on me.
So, I busied myself around the farmhouse, scrubbing, cleaning, and sorting my paintbrushes while wild thoughts looped in my head.
I walked past the kitchen window and paused to peek outside at him.
Angel sat outside, under the stars, next to his RV, tipping a beer bottle back.
The defiance from our earlier encounter was long gone, replaced by a dejected posture evident in his slumped, broad shoulders.
Even in his despondency, his rugged handsomeness was still evident.
The sculpted line of his jaw was leaner under the stubble, and his muscled torso didn’t quite fill out his black T-shirt like it used to.
An impulse hit me, a fierce yearning to march to him, take his hand, and lead him to come back to my bed.
I hated the thought of him sleeping in that hauler and away from me, regardless of my anger.