Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Maggie
As we drive to my grandmother’s house, warmth surrounds me. Her house was home to me for so many years. Grandma Doris was our saving grace, and then she was just mine.
The only family I have left.
I place my hands on my barely there bump and whisper a silent apology. This baby and Grandma Doris are the only family I have left.
“Maggie?” Lachlan’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. “You doing okay?” He reaches over and laces his fingers with mine.
“My mother died when I was thirteen.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, and I can hear the sincerity in his voice.
“Cancer of the liver. It was hell to watch her go through that. My dad was lost, and didn’t know what to do without her, so we sold the house, and moved in with his mom, Grandma Doris. My mother's parents had already passed.”
“That had to be hard.”
“Losing her is a pain I still feel every day. So, we moved in with Grandma Doris, and we tried to find our new normal. And we did for a few years. We missed her every single day, but we were adjusting. Then, during my junior year, there was an accident. My dad was driving to work, and a semi didn’t stop at the stoplight. He was pronounced dead on the scene.”
“Mags.” His voice cracks, and I squeeze his hand.
There is nothing that he could say that would make it better. “It was just me and Grandma Doris after that. She was my rock, and I was hers. We made it through losing them and until this baby, she was my only family.”
I point to the road on the right, and without needing to say anything, he slows down to make the turn.
“Second house on the right,” I tell him.
He pulls into the driveway and leaves the engine running. “Maggie, my heart breaks for you and everything you’ve been through.”
“I need to get this out before we go in. When I met Eric in college, he said all the right things. He was charming and said he wanted to be my family. I fell hard and fast, and then he changed. He thrived on control and manipulation, and I was so lost in wanting a family that I let him.” Taking off my seat belt, I turn to face Lachlan. “He made me feel a lot of things. He made me think a lot of things that I know now were just his need to control and manipulate, but I fell for it. All of it.”
“Prick,” he mutters.
I laugh, feeling instantly calmer. Telling him that story takes a heavy weight off my shoulders. “So, today, when you meet my grandma, don’t worry if she’s not as welcoming as your family was with me. We’ve been through a battle, and we made it out the other side, but she’s a protective mama bear. I just needed you to know that.”
“I can handle it. I’m ready to meet our baby’s great-grandmother.” He smiles. There’s something in his eyes that I can’t name, but I believe him. I hope like hell my gut is right this time. I’ve known Lachlan for a while, all of them, and I truly believe he’s a good man. I thought that about Eric too. However, looking back, there were signs. Warnings that I didn’t heed. This time, my eyes are wide open, and I already know without a shadow of a doubt that Lachlan isn’t Eric.
“Ready?” he asks.
I nod. “Let’s do this.”
“Wait for me.” He quickly climbs out of the truck and comes to my door to pull it open for me. “Practice, remember?” He winks, and even though I roll my eyes, I’m smiling. I just can’t seem to help myself where Lachlan is concerned.
He helps me out of the truck and places his hand on the small of my back, allowing me to lead us to the front door. I don’t bother knocking. Grandma knows I’m on my way, and I hate making her get up to get to the door. She doesn’t move as fast as she used to. I’ve tried talking to her about assisted living, but she’s stubborn.
“Grandma!” I call out. “Where are you?”
“In the living room, dear,” she calls back.
“You ready?” I whisper to Lachlan.
“So ready.” He grins and rubs his hands together as if he’s truly excited about meeting my grandmother. What do I know? Maybe he really is. We’re about to find out.
“There she is.” Grandma smiles. “Oh, you brought a friend. A handsome friend,” she coos.
“Grandma, this is Lachlan Noble. He works at Everlasting Ink with Emerson, Monroe, Briar, and Brogan’s husbands.”
“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” Lachlan says. He steps closer to offer her his hand.
“Oh, phooey, come over here.” Grandma opens her arms, and Lachlan’s muttered, “Yes, ma’am,” has me smiling as he bends to hug her where she sits in her chair.
She never hugged Eric. Grandma is an excellent judge of character, and I can tell she likes Lachlan already. That’s good. Maybe she’ll take it easy on him, hell, on both of us once she finds out our news.
I take a seat on the couch, and once Grandma releases Lachlan from her hug, he takes the spot next to me.
“Tell me about this.” Grandma waves her hands in the air.
“About what?” I play dumb, and she gives me a knowing look.
“I didn’t know you had a man in your life.” She tosses it out there. One thing about my grandmother is you never have to guess what she’s thinking or where she stands on any topic.
“We’re friends,” I tell her. “Lachlan owns the tattoo studio with the girls’ husbands,” I remind her.
“Yes, so you’ve said. But this”—she waves her hands between us once again—“is more than that.”
I nod. “You’re right. Lachlan and I are friends, but um… we’re also going to be parents together.”
The look on her face never changes, but I can tell by the look in her eyes, she’s processing my words. “You’re pregnant?” she finally asks.
“I am. Just out of my first trimester.”
“And Lachlan is the father. Your friend ?” she says, emphasizing the word.
“Yes.”
“Explain,” Grandma says. Her voice is soft, and I know she’s trying to understand, and I know I’m not doing the best job of explaining this to her.
“Maggie and I spent a night together,” Lachlan says, speaking up. “It was one night, one neither one of us will ever forget. We remained friends, and when she found out she was pregnant, we decided to raise this baby together. We’ve not been romantically involved since that night, but we are both dedicated to being the best damn parents we can be to our son or daughter.”
Tears prick my eyes because every damn day this man shows up for me. He knew without me telling him that I was struggling with this, and the way he described our situation was perfect.
“I see. So, when is the baby due?” Grandma asks.
“The middle of March,” Lachlan says proudly. “Miss Doris, we actually have a surprise for you.”
I turn to look at him, not sure what he’s talking about. “You do?”
“The doppler,” he reminds me.
“Oh.” I brighten. How could I have forgotten about that? “We do.” I turn back to my grandma and smile widely.
“Let me run out to the truck. I’ll be right back.” Lachlan stands and smiles at me before walking out of the room. It’s not until the front door opens and closes that my grandmother speaks.
“You care about him.”
“Of course I do. He’s my friend and the father of my baby.”
“Outside of that. You care about him.”
“He’s… one of the greatest men I’ve ever met. He spoils me and wants to take care of me and this baby. It’s hard not to care for a man who puts you on a pedestal after accidentally getting you pregnant.”
“He cares about you too. I can see it in his eyes.”
“Yeah,” I agree, because I know he does—not the way she’s thinking, but he does.
“Are you ready for this?” Lachlan asks, stepping back into the room. He holds up the doppler, and his smile, it’s radiant.
“What is this?” Grandma asks him.
“This little gadget will let us hear the baby’s heartbeat.”
“Really?” Grandma leans forward, her eyes brightening.
“Yes. We went to the doctor for our twelve-week checkup, and they used one, and when the doctor told me we could buy one to use at home, I ordered it that day.”
Lachlan kneels before me, his eyes locked on mine. I nod, and he lifts my shirt and gets to work, placing the doppler on my bump. It takes a few seconds to move the wand around, but then, there it is. The sound of our baby’s heartbeat.
“Grandma Doris, that’s the heartbeat of your great-grandchild,” Lachlan says proudly.
“Oh my word.” Grandma places her hand over her mouth, and tears shimmer in her eyes. “Such a blessing,” she says, and Lachlan grins up at me.
Something moves in my chest, and there is this overwhelming feeling of rightness that washes over me. This isn’t the way I imagined becoming a mom, but I’m starting to believe this is how it was meant to be.
I’m on the couch sipping some water. I’m out of ginger ale, and this morning, the nausea is intense. This is the second day in a row, and I’m not a fan. I rub my baby bump. “Take it easy on Mommy, huh?” I whisper just as there’s a knock at the door.
A quick glance at the clock confirms it’s just after six in the morning. Who could be knocking on my door at this hour? I remain in my seat, because what if it’s someone breaking in? Rationally, I know a burglar wouldn’t be knocking on the door; well, maybe a stupid one. I’m just tired and letting my mind run wild. I mean, no one I know would be on my doorstep at this time. What if it’s a serial killer asking to use the phone or something? I’m a mom now, or will be. I have to think about these things. My phone chimes, making me jump. I move quickly to grab it from the side table and my stomach rolls. Morning sickness is a bitch.
Lachlan: I’m at your door.
What? My heart starts to race. Why is he here so early? I look like hell, but I can’t do anything about that now. Slowly, I stand and make my way to the door, willing my stomach to behave. Twisting the lock, I open the door, and a rumpled Lachlan greets me.
“I came bearing gifts.”
“Gifts? Lachlan, what are you doing here?”
“Last night when we talked, you said yesterday morning was rough for you, so I brought reinforcements.” He steps into the house, and I close the door behind him, slowly trailing behind him to the kitchen. “I brought a plain bagel and got plain and cinnamon cream cheese on the side, or I thought you might want to do peanut butter for the protein, but I got them just in case. I have two cans of ginger ale. I wasn’t sure if you were out. I grabbed another box of saltines, so you can take them to work with you today, too, if you need them, and some peppermint and ginger candy. I read online that it helps with nausea.”
I plop down onto a kitchen chair. “You did all of that before 6:30 a.m.?” I ask.
“No. I went out last night to get everything but the bagel.”
“We talked after nine. Everything in town is closed.”
“I know. I drove to the all-hours convenience store in Nashville after we hung up.”
“You drove an hour away last night to get this stuff?”
He shrugs. “You needed it. This morning, I went to Pastry Heaven, so the bagel is fresh. I also have a loaf of wheat bread. I know that’s your favorite, in case you prefer toast.”
I’m stunned speechless. I don’t know what to say. My stomach rolls again, and this time, I know it’s not good. Standing, I slap my hand over my mouth and rush down the hall to the bathroom. I drop to my knees just in time. I groan once it’s over, and that’s when I realize my hair's being held back.
“What can I do?” Lachlan asks, rubbing my back with the hand that’s not holding my hair.
“You can go. I hate you seeing me this way,” I grumble. Tears spring to my eyes. The last thing I want to do is be a burden to him.
“I’m not going anywhere, and see you like what? Pregnant with our baby? I told you, I’m here for it all, Maggie. Tell me what you need.”
“To brush my teeth.”
“Fair enough.” He drops my hair and climbs to his feet. The next thing I know, he’s lifting me into his arms and carrying me to the sink. He sets me on the counter and starts adding toothpaste to my toothbrush.
“I can do it,” I tell him.
“I know you can, Mags, but you’re doing it all. You’re doing all the work, and I feel helpless. Let me help you.”
“I don’t want to be your burden, Lachlan.”
“What?” He rears back as if I slapped him. My toothbrush is dripping with water and the toothpaste is slowly slipping off the bristles. “You think you’re a burden? To me?”
“You didn’t sign up for this.”
“And you did? Maggie, we did this together. It took both of us to make this baby. It’s going to take both of us, and a damn village, to raise him or her. Those are the facts. What isn’t is you being a burden.” He pulls in a deep breath and heavily exhales. “I know that’s him talking. That bastard who made you feel like you weren’t enough. Listen to me. You are enough, Maggie. You are everything. You’re the mother of my child. You’re not a burden. You’re a fucking rock star. You’re growing our baby. Keeping him or her safe and healthy until we’re ready to meet them. That’s not a burden, Maggie Ward. That’s a fucking miracle.”
My heart feels like it’s too big for my chest. I know with absolute clarity that this baby might not have been planned, but without a doubt, I wouldn’t want to be doing this with anyone but Lachlan. That’s a scary revelation for me and for my heart. “You drove an hour last night after nine. That’s easily a two-and-a-half-hour trip… longer depending on how long you were in the store, and now you’re here bright and early to bring me food, and then you had to see that.” I shudder as I nod to the toilet.
“I did that because I wanted to. Not because I felt obligated. That’s what a dad does, Maggie. He shows up for those he cares about. He helps them in their time of need and goes above and beyond. I have a great role model, the absolute best. While I didn’t ever see him take care of my mom while pregnant, I did watch him take care of both of us growing up, and it wasn’t because we were his burden to bear. It’s because we are his family. We were what was important, and that to me, is you and our baby.”
Tears well in my eyes. “I’m sorry. Hormones.”
“Don’t push me away, Maggie. I know this is unconventional, but I promise you there is nowhere else on this earth I’d rather be than right there with you.”
I nod, and wipe at my eyes. “Can I brush my teeth now?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, babe, you can brush your teeth now.”
My heart stutters at the nickname he’s never used with me before. It’s so familiar and, in a way, intimate. He hands me the toothbrush, lifts me off the counter, and I turn to handle my business. Once I’m done, he laces his fingers through mine and leads me back to the kitchen.
“What are you thinking for breakfast?”
“The bagel, please. With peanut butter.”
“Coming right up. Drink?”
“Just water for now. Let’s see if I can keep that down.”
“You got it.”
I watch as he pulls two bagels out of the bag and rummages through my cabinets until he finds the peanut butter, which he slathers on before setting a plate in front of me and one right next to me. He gets us both a glass of water, and that’s how I end up having breakfast after puking my guts up with my baby daddy.
That’s not how I thought this morning was going to go, but even I can admit I’m glad he’s here. His words race through my mind.
I’m not a burden.
He wants to be here with me. He believes that, and I believe him. I need to stop letting my ex and his words into my present-day life. He’s in the past. I just wish it was that easy. The emotional and mental scars he inflicted run deep.
I was wrong, and my stomach twists now for an entirely different reason. “I’m sorry,” I tell Lachlan.
He reaches over and places his hand on my arm. “No apology needed. We’re both new to this, and there are going to be bumps, but I’m here for it all, Maggie. Good, bad, ugly, whatever it is, I’m all in where you and our baby are concerned. No matter what.”
The sincerity in his eyes has warmth filling my chest, and suddenly, my appetite is back. I pick up the bagel and take a huge bite, making him smile.
We’ve got this.