Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
T he next morning—late morning—Matt finally woke up. He walked into the kitchen, scrubbing a hand through his hair, his eyes still a little puffy from sleep. “Wow, I slept like the dead. Everything is a blur.”
I paused a beat. “Everything?”
His gaze met mine. “Well, not everything, love.” He winked.
“About that,” I stared him down and pointed a wooden spoon at him. “What about the no-romance agreement?”
“I could ask ye the same thing. Ye jumped me in the shower in the middle of the night…” he leaned forward, “…while I was naked .”
“I was nesting, remember?” I blinked rapidly and felt a bead of sweat trickle down between my breasts.
His gaze heated as he followed its path, his voice growing husky. “I remember ye wanted to nest in me bed.”
“So, are you hungry?” I blurted, desperate to change the subject.
His lips formed a slow, sexy smile. “I’m starved, love.”
My face flamed red. “Er, for food, I mean. I cooked.” I pointed at the pile of scrambled eggs. “It might not look pretty, but I tried a bite, and I think it’s actually edible.”
“Thanks. I haven’t had an actual meal in weeks.” He sat down at the table as if that dangerously delicious conversation hadn’t just happened and dug into the plate of eggs, toast, and bacon. “This is great, lass.”
Damn stage two.
Maybe my active imagination was making me read into things. I shook off my wayward thoughts and focused on the real reason I’d made him breakfast. I cleared my throat before responding.
“You’re welcome.” I sat down next to him, having already eaten mine because I couldn’t wait. “So, why exactly haven’t you had a meal in weeks?” He’d promised to come clean the next day, and that day was today.
His gaze met mine. He didn’t speak until he finished chewing and wiped his mouth. He took a sip of orange juice, as if stalling to find the right words. Letting out a big sigh, he finally said, “I’ve been following yer ex.”
“Bud?”
Matt arched a thick blond brow high. “How many exes do ye have?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Very funny…not. Mind telling me why you were following my ex-husband?”
He hoisted one massive shoulder. “To make him stop harassing ye.”
I threw up my hands. “If you get into a fight with him, he’s going to sue you. The last thing I need is for the father of my children to get arrested.”
Matt waved me off. “Ye worry too much, lass. The only one who’s getting arrested is that lying fake.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I did a little research. Found out where he lives.” He held up his hand. “Not so I could go beat him up, even though he deserves it. I went to his house to stake it out.” Matt’s face hardened. “Just as ye suspected, he’s been faking everything.”
“I knew it!” I slapped my palm on the table. It felt great to be right and actually have someone believe me. “Do you have proof?”
“Not yet. But I did see him with me own two eyes. He wasn’t wearing a neck brace, and for someone with a bad back who can’t work, he looked pretty limber to me climbing a tree. It looked like he was getting a cat down for some woman.”
Disgust filled me. “Probably his new girlfriend. The one I saw running to his car the day my spa was set on fire.”
“I wasn’t prepared the first day and my pictures all came out blurry.” Matt set his jaw. “I’ve been back every day since, following him all over town, waiting for him to slip up again.”
“Good.” My face matched his.
He blinked. “Ye approve?”
“As long as you don’t do anything to get arrested, then yes. I’m tired of fighting this battle alone and getting nowhere.” My shoulders drooped. “I just don’t have the energy anymore.”
“I’ve got enough energy for the both of us, love. Ye leave the weasel to me.” He stood up and carried his dishes to the kitchen sink.
I walked over to refill my teacup, not expecting him to turn around at that moment. We collided, and his arms instantly wrapped around me to steady me. Our bodies were pressed together, and I sucked in a breath, surprised.
“Easy, love.” He looked down at me but didn’t move away. “Yer carrying precious cargo.” His eyes sprang wide. “What was that?”
I was twenty-two weeks, but the timing had never been right until now. “That was your precious cargo telling you you’re squishing them, Daddy.”
His entire face filled with wonder and then melted. He slid his hands down my arms, pausing just before touching my belly. “May I?”
I laughed softly. He’d touched every inch of me not that long ago, yet this somehow felt far more intimate. “Of course.”
His huge palms cradled both sides of my rounded stomach, and I could feel the comforting warmth. I felt a foot kick, possibly more than one foot, and I gasped. “That was a big one.”
“Aye, strong and full of life. This is incredible,” he said in barely more than a whisper, his face one big beaming smile with perfect white teeth. He looked up from my belly with moisture shining in his sparkling blue eyes. “Ye are incredible.”
“And you’re going to make me cry.” I laughed past the lump in my throat as I stepped away to refill my teacup to go. He was an open book. At any given moment, you knew what Matthew McGinnis was thinking. He didn’t hide his feelings and wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable. I envied that. What it must be like to be so carefree.
“Ye don’t take compliments very well, do ye,” he said quietly.
I startled for a moment, realizing he must have read my face for a change. “Trust me, doll, I’m used to compliments.” I brushed him off like it was no big deal, sliding my mask back into place.
“I’m sure ye are. Ye are a beautiful woman, love.” His tone filled with tenderness. “I’m talking about yer inner beauty. You’re glowing, lass. Motherhood suits ye. And I know ye don’t think ye’ll be any good at it, but ye already are. Ye just need to believe it like I do. So, I repeat…ye are incredible.”
“And late.” I inhaled a shaky breath and pasted on a smile. “I should probably head to work.”
It didn’t matter how many rules we set in place. He saw through my bullshit, straight to my vulnerable soul. Damnit! How had I let this happen? I was falling hard, and it scared the hell out of me. No more trying to check out his clover tattoo. It was too risky. I had to pull back. Put some distance between us…
Before I suffered a loss I couldn’t recover from.
With that thought, I grabbed my bag and headed out the door before I did something stupid, like fall in love with him.
Over the next two weeks, I did my best to do exactly that, but it was pointless. Matt was more present than ever. He hired a private investigator to tail Bud and gave his cousin Aidan more duties at the bar while Finn kept an eye on everything as he performed. That freed up Matt’s time to spend with me.
I got used to having him around.
He hadn’t brought up romance or vulnerability or anything that made me uncomfortable. It was as if he knew I might bail if things got to be too much. Instead, he acted like a perfect gentleman. A housemate. A friend. He cooked and cleaned and contributed just as much as I did. We decorated both nurseries, as well as the rest of our ranch together.
The babies had made it to twenty-four weeks gestation. That was considered severely premature, but there was a chance they could survive at that age if I went into premature labor. A big sigh of relief for us both. Twins were usually born early, but I was hoping to make it as long as possible.
Our vehicles both had car seats installed and double strollers loaded in the trunks. He’d even packed a diaper bag with outfits to go home in, as well as newborn diapers, wet wipes, burp cloths, pacifiers, and even toys. He’d thought of everything, even me, but I refused to let him pack my bag, but he had inspired me to do so myself. Zoe was right. My clothes were definitely comfy these days, but…
No one was getting a look at my granny preggo panties.
I glanced at my watch. Where were they?
I sat at a table in Lolita’s Restaurant, waiting for Tabatha and Rita to join me. My sister and I had lunch once before alone, with a new understanding and appreciation for each other and the unusual circumstances that had torn us apart and now brought us back together. It had gone well, so we decided to do it once more.
Only this time, she’d talked me into letting Rita join us.
“Sorry we’re late,” Tabatha said, as they approached my table.
I jumped because I hadn’t seen them coming. “It’s okay,” I said, because I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I glanced at Rita, who looked like a wounded bird again, and I still felt uncomfortable.
“Yes, sorry.” Rita smiled tentatively, staring intensely at me as if terrified of what my reaction would be.
“It’s my fault,” Tabatha interjected. “My meeting with an author I’m working with took longer than I expected.”
I smiled at them both. “Really, it’s okay. Why don’t you both have a seat.”
Rita let out the breath she’d been holding and practically wilted into the chair across from me, while Tabatha sat confidently in the chair next to me. Clearly, we didn’t get our gumption from Mommy Dearest.
That was all Grammy.
The corner of my lip tipped up, thinking of her.
It had been four months since her death. I’d had all of her personal belongings brought to a storage unit and sold her house with the furniture in it, but I still couldn’t go through her things. I had my own money, so I set up a trust fund for the boys.
I still cried myself to sleep many nights, and I missed her terribly. That’s what made this so hard. I didn’t want to hear anything negative said about the woman I adored. She was tough, but she had always been fair and kind to me. She loved me, and she was mine. She wasn’t perfect, but who was?
I couldn’t risk anyone ruining her memory for me.
“Tiffany, did you hear me?” Tabatha eyed me curiously.
I blinked. “Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts.”
“Good ones, I hope.” Rita looked over the top of her menu at me.
I sat up a little straighter. “Yes, they were of Grammy.”
“Ah, Eugenia was a remarkable woman,” she said softly, her eyes filled with kindness and regret.
“She certainly was.” I couldn’t help liking Rita and wanting some kind of relationship with her, but I felt guilty, like I was betraying Grammy. So, I settled on being cordial to Rita and focusing on developing my relationship with Tabatha.
The waitress came over and we ordered. After she left, someone else brought our drinks right away, and we waited in awkward silence for our food.
“Dad told me to tell you he noticed an oil stain beneath your car.” Tabatha took a sip of lemonade. “He can help you with that if you’d like. He’s pretty handy with cars.”
“Oh, yes, your father restores old cars on the side when he’s not working for the brewery. He’s quite good.” Rita beamed with pride.
“I don’t need Charlie’s help. I have Matt.”
Rita’s shoulders slumped and she toyed with her napkin. “I’m glad you have someone to help you, dear.”
I nodded, unable to speak. How could a simple term of endearment like the word dear from a person’s biological mother stir up so many emotions. As I did with everything these days, I blamed the hormones.
“How are you feeling?” Tabatha glanced at my stomach and smiled, but I could see the pain she still felt over losing her daughter and husband shining bright in her eyes like my own. Like our mother’s.
Maybe this lunch wasn’t such a great idea after all.
I inhaled a deep breath, reminding myself I was an Eisenhower. I could do this. “I feel great. I’m nearing the end of my second trimester. The first trimester was awful. I was so tired and sick. But the second trimester has been much better so far. I feel great. It fills my mind with wonder to feel the boys move. Carrying twins isn’t so bad.”
Tabatha snorted. “I’ll remind you of that during the third trimester.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Tabatha, don’t scare your sister. It’s nothing she can’t handle.” Rita sat up straighter and seemed less wilted as she turned to me. “You’ll be just fine, Tiffany.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” I stared wide-eyed at my mother and then looked at my sister. “Seriously, I want to know what to expect.”
“Don’t you have a book?” Tabatha shrugged at Rita when she scowled at her.
“Yes, but I have a feeling it leaves out the details an expectant mother really wants to know. So, fess up, Tabby. What was it really like for you?”
“Sorry, Mom, Tiff asked for it. And honestly, I would have been better prepared had you told me what it was really like.”
“Every woman is different, and I just don’t believe in unnecessarily scaring a pregnant woman when she can’t reverse what’s going to happen.” She sat back and folded her hands as our food arrived, as if she were at a tea party and they hadn’t just terrified me.
It felt like forever until the waiter finally left. They both started eating, but suddenly, my appetite was gone. “Um, excuse me, sister,” I clutched her arm, “but talk and eat at the same time please. Because I can’t eat a bite until I know what I’m in for. And don’t sugarcoat it. I’m an Eisenhower, remember? I can take it.”
She sighed and put her hamburger down. “I only carried one baby, but I can tell you your cute little belly won’t be so cute anymore. You won’t be able to see your feet or tie your own shoes. You’ll have to pee constantly, and don’t be surprised if you wet your pants a time or two. Your back will ache from standing with a permanent arch. You’ll be starving, but you won’t have any room in your stomach, so you’ll want to eat all day long.”
I felt my skin pale as the blood drained away from my face.
“And don’t get me started on the heartburn. The kicks will feel like an MMA fight is happening and your uterus is the arena, with a foot or two getting stuck beneath your ribs. Then there are the stretchmarks on your breasts, belly, and thighs no matter how much fancy cream you rub on them. With twins, expect double the amount.”
Little stars danced before my eyes, and my head grew light and spacey.
“Then there are the Braxton Hicks contractions. You’ll think you’re in actual labor, but you’re not. It’s only the warmup and nothing like the main event. My labor lasted three days, and I was too late for pain meds…”
Her words faded as the darkness closed in, and the lights went out in Mayflower, leaving me with one final thought...maybe Eisenhowers weren’t as tough as I thought they were.
And then I had no thoughts at all.