Chapter Twenty-Seven
Amelia
“Hi!” I greet at the door in a higher octave than usual. “So glad y’all could come.”
Samuel grins. “Thanks for havin’ us.”
I wrap my arms around him. “I’m still totally freaked out you’re alive, by the way.”
He chuckles. “I’d be concerned if you weren’t.”
I open the door wider. “Come inside.”
“This is my husband, Troy.”
He’s a similar build to my brother, maybe an inch or two taller, but with a buzz cut. There’s a boyish charm to him but still gives off private detective vibes.
He holds out his hand, smiling widely. “I’m so happy to finally meet you. Andrew’s told me so much ’bout you.”
“Who? Oh, right. Samuel. Sorry. That’s also gonna take some time gettin’ used to.”
“Trust me, it was awkward havin’ to tell him the truth ’bout my past and wonder if he’d believe me or call a psychiatrist,” Samuel explains. “Fortunately, he did or we wouldn’t be here.”
And isn’t that a sad thought?
“I’m glad y’all are! Come inside and meet my kids.”
They follow me into the living room, and I scoop Lily off the couch.
“Who’s that?” she asks.
“This is your uncle, Samuel. He’s my older brother.”
“Hi, Lily.” Samuel gives her a little wave.
She buries her head in my neck.
“She’ll come ’round,” I reassure him. “And this is Sam.”
“We have the same name,” Sam beams. “Samuel Robert Calhoun.”
“That’s an incredible name.” Samuel leans down to his height. “Robert was my grandfather’s name.”
Samuel looks up at me with sorrowful eyes. We were both devastated when they died. Our grandparents were kind and selfless, which is why I named my daughter after my grandmama, and Sam’s middle name after my granddad’s.
Colton walks in, dressed in black slacks and a blue button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his arms. With his tattoos on display and a black cowboy hat on his head, I’m nearly drooling over how attractive he looks all put together.
“Howdy,” he greets.
Samuel and Troy both stare at him.
“This is Samuel’s husband, Troy,” I announce. “And this is Colton, my…”
My brain goes blank when it comes to introducing him. This is the first time I’ve had to.
“Her boyfriend.” He holds out his hand. “You can call me Colt.”
Boyfriend. Duh. But it sounds so childish at my age. Maybe partner? Or future baby daddy?
Scratch that.
Boyfriend, it is.
“A pleasure to meet you, Colt.”
“Likewise.” Colton takes Samuel’s hand next. “Great to see ya again. Under normal circumstances, this time.”
Samuel chuckles. “So much better.” Then he shifts his gaze to mine after staring at Colton’s hat. “You roped yourself a cowboy, huh? Nicely done.”
When he holds out his hand for a high-five, I laugh and playfully slap it.
Colton hands me a cup of tea to help me relax, and once I drink it, I feel calmer. The nerves aren’t as intense, but everything with my mother still has me on edge.
As we eat Colton’s amazing steak dinner, he catches Samuel and Troy up on Wilder and Maddox, and a partial plan they discussed. I’m still not sure what I’m supposed to do or say to my mom, but now that I suspect I’m pregnant, Colton doesn’t want me alone with her.
“What if you invite her to eat somewhere and say that you’re gonna pick her up, except it’ll be Maddox and me in the front seats as your drivers—disguised, of course—so she thinks y’all are talkin’ alone, but really, they’ll be two witnesses,” Samuel suggests.
“I like that idea, so if she tries anythin’, Maddox will be there to step in,” Colton adds.
“Maybe if I reveal myself, it’ll give her a heart attack.” Samuel shrugs nonchalantly, stuffing a piece of meat in his mouth.
“One can only hope,” I quip.
We continue talking while we eat dinner, then switch to the peach cobbler Aunt JoJo made for us. We eventually move to the couch, where they tell us how they met and how Troy proposed. When I share Colton’s and my story, and how our relationship is relatively new, both of them can’t believe it.
“Y’all look so in love,” Samuel gushes.
“It took a lot of toads, but I think I finally found the right one.” I beam at Colton, squeezing his hand.
“You think?” he drawls.
I roll my eyes at his feigned offense. “Jury’s still out. We’ll see how you survive through the first semester of mornin’ sickness, fatigue, and mood swings.”
Samuel gasps.
“Oh shit,” I mutter, smacking my palm to my forehead.
“Bad word!” Sam shouts from across the living room, where he’s playing on his iPad. I didn’t realize he was paying attention to us. “That’ll be twenty dollars, Mom!”
“Twenty? It was ten last week.”
“Inflation!”
“You don’t even know what that means!” I argue.
Colton cracks up as do Samuel and Troy.
I sigh, shaking my head. “Gotta be careful with him. He’s a tough cookie.”
“Are you pregnant?” he asks, lowering his voice.
“I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure. I’m gonna take a test soon.”
Samuel leaps off the couch and pulls me into his arms. “That’d be so excitin’! It’s like you got knocked up just for me since I missed out on your first two pregnancies. Now I can be involved from the start and meet my new niece or nephew as soon as they’re born.”
Laughter rips through me. “That’s exactly why I got knocked up.”
My smile doesn’t leave my face the rest of the evening. Before they arrived, nerves consumed me at the fear of things being weird or awkward between us after all this time. It’s been thirteen years since I’ve seen him, and yet, it feels like we’ve never spent a day apart.
“Thank you for havin’ us.” Samuel and Colton hug goodbye before Troy joins in.
“My pleasure. Can’t wait to do it again.”
“Hopefully, once this shit’s over with Mom, we’ll be able to make plans to come up on a weekend and meet the rest of your family.”
“Bad word!” Sam squeezes his way in between us and holds up his palm. “That’ll be thirty dollars.”
“Alright…” I grab his shoulders and pull him to the side. “You need to get ready for bed, but we’re gonna talk ’bout this money thing tomorrow.”
He frowns, slouching his shoulders. “Yes, ma’am.”
Lily passed out a few hours ago, but I let Sam stay up since he was being well-behaved and playing quietly.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow after I call Mom and confirm with Wilder ’bout our next moves,” I tell them.
Since they live in Alabama, they can’t stay in town too much longer, so we need to get this done and over with as soon as possible.
I wave as they walk down the stairs and then melt into Colton’s arms as soon as he’s close enough to hug. “That went so well.”
“It sure did. I can definitely tell you two are siblings.” He chuckles, rubbing a hand down my back. “They’re both very nice.”
“Thank you.” I tilt my head so I can look him in the eyes. “For dinner, for helpin’ me figure this out, for wantin’ to be mine even knowin’ how messy my past is.”
Confronting the one person I never wanted to see again won’t be easy, but with his support, I’ll get through it.
He tips my chin. “The good, the bad, and the ugly, remember? I want all of you.”
Waking up with Colton next to me is the best feeling.
His big, strong arms wrap around me as his lips suck on my neck, gently touching every inch of bare skin he can reach underneath my shirt. Before long, he lowers himself between my legs and devours me until I scream into my pillow.
“Mornin’, baby.” He kisses my belly before making his way to me. “Mornin’, darlin’.”
“It’s pretty rude to eat breakfast before you feed me.”
He chuckles against my mouth. “Sorry, I was hungry. What can I get you, love?”
“Get naked so I can feast on you.”
He rolls to his back, slides off his briefs, and reveals just how hungry he is for me.
I take his cock into my mouth, moaning around him, and playing with his balls. He won’t last long at this rate, but I love giving him the same torturous pleasure he gives me.
“Fuck, I’m close.” He thrusts his hips into me and folds his arms behind his head.
His phone vibrates violently on the nightstand, pulling my attention toward it.
“You should check who that is,” I tell him.
“They can wait,” he hisses.
“It could be an emergency.”
He reluctantly grabs it. “It’s Wilder.”
Considering what’s going on, I encourage him to answer it.
“You gotta be kiddin’ me,” he scolds.
“He could have information,” I remind him, continuing to stroke him. “Just pick it up.”
He growls with annoyance. “What?”
I roll my eyes at his rude greeting and wrap my lips around his tip. My gaze lifts to his, and I smirk around him when he scowls. He can barely breathe, nevertheless, speak.
“Mhm.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Right.”
“Yeah, asshole.”
“’Kay bye.”
He abruptly tosses the phone and shoves his hand in my hair.
“Wilder and Delilah want us to come for a dinner party next weekend.”
I giggle at the frustration in his tone.
Although I haven’t told Delilah, it won’t come as a shock to her once I do. After all, she’s the one who suggested it before leaving me here with him.
“Maybe I should call Delilah,” I say, lifting up on my elbows. “And tell her the official news. Can you hand me my phone?”
“You are not leavin’ me like this.” His eyes plead with me to have mercy on him. “Fuckin’, Wilder.”
Laughter rips through me at the agony in his voice. “You’re too easy.”
I make a show of slowly sliding my tongue up his shaft before filling my mouth with him. Hallowing my cheeks, I suck and stroke him until he’s muttering curse words and shooting down my throat.
“I really should text the girls and give them an update,” I say, curled up next to him. “Otherwise, their heads will spin when I tell ’em we’re pregnant and they didn’t even know we were together.”
“When can you test again?”
I smile at how excited he sounds. “Three or four days.”
He rolls me to my back, staring into my eyes. “Are you havin’ any other symptoms yet?”
“Just fatigue, which is pretty normal. At least for the first trimester.”
“This is all new to me, so whatever you need or want me to do, tell me. I’m gonna find some books to read so I can be prepared. I want this to be a good experience for you.”