Chapter 21
Congrats It’s A…
“All right, mama, you know the drill,” Katie says, nodding toward the exam table. “Let’s hope this little one is ready to cooperate today.”
During the last two appointments, the baby has been curled into a tight ball, looking more like a shrimp than a wrinkly turtle. No matter how much Charlie pokes and prods, it’s refused to switch positions up until now.
“She gets her stubbornness from her daddy,” Charlie says, winking at me.
“We still don’t know the sex, remember?” I remind her as I settle into the chair beside her.
She grins as she lies back on the table. “Grams and Julie both said we’re having a girl, so it must be true.”
I slide closer and take her hand in mine. “Hopefully we’re about to find out for sure.”
One thing I’ve learned during this process is that Charlie’s pregnancy hasn’t exactly followed the norm.
She barely had any symptoms early on, then the nausea hit hard and fast. And now we’ve waited longer than most couples to find out if it’s a boy or a girl because our kid already has a mind of its own.
Despite what Charlie claims, our little peanut is clearly taking after her in the stubborn department.
She’s had a noticeable surge of energy over the past few weeks and is hell-bent on making the most of it while it lasts.
She’s been going full speed between managing the shop and online orders and hunting for the perfect vintage pieces for a woodland-themed nursery.
The only problem is how small her one-bedroom apartment is, so she’s had to scale back her vision to a crib, wall art, and a few stuffed animals for the time being.
My studio loft at the ranch is no better.
It’s got me thinking about my house on the ranch that’s sat untouched for months. The walls are up, and the roof is done, but the inside is still unfinished—nothing but bare studs, exposed wiring, and plywood subfloors.
I’d always envisioned building the place with my own two hands, but between Walker leaving the ranch and finding out about the baby, I’ve hardly made any progress this past year. We’re going to need a bigger place soon, and I can’t keep dragging this out as a side project.
I watch as Charlie lifts her shirt and unclips her insulin pump, moving it aside while Katie spreads the gel across her rounded belly.
These appointments come naturally now, but I’ll never forget the first ultrasound.
It was agonizing when Katie struggled to find the heartbeat, and there was a moment I was forced to imagine a future where Charlie and I never got to meet our little peanut.
I would have fought for her through anything, but I’m so damn grateful we’re here now, watching our kid on the screen.
“All right, let’s see what we’ve got,” Katie says, sliding the probe over Charlie’s belly. She pauses, studying the monitor before her face lights up with a smile. “Well, would you look at that! Baby has finally flipped around and is showing off for us.”
Charlie gives my hand a squeeze. “Oh my god, she’s sucking her thumb,” she exclaims.
Sure enough, as I look closer, I see our baby lying on its back with its legs spread, one tiny hand pressed to its mouth. It’s the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen.
“Looks like you were right, mama,” Katie says brightly. “You’re having a baby girl. Congratulations.”
My throat tightens as Charlie lets out a happy sob. I rise from my chair, move to her side, and sit on the edge of the exam table, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“I told you it was a girl,” she playfully taunts, laughing through her tears.
“You were right, sweetheart,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Our daughter is perfect.”
“She is,” Charlie beams, eyes glued to the monitor.
“You’re officially outnumbered,” Katie interjects.
I glance over at Charlie, grinning as I rest my hand over her belly. “I’m the luckiest man alive to have the two most beautiful girls in the world.”
As I watch our baby on the screen, I realize this is the start of a love I never knew was possible, and I owe it all to Charlie and her incredible strength. She gave me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for, and I’ll never be able to repay her.
“God, this is so embarrassing!” Charlie shouts from inside the closet.
I swing my legs off the bed and follow the sound of her frustrated growls, barely dodging a pair of pants that sails past my head.
I lean against the doorframe, watching as she stands in her underwear, frantically flinging a pile of pants from a shelf. A whirlwind of fabric flies in every direction.
“Charlie,” I say softly. “It’s late. Why don’t you come to bed?”
She whips her head around, fixing me with a fierce glare. “Because I have to find something to wear for tomorrow and nothing fits me anymore,” she snaps.
“That’s not true.” I slowly approach her, navigating the sea of clothes scattered across the floor. “You wore those floral jeans today, and you were stunning.”
“Don’t patronize me, Heath Halstead.” She flings a shirt at my head, and I dodge it in the nick of time. “I couldn’t button them, and they were squeezing me like a sausage.”
“In the morning, we can find something in the shop for you to wear,” I suggest as I step closer.
One perk of her owning a vintage shop is the endless supply of clothing. It’s been her lifeline these past couple of months as her body changes. I’m sure she’ll find exactly what she’s looking for in the stack of new inventory boxes waiting in the storage room.
“Did you hear what I said?” she exclaims with her hands on her hips. “I’m freaking huge, and I’m supposed to visit Grams and Florence tomorrow. It would’ve been nice to know I was going to turn into a giant beached whale before you knocked me up. God, I hate you.”
I chuckle as I close the last bit of distance and draw her into my arms. Her rounded belly presses against my lower abdomen.
“It’s totally unfair,” she grumbles into my chest. “You’re all chiseled abs and in the best shape of your life, and I’m this big, bloated mess. Aren’t you supposed to gain sympathy weight? Or are you just not emotionally invested enough to support me through this?”
Her moods swing wildly from tearful episodes to full hormonal rage, and then, moments later, sweet apologies followed by her urgently begging me to fuck her.
I thought her sex drive would ease up after the first few weeks, but damn, I was wrong. She wakes me up at all hours, showing up at the ranch to drag me into the barn for a quickie, or calling me home early so she can ride me before dinner.
Tonight we’re in that tricky middle ground where she’s angry at how her body looks, and I wish I could take away every insecurity so she could see herself through my eyes.
The thought sparks an idea.
I ease back to cup Charlie’s face in my palms. “I want to show you something.”
She furrows her brow. “What?”
I kiss her forehead. “You’ll see.”
I let go and lace our fingers together, guiding her into the bedroom. She reluctantly follows, her free hand resting protectively on her belly.
We come to a stop in front of the full-length antique mirror, its arched top framed by ornate gold detailing. It’s Charlie’s favorite piece of furniture in her apartment, so it’s fitting for what I have in mind.
“Heath, what are we doing?” she asks, her voice thick with exhaustion.
I motion toward the mirror. “Stand right here.”
She shuffles forward, frowning at her reflection. I move behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and resting my chin on her shoulder.
“Tell me what you see, sweetheart.”
She sighs and points accusingly at her stomach.
“This thing is so massive I can hardly shave my legs anymore, and I can’t even hug you without it getting in the way.
” Her fingers trace over the thin, silvery marks decorating taut skin.
“And these stretch marks are everywhere. I’m practically a walking roadmap. ”
I nuzzle my nose into her neck. “What else?”
Charlie squeezes her breasts. “These are so swollen, and they ache all the time. I can barely stand to wear a bra anymore.”
“Anything else?”
She nods, glancing down. “My feet are swollen too, and none of my shoes fit. I might as well throw them all out, along with my dignity.” Her hands drop to her sides, shoulders slumping as she glares at her reflection. “This exercise is stupid and it’s making me feel shittier about my body.”
I graze the shell of her ear with my mouth. “Want to know what I see when I look at you?”
She meets my eyes in the mirror, her eyes brimming with tears. “What?”
I run my hands over her generous curves and across the swell of her belly. “I see my gorgeous wife carrying our baby girl, and it’s so fucking hot, I get hard the second I touch you.” I thrust my hips forward, pressing my stiff cock against her ass so she can feel exactly what she does to me.
Charlie lets out a little gasp.
“And these stretch marks,” I continue, trailing a finger along one of the silvery lines, “are a part of the masterpiece. They’re proof of how healthy and strong our baby is. Every single one reminds me how much you’ve sacrificed for our little peanut.”
I unclasp her bra with my other hand, letting it drop to the ground. Her heavy breasts spill free, heaving with every breath, her dark nipples already tight and peaked.
“These are so damn sexy. I cup them gently in my hands. “I can’t wait until they’re swollen with milk. I may even have to get a taste for myself,” I whisper in her ear.
A soft cry falls from Charlie’s lips as I pinch both nipples simultaneously, rolling and tugging them enough to make her tremble against me. My hand slides down to her hip, and I carefully unclip the insulin pump from her waistband and set it on the armchair beside us.
“Your swollen feet remind me how brave you are for managing diabetes on top of pregnancy.” I kiss the side of her neck. “You’re a warrior, and I’m in awe of you every day, hellcat.”
“Swear you’re not saying all this because you feel bad for me,” she whispers.
I tip her chin up. “Never. I mean every word, and I’ll show you exactly how much.”
I bend forward and tug her panties down her legs, my mouth following the path with soft open-mouthed kisses as I gently tap each leg, so she raises them one at a time.
I toss the fabric aside and quickly strip out of my boxers.
My cock springs free, hard and throbbing, aching to sink into Charlie’s sweet pussy.
Once I’m naked, I press back up against her, running my hands along her hips. “You ready to be fucked like I’ve been dying to since the second I saw you standing in that closet?”
“Yes,” she moans breathlessly, pressing against me. “I need you.”
Dammit, this woman has me in a chokehold.
“You’ve never been more beautiful than you are right now,” I growl. “Round with my baby and begging for my cock.”
Charlie splays her palms against the mirror as she bends forward. Her pear-shaped ass lifts in the air. I place one hand on her waist and guide my shaft into her from behind with the other.
“Yes. Right there,” she groans.
Each deep stroke draws a ragged sound from her throat. I slide my hand up, palming her breast as she arches into me, meeting every thrust with a desperate roll of her hips. She’s completely lost to the pleasure, chasing the spiraling wave of lust building between us.
With her on the brink of release, I dip my head to her ear. “You close?”
She nods frantically, head thrown back as she chases her release with rapid little movements of her hips.
“Tell me you’re sexy,” I say, slowing my thrusts to a torturous glide. “Tell me you’re the most beautiful woman in Bluebell.”
“Heath,” Charlie whines.
“Come on, hellcat,” I whisper as I trace my tongue along the column of her neck. “Admit the truth and I’ll give you what you need.”
She stares at her reflection, swallowing hard but otherwise staying silent.
“Repeat after me. I am sexy,” I say.
She hesitates, letting out a shaky exhale.
“Come on,” I coax her. “I want to hear those words coming from that pretty mouth of yours.”
“I am sexy,” she murmurs.
My hand moves to her mound as I grind against her. “I’m the most beautiful woman in Bluebell.”
“I’m the most beautiful woman in Bluebell,” she repeats, her voice growing more confident.
“That’s right, gorgeous,” I praise, pressing a kiss to her hair. “No one could ever compare to you, Charlie. You’re all I see.”
She lifts her eyes to mine, shining with trust, showing me she accepts every word I’ve said.
“Let go for me, sweetheart,” I command gently.
I roll her clit between my fingers and drop my head on her shoulder and pour all my energy into every driving thrust.
Her body shudders against mine as she falls apart, and I stay buried inside her as her climax triggers my own.
My arm remains fastened tight around her waist to keep her grounded through every pulsing wave.
A part of me wants to freeze time right here—with her looking confident and radiant, finally seeing how completely obsessed I am.
As she drifts back down to earth, I trail my fingers along her spine and kiss along the nape of her neck. “You all right?”
She tilts her head, giving me a sated smile. “Mm-hmm. Thank you, Heath. Truly.”
“Always,” I say, gliding my thumb down her cheek, tracing her freckles.
I’d trade anything for a thousand more moments like this. That’s when it sinks in. What I feel is much more than obsession or simple affection. I’ve fallen for Charlie Bennett, and someday soon, I’ll tell her exactly what she means and why I can’t imagine my future without her and our baby girl.