Chapter 47
The first sliver of morning light creeps through the curtains of the house we finally settled on and bought together. Stretching like a contented cat, I can barely keep a grin from my lips. I”m already basking in warmth that has nothing to do with the sun. River’s arm drapes over my waist like a living band of heat securing me to him.
River Taylor is mine. My heart flutters in my chest. It’s not from the lingering traces of last night”s passion. No, it’s but the simple, overwhelming joy of his presence.
If it’s possible, I think I might be drunk on love.
”Good morning, darlin’,” River murmurs without opening his eyes. His voice, hoarse with sleep, sends shivers down my spine. It’s crazy how even half-awake he can make me feel like I’m the only woman in the world.
”Morning,” I whisper back. I wiggle in his embrace so we are face to face. The stubble on his jaw is just heavy enough to be enticing, not scratchy. It matches the tousled look of his hair. He’s as perfect as a picture.
Also, to go back to what I was thinking only a moment ago, River Taylor is my husband. Mine.
”Did you sleep well?” His eyes flutter open now. His open eyes revealing pools of such intense blue they rival the most beautiful gemstone.
”Like a dead thing,” I admit. ”And you?”
”Never better,” he says. He pulls me closer until our bodies touch. ”I dreamt about you, actually.”
”You lie like a dog.” I playfully tap his chest, but my heart swells with affection. “I look like I’ve swallowed a volleyball.”
He laughs and his touch wanders down to my belly. He rubs gentle circles into it.
”I promised you that I would never lie to you again. And I’ve held to that promise.” His thumb traces the line of my jaw. ”I love waking up beside you. That’s another true thing.”
His fingers dance along my spine, drawing lazy circles that send sparks across my skin. In these quiet moments, before the world demands our attention, we exist in a bubble of contented bliss.
”Let”s stay like this a little longer,” he whispers against my lips before claiming them with his own. And really, who am I to argue with such a persuasive argument?
The gentle nudge against my palm pulls me from the cocoon of River”s embrace. I ease out of bed. Stretching my arms with a peculiar feeling of laziness that comes from a night wrapped up River’s arms. The slight kick from within my growing belly elicits a gasp from my lips.
“Whoa!” I press my hand over the top of my swollen stomach. “Easy there, karate kid.”
In response, our daughter kicks me two more times in the left kidney. My face contorts and I stifle a curse.
”Well, good morning to you too,” I whisper to the baby. I shuffle to the full-length mirror. The woman staring back at me is transformed so much that I don’t fully recognize her. Every curve is more pronounced. Her belly seems to shift although she stands still.
The swell of my belly is mesmerizing to me.
”Have you been busy while we were sleeping?” I ask the baby. “Or dozing, I guess. You don’t really let me sleep anymore.”
I direct my words to the gymnast performing flips inside my body. My hand smooths over the fabric of my nightgown
The creak of the door heralds River”s arrival. I turn around and give a start of surprise. I hadn’t even heard him get up. His silhouette framed by the strong shafts of morning light that shoot across the bedroom floor. He carries a tray laden with breakfast. The scent of fresh jasmine tea rises to greet me. Setting it down on the bed, River sidles up behind me, wrapping his arms high up on my expanded waist.
”Hope you”re hungry,” he murmurs. His lips tracing the shell of my ear, sending shivers down my spine despite the warm air.
”Starving,” I admit. Whether my craving is for the food or his touch, I”m not entirely sure.
He guides me back to the bed and the plush mattress welcomes us back. I sit, my legs splayed out wide. River sits beside me and his thigh presses against mine. He picks up a slice of toast, butter glistening under a veil of strawberry jam, and holds it to my lips.
”Open wide,” he teases.
I roll my eyes and oblige, taking a bite. It’s extremely sweet followed by the buttery flavor that bursts across my tongue. As I chew, he pops a piece of melon into his own mouth. He seems a bit restless and watches me with eyes that are a late-night sky.
”Delicious,” I sigh, reaching for a strawberry. But instead of eating it, I bring it to his lips. ”Your turn.”
He accepts the offering, his teeth grazing my fingertips in a fleeting kiss that promises more. We continue this dance of feeding each other, laughter mingling with the clink of cutlery, each bite an unspoken vow.
”River, this is...” I start. Then I pause and shake my head. “I wish you could know what I’m feeling right now.”
”Darlin’.” He leans in, giving me a brief kiss. ”Your emotions are really apparent. You are too easy to read.”
“For you, maybe. Other people seem to find it hard.”
“They obviously aren’t trying.” He cants his head with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
I lean back against the pillows and a contented sigh escapes me. River”s hand finds mine, his thumb drawing idle circles on my skin.
”So, what”s the game plan for today?” he asks.
”Let”s tackle the nursery,” I say, excitement bubbling up inside me. ”I can”t wait to see the crib that my family made for me in there. Plus, we need to find the perfect spot for Sarah”s quilt.”
”Ah, yes, the infamous crib. I can’t believe that they just gave that behemoth to your Aunt Delta. It must’ve taken five people to build it,” River says with a playful grin.
I fold my arms across my chest. “It was made by my relatives. It’s definitely going in the nursery.”
”I’m just teasing you, darlin’. It”ll be the centerpiece of the nursery, no doubt. My mom said that having someone buy or build a crib for you is actually a huge honor.”
I eye him. “It is. Not to mention it’s insanely beautiful. I know that it’s all wrapped up in protective bubble wrap right now. But I can’t wait to put in in the nursery.”
“Well, we’d better get to it, then.”
He squeezes my hand. I smile and get up. We make our way to the nursery, a room that just screams potential. The walls are a blank canvas, awaiting my personal touch. Flat-packed boxes of unassembled furniture beckon us. I roll up my sleeves, ready to dive in. But before I can even consider one of the boxes, River halts me with a gentle tug on my elbow.
”Wait, Pearl. I”ve got something for you first.” The corners of his mouth twitch. He’s excited.
He strides over to one of the big square boxes. With a flourish, River lifts out an assortment of baby items. And not just any items, either. Each toy and decoration is adorned with images of adorable aliens and tiny UFOs.
”River!” My hand flies to my mouth. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. ”This is...” I shake my head. “It”s perfect. You know how much I love this stuff.”
”I know, I know,” he says softly. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his chest. ”I wanted our baby to have an interesting hobby, just like her mom.”
”Thank you,” I whisper, leaning into him.
”Anything for you and our mini cosmonaut,” he murmurs, kissing the top of my head. Together, we begin arranging the furniture. Soon, the nursery slowly transforms from a room into a realm of starry-eyed adventures.
I’m standing on my tiptoes, pressing a decal of a shooting star onto the pale blue wall. River sidles up behind me, his hands finding my waist.
”Imagine,” he whispers, his breath tickling my ear. ”A baby with both of our features gazing up at these stars. She’ll be dreaming of galaxies far, far away.”
“Easy there, Han Solo.” I can”t help but giggle, leaning back into his solid chest. ”Maybe she’ll be an astronaut. Maybe she’ll chart a whole new world.”
“Speaking of that…”
River steps back, reaching for a hefty book that”s been sitting on the edge of the crib. It”s bound in soft baby blue leather. He hands it over.
“Before you thank me, I want you to know that my mom suggested this. She’ll probably ask if I took credit for her idea.” He sticks his tongue out.
“I’ll let her know that you gave her credit.” I leaf through it. Each page is full of information, references, and credentials of a different potential nanny. I arch a brow at River. He forestalls me with a hand.
”My mom suggested that we”d need some help,” he says, watching me closely. ”Someone who can step in when you need to catch your breath or close your eyes for just a moment. Moms are great, but these nannies are reliable too. Plus, you might eventually decide to go back to work somewhere.”
”River, this is...” The word thoughtful seems too small, too simple for the man who stands before me, always thinking ten steps ahead. ”I don”t even know where to start.”
”We have time,” he assures me, his voice steady and sure. ”We”ll find someone perfect, someone who will love our baby almost as much as we do. Perhaps several someones.”
“Several? There’s only one baby!”
He shrugs and gives me a sly smile. “We’ll see about that.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I take it as a personal challenge to make it happen.” There’s a wicked glint in his eyes and he rubs his hands like a cartoon villain.
I can only shake my head.
I thumb through the glossy pages, each nanny”s smiling face blurring into the next. Credentials in fine print swim before my eyes. Degrees in early childhood education, mastery of three languages, proficiency in infant CPR. I”m awash in a sea of qualifications, feeling the swell of decision fatigue.
”Look at this one,” River says, pointing to a page. ”She speaks Italian. Think of the lullabies.”
”Maybe,” I muse. ”Do you think it matters more that they can cook or that they have a gentle soul?”
”Both.” He grins, brushing his thumb over my swollen fingers. ”But the soul part is non-negotiable.”
”Your mom will want someone with a sterling silver résumé,” I say, half-joking. But I also know the weight her opinion carries.
”True, she”s got high standards,” he admits. His tone is light but carrying a shadow of old expectations. ”But she’s just excited. So is your mom. They’re going to spoil this little girl rotten.”
”An army of grandmothers at the ready,” I chuckle, closing the book with a
”Let”s take a break, yeah?” he suggests.
I wrinkle my nose. “I needed a break as soon as we got in here.”
He tilts his head and stares at me dubiously. “Is this too much? I told you I would bring in a decorator to do all of this.”
“No way. I want to be able to tell our daughter that I did everything in her nursery.” I push some stray hairs back out of my face. “I do want to go sit down, though.”
We step out onto the porch and I grab a seat. My aching feet and the twinge in my back lessen as I sit back in the rocker. The salty breeze immediately kisses my skin. I inhale deeply and let peace begin to seep into my bones. My eyelids threaten to slide shut.
”Close your eyes,” River”s voice is a whisper.
”Already way ahead of you, baby.” I shut my eyes and the world goes dark.
I hear the soft clink of metal first. What is he up to? Then I feel the cool slide of a chain around my neck. My heart trips over itself, anticipation coiling tight. ”You can open your eyes now.”
I look down and gasp with delight. Dangling from the silver chain is a tiny flying saucer pendant that is studded with diamonds. I touch the pendant with a finger.
”River!” It”s a breath, a laugh, and a sob. ”It”s perfect!!”
”Thought you”d like it,” he says. He leans close and his words are a warm buzz against my ear. ”A little bit of the extraterrestrial for my starry-eyed wife.”
“Why today?”
“Today is the eleven month anniversary of you agreeing to be my fake fiancée.”
“Really?” I squint, doing quick math. “No, it can’t be.”
River throws up his hands. “Okay, you got me. The real story is that I saw it in a shop’s window and I thought you would love it.”
I chuckle.
”I do love it,” I turn, wrapping my arms around him. ”For this. For everything.”
”Always, Pearl.” His arms encircle me, strong and sure. ”You”re my world.”
My lips find his with an urgency that speaks of raw, unbridled emotion. Our kiss is a dance. A push and pull of need and affection that leaves us both breathless. His hands roam over my back. He pulls me closer until there”s no space left between us, only the heat we generate together.
”Can you believe we”re going to be parents?” My voice is thready. The enormity of it is all making my heart race with anticipation.
River”s hand finds mine. Our fingers intertwine with a comforting squeeze.
”Every time I think about it, it feels more surreal,” he admits. Then he chuckles lightly. ”But then I feel a kick, and it”s like, ”Yeah, this is happening.””
“You should switch places with me. One day, she was still. The next day, she’s like… ready for me to know she’s a whole ass living human being.”
River smiles. “God, I hope that our baby doesn’t get your mouth. It’ll only cause us trouble.”
I stick my tongue out at him. ”We’re ready for her, though. We’ll handle whatever chaos she throws our way.”
”More than ready.” His thumb strokes the back of my hand.
”What about midnight diaper changes and lullabies off-key?” I tease, remembering how he”d once confessed his fear of not getting the hang of those dad duties.
”Especially those,” he grins, leaning in to press a kiss to my forehead. ”I”m imagining teaching her to negotiate her bedtime. Or to close her first real estate deal before the age of ten.”
”Let”s aim for potty training first, Mr. CEO.” I can”t help but laugh, picturing our daughter as a mini mogul in diapers. ”But honestly, I just want her to know she’s loved. No matter what.”
”Hey,” River”s voice turns serious. He props himself on one elbow, looking down at me with an intensity that heats my cheeks. ”You didn’t have the best examples of men in your life. But that’s in the past. We”re going to shower this kid with so much love that she won”t know what to do with it all.”
”Promise?” My question is half-playful, half-plea.
”Cross my heart.” He draws an invisible X over his chest.
We fall into silence again and let the stillness of the room envelop us. The quilt Sarah made whispers tales of heritage and warmth from the rocking chair. The alien-themed mobile above us whispers of adventure.
”Think she’ll dream of space travel?” I muse out loud. My gaze fixes on the tiny UFOs dangling from the mobile over the crib.
”Definitely. With a mom who has her head among the stars, how could they not?” River jokes, nuzzling into my neck, sending a cascade of goosebumps down my arms.