Chapter 11

Niallee

“Look, nothing I say will make up for how much of an asshole I was to you. Hell, I’ve been an asshole to you from the minute we met and you never once deserved it. When you called…and the things I said to you…I feel like shit for that. You needed me and I treated you like a damn inconvenience instead of listening to you. I hate myself for how I treated you and the fact that you were hurt…that you reached out to me and I brushed you off the way I did…I’m so damn sorry, Nia. I know you don’t have a single reason to forgive me, but you sure the hell deserved an apology.” I may not know Lincoln well, but I’m pretty damn sure that he’s not the kind of person who apologizes for his actions, so it means a lot that he’s doing so now…but that doesn’t erase the fact that he was a complete asshole to me for literally no reason.

“Yeah, you were a pretty big dick, Lincoln. I…fuck!” So, another fun thing that I’ve been experiencing the past few weeks is this little thing the doctor called round ligament pain. He said stretching, sharp movements, sneezing or coughing too hard or even stretching wrong can cause it, yet I seem to get them at random…like right now…when I’m sitting at the dining table, sipping lemonade!

“Shit, what’s wrong?! Are you okay? Do you need to go to the doctor?!” I shake my head while breathing through the sudden, sharp pain and wait until it eases up some to offer a verbal response.

“No, it’s fine. Just another fun side effect of growing a whole ass human apparently.” When I finally look up at him, I nearly have the breath knocked out of me by the worry in his eyes. It has to be the hormones talking, because I don’t think a non-pregnant me would say…

“You hungry?” I order lunch for us both and we sit at the table, talking about the things that have happened since his asshole moment began, getting caught up on everything until our lunch arrives. I’ll admit, I knew his ex was a bitch, but I was shocked when he told me the shit she said after I had tried to call him. I don’t understand how anyone could be so heartless! Once we finish eating, we move to the living room where our conversation resumes.

“So, I know Lynn took you to your doctor’s appointment a week or so ago. How’s little man doing?” I don’t even realize that my hands are gently rubbing my stomach until I follow his gaze to the large, protruding mass that’s twitching with each of Michael’s movements.

“He’s good, growing like a weed. I had a 3-D ultrasound done and while it’s hard to tell for sure, he looked exactly like Max to me. I may be projecting, or seeing what my mind wants to see, but he really does look like him to me.” The smile on Lincoln’s face has me smiling back, but now I’m worrying that maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.

“I don’t think you were seeing things. You get copies of the pictures?” I’m kind of surprised he’s asking, but in answer, I grab the remote off the coffee table, turn on the tv and press play. The ultrasound tech for this visit had not only printed pictures, but she even made a DVD for me…a DVD I might have watched every night since the day I got it. I watch as Lincoln’s eyes widen, never once leaving the screen until it reaches its end four minutes later.

“You definitely weren’t seeing things, Nia. God, that…it’s amazing.” His eyes are still locked on the TV where the still frame of Michael’s profile is still showing.

“Yeah, it’s pretty damn unreal. It’s hard to believe that he’s actually in there…that he’s growing inside me. I mean, I’ve made a lot of shit in my life, but the fact that my body is making something so perfect…it blows my mind.” And it really does! The fact that I could ever even be a part of making something so amazing is hard to believe.

“Your brother and his wife would be so damn proud of you, Nia.” Okay, so I might shed a few tears over that comment, but I think it’s exactly what I needed to hear.

“I hope so.” Lincoln spends another twenty or so minutes with me, only deciding to leave when I start yawning. I have to admit, I should probably still be pissed as all hell at Lincoln, but I saw the guilt and sadness in his eyes. As much as part of me thinks I might’ve forgiven him too easily, I can’t deny that I feel lighter as I lay down and easily find sleep.

Lynn and Caleb were due to get back today, but due to an unexpected storm front leaving half the state with flashflood warnings and several roads already being washed out, they’ve been forced to extend their stay. I don’t mind the rain, I honestly don’t, but when I’m cooped up inside with nothing to do and no one to talk to, it’s a little depressing. Lincoln has spent time with me every day since he saved me from my traumatic turtle incident, but I know he had a job he was scheduled for today, so that means being home alone.

By eight, I’ve cleaned the entire kitchen and by ten, the whole house…and I’m now bored…again. You would think that I would’ve learned my lesson with my turtle incident, but surely nothing bad could come from me putting together the glide rocker I bought that was delivered yesterday evening, right? Well, if you said I should be fine, you’d be wrong. After nearly an hour of trying and failing to follow the instructions that are not in English, I’m no closer to getting it done and I’m officially on the verge of a complete emotional breakdown.

I’m sitting on the floor in the nursery, surrounded by the hundred or so pieces of the unassembled chair when I hear a knock on the front door. Now, as I’ve pointed out before, my baby bump is, well, not a bump anymore. The baby belly is huge and greatly restricts my ability to move freely…you know…like prohibits me from easily getting up off the damn floor. I swear, I’m a strong woman, or at least I was before the pregnancy hormones came into play, but now I’m sitting on the floor, crying my eyes out because not only can I not put the damn chair together, but I can’t even get up off the damn floor!

“Nia? Are you decent?” Don’t ask me why, but hearing Lincoln’s voice, or maybe it’s the worry in his voice, has me crying harder. Luckily, Lincoln finds me, likely by following the sounds of my pitiful sobs, and doesn’t even look put off by my overwhelming emotions. He carefully shifts the chair pieces out of the way then kneels down in front of me.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” I shake my head, but instead of words coming out, a choked sob echoes through the room. I don’t know how I thought he would react to this messed up emotional circus, but I sure the hell didn’t expect him to shuffle the chair parts away from me so he could sit down and manhandle me into his lap. He begins rocking me softly while petting my hair, the action feeling both comforting and amusingly like a father comforting a child…a child smuggling a giant watermelon under her shirt, but a child no less. His comfort has me calming fairly quickly and once my sobbing dies down to nothing more than stuttering breaths, his deep voice fills my ears.

“Okay, can you tell me what’s wrong?” I take a deep, shuddering breath, knowing damn well my cheeks are flushed from embarrassment. I literally just had an all-out emotional breakdown over a chair and my inability to pull myself up off a floor…ugh.

“I can’t get this stupid chair together and then I couldn’t get off the floor.” I expect him to laugh at my ridiculousness, but instead, he holds me tighter.

“It’s okay, Nia. I’ve got you. How about I help you put the stupid chair together and then I’ll make us some dinner, huh?” Instead of letting him hear my weak and likely trembling voice, I nod my agreement. With Lincoln’s help, I get up off the floor and he brings in one of the dining room chairs for me to sit in while he makes quick work of assembling the stupid chair for me.

I was figuring that dinner would be something simple, like maybe spaghetti, but when he runs over to his house and comes back with two rib eye steaks and a shopping bag that has potatoes and what looks like asparagus in it, I won’t lie…I’m pretty damned excited! It takes just under two hours for him to finish cooking our dinner and I spent the entire time sitting at the breakfast nook while Lincoln tells me about the crazy antics that he and Lynn got up to as kids.

Chapter 12

Lincoln

I have to admit, I didn’t have a valid reason to go check on Nia after I got back from my job for the day. At first, I told myself I was checking on her because if she needs something, I don’t want to think about her going anywhere in this storm, but when I knocked and she didn’t answer, I no longer cared about coming up with a reason. When I walked into her house, I tried making sure that I didn’t walk in on anything that might invade her privacy, but then I heard her crying and followed it to find her on the nursery floor. I’ve never been good at handling emotional people, but with her, with Nia, offering comfort seems so easy.

It took only half an hour to put the rocking chair together for her then another two hours for me to cook dinner while telling her all about how ridiculous Lynn and I were as kids. I have a feeling that this storm is going to stick around a while which means Lynn and Caleb will be gone longer. With that realization, I decide to ask a question that I’m not sure I have a right asking, especially not when we only recently started talking again after I screwed up so epically.

“It might be a while before Lynn can get back here with this storm shutting down so many roads and all. When’s your next doctor’s appointment?” I’ve already finished my dinner and she’s almost done with hers now. She pauses eating and takes a deep breath as her eyes take in the scene through the sliding glass door where we can easily see the rain still coming down hard outside.

“In four days. I hope this shit lets up a little. I hate driving in the rain.” I can’t even stop myself from offering, but I honestly don’t want to either.

“I’ll take you…if Lynn’s not back. My project’s on hold until this shit clears up, so it’s not like I’ll be busy and I’d feel better if you weren’t driving around in this crap if you don’t have to.” I don’t miss the way the tension in her muscles eases and I’m damn glad I could be the cause of it.

“If you don’t mind, that’d be great, Lincoln. About earlier…the whole crazy, hormonal pregnant woman thing…” Good grief, is she trying to apologize for crying right now?! Nope, I’m not having any of that!

“Hey, don’t worry about it, Nia. You had a moment and I’m sure the hell not going to fault you for it. How are you feeling…aside from emotional?” I know there’s a chance that her answer might not be one I’m comfortable with, especially since this whole pregnancy thing is technically new to me since Kylie never involved me in anything with her pregnancy. She only ever came to me when she needed money for things. Yes, I’m fully aware of how big of a red flag that shit is…now.

“I’m pretty much always sore, tired, hungry and have to pee pretty much hourly. It’s shit, but then…” She reaches over, grabs my hand and places it on her stomach just in time for me to feel the baby kick.

“Then there’s moments like this…and I feel…amazing.” The baby seems to be throwing a damn party in there and it takes me a minute to realize she let go of my hand, but it’s still resting on her stomach while she smiles at the look of awe that I know is written all over my face.

“God, it must be crazy to feel that all the time.” She nods in agreement as I slowly retract my hand, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

“It really is. I figured I would just get used to it after a while, but every time he moves, I feel the same shock and amazement as I did the very first time…minus the tears, obviously.” She gives me a shy smile and it’s too damn adorable. A loud clap of thunder shakes the windows and I see the flash of fear in her eyes.

“Why don’t we sit down and watch a movie?” It’s the first thing that came to mind, but I know the best thing to do for now is offer her a distraction and she’s quick to nod her head. She seems all too happy to follow me to the living room and while we start out sitting on opposite sides of the couch, by the third thunderclap, she’s damn near pressed against my side. I wrap an arm around her shoulders, allowing her to get more comfortable, and this seems to be the catalyst that leads to us both falling asleep on her couch.

As I expected, the storm didn’t let up enough for Lynn and Caleb to make it home, so, as promised, I’m driving Nia to her doctor appointment. The drive isn’t far, but with the pouring rain and me having Nia in the truck, I drive much slower and it ends up taking us almost forty minutes to get there. She seems amused when I break out an umbrella for her, but lets me shelter her from the rain as we make our way inside.

I hadn’t much thought about how it would be once we’re here, but when she’s checked in and they call her back, she gives me a pleading look that has me following her without a word. I stand to the side as they weigh her then follow them to a room where the nurse helps her onto one of those godawful beds with the paper cover that crinkles every time you dare to so much as breathe near it.

“Alright, do you have any concerns or symptoms you’d like to discuss with Dr. Moris?” Nia shakes her head and gives the nurse a nervous smile, but it’s this moment that makes me realize her hands are trembling. As soon as the nurse steps out, I step up beside her and take one of her hands in mine.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You’re shaking like a leaf.” She takes a deep, shaky breath and closes her eyes tight before answering me.

“It’s like this every time. I just…it’s like every time I come in, I’m expecting them to tell me that something’s wrong, or that I did something wrong. Michael…he’s the last thing I have that connects me to Max. If anything happens to him, I don’t think I could survive it.” I don’t think, I just let my instincts take over as I wrap my arms around her. The way she melts into me, letting me offer her comfort, I can tell this is what she needed and I’m more than happy to give it to her. Just as her body stops trembling, the door opens and the doctor walks in with a smile on his face, clearly unaware of the emotional chaos he managed to miss witnessing.

“Good morning, Ms. Winters. How are you feeling today?” I step back just enough to give her room to adjust herself, but she surprises me when she grabs hold of my hand and laces her fingers with mine.

“I feel like an emotional train wreck and I spend the majority of my day either eating or peeing.” The doctor chuckles, but nods his head as he slides his stool to the other side of the bed and grabs some strange device off the counter.

“That’s pretty normal, so don’t worry. Pretty soon you may start to experience a decrease in appetite, but that’s normal too. Alright, let’s listen to the little guy’s heartbeat and I ordered another ultrasound so we can make sure everything looks good there. After all the scares you’ve had, I think it’s best to err on the side of caution.” She nods her head then begins laying back, so I place my free hand between her shoulder blades for support until her back’s on the paper covered bed.

I remember seeing her bare baby bump for the first time and I know it’s gotten significantly bigger since then, but when she pulls her shirt up to reveal her swollen belly, my breath catches at the sight. It’s absolutely beautiful…just as beautiful as the whooshing sound that fills the small room when he presses the small wand to her belly.

“Everything sound good, his heart rate is absolutely perfect. Do you remember where the imaging office is?” She nods as I help her to sit up and watch her pull her shirt back over her belly.

“Yeah, I know where it’s at.” He types something on his tablet then flashes her another smile.

“Mary is expecting you. I’ll have June at the front desk schedule you for two weeks out, but if you have any issues or concerns before then, you can reach out to us anytime.” Once he leaves the room, I help Nia off the table then let her lead the way to the imaging office for her ultrasound. I had thought the first one was amazing, but this…seeing the perfect little baby just moving and kicking on the screen…he’s perfect. Through the entire process, she’s held my hand and as we both watch the screen, her hand squeezes mine and mine squeezes right back.

By the time we get home from the appointment, it’s a little past lunch time, so I order us something to eat then sit with her as we watch the DVD of the ultrasound, as if we didn’t just watch it in real time an hour ago…but I don’t mind…not one damn bit. It takes almost an hour for our lunch to arrive and just as we sit down to eat, Nia’s phone starts ringing and when she answers it, she puts the call on speaker then sets it on the table while she continues eating her fries.

Chapter 13

Lincoln

“Hey, Lynn!”

“Hey, Nia! Were you able to make it to the doctor okay?”

“Yeah, Lincoln took me and everything looks good. I’ve got a new baby movie to show you when you get home.”

“Linc…he took you to your appointment?”

“Yeah, Linc and me…we’re good. How are things going up there? You guys enjoying your visit?”

“Wow, okay. You’ll have to give me some details when I get home. We’re having a really good visit and Caleb’s parents are just the sweetest! Alright, I just wanted to check in on you and make sure you and little man are doing okay. You tell that brother of mine that I said he better take damn good care of you until I get back. I love you, Nia!”

“I love you too, Lynn!” She ends the call and gives me an adorably sheepish smile.

“Well, you heard the woman. You’re stuck with me taking damn good care of you till she gets back.” She rolls her eyes, but she can’t hide her amused smile.

“Well, just wait till she hears that I turned into a damn turtle and then there’s the story of my monumental meltdown over a damn rocking chair. I don’t know if she’s going to laugh her ass off, or yell at me for trying to do shit on my own and wrap me in bubble wrap. Lynn’s going to think I need a fulltime bodyguard just to save me from my damn self.” I don’t know how she does it, but this woman gets me laughing easier than anyone, with the exception of Lynn.

“Well, I may not be a bodyguard, but I’ll keep you safe, Nia.” It was meant as an innocent comment, but I see the flash of surprise in her eyes. Hell, I’m a little surprised too, especially when I realize how much I mean it.

Nia is thirty two weeks and with Lynn and Caleb having returned home three days after Nia’s last appointment, Lynn is going with her to the one today while I work on finishing up a little gift I started putting together for the baby, a hand-carved wooden sign with his name that’s stained the same coffee brown as his crib and dresser. I barely finish applying the stain when I hear the car doors opening and closing, so I quickly put everything away and head over to find out how everything went.

“Hey, Linc! Nia’s inside and we’re going to order lunch, so why don’t you join us?” Lynn is her usual, happy self which means the appointment went well, which is a damn relief. I follow her into Nia’s house and help her put in an order for our lunch, finishing placing it just as Nia walks into the dining room wearing a pale, blue sundress that highlights her full breasts and perfect baby belly perfectly.

“Hi Linc. How’s your day going so far?” God, that smile of hers…I’ve been trying not to think too much about the way everything about her seems to make my heart race, but it’s damn near impossible. I finally admitted to myself a few days back that I’m attracted to her, but with everything she has going on in her life, I feel like she doesn’t need the complications of someone like me pursuing her…and yes, that’s what I’ve been thinking about…pursing her…being with her.

“Not too bad. Just worked a little on a side project I started. Everything go good at your appointment?” That beautiful smile widens as she nods her head.

“Yeah, everything’s good. What kind of project are you working on?” Something I’ve noticed with Nia is that she always shows interest in my work, even when the projects are something boring, like building shelves.

“Just a little gift for a friend.” The only other person who knows about the project is Lynn and the devilish smile on her face has my damn cheeks flushing. I accidentally let it slip that I’ve kind of caught feelings for Nia and Lynn was unbelievably thrilled, even after I told her that I’m the last person Nia’s going to want in her life, at least in a romantic capacity.

“Oh, I forgot to mention that I’m going to dinner with Caleb tonight. Maybe you and Linc can hang out and have a quiet dinner and movie night. I think you could both use a break, some time to just unwind.” God, she’s not very subtle.

“I mean…if Linc doesn’t have plans, dinner and a movie sound good to me.”

Niallee

Holy shit! Lynn is killing me with her less than stealthy attempt at playing matchmaker! I may have accidentally mentioned the fact that I’ve grown to really enjoy the daily visits from Lincoln…and that I’m attracted to him. I’ll admit, I never would’ve believed it possible with how things went when we first met and then with the whole mess with his ex…I just couldn’t imagine. Even with everything we’ve experienced in the short time we’ve known each other, he’s more than proven to me that he’s not that angry, bitter man.

When we first met, I would intentionally try to avoid him and then after the things with his ex, I tried not to so much as think about him. Now, I find myself looking for him every time I hear noise outside and I think about him constantly. I won’t lie, Lynn’s suggestion for dinner and a movie with just me and Lincoln, it sounds too damn good, even more so when he nods and gives me that damn smile of his.

“Sounds good to me.” As soon as Lynn left at four, Lincoln and I ordered dinner from the local diner and we picked a movie to watch with it. By five twenty, we were both curled up on the couch, eating our cheeseburgers and watching a horror movie then by seven, I fell asleep.

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you still feel it holding onto you when you wake up? Well, I had been dreaming that Lincoln was curled up with me, holding me…only it’s not a dream. Sure, we’re not in my bed, but we are curled up on the couch with my head in his lap, his right hand stoking my hair while he sleeps and his left hand resting on my belly as Michael kicks and rolls. I could move…hell, I probably should move, but the greedy part of me wants to enjoy this for just a few more minutes.

I end up giving myself an extra ten minutes before I less than gracefully try to extract myself from his arms, but just as I sit up, he sits up too and his hand finds its way back onto my stomach, almost like it’s instinctual, not a choice. His hand begins rubbing gentle circles as his other hand rubs the sleep from his eyes.

“Good morning. Little man’s been kicking up a storm in there all morning.” He’s not wrong. It’s actually the reason I woke up at the ungodly early hour.

“Yeah, he apparently decided to throw a party while I try sleeping. I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.” His hand continues rubbing circles and a soft smile lights up his handsome face.

“You don’t need to apologize, Nia. I really didn’t mind. It’s still early yet, but you feel like going out to breakfast when the diner opens?” Oh, my treacherous, racing heart!

“Yeah, I’d like that. I need to shower and change before I go anywhere though.” With an agreement for him to meet me here in an hour, we go our separate ways so we can both clean up before we go to breakfast. I might put a little more effort into looking nice this morning, just a little though. By the time Lincoln knocks on my door, I’m showered, my hair is braided, I’ve put on just enough eyeliner and mascara to make my eyes stand out and am wearing a black sundress with my black sandals. Opening the door, I find that Lincoln seems to have put in a little more effort than usual too, his hair lightly gelled, his face cleanly shaved and he’s wearing dark blue jeans, a black and grey flannel that’s tucked in and a pair of black work boots that look as though he cleaned them recently.

“You look beautiful, Nia.” Alright, I’ll admit, that simple comment made my heart stutter before it started racing.

“You look quite handsome yourself, Linc.” As if my foolish heart isn’t already going off the rails, he makes the damn thing nearly explode when he reaches forward and takes my hand then leads me out of the house and to his truck. The drive to the diner takes only a little over ten minutes and we’re both thankful to find it nearly empty. We’re led to a booth in the back and the waitress is quick to bring us both a cup of coffee then leaves us with our menus.

“So, you have everything you need for little man?” Oh, god, if only he knew how many times a day I go over my mental checklist, always feeling like I must be missing something only to find out I’ve bought every single item and gadget possible, no doubt more things than I’ll ever possibly use.

“Yeah, I think I’m pretty well covered. Hell, I could probably have triplets and still not use half the shit I’ve bought. I even found Max’s old baby blanket in one of the boxes I pulled out of storage. I’m constantly feeling like I’m forgetting something, but I made a list of every item suggested by every damn baby book and I’ve bought every single one of them.” His bright smile and soft laughter melts my damn heart and has me smiling right back.

Chapter 14

Lincoln

For the last three weeks, I’ve spent every free moment with Nia and while we haven’t labeled things between us, we’ve spent many nights curled up on her couch together. I’ve also noticed that she likes even the small affectionate things like holding hands, or when she’s standing at the stove and I wrap my arms around her from behind. I’m sure to anyone on the outside, we look like a loving couple and the idea of it definitely doesn’t bother me.

Tonight is the night of our first official date, only because it’s the first time I genuinely asked her to go on a date with me rather than just asking her to go eat with me. We’ve been to dinner and lunch plenty of times, yet this time, I’m feeling nervous as hell. Maybe it’s because this time, we put a label on this thing between us. It’s not a casual dinner between friends, but a date between two people who already act like they’re something so much more.

I decided that I’m taking her to the steak house on the other side of town and even dressed up in a pair of black slacks, black dress shoes and a dark grey button-down with the sleeves rolled up. Hell, I even lightly gelled my hair so it’ll stay the hell out of my eyes. I head over to her place at five and the second she opens her door, she knocks the breath right out of me. Nia is wearing an ankle length navy blue sleeveless dress with a pair of strappy sandals, her hair’s pulled back into a braid and her barely there makeup highlights her eyes and her full pink lips perfectly.

“Holy hell, Nia…you’re so damn beautiful.” The way her cheeks flush, it has my heart beating like a damn war drum.

“You look amazing, Linc.” She grabs her purse then hands me her keys before taking my hand. We’ve had to resort to taking her SUV when we go places since it’s now too difficult for her to get in and out of my truck. I help her into the passenger seat then climb in, finally feeling excited about the date instead of nervous. The whole drive there, we talk about our day and she even takes my hand and places it on her stomach when Michael starts kicking harder than normal. Once we arrive, we’re taken to our table right away and within minutes, we have our drinks.

“Shit, don’t look now, but your ex is here.” Talk about a mood killer, but she, thankfully, keeps her voice low enough that it doesn’t draw any attention. Unfortunately for me, Kylie seems to have a sixth sense that picks up on me far too easily. Even with my back to her, I know she’s coming before she even reaches us just from the way Nia’s body tenses up.

“Hey, Linc. I didn’t expect to see you here. Oh, and you brought your knocked up neighbor, how cute. Let me guess, you felt bad for the slut next door?” I stand up and step between Kylie and Nia, blocking Nia from her view.

“You need to leave. I’m not going to put up with you talking like that about Nia just because you’re an insecure, jealous, heartless bitch.” I feel Nia’s small hand slide into mine, giving me a gentle squeeze.

“Jealous? You’re crazy if you think she has anything that I’d be jealous of. I mean, she’s unattractive, fat and she’s currently on a date with my leftovers, so what is there to be jealous of, Linc?” I can feel a slight tremor in Nia’s hand and now I’m more than a little pissed off. This was supposed to be a night for us to enjoy ourselves and now it’s being ruined by the bitch that wouldn’t go away.

“Leave…now.” I know I deliver the words with a slight growl, but Kylie is too damn stupid to take a hint. Luckily, the waitress walks up with the manager and makes Kylie leave, telling her she’s no longer welcome here. As soon as I turn and see the uneasy look on Nia’s face, I slide my chair right next to hers and sit down, leaning forward so my face is only inches from hers.

“Hey, don’t you dare listen to a word that evil, manipulative bitch said. You’re absolutely gorgeous.” She lets out a shaky breath and gives me a soft smile.

“Yeah? Well, that growly voice when you told her to leave, it was…” She clamps her mouth shut and shakes her head, but now there’s no way in hell I’m not going to hear what she has to say.

“It was what, Nia?” Did I scare her? Did I ruin the entire vibe here?

“It was hot as hell, Linc.” When her green eyes meet mine, I see how much she means those words and I can’t even stop myself from leaning in further and pressing my lips to hers. One of my hands gently grabs her neck and the other settles on her hip while her arms are around my neck with her fingers threaded through my hair. I don’t break the kiss until I hear a soft moan escape her. I would love to continue this with her, but I know this isn’t the place for it.

“While I would love to keep doing that…we should eat first before we end up giving everyone a show.” That earns one of her beautiful smiles as she nods in agreement.

“Yeah, can’t be having that now.” The rest of our dinner goes perfectly and when I take us home, she asks me inside to watch a movie. I swear, I’ve never been nervous around the opposite sex, but as we walk through her door, there’s no denying it…I’m nervous as hell and eager to have a repeat of that kiss. I don’t want to push her and I don’t want to move too fast. I know she’s dated before, but I don’t want her to think I’m expecting anything she’s not ready to give.

As we make our way to the kitchen, she’s quiet and I’m stuck in my own damn head, but then she blows me away. She stops by the fridge then turns to face me, a sudden look of determination on her beautiful face as she closes the distance between us. She reaches up, places her small hands on my cheeks and guides my lips down to hers. Having her round belly in between us is actually mildly amusing, but she doesn’t let it deter her.

When we both break the kiss long enough to come up for air, I rest my forehead on hers, our breaths mingling in the small space between us as a beautiful smile lights up her face. As if we needed to be brought back down with a heavy dose of reality, Michael kicks and rolls in her stomach. Feeling the movement from her stomach being pressed tight to mine, it’s still so amazing to experience this with her.

“Hey, why don’t we grab something to drink and cuddle up on the couch with a movie.” She nods, not looking at all bothered by having our moment interrupted.

“Instead of the couch, can we just curl up on my bed? It’s a lot more comfortable and we both know I’ll pass out ten minutes into whatever movie we put on.” She’s not wrong and the idea of being able to properly cuddle up with her is enough to have me agreeing.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Why don’t you go get the movie started and I’ll grab us both a bottle of water?” She gives me an adorable smile then presses her lips to mine for a soft, sweet kiss then steps around me and heads toward her room. As soon as I get to her room, I hear the sound of running water in the ensuite that quickly cuts off just before she walks out. I feel like the air got sucked out of the damn room when I see what she’s wearing…a black spaghetti strap tank top and black sleep shorts, both revealing a lethal amount of her milky skin.

“Shit, Nia…are you trying to kill me?” She gives me the most devious damn smile and shakes her head at me.

“Well, this is more than I usually wear in bed, so you’ll have to deal with it, mister.” She walks around her bed then climbs in on the left side, settling against the headboard. After handing her one of the bottles of water, I toe off my shoes then climb in on the right side, my preferred side, and she instantly scoots closer then turns on her side so she can cuddle against me. We settle on a low budget horror movie and, as she said, she’s asleep less than ten minutes in with me following closely behind her, holding onto her tightly.

Chapter 15

Lincoln

Nia is thirty-seven weeks in and the poor thing is barely able to get up off the couch without help, but she hasn’t had anymore ‘turtle’ incidents, so that’s a plus. I’ve spent every night with her since our first date and while we’ve shared a lot of kisses, we both discussed the fact that anything more than that needs to wait until Michael’s born and I’m more than okay with that. She had acted a little off the morning after that discussion, but when I got her to sit down and talk to me, she managed to blow me away.

Turns out she was worried that I might not find her as attractive after and that I might change my mind about taking on a relationship with both her and Michael. I could’ve let myself feel hurt by what she said, but instead, I made it damn clear that was never going to happen. I didn’t have any jobs lined up today, so I decided to get up early and make us both breakfast before Nia wakes up. I’ve just finished plating the eggs, bacon and toast when Nia comes waddling out, her face lighting up with a beautiful smile the second she sees me.

“Good morning. What’s all this?” She gestures to the two plates in my hand as I’m setting them on the table then she walks right up and wraps her arms around my waist with her head tilted back so she can look at me.

“I wanted to make you breakfast. How you feeling, beautiful?” I know I wasn’t meant to catch the little flicker in her expression, but I sure the hell did.

“I’m alright, just had some weird muscle cramping that woke me up, but it’s all good now. How did you sleep?” Yeah, we’re not rolling with that subject change.

“What do you mean? Did it feel like a contraction?” Okay, I’ll admit that I’ve done some in depth research on the whole childbirth thing and while a lot of it’s basically terrifying beyond all imagination and thoroughly nightmare inducing, I at least know enough to not be completely useless.

“I mean, kind of…I think…I don’t know! I’ve never had a contraction before! It didn’t last super long and it happened twice then stopped.” She may be trying to sound calm, but I can see just by looking at her that she’s scared. I know she’s worried about something going wrong and something happening to Michael, but I get it.

“Okay. Let’s eat breakfast and then we’ll head on over to the hospital to have you checked out…just in case.” She lets out a heavy sigh and nods her head as I bend down and place a kiss on her forehead. We barely make it halfway through breakfast before another contraction hits and she doesn’t fight me when I insist on taking her in right away. She calls Lynn on the way, letting her know we’ll update her after we get her check her out.

“Well, I hope you’re ready for this Niallee! You’re officially eight centimeters dilated and are fully effaced! The baby can come anytime now, so just sit tight and I’ll have the doctor start getting ready!” Yeah…that’s not what I was expecting…but I also wasn’t expecting Nia to drag me into the room with her…or for them to check her while I was standing there, holding her damn hand! In all fairness, one look at her and there’s not a chance in hell they could get me to leave.

“Alright, beautiful. I just sent Lynn a text to let her know what’s going on. She wants to know if you want her in the room with you.” I see the tears instantly welling up in her eyes and I don’t even know what the hell I said to upset her!

“Are you leaving?” The tremor in her voice damn near guts me, but I just hold her hand tighter and lean in close as I do my best to comfort her.

“Nia, I’ll be here for as long as you want me here.” She takes a deep, trembling breath then locks her eyes with mine.

“Then you’re never leaving.”

Michael Maxwel Winters came into the world at eleven forty-seven in the morning weighing six pounds and four ounces and let me tell you, there wasn’t a dry eye in the whole damn room. The doctor and all the nurses knew Nia’s story and they all knew what this meant to her, so when that slime covered wrinkly ball of perfection let out his first cry, we all cried with him. Lynn made it to the hospital by ten and we took turns holding Nia’s hand through her contractions and when it came time to push, we were both right there, cheering her on.

Everything with the delivery went perfectly and both momma and baby were doing so well that I got to take them home only twenty-four hours later. Driving through town with a newborn baby in my truck was panic inducing in the worst way, but Nia didn’t complain even once about me driving only fifteen miles per hour the whole damn way. I helped get Her and Michael into the house then made sure she was comfortable before starting on some dinner for us.

Lynn had mentioned as we were leaving the hospital that she wanted to stop by after we got home today, but I shut that shit down. I love my sister dearly, but I told her that Nia needs this, a little time to adjust…and I need it too. The second they laid Michael on her chest in the hospital, I knew without a doubt that I was staring at my future. I know we haven’t been officially together long, but I know I want this…I want them. I always felt like something was missing in my life, but as I stand in the doorway to the kitchen, watching her cradle Michael in her arms while looking down at him like he’s her whole damn world…I’ve never felt more whole.

I finish making dinner, pan seared lemon pepper chicken breasts with pesto pasta, then bring both of our plates out and set them on the coffee table. She’s still staring at him with so much love and adoration, but I’m pretty sure I’m looking at them both the same way. After Kylie, I never thought I’d have something like this in my life again. I had honestly thought I was okay with being alone, but then Nia came along and turned my damn world upside down without even trying. Thanks to my idiocy, I got to see what life without her was like and there’s no way in hell I want to go back to that again.

“Come on, beautiful. Let’s lay him down so you can eat.” She looks up at me and gives me that smile that makes my heart do stupid shit then gets up and carefully lays him in the basinet we set up beside the couch.

“Thank you for cooking, Linc. I swear…I don’t know how I would’ve made it through all this without you.” She walks right up to me and my arms are reaching for her the second she’s close enough. I bend down and press my lips to hers for a soft chaste kiss then pull her into my chest.

“I’m so happy you let me be a part of all of this, Nia. You and Michael…you two mean the world to me. I’ll be here for both of you for as long as you’ll let me, beautiful.” Her arms squeeze my waist and she tilts her head back with her chin resting on my chest as she looks up at me.

“Then you better get used to being here, Linc. I’ll never not want you here.” I feel the words rising up and while part of me thinks it’s too damn soon, that part isn’t the one running the damn show.

“Good…because I’m in love with you, Nia. I love you and I love Michael, so damn much. Someday, hopefully in the very near future, I’m going to make you and Michael mine, Niallee Winters.” As I say it, I’m worried it might be too soon for her, but then that beautiful face of hers lights up with the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen.

“I love you too, Lincoln, and I’m already yours.” I try to bite my tongue, to not say something that will screw this up, but I can’t even help it when the words just…slip out.

“Then let’s make it official. Marry me?” Her eyes widen slightly and she bites down on her lower lip, which does not make this whole ‘no touching till she’s completely healed’ thing any easier. I swear, all she has to do is breathe and she gets my damn heart racing and my brain becomes a puddle of mush inside my skull. This woman is so damn perfect and she doesn’t even realize it.

“Okay.”

Epilogue

Epilogue – Niallee

“Oh my god, Nia! You two really did it!” Lynn has been stuck somewhere between excitement and disbelief since I first slipped on my dress this morning. As of three minutes ago, I officially became Niallee Andrea Winters-Marshall. Lincoln had thought I’d want some fancy wedding with a big white dress, so when I suggested we go to the courthouse a few days after Michael’s first birthday, he was more than a little surprised. I didn’t tell him that our little courthouse visit served two purposes, but he’s about to find out. We both sign the marriage license with Lynn and Caleb signing as our witnesses, but then the judge sets another paper on the table and gives Lincoln a warm smile.

“Just one more thing needs your signature, Mr. Marshall.” Lincoln looks at the paper and tears start to fall instantly.

“Nia…are you serious? Are you sure?” Even as he’s asking, his eyes haven’t left the adoption papers in front of him.

“I’ve never been more sure, Linc. I think even Max would agree that there’s no better man to be a father to Michael. We’re already yours, Linc, but now we’ll have the papers to prove it.” He reaches for the pen on the table with a trembling hand then signs next to the bright yellow arrow.

“Congratulations you two. I’ll get these all filed today!” The judge grabs the marriage license and adoption papers then exits the chambers while Lincoln wastes no time pulling me in for a heated kiss.

“Thank you…I love you so damn much, Nia.” And I know it’s true. Sure, Lincoln was a grumpy bastard when I met him, but he’s more than made up for it. Hell, once we got past the last hurdle between us, things have been unbelievably perfect. Lincoln is attentive, affectionate, thoughtful and he loves fiercely. He’s never failed to make me and Michael a priority, loving and caring for him like a father before he was even born.

A week after Michael was born, Lincoln officially moved into my house with me and once we had all his things cleared out of his house, Lynn and Caleb moved in when Lincoln agreed to let them work it like a rent-to-own. It saved us from having to worry about listing it with a realtor and rushing through any repairs or updates. Over the last year, we’ve worked together to overcome struggles, faced rough nights with a colicky baby, laughed together, supported each other and we’ve watched our love grow into something neither of us had expected.

I never thought that the journey that began with tragedy would result in me finding my happily ever after, but I know that Max would be proud of me. We had one last run in with Jane’s parents, but it wasn’t anything like the first. Lincoln and I had driven up to visit max and Jane, all so I could introduce them to the man who helped hold my life together when everything was falling apart. I had expected Lincoln to think it was foolish, meeting my brother and sister-in-law by visiting their gravesite, but he didn’t even question it.

We had just started the walk back to our car when I saw Jane’s parents pull up and, with Lincoln at my side, I didn’t feel worried or afraid. They were parked only two spaces down from us, so they saw Michael, of course they did, but they simply cast an angry glare in our direction then walked away. This time, there was no yelling, there were no accusations, just silence. I wish I could let them be a part of Michael’s life, but they made their choice. Even without them, Michael has an abundance of people who love him and as for me…I finally feel happy again and no longer feel like I’ve been buried alive.