Chapter 66

 

Ava

 

 

HOW IN THE world could I have missed that?

I was always regular.

Never any surprises. 

I just couldn’t believe I’d gone through two months of no periods without noticing a damn thing.

Who does that?

“So, what are you saying?” Jayce asked.

I could barely get the words out. “I might be pregnant,” I squeaked.

The look he gave me was almost comical. “But… we used condoms.”

“Everyone knows there’s still a risk with those damn things,” I said, covering my eyes. “Oh shit, Jayce, what am I going to do if I’m pregnant? This is horrible.”

He pulled my hand away. “If you are, we’ll deal with it.”

“I’m not getting an abortion,” I said flatly.

His eyes burned into mine. “Babe, I would never ask that of you. If you’re pregnant, we’re going to do the responsible thing. We’ll get married. You’ll live in Minnesota. We’ll buy a house with a yappy dog and a white picket fence…”

My eyes narrowed. “You did this to me on purpose so that I’d move to Minnesota, didn’t you?”

He gave me a startled look. “What?”

I broke into a smile. “I’m kidding.”

“I should hope so. That’s nothing to joke about.”

I got off of his lap. “We need to buy a pregnancy test. Maybe two, in case the first one is wrong,” I said, heading toward the bedroom to get dressed.

He followed me. “Fuck the test. I’ll ask Tarot. He can probably even tell us if you’re having a girl or boy or, hell, twins.”

I opened up my closet and with trembling hands, began searching for something to wear. “We both know that he’s not one-hundred percent accurate. Anyway, I need scientific proof right now. This could change everything.”

“Both of ours,” he murmured.

I looked over at him. Thankfully, he seemed to be taking this better than me. The thought of being a mother scared the hell out of me. “We’ll call Tarot after. Okay?”

He nodded.

 

AN HOUR LATER, I stared at the test result of the first kit.

“What does it say?” he asked, on the other side of the bathroom door.

I touched my stomach. “Um, it says I’m pregnant. I’m going to try the other one, in case it’s wrong.”

He gasped. “What? You’re kidding, right?”

“No, it really says I’m pregnant,” I replied, looking at the stick. I bit my lower lip. “But, I suppose it could be wrong. Right?”

He didn’t say anything.

“Jayce?”

“Sorry, I’m calling Tarot.”

Sighing, I opened up the other box, listening as Jayce began talking to Dom.

“Hey, brother. Guess what? I’m going to be a father,” he said joyfully.

I froze.

He was happy?

 Surprised that he was taking it so well, I opened the door and watched his face as Tarot spoke to him on the phone.

“What is he saying?” I whispered.

“That we could have saved the money on the test. He already knew.”

My jaw dropped. “No. Really?”

Jayce looked at me again. “He wants to know if we’d like to know the sex.”

Pursing my lips together, I grabbed the phone from Jayce. “Don’t you dare say anything else, Tarot. If I am pregnant, I want the sex to be a surprise.”

“You just took a test, right? You already know you’re pregnant.”

I gasped and laughed. “How in the hell do you know so much?”

“Hollywood told me about it,” he replied, amused.

I sighed. “Yeah. I took the first one. It was positive. I’m taking the next one now. Just to make sure.”

“Don’t waste your money; return it. You’re pregnant.”

I touched my stomach again. “This is crazy,” I said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

“Did he tell you what we’re having?” Jayce asked.

I shook my head.

Having heard, Tarot spoke. “To be honest, I don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl. Not yet, anyway. I do know you’re going to be good parents, though.”

“I hope so,” I replied in a shaky voice.

“The dedication you showed in regards to your brother proves how much family means to you. You’re going to be a wonderful mom,” Tarot said softly.

The idea of someone calling me “Mom” brought tears to my eyes again.

At least I knew why I’d been so emotional lately. 

“Hey, are you about done?” Jayce grabbed the cell back. “Woman, don’t you ever take a man’s cell phone from him like that again,” he teased.

“Blah, blah, blah,” I said, walking back into the bathroom to take the other test.

“Did you tell her the sex?” Jayce asked Tarot on the phone. “Oh.”

I turned around and looked at Jayce. “He doesn’t know.”

“I bet there’s one thing he does now,” Jayce said with a gleeful expression. “The date you’re moving to Minnesota.”

I groaned and shut the bathroom door.

 

AFTER THE SECOND test turned up positive, we made a doctor’s appointment the following day. They also tested me and it turned out that I was almost two and a half months into my pregnancy.

“So, I imagine that means I can’t do any stunts until after I have the baby?” I said to the doctor.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” he replied, amused.

Although I’d been thinking about turning down the movie offer in Minnesota because of Hunter, I needed to make a living somehow.

“Don’t worry. I actually make decent money,” Jayce told me after we left the hospital. “Between slinging ink and roofing, we shouldn’t have any financial issues.”

“I can’t expect you to pay for everything.”

“It’s just until you can work again,” he replied. “Although, I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to be a fulltime mother.”

“Jayce, we don’t even know where I’m going to be living.”

“Minnesota,” he replied firmly.

“I can’t do that to Millie.”

Jayce groaned. “Millie can take care of herself. She had a mild heart attack, and you said so yourself, she looks great and has a new spring in her step.”

“I think that’s because of Charles,” I said, amused. They’d had two more dates since the weekend.

“You’d better call her and let her know you’re pregnant,” he told me after getting into my SUV. He started the engine. “I wonder how she’ll take it.”

“Millie is the most understanding person I’ve ever met. She’ll be happy for us.”

I hadn’t actually said anything yet to her. I’d wanted to know for sure.

Jayce nodded. “Hey, you hungry? Let’s grab some food and bring it back to your place,” he said as we left the hospital parking lot.

“Okay. Let me call her now and get it over with.” I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.

“Oh, dear, I’m so glad you called,” Millie said, sounding elated. “I have some exciting news that I wanted to share with you.”

“Me, too. Tell me yours first.”

“Charles and I are taking a twenty-nine day cruise with a small group from our church. We’re going to the French Polynesia and New Zealand and Australia,” she said breathlessly. “I’m so excited. It’s going to be so much fun.”

“Wow, are you sure it’s wise in your condition?”

She sighed. “Ava, I’m fine. I just had a visit with the doctor and he said that I am doing very well. You need to quit worrying about me so much. I’m serious now. I know you care but you worry way too much about me. As much as I appreciate it, sometimes it gets… annoying.”

I snorted. “You’re serious?”

“Yes. I was afraid to tell you because I knew you’d start giving me the third degree. I feel like our relationship has turned around. It’s almost like I’m the child and you’re the adult. This can’t go on, dear.”

“I’m sorry. I’m actually very happy for you,” I said, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. “It sounds like a wonderful trip. When are you leaving?”

“We leave next month already.”

“Wow. When exactly are you going to introduce me to Charles?”

“We’re planning on having a little dinner party for the family soon. He has children and grandchildren he wants me to meet.”

“Sounds great.”

“You said that you have some news for me?”

I swallowed. “Yeah, um…” I laughed nervously. “I guess I’ll just spit it out; I’m pregnant.”

She gasped. “What? When did this happen?”

“When Jayce was here last. I mean, he’s here now. But, that’s when, you know, I got pregnant.”

She was silent for a few seconds and it was like I could hear the crickets chirping. Just when I thought my news had sent her into cardiac arrest, she spoke again. “My dear, I’m happy for you. You’re going to be a wonderful, wonderful mother.”

I sighed in relief. Her support meant everything. “Thank you.”

“How does he feel about it?”

I looked over at Jayce, who was driving and trying to listen in. “I think he’s okay with it.”

He looked over at me. “Okay with what? The pregnancy?”

I nodded.

“I’m more than okay with it, Millie,” he said loudly so she could hear. “I think it’s fantastic. Now if I can just get her to marry me!”

My eyes widened.

“Did he just say what I think he said?” Millie asked, sounding amused.

“Uh, yeah,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Is that a ‘yes’?” Jayce asked, grabbing my hand.

“If you love him, tell him ‘yes’,” Millie ordered over the phone. “You’d be a fool not to. It’s obvious he loves you.”

I looked at Jayce. “But, he wants me to move to Minnesota,” I told her.

“So? We make sacrifices for those we love. And don’t you go saying that you can’t leave Florida because of me. That’s poppycock,” she grumbled.

I snorted.

“What’s it going to be, babe?” Jayce asked, bringing my hand up to his mouth. He kissed my knuckles.

“I guess you’re getting what you wanted,” I joked. “I’m… I’m moving to Minnesota, I guess.”

He let out a loud “whoop!”

“Congratulations,” Millie said. “Now, you two come to dinner tonight so we can talk more about this. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I love you, dear,” she replied.

“I love you, too,” I said softly before hanging up.

“So, she’s fine with everything?” Jayce asked me.

I smiled and nodded. “She’s going on a cruise with Charles next month.” I told him about it. “Oh, and we’re supposed to come over for dinner tonight.”

“Sounds good.”

Jayce suddenly turned into a mini mall parking lot.

“What are you doing? There’s no food places over here,” I said, my stomach rumbling already.

He drove up to a small jewelry store and parked the SUV. “We need to make our engagement official,” he said, shutting off the engine. “I’m buying you a ring.”

I was suddenly grinning from ear-to-ear. “Okay. If you want.”

“I do want,” Jayce said, looking at the necklace around my neck. “You mentioned that Millie gave you that.”

I looked down at the cross and nodded. “For good luck.”

“I think just being around it has given me good luck. Not only did I meet the girl of my dreams, but now she’s going to be my wife,” he said softly.

My eyes filled with tears.

He sighed. “I just want you to know that I appreciate the sacrifice you’re willing to make for me. To move to Minnesota. I know it’s not what you wanted.”

“I want to be with you,” I replied. “So, if it’s Minnesota, then… I guess it’s Minnesota.”

“You know, there is a Gold Vipers chapter in Florida,” he said.

My eyes widened. “Could you transfer?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. It would mean leaving my club brothers behind.”

“Family is everything,” I said, staring into his blue eyes. “I would never make you give them up just because of a location. Besides, I’m starting to really like Tarot and Peyton.”

“What about Joey and Penny?”

“I’ll come back and visit as much as possible. Along with Mille. I might be moving to Minnesota, but it’s not like I can’t hop on a plane and see them.”

He grinned. “My little jet-setter.”

“Get used to it, because after the baby is born, I’m eventually going back to work.”

His face turned serious. “There’s a lot of danger involved. You sure you want to do that?”

“There’s danger in staying with your club. I’m not asking you to leave,” I reminded him.

He smirked. “Point taken. We haven’t had any club disputes for a while, though. I’m crossing my fingers that there’ll be less drama in the future.”

“God, I hope so, too. At least you won’t have any more from me.”

“What do you mean? I’m marrying you. Something tells me there’ll be a lot of drama.”

I scowled at him.

He grabbed my hand. “I wouldn’t change it for the world, though. In fact, I think we should tattoo the word Drama Queen somewhere on your body. After we finish the dragon, of course.”

We were going to wait until after the baby was born to finish that tattoo. We’d also decided to name our child Andrew, if it was a boy, or Andrea, if it was a girl. 

“You keep that up and you’re not touching any part of my skin again.”

He laughed. “Have I told you how much I love the fire in your eyes when you get all feisty? It’s so fucking sexy. Just like you, my little mama,” He leaned over and kissed me.

“I won’t be sexy in a few months,” I pouted.

“Bullshit. I’m looking forward to seeing your stomach grow. I can’t wait to see the changes and feel the baby move,” he said softly. “I’m even thinking about getting a tattoo of you pregnant.”

I didn’t think I could love Jayce anymore at that moment. “Stop it. Quit making me cry,” I said, laughing through my tears.

He chuckled. “Let’s put a ring on that finger,” he said.

“Okay.”

As we got out of the SUV and went into the shop, I thought about how much my life would be changing in the next several months. It was both scary and exhilarating, especially with the baby. Thankfully, I’d experienced both sides of parenting—the good and the bad. I didn’t know what the future would bring, but I’d try to be the best damn mother I could be. Thanks to Millie, I ended up with a pretty good role model, too.

“Is this the one?” the jeweler asked me, thirty minutes later, after we’d looked at several rings.

Although I knew he was talking about the diamond solitaire on my finger, I looked at Jayce and nodded. 

Yes, he was positively the one…

 

 

 

The End