Chapter Forty-Three
Kurt
I waited in the spare bedroom. The guys had been a hell of a lot of help getting this done as my gift to Sawyer. I knew Sawyer had been in a funk since her parents disconnected their phone. Understandably so. Fuckers.
My phone vibrated.
Knoah: We’re on our way to drop off the stuff. She loved the guitar and music.
Me: I knew she would. Thank you. You’ll never know how much it means to me.
Knoah: I do because of how much it means to me.
When Knoah offered the guitar and sheet music, I was floored. The music and guitar had meant the world to Dylan. Between the two of us, he’d been the sentimental one. Knoah giving them to my son was…there were no words.
I heard the door open and the sound of women laughing. Sawyer gushed over all the stuff for the baby, which made me smile. She needed this.
Mom said, “We’ll be back with the next load. You just wait here and we’ll bring it.”
Man, Mom was excited about this baby. I still needed to talk to her about Dad, but that could wait. Later. Today was a day of happiness for my girl.
Wait…load? How much shit did Sawyer get?
I heard Knoah and Sawyer talking. “If you need my help getting everything ready, let me know.”
“Oh, I’d love that. Maybe tomorrow if that sounds good. I think a nap is in my immediate future.”
Sawyer had to be exhausted after this day. She’d been gone for nearly four hours.
“I bet you’re tired. I can’t wait to see all of the goodies you got today set up in the nursery.”
“Me, either. I need to figure out the furniture. Maybe tomorrow we can do that, too.” There was a pause. “Thank you for today. This was just what I needed.”
“I’m glad.”
Twice more the women came and went, bringing stuff. How much stuff does a baby need? Holy shit. The door closed one last time, and I waited for the confirmation from Knoah.
Knoah: She’s alone.
Listening again, I heard the water dispenser running on the fridge. The anticipation building inside me was worse than any night on stage. I hoped Sawyer liked my surprise. Making her smile did something to me—rocked me to my core.
I pressed Play on the CD player, and the sound of my voice singing gentle songs filled the air. Over the last two weeks, I made a special lullaby disc for Dylan.
“Kurt?”
“In the spare bedroom,” I called out.
Sawyer stopped in the doorway, her eyes huge. Her mouth opened and closed several times. “What is this?”
Her hands motioned around the room, pointing at the different pieces of furniture between gasps. “Kurt, what is all this?”
Beautiful wasn’t a strong enough word to describe the sight of the woman I loved carrying our child. Our child. There was a soft rosy glow to her cheeks. Because of Sawyer, I had hope.
“Well, it’s the baby’s stuff. A little birdie told me you loved this set.”
“Kurt, this is a twenty-thousand-dollar crib. It’s why I only secretly loved it and you had to hear it from a birdie.”
Yep, she loved it. And I would have spent a million dollars on a crib if it made her happy. “I’m aware. I just signed the bill.”
Sawyer threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly.
“Do you like it?” I needed to know for sure.
“Like it? No…I love this. But it was—”
I put my finger to her lips. “It doesn’t matter. If you love it, that’s all that matters.”
The furniture seemed nice. It was something called a vintage whitewash on black wood. Whatever the hell that meant.
“Hush Little Baby” came over the speakers. We stared into each other’s eyes, and I loved what I saw. With that look of adoration, I could conquer the world.
“Did you record Dylan a lullaby soundtrack?”
“I did.”
“When?”
“When you were sleeping.” Each night, I would slip into the soundproof recording room I had here to work on it. Simply me and my guitar.
Sawyer bounced on her toes. “I’m going to play this every night for Dylan. You are going to be an amazing dad.”
My heart beat double time. I swallowed hard, knowing this was my biggest fear. “I hope so.”
She leaned up on her tiptoes, pressing her tummy to mine, and softly kissed me. I would never tire of her kisses. “I know so, Kurt.”
This woman was my lifeline. Everything I wanted but never dreamed I could have.
Kick. Kick. Kick.
“What was that?” I took a step back, a little stunned. No way. Did I just feel the baby?
Sawyer looked confused. “What?”
I dropped to my knees and placed both palms on her stomach. “Is Dylan kicking right now?”
“Yes.”
Something indescribable came over me. The purest happiness I’d ever felt. More kicks. This was our child. “I can feel him. Hey, Dylan, it’s your daddy.”
More kicks. I looked up at Sawyer to see tears in her eyes. “This is the most amazing feeling in the world.”
“He loves hearing his daddy sing to him.”
It was time to give Sawyer her next gift. Standing, I said, “I have one more surprise for you.”
“I’m going to be spoiled.”
“I hope so.”
I pulled out a folded piece of paper from the back pocket of my jeans and handed it to her. Sawyer smirked at the paper and the way the edges didn’t line up at all. Who has time for that shit?
She unfolded the paper and read it. For a second, I worried she didn’t like it, because she just stared at the paper. “Is this what I think it is?”
“If we want it, yes. They’re holding the lot next to Garrick and Knoah’s for us. We can build a house there together. Maybe get it done in time before Dylan comes.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
As far as things with Sawyer went, I was all in—baby, house, being together. But my stance on marriage hadn’t changed.
She jumped in excitement but stopped when I teasingly raised my eyebrow. No jiggling the baby. Okay, I was mostly teasing—only somewhat serious. “I was just thinking today how much I would miss having Knoah close by. You’re making all my dreams come true. Thank you. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” I needed her now. And I would never stop. I captured her mouth, savoring her sweet taste. With a swipe of my tongue, she let me in. I growled into her mouth. “I need you.”
“Take me to our room and make love to me.”
I swooped her up. Nothing else compared to making her happy.