CHAPTER TWENTY
Joel sat at the dining room table with files spread out around him. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was already seven. He’d been at it since five and had accomplished a great deal. The analysis of the shipping company was complete, and he was ready to forward his recommendation.
Standing, he stretched and glanced out the front window. The street remained quiet at this early hour, and the only thing that seemed to be moving out there were the birds and squirrels. He strode into the kitchen and refilled his coffee cup and wondered if Vivi was ready to get up. Probably not. She should sleep as much as she can. Growing a human being inside of your body was a lot of work, and he had to make sure that she rested as much as she could.
How in the hell had they gotten so lucky?
Shaking his head, he realized how crazy that thought was. It hadn’t been but twenty-one days since he’d arrived. And he never would’ve guessed that he would have fallen for and impregnated the good doctor.
Truth be told, he was proud of himself for accomplishing it in such a short amount of time. Though that had never been the goal. At least consciously. Maybe somewhere in his subconscious, this was what he’d wanted all along. That would certainly explain his behavior over the last two weeks.
When he walked into the clinic and saw Vivi coming toward him, he was pretty much a goner. It probably happened a lot earlier than that, but that was the first time the thought hadn’t pissed him off. Why it took a trip to New Orleans for him to realize it was a mystery. Perhaps it was because she needed him and he had something to offer. Leaning against the counter, he remembered the feeling he had on the day that Ronnie had come in asking for help with Vivi. There had been a certain amount of emptiness that was no longer there. Rubbing his chest, he realized that he felt optimistic and happy, which were not emotions that were real familiar to him.
Being on the Teams had always been serious business, and he enjoyed the hell out of himself and would go back tomorrow if they’d have him. But it never gave him the feeling that he was experiencing now. This was the beginning of his family, the family he was going to have with Vivi. The idea of sharing his life with someone and building something together was exciting as hell.
The only thing that he needed to do was get Vivi as excited as he was about the two of them. For some reason, she didn’t seem all that open to the idea. Was it because it was all so new, or was it something else? The only way to solve the problem was to show her that he was the best candidate. That didn’t seem all that difficult. After all, he made it through the most challenging military program in the world. The way you became a SEAL was by never quitting. The way you survived fifteen years on the Teams was by never quitting.
So that was what he would do with Vivi. He heard her footsteps on the stairs, and he walked over to meet her. Watching her come down the stairs made his heart turn over. It was a hell of a realization that the thing that he had ignored for years was in full working order. It seemed all it needed was Vivi in order to start working properly. “Good morning, honey.”
“Mmmm,” she mumbled, as she padded past him.
“I was going to bring you breakfast in bed. Why don’t you go back up and relax?” A grunt was all he received in response. Okay, it seemed that she wasn’t ready to talk. He watched her fill a glass with orange juice and gulp it down. Then she went to the cupboard and pulled out some crackers.
Slumping into a chair, she opened the package and started eating them. He sat down across from her and studied her face. On closer inspection, she didn’t look too great. Maybe the morning sickness had started. “Can I get you anything?”
“Can you go out to the garage and see if there is any 7-Up? I threw up twice, and I don’t feel great.”
“Of course, honey.” He kissed her head and hustled out the back door into the garage. Opening the fridge, he saw one lone can of 7-Up. A trip to the market was going to be one of the first things he did after he made sure she was okay. He returned quickly to the house, grabbed a glass, and filled it. “Last one.” Handing it to her, he smiled and watched her take a few sips.
“Thanks, Joel.” She took a few more sips and ate several crackers. “I thought I had some time before all this started. When my blood work came back yesterday, my HCG hormones were quite high. That can sometimes be an indication of twins. Whatever the reason, it’s too damn early to be experiencing this. It shouldn’t start for another month or so.”
“Twins?” Joel croaked. “How did we manage that?”
“It’s not likely.” Patting his hand, she smiled. “I’m almost sure that there is only one in there.”
“When can we find out?”
“Right around ten weeks. But, like I said…I think one is all I get.”
“We get. One is all we get.” He grinned at her and noticed her tight smile. She could pretend all she wanted that she was alone in this. But that was the furthest thing from the truth, and the sooner she realized it, the better. “Are you ready for anything else to eat, or do you want to wait awhile?”
Standing, she grabbed the soda and crackers. “I’m going to wait and see how I feel.” She turned around and moved toward the stairs. “I’m going to get in the shower.”
Standing at the foot of the stairs, he watched her walk up them slowly. Mentally, he was making a list of things to accomplish. One of the first things he was going to do was download a bunch of books. He needed to educate himself quickly so that he knew how to take care of Vivi. He returned to the dining room table, whistling.
Yes, indeed, twins. He’d always been a great swimmer, so it made sense that his swimmers had made a valiant effort and managed to land two at home base. Leave it to a SEAL to make the most of every opportunity.
***
Joel sat on the couch and read a book for expectant fathers. The possibility for complications were endless. It was a miracle that any child was ever born without incident. This made going into combat seem like a cakewalk. He was so engrossed in the book that he didn’t hear Vivi enter. She stood before him, frowning.
“Please don’t take everything they say as gospel. Most pregnancies are uncomplicated.”
Standing, he took her hand. “There is nothing uncomplicated about this process. I don’t know how you can stand there and act so cavalier.”
“Chicken and waffles.”
“What?”
“If you want me to be happy, then I would like chicken and waffles. Let’s go over to Emeril’s. They have a yummy watermelon slaw that they serve it with.”
He watched her walk into the kitchen and grab her purse. Apparently, the discussion was over and they were going to eat. Scratching his head, he wondered how he was going to navigate the next nine months. Evidently it centered on keeping Vivi happy. And feeding her. Okay, as long as he had a plan. He ambled into the kitchen and herded her toward the back door.
Once they were in the car and pulling out of the driveway, she spoke. “Joel, you can’t freak out over every little thing. Neither of us will survive if you do. Women give birth all over the world with little access to medical care and hospitals. It’s only in the western world that we make it complicated. We’re going to watch a movie tonight called Babies. It’s a documentary that follows five families from around the world. It will give you a great perspective about childbirth and the first year of life from very different situations.”
“All right.”
He glanced over and saw her smile. “For the record, I don’t freak out. I assess the situation, gather information, make a plan, and then act. I’ve never freaked out in my life, and I don’t plan on starting now.”
“Good to know.”
The way she patted his hand told him that she was just placating him. “Can you give me directions?”
“I would love to.”
They arrived at the restaurant quickly, and Vivi started to climb out. “Wait, honey. I’ll come and get you.”
“So, this is how it’s going to be…constant hovering?” When he opened the door, he gazed at her questioningly.
“What did you say, honey?”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
He placed his arm around her and then held her other hand as they walked toward the front door. “Problem?”
“Yes, you’re acting weird. You’re holding me like I’m an egg that is about to break. Stop it!” Slipping out of his hold, she stomped toward the front of the restaurant.
When he caught up with her, he grasped her hand and frowned. “I wasn’t.”
“Were too.” Her shoulders started to shake as she began to laugh. “We are some kind of pair.”
“That we are.” At least she found him funny. That had to put a point up in his favor…right?
***
“So…”
Vivi studied Joel across the table and knew that one small word he uttered held a lot of meaning. “Did you enjoy your meal?” Wiping her mouth carefully, she smiled sweetly at him, and hoped to distract him. “I think fried chicken and waffles is one of the best things ever invented. Don’t you agree?” Before she let him respond, she went on. “We should have the banana cream pie for dessert.” Waving the waiter over, she placed an order for them. “It’s out of this world.”
The way he held himself so still was slightly unnerving. His expression was neutral, and his breathing was even. With all those obvious signs, why did it feel like he was about to pounce? Clearly, her chatter wasn’t going to work, and he was just waiting for her to run out of steam.
Debating with herself, she tried to decide which approach might work best. When his big hand covered hers, she knew she was cooked. Like a goose.
“Viv, I’m not going to bring anything up in the restaurant, so don’t worry. There is no need to tire yourself out with all the chatter. This is just a lunch date and nothing more. We are going to have thousands of these. It’s no big deal.” Leaning back in his chair, he smiled over her shoulder at someone. “Here comes your pie. And, you’re right, it does look delicious.”
The waiter placed the huge slab of perfection between them and asked if there was anything else they would like. “We’ll have one coffee and one milk, please.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she shot a death glare at him. “How do you know that I want a glass of milk?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I figure it can’t hurt. Don’t fuss at me for something that doesn’t really bother you.” Lifting his fork, he scooped up a big bite and held it up for her. “Go on and try some.”
Leaning forward, she opened her mouth and took the bite. He was right. She was letting the small stuff irritate her, because the big thing was too big to talk about. “Would you like to go for a walk after lunch? We could go over to Lafayette Park.”
“Sure, Viv. That sounds great.”
She lifted her own fork and took a bite of the pie. When the waiter delivered their drinks, she realized that the milk was a good idea. Lifting the glass, she held it up in a toast. “To lunch dates.”
They clinked glasses, and he grinned at her like she had just given him a million dollars. She winked at him and drank down half the glass. Goodness, she was in a heap of trouble.
***
They sat together on the steps with the statue of Henry Clay behind them. Holding hands, they said little, and Vivi waited for Joel’s opening shot. There was no way he was going to remain silent for long.
Twenty minutes later, he still hadn’t said anything, and she was about to jump out of her skin. “Fine.”
“What, honey?”
“I said… Fine. I’ll start, since you’re doing that super-still Buddha thing. Clearly it’s going to be up to me to get the ball rolling.”
“We don’t have to let any balls roll. We can just enjoy one another’s company.”
“We made a baby against all the odds and we are virtual strangers to one another, so I feel like we should talk about a few things before we talk to other people.”
“Okay. I’m all in, Viv. I’ll do whatever you want, but I’m all in and want to marry you. We are going to be a family, and I think we should get started on making that a formal arrangement.”
Scooting away, she rolled her shoulders. “Three weeks ago, you told me that you don’t have relationships. Now you want to get married? Are you worried that I’ll keep the baby from you?”
“No!”
“Then why would you want to marry me? Do you even like me?”
“I do, Viv. I’ve always liked you. That was the problem…you scared me, so I tried to stay away from you.” Running his hand across her shoulders, he smiled. “I thought you were the prettiest woman I’d ever seen. Then I found out you were smart, funny, and kind, and I knew there would be no way that you would be interested in me. So I did what any guy does and I gave you a hard time.”
“You are a decorated war hero. How many medals have you been awarded? How many times have you faced the unimaginable? Countless times. I don’t know how a girl from the South would ever intimidate you. It seems impossible.”
Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, “That’s the secret we like to keep. Big bad spec ops guy would rather face a hundred tangos than face a woman who could destroy them. We are men who are in control of the world around us until it comes to love. Then we’re like every other guy out there. At the mercy of the woman who holds our heart. So, me liking you was never the issue.”
“How do two strangers figure something like this out? I have no idea where to begin.”
“I think we do what we did today. We go have something to eat, take a walk, have a chat. We keep doing that until we don’t know how to do anything else. We have dinner together, watch shows, maybe take a swim, or go to a movie. I should take you dancing, since you love to dance. Though that might work against us, since I’m not good at it. And every night we lie together and let our bodies get to know each another. We seem to be really working in that area, so we should do it as often as we can.” Rubbing his finger over her hands, he shrugged. “That’s where I think we should begin.”
“It seems almost too simple.”
“Sometimes that’s how it is. I have a make-it-work attitude. I do the right thing, and I just keep doing it, and I don’t stop, no matter what. I have a feeling that you’re the same way. Everything about what you’ve done shows me that it’s true. Let’s make it work, Viv.” Resting his hand on her stomach, he grinned. “We have an especially good reason to succeed.”
Covering his hand with her own, she nodded in agreement. “I will date you, Joel. Let’s see what we can make.”
His bark of laughter startled some birds that were searching for food on the lawn. “I never had to knock a girl up to get her to agree to date me.”
Smoothing down her shirt, she picked at a loose thread. “That’s how things work down here. Sometimes it takes extreme measures to make sure you have the chance you want.”
“I’m starting to understand that now.”