Harlan

 

Three months later – Christmas Eve

Cade came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, feeling the slight bump that was just below my belly button. My hands instantly found his and held tight. He’d been doing that a lot lately. Ever since we found out the news. I was worried he would be upset, but his eyes just lit up with excitement. He wanted to run out and tell everyone, but I convinced him to wait. I didn’t think he’d wait much longer though.

“All right, you two,” Toni complained. “It’s almost time to make your entrance. You’ll have time for that after the reception.”

When Cade suggested we get married on Christmas Eve in the barn behind the farm house, I thought he was crazy. I worried Toni would be upset because it was only a week before her wedding, and it only gave us three months to plan. It turned out that Toni was thrilled, especially when I asked her to be my maid of honor, and everything came together easily, especially when Dottie and Fred came to help.

All our family was there, both race teams, and their families. My grandpa and Dillon walked me down the aisle. And when it came time to say our vows, Cade surprised me with vows that he and Dillon prepared.

“I Cade, take you Dillon to be my son. I promise to love you, care for you, and argue with you when you’re older. I promise that we will be a family, no matter what, forever.”

“I Dillon, take you Cade to be my daddy. I promise to love you and help whenever I can. Can I call you daddy now?”

Cade picked him up and hugged him tight and agreed that Dillon could call him daddy if he wanted. Tears streamed from my eyes as I watched my two men embrace. My heart swam with more love than I ever thought.

Flashing back to now, I looked around the tack room and smiled. It had been a perfect day, and it was just going to get better.

“We’ll be there in a minute,” Cade said. “Could you send Dil in here for a minute though?”

“Sure,” Toni said, then turned to find the little boy who was running around playing with Kyle’s son.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“We need to tell Dillon the news. I want to share our happiness with everyone, but Dil needs to know first.”

“Here?” I asked. “Tonight?”

He leaned down, so he was eye to eye with me. His blue eyes shined with love, and I could see his resolve. “Yes,” he insisted. “Please.”

Cade wouldn’t tell anyone if I didn’t want him to, but he was excited. He loved Dillon, and now he was excited to bring another little person into our lives.

Dillon came running into the tack room where Cade and I hid while the caterers switched out the chairs for tables and a dancefloor. Jake had tried to convince us that he would cater, but we refused. He and Mia had enough to worry about. Instead of finding out just the sex of their baby at their reveal party, they found out they were preparing for twins.

“Momma, Daddy, Aunt Toni said you wanted me.”

Cade released me and picked the little boy up and set him on the work bench, so he could look us in the faces easier. Cade looked to me and smiled. “Dil, momma and I have somethin’ to tell you.”

“What?” Dillon asked. He fed off Cade’s excitement. If Dillon saw that we were happy, I was sure that he would be happy too.

“What would you think about being a big brother?” I asked. “Have a little brother or sister to play with?”

“Like little cousins from Uncle Jake and Aunt Mia?” he asked.

“Yeah, just like that,” Cade said. “But a little brother or sister would live with us, your cousins won’t.”

Dillon bounced excitedly. “I want to be a big brother.”

“Well,” I said. “Momma has a baby in her belly. We’re going to have a baby in a couple months.”

Dillon’s eyes were wide with wonder. “How’d the baby get in your belly?”

Cade snickered, and I was tongue tied. We’d had a little conversation about babies coming from mommy’s bellies when we told him that Mia was pregnant, but he didn’t ask how they got there. I didn’t know what to say.

“How about we talk about that tomorrow,” I promised. “For now, we have to go and eat.”

“Can I have cake?” Dillon asked.

“Definitely,” Cade said. He picked Dillon up off the bench, took my hand, and the three of us entered the main part of the barn to applause and cheers.

After our dance, Cade took my hand and led me over to the DJ table, taking the microphone.

“Hey, everyone,” Cade announced, getting them to stop talking and listen. “Harlan, Dillon, and I just wanted to thank y’all for comin’ and sharin’ our day with us. Y’all mean the world to us, so we wanted to share some news with you.” He looked at me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. “In about seven months, we’re gonna have another little person to add to our family.”

The room erupted in cheers and congratulations. Dottie was the first to run up to us and wrap us both in her arms. Tears streamed down her face, her excitement evident. She had just gotten a grandson, and in a matter of months, there were going to be three more grandchildren.

As we made our way around to our guests, we received loads of congratulations, but I got the one gift I was hoping for the moment I found out I was pregnant when I talked to Axel.

“So, I guess we’ll be lookin’ for a substitute driver for next season,” he said.

“Yes. I’m sorry, Axel. We weren’t planning to get pregnant so quickly, it just happened.”

Axel wrapped me in a hug. “Don’t worry, Darlin’. Everything will be fine. I’ll expect you in the garage, leading and helping whoever we bring in. The sixty-five car is still yours. You proved yourself this season by getting into the playoffs despite your injury and being a rookie. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

“Thanks, Axel,” I said. Tears staining my cheeks once again.

Cade and I danced the night away, and when it was time for Dillon to go to bed, Grandma Dottie and Grandpa Fred took him into the house, so Santa could come. Cade and I would have a honeymoon eventually, but for now, we were happy to have our first family Christmas in our home.

THE END