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  She sets down her fork and takes a drink of milk. “I can’t help it, I miss her.” She juts out her lower lip and my cock takes notice.

  “Baby, I’m glad you miss her but she is perfectly fine with Jade. She has raised two kids you know.” She gives me her best try at a smirk, and I let out a chuckle. Cutest thing ever! “So, how about today we go lay in the sun on the beach and swim and then tonight I’ll cook some steaks and corn on the grill.” Her eyes go wide, and she smiles around her fork.

  Damn, it was a great day. We laid out in the sun and talked until she fell asleep. I made her turn over after a while and she fell back asleep. I guess making love as we got ready to come down here and then once we got here, plus this morning before breakfast, kind of wore her out. I’m lying on my towel, leaning back on my arms, and watching the ocean. I’m so glad she’s feeling better and hasn’t had to take a pain pill, yet. Her appetite is extreme, but she told me that happens a lot with pregnancy. I’m just so excited to be going through this with her. Macy had sent Venice away once she found out she was pregnant, so I missed everything.

  My head turns when I hear Pearl yawn. She opens her eyes, shading them with her hand, and then scoots over to me, laying her arm over my legs and putting her head down on my lap. “Hey, sleepy head.” I rub her back, and she yawns again. “It’s almost time to get dinner started. Do you want to swim for a little bit and get cooled off?” She nods, her head bobbing up and down on my lap, and I laugh. Finally, she pushes herself up, and I watch her luscious body as she raises her arms over her head and stretches. I stand and watch her walk down the beach to the water, her cute firm bottom swaying in that little suit. I lick my lips and walk down there and follow her into the water. We swim around for a bit, getting cooled off, and then she swims to me, her legs clasping around my waist and her mouth is on mine.

  “I think your appetite for food isn’t the only thing that’s increased with your pregnancy.” She leans her head back into the water as she laughs, my hands holding her tightly, and then pull her back to me.

  She kisses me again and smiles, looking deeply into my eyes. “Well, it helps that you’re so hot and sexy and have a great body.” My brows raise, and I chuckle. “It’s true and I’m so lucky to be married to such a hot man.” Now I can’t contain my laughter, and I watch her pout, and then she splashes me with water.

  “Oh, yeah?” I release her and push her away and start splashing her heavily. She turns and starts swimming for shore. “Hey!” I take off after her, but she’s gotten a good head start. Once I’ve gotten to the beach I jog after her and swoop her up in my arms, her head leaning back in laughter, and I carry her to our towels, laying her down and hovering over her. “God, I love to hear you laugh. I’m gonna make you so happy, baby.” My mouth is on hers. Her arms move around my neck, and I move in between her legs. Dinner’s gonna be late.

  “Dang, I can’t believe we have to go home tomorrow. Can’t we just have them bring Rosie here and live here?” She stuffs scrambled eggs into her mouth and then takes a bite out of her toast. Her eyes close and she moans, and my cock hardens instantly.

  I laugh and watch her eyes open slowly. “I’d love nothing more than to stay here but we have the bar and I think we’re gonna need to go to the grocery store as soon as we get home.” I cock one eyebrow when she gives me her cute little smirk, but then her face softens, and she laughs. “But here’s the thing….” I lean my elbows on the table and she stops eating. “How about if you work every other day and during the day while it’s not as crowded and I’ll work it out with Pete that we alternate nights?” She slumps in her chair and gives me her puppy dog eyes. “Hey, I just want you to rest and not do so much. Look at it this way, if we can work this out then we will get a whole day and night, every other day, with family and quality time.” My eyebrows raise, and she straightens up in her chair.

  “Well, the bar is doing great. We could even hire a couple more people and just manage, not really have to work there much.” She smiles and takes a big bite of her toast.

  “I like the way you think, baby.”

  She stands, leans across the table and kisses me then sits down and takes another bite. “I’d like nothing better than to be together as much as possible. I don’t want to waste a second of our lives. Besides, with the pregnancy, I’m sleeping so much more, and so tired all the time. Of course, a lot of that could be due to our extreme amount of sexual activities lately too or a combination.” She giggles, and it’s the sweetest sound.

  I start eating again and stop when I have a thought. “Hey, how about we convert half of the gym room into a painting room for you. Didn’t you tell me you used to paint?” Her eyes move up to mine, her mouth in mid-bite, and she lowers her fork.

  “You are a genius! I could just kiss you!” She stands, runs around the table and plops in my lap as her mouth smashes against mine. I’m laughing but not enough that I can’t kiss the shit outta her luscious lips.

  “Come finish up. Let’s have a great last day here on the beach and we’ll cuddle on the couch after dinner.” She smiles and stands, and I watch as she sits down and begins to eat again. God, can’t I keep her?

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Okay, it does feel good to get home but I still say we live at the cottage, it’s so beautiful,” I say to Harley on the way into our apartment. “I mean….”

  “Mama! Daddy!” Our heads turn quickly to the sound of Rosie’s voice, and I barely grab her as she runs right into my legs, her arms squeeze around them, and I bend down and pick her up. “Oh, my God! I swear you got bigger while we were gone!” She giggles and then holds her arms out to Harley. The joy I see on his face is overwhelming as he takes her in his arms.

  The next few weeks we get into a new routine. Pete was more than willing to hire a couple more people allowing us to have every other day off but as time moved I began to get more run down and more tired, so Harley put his foot down, and I’m only working when I feel up to it. I feel bad, but he’s right that I need to take care of myself even more now and also take care of our baby. I haven’t had much stomach pain, just every once in a while and it’s not been nearly as bad so that has helped immensely. Rosie and I are becoming so close, and she is now talking about her baby sister that’s she’s hoping I have. So cute. Stormy is getting bigger by the minute. I swear! But she’s feeling great and in a couple of weeks she and Bo will find out the sex of the twins. I can’t wait!

  8 months later……

  Stormy and Bo had a boy and a girl. They are adorable and is making me more anxious for Jasper to arrive. They both look like their parents but Nathaniel has Stormy’s hair color and her bouncing energy while Tabitha’s hair is blonde like Bo’s and has his laid back personality.

  “Hi, babe. I’m taking Rosie to the play area. Meet us for lunch there in about an hour?” I walk up to the side of the counter and he leans over to give me a kiss.

  “You bet! I can’t wait. You just be careful but have fun.” He bends down and gives Rosie a hug and kiss as she pulls on my hand in her anxiousness. “Be good for Mama, okay, pumpkin?” She giggles and then pulls on my hand more.

  “She’ll be good, Daddy. She always is.” I smile and kiss him one more time then I follow Rosie, my arm outstretched as she pulls me to the kitchen and out the back door. Once she gets into the back gate, she takes off for the swing, and I sit down on the bench that we put there. My lower back is hurting, and I’ve been having small cramps all day in my stomach. My due date is approaching, and my pregnancy has been so great. Thank goodness Mom and Stormy helped decorate Jasper’s room and the guys all helped set up the furniture so it’s done and waiting for him. The look on Harley’s face when Jasper kicked the first time, his hand on my tummy, his eyes wide in disbelief and the smile on his handsome face. I’ll never forget it. Then the happiness on his face when we found out we’re having a boy…. Priceless.

  I sit here watching Rosie having fun and wondering who Jasper will look like and what hi
s unique personality will be like. Rosie will be four in a few months, and we will have to start thinking about Kindergarten soon. My life is full and blessed, and I couldn’t be happier.

  “Mama! Watch Meeeeeee!” Rosie shrieks and I smile as I nod.

  “Be careful, pumpkin. You’re swinging a little too high.” She giggles, and my heart beats a little faster as she swings higher still. I guess I’ll always worry about her and now have a newfound respect for Mom and all the times I’ve worried her while I was growing up.

  I stand quickly, pushing my hand against the back of the bench, when she falls off the swing. “Owie!” I jog over and bend down, holding her leg as blood starts to form on her scraped knee.

  “Oh, pumpkin. I’m so sorry!”

  “Mama, it hurts! Mama?” Her face changes from pain to concern. “Mama, what’s wrong?”

  I sit down hard, my hand over my stomach as bad cramps surge through. “Pumpkin, can you get my phone out of my pocket for me?” I wince as she nods, and I feel her little hand searching in my pocket. She finally tugs several times and pulls it out, then hands it to me. I find the contact and hit call, grimacing when more cramps hit me. “Harley! Jasper’s coming! Can you come get Rosie and me?”

  “Oh, my God! Now? Shit! Don’t move!” he yells in my ear. “We’re having our baby!” I hear him scream away from the phone. “I’m running to you now. Don’t move!” Like I’d go anywhere.

  “Harley, grab the first aid kit. Rosie fell and needs a Band-Aid,” I tell him quickly, my voice coming out in pants.

  “Oh, shit! Okay!” I hear him breathing heavy into the phone and a bunch of clanking and other sounds, then he screams in the phone again. “Okay, got it. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, just some bad cramps and my water broke. Just hurry, okay?” More heavy breathing and sounds of his boots hitting the ground fast.

  “I’m coming up behind you through the gate now. I love you, baby.” My head turns and I smile as Harley runs over to us. He’s immediately down on one knee and grabs my upper arm. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”

  I pull back and look into his eyes. “Get Rosie’s knee cleaned up first and put a Band-Aid on it. I can wait.” He shakes his head and smiles then looks at Rosie’s tear filled face and releases my arm. He opens up the first aid kit and starts to work on her knee.

  “Always thinking of others first. Always the strong woman,” he mutters as he cleans Rosie up and puts the Band-Aid on her knee. He stands, bends down and lifts her in his arms, her face burrowing into his neck as her arms move around it and then he grasps my upper arm, helping me up. “Come on, my girls. Let’s go have a baby.” He walks us to the car, opening up the passenger side and helping me in and then the back door, putting Rosie in her car seat, and then he’s back, leaning over me and helping me get my seatbelt fastened. Once I’m settled, I look into his eyes as he leans over me, his face but a breath away from mine, and his mouth quickly kisses my lips as he stares into my eyes. “I’m so proud of you. I love you so much.” My smile is huge as he shuts the door, walks around and gets into the driver’s seat. His head turns and looks at Rosie then starts to back the car out. “You ready to see your brother?” I can’t see her, but I can certainly hear her.

  “YES!!!” The sound of her hands clapping makes me smile even bigger until pain hits me, and I instinctively grab Harley’s hand on the seat, squeezing hard.

  “You might want to hurry or you might be delivering him in the car yourself.” My eyes shift to him. The look of shock on his face almost makes me laugh but my head hits the headrest hard when he pushes on the gas, turning the car and then racing out of the parking lot.

  As the pain dies down I look at the phone still in my hand and find Mom. “Mom? Jasper’s on his way. Call the troops.” I have to move the phone away from my ear with the loud shrill of her voice but smile as she tells me she’s on it. “We’ll see you there. Oh! Can you grab Rosie’s extra diaper bag and bring it with some snacks for her?” She agrees, and I hang up.

  Mom and Dad make record time getting to the hospital, and I’m so glad. Dad has Rosie out in the waiting room entertaining her while Mom is in the room with Harley and me. I want her here to see her grandson coming into the world. Dad was too chicken, so he agreed to keep Rosie, something about not being able to see his Princess in pain even though he sees me in pain with the cancer quite often. I guess it isn’t the same though.

  “Just one more big push, baby. I know you can do it. You’re amazing.” My eyes shift up to Harley, who’s been hovering over me since my hard labor started, and even though he’s making me a little crazy, I love him for it. His thumb rubs my forehead while his other hand is firmly in my grip being squeezed to death. “Don’t worry, I don’t need that hand,” he chuckles, and I give him a smirk until another contraction hits me hard, and I try to sit up. “Time to meet our son, let’s do this, baby.” My brows crease as I give him an incredible look as his free hand moves behind my back and helps to push me up. My free arm wraps around one of my legs, my eyes squeezing shut, and I scream out as I push as hard as I can.

  I feel some relief and smile as I hear Jaspers crying, and I open my eyes to see the look on Mom’s face, standing behind the doctor, as Harley helps me lay back down. “Oh! He’s beautiful!” She cries, then covers her mouth with her hands.

  I look up at Harley, his beautiful face staring at our son, his eyes full of tears, and I notice him blinking rapidly to clear them. The nurse brings Jasper over and lays him in Harley’s arms. The look of pride and awe on his face as he looks down at his son makes my heart swell with love. He slowly sits down on the bed and kisses his forehead, then lays our son in my arms. I can barely see his beautiful face because of my tears. My finger outlines his fingers, his toes and his sweet face. I look up at Harley as a tear falls down my face, and he leans down kissing it away.

  “He’s so little,” he smiles looking down at Jasper. His eyes move to mine, and he kisses my lips. “He looks like his mama.” I look down at Jasper and then back up to my love.

  “Looks can change as they grow. I think he has a bit of both of us.” His lips touch mine again, and his head leans against mine as we admire our son together.

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  The nurse interrupts our special moment and takes him from Pearl’s arms. I’m about to get pissed when Pearl smiles and tells me the nurse has to clean him up and get him into a sleeper. I’m so new to all this and hate that I missed this miracle when Rosie was born. I look over as the door opens and the troops walk in. Knox is carrying Rosie with Bo and Stormy close behind them, Bo pushing the double stroller with the twins.

  “Oh, my gosh! He looks just like you, Pearl!” Stormy says as she leans over the nurse watching him get cleaned. She smiles and then runs over to the bed, leaning over to kiss Pearl on her cheek. “He’s beautiful.”

  “What am I, chopped liver?” She smiles and kisses my cheek, and I give her a smirk. We’ve all gotten so close in the last several months, and I finally feel like I belong. As I look around at everyone all the feelings of being loved and having a family fill my heart. Never did I think I would ever be happy, ever be loved, and now I have so much happiness, more than I deserve.

  Pearl and Jasper were released from the hospital and we’ve been home for a day now. Stormy has been cooking up a ton of food while taking care of her twins. Jade has been cleaning while taking care of our kids while Knox, Bo and I have been working at the bar and Stormy and Bo’s restaurant. After having Jasper, Pearl started having a ton of pain in her stomach, so she’s been on stronger pain pills and sleeps most of the time. Her pain seems to be under control right now, and I’m worried as she really hasn’t had much to do with the kids. Finally, on day three after having Jasper home, I kick Stormy and Jade out, thank them immensely for all their help, and put plan A into action. I don’t really have a plan B so I hope this works.

  “Hey, I’m taking Rosie down to the playground. She hasn’t been out since we got home
. Jasper’s asleep so he should be fine and we’ll only be gone about an hour. We should be back in plenty of time before he wakes up. Okay?” She nods as she stares out of the window, sitting up in bed against the headboard and her hands lying in her lap. I lean over the bed, give the side of her face a kiss, but she doesn’t move. After getting Rosie, I take her hand, get to the front door, open it and right on cue…. Jasper starts crying. Perfect! Smiling, I take Rosie down to the playground and let her play for about an hour.

  After she is good and dirty, we head upstairs. I carry her up the stairs to get her ready for a bath when I stop abruptly. There in Jasper’s room is Pearl sitting in the rocking chair, tears streaming down her face while feeding him a bottle. Her eyes lift to mine and she mouths ‘Thank you’. I wink, then take Rosie to get her bath. My job here is done.

  “Babe, do you think….?” She stops in Rosie’s doorway, holding Jasper, and smiles. I smile back and follow her eyes to our sleeping Rosie in my arms and then back up to her. She winks and points downstairs, and I nod. I’m so comfortable that I hate to move but finally, I stand up and put Rosie in her bed. Thank goodness she waited to fall asleep after she had her bath. Closing her door but just a crack, I walk downstairs and see Pearl sitting on the couch with Jasper still in her arms, so I walk over and sit down beside them, giving my girl a kiss and then kiss my son’s forehead.

  “I want to move,” Pearl blurts out when I raise my head, and I can only smile. “I don’t want to waste one second of Jasper and Rosie’s life and I’ve already wasted too much time without you.” I turn on the couch to face her and start rubbing the soft skin on her arm. “Let’s move to the cottage. It’s closer to Mom and Dad but not too far for Stormy and Bo and the twins to visit. The bar is making enough money for us not to work, even if the bar wasn’t Mom and Dad would help us out and the cottage is paid for.” Her eyes search mine, and she’s barely taking a breath between sentences due to her excitement. “There’s more room there and the beach. We could build a playground for the kids in the backyard, and the privacy is unbeatable there and….”