“What?” I ask, confused and pulling away from his chest to look at him. He once again moves me so I’m sitting over him, my legs on each side. He pulls himself up on the bed so he’s leaning against the headboard. He moves his fingers along my jawline, under my eyes, up the bridge of my nose and then to my forehead. My eyes almost close from his gentle touch.
“You love coffee. I’m pretty sure you love coffee more than you will ever love me, but there’s no way in hell that you’re going to ever name our children after coffee. You try to name our child Maxwell or Folgers and I will revolt, woman.”
I can see the teasing look in his eyes. I take a shuddery breath and smile. “We can compromise.”
“Not on this.”
“That’s too bad,” I tell him, my hand going to my stomach. “I was hoping to name this little guy Keurig.”
“Oh, hell no! Wait… what?”
CHAPTER 66
WHITE
“That’s the reason I fainted. I’m pregnant. You’re going to be a daddy.”
You’re going to be a daddy… Those words rock me in ways I wasn’t prepared for. I’ve been spending so much time trying to make Kayla pregnant that I never realized how I’d feel when or if it finally happened.
“I thought you were taking birth control pills until recently?” I ask, afraid to believe what she’s saying. But inside, my brain is shouting just one thing: Kayla’s pregnant.
“I was, but remember when I got sick and the doctor gave me an antibiotic? Apparently that increases the likelihood of pregnancy. And, well, we have been going at it like rabbits according to Black, so…”
“You’re pregnant?” I ask her again.
“Uh huh.”
“And the baby’s okay? You’re okay? Why did you pass out?” I ask her, a million questions popping through my head, but three is all I can get out. I move to the hand holding her stomach and put mine on top of it. She’s not showing and I know it’s way too soon, but it’s almost as if I can feel our child there. Pride and love war in my heart and my entire body feels warm from the fight. I’m going to be a daddy. Kayla and I are going to have a child.
Kayla laughs, putting her other hand on top of mine, holding me closer to her stomach. There’s something that feels so right about this, almost as if we’re holding our child together.
“I was dehydrated and the stress hit me at the wrong time. But the doctor did a thorough checkup and both me and the baby are fine. More than fine. We’re perfectly healthy, I promise you.”
“You’re having our baby.”
“I am,” she says softly, tears and happiness mixing in her eyes. In that moment, it hits me how beautiful she is, how blessed I am.
“I love you, Kayla Lucas.”
“I’m not a Lucas.”
“You are in every way that counts and… fuck it. Let’s get married today.”
“What? Are you insane?”
“No. I want you to have my name. I want to be able to shout it to the world that you’re my wife.”
“White, you’re being crazy. We can’t.”
“Why can’t we?”
“Well, for one, Ida Sue will kill us.”
“She’ll get over it. Come on, sweetheart. Go crazy with me. Let’s get married.”
“You’re serious? You really want to get married today?”
“More than anything in the world,” I tell her honestly. Kayla stares at my face for a few more minutes as if she’s really deciding on just how serious I am.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah. Let’s get married!” she cries out, nodding her head in agreement. I might have just screamed “Yes!” at the top of my lungs. I’m not sure. I do know that I jump off the bed, taking Kayla with me, and I hold onto her as I spin her around. When we’re finished, I stare into her eyes, into the eyes of the one woman who owns me—body and soul—and I give her the words that I’ve never given another woman and never will.
“I love you, Kayla. With all of my heart, I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
“There’s that softness again.”
“I have my moments.”
“I’ll be looking for them.”
“Sounds like a plan. You better let me down unless you’re planning on us getting married in the nude,” she says, and I let her slide to the floor.
“As great as that sounds, I’d have to kill the preacher for looking at your body, so that might not be a great start to our married life.”
“Yeah, I’m all for conjugal visits, but I rather little Keurig get to know her daddy without the bars.”
“Kayla, you are not naming our child Keurig. I forbid it.”
“We’ll talk about it. We have about seven months to decide.”
“It’s already…?? Holy shit.”
“What?” Kayla asks, confused.
“We’re going to be parents in seven months?”
“That’s what they tell me.”
“We have to buy a house! We have to have a nursery and a big front yard. We’ve got so much to do.”
“Then I guess we better get busy.”
“Well, what are you waiting for, woman? Go get dressed!”
“Yes sir,” she laughs, heading off into the bathroom.
“Repeat those words to me tonight, Kayla Lucas, and I’ll make sure to reward you.”
She stops and turns to look at me, shakes her head, and gives me a full smile… a smile a man would fight a war to see every night.
I’m a very blessed man.
EPILOGUE
KAYLA
Two Years Later.