“But…” she opens her mouth to protest, and I bring a finger to her lips to silence her.
“I know what you’re going to say, and it’s not true. I didn’t say that just because you were with someone else. He was just the catalyst that made me realize I was an idiot for not telling you how I felt. And then when I got home, you were ready to swear off relationships again. Trust me, when I walked into that classroom after my deployment, I had every intention of telling you just how much you mean to me, and why any other guy would be wrong for you. I just never got the chance because you weren’t ready, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to push you at the risk of losing you. So I took what I could get. If I couldn’t have all of you, I was okay with settling for whatever part you’d give me.”
“Kale, I had no idea…” she whispers, trailing off as if she’s trying to put the pieces together.
I give her a smile that’s laced with disbelief. “Yes, you did. You just didn’t realize it. Or you were too scared to admit it, but if you think about it, babe, once I came back, things were different. We were different.”
She stares at me for a few beats, then nods her head. Finally, I’m getting somewhere. “I guess you’re right. I just didn’t notice. Things have always been so easy with us, so comfortable, and it was just normal—like no other relationship I’ve ever been in. The whole time I was falling in love with my best friend, and I had no idea.”
“I think you knew. We both did, but we were too chicken shit to admit it out loud,” I tell her before reaching over to grab the ultrasound off the night stand. “Not until this little guy came along to give us the push we needed. Lucy, never, not for a second, think that I’m here out of any sort of obligation. We may have done things out of order, but I loved you before you got pregnant, and it’s only increased since then. We may not have known it at the time, but he was created out of love, and I pray I can love you both for the rest of my life.”
Lucy’s eyes start to water as she looks at the sonogram, tracing the outline of our unborn baby. “Thank you, Kale,” she whispers, and I wrinkle my brow at her. She smiles softly and my heart squeezes at the sight. “For him. For us. You’re everything I never knew I wanted, and you’ve given me the greatest gift love has to offer. I trust you. I trust us. And you’re right. This was a long time coming. He just helped out a little by showing up earlier than expected.”
Hearing that she trusts me brings upon sudden relief, and I hope I’ve done enough to alleviate her doubts. Leaning down, I place a searing kiss on her lips. “It was all my pleasure, baby,” I respond. “And maybe some of yours, too.”
She giggles against my lips, and then lets out a big yawn as I pull away. I turn off the light and lie back down, pulling her into me so we’re chest to back. “I’m probably going to feel like ass all day, so let’s try and get some extra sleep. All this serious talk has sobered me up too quickly, and if I don’t get some more shut eye, you’re going to be dealing with one hell of a grump.”
“Sounds good to me. The girls wiped me out last night and a few more hours of sleep sounds perfect,” she pauses as I feel her relax against me. “Love you.”
Wrapping my arm around her tighter, I smile into her hair. “I love you, too.”
And I mean it. Every single word.
Chapter 23
Lucy
“OVER HERE, Lucy!” I hear Charlie calling my name.
Looking up from my phone, I see her by baggage claim, and I make my way towards her as I type out a quick text to Kale letting him know that I made it home just fine. She gives me a big hug when I reach her, and my belly grazes hers, causing her to laugh.
“It’s like you’ve popped overnight! Seriously, where’d this come from?”
Groaning, I roll my eyes as I rub my stomach. With the holidays coming, I didn’t have much time to see Charlie before I left for Florida. Now I’m almost seventeen weeks along and have a very pronounced bump that seems to have grown almost overnight. There was a slight pouch at my last doctor’s appointment, but nothing like this.
“I don’t know if it was all of Mom’s home cooking or what, but I’m pretty sure I gained ten pounds just from being back home for Christmas.” I grin at her, knowing that I’m exaggerating. “I secretly love it though. I like being able to place my hand on my bump. It makes it all that much more real.”
“It’s adorable. Pregnancy looks so good on you, Lucy. And just wait ‘til he—or she—starts kicking. Then you’ll definitely know how real it feels. After all, his daddy is a mean fightin’ machine,” she reminds me.
Gathering up my luggage, I turn back towards her. “Oh gosh, did you have to remind me? With my luck, I’ll have the most active unborn baby thanks to Kale. That is until Knox decides to knock you up. That kid’ll have the most active legs in any womb with having you two as parents.”
She shakes her head at me. “Nope. Nuh uh. Don’t even start all that. It’s bad enough I had to deal with his mom at Christmas giving hints on grandchildren. Now that Branson’s divorce is underway, Knox is her next hope, and I swear to God, that woman is already knitting baby caps for us. I’m pretty sure Knox would pass out if I told him I was pregnant.”
As we make our way to her car, I playfully bump her shoulder with mine. “Oh come on. He’s head over heels for you. Wedding bells can’t really be that far off,” I tease.
Charlie goes pale. “Hey, just because you and Lexi are jumping on the wife and mommy train doesn’t mean that I’m in any hurry to move my future along.”
Eyeing her suspiciously, I’m not sure I believe my best friend, but I’ll play along. “You might say that, but I don’t believe for a second that Knox is going to waste any time putting a ring on it. Now that he has you, he’s never letting you get away. I give it six months—tops.”
“Okay, you have me there. Maybe he has hinted at it. I just don’t want to get my hopes up. I got all swoony and teary at Jace and Lexi’s wedding, and maybe I’m secretly hoping it’ll be in the cards for us. I can be patient. But probably only for six months tops,” she admits, causing me to giggle. “But enough about me. I feel like I’ve barely seen you since you and Kale started playing house. What’s going on there? Tell me everything.”
“First of all, we’re not playing house. We’re simply a couple who enjoys spending every night together but still lives in two separate places. It’s a lot of going back and forth, but I mean, you’ve seen Kale shirtless. Who wouldn’t want to sleep next to that?”
“A girl who gets to sleep with Knox Wellington every night, but I see your point. I don’t understand why you guys just don’t move in together. I mean, it’s not like you’re having a baby together,” she says sarcastically, and I sigh.
“Trust me. I know. In the beginning when Kale mentioned it, I thought it was way too soon. To be honest, I think a lot of my hesitation had to do with my dad. I was too scared that Kale wanted the baby and I just happened to be along for the ride.”
Charlie looks over at me with a sympathetic smile. “Oh, Luce, you know that’s not true. Now that you two are finally out of the closet, it’s clear as day to anyone that he’s crazy about you. In fact, I don’t know how I missed it all along.”
I grin to myself, remembering the night I finally got the courage to tell him I love him. Okay, maybe I can’t consider it brave since I said it to a drunk, sleepy Kale, but once he woke up and I was able to tell him my fears, he put me at ease completely.
“What? What’s with that smile?” Charlie asks perceptively.