Expect Me (Rivers Edge Book 3) (22 page)

A knock sounds at the door and a pleasant, young nurse wearing pink and blue scrubs steps into the room. “I hate to break up the moment, but you have a waiting room full of people and they’re starting to get rowdy. I’m concerned we may have a riot soon. I believe two of them are starting to throw badges around,” she says with a smile.

“Okay,” Travis says to the nurse at the door. He turns his attention back to me. “I’ll go get the troops so you get ready for the chaos,” he says with a genuine smile.

It doesn’t take long at all and I can hear them coming down the hall like a big ol’ stampede. Mrs. Stevens is the first one through the door but only by a fraction of a second. She’s followed very closely by everyone else all fighting to get inside the room at the exact same time through the same, small door opening.

Elizabeth’s eyes fill with tears as she bends down and places a gentle kiss on top of Grant’s head, tucked securely in the crook of my arm. The tears spill over as she looks up at me with a huge grandmotherly smile filled with happiness and excitement. She leans forward and places a kiss on my forehead as well before resting her head against mine.

“You are an amazing woman, Josselyn. I hope you know how truly blessed our family is to have you and this sweet baby boy a part of it,” she whispers.

My eyes fill with my own unshed tears as I absorb the words spoken to me. She offers me the support and the love that my own mother doesn’t. I know that my mother loves me; she just has always had a different vision of my life. But that’s the thing, it’s my life. I’m not sure if I’ll ever live up to her expectations of me, but that’s okay. I don’t need to. I have Travis and Grant, and right now, my main goal in life is to be a mom. A great mom.

“Would you like to hold your grandson?” I ask as I start to lift Grant towards Mrs. Stevens. 

“I would love to,” she whispers as her eyes fill with fresh tears.

Mrs. Stevens takes Grant and cradles him naturally in her arms. “Hello, handsome. I’m your grandma,” she whispers as she nuzzles her nose along the side of his face.

“What’s his name?” Avery asks as she peeks over her mom’s shoulder and lays her hand gently on Grant’s capped head.

My eyes seek out Travis who is holding Brooklyn at the back of the room and talking with Nate. Still holding his four year old niece, Travis walks up and sits down next to me on the bed. “His name is Grant Michael Stevens,” Travis says, voice filled with all the pride and adoration of any new father.

I watch as Travis looks over at his dad whose own eyes fill with unshed tears. A moment passes between them unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They are father and son. They work side by side every day, and they are friends. I can see the pride and adoration mirrored in Mr. Stevens’ eyes.

For the next two hours, Grant is passed around to each of his aunts, uncles, and grandparents on the Stevens side. Even Uncle Matty takes his turn at holding his unofficial nephew. When my eyelids draw heavy and the sun is long set in the evening, the Stevens family start to file out of the room in search for supper.

“Matty, why don’t you stay at my place tonight?” I offer.

“I am actually staying at the new house tonight, Joss. I’m going to work on setting up a little while you’re both here,” he says with a conspirator glance at Travis.

“Okay. See you tomorrow?” I ask my best friend, noting his tone and the fact that he won’t look at me. He’s hiding something.

“You betcha, sweetie. Uncle Matty has more shopping to do for this little guy,” Matty adds before placing a kiss on my cheek and heading towards the door.

When the room is quiet, I turn towards Travis as he shuts the door. “Finally. I never thought they’d leave,” he says with a grin as he saunters over towards my bed and makes himself comfortable along side of me.

“It’s getting late. You should go grab something to eat and head home for some sleep,” I tell him.

“Nope. I’m staying right here tonight. I want the full ‘New Dad’ experience complete with sleeping in the uncomfortable chair,” he says with a smile.

“You don’t have to stay,” I counter.

“This is where you and Grant are, so this is where I am. I’m not leaving. Ever. I promise,” he whispers as he kisses me again with those magical lips. 

With Grant tucked securely into my arms, I lean back against Travis and close my eyes. I can feel the heat radiating from his body and his breath against my head. Travis’s hand absently touches Grant’s head as he says those three little words that are irresistible to my ears. “I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you, too,” I reply as I get as close as humanly possible to him – well, as close as we can with clothes on.

“I mean it, Joss. I’m not going anywhere. You are my home. You are my life. You are my love. My forever. I was a fool and an idiot before, and honestly, I’m probably going to be one again from time to time, but everything I do is for you and Grant. Every decision I make is for you, for a better us. The only way I want to go through this life is with you by my side. I love you so damn much.”

I glance over my shoulder and smile at the man I love. I look down at our child we created together that one wild and crazy night nearly a year ago. That one night that changed the outcome of my life forever.

I wouldn’t change a moment of it for anything.

Today, I get to take Josselyn and Grant home. It’s Tuesday afternoon, the late October sun is shining, and we’re both completely stir crazy after two nights in the hospital.

The nurse comes into the room with a wheelchair to help Josselyn make the trek down to my pickup that is waiting in the circle drive in front of the hospital. Grant is strapped securely into his seat, sucking gently on a little green pacifier that takes up half of his face. We both tried to avoid the pacifier, but we learned that first night here that the kid is a sucker. He has to have something in his mouth at all times or he screams. I’d gladly take a baby with a pacifier over the ear-piercing screeches we heard that first night.

Josselyn is sitting in the wheelchair now, and I’m getting antsy. I’m excited. I’m nervous. She has no idea what my family and Matty have been up to for the past two days, and I’m thrilled and anxious to show her their hard work. Hell, it’ll be the first time she sees the house in all of its completed glory.

With Grant’s chair snapped tightly and securely into the seat base in the middle of the backseat of the truck, I help Josselyn climb up and into the truck cab. She’s moving slowly due to her c-section, but she’s getting around well. She’s a fucking rock star. I haven’t heard her complain once and her instincts are amazing.

When we’re all strapped in, I head towards the house. Though it’s on the other side of town, the drive doesn’t take too long since the mid-afternoon downtown Rivers Edge traffic is light. My left leg bounces uncontrollably as I drive towards home, towards my surprise.

“So is everything moved in?” she asks from the passenger seat.

“Yes, it’s all there and ready for us,” I tell her as we near the house.

I steer the truck up the long gravel driveway towards the beautiful log cabin home that I fell in love with a year ago. My mom went all out on the front porch. She lined the railing with pumpkins and gourds. There’s a straw bale sitting by the front door with a welcome sign. It looks very festive.

I park the truck as close to the front door as possible – I’ll move it to my half of the garage later on – and exit the truck to help Josselyn down. Once I open the door, she places her smaller, soft hand inside of mine, and I feel that familiar zing of electricity. That same feeling I get every time I touch her.

“Careful,” I tell her as I steer her towards the front steps. I quickly open the back door and release Grant’s seat from the base. He hasn’t made a sound the entire trip home and I’m hoping he can hold off just a little longer until I get my surprise out of the way.

“Watch your step,” I tell Josselyn as I link my hand inside of hers, and we walk up the stairs, side by side.

When we reach the door, I turn to face her. “You ready?” I ask.

“Absolutely,” she says as a huge grin spreads across her beaming face. I drop her hand only long enough to open the front door. Once the door is open, I latch back onto her hand and we step through the front door.

I hear her audibly gasp as she enters the house. The walls are painted a warm, rich taupe color. The woodwork is rustic, yet modern. The furniture is plush and inviting. The whole house smells like home cooked food – thanks, Mom.

The first room we walk in is the living room. The small fire roars in the stone fireplace courtesy of my dad. Josselyn walks towards the fireplace and gazes up at the large portraits above the mantel. There are three actually, all taken by Matty. The first one is the sexy, sensual one in the prairie grass of me and Josselyn. The one where she’s wearing my shirt, strategically unbuttoned and showing her round belly. I’m not wearing a shirt and my pants are open. At first I thought it was silly when he had me standing out there taking the pictures, but now that I see it, it’s a masterpiece. It’s my favorite damn picture – or at least it was until I see the others.

The middle photo is one he snapped of Grant the day he was born. He’s sleeping peacefully with his wrinkled little hands up by his face. The third photo is one of the three of us together in the hospital. Our smiles are genuine and reach from one ear to the other. It was our first family photo - the three of us.

I don’t set Grant’s chair down, but I do remove the blanket from the top of the seat. The fire definitely leaves the room feeling warm and inviting.

Josselyn glances at the dining room and kitchen. I notice the oven is on and set to ‘warm’. Upon inspection, I see Mom’s famous meatloaf, potatoes, and green beans keeping warm in the oven and a bag of fresh yeast rolls sitting on the counter.

“So, we can’t go upstairs yet since you are to avoid stairs for the next two weeks, but that will give us something to look forward to when the staples come out,” I tell her as I steer her towards the back of the house. Josselyn has yet to say anything, and honestly, I’m starting to get a little freaked out. I’ve had to wipe my hands on my jeans twice since we entered the house and I keep switching the car seat in my hands from one hand to the other.

Finally, we make our way back to the guest room on the main floor. When Josselyn opens the door, her entire bedroom set is there, waiting. Her bed is positioned so you can see out the back wall full of windows. Her dresser with all of her clothes is along the wall leading to the closet and bathroom.

“My stuff is here?” she asks with eyes filled with question. But I also see excitement and hope.

“Yeah. My brothers and Matty went to your storage unit and brought it all over yesterday. The girls got everything set up for us. We had most of the stuff moved in here on Sunday with the exception of a few things still at my parent’s house.”

“But I thought the only things at your parent’s house was the baby stuff,” she says.

“It was,” I reply and take her hand again. I lead her next door to the room I did specifically for Grant.

When I open the door for her, she takes in the blue walls and bright windows covered in thick, darkening curtains. And the trucks. Trucks and tractors everywhere. I didn’t really know what Josselyn had planned for the nursery, so I took a shot in the dark and did a construction theme. Hell, it’s something I know a little about.

“You did this?” she whispers as she looks around, running her hand along the edge of the changing table. She takes in the pictures of equipment, mounds of dirt, and road signs. “It’s perfect,” she adds with a small voice.

“Yeah. Avery helped me find all the construction things and helped me decide how to decorate it. Then, Matty came in and changed everything around,” I add with a smile.

Josselyn laughs. “I’m sure he did.”

Eventually she makes her way to the crib. The very one she picked out with my mom at the store a few months back. I watch as she runs her hand along the hard, smooth wood, and gives the mobile above the crib a little push. Then - finally - she glances down into the crib. Her beautiful hazel eyes finally lock on the small blue box sitting on top of the bedding.

“What’s that?” she asks breathlessly, eyes searching mine.

“That’s your push present,” I say as casually as I can muster, but know by the sound of my own voice, it’s tight and filled with nerves.

“What’s a push present?” she asks as she gazes back down at the box, almost afraid to pick it up.

“Well,” I start as I set Grant’s seat down on the floor in the middle of the room, “Avery told me that all women deserve a push present when they give birth. It’s something to signify the hard work you endured when pushing out the baby.”

“But I didn’t push out a baby,” she quips with a smile.

“No, you did something far braver. You endured a major surgery and had to be put completely under, not knowing what was going on with you or the baby. That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen,” I tell her honestly.

“So, this is for me?” she asks as she tentatively reaches down and grabs a hold of the small blue box sitting inside the crib.

“Yep,” I answer. I reach forward and extend my hand towards the box in her hand. I had an entire speech prepared for this part, but now, the words don’t seem right. Now, I speak from the heart.

“Avery said I could get you a necklace with Grant’s birthstone in it - which was a close second - or maybe a bracelet. But, when I went to the store to pick something out yesterday, nothing really seemed right. Until I saw this.”

I’m standing in front of her ready to tell her everything. Everything I feel and everything I want.

“I realized while I was walking that hallway on Sunday, waiting to hear word about you and Grant and terrified out of my mind, that I would do anything for you. Anything for Grant. Part of being able to do anything for you is to make sure you’re here every day so I can protect you, see you, touch you, and love you. I want you here with me, but not as my roommate or my friend. I want you here with me as my wife,” I say strongly as I drop down to one knee in the middle of the nursery. “I want to share everything with you, now and for the rest of my life. Josselyn, will you marry me?”

Her beautiful hazel eyes are wide and filled with tears. She doesn’t even hesitate as the smile spreads across her face and she says, “Yes.”

With shaky fingers, I open the ring box and pull out the marquis cut solitaire diamond. It feels perfect, right, to slide it on her equally shaky finger.

As soon as the ring is in place, I’m back on my feet and taking the woman I love into my arms. I kiss her with everything I have and everything I am, careful not to press too hard on her stomach.

I could kiss this woman all day, and I probably would, if not for the newborn sitting in the middle of the floor, deciding at that exact moment that he wasn’t having anymore of the car seat. My son lets out one of his famous ear piercing cries.

Josselyn laughs against my lips, her breath all warm and sweet. “I imagine someone is getting hungry,” she says without breaking the touch of our lips.

“He’s not the only one,” I reply. “Why don’t you get ready and I’ll unpack him. While you’re feeding him, I’ll go check on mom’s dinner she left us.”

“Sounds good. I’m starving for your mom’s food after suffering through two days of hospital food.”

I gently lift Grant out of his seat and place him in Josselyn’s waiting arms in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. She makes quick work of her top and begins to feed our son. She picked up the breastfeeding rather quickly and seems to be doing very well with it.

I lean down and kiss her sweet lips once more, rubbing my hand on the crown of Grant’s head, before heading out of the room and into the kitchen. Before I get to dishing out the food, I grab the bassinet from the living room and pull it over to the dining room.

Back in the kitchen, I dish up healthy servings of Mom’s meatloaf and all the sides. I also grab my phone and send her a quick ‘thank you’ text for all her hard work and the meal.

Fifteen minutes later, Josselyn walks into the kitchen with Grant. He’s sleeping again, wrapped tightly in a blue blanket. I set the plates on the table and grab a couple of bottles of water from the fridge.

“This is our first dinner together at the new house,” she says as she sets Grant in the bassinet.

“It’s the first meal period in this house. I haven’t stayed here yet,” I tell her. “I wasn’t planning to stay here without you.”

She gives me a smile as we both take our seats at the table. We both dive into the food with enthusiasm like we haven’t eaten food in days. Well, edible food in days. I stuff myself with more food that I’ve eaten in probably the past three days combined and Josselyn doesn’t hold back either. She went a day and a half on a liquid diet following the surgery, so she’s definitely not restraining herself.

When our bellies are stuffed, I send Josselyn into the living room to sit by the fire. I move Grant’s bassinet into the room, and head back into the kitchen to clean up the small mess. I’ve been living on my own for several years so to clean up the dishes, counters, and put away the leftovers generally doesn’t bother me. But, tonight, all I want to do is get back to Josselyn and Grant in the living room.

After the kitchen is quickly cleaned, I finally head into the warmth of the living room. Josselyn is curled up on the couch, clutching a pillow tenderly to her abdomen. Her eyes are closed as though she’s fallen asleep. I check on Grant who’s sleeping soundly in the bassinet before I slide on the couch next to her, carefully lifting her legs up and sliding underneath them.

I watch the fire and lightly stroke her calves and feet. I work my fingers as deeply into her muscles as I can without waking her up. Or at least I thought I did.

“That feels wonderful,” she mumbles.

“Sorry if I woke you up,” I tell her.

“You didn’t.  I was just resting my eyes, but when you started doing that, there was no way I was interrupting.”

I chuckle as I continue to rub her feet. “I’ll do this anytime you want. Just say the word,” I say.

“So, I was thinking,” she says without opening her eyes.

“About what?”

“About the wedding.” Josselyn opens her eyes now and looks directly at me.

“What about it?” I ask as my hands continue to knead her leg muscles.

“I don’t want to wait. I want to get married right away. And I want to get married here. Outside,” she says, face lighting up as she tells me what she wants.