Love After Marriage (Forever After #2) (13 page)

When I undid his diaper, I reeled back at the stank. "Your poop is lethal, little man."

"Wipes." I pulled out wipes three at a time and cleaned up his butt. Where the hell was the trash can? "Shit. I forgot the most important thing." Without taking my eyes off Chase, I backed up toward the wall, tossed the wipes in, and brought the trash closer to the bed.

By the time I was done cleaning his butt, his cries had softened into hiccups and he started sucking on his tiny fist. I picked up the clean diaper and pinched the edges between my fingertips. The thing looked like a damn Chinese puzzle. "Yup. There's no way I can figure it out. Is there a tag to tell me which way is the back?" I glanced at the TV and it looked like the three men were having the same issues. Sighing in frustration, I took out my phone and googled it, which is what I should’ve just done in the first place.

My insides soared when I found a Youtube tutorial. "Yes!" Thankfully, Chase was falling asleep while he sucked his fist.

Step by step, I figured it out, pausing between takes. When I finally had it securely tightened around his waist, I pounded my chest and gave a silent roar.

By the time I put him all back together, snaps and all, I smiled down at my accomplishment. Then I got down on my knees, placed my head by Chase's, and snapped a selfie as proof.

When I lifted him, his eyes fluttered open and he started to cry. "It's okay, buddy." I glanced at the screen and watched one of the guys bouncing the little kid in their arms, so I mimicked their motions. I held him close, against my chest.

Bounce, bounce, bounce.

Rock, rock, rock.

Step together. Step apart. Step together. Step apart.

But nothing seemed to work. His cries were getting louder.

"Alright. Do you want me to sing? I can't sing, but I can hum." I swayed him in my arms and hummed the last thing I had heard in the car. It was an ass bumping song, but I wasn't repeating any words, only humming the melody, so I deemed myself safe.

Finally, his cries died down as I hummed the song I would sing into Beth's ear, when I was trying to seduce her.

Soon enough, he was asleep and the tension in my shoulders oozed out of me like water from a sink. I sat on the edge of the bed, not wanting to move, afraid he'd wake up again.

I backed up slowly with Chase attached to my chest like a leech, until I felt my back hit the headboard. "Okay, let's just stay here until mommy or Aunt Beth gets home." I propped a pillow under my arm for support.

The minutes ticked by. I didn't know if an hour had passed already, but somehow between Chase's soft breaths and his heartbeat against mine, I was able to relax. A low, calming breath escaped me, and I touched the peach fuzz on top of his head. He smelled clean and of a mild pleasing fragrance even after his pooping incident.

Smiling, I rubbed my cheek against the top of his head and placed a light kiss at his temple. Even after we'd survived all the chaos earlier, something about this little being calmed me. I could have turned on the television while I waited for Beth to come home, but I decided to lay with the little munchkin and, for once, revel and relax in the silence.

A foreign thought filtered through my head.

Maybe...just maybe I can do this.

* * *

B
eth
:

I called Kent five times from the cab ride home, but no answer. Adrenaline spiked within me as I rushed past security, up the elevator, and blasted through our front door.

"Kent!" My eyes scanned the area, already thinking the worst. When they were nowhere to be seen, the fine hairs on the back of my arms lifted.

"Kent!" I rushed into the bedroom and my hands flew to my chest.

Instantly, my insides relaxed.

There they were. The both of them were sleeping soundly on my bed.

Thank God!

They were safe.

I stepped forward at a slow pace while my pulse evened out.

Damn, my husband was handsome. Scratch that. On a scale of one to ten, he was like a hundred. I doubted any other living, breathing woman would disagree with me. But goodness gracious. Seeing him sleeping peacefully with his hands wrapped around Chase did things to me. It melted my heart and filled my insides with a warm glow. My ovaries combusted as I came closer, sitting at the edge of the bed beside him. Feeling hormonal and emotional, heat formed behind my eyes. If I could snap this picture, Hallmark would eat it up.

I nestled close and spooned Kent from the side. This was going to be us in only a few months. The anticipation of it all was too much. I was nervous and still slightly freaking out, but I couldn't wait to start our family.

When I rested my head on his shoulder, pressing against him, he blinked his eyes open. Still half asleep, I kissed his cheek. "I see you survived."

His eyes panicked, but then he relaxed when his gaze landed on Chase resting soundly against his chest. "We did, didn't we?" A dimple was displayed on his cheek. "I mean—" He cleared his throat, sounding more confident. "—did you have any doubt?"

I shrugged and grinned. "Maybe." Talk about doubts. I'd never been more nervous in my life as I rushed over here from the hospital. I was kicking myself in the cab, thinking it was the worst idea ever to leave Kent with a newborn. But it was an emergency.

I peered up at his face and touched his cheek. "Look, you're a pro. All my doubts were for nothing."

He smiled softly down at Chase. "So how's Caroline?"

"She's fine. I mean, she wasn't fine until we rolled her into the hospital and pumped her with enough pain meds to knock her out cold."

He frowned, concerned. "What was wrong with her?"

I sighed, recalling the amount of pain my friend had experienced. "She had a cyst burst in her ovaries. That's why she felt dizzy. Luckily, everything is fine."

"With her screaming like that, it sounded like she was in her very own horror movie."

"Kent,” I grimaced. “She said the pain was worse than labor. It was the worst pain she had ever experienced."

He cringed. "Sh—ooot," he muttered.

When I let out a low laugh at his mouth filter, Chase stirred in his sleep. He opened his eyes slowly and tried to lift up his head.

Chin to his chest, Kent peered down at the lovely little boy. "Hey, buddy."

His tone hitched up in a cute baby voice that made me melt like a puddle of mush.

"Can I hold him?"

"I don't know.” His arms tightened around Chase in a protective hold. “I think he kind of likes me. I was making him laugh so hard earlier that he pooped in his pants."

That comment had me laughing and swooning. It was so over.

Kent shifted to lift the baby and then dropped his hands to the side. "Uh yeah. So I know how we got into this position but I don't think I can get myself out of it.”

After pushing myself to my knees, I reached over and carefully picked up Chase and flipped him around to cradle him against my chest.

"Oh, showing off now, huh?"

I laughed. My head hit the pillow, and I snuggled closer, feeling the warmth from Chase's skin.

Kent pressed against me and wrapped an arm around the both of us. "This is going to be us pretty soon, huh?"

"Yes. Pretty much." I snuggled closer into our own cocoon of euphoria.

"Poop and diapers." A smile found its way through his mask of uncertainty. "But warmth and giggles, too." He nodded his head once.

My heart expanded in my chest to the point that my ribs felt like they were going to break. "I'm so glad." I lifted my lips to his as I felt his warm breath brush against my cheek. "Because I think you'll make a wonderful father. Beautiful and wonderful and loving." I pecked his lips like I couldn't get enough. "And we'll make more and more babies each and every year."

His laugh was contagious, and Chase giggled against my chest. "See Chase even agrees."

He kissed the tip of his nose. "Yes. He's a very smart man, and I'm more than ready for this next stage in our life."

My husband's smile was blinding, and it warmed my insides like gooey molten chocolate.

I couldn’t wait to pop out this baby so I could see my husband transform into a father every single day.

T
HE END

B
eth
:

I swayed on the rocking chair, watching the love of my life read softly to our little toddler. Emily Kathleen Plack was being lulled by the cadence of her father's voice to her favorite bedtime story—Goodnight Moon.

I smiled beside them, thinking about how our life had changed in the last few years. Right after Emily was born, Kent had made plans to move us out of the city. He had talked about a plush garden for our little Em to run around. He wanted her to have a bedroom and an adjoining playroom where he could shower her with every toy imaginable.

Actually he didn't have to buy her toys, because my in-laws spoiled our little girl without apology. She’d been getting presents since the womb. It was a good thing I loved them because they had insisted we move down the street from them—for convenience. Mom was our main caregiver for Em, and they pressed that it was easier on
our
lives.

Though that was true, Kent and I knew the real reason. They wanted to be closer to the baby.

Soon after Em had been born, the search for the perfect house—or dare I say mansion—had begun. And because it was Kent, and because he had borderline OCD, we eventually bought the nearest mansion to his parents’ gated community. But then we tore down the existing house only to rebuild a new one with perfect specifications to Kent's unbelievable details, even down to the security. You'd swear Emily was the daughter of the President of the United States with the amount of security that surrounded our house.

Whoever said having a child changes you was right, though I hadn’t realized the impact of those words until I actually had her. The amount of responsibility on Kent and my shoulders sometimes caused anxiety to rise within me that I couldn't tame.

Those first few weeks had been the hardest, but Kent was adamant about not getting any help. He didn't want a nanny watching our child. Funny how he got upset when I fired the maid, but when it came to me suggesting, quite possibly we get a night nurse, he right out said 'no'.

A nanny had never raised him, and he wasn't going to start with Em. It hadn't made our life any easier. Those first few weeks without sleep were absolute torture. We fought non-stop due to delirium. I didn't think we were cut out for parenthood. But then we did it. We got through it. It was another bunch of memorable events we had shared as a married couple that we now only laughed about over dinner.

To say Em completes me would be an understatement. She has fulfilled my life like I never knew she would. Before her, my job had been my number one priority. Now all that mattered was her, our family. I went to work because of her, to lead by example. To let her know that Mama worked hard and, even though we had the money to buy our own little island in the Bahamas, I wanted to teach her that you needed to work hard in life. She made me want to be a better person, just for her. Words could not express how she had completed my life.

When Kent stood, I knew our sweet angel was asleep. I walked over, studying her beautiful features. She owned Kent's signature chestnut brown eyes and his skin tone. Everything else down to her button nose and her pouty lips were mine. I leaned over, pulled the cover closer to her chin, and kissed her forehead.

"How do we freeze time?" Kent asked, peering into her crib.

"I don't know." A sadness washed over me as I thought about how fast she was growing.

We'd be celebrating Emily's second birthday next week, and the weeks leading to her extravagant birthday party held by Grandma only intensified this ache in the middle of my chest. I only knew time to quicken after I had Em. Before her, I felt as though there was an infinite amount of time, but now...as the days and weeks went by and the older she got, I realized that time was running out. That I would never get back this day with her.

He touched her head and smiled. "My mother got a pony for her birthday." He chuckled under his breath.

"What?" I widened my eyes. "Like a real life pony? We don't even have stables anywhere around us."

"No, she just rented one, but it's pretty funny how ridiculous they’re being." He paused as his features relaxed. "The other day, when I went to pick her up after work, I walked into the room and my father was on all fours. Em was on his back, riding him like a horsey."

I giggled. "No way." If Kent hadn't seen it with his own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. My father-in-law, CEO of Plack Industries, on all fours? I hardly saw him not in a suit.

"Yes, and Em kept saying 'Go, go, go, Papa'."

We both started to laugh, but when Em stirred in her crib, that laughter ceased. With one more kiss on her sweet head, he glanced down at her. "I didn't think I could love anything this small."

Kent took my hand, and when he intertwined our fingers, a familiar warmth spread down my arm as butterflies stirred in the pit of my belly.

"To think..." He paused as his eyebrows pulled together. "To think at one time, I wasn’t sure I wanted her." His voice was barely above a whisper as though saying the words hurt him. "And now I can't picture my life without her." His eyes met mine. "Without the both of you."

"That's before you knew her,” I reminded him. “You're always afraid. Afraid of anything you're not in control of, but look at you now." I reached up and palmed his cheek as I stared intently at the love of my life, the father of my child. "You're a great father. Seriously."

He kissed my palm. "I'm trying."

"And you're doing wonderfully," I said, peering up at him.

When Em turned onto her stomach, Kent placed his finger against his lips and nodded toward the exit.

He led us out of Em's room, but didn't shut her door. Though we had a high tech camera next to her crib, he never shut her door. Internally, I laughed. I was sorry for any boy that this girl dated. He’d be the father waiting by the door with a shotgun.

We padded quietly down the hall, hand in hand, and my heart flipped over in response. It was the little things I adored nowadays, even as our lives revolved around Em and being so busy with work. The little kisses during random parts of the day, or the way his fingers brushed against my waist whenever he was around me, or now as he held my hand while we walked back to our bedroom—those were the things that I cherished.

"You ready for tomorrow?" His face turned cautious as he squeezed my hand once.

"I think so."

"You know you don't have to do this."

"I know." But this gnawing in the back of my mind indicated that I had to. I had been unsettled for a long time, and I knew why.

He nodded, most likely sensing the change in my mood. Over the past few weeks leading up to this event, he had tried to convince me not to go or, at the very least, let him come with me.

"Don't worry, Kent, I'll be okay."

"Okay," he said, but he didn’t look convinced.

When we strolled to the bathroom, he released me and warm chestnut eyes met mine in the mirror. "He's retiring at the end of the year."

"Who?" The answer flew out of my mouth like a bullet out of a gun.

"Who else?"

"Wow." My face registered shock. "I thought it was still at least five years. That's what he said last month."

"Five years? I thought he'd set his coffin inside his office." A soft chuckle released from his mouth. "My mother has been hounding him for years. She wants to enjoy life with him during the rest of the time they have left. Dad said Em changed his mind, put things in perspective."

"Kids can do that sort of thing."

Kent’s eyes clouded with unease. "He thinks I'm ready." Doubt crossed his face, and I knew I needed to stop any insecurities he had about leading this company to the next level.

"You totally are."

His hands dropped to my waist, and his one touch set my body aflame. A deep ripple of excitement tore through me. When he lifted me and guided me to sit on the sink, my legs parted to make room for him.

"You think so?" His voice turned gruffly low, and his nearness made my senses spin.

I wrapped my arms around him, running my fingers through his hair at the base of his neck. "So sure. You accomplish everything you set your mind to. With mind-blowing results." A naughty smile crept up my face.

He smirked in response. His hands skimmed my thighs under my nightgown as he pulled me toward him and his eyes contained a sensuous flame. My neck tilted upward to meet his mouth and, when he kissed me, my calm was shattered with his hungry lips.

"That is true." He dropped his head to the crook of my neck, peppering kisses along my shoulder.

I moaned and ground against him, feeling him harden between my legs.

"Mind-blowing results is the goal I'm going for." His breath was warm and throaty against my ear.

Mind-blowing. Spine-tingling. Out of this world success. That was what Kent could achieve. I had no doubt.

* * *

I
tossed
and turned the whole night, staring at Kent sleeping soundly. Seriously...beautiful didn't even cut it. From his perfect hair that I swear hadn't moved from the night before to his unbelievably long lashes, to his kissable lips. If he wasn't the almost CEO of Plack Industries, I was sure he could’ve made a fortune modeling.

I kissed his lips and snuggled closer. Maybe being near him and feeling his warmth against my skin would calm the nervous butterflies stirring in my stomach.

I could do this. I had to do this.

I stared at our clock on our side table. Four more hours until my flight left. I released a long sigh, but it did nothing for the tension in my shoulders.

As soon as I heard Em on the monitor, I popped up and rushed toward her room.

The brown hair on the top of her head was in disarray and, as soon as she saw me, her dimples, just like her father’s, set deep on her cheeks. She dropped Monkey Moo Moo in her crib and stood up. "Mama, Mama."

I reached into her crib and crushed her against my chest, reveling in the scent of her baby shampoo. I kissed her round cheeks, the ones that were so kissable that I swore no one could resist.

Her head rested on my shoulder, and her legs wrapped around my hips in the most perfect spot, made just for her. For a moment, my butt dropped in the rocking chair, and I held her close, reveling in the calm and the silence of the house. The soft breaths escaping my sweet baby girl hit my neck. When the thumps of her heartbeat hit mine, for the first time since I'd made the decision to visit my mom, the tenseness in my chest lightened. I wanted to take Emily with me because she was my calm in an endless storm. Emily functioned like my stress ball. One look from her, or better yet, one embrace had my nerves easing.

But as I held my baby close, I knew I needed this. Becoming a mother myself, I needed some closure and I couldn't get resolution until I saw her, Jamie, my deadbeat mother. Though I’d sworn, before I gave birth myself, I'd never wanted to see her for the rest of my life, things were different now. Because of Em.

My head popped up when Kent walked into the room. His gray signature t-shirt clung to his muscles while his drawstring pants hung low on his hips.

He leaned against the door, and I smiled up at him. "Is our princess up yet?"

"Barely."

At the sound of her daddy's tone, she popped up from my shoulder and pushed off of me. I placed her on the plush carpet as she ran to her daddy.

He swooped her into his arms, and his lips went to her cheeks. "Baby girl. You're so cute, my baby girl." Kent's voice hitched up a notch higher.

"Dada. Me dink baba." Em's bossy self was out in full display.

"You want your bottle? Dada needs kisses for baba." He held out his cheek for her.

I laughed at their interaction. I loved hearing my husband talk baby to our little Em. It was the cutest thing because his goofiness only came out in full view in front of her. Kisses or not, she'd be getting her baba.

She grabbed his ears and kissed him on the lips and I swore my insides melted and my ovaries exploded.

"Baba. Now." Em said, pulling back to show her father who was the boss.

I stood. "I'll get her bottle. I need to start getting ready too."

Kent's smile faltered as his eyes turned from Em's to mine. "You didn't get much sleep last night, huh?"

"Not really," I replied, already heading out the door and to the stairs.

"I think I should go with you to California." Concern escaped from his tone.

"We've discussed this already. I'm going to be okay."

He huffed loudly. "It's not a matter of you being okay. I know you'll be okay. I want to be there. And honestly...why do you even have to go at all? You have your family. We're right here."

When we were at the bottom of the double staircase, I turned to him and met his eyes, the same chestnut brown eyes that Em now had.

My eyes softened. "I'll be okay. I promise you." I playfully tugged his hand. "This is just something I have to do."

His brow furrowed as he studied me, not convinced one bit. Silence stretched between us. I knew he was worried about me, but he didn't need to be.

"Baba. Now."