Unexpected Romance (22 page)

Tony
felt hot tears spill over. "I feel as if you're getting screwed
out of your freedom. I didn't give you much choice. I mean, we don’t
need to marry or buy the house. I trapped you. I’m not taking
half your money."

"You
didn't trap me. I could walk away and see the baby on weekends. I
want you, Tony. I want you. I love you. When I got home and you
weren't there, it felt as though my heart had been ripped out of my
chest. I had to get Corey to drive me over here."

She
turned back toward him. She looked at him for a long time. He had a
few tear stains on his cheek. He looked exhausted and she wondered
where he had slept.

He
threaded his fingers with hers. "Tonya, I love you."

"What
about your mother?"

"I
told her she could apologize tomorrow and we'd decide to accept it
nor not. They said they only wanted to keep you here a couple more
hours."

"I
felt like someone hit me in the stomach when she asked if I was a
gold digging whore."

"I
figured it was something like that. I should have told you, but I
never dreamed she’d go behind my back." His mouth turned
downward.

"I’m
sorry." Tears threatened again.

Chris
lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips over her knuckles.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, babe. I will talk to her and
if she doesn't see reason, she won't be in my life anymore."

Tony
felt a tear slip down her cheek. She lifted her hand to wipe it away,
but Chris pushed her hand aside. He kissed the spot.

"You
don't need to hide your tears from me. I told you I didn’t want
anymore holding back between us. But you weren’t the only one
holding back. I should have told you what she said earlier. Did you
think I felt the same? Is that why you ran?"

"I
don't know what I thought. Maybe that your mom was right, that I
wanted to trap you. When you came after me, I knew there was no way
to resist you. But I also knew there was no way I could keep you."

"That’s
why you avoided me all summer."

“
I
realized I was in love with you when I walked into your room and
found you packing. And I thought you’d leave so you could
party. I thought you’d forget me. So I decided to break
contact.”

“
The
day I left, I said I’d wait for you.”

“
I
didn’t think you would. You said you didn’t want a
relationship.”

“
I
was wrong.” He wiped his eyes. “I know why you didn’t
trust me then. Do you trust me now?”

"I
don't trust myself. My own parents never loved me, how could you?
Look at you. You're beautiful and smart and funny and giving."

"Tony,
when I look at you, I see the same things. And so much more. When I
moved into your brother's house, I knew the stories about him, and I
expected to follow the same path. I never imagined that you'd come
along and make my life better than I could have dreamed." His
eyes searched hers.

She
smiled at him, feeling her heart fill with joy and love, edging out
the fear. Just a little left now. She took a breath.

"I
haven't done that. All you do now is stay home and watch me study."

"We
cook dinner together and cleanup. We go shopping. You make me laugh.
You make me want to be home. And make love. I've had a lot of sex,
I've never made love before. It's so much more incredible than I
thought it could be."

"I-I
like that part, too." She ducked her head, as her face heated.

His
dark eyes sparkled. His hand slid down her belly. "How is our
little one feeling?"

"He's
still practicing those soccer moves. Infrequently. They said
everything was fine other than the pain."

"They
wanted to keep you awhile more." He yawned.

"You
should go home and sleep."

"I
won't sleep if you're here. Do you think they'll kick us out if I
join you in bed?"

"Let's
find out." She scooted over and he slid on the tiny bed beside
her.

"It's
tight." He pulled her against his body.

"That's
because you are so damned tall." She snuggled her head into his
shoulder. In the panic, she had forgotten how much she missed being
held in his arms. He was so big, she felt as if he could keep the
troubles of the entire world at bay.

He
laughed into her hair. "I decided when we get home, the only
thing you are allowed to do is get ready for finals. I'll cook."

"You'll
cook what?"

"Fine,
we'll order in. We'll eat on paper plates. I will do the rest of the
packing. And if I can't be there, I will hire Tanner and Jessa and
Colton to do it. You aren't allowed to do anything but finish growing
this baby."

She
sniffed and nodded.

"And
we will marry, before the summer. I know you wanted to wait. But
we're going to do it right away, so you know you are mine."

She
contorted her body to give him a hard look. "We are waiting
until the summer. I'm wearing the big dress and Corey is going to
walk me down the aisle. And Paige and the Green girls will wear the
cutest dresses, the boys in tuxes. Jessa and Nic as my bridesmaids.
And Camille, if she likes me. You aren't taking that away."

"We
can do both. But I want it on paper so there is no doubt in your mind
that you are mine. We don't have to tell anyone."

She
sighed. He was a difficult man to argue with, especially when he was
making her heart sing. "Fine. We'll get married. Around
Christmas?" It was only three weeks away.

"As
soon as I can find someone and we do all the paperwork. I'll charter
a damn plane to Vegas if we need to."

"I
don’t think Vegas is necessary. I'm sure someone here can do
it. They wouldn’t let me travel like this." She touched
her belly.

She
felt his laughter rumbled through her body as well.

"Okay,
so long as it gets done, I'm happy. I think you should try to get
some sleep."

Tony
closed her eyes. "That might be a good idea."

“
Are
you sorry?” Chris asked Tony. He propped himself up on his arm
and stroked his daughter's cheek as she nursed at Tony’s
breast. The three of them were spending a lazy afternoon in bed.
Their families had all left yesterday.

“
Sorry
that we didn’t do the big wedding today like we planned?”

Tony
looked at the wedding ring on her left ring finger. Tony managed to
convince Chris to wait until after the New Year to marry. On January
15, Corey, and Nicole and Kip and Mandy witnessed their wedding.

Two
days later, Nicole gave birth to Jace Hunter Porter.

“
Yeah.
I’m loving this moment, but I feel like you got cheated out of
your wedding. You really wanted the dress and everything.”

Tony
smiled. “I am sad about that. But now with Macy here, it felt
unimportant. I don’t want to leave her for a minute.”
Tony wrapped her daughter’s fist around her pinky.

Macy
had been born in a spring storm in March. Tony thanked the universe
for a month afterwards that Chris was on a home game stretch when it
happened. Tony fell in love with her at first sight, never wanting to
be away.

“
I
didn’t either. I was happy when you decided to cancel. My
family is just as happy to come see the baby.”

“
And
you. But your mom did corner me today to apologize again.”

Chris
sighed.

Tony
shook her head. “It’s fine. I told her that it was over
and done with. We’ve forgiven her. I didn’t tell her I’d
never forget it.”

Chris
kissed her shoulder.

Tony
stroked Macy’s face. Her eyes were closed and her mouth slack.
Tony eased the baby into her co-sleeping crib, a wonderful invention
they’d discovered when they found Macy didn’t like to
sleep away from her parents. Nor did they like being away from her.
Besides, it made nursing every two hours so much easier.

Tony
slid the side up on the bassinet. She rolled toward Chris.

Seven
months of marriage. Would the wonder of being married to him ever
dissipate? She hoped not, but she was only six months into the
marriage. Eighteen months ago, she didn’t know he existed and
now he was her life. She laced her fingers with his. “I love
you, so much.”

“
I
love you, too.” He kissed her. She let her tongue dance across
his lower lip.

He
rolled her onto her back, lifting his head, grinning at her. “I’m
glad I managed to trap you.”

She
laughed. “Is that what happened?”

“
Maybe.
Whatever it was, it was exactly what I needed. I had no idea what I
was missing.”

“
You
sure know how to sweet talk a girl.”

“
Just
the simple truth.”

She
put one hand on the back of his head and drew him to her.

She
finally found the place she had been searching for. She had finally
found her family.

About the Author

Asrai
Devin is a Saskatchewan girl living in an Alberta world. She enjoys
Facebook drama, avoiding housework at all costs and words put
together that make something beautiful.

Despite
talking about quitting writing hockey novels or writing altogether,
her imagination forces her to keep going. At least until she grows up
and gets a “real job”

She
stumbled into domestic bliss sometime ago. At press time, household
count was one husband, two children, and one needy dog.

You
can find Asrai on social media

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me on Facebook

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(short stories from the Up in Flames series)

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Thanks

My
husband. My kids.

Not
the dog. He's needy and chews everything.

My
mom and Dad.

My
friends, most of you are online. Awkward Girl needs special mention.

Not
the makers of Facebook games, you are too good at getting me to waste
my time.

Bioware
and Bethesda Studios are good, so I'm not demonizing all game
developers. Good stories in video games fuel creativity.

All
the boys I've loved and it didn't work out. No hard feelings from me.
I understand if you hold my actions against me.

Libraries.
Good stories fuel creativity. Support your local library.

Kip and
Mandy

Kyle and Serena

Corey and Nicole

short story of the above novels

Scott and Amy

Doug and Sophia

Shanna has
almost perfect life in Toronto. She has a great job working with her
perfect boyfriend and a five year plan to make it even better. Until
she's called home because her dad had a heart attack. She comes face
to face with her long-distance best friend, and long-time crush,
Gabriel.

Gabe has
loved Shanna since forever. He's certain he missed his opportunity
with her five years ago when he turned her down. But when she comes
to run her father's company with him for a few weeks while her father
recovers, he believes maybe€ he has a second chance.

Can Gabe
convince Shanna that she is meant to stay with him and run her
father's company? Or will the lure of the big city and her
boyfriend's name keep her away?

Penny
works in her father's store while she studies business part-time. She
alternates between fantasizing about co-worker Shawn Moore. and
planning her escape.
Shawn
works to support his disabled mother. He refuses to look closely at
Penny because she deserves better.
When
Penny's grandmother has a stroke, her escape plans are postponed. Can
Shawn give Penny a reason to stay

Ocean
lives her life alone. She ran away from home and learned not to make
contact. With anyone. Until she meets Terin. Can his gentle demeanour
make her trust again? Or will she run from him as well?