Baby on Board (15 page)

I’m sure it’s sufficiently sorry for whatever wrong it did to you,” Mrs.

Steele said with humor in her voice.

Ivy blew out a breath. “It’s been a long day. I’m sure you didn’t want

to meet me holding a heavy kitchen utensil in my hand.”

Mrs. Steele laughed. “Don’t worry, dear. Rafe and his father got the

best and most tender beef when I was in a mood. It’s very nice to meet

you.”

“You too, Mrs. Steele,” Ivy replied. Bonnie was holding out her hands

to Ivy. “Let me wash my hands and take Bonnie.”

“What are you making? And please call me Frieda,” his mother

replied.

“It’s a spin on enchiladas except instead of using flour tortillas, I use

thin slices of chicken and bake it in the oven. You can stuff it with

whatever you like, but I like to use healthy stuff like veggies and

spinach,” Ivy explained. She washed and dried her hands before taking

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Bonnie and nuzzling the baby. “How’s my pretty girl? Would you like

some Cheerios?”

“I see she has the top two teeth coming in. Most, though not all, babies

get their bottom two teeth in first,” Frieda commented. “I think I’ll have to

get that recipe from you. I’m trying to have Frank eat healthier and he’s

rebelling, but this recipe could just do the trick.”

“It could,” Ivy said. “Rafe would eat steaks off the grill every day if I

let him.”

Frieda shook her head. “Just like his father. The apple doesn’t fall far

from the tree. You fix him before he’s Frank’s age. By then, almost all

hope is lost.”

“Do you think we’ll be together that long?” Ivy asked.

Rafe’s mother smiled. “Honey, I knew about you even before Rafe

actually stopped sticking his foot in his mouth and you got together. Trust

me, I’ve never heard of another woman in his life before now, not even

Bonnie’s mother. I think you have his heart and that’s a very precious

thing. Please don’t hurt my son, okay?”

Ivy swallowed the emotion in her throat. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Now, how about we give this Little Miss some Cheerios and then you

can show me how to make your dish?” Frieda said with a smile.

“Sure.” Ivy hesitated before putting Bonnie in the high chair. “I

thought you might not like me.”

“Why ever would you think that?” Frieda looked at her with curiosity

written all over her face.

“You know, I’m African American—” Ivy began, but Frieda’s

laughter cut her off.

“Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I thought you were just covered in chocolate,”

Frieda said with mirth in her voice. “You see that woman outside, the one

with the rather large chest? She is the kind of person I wouldn’t approve

of. She would use Rafe and twist his love and emotions to her advantage.

She would see Bonnie as a tool to hold on to him, but then when he’s not

around she would see her as a nuisance. I don’t want that for my family.

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You’re kind and caring, and you work with the wonderful men and

women that serve our country. You could be hot pink with black zebra

stripes and I wouldn’t care as long as you loved my son and he loved you.

I can see how much Bonnie loves you already.”

“I might not be able to have children,” Ivy blurted out. “I have a

condition.”

“And that makes you less of a woman?” Fried asked. “It took me five

years to bring Rafe into this world. He was the first and the last. My

doctor said I couldn’t even risk having any more. If there are children

between you and Rafe they will be a gift, and Bonnie is a treasure for us

all. Have faith, Ivy. They said I would never have kids and look at the big

strapping man my husband and I raised.”

“You’re remarkable,” Ivy said. “I wish I had a mother like you.”

“Where’s your family, dear?” Frieda asked.

Ivy put some Cheerios on the tray of Bonnie’s high chair. She had

never told anyone about her family, not even Rafe. Somehow, though, she

felt as if she could tell Mrs. Steele anything and so she opened up about

her past. “My mom ran off with my stepfather. I have no idea where they

are. I have one brother who blames me for everything so we don’t talk. I

haven’t seen him since I was sixteen and became an emancipated minor.

My stepfather used to abuse me and I spoke up about it, so we were taken

into foster care and my mother convinced my brother I was lying. My

stepfather said I seduced him.” Ivy laughed softly. “I was only fourteen

years old. Every night I was incredibly scared to go to bed because that is

when he’d come into my room, after my mother had passed out from the

alcohol. Anyway, they had the proof and he was sent away for years. I

refused to go back to my mother and my social worker had a lawyer

friend who helped me get emancipated. I worked and got my GED early

and then went on to nursing school using the Job Corps. That’s my

story—not fun and definitely not what teenage girls expect growing up.”

“You overcame it all, Ivy. I won’t say sorry because that would mean

I pity you,” Frieda said, “and I don’t. You fought your way out and you’re

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stronger for it. They can never take that away from you. We dealt with a

scandal when Rafe’s father was on Capitol Hill. Our family has flaws,

every family does, but we stuck together and that’s what counts.”

Ivy nodded. “You’re right, and I swear I would never hurt Rafe or

Bonnie. I love them both too much.”

It was the first time she ever said she loved Rafe openly and she

announced it to his mother. It didn’t feel strange, it felt right, and when

Rafe came home and Bonnie was down for the night she planned to say it

again and again. Life was for living and she was going to live her life to

the fullest with Rafe if he would have her.

“I know you won’t.” Frieda smiled.

“So, how about that recipe? We have to make sure you can fool Mr.

Steele,” Ivy said.

“Quite right. Let’s get to it,” Frieda clapped her hands in delight.

With Bonnie in her high chair, babbling happily, Ivy and Rafe’s

mother stepped into the kitchen to start dinner. They laughed and chatted

while keeping an eye on Bonnie as she gnawed her Cheerios. Ivy put the

miserable afternoon out of her mind and made a special meal for her man.

Frieda made her feel great about her relationship and she couldn’t wait

until Rafe came home.

Later that evening, Frieda went home armed with the recipe and

planned to make it for her and Mr. Steele’s dinner. Rafe came home a half

hour later, looking rugged and handsome in his uniform. Ivy doubted any

other man looked as good as he did in uniform. He kissed her like he

hadn’t seen her in a week and it made her melt. They had dinner and gave

Bonnie a bath before sitting down to an hour of cartoons until the baby

fell asleep and then they were alone in the living room, and Ivy lost all the

words she had planned to say. Everything she had rehearsed in her head

was gone.

“How was your day?” Rafe asked, kissing her temple. She was resting

against him while they watched the news.

“Okay, I guess. I saw Reese. He and Katie are getting married. We are

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still friends,” Ivy replied. The rest of it came tumbling out. “I saw my ex,

Ben, in Target while I was getting Bonnie’s diapers. His wife Margie has

twins and she’s pregnant again. He acted like I was nothing. He said I was

just pretending to be a mom to Bonnie since he thinks I can’t have kids.”

“I will find him and beat the crap out of him,” Rafe growled. “You
are

a mother to Bonnie. She loves you. He can go fuck himself.”

Ivy turned and gave him a shaky smile. “I’m glad you feel that way,

but it makes me sad sometimes that I may never get to feel a life growing

inside me or feel a kick… And then Donna and Grace were the icing on

the cake. They came up to me while I was unloading the car. I just

snapped and told Donna how used she was and how gravity has not been

kind to her because her boobs seemed to be swinging awfully low lately.”

Rafe burst out laughing. “Oh, sweetheart, I would have loved to have

seen that.”

“I was kind of mean,” Ivy admitted, “but I was so mad.”

“She deserved it. Don’t lose any sleep over it, but trust me, if I ever

see your ex or you point him out to me, he’s going to eat my fist,” Rafe

said. “By the way, I got a text from my mom. She loves you.”

“I like her too,” Ivy replied and then took his hands in hers. “Where

are we going, Rafe? I mean, what’s the end game for this relationship?”

He pulled her close and looked into her eyes. “I was thinking you

could move in with me, put your house on the market, and we could get

married and you could adopt Bonnie. All the while, we’d be working on

making baby number two.”

A slow smile spread across her face. “All that, huh?”

“Should I get down on bended knee?” he asked.

“A ring would be nice, but, no, bended knee is not necessary,” Ivy

said.

“I think it is,” Rafe said as he got to his knees in front of Ivy and put

his hand in his pocket. He pulled out a box and flipped open the lid,

revealing a beautiful white gold princess-cut diamond ring. “Marry me,

Ivy. Make me the luckiest man in the world. Be the mother of Bonnie and

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all our future babies, share a bed with me, share your soul with me and I’ll

do the same.”

“You had this all planned,” Ivy whispered, overcome with emotion.

“It’s the reason why I was late,” he confessed. “I had to go to the

jeweler to pick it up. My mom was in on it. It’s the same ring she wore as

well as my grandmother before her. Now it’s been sized just for you.”

Rafe took her hand and slid the ring on her finger. “Be my wife.”

“I will. Oh, I definitely will.” Ivy threw her arms around his neck and

he pulled her with him until they were lying on the floor in front of the

sofa.

Their lips met and they clung to each other.

“Two more things,” Rafe said between kisses. “One, the final ruling

on Bonnie’s case is tomorrow. The detective my lawyer hired could not

find Juno, so I’m going to get full parental custody of her.”

“That’s wonderful,” Ivy said. “That calls for more kisses.”

She proceeded to smother him with kisses as she dug her hand in his

pants. Rafe groaned with pleasure. “Oh, baby… Wait, the next thing…

Uh, yeah, God, I can’t think while you’re doing that. I’ve been given a

mission. I’ll be leaving in two weeks.”

This stopped her cold.
Oh, God, he is leaving and putting himself in

danger?
She got off him and sat back. “How long will you be gone?”

“Three weeks at the most. One week will be training with the new

unit. We all know our job, but for this we have to be specific,” Rafe

explained. “The other two weeks I can’t tell you about.”

“You’ll be safe?” she asked as fear clutched her chest. She didn’t

think she would be dealing with this so very soon.

“I have you and Bonnie to come home to. Of course I’ll be safe, but

this is my job, Ivy. It’s not going to happen often, but it will. Can you

handle that?” Rafe asked.

“I love you. I’ll deal with it all as long as you come home to me each

and every time,” Ivy whispered. “Please be careful.”

“I love you too. Do you think you can plan a wedding in two weeks?”

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Rafe asked.

She could see he wasn’t kidding. “I guess I can.”

“Good. Let’s do it. I want you to be Mrs. Steele before I leave.” Rafe

kissed her and he lingered at her lips. “My mom will help. She loves

weddings.”

“Okay, let’s do it.” Ivy giggled. “We’re going to be man, wife and

baby.”

“Good. Now, how about we consummate the marriage early?” Rafe

growled as worked at the buttons of her blouse and then her bra.

“Okay,” she gasped as his hand closed over her naked breast and he

pulled her close so he could take her nipple in his mouth.

The sensation of his hot mouth on her body made her ache between

her legs. He moved to the next breast and enveloped it in the heat of his

mouth. Ivy couldn’t help but tremble as pleasure seared through her. Rafe

moaned and pulled her into a deep kiss. Their tongues parried and dueled