Expect Me (Rivers Edge Book 3) (11 page)

*****

Sunday night brings another family dinner. The mid-May weather is perfect so we’re all hanging out on the back patio while Dad and Will grill steaks. Avery is pushing Brooklyn on the tire swing under the big tree while she chats with Erin, and Josselyn and I are sitting with Mom on the patio furniture.

“So, how’s everything going with you two?” Mom asks with that little gleam in her eye.

“Fine, Mom,” I reply as Josselyn watches my sister push my niece on the swing.

“Anything
new
you want to share with everyone?” she asks with a knowing smile.

“Actually, yes there is. But can we wait until dinner, please?”

“Absolutely,” she says with a huge smile on her face. I can see the excitement radiating off her small body. She’s practically bouncing in her seat at the prospect of Josselyn and I sharing our big news with the rest of the family.

“I better head inside and make sure the rest of the food is ready,” Mom says as she stands up.

“I can help you, Mrs. Stevens,” Josselyn says as she starts to get up.

“No. Stay. Enjoy the beautiful day. I made easy sides so it won’t take me but a moment to get everything ready.” With that, my mom walks through the back door and into the kitchen.

Before she can close the door, however, I see my oldest brother, Jake, along with Maddox and Holly walk out the back door.

“Daddy!” Brooklyn exclaims from the tire swing. It takes Avery a few moments to get it stopped so that Bean can get down. As soon as her feet are planted on the ground, she’s sprinting towards Maddox. I smile as Maddox scoops her up and plants a big kiss on her dirty little cheek.

“How’s my girl? Are you being good for Mommy?” Maddox asks as he walks towards my sister and plants a kiss on her lips.

“Yep!” Brooklyn replies and then giggles at her parents as they kiss.

“Knock that shit off you two,” Jake growls as he goes in and plants a kiss on Erin’s lips.

“Daddy, Uncle Jake said a bad word,” Brooklyn exclaims with a giggle.

“Jake, watch your mouth,” Avery chastises with a wink.

Dad pulls the steaks off the grill just as Mom opens the back door and hollers at us to come inside for dinner. Jake places a passionate kiss on Erin’s lips and throws his arm protectively around her, Maddox carries his daughter and winds his arm around Avery’s shoulder, and I reach down and offer Josselyn a hand to help her up. Her hand feels so good, so natural tucked securely inside of mine.

Mom has plastic dishes ready to go for Jake and Maddox. They gather up their to-go containers and place kisses on the lips of their ladies, respectively.

“Hey, wait. Before you two leave, I have an announcement to make,” I say as everyone starts to take their seats around the dining room table. I reach over and grab Josselyn’s hand again, more for comfort and stability as I get ready to tell them our good news. All eyes are glued to me.

“Josselyn and I are having a baby,” I tell my entire family. Well, everyone but Nate, but I can send him a text when we leave here.

A resounding “congratulations” erupts from the room filled with Stevens. My mom jumps up and races to Josselyn. She throws her arms securely around her and gives her a warm, motherly hug. My dad comes up and shakes my hand and then pulls me into a hug too. Each of my brothers and my brother-in-law step forward and shake my hand. And of course, the girls – Avery and Erin - are wiping happy tears from their eyes as they flock to Josselyn.

“My little brother does actually know what that thing is used for,” Jake throws at me good-heartedly with an ornery laugh and a back slap.

“Jacob, knock it off,” Erin says and gives him the stink-eye. It’s amazing. Watching my brother fall in line the moment Erin opens her mouth. It’s actually pretty freaking funny. I’ve waited for this day my entire life.

“Sorry, darlin’,” he tells her with a wink. “I’ll make it up to you later when I get home from work. I’ll show you how that baby makin’ happened,” he adds with a mischievous grin.

Erin turns ten shades of red before she throws a wink over her shoulder at him and turns her attention back to Josselyn.

“When are you due?” Erin asks.

“November twenty-fourth. Right before Thanksgiving,” Josselyn replies with a smile.

“Well, congratulations. I’m so stinking excited for you both,” Avery says with another friendly hug to Josselyn. “Wait until it’s time to go shopping! I can’t wait!”

While everyone sits down around the table, the food is passed around, and Jake and Maddox head out to get back to work, the conversations all focus in on the baby and our plans.

“When will the house be done, Trav?” Will asks from across the table.

“I was planning on the end of the year, but I’m moving it up to early November. I want to be in and settled as much as possible before the baby comes.”

“Well, just say the word and I’ll help you on my weekends off,” Will offers.

“Which doctor are you seeing?” Avery’s friend Holly asks Josselyn.

“Dr. Freeman. We met her for the first time this past Friday,” Josselyn replies.

“We got to hear the heartbeat and see an ultrasound,” I add with a huge uncontrollable smile on my face.

“Aren’t those moments amazing?” Avery asks with an equally happy smile on her face.

“Definitely. Now, if I could get rid of this morning sickness, I’d be much better off,” Josselyn says.

“I was sick too with Brooklyn. It’ll pass, I promise,” she adds with a wink and her trademark friendly smile.

“I hope so. I’m sick morning, noon, and night. In fact, I’ll probably be excusing myself in just a little bit. Nothing stays down.”

“I feel you, really. When the sickness does finally pass, you’ll have this whole new wave of energy. It’s amazing,” Avery says.

“Hey, Travis, when does softball start?” Will asks in between huge bites of potatoes and steak.

Shit. I completely forgot about playing softball this summer. “Umm, I think first part of June. I haven’t heard officially.” Thankfully, softball is only on Saturday evenings unless it’s a tournament weekend – of which there are two during the summer.

I look over at Josselyn who is looking at me curiously. “I’m playing in a men’s softball league this summer. It’s twelve weeks of games on Saturday nights with a tournament the weekend of July Fourth and one the last weekend of play right before Labor Day. Most of the games will be at the ball field by the high school, but there are a couple that we’ll have to travel to some neighboring towns. I completely forgot that I agreed to take Jake’s spot in the league this year. That’ll make working on the house interesting.”

“It’ll probably be good for you,” she says. “A little fun in the mix of working full time and working on the house the rest of the time. I can’t wait to watch you play,” she says with a smile.

After dinner, I carry my niece and walk my sister out to her Jeep, before helping Bean get buckled in the backseat. Everyone else files out of the house and says their good-byes to Avery and Brooklyn.

“Congratulations, again, big brother,” Avery whispers in my ear as she gives me a fierce hug.

I return the gesture with an equally painful squeeze. “Thanks, sis. I’m pretty damn excited.”

“I watched your face when you told everyone. You lit up like Brooklyn on her birthday,” she says with a big smile.

I look over my shoulder at Josselyn talking to Erin. Avery follows my gaze and says, “What’s going on with you two?”

I sigh. “I’m not sure. We’re friends. We both want to make a friendship work for the baby’s sake. Who knows, maybe someday it will be more.”

I look down at Avery when she doesn’t reply to me. She’s smiling up at me but still doesn’t say anything. Finally, she steps up on her tip toes and peppers a few gentle kisses on my cheek. “I think it already is more, Trav,” she says with a coy smile and a wink before turning and getting up into the Jeep.

As she pulls away, Josselyn comes up next to me and yawns. “Are you ready to head home?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’m exhausted. I think I’ve had too much fresh air this weekend. Plus, I start working at the diner tomorrow so I should probably get some sleep,” she says.

I reach down and link my fingers within hers and lead her back towards the house. “Let’s tell everyone good-bye and grab my leftovers before Will takes all the goods out of my bag.”

We’re both fairly quiet on the ride back to my apartment. My mind keeps returning to the words that Avery said.
I think it already is more.
Is it more? I really like Josselyn. I love making her laugh and watching her sleep. I love the way she leans on me when she’s feeling down or ill. It makes me feel good that she seems to need me as much as I need her. I crave her every moment of every day. Her touch. Her smile.

Yeah, I think this is already more, too.

16 weeks - 4 months

It seems like overnight, my stomach just popped out. Seriously, I went to bed and woke up the next morning with a baby pooch. Even Travis noticed it as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom this morning, and ever since the discovery, he can’t keep his hands off of my belly. He also can’t hide the smile on his sexy lips each time he rubs my stomach.

Today I have my four month check-up with Dr. Freeman. We’re hoping to hear the heartbeat again today, and Travis is taking off early to go with me. He has a busy day in preparation for the weekend so we decided it would be easier if he just met me at the doctor’s office this time.

About a week ago, I finally stopped throwing up. It was a very welcomed reprieve. But the vomiting has been replaced with a slight cramping feeling that has me a little freaked out. I haven’t said anything to Travis because I don’t want to scare or worry him. He’s my rock, my steady hand. He walks beside me and holds my hand. He held my hair back while I puked my guts up for weeks. He steals tender moments and just gazes deep into my eyes when no one is around. Heck, sometimes he does it when we’re surrounded by people. It’s like he can’t stop looking at me. It makes me feel special. Wanted.

Travis and I still share a bed every night. I wake up every morning curled up against his big, strong body. I’m surrounded by muscles and heat, and revel in his protectiveness. I also can’t help the desire that is coursing through my body like a freight train. Every touch of his rough, calloused fingers is like a strike of lightning. I honestly don’t know how much more of this I can take. I want his lips on me so much it almost physically hurts.

I’m finishing up my bagel alone since Travis took off a little early this morning to get some paperwork done at work when my cell phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Josselyn. It’s Avery. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No, I’ve been up a bit. Your brother left for work about thirty minutes ago.”

“Okay, good. So, I was thinking. I know you mentioned last weekend at my parents that your clothes were already starting to get tight. I was hoping to go to St. Charles to do a little shopping tomorrow, and I wanted to see if you were interested in going with me. The mall has that Motherhood store that we could stop by and check out.”

Actually, that did sound really nice. My shorts are all too tight in the waist, and I’ve had to resort to creative ways at keeping them up with rubber bands or hair ties. “That sounds great, Avery. I’d love to go with you.”

“Well, I was thinking of inviting Erin and Holly, too. Make it kind of a girl’s trip. Is that okay with you?”

“Of course. Absolutely,” I respond, excited to be spending the day with the girls.

“Well, how about I pick you up at eleven. I’ll bring Maddox’s truck so we can all fit comfortably, and we’ll grab lunch before we hit the mall.”

“Sounds wonderful. Thank you, Avery.”

“No problem. See you tomorrow at eleven then,” she says before she signs off.

I’m glad that I don’t work weekends at the diner. I work three days a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - from ten am to four pm. Really, it’s not too busy during my shift. I help restock everything from breakfast and then spend the afternoon helping get everything ready for dinner. The lunch hour is usually pretty busy, though, and the tips have been very good. Travis has even stopped by a few times with a couple of his workers and had a quick bite to eat.

At nine forty-five, as I’m parking my car in the parking lot behind the diner, my cell phone rings. I glance down. Travis.

“Hello?”

“Hey. Are you heading to work?”

“Just pulling in,” I reply.

“Well, I won’t keep you. I just have a question for you.”

“What’s up?” I ask as I gather up my belongings and open the driver’s door on my Camry.

“After our appointment tonight, I was wondering…if…I was hoping that maybe you would want to go have dinner with me.”

“Travis, we have dinner together every night,” I say as I lock my doors and turn towards the diner.

“No. I mean like a date,” he says with a little uncertainty and uneasiness in his voice. He sounds just like Pete Jefferies who asked me out to the junior prom.

I stop dead in my tracks in the middle of the parking lot. “A date?” I ask.

“Yeah, like I pick you up and we go have dinner somewhere. We talk and get to know each other a little better, and then I return you home. Maybe, if I’m lucky, I score a good night kiss,” he adds with a smile in his voice.

I smile at the thought. “So, you want us to go on a date? A real date?”

“Yeah. That is, if you want to.”

It doesn’t take me but a nanosecond to realize my answer. “Yes.”

“Yes? Okay, great. So, I’ll see you after work at the doctor’s office and then we’ll swing home so I can shower.”

“Sounds good,” I tell him.

“See you later then. Have a great day, Joss.”

“Thanks. You too, Travis,” I respond and then click off my phone. I head inside the diner with an uncontrollable smile spread across my face. Travis asked me out on a date. We’re having a baby and we’re going on our first date. I can’t wait.

At four-thirty, I walk into Dr. Freeman’s office for my appointment. After registering with the receptionist, I find an empty seat in the semi-crowded waiting area. The chairs are almost considered comfortable in their soft, leather-like material. The walls are a pale yellow color that makes the room look bright and cheery, and the images of newborn babies remind you that you’re in the office of an obstetrician and gynecologist. Thank goodness it’s newborn babies out here. The exam rooms are filled with uteruses and vajayjays.

Fifteen minutes later, and just as the nurse walks through the door and says my name, Travis hurries in through the front door. His face lights up as soon as he sees me. I stand up from the chair, throw him a quick smile, and start to walk towards the nurse, Travis hot on my heels.

“You know the drill, Josselyn. Step up on the scale,” the nurse tells me. She moves the little indicated to my weight from last month, but the bar is still firmly positioned downward. She moves it a little to the right until the bar is balancing in the middle. “Two pounds,” she says as she notes the weight gain in my chart.

Two pounds? Great. I’m going to weigh elephant-size by the time November gets here. Two pounds? In a month? I’m barely even showing. This can’t be good. I make mental note to lay off the late night cookies.

After a quick check of my blood pressure - which thank you Jesus is considered normal - the nurse hands me the little plastic cup for my urine sample. Travis heads into the exam room while I finish in the bathroom, bladder ready to explode with the urge to pee.

Inside the room, the nurses asks me a few more questions and makes corresponding notes in my chart. As soon as she heads out, Travis turns towards me with concern in him eyes. “I’m so sorry I’m late. The paychecks weren’t ready at the office and the shipment of re-bar was delayed from the distributor. I got here as soon as I could,” he says and then leans over and places a gentle kiss on my cheek.

“It’s okay, Travis. You weren’t late. You were just in time.”

“Well, I still feel bad. I’ll be here early next month, I promise,” he replies, that concerned look still evident on his handsome face.

I reach over and run my hand along his stubbled cheek. My mind instantly goes to the memory of him running that stubble along my heated sensitive body. I squirm in my chair as the images take root in my mind like an unwanted zit the morning of a job interview. Or are these images unwanted? Hell, I don’t know anymore.

Dr. Freeman knocks on the door a few minutes later and steps inside the room. “Hi, Josselyn. How are you feeling today?”

“Pretty good, actually.”

“Good, glad to hear it. How’s the morning sickness?” she asks with a small smile as she sits down on the little stool.

“I haven’t thrown up in a week.”

“Excellent.” Dr. Freeman consults the chart in her hand. “All of your blood work came back fine. I see you gained two pounds this week. That’s to be expected now that you’re not getting sick. We’ll monitor the weight gain and act accordingly if necessary. Right now, though, I think you’re doing just fine.”

Thank goodness. I look over at Travis out of the corner of my eye to see if he has any concerns about the talks of me gaining weight. I mean, I know I’m going to gain weight, but the thought of getting big and fat doesn’t exactly present an attractive image where Travis is concerned.

“Any concerns this month?” Dr. Freeman asks as she charts.

“Actually, I’ve felt a tightening, almost cramping feeling off and on for the past couple of weeks in my abdomen,” I tell her. Travis whips his head towards me and I hesitate to meet his eyes. When I finally do, they are laced with concern.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispers under his breath.

Before I can reply, Dr. Freeman says, “That’s actually normal, Josselyn. Your ligaments and stomach muscles are stretching and they aren’t used to it yet. So, a mild cramping sensation is actually okay. If the cramps get worse and or you start to experience spotting or bleeding, then call my office right away. Okay?”

“Okay,” I reply, content that the cramping is normal.

“Okay, then. Hop on up on the exam table and we’ll see if we can hear your baby’s heartbeat.”

I hop up on the padded, paper covered table. Dr. Freeman rolls my shirt up and tucks a paper towel in the waist of my pants. She squirts a small amount of warm gel on my stomach and sets the little do-ma-thingy on my belly. She gives it a gentle push as she starts to move it around. Instantly, the sounds of my insides fill the room. It doesn’t take her long before the room is filled with the beautiful sound of our baby’s heartbeat. It seems so fast. Fast but strong.

I look over at Travis to gauge his reaction to the sound of the heartbeat. His crystal blue eyes are locked firmly on mine. He stares deeply into my eyes, and I swear he can read my soul. A beautiful smiles spreads across his face that seems to light up his entire face, his eyes.

Dr. Freeman watches the monitor in her hand for a few moments. “One thirty-eight. Everything sounds great, Josselyn.”

Dr. Freeman uses the paper towel to wipe up the goo on my belly and offers me a hand to sit up. “So, next month will be a gender appointment if you want to know the sex of the baby. We’ll conduct an ultrasound and take lots of measurements of the baby. Do you have any questions?”

“No, I don’t think so,” I respond.

“Okay, then we’ll see you in a month,” Dr. Freeman says as she stands and shakes my hand and then Travis’s.

After stopping off at the receptionist desk again and making my next appointment, Travis writing another check, we head outside into the June heat. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I’m pregnant or not, but this weather already feels stifling, suffocating. Come on November.

“So, I’ll meet you at home, and we can get ready to go,” Travis says shyly.

“Yep,” I reply with a smile and head towards my car. Date night. Date night with Travis. Our first official date. I can’t wait.

I have my hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail at the nape of my neck, my make-up is done more tonight than it has been in months, and my clothes are casual but nice. I have on a halter-style top that gathers under my girls and then flows nicely down to my waist. I found it at the bottom of one of the boxes - I’m pretty sure I’ve never even worn it - and it conceals the baby bump pretty well. I’m light on pants since most of the ones I wore before are too tight now. I did find a pair of jean carpis that almost fit in the waist, but with the shirt concealing my stomach, no one will know that the pants are actually unbuttoned.

At six o’clock, there’s a knock at the door. I figure Travis would get it since he got ready first leaving me the room to do all of the things girls do to prepare for a date. When the knock sounds a second time, I start to get concerned as to why Travis isn’t answering the door.

When I get to the front door and fling it open, I’m surprised to see Travis standing on the other side. Travis is freshly shaven and wearing nice jeans and a short sleeved button-down shirt that fits him to perfection. Instantly, my nostrils are filled with two things. The scent of the beautiful bouquet of roses he’s holding in his hands, and the scent of Travis. Clean. Musky. Hot.

Travis smiles at me as he hands me the bouquet of fragrant red roses. “Hi,” he says.

“Hi,” I whisper, unable to get any other words out of my mouth. I can’t help but run an appreciative gaze up and down his tall, toned body. Travis is hot. Damn hot.

He smiles at me as if he can hear my thoughts. When my eyes meet his, I see him give me an appreciative gaze as well. His eyes stop at the swell of my breasts that seem to be spilling out of the top of my shirt. I never really had much cleavage before, but since I got pregnant, my boobs have seemed to take over my body. They practically have their own zip code.

“Can I come in?” he asks with another smile.

“Why are you asking me? This is your place,” I say as I step aside enough to allow Travis to enter the apartment.