Got a Plan?

Rafferty

One year later…

I parked my Triumph near the front door of the dental office, put down the kickstand, and shut down the engine. The practice where Alexandra worked closed for the day at five, and it was just after five-thirty, so she would be done soon.

To my slight surprise, Steel stood under the portico with his cell phone to his ear. I recalled that Simone had insisted that their daughter, Felicity, have Alexandra as her dentist.

By the time I approached him, he’d ended his call.

“Steel. Good to see you.”

He shoved his cell into his back pocket. “Good to see you, too, Raff. Or I suppose I need to get used to calling you Bluff.”

I let that go. “I’m surprised you’re not in there with Felicity.”

His head tilted for a second. “Any other dentist,  and I probably would be, but Lissy likes your woman. And Simone says I hover.”

Lissy was the nickname Steel and Simone had given their girl.

“Simone saying you hover wouldn’t stop you,” I muttered.

He shrugged a shoulder. “No, but I need to give those two some time.”

My brows drew together. “Aren’t you here for the weekend? I’d think that gives them plenty of time.”

“Yes, but it won’t be one-on-one time with your woman. They’re close…and maybe I should let Alexandra tell you, but Simone’s pregnant again.”

I felt my eyes widen, and I held out my hand. “That’s awesome, man. Congrats.”

He shook my hand with a huge smile. “Thanks. You and Lex want kids?”

I nodded. “Yeah, when the time’s right.”

He cocked a brow. “Don’t wait until you’re my age. Those sleepless nights will kick your ass.”

I chuckled. “You aren’t that old, Steel. You’re what, forty-three?”

“Forty-five next week.”

I grinned and led him inside the office. “You can handle the sleepless nights for at least another decade.”

Steel chuckled. “I sure as hell hope so. No way am I gonna be able to sleep when Felicity hits her teens.”

I opened the door to the examination rooms while giving a low groan because the idea of raising a teen age girl didn’t sound like fun.

None of the administrative staff was around which surprised me because at least one normally stuck around to walk out with Alexandra and Dr. Sawyers, the other dentist in the practice.

Steel caught my curious glance around the office. “I walked Dr. Sawyers and Megan out to their cars fifteen minutes ago.”

“Gotcha.”

“I hear Daddy,” Felicity’s voice carried from a nearby exam room.

We sauntered down the hall. Felicity rushed out of the room when we were two feet away. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail with a purple hair tie that matched her purple t-shirt.

Her eyes lit up when she saw Steel. “Daddy! No cavities.”

Steel scooped her up into his arms. “That’s great news, Lissy.”

She smiled and looked at me. “I get a bouncy ball because I’m a good brusher.”

I chuckled. “Can’t go wrong with a bouncy ball.”

Simone came out of the room, her eyes lit on me, and she opened her arms for a hug. “Rafferty! I didn’t know you were coming by. How the heck are ya?”

I gave her a light hug and pulled away. “I’m good. I hear ‘Congrats’ are in order.”

She blushed. “Yeah. I’m excited. We’ll find out if I’m right about the gender next week. I’m almost positive we’re having a boy.”

“Keep us posted. Will you two be around the clubhouse this weekend?”

Simone shared a look with Steel before glancing back at me. “Maybe. It depends.”

I gave her and Steel a chin lift. “If we don’t see you, safe travels back to Augusta.”

They wandered out, and I turned to see Alexandra leaning on the doorjamb to the exam room. “I gather Steel told you.”

I nodded, and gave her a searching look. Something seemed off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I closed the distance between us, wrapped an arm around her waist, and gave her a ‘hello’ kiss.

When I broke the kiss, she had a small smile playing on her lips.

“What’s with the grin, Lex?”

She cocked her head for a beat. “By now, I should be used to how well you kiss me, but it never fails that every one you give me seems better than the last.”

“Are you complaining?”

Her smile dimmed. “Not at all, honey.”

“You seem sad. What’s wrong?”

She gave me a quick squeeze before pulling out of my hold. “Nothing’s wrong…exactly. It’s just—”

A sense of alarm crawled up my spine. “It’s just what, Lex?”

Her hands came around and patted my chest. “It’s nothing bad. It’s just that I won’t be able to ride on your bike for a while.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about, woman? You love being on the back of my bike.”

She grinned. “This wasn’t how I’d intended to do this…but, um, my OB/GYN won’t like the idea of me being on the back of your bike. Let’s just say, I’m not the only precious cargo you’ll have at your back.”

I shuffled us into the exam room, and sat down on the rolling stool while keeping my arms around her waist. My chin tipped up so I could gaze up into her gorgeous hazel eyes. “Are you telling me you’re pregnant, too?”

She nodded fast. “I’ve suspected for almost a week but I’m two weeks late, and took a test this morning.”

I let go of her waist to grab her hands. “And you didn’t tell me this morning?”

She leaned forward, smiling huge. “You had a renovation starting today, and were out the door at five-thirty. As I recall, you told me to go back to sleep.”

My emotions were all over the place. I had the urge to fuck her against the wall…but that wasn’t anything new. Though, the urgency of that feeling was new. It felt primal. Knowing she was pregnant should have been enough, but I still wanted to claim her in every way possible all over again. Excitement shot through my veins. It was on a level I’d never felt before. Almost as though I were headed to a completely unknown amusement park, and I couldn’t wait… while at the same time I knew it would be a huge step outside of my comfort zone. Which brought me to the overwhelming fear of being responsible for another human being… a small, delicate, entirely new human.

“Good God. We’re gonna be parents,” I whispered.

She twisted while putting a leg between my legs. I caught her intention, and I spread my legs wider so she could sit on my lap. She wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “You said you were ready like four months ago.”

“Yeah. Doesn’t change that this is a big fuckin’ deal, baby.”

“It is. Are you excited?”

“Yeah. But I’m also a little scared.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re telling me!”

I laughed. “That’s fair.”

She leaned into me. “Bonus. I get to be pregnant at the same time as Simone.”

With a slow nod, I said, “That’s true. Does she know?”

“No, but I think she suspects. I had a hella hard time keeping it to myself after she shared her news.”

“Yeah. Mom would be real pissed if we told anyone before her.”

Lex grimaced.

I tipped my head back. “Don’t tell me your parents know already.”

She laughed. “No, I was going to say, Gizmo knows.”

I kissed her neck. “The dog hardly counts.”

She reared back with a gasp. “Our boy always counts.” She sobered and said, “We’re gonna have to step-up our house hunt because as much as I love where we live, it’s gonna get cramped fast with a baby.”

“Yeah, and I don’t want you stressing over a move when you’re six-months pregnant.”

She grinned. “That’s sweet, Raff, but being pregnant doesn’t mean I’m made of glass.”

I put my hand on her flat belly. “Is it wrong that I want to fuck you right now?”

She grinned and rested her forehead on mine. “No, but we’re not doing it here. I can’t have that kind of memory every time I walk into a room to greet a patient. So let’s go to my office, that couch deserves to be broken in…again.”

***

Laying on the couch in Alexandra’s office, I had an arm folded behind my head and I watched her clasp her bra with her hands behind her back.

“What are you thinking about, Raff? You look so pleased with yourself.”

I grinned. “I’m thinking the same damn thing I’ve thought since that crazy week in Gainesville with you. I love watching you get dressed, and I’d die a happy man if I did that for the rest of my life.”

She shook her head, blew out a fast breath through her nose, and pulled on her blouse.

“You got a plan?” I asked, sitting up and grabbing my t-shirt from the floor.

She pulled up her pants. “Plan for what?”

I chuckled. “A plan for how we’re gonna tell our parents.”

Maybe it was in my head, but I swore she glowed with the radiant smile she shot me. “Of course. They’re coming for dinner on Sunday, remember.”

I stood, and did up my jeans. “I thought you just found out.”

She smirked. “Yeah, but I had a hunch. And it was our turn to host dinner anyway. Win-win, honey.”

Using both hands, I cupped her cheeks. “You’re right, but don’t get too cocky. Mom’s crazy and she’s competitive. You don’t want her thinking anyone found out before her.”

Her lips quirked while she gave me a dry look. “Honestly, Raff, she doesn’t care who knows as much as she cares about who gets to hold the baby first.” She paused and dipped her chin. “That’s gonna be the real challenge because my mom’s competitive, too. It’s the thing they have in common without realizing it.”

Yet again, she was right and I loved that about her. How easily she read the people in our lives.

I leaned in and gave her a long, lingering kiss. She wrapped her arms around me and pushed forward. I let it go on for a few more moments before I broke it.

“I love you, Lex.”

“I love you, too, Rafferty.”

A few minutes later, I scanned the parking lot while Lex locked up the office.

She bumped her shoulder into my bicep. “Are you ever gonna stop looking for non-existent threats?”

I leaned toward her. “Nope. You aren’t the only precious cargo I have to look out for now. Gonna keep my girls safe.”

She shot me a sideways glance. “You want a girl?”

I shrugged. “Been taking care of Jasmine and her shit for a long time.”

She laughed. “Stop it. Your sister doesn’t have any shit for you to take care of.”

I pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “Not as far as you know, Lex. Which just proves, I take care of her shit.”

“Okay, Raff. Let’s go home.”

***

Alexandra

I had fucked up.

Or maybe it was ‘pregnancy brain.’

Either way, Sunday evening, when I opened the door to our parents, Trixie stopped dead inside the living room and narrowed her eyes on the flat, unassembled cardboard boxes leaning against the wall.

She aimed a scowl at me, then narrowed her eyes on Rafferty. “What the hell’s going on here?”

“Mom—,” Raff started.

“Don’t you ‘Mom’ me.”

My mom pushed past Trixie to me in order to take a squirming Gizmo out of my arms. She shot the unassembled boxes a look, but didn’t say anything.

Trixie shook her head and held up a finger. “There’s no way you two are splitting, so what’s with the boxes?”

I gave my man a look that communicated let’s-just-tell-them.

After a long blink, he shrugged.

“We’ve been low-key hunting for a new house, but now we’ve got to step that up,” I started.

“Why?” Trixie demanded.

I bit back my grin. “Because I’m pregnant and Raff doesn’t want me stressing about moving when I’m six-months along.”

Trixie and Mom squealed with excitement. Gizmo gave a bark when Mom put him down. Even with a small grin curling his lips, Dad looked a little overwhelmed. Roll smiled outright, and beamed at Rafferty.

Mom rushed up to me and gave me a hug. “I’m so excited for you two, honey.”

I pulled back to look her in the eye. “That’s good because I’ll probably call you every day with questions.”

She laughed. “You already call me every day, so what else is new?”

“Quit hoggin’ my daughter-in-law,” Trixie said, sidling up to us.

The moment Mom stepped back, Trixie wrapped me in a hug so tight I almost wheezed. “This is the best news,” she whispered in my ear.

When she let me go, I met her brown-eyed gaze and saw tears pooling in her eyes. I felt my nose sting. “Don’t do that, you’ll make me cry too!”

She waved a hand in front of her face. “I’m not crying. It’s great that you and Simone will be pregnant at the same time.”

The sound of someone hitting Rafferty’s back got my attention, and I saw Dad had hold of Raff’s hand. He let him go and wandered over to me.

“Congratulations, sweetheart.”

I gave Dad a hug, rested my cheek against his burly chest, and really felt the waterworks threatening. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too. Can’t wait to watch you start a family, honey.”

I tipped my face up to look him in the eyes. “Yeah. I can’t wait for you to meet him or her.”

His expression turned serious. “It better be a boy. I can’t handle another little girl in my life.”

I grinned. “You lie. I’ve seen how you dote on Felicity when Simone and Steel are in town. You’re just like Volt.”

Dad shook his head. “It’s different when it’s your own blood. But, I’m excited for you and Raff.”

Roll sidled up to us. “I don’t know what you two had in mind for dinner, but we’re goin’ out to eat. This deserves a celebration.”

Dad let me go and nodded at Roll. “You got that right, brother.”

Rafferty came to my side and spoke in a firm tone. “We’re keeping this quiet for another month or so.”

Trixie put a hand on her hip. “Son, we’ve been where you’re at. We get it. Let’s head over to Okinawa before you two leave this neighborhood.” She caught my gaze. “That’s not gonna make you nauseous will it?”

I smiled and shook my head. “I don’t think so, and I love that place.”

Trixie returned my smile. “I know you do. I mean it, this news is the best thing I’ve heard all year. Let’s hit it!”

###