Page 17 of Calling from the Heart
“I know that, love. You hardly ever ask me for anything. You’re so damn sweet. I love you, but I’m glad to see you stand up for yourself.” He got all the stuff, and Owen, into the truck.“What I was frustrated about was you sitting here in the dark, trying to stay warm with battery operated heat. It’s not okay.”
“I know it’s not, but I’m not going to move in with you just because my heat doesn’t work. I’ll find another place, but it’s just not going to be right now. It’s going to have to wait until after the baby.”
“I don’t understand,” Jeb admitted, his heart hurting. “Why won’t you move in with me? I love you, we’re having a baby, and I want you. I want to sleep with you in bed every night. I want to be there when you come home from school. I want to hear about your day. I want to cook dinner with you, and have weekends with you, and rub your feet when they swell and...” Jeb blew out a hard breath. “I want to be a family. I want you and me. I want to be a family together.”
“Stop the car,” Owen said, voice sharp, startling the fuck out of him.
“What?” Surely Jeb had misunderstood.
“Stop the damn car.” Owen sounded about as serious as a heart attack, so he pulled over as soon as it was safe.
His heart was pounding, and he could barely breathe. He hated feeling so unsure. “What? What’s the matter?”
Owen unbuckled himself, and Jeb was sure his lover was going to get out of the truck and just walk away, but instead Owen turned to face him. “Why didn’t you just say that?”
“What?” Jeb wasn’t following. “Say what?”
“What you just said. Why didn’t you just tell me that you wanted to live together, that you wanted to be a family?”
His shoulders drew up around his ears. “I didn’t want to push you.”
He hadn’t wanted to be rejected.
“You are a turd, and you can be so silly, and I love you.” Owen held his gaze, eyes shimmering. “I want everything. I want forever with you. All you had to do was say that you wanted thattoo. I just needed to know that you wanted me. Not that you were worried about the electricity in the house.”
“Of course I want you.” He reached over to grab Owen’s hand. “I always have. But I need you too. With me. I want to wake up with you every morning.”
“That’s what I needed to hear.” Owen held on, offering him a shaky smile. “Yes. I’d love to move in with you. I’d love to have a life with you.”
Jeb sat for a second and stared at him, then he grabbed Owen behind the neck and pulled him over for a quick, hard kiss. “Okay. Damn. Well, this was the best Christmas present you could ever give me.”
Owen chuckled a little bit, cheeks pinking. “Me too. Let’s go home. I want to celebrate.”
Home.
Their home.
Oh, they were so going to do that. Today.
Jeb got the truck started up again and carefully pulled out onto the road, heading over the river toward his place, taking the bridge at a snail’s pace.
His house was decorated to the nines. His sister Jen had brought over an entire feast for them for tonight -- lots of little nibbles that he could toss in the oven and heat up without a lot of fuss or mess.
She hadn’t bothered with the big dinner because he had promised that everyone could get together on Christmas Day at his parents’ house. His parents had met Owen before, of course, but they hadn’t seen him since they’d broken up. They hadn’t seen that huge, round belly.
Mom was already over the moon. She’d gone nuts buying lacy little baby dresses and onesies, bottles and tiny socks, and things Jeb could only imagine.
Wild excitement that was going to happen tomorrow. He could only hope Owen was ready for it.
“So, I bought a new pregnancy top to wear tomorrow. It’s sort of based on an ugly Christmas sweater. I hope that’s all right. Your folks didn’t seem like they were super formal.” Owen was so nervous, but it was totally unnecessary.
“Super formal?” He cracked up. “Yeah, that’s my mom, for sure. No, she’s just a mom. I like the idea of the ugly Christmas sweater. I’ll call them and let them know, so that way we can all wear one.” His mom would think that was hilarious, and his dad would be relieved not to have to wear a button-down shirt.
“I got them a framed picture of the last ultrasound. And then I got your momma a bell for her collection and your dad some golf balls.”
“I got Mom a bell for her collection and dad some golf balls too. I guarantee you, Jen did the same thing.”
They would all be over the moon.
