Page 53 of Beauty and the Nerd
“Congrats, I mean, if this what you all want, more power to ya. I can’t imagine working at all plus doing school, let alone being married plus it plus school. You look happy, so we’re glad it all worked out,” David said letting them finish up their shopping with smiles, and they only grew when they told her parents and Megan about Carter that night at dinner.
“Hopefully he’ll get a little bit of jailhouse justice and learn his lesson,” Megan mused, and she wasn’t going to argue it.
They did a Christmas Eve dinner with Ben’s dad, the twins, his aunt, and uncle, and of course Megan at her parents’ house. It was a nice enjoyable evening, but she enjoyed being lazy on Christmas Day as they had leftovers and did family presents with the four of them even more.
“Have a great trip, just no honeymoon baby got it,” her mom teased as they dropped them off at the airport the next day.
“I promise, we’re not ready for a baby yet and we won’t be taking any chances. We want to enjoy the next few years together before we even think about expanding our family,” she assured her, and over their week spent in St. Lucia she knew she really wanted extra time with just Ben. With school and the work they were both doing they wouldn’t have time for a baby, let alone time together to grow into decent parents.
“What are you thinking, baby?” Ben asked as she traced shapes on his bare chest, a sheet barely covering their bottom halves, as the sweat on their skin began to dry.
“That as sweet as having a baby with you would be, we might have some work to do on ourselves and as a couple before we can be the parents they’d deserve,” she admitted as she met his gaze.“I adore you and how you are with me, how you take care of little things for me I might forget, or remind me of them, but a baby…”
“Has to be taken care of completely, is not only a commitment of the heart but also of time. You can’t just quiet or block them if things get rough,” he said and she gave him a soft kiss, running her hand across the back of his neck.
“You know I don’t think you just gave up with how you handled things with your mom, even if I did suggest giving her more chances before conceding,” she said, and he lifted her face to his for another kiss.
“I know baby, and I know that you were suggesting it because you want me to have that same support you do with your parents. That you support it now, so I know you didn’t mean that you think I’m an awful person that gives up too easily. I think you’re right that we both have some growing to do before we can be the parents we want to be. I probably need to get an outside perspective about things that went on in my house and you need to accept that you’re absolutely brilliant on top of so completely gorgeous so you can be a confident mommy for the beautiful little girls we’re sure to have,” he returned, making her laugh because there was probably a lot more she needed to do before having his baby.
“Girls…plural?” she teased instead of arguing over it. They had plenty of time for that.
“If you only will give me one, I really want it to be a little girl, so I can show her the love she deserves every day with you. And, if we have more, I’d take two little girls in a heartbeat, baby. A boy would be pretty cool, but little girls with you…yeah, that’s what I’d want most,” he said, before showing her exactly how sweetly he could love her physically.
Epilogue
Emma waited for the test to finish rendering, a smile on her lips certain the word ‘not’ wasn’t going to appear. After three babies, she knew this feeling. Knew it and loved it more than she ever expected. The morning sickness she could do without but what came from it made it all worth it.
It was hard to believe she and Ben were about to head out to celebrate their twelfth anniversary in a way, but yet, it wasn’t. Not with their three beautiful little girls in their world.
Most people were shocked when they showed up at their ten-year class reunion still married, but even more shocked when they learnt their oldest was six months old. Their Kinsley Ella would be five in November. Just shy of two years after that, their Kira Elaine came into the world two days before Halloween and not quite a year ago now, on her birthday, their little Kalea Elise joined them.
If she was right, this one would likely be here in May, a complete switch from their fall babies. She couldn’t even blame the possibility on a vacation this time, unlike with Kalea. She and Ben had taken a trip to Hawaii with the girls at the start of the year to get away from the New York cold. They’d left as four and came back as a surprise five.
“The girls are officially with your parents for a long weekend,” Ben said popping up in the doorway of their bathroom, his eyes roaming over her body in just her comfy lounge bra and panty set. It was of course from Satin Touch, a new line that Emerson came up with after having their oldest ten years ago. As much as she loved the sexy lingerie and fancier bra and panty sets, being a new mom had Emerson wanting something that was soft and comfy, with no underwire digging into her side when she managed to get a nap. Something that Emma whole heartedly agreed with after having Kinsley.
Her skin was a bit stretchier around the middle and her boobs a bit larger with nursing, but she’d lost the baby weight easily each time. Megan huffed that she just had good genes that helped her with it after trying to ‘bounce back’ in eight weeks for a vacation after having her and Heath’s little boy Dylan four years ago. She knew she was fortunate enough that not only was that true, but also that between what she’d made modeling, what Ben made working for Lyle, and then what her books had brought in that they could afford extra help around the townhouse they bought not far from Lyle and Emerson’s place. It also helped her not to feel out of place when she was with Megan and Emerson, who both still loved fashion and dressing up.
“Mmm, maybe not all of them,” she said, picking up the digital test, the word ‘pregnant’ on the screen, showing it to him. “Unless this one’s a boy this time.”
“Emma!” he gasped, hurrying to her, his eyes taking in the display for a moment before his arms wrapped fully around her, holding her tight. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and she grinned feeling his arousal through his pants.
Their intimacy was better than ever, and she wasn’t about to argue an entire weekend indulging in it. He wasn’t going into the office tomorrow giving them a three-day weekend, or at leastthat was the plan. They likely would cave early on Sunday and head out to her parents’ place just outside of the city to see the girls.
She loved that her parents retired and moved up here to be closer to them after Kinsley was born. Thanks to Ben’s help, their retirement portfolio let them live more than comfortably. They simply liked a little more room to move around and picked a house outside the city rather than live directly in it.
Her husband had done amazingly with the investments he and Drew ran in a separate division of Cortland Finance now. Their investments were riskier, but the rewards that came with them had them financially secure enough that four kids wouldn’t hurt their budget. Let alone if they added in what she’d earned off the five books she now had published.
Each of the girls had college funds set up, as well as trust funds that she put most of her royalties into for them to have one day. Her sixth book was due to come out just after the start of the year, and she could easily start a trust for their newest baby with whatever it brought in.
“Surprised?” she asked as Ben carried her over to their bed, his body coming down over hers and she didn’t care if they went out at all now or not.
“More than with Kalea even,” he said his lips pressing kisses all over her face. “This one is about matched with you giving me that story back in high school to read.”
“That much?” she asked, laughing when he nipped at her lips in return.
“That good,” he said his gaze meeting hers and she felt happy tears hit as he stared down at her. “Having all these sweet beauties love this old nerd, yeah, it’s that good, Emmy.”
“Handsome old nerd,” she teased, running her hand through his hair that he always got cut the way she’d suggested. His body was still the long sleek surprise she’d discovered all those yearsago. Most would look right past him on the street, not knowing just how defined he really was under his clothes, but she didn’t mind. Not when it had him all hers.
