Page 72 of Bad Boy Done Wrong
Bonus Epilogue
Two Years Later…
Zen was pretty much Zach’s whole life now. In fact, he wrote a book about it,Zen Indonesia, coming out next month. It all started when Zach brought Carrie to Indonesia for their honeymoon. First Bali to an incredible ecofriendly resort, where he and Carrie began a daily practice of yoga and meditation—the beginning of their Zen lifestyle—and then he brought her to visit some of the communities in the forest where he’d spent a good deal of time for his research. She’d been welcomed everywhere with much exclaiming over her bright blond hair (most of the people there had dark hair).
Their wedding had been much more elaborate than they could ever have afforded on their own from Carrie’s one-of-a-kind designer wedding dress with hand-sewn pearls to the profusion of flowers both inside and out of Ludbury House to the incredible reception with a live band and gourmet food. It was on the kind of grand scale that he felt well suited the significance of the union. TheBride Specialarticle captured it all from engagement to wedding and was a treasured keepsake for both of them. After all, he was the guy who thought he’d always be a lone wolf. His life made sense now. Carrie was the missing piece that made everything fit in a new perspective. It all came down to love and connection.
Their life had fallen neatly into place:
Two weeks ago Carrie graduated with her master’s degree in nursing.
He now worked his dream job at Yale.
And Carrie was nine months pregnant.
Sometimes he could hardly believe his luck in finding Carrie, the love of his life. She’d fallen into his lap and he’d been smart enough to hang on through what obstacles they initially had. He could be himself with her. She loved both sides of him—his primal side and his academic side—fully and unconditionally.
Yale was still a thrill every time he stepped on campus. It had always been a dream of his to attend the hallowed institution. He hadn’t gotten in as an undergrad, and he hadn’t even applied for grad school since he’d been offered a full-tuition teaching assistantship at the University of Colorado. In any case, it turned out his background was a perfect fit for Yale. They were looking to expand their interdisciplinary forestry, environmental studies, and anthropology department to Asia (previously only in Africa). Forest-dwelling communities in Asia were the primary focus of his previous research. He taught for their graduate department, advised grad students on their research, and had free rein to do his own research. He was deeply involved in international conservation efforts for forests, which were so important not only for the environment, but also for indigenous communities—people and all living creatures—who made their home there.
Yes, it was a good life they’d made. A Zen life. He’d also been very Zen about her entire pregnancy, if he did say so himself, no stereotypical clueless-husband stuff from him. He was knowledgeable, supportive, and prepared. Bearing children was primal, natural, part of a long continuing ritual through all eras and cultures.
Carrie appeared from the kitchen, where she’d been washing the dishes from the dinner he’d prepared. They still lived in his apartment and planned to buy a house sometime during her year-long maternity leave. She held her stomach with both hands and blew out a breath. “It’s time.”
“You mean…” He leapt to his feet and shoved his hands in his hair. “Right now? It’s time right now?” Her due date was three days away. He’d read that first pregnancies often came late. This was three whole days early!
She nodded.
He raced to the bedroom and grabbed the small duffel bag they’d packed; then he raced back to the living room, searching madly for the childbirth book that he knew he’d need to refer to in the different stages of labor; then he remembered Carrie and raced back to her and kissed her. “How’re you doing? You feeling okay? How far apart are they?”
“Not far. Seems like every ten minutes.” She blew out another long breath.
“Ten minutes! You mean you’ve been feeling this for hours and you never said anything!”
“I was waiting to see if it was going to be the real thing or just practice.”
“Just practice!” he barked.
He grabbed the duffel bag and raced out the door, running top speed to the parking lot behind the apartment complex. He loaded it into her car, already set up with an infant car seat in back. Then he drove around to their front door, parking crookedly in the street. No time for a perfect parallel park. Shit. The childbirth book. He raced back inside, scouring the living room and then the whole freaking place, finding it right where he’d left it on his nightstand. He raced back to the car and zipped the book into the duffel bag. There. Now he had everything. He jogged over to the driver’s side and opened the door.
“Zach?” Carrie called from the apartment doorway. She stepped out to the front step.
He’d forgotten the most important part to the baby thing—the mother! He raced back. “Sorry. So sorry. I wouldn’t have left you behind.”
“I hope not. Hold on.” She stopped and blew out another breath.
“That was faster than ten minutes.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s just get you in the car.”
“Okay.”
He got her safely into the car. Raced to the driver’s side, got in, and hit the accelerator.
“Maybe we should pick out a name,” Carrie suggested.
“My God, we don’t even have a name! Donothave this baby until we have a proper name.”
