Page 99 of Undeniable
I giggled nervously. “You don’t look like you are.”
He let go of my hands and slid his up my thighs. “That’s because for the first time in my life, I finally found my footing. I’ve allowed my father’s mistakes to drive my emotions. I closed off myself to relationships. I worried about my mother, about an NFL contract. I partied endlessly, throwing myself into liquor and women to deal with my problems. I lost my way a bit when Ryker’s family died in the plane crash. I was super close to all of them.”
I remember how emotional he’d been in Leigh’s room that day of his birthday party.
I dragged a hand along his stubbly jaw. “So what made you find your footing?”
“Coach, Ryker, my father’s mistakes, and most of all, this beautiful, black-haired woman with the strength of a warrior queen.”
I brushed him off, flirty and playful. “Not me.”
His laugh was deep and free as he sat back in his chair. “Seriously. I fell in love with you for your beauty, inside and out. You’ve got a big heart. You know what you want. You don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You're independent. No matter what you’re struggling with, you’ve managed to raise your sister, work two jobs, and ace your premed classes. All that motivates me to be a better person for you and our child. And I will be. That’s a promise.”
I abandoned my chair, leaned over, and planted my lips on his, happy tears flowing. “I have no doubt you will.”
He got to his feet and put his hands in my hair, searching my face with unspoken love in his eyes. “So, we’re doing this?”
“We’re doing this,” I repeated.
He swung me around, laughing.
We had so many things to work on in preparation for the baby, but for the moment, I was basking in his laughter, love, and life.
“You’re the first and only guy to steal my heart,” I said as he set me on two feet. “You are the calm in my storm, Lucas.”
He brushed his nose over mine. “The perfect storm, Midnight.”
“Don’t ever stop calling me that.”
“Your wish is my command.” He crashed his mouth to mine.
We got lost in the kiss, in each other, in the life growing between us, and in the promise of everything we were building together. As our tongues tangled, fear dissolved, replaced by something fierce and undeniable. With Lucas at my side, I wasn’t only ready for the future. I was hungry for every terrifying and beautiful second of the struggle and challenge.
34
Lucas
Four weeks had passed since Mazzie and I sat on the Armstrongs’ patio and discussed our future and bringing a child into our lives. The more time passed, the more accepting I became of our decision. But I had yet to tell my mom Mazzie was pregnant. I’d been waiting for her to return home. She was back after having been gone for the last few weeks. She’d taken Kurtis to a rehab facility and then stopped to see her sister.
I was happy that Kurtis was getting help. Maybe one day I would have the kind of father-son relationship I’d always wanted with him. And as for Shane Blackwood, he was finally out of our lives. The DEA had arrested him last week, and according to Coach’s buddy Kristoff, Shane would be seeing the inside of a prison for a very long time.
“Son, can you turn the TV down, please, and help me?” she asked. “I need you to slice the turkey.”
I had a football game on but wasn’t really watching it. I was silently practicing how to break the news to my mother. I was sure that I was as nervous as Mazzie had been before she’d told me. The house smelled of the turkey that was cooking, but I wasn’t hungry.
I muted the TV volume but left the game on in case I needed a distraction.
“I’m so happy I get to meet Mazzie’s sister, Kaylee, today,” Mom said as I skirted past her.
I plugged the electric knife into the outlet. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble for Thanksgiving or buy this big of a turkey.”
“Nonsense. We haven’t had a proper Thanksgiving in years.” She handed me a plate then flicked hair off her forehead. “And now that you have a steady girlfriend, we can do more around the holidays.”
I had more than a girlfriend. Maybe Mom would take the news well. She had said she wanted grandkids. Of course, I knew she didn’t mean she wanted one before I graduated from college.
I was tempted to sit her down and tell her before Mazzie and Kaylee showed up. But Mazzie wanted to be here when I broke the news in case she needed to help in some way.
“Has the team qualified for a postseason? We haven’t had a chance to catch up since I got back.”
