Tessa Teevan - Inflame

“Sorry, Lucy. For twenty-six-year-old adults, these two still fight like they’re twelve. I’m Ginger Montgomery and I’m so happy to meet you. Kale’s told me so much about you,” she says.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Ms. Montgomery,” I tell her, and she scoffs.

“Please, call me Ginger. Ms. Montgomery makes me sound way too old.”

Nodding, I’m caught off guard when she steps closer and pulls me into a hug. At first, I stand there like a dummy, but I slowly relax and return it.

“I meant what I said. I’m so happy you’re here. From just one look, I can tell my baby is happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. Thank you for that, Lucy,” she whispers in my ear before pulling away.

I have to fake a cough to mask the choking cry that’s threatening to escape, and I blink back my tears, not wanting to be an emotional mess the first time I meet his family.

Ginger claps her hands together and motions for everyone to move inside. “Kale, why don’t you and Lucy get settled while your sisters and I get cleaned up from our yoga session? I’m sure you could both use a quick nap after that drive,” she suggests, giving me a knowing wink, and even though I slept in the car for a bit, a nap right now sounds perfect. After meeting them, I’m feeling rejuvenated, but at the same time, I’m still emotionally drained from the car and his mom’s words. A little break away from reality sounds pretty much perfect right now.

Kale agrees, and before I know it, I’m settled in on the guest bed, curled up against his body, drifting off to sleep.

Kale

EVEN THOUGH Lucy’s curled up next to me, fast asleep, I’m feeling restless. Unable to sleep, I think back on our conversation in the car. She caught me off guard with her declaration of Sprout love, and I have to admit, I had a lump in my throat the entire time she was trying to explain her feelings. Just knowing how much she wants this—as much as I do—makes me feel so much more at peace.

I meant what I said when I told her I’d called my mom right away. From the moment we found out about the pregnancy, I never once had a fleeting thought of not wanting the baby. That night when I held Lucy in her sleep with my hand protectively over her stomach, I felt all the love in the world seep into my heart. For him. For her? I don’t know. All I know is that every passing moment I spend with her my feelings grow. And it’s not just because she’s having my child. I was already half in love with Lucy Dawson by the end of our first summer together. Sprout’s just a blessing, maybe a kick in the ass to get us to stop beating around the bush. Either way, I couldn’t be happier, and I couldn’t imagine going back to a time when I didn’t have this, have her, have them.

Knowing I’m too wired to get any sleep, I slip out of the bed, careful not to move her. Like I told her, she needs her rest. I know she laughs my protectiveness off, but I have no fucking clue what I would do if something happened to her or the baby, which is part of why I so desperately want her to move in with me. Okay, I want her there because I hate spending a single second without her and going home to an empty, Lucyless house, but I also want to be around to make sure she’s cared for. I want to be able to take on the full role of boyfriend, father, and whatever else she wants me to be. However, I won’t push her. At least not yet.

Closing the door behind me quietly, I make my way to the kitchen, where I find Mom preparing Thanksgiving dinner. Fortunately for me and the twins, Mom let us choose our own dietary lifestyles, and she remained the only vegan in the house.

“What’s all this?” I ask when I see her checking the temperature of the turkey. Even though the rest of us aren’t vegan, she’s always made Tofurky on Thanksgiving, something none of us ever complained about because it’s actually pretty damn good. There’s a huge spread of food, from mashed potatoes to green beans to a beet salad.

“I thought we’d go a little more traditional this year,” she informs me. “You know, with having a new guest and all.”

I round the counter and give Mom a kiss on the cheek, grateful that she thought enough of Lucy to give into some concessions for the holiday. “You didn’t have to do that, Mom, but I appreciate it.”

“Oh don’t be silly. She’s too thin and we need to put some meat on her bones. Plus there’s no way I was going to feed her Tofurky the first time she came to visit. She might not ever come back,” she jokes. “So tell me, how’s the pregnancy going? Is she still having morning sickness?”

I steal a few carrots off the platter in front of me, and Mom swats my hand away. “It’s pretty much passed now. At least from what I can tell. In the beginning, she could hardly keep anything down in the mornings, but she seems to be doing better. She’s tired a lot, a little emotional. Nothing I’m not used to from living with the three of you.”

She smiles knowingly. Living with three women definitely prepared me for hormonal emotions of a pregnant woman, and I shake my head as I remember all the emotional meltdowns I was witness to over the years from that damned thing known as the menstrual cycle.

“And you, Kale? How are you doing with all of this? Things seem to have changed since the last time we talked. For the better, of course,” she says, reminding me that I haven’t gotten a chance to tell her about the recent developments between Lucy and me.

I let out a slow breath and lean on the counter with my elbows, watching as she begins to prepare a salad. “Things are good. I’m good. Hell, I’m great even. My initial fears turned out to be unwarranted, and looking back, I should’ve known it was irrational, but well, you understand.”

She stops chopping the lettuce and gives me a sympathetic smile. “Kale, it wasn’t irrational. It was a natural reaction that someone like you would have. But I will say¸ I’m so glad they ended up being just fears. I’m not sure how you would’ve handled anything differently.”

I close my eyes, not wanting to even think about a reality where Lucy decided she didn’t want the baby. Shaking my head, I push the thoughts away. “I don’t want to think about that. All that matters is the woman I care about more than anything in the world is carrying my child, and in less than eight months, I’m going to be a father. That’s all I want to focus on.”

Mom nods in understanding but doesn’t drop the subject. “Have you talked to her about it? I mean, does she know?”

Curling my hands into fists, I shake my head and am immediately greeted by Mom’s disappointed look. “This is a happy time for us. We’ve only been together officially for a short time, and the last thing I want to do is put a dark cloud over it. There’s no reason to get into it right now. If and when the time is right, I’ll tell her, but for now, I just want her to be happy.”

“Okay, fine. I can understand that. But, Kale? You can’t keep it from her forever. And it’s going to eat at you until you finally let her all the way in. You have to trust that she’ll be able to handle it. Now that’s all I’ll say on that, but just know I’m always here if you need to talk, okay?”

I know she’s right. If Lucy and I are going to have any chance at a future, then she needs to be privy to every part of my past, even the most painful ones. The thing is that I don’t want to let Lucy into that part of my life yet. She’s my light. My sunshine. She’s the brightest part of my day, and I’m just not ready to invite her into the darkness. In fact, I’m not ready to revisit that part of my life either. I spent years locking it away. Right now all I want to do is focus on Lucy and Sprout. When the day comes that I’m ready to talk about it, I’ll figure it out, but until then, I’m pushing it out of my mind.

“I’ll deal with it eventually. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention it or even hint at it.”

She huffs and gives me a glare. “You know me better than that, Kale Montgomery. I’d never meddle. That’s not my style, and I resent that you even felt the need to mention it.”

Sighing deeply, I know she’s right. “Okay, okay. My bad. I just want to make sure everything stays right between us. I’ve wanted Lucy for a very long time, and it only took me a year and a half to make her my girlfriend. Forgive me if I’m a little worried about keeping everything perfect.”

“Relationships aren’t about being perfect, honey, and the sooner you realize that, the better. It’s about love, trust, honor, and respect. Master those things and you won’t have to worry about perfect. Plus, perfect’s boring. Some of the most fun can be when you’re arguing as a couple. How do you think the twins were conceived?”

I bring my hands to my ears and cover them as I start to walk out of the room. “I’m going to pretend you did not just say that.”

She’s laughing and yells after me. “You’ll understand one day, and then you’ll be thanking me!”

Shaking my head, I slip outside and down to the beach, settling in the sand as I try to get away from the demons that are threatening to surface. Somehow I’m able to get lost in the sounds of the waves crashing, but I can still feel them in the back of my mind, banging on the closed door, begging to get free. I turn my thoughts to Sprout and imagine him being here, playing in the sand, making his first castle, getting his first experience in the water, and those thoughts beat the demons back until they’re nothing but a tiny whisper drowned out by the sounds of the ocean.

“HEY, YOU,” I hear from behind me, and I turn to see Lucy heading towards me.

She looks refreshed from her nap, and I’m grateful that she had a chance to rest. When she reaches me, she holds out her hand to help me up, but I pull her down to me instead, causing her to land in my lap. I wrap my arms around her waist and nuzzle against her neck, basking in the warmth of her.

“Hey yourself,” I whisper against her skin as I place slow kisses along her throat.

She shivers in my arms, and I reposition her so she’s cradled in my arms and looking up at me. For a moment, we’re searching each other’s eyes, and I wonder if she can read me, if she can tell I’m fighting like hell to keep my emotions from rising to the surface and bubbling over.

As if she can read my mind, her small hand comes up and caresses my cheek. “You okay?” she asks quietly, almost as if she doesn’t want to know the answer.

My mind is screaming at me to let it all out, once and for all, but some part of me just isn’t ready, and I don’t think she is either. I steel my nerves and finally do one last push to forget everything Mom’s talk brought to my mind. I’m here with Lucy, and I’m going to make the most of it and not let my own issues mess with the weekend.

Leaning down, I cover her mouth with mine, kissing her senseless, and she returns the favor. She’s the antidote to my plaguing thoughts, and I can’t get enough. Finally, she pulls away, breathless and panting with pink cheeks and desire in her eyes.

“If you keep that up, we’ll be putting on a show, and while your mom may be a free spirit, I highly doubt she wants to see you naked on the beach with me mounting you like a cat in heat.”

And just like that, all is right in my world again.

Laughing, I stand up and set her on her feet. “Yeah, that’s a visual for my eyes only. I might be into some things, but exhibitionism isn’t one of them, especially right outside my mom’s house.”

She cuddles up into me as we watch the waves crash against the shore. “You seemed lost in thought when I came down here. Are you okay?” she asks again.

Slipping an arm around her waist, I bend down and give her a kiss on the top of her head. “I am now,” I answer as honestly as I can—at least for now.

“Good. I woke up and you were gone. I hate waking up without you, you know?” she says, and I immediately take advantage of the situation.

“I know one way to make sure that never happens again. Or well, rarely happens,” I tease her, and she gives me a mocking glare. “Seriously, baby. I know you think it’s too soon, but we’ve been having sleepovers for a long-ass time. You moving in will change nothing aside from us no longer having to draw straws to decide whose place to stay at.”

She’s about to protest, but I cut her off. “And just think. You won’t have to worry about cooking or cleaning. I’ll do all that stuff for you so you can just relax and keep your energy up for you and Sprout. Not to mention I give a pretty mean massage. And then there’s the whole hormonal thing. I read that women get super horny when pregnant, and I promise that if you move in, I’ll be at your sexual beck and call. Whenever you want me, you got me.”