Chapter Sixteen

One year later…

We settled into our seats, ready and excited for the game to begin. My husband was so studious during the week, his new job making more demands of him than we’d ever imagined, that I hoped this trip to the ball field would help relax him a little. Much to his surprise, he loved what he did, but to me, the workload was staggering.

I wanted him to relax at last, for the first time since he’d started the position. Now that we were here, I forced him to purchase a beer for himself while I insisted on a Diet Coke for me. The look in those beautiful green eyes said he worried about the last time we’d been to the ball field, but I hoped the look in mine said all was forgiven.

We’d grown a lot over the past year and had never repeated the mistakes of our first month together. I loved Josh with all my heart, and I knew he loved me. Nothing could come between us.

The scent of popcorn, hot dogs and fried food hovered just above us. I smiled at the charged atmosphere and Josh’s eagerness to indulge in one of his favorite pastimes. He turned to me after I’d exhaled a deep sigh. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Despite my response, I was tired, and he knew it.

He studied my face. “What do you think about cutting back on the amount of courses you’re taking next semester?”

“Probably a good idea. I hadn’t expected it to be this tough to go back.” I’d turned in my resignation the day after receiving the acceptance letter to grad school. I would miss Linda and some of my other coworkers, but I still hadn’t spoken to Lou since that day in the office.

“One day I’ll convince you that we don’t need a second income.” He held up a hand when I started to protest. “But if you want an advanced degree, I’m behind you one hundred percent.”

“Thank you.” I stifled a smug smile, because every time we discussed my going back to work or even attending school, we managed to come back to this same conclusion.

Josh sipped his beer. “My parents invited us over for dinner on Sunday. Would that get in the way of your term paper deadline?”

“No…that would be nice.” It wouldn’t, but I understood the duties required of a son. His parents had not been happy when we’d announced our engagement. They remained polite to me, though, and I decided it would have to be good enough for now.

He grasped the back of my neck and pulled me toward him for a kiss. He tasted of beer and Josh, the latter always capable of getting me aroused. “What’s that for?” I asked.

“For being such a bad liar.” He chuckled. “And for putting up with my parents.”

A flush crawled up my neck. “They love you and just want what’s best for you.”

“You’re what’s best for me.”

If anyone overheard our conversation, they’d assume we were still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship, and technically, they’d be right. I had a feeling, though, that even with the passage of time, our attraction to each other would only grow. Somehow I’d been blessed with him, and I worked hard to make sure I never took it for granted. I’d lost Patrick too early in life, and if for some reason Josh was taken from me too, I wanted to make sure he knew how very important he’d been to me.

People filed into their seats, squeezing past us and interrupting our conversation. Josh guarded our snacks while I just tried to keep from being trampled by clumsy feet.

“You’d better enjoy this game,” I grumbled after a break in the passersby. “It might very well be the last one I attend for some time.”

“Come on, sweetheart, this is part of the fun. You didn’t need your toes anyway.”

“But what about my knees, and my boob?”

“Your boob?”

“Just got elbowed.”

Josh hiccupped a small laugh. “Sorry.” I didn’t know if he apologized for the assault on my person or for laughing about it. “The second we get some privacy, I’ll kiss it and make it all better.”

I slid my hand over his jeans, deliberately brushing near the bulge at his crotch. “I’m holding you to that.”

He sucked in a breath, his eyes darkening. “You sure you don’t need to go the restroom right now?”

“The restroom?”

His voice made me shiver when he gave me a throaty growl next to my ear. “Five minutes…ten minutes tops. We can be in and out before anyone notices.”

How my heart thundered at that. “You’re incorrigible.” I glanced at my watch. “It’s time to behave though. The game’s about to start.”

Most of the crowd had found their seats, the announcers encouraging everyone to get ready for the action to begin. I studied the advertisements posted around the field and found my gaze drifting to the big-screen monitor. I pointed to it. “Hey, look at that.”

Josh drew back in surprise. “Congrats, Josh and Regina Smith?” He looked around the crowd. “Someone’s a little late, but that’s nice of them.”

“You think it’s about getting married?”

He looked thoughtful for a minute. “I guess, but seven months later? Weird. And how did they know we’d be here today? I didn’t know until last week.”

“Maybe it’s not about getting married, then.” I felt his gaze on my face, but I refused to look at him, knowing if I did, I would give myself away.

“Then what?”

“Maybe it’s about…the baby.”

“What b—” I heard the rest of the word stick in his throat as his understanding blossomed. “Oh my God. Oh my God, you did that?”

Finding my courage, I looked at him, my heart tripping at his wide grin, the joy in his eyes. “Fourteen weeks along. I wanted to make sure it took.”

Josh jumped to his feet and shouted, “She’s having my baby!”

The people around us erupted into cheers, whistles and clapping while Josh pulled me to him. He squeezed the air out of my lungs in a tight hug, as if he were afraid this was a dream and I would vanish at any moment. I hugged him back, tears sliding down my face. It had killed me not to tell him all this time, to hide the evidence, but I’d been looking forward to this moment from the instant I’d woken up with a flu that wasn’t a flu after all.

“Oh Christ, I love you, Regina.” His words were muffled against my head, but I heard every one of them. “Thank you, thank you…”

Putting his hand beneath my chin, he tipped my face to his. His eyes were shiny with unshed tears. “I take it you’re happy?” I asked, somehow managing to push the words through my emotion-tightened throat.

Josh lowered his lips to mine, kissing me with the same passion that had kept us buoyed for the past year. The same kiss he gave me every night. The one that ignited my arousal as no other could.

We were still kissing when he scooped me into his arms and sat in the seat. Despite our awkward position, the plastic chair holding two of us up when it was only meant for one, we continued to kiss. To love.

And we were still kissing when the first ball was thrown, missing the opening of the game, but I didn’t mind at all.