Beginning of Forever (Heaven Hill #7) (18 page)

“We had a vacation.” He said that as if it made everything better.

“Tyler, one vacation does not fix everything. It makes you feel better when you’re there, and even the first few days you come back, but it doesn’t fix the reason you were stressed to begin with.”

“If CRISIS is that stressful for you, then you need to cut back on it,” he told her, his voice no-nonsense.

“I can’t do that. They need me.”

How could she make anyone understand how much the people there needed her, but she needed them too. They had saved her, when she wasn’t sure anything besides him could. They had given her a purpose in life that had yet to fail her.

“I know this is going to be hard for you to hear, but we need you too. You’re gonna have a newborn, a toddler, and me. CRISIS is a wonderful organization, and you’ve done amazing things with it; you should be extremely proud of yourself. Hell, I’m more proud of you than I could ever tell you, but maybe it’s time for you to move on. Maybe CRISIS has fulfilled its purpose for you and it’s time to let it go.”

It was obvious that she had a lot to think about—especially considering the way her life was going. Things that she’d never once thought about were going to become the focal point of her world, and it was going to be a huge adjustment. Maybe he was right.

‡
Chapter Twenty-One

H
alloween in South Central Kentucky could be a crap shoot. Sometimes it was so hot that parents worried about heat stroke. This year, it was very cold and none of them could believe that it was snowing.

“I’m not sure if we should get her out in this.” Meredith frowned as she glanced at Tyler. Addie was cute as a button in her Elsa outfit.
Frozen
was very popular in their household, even though it was a few years old.

“We’ll take her to the clubhouse and she can show off to everybody, and then we’ll see how it is. I think Roni and Rooster are takin’ Carter to the church. They’re doing it inside, and we’ve done some protection stuff for them before, so…”

Her head snapped up. “You did protection for a
church
?”

“What?” He shrugged. “They had vandals who thought it was cute to spray paint on the side of the building.”

“I swear, you never cease to amaze me.” She laughed as she helped Addie get her shoes on.

“I’ve done lots of things in my life,” he told her plainly. “But the church has always been very nice to us, so if you want to take Addie with Carter, I’m sure Denise and Liam will take Tatum too. That way we can at least get some candy.”

“We?”

“Well, she ain’t eatin’ it all, and you can’t stand the taste of candy right now, so I’m gonna man up and take care of it.” He smiled so broadly that the dimple showed in his cheek.

“So freakin’ cocky.” She stood up from where she’d been helping Addie and popped her back. She’d successfully made it through the first trimester, and was now at around fifteen or sixteen weeks, and she’d sprouted breasts like she’d never had before, along with a small bump. Her back was killing her and her nose was never going to allow her to take a non-congested breath again, she was sure of that. Ashley had told her that congestion wasn’t uncommon and was a good sign that things were going well.

“Let me carry her tonight if she won’t walk,” Tyler cautioned Meredith as she reached down to pick up the little girl. “Your back already hurts.”

“I won’t complain. Let me go change into my shirt, and then I’ll be ready,” she told them both as she went back towards the bedroom.

Last year she’d had a cutesy costume that matched Addie’s—even going so far as to make both of them. This year, she was so tired, she couldn’t do it. Instead, they’d bought Addie’s and she’d ordered a shirt off the internet. Putting on a black long-sleeve shirt to wear underneath to ward off the coldness, she made sure it covered up the elastic band of her maternity jeans and then grabbed the short-sleeve shirt she’d ordered. It had skeleton ribs and arms painted on it, and then a skeleton baby where her and Tyler’s baby rested. She knew she would cherish the shirt forever, because not once had she ever thought she’d have cause to wear a shirt like this. Slipping on her boots and tucking her jeans into them, she grabbed a scarf and her gloves.

“I’m ready,” she told them as she came back into the living room.

Tyler gave her an appreciative glance that moved up and down her body. “Lookin’ good, momma.”

She couldn’t help the grin that covered her face or the giggle that escaped from her throat. The way he made her feel would obviously never go away, and for that, she was thankful above all. “Thanks.” She blushed as she walked over to kiss him on the cheek. “I do appreciate that.” This had been a rough week, when nothing had fit and she’d had to move her seat back in her car a smidge.

“I mean it.” He caressed her hip with his hand, leaning in for a kiss.

Addie kissed her cheek from her perch in Tyler’s arms.

“I feel doubly loved.” She reached out and tickled Addie’s stomach. “You ready to trick or treat?”

They had all worked hard on getting her to say trick or treat, and they were as close as they were ever gonna get.

“Yes!” She clapped her hands together.

“You two go on out to the car, and I’ll lock up here and grab her candy bucket.”

Tyler agreed and put Addie in her jacket and gloves before picking her up and taking her outside.

Meredith smiled as she watched them walk out of the house and off the porch. She couldn’t wait until this baby was here; she thoughtfully cupped the bump at her midsection. They would be able to find out the gender in a few more weeks, and she couldn’t wait for that either. She hoped desperately for a boy, but when she’d voice that hope to Tyler, he’d shook his head and said he wasn’t sure he could take a hell-raiser like himself. She’d not had the heart to tell him she thought Addie had that completely covered. Grabbing Addie’s Olaf candy bucket, she put her jacket on, set the security system, and locked up the house. This was going to be an exciting night.

*

“Are mom and dad gone yet?” Mandy asked Charity as she snuck out of her upstairs bedroom.

“Yeah, they left about fifteen minute ago, and Drew and I are about to head out too. Are we gonna see you and Dalton at the party tonight?” Charity asked as she fussed with her hair. She wore a fairy costume, showing much more skin than Mandy would have dared do.

“I told Drew that he would see us, but I don’t think he’s going to,” Mandy avoided the question.

“Where are the two of you going?” Charity’s intuition was on high alert. Something was going on.

“I can’t tell you, just know it’ll be okay.”

All of a sudden, it dawned on her where they were going and what they were going to be doing. She sighed and reached over, hugging Mandy to her. “If you need me, call me. I’ll come to you.”

“I told you, it’ll be okay.”

Charity hoped, for her friend’s sake, it would be.

“Can you just get Drew outta here before Dalton shows up?”

That she could do. “Hey, Drew, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go. The quicker we get there, the quicker we can make an
exit
.” She threw a wink at him.

“Sounds awesome.” He leaned in, kissing her neck. Glancing over at Mandy, he raised an eyebrow. “Is Dalton coming to pick you up, or do we need to take you? You aren’t dressed.”

It was hard to lie to him after everything they’d been through together, but she knew she had to. This was something she definitely didn’t need him around for. “He’ll be here in about thirty minutes; he called and said he was runnin’ late. I don’t want my outfit to get wrinkled, so I’ll put it on right before.”

“Alright.” He nodded, buying her lie. “Hopefully we’ll be seeing you later, but if not,” he gave Charity a wolfish grin, “have a good night, sis.”

“You too,” she called out to them as he dragged Charity down the stairs. “Okay.” She breathed deeply. “You can do this,” she told herself. “The only thing keeping you from this is yourself. You trust Dalton.”

Going back into her bedroom, she grabbed her overnight bag. Layla knew that if anyone called looking for her, she needed to cover for Mandy. Tonight was it; her life was going to change. Just as she put her jacket on, she heard Dalton’s car rumble up the driveway. She’d always loved his car. When he’d first bought it, it’d been a rusted out piece of junk, but he and some of the guys from the club had worked hard on it. Now, it turned heads wherever he went, and even the old guys wanted to drive the 1970 Chevy Super Sport, but Dalton would never give it up.

Running down the front porch, she made her way over to the car, smiling when he reached over the bench seat and pushed the passenger side door open for her. She got in, closing the door and tossing her bag into the bag.

“You ready?” he asked, a nervous smile on his face.

Mandy thought about his question. Was she really? It took only a few moments to decide that she was. “I am.” She nodded, reaching over to grab his hand. “Let’s go, in case Drew or my parents come back.”

‡
Chapter Twenty-Two

“I
f people could see us now,” Rooster mumbled as he, Tyler, and Liam got all the kids situated before they went inside the church.