Surviving Love (Surviving #2) (30 page)

E
pilogue

Johan

15 Months Later

“Dad-da-da-da-da ‘ome,” screeched my baby boy as he came toddling towards me. His bandy little legs scared the bejesus out of me because I was certain he would fall. But Lou insisted I let him run and do his own thing. He staggered towards me, his arms raised in some weird ass balancing move, he tipped to one side and I jumped to grab him before he fell.

“Leave him, he can do it.” Lou laughed from inside the kitchen, knowing me too well.

I stood back and watched as he came towards me a big gummy grin on his face. Fuck this shit, he’s going to hurt himself. I stepped forward and swooped him up in my arms.

“Hey, little buddy. I missed you.” I buried my face into his neck to smell his cute baby scent. My boy was growing now, he was two years old but to me he was my baby boy.

“Big pwane?”

“Yeah, little bud, it was a big plane. Grandma told me to give you something.” His big toothy grin always warmed my heart. I planted a big sloppy kiss on his cheek. “There, and Grandpa sent this,” I lifted his shirt, tilted him in my arms and blew a raspberry on his tummy. He giggled and squealed. “Where are your pants?” I asked when I noticed the little guy only had on his skivvies.

“Pee pee potty.”

I smiled at him. “Big boy now are we?”

He grinned again and nodded.

I stopped when my breathtaking woman came walking out of the kitchen with a coat on. Her smile had the ability to stop my heartbeat, she was so beautiful, and it was all
mine
.

“Hey sunbeam,” I said, stepping towards her and kissing her full on her ruby red lips. “I missed you,” I whispered against her mouth.

“Hi.” She was all breathless and I loved that I could do that to her. I frowned when I saw her coat.

“You going out?”

“No, we just got back.”

“Where have you been?”

“Doc-doc,” my little guy said. “Mummy ick.”

I turned to her, checking her over. She registered my concern and waved it off. She walked over to the coat rack and hung her coat up and passed me again, leaving me gaping after her in the hallway. I followed into the kitchen.

“So what did he say, the doctor?”

“Oh it’s nothing, honestly just an upset stomach.”

“You went to the doctor for that?” Panic was rising in me because I knew she wouldn’t go unless it was serious. I hated to think of her being sick. I’d worked through my anxiety issues but they still lingered around, especially with her and my boy.

She was standing at the counter making a drink, her back to me. She wore her blue jeans, the ones she knew I loved because they clung to her ass something beautiful, and a baggy white t-shirt that was miles too big for her. She turned and I laughed because it was a shirt from when she was pregnant with Alfie. It had in huge lettering across the front that read,
does my bump look big in this?

Alfie wriggled so I placed him on the floor. He toddled off into the lounge and I turned back to Lou.

“Come on, stop being shady, tell me what happened.”

“How’s Will doing?”

“Shit. Drinking his weight in whisky, refuses to talk to anyone, and basically being an ass.”

“He’s hurting.”

“Mom has suggested he come over here for a break.” Thanks to Lou I had started calling Ane, Mom. The first time I did, I thought she was going to have some kind of heart attack. It felt right, she was my mom.

“Do you think he will?”

I shrugged. “I told him to sort his shit out before he comes near you and Alfie, so I don’t know.”

“Johan.”

“What? He’s a drunk asshole.”

“He stood by you when you were in need of support. We will support him. He’s lost everything, Johan. Imagine if Alfie and I were suddenly taken from you.”

“No, I won’t think of that. And besides, they weren’t taken away from him, he walked away. He
left
them. Walked out without explanation.”

“Jo.”

“Stop avoiding the question. Why did you go to the doctor?”

“I got sick, I went to the doctor, he said I’m not sick.”

“Lou?” I pleaded. I knew something was wrong.

She smirked at me and I stepped towards her because I could see she was doing it to annoy me.

“I’m fine honestly. He suggested I buy this...” She reached inside a bag on the counter and pulled out an oblong box. She stared into my eyes and smiled. “I do believe in nine months you’re going to be a daddy again,” she whispered. I just stared at her. “I’m pregnant...or I think I am.”

I pulled away from her and ran my fingers through my hair. “What?” I asked, and I kicked myself because I sounded pissed but I just wanted to make sure I was hearing this right.

She swallowed and tears pooled in her eyes. I stepped towards her to take her in my arms and she pulled away. In that moment I knew I’d fucked up. I was about to apologise and kiss her into submission when the front door flew open, banging against the wall.

“What the fuck?” I glared down the hall at Dominic as he came running into the house. Lou pushed me out of the way.

“Dominic, what’s wrong? Where’s Eve?”

“I’m going to be a dad. She’s pregnant. I knocked her up, she’s having my kid,” he said in one breath. He stared around the hallway as if searching for something. Probably his fucking sanity, the loon. “I’m going to be a dad.”

I smiled at the big douche. He ran his hands through his hair and slumped against the wall, his adrenalin running out. Eve walked in the front door with a small smile on her face.

“So much for not just blurting it out, I had a speech planned and everything,” she said shyly.

I loved this girl, she had lived through hell but I adored her strength, and this news was such a fucking relief.

“You’re really pregnant?” Lou asked, running towards her sister and hugging her. Both of them dissolved into tears. I turned to look at Dominic who was watching his woman with the biggest grin on his face. My little buddy came toddling back into the hall with a ratty teddy in his hand that he’d chewed more than cuddled. I bent to pick him up but he hugged Dominic’s leg.

“Hey pal, how’s my little guy?”

“Do-do.”

Dominic picked my son up and placed him on his hip, giving him a big sloppy kiss on his cheek. Alfie laid his head on Dominic’s shoulder and sucked his thumb. I stared at the happiness in the people around me. Then I dashed into the kitchen and grabbed the box from the counter. I strode up to Lou, kissed Eve on the cheek, and pulled Lou up the stairs.

“Excuse us,” I called out.

“What the—” Dominic said as I dashed upstairs.

“Johan?” Eve called.

“My sunbeam needs to pee.”

“And you need to help?” Dominic retorted sarcastically, but I ignored him.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Lou snapped, but the smile on her face gave her away.

Three minutes later, I became the happiest man on earth.

I dropped to my knees and pulled her to me. I lifted her shirt and placed a kiss just under her navel.

“My baby is in here?” I asked. I pressed another kiss to her skin. “My...baby...I’m going to be a daddy again. We...” A tear rolled down my face. “Hey beautiful, I’m your daddy.” I placed my hands on her stomach. “I love you,” I said, as Lou threaded her fingers through my hair. “Thank you.”

“What for?”

“Loving me. Loving us enough to create a new life with me. We survived,
I
survived, and you’ve given me the world, Lou. I used to hope and dream I’d be happy one day. But this, Louise, you’ve given me
everything. We
survived. I love you.”

“You survived for love, and I love you so much. Our son loves you, and this little one will love you. You are everything to us.”

“Is this our happy ever after?” I asked, looking up at her.

“No, this is our beginning,” she said, and I liked that.

Acknowledgments:

My family always comes first, so my first big thank you goes to my wonderful husband and my two gorgeous boys. I love you to the moon and back and without you in my life it would be pretty empty. So I want to say thank you for supporting me, and picking me up when I wanted the throw in the towel. Thank you for understanding when my nose was stuck in the laptop and for not cutting the power when I needed to write just one more chapter.

I wouldn’t be anywhere close to publishing this book without the help of my awesome friend Linda Grotheer. You have helped me more than you will ever know, and one day I aspire to be the writer and amazing Author that you already are. You inspire me to be better, you encourage me and support me thank you. Your friendship means more than I can put into words, but you are amazing. And thank you to your husband and gorgeous little girl who share you with me x

For Rosa who agreed to be my editor from Sizzling PR, you have done a fantastic job and I really enjoyed working with you.

Thank you to my beta readers, who saw some of the story in different stages of competition thank you for your patience.

And to all you amazing bloggers, reviewers and readers out there that were willing to take a chance on a new author. Thank you.