My eyes are clenched tightly together, and I don’t know what I’m waiting for, but I’m holding my breath waiting for her to respond. I’m prepared for it... for her to kick me out, to push me away, to tell me it’s over. At least now she knows it’s not because I don’t want her.
The bed shakes as she moves. “Turn around, Trey.”
I blink as I open my eyes and turn around to sit on my butt with my back leaned up against the dresser. She’s still naked, and I’m surprised when she lowers herself to straddle my lap. She puts one hand on my chest and one on my chin. “Look at me.”
I do as she asks.
“Is that why you said you didn’t want children... because you can’t have them?”
I can’t lie to her... not again. “Yeah.”
“Do you still want me?”
I shake my head, not willing to get my hopes up. “Katie, I can’t...”
She covers my mouth with her hand. “Do. You. Still. Want. Me?”
Her eyes are wide, and she looks nervous waiting for me to answer. “Yeah, I want you.”
She lets out a breath. “Okay,” she murmurs before leaning in and laying her head on my chest.
My arms instantly go around her, and I rest my chin on the top of her head. “Katie, I can’t give you what you want.”
“I want you, Trey.”
“But that’s not enough... I’m not enough.”
She pulls back, and her eyes are spitting fire. “Don’t you dare say that, Treyton Cree. You’re the man that drove me to the hospital and stayed with me when my son was hurt. You’re the man that came over to fix my son’s treehouse when the railing broke. You’re the same one that came over every day for a week to entertain and dote on us.... you’re the same man that just made love to me like I was the most beautiful and precious woman you’ve ever known, so don’t tell me you’re not enough, Trey. You’re everything.”
She’s serious. Completely serious. I pull her by the neck and capture her lips in a kiss before I reluctantly pull away. “You deserve...”
“I want you, Treyton.”
There are so many things I should say to her. Like, I’m not enough. She deserves to be happy and have all the kids she wants. She’s probably going to regret this... there are so many things that are going through my head, but I can’t force myself to say them. I can’t resist her, and I’m going to keep her as long as I can. “You have me, Katie.”
11
Katie
It’s been a few weeks since he confessed his deep, dark secret with me, and even now I can feel he’s guarding himself. It’s like he thinks I’m going to change my mind or something, and there’s no way that is going to happen. All I can do is keep holding on and somehow convince him that he is what I want... the rest we can work out.
“What do you think?” Trey asks.
I hold the mirror in my hand and hold it down at my belly. Treyton tattooed the most beautiful roses I’ve ever seen. Not only did they cover up my deep stretch marks, but they are absolutely beautiful to look at now.
“I love it,” I tell him. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I love him too, but I don’t. He kisses me then, a quick peck that gives me promise for what will come later. He wraps up my tattoo and starts cleaning up but not before he pulls me in for a tight hug and a kiss. It’s been like this the last few weeks. We’re inseparable, and we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other. Except when Lane is with us, then Trey is the perfect gentleman. But it’s obvious that Lane is attached to him too.
A loud cry comes from the front, and my eyes get big at the sound of a baby crying. It’s definitely a unique and startling sound in the tattoo shop.
With question in my eyes, I look at Trey.
He smiles. “It’s AJ. I guess he’s been colicky or something. Gracie’s going crazy.”
I’m dying to go see the baby, and since I do have some experience, I may be able to help her or at least give her a break. I’m already fixing my clothes when I tell him, “I’m going to go check on them, okay?”
“Sure thing, honey. We have another hour before we have to pick up Lane. I’ll finish up here and be right out.”
He barely gets the words out and I’m walking toward the front, following the sounds of the unhappy baby. I spot Emily first, and it’s obvious she’s freaking out by the way she’s staring at the bawling baby. She’s definitely not in her element with babies.
“Hey,” I say when I see Gracie staring worriedly at Aiden, who is pacing with an unhappy AJ in his arms.
“Oh, hey, Katie. I didn’t know you were here.”
I walk over and give her a hug. We’ve gotten to know each other quite a bit since I’ve been seeing Trey. I can see how exhausted she and Aiden both are.
“Can I try?” I ask Aiden as I let go of Gracie. He looks over my shoulder, and I assume Gracie tells him yes because he’s handing over little AJ a second later. The crying continues, but I lift him high on my shoulder and start patting his back in a rhythmic pattern. Over and over, I sway back and forth, never stopping my patting. In the middle of the crying, AJ burps really loudly and then lays his head on my shoulder and starts to coo. I still don’t stop, though. I just keep swaying and keep patting, wondering if he’s got another one in there or not.
Gracie stops in front of me, her eyes wide, and she silently starts clapping. In a loud whisper, she says, “You did it.”
I smile as Aiden wraps his arms around Gracie, and they both look at AJ with so much love all I can do is smile at the two of them.
It’s only then that I see Trey standing in the doorway watching me with a weird look on his face.
Aiden turns. “Your woman is a miracle worker. I’m about to hire her out, so don’t be surprised if we call her in the middle of the night to come save us.”
Gracie nods her head. “Katie, you’re a natural at this. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I shrug my shoulders. “I’m a nurse, Gracie.”
“Yeah, you’re a nurse, but you’re also a natural mother. You knew exactly what he needed.”
I watch as Trey’s face tightens even more.
“It’s just from years of practice. Lane would get like that. It’s nothing, Gracie. You’ll learn.” I turn to Trey. “You ready to go?”
He nods, and I wave bye to Emily, who’s working on the computer and to Gracie and Aiden. They look surprised by Trey’s fast departure, but they don’t say anything. I almost have to run to catch up to him. He doesn’t go to open my door like he usually does, so when we each get to the side of the truck he says, “You should have more kids, Katie.”
I stop, but he keeps going and climbs up in the driver’s side.
I get into the truck. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Trey.” We haven’t talked about a future, and I don’t want to scare him off by spouting all kinds of alternatives to having children. Heck, most men would run if I did that after only knowing me for a month.
He turns the truck on and pulls out of the parking lot. “I don’t want to say it, but one of us should. We need to end this now. You’ll never have everything you want if you stay with me.”