“Just don’t try that shit again, Dad. You have no idea the hell I’ve gone through to keep this woman by my side. Plus, I need her to not be so angry anymore. Have you ever been around an angry pregnant woman?” He shuddered in mock fear. “That shit is scary.”
Everyone laughed because they each had their own similar memories.
Turning his tortured gaze to her, Tanner’s father reached out a hand. “Chantell, I’m sorry. I never should have interfered in my son’s life. The two of you came together as children and have lasted all these years, despite my boorish behavior. You didn’t deserve what I did.”
Smiling, she walked across the room and stood in front of him. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his bulky frame, hugging him tightly. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized Mr. Scott had just been a man heartbroken over his first love. A woman who was taken from him too soon by a world that wouldn’t accept their love. “Just promise to dote on your grandchild and start a college fund and all is forgiven. Oh and no more trying to get Tanner married off to another woman. Sorry, but he’s mine. I don’t intend to let him go and you can’t have him back.”
Laughter could be heard from everyone around the room, except Tanner. When she caught his eyes, he was staring at her with a look she’d come to recognize. Smiling back at him, she shook her head. He’d have to wait until later. They weren’t leaving just yet.
“You got it, young lady,” Mr. Scott answered. Looking around her, he glared at her father. “Walter, you’re one of my closest friends. I can’t believe you were gonna try and knock my teeth out.”
Her father looked over at his oldest friend and smirked, “Yeah, well you threatened to knock me on my ass. Hmph, not even on a good day, you old coot.” Motioning to Chantell, he smiled, “You’d better be lucky my daughter loves your son and is giving us a grandchild. We’ll want at least three more, young lady.”
Tanner’s laughter rang out in the room, “See. I told you. Four’s the perfect number.”
Epilogue
Chantell
“She’s perfect.” Tanner had been holding their newborn daughter for more than an hour. Their parents stopped by earlier but left a few minutes ago. She could have sworn he’d growled at his father when Mr. Scott tried to take the baby from him. If she weren’t so uncomfortable from delivering their daughter, she would have laughed. When he’d finally handed the baby over to her grandparents, the man hovered…yes, hovered…over his father the entire time.
Looking at her man, she couldn’t help but feel so much love for him. The road to their happiness had been full of messiness and upheaval, but they were finally where they needed to be. “Yes, she sure is. It’s almost time for her to eat, so you’re gonna have to give her up soon.”
Tanner shook his head, refusing to budge. “No, I won’t. She’s just fine where she is. Aren’t you princess?”
Laughing at Tanner, she shook her head. There was no way in hell she was about to fight her husband for their child.
At that thought, she smiled and snuggled down on the hospital bed. It felt nice to refer to herself that as Tanner’s wife. Within a month after that eye-opening meeting at his parent’s house, “the mothers” as they’d come to be known, created a miracle, and arranged a wedding in less than thirty days. If it were up to Tanner, they would have gone to the Justice of the Peace the next week. When she realized he wasn’t joking about that, Chantell had to put her foot down on that one, because that was a huge no-go.
“Honey, I’m going to need you to give her to me eventually.”
Looking at her with an annoyed look, Tanner settled their daughter even deeper in his arms. Now that she looked closer, little Miss Olivia Scott, born at one-thirty in the afternoon, weighing seven pounds four ounces, looked quite peaceful lying in her father’s arms. The serene look on her tiny, cherub face, was a joke. That little mama had given her hell while she’d been inside her stomach. Strange cravings had ruled her life for more than seven months. Spiced shrimp. Dry cooking starch, which made no damn sense to her, but her mother just nodded her head in agreement when she’d admitted her craving. Chicken sandwiches with cheese. And if the baby didn’t get what she wanted; she’d pinch her. Yup, her little angel had such an attitude. She’d use her little pincer-like fingers to pinch the hell out of Chantell when she didn’t get her way. Olivia was most definitely her daddy’s child.
“When she wakes up and wants to eat, you’ll have your time. You spent the last nine months with her. Give me an hour,” he said without an ounce of inflection in his voice as he turned the volume up on the television.
Turning over, she breathed out a heavy sigh. Looking at the two of them again, she couldn’t help but smile. Her life had taken such a crazy turn this last year. Once they came out as a couple, everyone in town acted like it was no big deal. Most people said they’d been waiting for the two of them to get their heads out of their asses and make it official. Others said they’d assumed a relationship had already happened, but since they were never affectionate in public, no one ever said anything.
All in all, the town breathed a big sigh of relief they were finally admitting how they felt about each other after so many years. It didn’t matter to her that most people had no clue just how long they’d been together. In the end, it didn’t matter. All that fretting and worrying they’d done for all those years had been for nothing.
Tanner’s soft voice broke into her thoughts, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
Standing from the chair, he walked over to her bed. “For not giving up on me when you had every reason to walk away.”
“Would you really have let me leave you?” Tanner had many good qualities, sharing well with others wasn’t one of them.
“No. I would have come after you. Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be. I love you, Mrs. Scott.”
“And I love you right back, Mr. Scott.” At that moment, Olivia let out a loud yawn. “Well, little missy doesn’t seem to appreciate having your attention pulled away.”
Laughing as he looked down at their daughter, he shook his head. “Then we’ll have to work on giving her a few siblings. How does three more sound?”
“I’m not doing this with you,” she said with a laugh as he leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips.
Okay, maybe she’d agree to one more child in a couple years. Maybe two if he was good.
Settling down for a short nap, she was thankful for all the twists and turns her life had taken. Without the journey, they wouldn’t be here today. A husband and wife devoted to each other. A new child to love and cherish. And a lifetime of memories still to come.
~ FIN ~
Thank You!
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