Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Her lips turn up in a grin. “It’s what we want.”
Stevie Nicks leaves Peyton’s lap and starts to walk around. “I should probably get her outside before she has an accident.” I stand and then help my wife up. “I’ll clean up in here if you want to go make breakfast.”
“Deal.” She rises up and kisses me. “Love you.”
“Love you more.”
After I take Stevie Nicks out to do her business, after which she was rewarded with a treat and lots of affirmations, I clean the bathroom as promised. For some reason, I check each test. I don’t know if it’s for my own curiosity or what. Each positive brings a smile to my face. In nine months, Peyton will give birth to our child, and while it was created in a Petrie dish, it’s still one we created together. Thank God for science.
When Stevie Nicks barks, I rush out of the room and find her sitting at the end of the hallway, tail not wagging. I approach her slowly, peak around the corner and roll my eyes. My father is on all fours, acting like a dog.
“You’re scaring her,” I tell him and then look at my mom. “Really?”
“He’s a child. Humor him,” she says. She walks by, kisses my cheek and before she can ask where Peyton is, I point toward the kitchen.
“What are you doing here?”
My dad finally sits up and then beckons his granddog to him. Thankfully, she goes. “Uh, staying here.”
“Oh. Did I know this?”
Dad shrugs. “Ask your wife.”
We go into the kitchen where I find Peyton sitting at the island and my mom making breakfast. “Really?” This seems to be my word of the moment.
“She insisted,” Peyton says.
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I had a feeling my mom would baby Peyton.
“Where’s Paige?”
“She and Mack went with Ajay, Jamie, and the kids to Disneyland today,” Dad says.
“Damn, that would’ve been fun to do.”
“I’m not going on any rides,” Peyton says.
“Nope, but once you start showing, we can go and get you some ears and take a bunch of photos. Speaking of, come here.” I take her hand and drag her back to the bedroom. “Take your shirt off.”
“Excuse me?”
“Just do it. I want to take your picture. I saw a video this couple did. They took a picture every day so they could capture her bump growing. I want to do it.”
Peyton takes her shirt off. Unfortunately for me, she’s wearing a bra, and my parents are here. I snap a picture and then make sure it’s saved. “Come here.”
She does after she puts her shirt back on and wraps her arms around me. I hold the camera up and snap a photo of us. Right at that moment Stevie Nicks comes trotting into our room. Peyton picks her up and cozies up to me again for another picture. I show it to her and instantly save it as my wallpaper.
“Our first family photo,” I tell her.
“I’m sure we’ll end up taking a ton.”
I nod. “I want to do it all. Everything from introducing Stevie Nicks on social media with a pregnancy announcement, the pregnancy photoshoot, and family photos with matching outfits. I want to be the cheesy family that does it all.”
Peyton holds Stevie Nicks between us. They both kiss me at the same time. “There isn’t anyone in the world I’d ever want to do this life with except for you, Noah Westbury.”
I push strands of her hair away from her face. “I’ve known from day one you were mine.”
15
PEYTON
Ben paces up and down the hall near the bathroom waiting for Elle to come out. My sister opted to spend the night at our place last night, wanting to take her pregnancy test here, rather than at her house. I didn’t question her mostly for selfish reasons. Hell, yes, I want to be one of the first ones to know if she’s pregnant, but I also have a sense from her that she feels like she’s not and then I’ll be here to console her.
“What’s taking so long, Elle?” Ben asks at the door.
“I gave her twenty tests to pee on,” I remind him. He lets out a long sigh.
“She just needs one.”
“Yes, but then she’ll end up taking another nineteen like I did. Give her a minute,” I say this as if I’m some type of professional when it comes to taking a pregnancy test. I know I’ve taken my fair share of them, but what woman trying to have a baby hasn’t?
The door opens and Ben almost falls in. “Everything okay?”
“Yes,” Elle says as she comes out of the bathroom showing him her phone. “Now we wait four minutes.” She steps out of the doorway and heads into the living room where I’m waiting. Noah’s taken the dogs down to the water to help them exert some energy. Beau may be older than Stevie Nicks, but he has as much energy as a toddler with a sugar high.