Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

LINCOLN

“What did you just say?” I did not just hear her say what I think she did to whoever she was talking to. She says something to whoever that is about calling them back. Damn right, she is. My back is to her right now because if I don’t pinch the bridge of my nose, I am going to blow. “How long have you known, November?”

“About a week.” My feet spin fast enough for me to see the sheepish look on her face.

“Are you kidding me? You let me choke you and spank the shit out of you, and the whole time you knew?” She comes and walks towards me, smiling from ear to ear.

“How far along are you?”

“Nine weeks.” Almost three months. She kisses my lips and wraps her arms around my neck, biting her bottom lip. Little sneak.

“Oh no, you little brat. You won’t be getting any of that tonight, you deceitful hussy.”

“Lincoln,” she whines, rubbing her body up and down my chest.

“No. Don’t. I could have hurt you both, baby.” When she starts laughing, I am stunned into silence. Is she laughing at me? “I’m serious, November. I could have cut off oxygen to the baby or anything.” Oh, great. Now, she is practically on the floor, holding her stomach, laughing uncontrollably. I want to be indignant, but hearing her laugh is like a balm to my soul. I love that sound.

Thinking about all of our troubles over the last month or so gives me the push to turn this situation into a serious conversation. “Lincoln, you’re a riot,” she says, calming down.

Lifting her in my arms, I walk us into the living room and sit her on my lap. Moving her hair from her face, I ask her the one question that could fix everything and remove the stress from her and my child.

“Baby, let me ask you something. If you have anything to make this wedding planning easier, what would it be?” She looks down at her hands, which she does when she is thinking. Finally, after a few minutes, she looks at me and smiles.

“A wedding planner, one we choose who will stick to the budget we set, but a budget I don’t have to worry about but that will give us the wedding of our dreams. I want it to stay small and…us.” That is a piece of cake.

“Oh baby, you don’t have to worry about that. My family will no longer be in attendance. This wedding is ours and we will make it what we want.”

“Now what do I do about my dad’s money?” I stop to think about that for a moment, and then an idea hits me.

“Did he say it specifically had to go on any one thing?”

“Mmm. No. Just for the wedding.”

“Great. Then his money can pay for the honeymoon. You want to go to Europe and that will be more than enough.”

“I like that idea.” Good.

“A baby, huh?”

“Yeah,” she says, touching my face. “A baby. We’re having a baby,” she whispers.

“We’re having a baby,” I whisper back before kissing her lips. Our family is starting now, and I will protect them with my life.