Just One Reason Read online

  I carried her inside and helped her undress. She barely woke up as I pulled one of my t-shirts over her head to sleep in and wiped off her makeup with a wet washcloth. I carefully folded her costume and put in on a shelf in the closet. It would make an appearance again soon; I would make sure of it.

  After making sure the doors were locked and the lights downstairs were off, I changed into my pajama pants and slipped into bed. Pulling Lindsay to me, I kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I love you,” before drifting off myself.

  My arm was asleep when I woke up in the morning from Lindsay laying on it all night. She must have slept like the dead, because she hadn’t moved an inch all night. Checking the time, I saw we should probably get up and going if we wanted to have time to eat breakfast before leaving for the nursing school visit.

  “Lindsay,” I whispered, gently cupping her face in my hand and rubbing my thumb over her bottom lip.

  “Mmmm,” she murmured and just snuggled closer.

  I chuckled and shook her gently. “Lindsay, it’s time to get up.”

  She rolled over and stretched her arms over her head, arching her back, which pushed her tits up front and center. What a way to wake up. I reached under her shirt and ran my hand over her flat stomach and up to cup one breast in my hand, rubbing her tight nipple with my thumb.

  “Mmmm,” she moaned and arched farther into my touch. Pushing her shirt up I took her other nipple in my mouth, sucking and teasing with my tongue.

  “I wish we didn’t have to get ready yet,” I said before moving to her other breast.

  She held my head to her chest and said, “We do need to take showers. It would save water to shower together…” Oh, yes. A girl after my own heart.

  She scrambled off the bed and squealed when I slapped her ass. I chased her into the bathroom and was met at the door with my toothbrush already dressed with toothpaste. Lindsay had a serious paranoia about morning breath. We brushed side by side at the sinks while the water heated in the shower.

  My pants and her shirt hit the floor on the way from the sinks to the shower. The steam from the hot water was already filling the room.

  “Sorry about falling asleep on you last night,” Lindsay said leaning her head back into the stream of hot water.

  “No worries,” I said, my lips already on her neck and my hands on her hips.

  “Mmmm,” she murmured while her hands slid over my wet slick skin. She grabbed my ass and pulled me tight to her, my cock pressing against her stomach. This was the only time when our height difference was a disadvantage. A problem easily solved. I reached down to pick her up and she wrapped her legs tight around my waist. Barely a day had passed since we had started our relationship back up that we didn’t have sex, and I still couldn’t get enough of her. All she had to do was look in my direction and I was ready. Lindsay was rocking her hips, rubbing her clit against my cock.

  “Fuck, Linz,” I groaned and moved so I could slide inside her. She was always so tight and we fit perfectly together. One of my hands braced against the shower wall, while my other arm wrapped around her waist to hold her up so I could thrust deeply. She swiveled her hips faster, urging me on.

  “Grady!” She cried out, her head falling back against the wall and her nails digging into the back of my neck. The sharpness of her nails in my skin sent me over the edge and I thrust twice more before coming inside her.

  We stayed wrapped together for a few minutes while our bodies calmed and our heart rates evened out. She pressed a sweet kiss to my lips, and I said, “That definitely made up for last night.”

  Lindsay raised an eyebrow and smirked at me. She unwrapped her legs from around my waist and slid her body down mine. “Oh, I’m not done yet,” she said taking my cock in her hands. She winked at me when she felt me go hard again.

  Lindsay had to wear her hair in a wet braid, and we ate breakfast in the car. But it was worth it.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Lindsay

  I arrived at the pub early for my dinner with Leah, so I could look over the class schedule for next semester. Three weeks ago Grady and I had gone to visit the college just outside of town and met with an admissions counselor for the nursing program. When Grady first suggested nursing as a possible career option for me, I tossed the idea in the recycle bin along with some of his other crazy suggestions - flight attendant (too much travel), librarian (too much quiet), Grady’s personal sex slave (I think he was actually serious about that one). But the more I thought about nursing, the more I warmed up to the idea.

  With nursing shortages everywhere, there was definitely job security. There were a ton of different places to work - hospitals, doctors’ offices, schools. The hours were flexible and the pay was good. And I would be helping and interacting with new people on a daily basis. That was something I would absolutely love, and one of the main reasons I turned my back on a career in corporate law. I didn’t want to help rich people find loopholes to become even richer. I wanted to make a difference - even a small one - and I would be able to do that as a nurse.

  Because I had already completed three years of undergrad at NYU, I wouldn’t need to start all over. I would need the required science classes, which I planned on taking next semester, and then I could start on the nursing requirements. In less than two years I could be a nurse.

  I grabbed a seat at the end of the bar and spread out my brochures and class schedules. Ford brought over an ice water with lemon and asked no questions about what I was doing. You could always count on Ford to mind his own business.

  Half an hour later I was so engrossed in reading through the class descriptions that I jumped when Leah sat down next to me.

  “Whatcha doin’?” She asked, popping her gum and waving Ford over.

  I gathered up the papers to put them back in my bag. “Just going over class schedules and deciding which classes to take first,” I replied. Leah had become my best friend here in town, and I was so grateful for her. With Taryn so far away it was nice to have another good friend nearby.

  Leah had just returned to work last week, although it wasn’t too much of an adjustment, because she was able to take Maddy with her. Josh had left work early tonight and picked up Maddy so Leah and I could meet for dinner. It was Monday evening, and I was planning to drive home tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Well, not to my home. I would be staying with Taryn and her parents. Grady tried to insist on coming with me, but I wanted to handle my parents on my own.

  Ford brought Leah her signature drink. She turned to me when he left and whispered, “Ford seems extra grouchy lately, don’t you think?”

  I studied Ford’s profile as he mixed a drink. “I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to tell. I’ve never actually seen him in a good mood.”

  Leah took a sip of her Lemon Drop Martini and eyed my ice water. “Why aren’t you drinking?” She asked me suspiciously.

  I shrugged. “I’m still not feeling that great. Some days I’m fine, but other days I just feel crappy. Alcohol just doesn’t sound good right now.” Leah narrowed her eyes and studied me intently. She leaned in close and her eyes swept over my face before dropping to my boobs. I leaned back and away from her.

  “What the hell are you doing, Leah?” I asked.

  She sat back up and pointed her finger at me accusingly. “You’re pregnant!”

  I rolled my eyes and scoffed, “No, I’m not. I can’t get pregnant, remember?”

  “Do you have a uterus? And ovaries?” She asked, waiting for me to answer her ridiculous questions.

  “Yes, of course I do,” I said calmly.

  “Then you can get pregnant. What was that, like five years ago? Maybe something’s changed since then. Or maybe Grady just has super sperm,” she said very matter-of-factly.

  Ford chose that moment to come over to take our orders. When he heard us talking about Grady’s super sperm, he clapped his hands over his ears and walked away mumbling, “Jesus Christ, Leah!”

  Leah continued on,
unaffected by offending Ford, “You’ve been tired, and nauseous, and your boobs are bigger.” I looked down and poked at my cleavage. They were maybe a little bigger than usual. But I couldn’t be pregnant, could I?

  “Are you on the Pill? Do you use condoms?” Leah asked. I shook my head no to both questions. It seemed like a non-issue since we are in a committed relationship and I can’t get pregnant.

  “You should stop and get a test on your way home tonight. Just to make sure I’m right,” Leah advised. She grabbed a menu as if she didn’t order the same thing every time, but I just sat staring down at my boobs. I tried to remember when my last period was, but I couldn’t. They were never regular, and I never paid too much attention when I was late. Shaking off Leah’s absurd idea that I was pregnant, I picked up a menu too.

  Ford came over a minute later to take our orders. Leah and I talked about Maddy and my upcoming trip home while we ate, but my mind kept returning to Leah’s insistence that I was pregnant.

  It was a completely ridiculous thought, but yet I found myself pulling into the drug store parking lot on my way home and buying a pregnancy test. I stood forever in front of the display reading every box before finally deciding on the digital one that either said “Pregnant” or “Not Pregnant”. It couldn’t get any clearer than that.

  Grady would be home from work by now, and I had planned to spend tonight with him since I would be gone the rest of the week. First I needed to make a pit stop at Lana’s. Running up the stairs to my room, I tossed my bag on the bed and grabbed my old school calendar off the dresser. I had to turn back to September to find the frowny face I used to mark the day my period started. Shit, that was two and a half months ago. Irregular, yes. Two months late, no.

  Nearly hyperventilating, I managed to pee on the stick, but I couldn’t bear to leave it alone for two minutes like the instructions said. So, I stood in the bathroom holding the little stick up to my face watching the little dots flash across the screen. Two minutes seemed like two years as I waited. What would I do if I was pregnant? What would I do if I wasn’t?

  Pregnant.

  That one word flashed on the screen. My heart jumped into my throat, and I dropped the stick in the sink like it was on fire. Holy hell! How did this happen? I mean, I know how it happened. But, seriously, how did this happen!?!

  My fingertips gripped the edge of the sink, and I tore my eyes from the pee stick in the sink to look at my reflection in the mirror. My boobs were definitely bigger. I turned sideways and smoothed my hand over my flat stomach. There was something growing in there, which kind of freaked me out a little bit. But the thing I noticed the most was the huge stupid smile on my face. And my eyes looked a little bit crazed. I think I might have been in shock.

  That can’t be good for the baby. What the hell do I know what is good for a baby? Oh my God! Have I had any alcohol in the last two months? Did I hurt my baby without even knowing it? Now I was close to actually hyperventilating. Deep calming breaths. Breathe in. Breathe out.

  When my breathing was back to normal, my first instinct was to drive to Grady’s house and shove the stick I had just peed on in his face. Then the thought that he might not be happy about this crept into my mind, and it wouldn’t go away. The night he first took me to his house we talked about my inability to have children. I clearly remember him saying we were too young to be worrying about that right now. Would he be upset about this baby? Would he think it’s too soon? Would he think I lied about not being able to have children just to trick him into getting me pregnant? Okay, now I was having crazy thoughts.

  My phone rang from somewhere inside my purse, and I pulled it out knowing it would be Grady’s name I would see on the screen. It was way past time for me to be over there. I hadn’t realized I had been standing in the bathroom for so long.

  “Hi,” I answered.

  “Hey, you okay? Are you still coming over?” He asked, sounding slightly worried. I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought of what to say. I should just tell him. No, I should go over there and tell him.

  Instead I said, “I’m sorry. I stopped back at Lana’s after dinner and lay down for a minute. I guess I fell asleep.” He paused, and I knew I wasn’t hiding the fact that something was up very well.

  “You’ve been kind of out of it the last few weeks. I really think you need to go to the doctor,” Grady said. Oh, I needed to go to the doctor alright. The baby doctor.

  “I know. I’ll make an appointment when I get back after Thanksgiving,” I hedged. “I’m still really tired. I think I’m just going to crash here tonight.”

  He paused again, and I could feel him tensing up through the phone. “Will you at least stop by the shop to say goodbye before you leave tomorrow?” He asked. I was going to miss him terribly while I was gone, and I knew he felt the same. Having me leave him to go back to the city must have been bringing up bad memories of the last time I left. Having me bail on him tonight probably wasn’t helping, but I couldn’t face him until I knew what I wanted to say.

  “Of course I will. I want to be on the road by 10:00, so I’ll be by before then. I love you,” I said softly.

  “I love you too, Lindsay.”

  It felt like we were saying goodbye for more than just one night, and I prayed that wouldn’t be the case when he found out my news. Sleep was elusive that night, and I tossed and turned trying to think of the best way and time to tell Grady. Should I tell him in the morning? Should I tell him after Thanksgiving? Should I call him right now, at 3:00 am, and tell him?

  I was up before the sun, packing my bags and pacing my room. My fingers itched to pick up my phone and call Taryn for advice. But Grady deserved to be the first to know. I did text Leah when it was an acceptable hour and ask for her obstetrician’s phone number. She replied with the number and a smiley face. Technically I didn’t tell her anything. I made an appointment for the next Monday.

  By the time 8:00 rolled around I was dressed, packed and ready to go. I might as well go see Grady and then come back and pack up the car.

  Before getting out of my car I wiped my sweaty palms down my legs. The weather was cold, and I pulled my scarf tighter around my neck as I walked to the main door. Grady was obviously watching for me, even though I was early. Before I even reached the door he opened it and pulled me inside and into his arms.

  “Miss me?” I teased as he nuzzled his nose in my hair.

  “Always,” he replied. He released me and I took his hand.

  “Can we go in your office and talk for a minute?” I asked. Somewhere in the middle of the night I made the decision to tell him today. That way he could think about what he wanted while I was gone. I knew I wanted this baby more than anything, and I hoped he would feel that way too. But I wanted to give him the time to process the huge surprise I was about to spring on him.

  His eyebrows pulled together, and he frowned at me. Closing the door behind us I said, “You should probably sit down for this.” He didn’t sit. He held my upper arms and bent down slightly so we were eye to eye.

  “Lindsay, I swear to God, if you’re going to tell me we’re over, I…”

  I immediately placed my finger over his lips. “Ssshhh. That is not what I have to say. You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Grady Hawke.” He relaxed at my words, but he still looked worried as he waited for me to continue.

  Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and said, “I’m pregnant.” I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes to see his reaction to my life-changing announcement. Grady just stared at me. He didn’t speak. He didn’t move. He just stood and stared.

  Not exactly the grinning, kissing, scooping me up and swinging me around reaction I was hoping for. “Um, I just found out last night. I’m leaving at 10:00 to drive back to the city, but I will be back on Sunday. Obviously I’m keeping the baby since this is most likely my only chance to have a child. I want you with me in this. But take this week to think about what you really want. I love you, Grady. But I will do this without you if I
have to.” He was still staring, and I was starting to doubt he had heard a word I said.

  I leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek. “Goodbye, Grady. I’ll see you on Sunday.” And with that, I walked out leaving him still standing and staring. Only now he was staring at the wall since I was gone.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Grady

  I’m pregnant. I’m pregnant. I’m pregnant.

  Lindsay’s words kept circling through my mind like a funnel cloud gaining strength until the only thing I could hear was the blood rushing through my brain. I don’t know how long I stood there staring until the room started to come back into focus. By then Lindsay was gone, and I struggled to recall what had followed I’m pregnant.

  I want you with me in this.

  Well, no shit. Of course I’m with her in this. There’s no place on Earth I would rather be.

  But I will do this without you if I have to.

  Oh, fuck. She told me she was pregnant and that she wanted me to take this week to think about what I wanted. All while I stood there like a fucking moron and stared at her. I didn’t need one second to think about what I wanted.

  I stalked out of my office and barked out orders. “Josh! I’m going to be gone the rest of the week. Lock up when you leave tonight. And call Lana right now. Tell her not to let Lindsay leave until I get there!”

  “Sure, man. Is everything alright?”

  I paused in the doorway only long enough to grin at him and say, “I’m gonna be a dad.” Throwing on my helmet I tore off down the road, speeding towards my house. Once there I threw some clothes in a bag, threw the bag over my shoulder and broke more than one traffic law on my way to Lana’s house.

  Lindsay had said she wasn’t leaving until 10:00, but with the way I reacted, or rather didn’t react, to her news it wouldn’t surprise me if she tried to leave early. Praying to God that Josh had reached Lana, I turned onto her street. I already wasn’t happy about Lindsay driving back to the city by herself. But now that I knew she was pregnant and going to face her parents, there was no way I was staying behind.