Zane & Lucky's First Christmas

Page 5

“Lucky, I love you, but do we have to have another male-bashing conversation right now?” Zane pouted at me and I glared at him as he made faces at me trying to make me laugh.
“You think you can make everything better with a goofy face?”
“No, I think I can make everything better with sex. But I’m trying goofy faces first.” He winked at me and I pursed my lips to stop myself from smiling at him. “I can see you’re trying not to smile, Lucky.”
“I’m going into the kitchen.” I turned away from him with a huff and he followed me.
“We can always elope in Vegas, you know.”
“That’s not romantic.” I sighed.
“We could make it romantic.”
“I don’t want to get married in Vegas. I want a proper wedding with a priest in a church, and I want my dad to give me away and I want my mom to help me.” My lower lip trembled as I voiced the real reason for my sadness and anger.
“I’m sorry.” Zane’s voice was low and he looked at me sadly. “I know you miss them.”
“Now more than ever.” I looked at him with misty eyes. “Who’s going to give me away?”
“I don’t know.” Zane looked at me with a worried expression. “I could.”
“Zane, you cannot give me away.” I giggled, slightly exasperated. “You’re the one marrying me. You can’t give yourself your blessing.”
“I can if I want to.” He smiled at me sweetly. “We don’t have to have a traditional wedding, you know. You don’t have to have someone give you away. You can walk up the aisle yourself. Or maybe we could have a beach wedding.”
“A beach wedding would be nice.” I smiled at him. “I was actually thinking about that.”
“And maybe Noah could walk with you down the aisle.”
“But isn’t he your best man?”
“I think he can do both jobs.” Zane smiled. “I’m sure he’d be happy to do both.”
“Do you think so?” I asked hopefully, and then my heart sank. “I don’t know if that would be fair, though. After everything that’s going on with Robin.”
“Don’t remind me of that.” Zane frowned. “What a mess.”
“I know. I thought a fight was going to break out at the end of the night when Leo offered Robin a ride home.”
“I know.” Zane shook his head. “I’ve never seen Noah look so mad before.”
“Poor Robin.” I made a face. “What a position to be in.”
“More like poor me. What a position for me to be in.” Zane’s eyes were wide. “My best friend and my brother are in love with the same girl.”
“And from the looks of it, she has feelings for both.” I continued. “Poor girl.”
“Poor Noah.”
“Poor Leo.” I made a face. “One of them is going to be heartbroken.” I chewed on my lower lip. “Though, I suppose I do have a replacement for one of them.”
“If you mention Leeza’s name, the wedding is off.” Zane glared at me.
“Well, I guess I’m going to be a single mom then.” I stared at him and he pulled me towards him.
“There is no way in hell you will ever be a single mom. I will be by your side forever. Even when you don’t want me there.” He growled before he kissed me hard, his lips pressing down on mine eagerly before he stuck his tongue into my mouth. “You are mine forever, Lucky Beaumont.”
“I’m still Lucky Morgan right now.”
“You’re mine, no matter your name.” He pulled away from me slightly and stared into my eyes. “You know that, right? We’re a team. You never have to go through anything alone. No thought is too small or too petty to share with me. I want you to come to me with everything. I want to be here for you in every way.”
“You’re too sweet. What happened to the man I met in the diner?”
“I’m still here. I’m just a ball of mush now.”
“I love you.” I kissed his lips lightly. “Thank you for being you.”
“No, thank you for marrying me.”
“Thank you for asking.”
“Thank you for having my babies.”
“Thank you for loving our babies.”
“Thank you for letting me have unprotected sex with you.” He whispered and I hit him in the shoulder.
“Zane! Just when I think you’re not going to be a dumbass.”
“You wouldn’t want me if I didn’t entertain you.”
“Whatever.”
“What to go and have some unprotected sex?”
“What?” I glared at him.
“It’s not like you can get pregnant right now.”
“I swear you’re lucky I love you, Zane Beaumont.” I shook my head. “No, we are not going to have sex now. But yes, you can take me to the mall so that we can look at baby furniture.”
“Oh no.” He groaned. “Do I have to?”
“Do you want to attend a baby class with me tonight instead?”
“This is a trick question, isn’t it?” He paused and narrowed his eyes. “You expect me to attend the class with you whether I like it or not, don’t you?” He cocked his head to the side and a smile spread across his face. “Why Lucky, I do believe you’re becoming a sly one, aren’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I laughed.
“Do we really have to go and look at cribs?”
“No,” I paused and smiled slowly. “We can go and check out the diapers instead.”
Zane groaned and put his face in his hands. “Diapers, cribs, baby classes. What have I done?”
“Tell me about it. I have to take off next semester.”
“What?” He looked up at me. “Why?”
“I’ll have a new baby. I can’t handle school and motherhood.”
“I’ll be here to help.”
“The man who doesn’t know anything about babies?” I raised an eyebrow at him.
“I guess I can attend a few more classes with you.”
“With no sexual innuendos?”
“You’re really trying to take all the fun out of it, aren’t you?”
“Fun is what got us in this position.”
“Oh my God, we’re going to be parents.” Zane’s face went pale and I knew that it was hitting him fresh all over again.
“We’ll be fine.”
“I’m glad one of us believes that.”
“Let’s have some fun tonight.” An idea flashed into my mind. “Let’s go to karaoke and just relax.”
“I thought you wanted to go and look at baby stuff?”
“That can wait.” I shook my head. “The stores will still be there tomorrow. Tonight I want us to go karaoke.”
“Did I hear someone say karaoke?” Noah walked into the room with Skylar, who was sucking on a lollipop.
“What’s ka-aoke?” Skylar looked at Noah with inquisitive eyes and bright blue lips. I tried not to laugh at the sight the two of them made. Noah was also sucking on a lollipop and he had bright green lips.
“It’s when people go out and sing to well-known songs.”
“Or not as well-known.” Zane corrected him. “I remember you singing a certain song called ‘Snakes going to get hurt’ and no-one in the bar knew it.”
“It was famous in France.” Noah laughed and Skylar’s eyes lit up.
“I wanna go to France and sing about snakes.”
“Hmm, I’d rather you sing about cows and pigs on a farm.” Noah smiled at her gently and ignored the other part of her comment.
“In France?” she continued.
“No, we’re not going to France.” He tried to sigh, and I felt sorry for him and the memories the thought of France must be bringing up.
“We can play karaoke this weekend if you want, Skylar.” I changed the subject and went over to the little girl. Her hair hung in soft blond tresses down her back and her big sky-blue eyes looked back at me hopefully. “We can sing all the songs you want to sing. We’ll make it a party. You, me, Noah, Uncle Zane.”
“And Aunty Robin and Uncle Leo?” she asked excitedly and starting jumping up and down.
“Stop.” Noah’s voice was a bit harsh. “Stop jumping, Skylar. You can hurt yourself jumping up and down with a lollipop in your mouth.”
“Sorry, Noah.” Her lower lip trembled and he bent down and hugged her.
“I didn’t mean to raise my voice, Sky, I just want to make sure you don’t harm yourself.”
“Because you love me.” She nodded as she spoke. “You only got a little mad because you love me and you want me to be okay. You would never harm me.”
“Exactly, my love.” Noah whispered into her ear and my heart melted as I watched the two of them. Then I thought about Zane being as loving with our children and tears came to me eyes. Zane and Noah were both so loving for two men who had grown up without the love of their parents. It made my heart ache and expand for both of them.
“I can’t wait for my party.” Skylar grinned and stared at me. “Maybe Uncle Leo will sing with me.”
“Maybe.” I smiled back at her, laughing inside. Skylar had barely met Leo for ten minutes when she had woken up and come downstairs the previous evening. But he had already won her over; something that Noah was none too pleased about.
“Leo may not be able to make it, honey.” Noah started and Skylar pouted. “But we’ll see.”
“Okay. I’m going to watch TV.” Skylar ran into the living room and Noah stood up slowly.
“I guess the karaoke tonight is a private event?”
“Do you have a babysitter for Skylar?” Zane asked him pointedly and he grinned back at us, slightly embarrassed.
“Okay, okay. I forgot that part.”
“Did you and Skylar have fun at the mall?” I asked and looked at the assortment of bags in his hands. “It looks like you were able to pick up a lot of goodies.”
“She has clothes and toys for years now.” His eyes grew wide. “For years, I tell you.”
“More like a few months.” I laughed, pleased that it had gone well. “Maybe I need you to help me choose a wedding dress.”
“That’s not fair.” Zane interrupted. “How can he get to help and I can’t?”
“Because he’s not the one I’m marrying, unless you’d rather I change my mind and marry him. That way, you can help me pick a dress.”
“Funny. Not.” Zane put his arm around my waist. “If you keep making these jokes, I’m going to think you’re serious.”
“Who said they’re jokes?” I stared at him with a deadpan face and then burst out laughing. “Don’t be an idiot, Zane.”
“I’m an idiot for your love.”
“You mean a fool?”
“Huh?” He looked at me blankly.
“It’s a song.” Noah winked at me. “You may well be with the wrong brother, Lucky.”
“Shut up, Noah.” Zane growled and placed his lips on mine. He kissed me softly and his tongue traced along my lips, caressing me as his teeth nibbled. I melted against him and let out a sigh, before he pulled back with a satisfied grin. “And that’s why you love me.”
“Okay, guys. Get a room.” Noah groaned and I looked up and saw a glimpse of envy in his eyes.
“How’s Robin?” I asked him softly and he shook his head.
“No idea, haven’t seen her since Leo took her home the other night.” He shrugged, but I could hear the frustration in his voice.
“You should give her a call.”
“If she wants to talk, she can call me.” He made a face. “Or maybe she’s fallen for Leo’s blond good looks again and forgotten about me.”
“Noah.” I bit my lip. “Don’t jump to conclusions. You don’t know what’s going on with her.”
“She never told me she dated anyone. She made me feel like her last boyfriend was before she moved to Los Angeles.”
“I don’t think she considers Leo an ex.”
“She obviously liked him.” He frowned. “And he liked her.”
“Well, he let her go.” I touched his shoulder. “You know I love Leo, but he left her. He’s old news.”
“Yeah, but am I a better bet? I lied to her.” His eyes looked pained as he looked back at me. “But, I have other things to worry about now. I’m going to go and watch TV with Skylar.”
“Okay.” I gave him a sympathetic look and then turned to Zane. “What are we going to do?”
“Nothing.” He looked at me seriously. “This is none of our business. We’re not going to do anything.”
“But—.”
“But nothing, we’re not going to get involved with this.” His eyes issued me a warning. “Robin needs to make her own decision.”
“Fine.” I looked up at him and kissed him on the lips. “I suppose that this once, you may be right.”
“Has the world ended? Did you finally admit that I’m actually right about something?”
“Don’t get used to it.” I laughed and placed my head on his chest. “I do love you, Zane Beaumont.”