Forever After All by Kaylee Ryan

Chapter 29

Rip

I lasted about thirty minutes at my place, long enough to convince my sister I was fine and to send her home to tell her husband about their baby. I hugged her tight, told her I loved her, and sent her with a promise to call about tonight’s plans. It was maybe three minutes after she pulled out of my driveway that I grabbed my keys and headed to McKenna.

I can’t sit back and wait for her to believe that she and this baby are what I want. I have to show her. I have to fight for them. There’s no other option. I won’t ever stop fighting for my family.

I don’t think when I pull into her grandparents’ driveway, I just climb out of the truck, race up the porch steps, and bang on the door. “McKenna!” I pound again until the door opens. My arm is midair, getting ready to bang again, but I stop when I see Harold standing there.

“Rip.” He nods.

“I love her,” I blurt. “I love her so much I can’t breathe when she’s not with me. I want her to be my wife more than anything, and our baby.” I swallow hard. “She’s carrying a part of me, Harold. I don’t know what to do with that but smile and feel like I’m ten feet fucking tall. She’s having my baby, and I love them both.” I tap my chest over my heart. “Please, can I see her? I need to tell her. I need for her to understand that I’m not me without her. I want our family,” I say, breathing hard.

He watches me as I run my fingers through my hair. I’m ready to yell for her again. I need to see her, but when he pulls the door open further, I see her standing with tears rolling down her cheeks. I rush inside, past her grandfather, and pull her into a fierce hug. I breathe her in, willing my heart rate to slow. When I finally pull away, I cradle her face in the palm of my hands, wiping at her cheeks with my thumbs. “Kenna, I—” I start, but she stops me with her words.

“I heard you.”

“I meant every word. I’ll tell you every damn day for the rest of our lives.”

“I’m sorry. I thought—” She stops and swallows hard. “I thought that I was the reason,” she cries. “He told me I was a mistake and that I ruined his life. I didn’t want that to be you. He told me he was trapped because of me, and I didn’t want to trap you. I love you too much to do that.”

“Listen to me.” I wait for a few heartbeats, until I know that I have her full attention. “There’s nothing in this life that I want more than you and our baby. I don’t know what I need to do, but I’ll prove that to you. I will. I swear to you, McKenna.”

I hold my breath, waiting for her to tell me to kick rocks and disappear, but a slow smile tilts her lips. Her eyes are still wet with tears, and her cheeks are stained, but she’s never looked more beautiful. “I believe you. I freaked a little, and I still need to process what my grandparents told me today about my parents when I always thought that it was me, that I was the reason, but I believe you. I love you.”

I suck in a breath and press my forehead against her. “Oh, Kenna.” I laugh. “I more than love you. You are the air I breathe. You and our baby.” More tears stream down her face. “Come home. Please? Even just for a few hours. I just need to be close to you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” I nod. I don’t know what I expected when I headed here other than that I was ready for a fight. I was ready to plead my case, and I guess I did. I didn't expect her to be willing to come home with me, but I’m so damn grateful.

“Take care of them,” Harold says, speaking for the first time since I arrived.

Lifting my head, I keep my arm around McKenna, holding her close. When I look over at Harold, he’s holding Agnes the same way. And I know in my heart that McKenna and I will be them, living out our forever, guiding our children and grandchildren in life.

“Always.” I nod.

McKenna pulls out of my arms to give them both a hug, and because they raised such an amazing woman, and they let me in their home to plead my case, and just because they’re remarkable people, and I’m feeling all kinds of my feelings, I hug them both as well.

With my hand on the small of her back, I lead her to the driver’s side door of my truck. Opening the door, I help her inside, following after her. With my hand resting on her thigh, I drive us to my place. Neither one of us speak a word as we enter the house. I make a point to lock the door once we’re inside and lead us up to my room.

“Are you hungry or thirsty?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “I’m exhausted, though. I guess all the emotions.”

“Sit.” I point to the bed. She sits, and I remove her shoes from her feet and pull back the covers. Kicking my shoes off as well, I crawl in beside her and gather her into my arms.

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for. We had a lot thrown at us today,” I say, sliding my hand under her shirt, resting it against her flat belly.

“Yeah,” she agrees.

“I want a little girl,” I confess. “I want her to look just like her mamma.”

“Really?” She’s choked up, but there’s also surprise in her voice as well.

“I’m really fucking happy, McKenna. I know this isn’t what you would have wanted, and if you want to get married again in front of our family and friends, we can do that too, but I don’t want a divorce. I want you, and I want our baby. This is our time, beautiful.”

She rolls over and rests her hand against my cheek. “I used to fantasize about you being my husband. Laramie and I both thought it would be amazing to be sisters for real.”

“Sisters who are having babies at the same time.”

She smiles. This one reaches her eyes. “I guess we are.”

“So, we’re doing this? We’re married and having a baby.”

“Are you sure—” I cut her off with a kiss.

“I’ve never been more certain about anything in my entire life. This is us, baby. This is our family, and we have a lot of bedrooms to fill.”

She giggles, and the sound wraps around my heart.

“You’re my husband,” she says over a yawn.

“Fuck yes, I am.” I kiss her again. When I pull away, she snuggles close, and I hold her until I know she’s asleep before letting myself drift off as well.

* * *

I wake sometime later to McKenna lying on her back and my head resting on her shoulder, my hand lying over where our baby grows inside of her.

Our baby.

My wife.

Careful not to wake her, I move down the bed and place my head on her belly. “Hey, peanut.” I keep my voice low. “It’s daddy.”

Daddy.

I wait for the panic to hit me, but it doesn’t happen—nothing but pure elation that the love of my life is making me a father.

“I love you so much. Your mommy and I both do. You are the best surprise we’ve ever had. Well, that and the fact that Mommy and I are married. I love her, peanut. She’s beautiful, smart as hell— Oops, don’t tell Mommy I cussed. Anyway, she’s an incredible woman, and she’s going to be the best mommy. She has so much love to give. I just found out about you a few hours ago, and already my heart is bursting with love for you and your mom. I promise to be the best daddy that I can be, but I’m sure I’m going to mess up. That’s okay because we both have her.”

I feel a hand brush over my hair, causing me to turn and look at her. “Hey, beautiful.” I smile when I see her eyes are indeed open and focused on me. They’re also shiny with tears. “Good tears?” I ask.

“The best.”

“How much of that did you hear?”

“All of it.”

I nod. “I meant every word.”

“I know you did.” She smiles as her phone rings. “Hey,” she answers, keeping her eyes locked on mine. “Yeah, I imagine girls’ night is going to be a little different.” She chuckles. “I’m good. I’m home. Well, with Rip.”

“You’re home,” I chime in.

“We’re good.” She listens and smiles. “Hold on,” she tells my sister. “Laramie wants to know if we still want to come over. There’s a change of plans. Girls’ night is now family night.”

I hold my hand out for the phone, and she playfully rolls her eyes but hands it to me. “Hey, sis.”

“Everything good? She sounds good.”

“We’re perfect.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“So, what do my wife and I need to bring to his family night?” I ask her. She squeals so loud I have to pull the phone from my ear.

“Just you and your wife,” she replies, getting choked up.

“We’ll be there,” I tell her.

“Rip?”

“Yeah?”

“Congratulations, Daddy.”

“Congratulations to you. And I’m pumped. Daddy and uncle in the same day.”

“I’m going to be a mommy and an aunt,” she says, not able to hide her emotions.

“Go snuggle with your husband so I can snuggle with my wife.”

“I love the sound of that. I love it for both of us.”

“Me too, little sister, me too.” Ending the call, I drop the phone to the bed. “Looks like it’s now family night.” I grin.

“I can’t believe we’re having babies at the same time. It’s crazy that a silly plan we had as kids is now real life.”

“Well, Mrs. Callahan, you better believe it.”

“I love you, Mr. Callahan.”

“I love you. Both of you.” I place my hand on her belly and kiss the hell out of my wife.