Page 39 of The Hot Mess

We were both painfully aware of the book club ladies still staring at us from the parlor, listening to every word we were saying. But the moment was too important to stop just for them.

“I talked to them,” he replied. “In fact, they came and found me to tell me you’re pregnant. They gave us their blessing.”

I was flooded with happiness as one worry after another melted away. I stood on my toes to crane my neck up to Jack. Our lips finally met again. One smooth roll of his tongue across mine and I knew without a doubt that somehow everything had worked out exactly as it was supposed to. This was the first man I ever slept with, and the only man I wanted to sleep with for the rest of my life.

I heard Jane, Lucy, and Magda all swoon behind us, but soon they slipped away along with everything else. All that was left in the world was me, Jack, and our baby. And thatkiss…which was the most delicious kiss he had stolen from my lips so far.

His eyes glinted at mine as he pulled back and ran his palm along the side of my face. I leaned into it, slowly blinking. I felt like I was dripping down to the floor in a puddle, so warm and relieved inside.

“I love you,” he whispered.

My heart soared and everything felt right. Better than right, it felt perfect.

“I love you too.”

He kissed me again, only this time the book club ladies burst into applause for us. I could hear them cheering us on and toasting their drinks to one another.

When we finally pulled away, I became suddenly and painfully aware of how I looked. I forgot that I had changed back into my old clothes and put my glasses back on.

“Wait,” I blurted, growing self-conscious. “You mean, you still like me like this?”

“Like what?” his brow furrowed. “Pregnant?”

“No,” I blushed. “You never noticed me until I started dressing differently. I wore contacts and makeup and waxed everything. I didn’t think you’d have any interest in me if I looked like this. If I looked likeme.”

He smiled and considered it for a moment. “Sometimes things have to shine a little brighter than usual to snap us out of it and get our attention. Doesn’t make the thing any less beautiful once you’re slowing down to really look at it for the first time. I may have been too stupid to see what’s been right under my nose since high school. But whatever you did to get my attention in the first place has nothing to do with why I plan on staying with you for as long as you’ll have me.”

“Good answer,” Magda commented from the next room.

“And you’re not worried about being tied down? You won’t be free anymore like you’re used to. I know how important that is to you.”

“I have no problem being tied down if it’s for the right reason.” He bent down to kiss me again. “And you, Jada Meadows, are the perfect reason for me.”

The ladies erupted into applause again as he dipped me back, popping my leg out for the most perfect fairytale ending kiss. But this wasn’t some fairytale or book. This was my real life.

Epilogue

Itapped my fingers on the edge of the chair, reading through my latest romance novel. I reached for the cocktail on the side table and took a sip. There was nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to worry about. I could slip away into my fantasy world for as long as I wanted. It washeaven.

I had a new kind of ease about me. Over a year ago, I set out on a mission to change my life. And I had done just that. When I returned home, I had a job I loved waiting for me. My siblings noticed me and appreciated me at work. Everyone noticed me now. Disappearing off into the background like a piece of furniture was a thing of the past. And sometimes, when I showed up to a meeting or got a little too tipsy at book club…no one thought twice about it.

I had outgrown my own stereotype, and it felt good. When I read about the heroines in my books now, it wasn’t just a fantasy world anymore. Because I put myself out on a limb more often than not. It was scary, but the most amazing things usually came out of it. I wasn’t just admiring them from afar anymore. I felt like I had actually walked in their shoes.

My big rimmed hat shielded my eyes from the bright sun that was blistering hot as it reflected off the white sandy beach. Big ocean waves were crashing down on the shore in front of me. It was a hot day, but thankfully I had my cocktail and a big umbrella to keep me cool. Plus a new bikini to show off my post-baby body, which was looking pretty damn good, if I did say so myself.

Jack caught my eye over the pages of my book. I watched him for a moment as his tanned shirtless body splashed around in the water. Those rippling muscles of him were glistening wet in the sunlight as he smoothed his hands across his hair, slicking it back into disheveled perfection. My eyes traveled down to the V at his hips—an arrow pointing straight to one of my many favorite things about him. Later, I would unwrap those swim trunks like a present for the treasure he kept hidden away in there, just for me.

The sight of him got me even more hot and bothered than my book. I slammed it shut and tossed it aside, hopping up to go running out to him. He heard me coming and swept me up in his arms, carrying me out into the perfect temp water to cool me down even more. He was my real life hero, and way better than any guy I had ever read about. Simply because he was real…and all mine. Him being a great father and equally as great between the sheets certainly helped too.

It was our first vacation together since the baby had been born. Actually, it was our first vacation togetherever. But Jack insisted it was the first of many. He had spent years traveling the world, never fully realizing that what he wanted most of all was someone to share it all with. Falling in love didn’t have to mean being tied down all the time. We were going to travel and explore the world together.

One day we would bring our beautiful baby boy, Nathan, along with us. When he was older. But for now, we were enjoying having the time to ourselves. It was an important honeymoon phase that we missed out on in the beginning.

“Five more days in this paradise,” Jack commented, looking out across the beautiful sparkling water.

“Are you sad about going back?”

“I won’t be when the time comes. I miss our boy already. And you know I can never stay away from work for too long.”

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