Page 82 of Hot Mess

Like Captain Wonder, I had a secret identity of some sort. And I needed to figure out how to reveal my true self to the woman I loved. At least Kayla wasn’t a high-powered congress woman like Katherine McGinty, Captain Tony Peale’s love interest, so revealing my true identity wasn’t a matter of national security. It was going to be a matter of high finance, and it wasn’t something I could hide, not from Kayla.

It was a very good thing her mother was now on my side; it had made our little conversation a lot easier when Kayla left to get dressed. Of course, I hadn’t told her mother my secret. That was for Kayla.

It was too cold and dark outside for my grand gesture. Hopefully, inspiration would strike and—

“I’m pregnant.”

I stopped walking. Of all the things for Kayla to say, that was not on the list. She took a few more steps before she stopped walking and turned to look at me.

I stared at her. How many times had I thought about how completely perfect it would be to get her pregnant with my child? She looked back at me with those big, beautiful eyes of hers. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever met, and she was going to have my child.

I couldn’t make my tongue work. Sounds wouldn’t come out of my throat.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

I wanted to tell her this was the most amazing thing to have happened. I wanted to know how far along she was. She would only have the best doctors that money could buy, and I could buy them. I needed to close the distance between us and pull her against my chest and claim her lips with my own. But I was paralyzed. I could barely gesture at myself to indicate that I was stuck in space.

She took a step closer. “Nick? Are you crying?”

Was I? I touched my fingers to my eyes, and they came away wet.

I fell to my knees on the cold wet sidewalk.

“Nick!” Kayla ran to me and was kneeling down in front of me.

Without a word I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against me. I had Kayla and we were going to have a baby. I didn’t want to let go, but I needed to get the box out of my pocket. I fumbled but caught it rather ungracefully. I pulled Kayla so she was practically sitting on my thighs. She looked over at my bad juggling, and the box in my hand.

When she looked back into my eyes, I swear her eyes were even wider and bigger than before.

I gulped and struggled to find my voice. “Kayla.” her name came out sounding gravely and thick.

“Kayla,” I tried again. “You are simply the most amazing person I have ever met.”

She stared back at the box in my hand and started shaking her head.

“What are you doing? You don’t have to marry me because I’m pregnant, that’s not why I told you. You should know…”

“Would you stop trying to protect me for a minute? You don’t need to protect me from myself, I had no idea you were pregnant when I bought this, and I certainly didn’t know when I asked your mother for permission to propose.”

“You asked permission?” Now she was crying.

My hands were already full, so I used the knuckle of one finger to wipe her tears away.

“You were raised in a very old-fashioned manner. If your father was around, I would have asked him. It’s a good thing you told your mom I’m the new Captain Wonder. I think that sealed the deal,” I laughed.

I had wanted to make a big production of this proposal, but we were sitting on the ground in the dark and cold. And I couldn’t imagine it being any more perfect.

“Kayla, I couldn’t be happier that you’re pregnant. I’ve wanted to ask you to marry me for a while now. I didn’t want you to think it was too soon, or that I was doing it for any misguided reasons. When you didn’t return my texts or calls, I was completely lost without you. I couldn’t focus. I stormed off set, and then shit hit the fan with those photos, and the entire time all I could think about was making sure you were safe.”

“Nick, I…”

“Let me finish, let me do this as right as I can.”

She bit her lip and nodded.

“Will you marry me? Together we can survive anything.”

She wrapped her arms around me and kissed me so hard, I overbalanced and ended up lying on my back. I was vaguely aware of the cold and the wet. I didn’t care, I had Kayla.

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