The Sweetest Fling Ch. 12

As she walked from the room and murmured voices drifted through from the main shop, Meg felt relieved.

It may have been too soon to tell Jack how she felt about him, but it was nice sharing it with someone, especially since Allie didn't appear shocked or worried about the news.

She let out a breath and glanced at the clock again, not feeling so much pressure anymore. She'd go home, freshen up, and put on something pretty for dinner, then Jack would arrive and make everything right in her world again.

Allie reappeared in the doorway, her eyes bright and her face flooded with color. There was no sign of the tiredness that had been there only seconds ago, and Meg frowned, looking over Allie's shoulder to find the reason for her friend's change in mood. "What's going on?"

Allie's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. "Now I know why you couldn't keep your hands off him. One look at the guy and I wanted to jump him myself."

"You're aware I can hear you, right?"

Meg's pulse quickened at the sound of the amused, masculine voice coming from the main floor. Her face heated, and when Allie swore under her breath and broke into a giggle, she almost burst out laughing too.

What if he'd heard her talking to Allie? What would he think of her now? She had no idea what he was even doing here. Meg combed her fingers through her hair, wishing she'd had a chance to clean up a bit before she saw him again. She shot Allie a panicked look.

Her friend didn't appear worried in the slightest. "You look gorgeous. Just get out there," she said. "I promise I won't eavesdrop much."

She couldn't hold back any longer. Meg hurried to the doorway, then threw Allie one last glance before she stepped out onto the main floor.

An abundance of giftware filled the shelves on one side of the room, with floral arrangements and potted plants covering the display tables on the other. Jack stood by the counter in the center where she'd set up a row of stools for customer consultations.

He picked up a silver angel and turned it over in his long, tanned fingers, rubbing his thumb along the extended wing. It brought back memories of the times he'd touched her in the same way, and her heart warmed at the sight of him.

He wore a slim-fitting charcoal suit with a grey shirt and black tie. He'd styled his dark hair, and his jaw was clean-shaven for the first time since she'd known him. He looked so much like a GQ model it made her feel even more self-conscious in her jeans and t-shirt.

"Welcome to City Blooms," she said. "What can I do for you?"

He set down the ornament and lifted his head. "You really want me to answer that?"

Her breath caught at the amusement in his eyes. Meg bit back a smile as her body thrummed with excitement. She wanted to run to him and jump into his arms, wrap herself around him and never let go. It took every ounce of restraint to stay put.

"Probably not, with big ears back there."

"Aw, come on!"

Jack smiled at the whining tone in Allie's voice, but his gaze never wavered from hers. They stood watching each other, neither of them in a hurry to make a move. If he'd heard her admitting her feelings to Allie, he gave no indication, and it helped relax her nerves.

"So... what do we do now?" she asked.

"Maybe you should come over here and pick up where you left off."

She remembered the last time he'd said those words to her, back when they first met and she made the decision to spend the night with him. It seemed like a lifetime ago now that she'd been standing outside his door trying to build the courage to knock. Now here he was in her shop, making the effort to be a part of her life and looking exactly like he belonged here.

She stepped a little closer, leaving enough of a distance that he couldn't touch her. "How's that?"

His eyes shined with laughter, and she knew he was remembering their first moments together, too. "Pathetic."

Meg smiled. When she saw the tenderness in his expression, she couldn't hold back a moment longer. It only took her a few steps to reach him, and she closed the distance fast, throwing her arms around his waist.

Jack leaned into her, hugging her so tight he barely left room for air. He pressed a kiss on her cheek and sighed. "You feel even better than I remember."

"I missed you so much," she said, pulling back to plant a kiss on his lips. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to take a look at your shop before you show me your place."

Five minutes ago, Meg had been sapped of energy and now she had an abundance of it. "Let me show you around and introduce you to Allie before we head off."

"Sounds good." He pushed a length of hair back from her cheek and the faintest of smiles appeared. "I've heard women like to get their best friend's approval for the guy they've fallen for."

A sound that could only be described as a cackle came from the back room.

Meg's stomach dropped, and she wished she could make herself invisible. Her face immediately flamed with heat. "I'm going to kill you, Allie! Just so you know!"

Jack smiled and pulled her against him. As soon as their bodies aligned, his humor disappeared, and he tipped her chin so he could meet her eyes. He swept his thumb over her jaw and gazed down at her, letting the moment draw out until Meg thought she might die from the suspense.

"You make me happy," he finally said, "and I'll do everything I can to make you happy, too."

Too late for that, Meg thought, her mouth twitching with the beginnings of a smile. He'd already achieved that goal the moment he locked eyes with her and whistled.

She had a feeling it would only get better from here.

~ * ~

TWO YEARS LATER

"I'm so happy for you, Meg." Catherine sipped from her sparkling water and rested the glass on her swollen belly.

At nine months pregnant, she avoided standing for long periods, but Meg thought she looked just as elegant tonight as she had the day they met.

They were sitting side by side at the bridal table watching Jack waltz with his aunt in the middle of the dance floor. Even surrounded by guests, he stood out like a beacon, her new husband--the man who'd asked her to be his wife a year after their week together in Bali.

Meg had a ring on her finger now, a sapphire and diamond creation she kept turning in the light to watch it sparkle. She could barely believe they were married.

She smiled at her new sister-in-law, taking in the healthy glow in her cheeks and the way her pale, yellow dress draped over her belly.

Catherine had balked at the idea of being a bridesmaid in her current condition, but Meg wouldn't have had it any other way.

She'd treated Meg like a member of the Townsend family right from the start, and it hadn't taken Meg long to figure out why Jack had harbored such strong feelings for her all those years.

Meg had fallen a little in love with Catherine herself.

"I'm happy for you two as well," Meg said, referring to their impending arrival, a baby who'd taken four attempts through IVF to conceive.

Meg hadn't been part of their lives during the first three rounds, but she'd had a front-row seat to all the anxiety, hope and stress involved in the most recent cycle.

Catherine smiled and shot a glance at the dance floor. "The way Jack keeps looking at you, it won't be long before you're in this position as well, then you too can know the joy of cankles, stretchmarks and being kicked from the inside by a miniature football player."

Meg smiled and fought the urge to touch her own stomach, an impulse she'd had more and more trouble controlling over the past few days.

In the hectic weeks leading up to their big day, she'd had to juggle her florist shop along with all the last-minute wedding preparations, and somewhere along the way she'd managed to lose track of her period.

Now, she was about seven weeks along.

She'd only confirmed the pregnancy days ago, but seeing those two lines on the test had triggered an automatic need to caress her flat belly and croon to a baby who didn't even have ears yet.

She'd kept the news from Jack so she could surprise him later tonight when they were alone in their hotel suite as husband and wife.

"I hope so," she said vaguely, trying not to give anything away this close to the big reveal. It had been hard enough trying to convince everyone that she'd chosen not to drink alcohol tonight because she wanted to remember every little detail for the rest of her life.

Meg and Catherine turned their attention to the dance floor again. The three-piece band had launched into a slow song, and her parents were swaying together beside Jack's older brother and his cousin.

Jack's dance partner had left him alone out there, but it didn't take long for Allie to swoop in and fill the vacant spot. Her dress was the same color as Catherine's, but in a style more flattering to her streamlined frame. Meg got a kick out of watching her, especially when she raised her brows in a way that said 'I just stole your husband'.

Meg shook her head and smiled, loving every minute of it. The day had gone exactly to plan, without so much as a minor hiccup to take any of the shine off the occasion.

Allie had worked with her to put together all the floral arrangements, and her mum had made a beautiful three-tier cake.

Despite the exhaustion she'd felt leading up to the day, her excitement helped keep the momentum going.

Now, all she had to do was make her big announcement to Jack.

Meg wondered how he'd feel about the news. They'd talked about wanting children, but hadn't made any immediate plans to get started on creating a family. She hoped he'd see the surprise as a happy little spanner in the works.

Her attention returned to her sister-in-law.

Catherine's eyes were squeezed shut, and her mouth slightly open. A low wail came from her first. A breathless laugh followed.

Meg didn't need to confirm what was going on, but she went ahead and did it anyway. "Cat, are you..."

Catherine opened her eyes and nodded, her expression turning a little panicked. "I thought they were Braxton Hicks." She pulled in a sharp breath and grimaced. "I've been getting them for weeks and weeks now, but they've been gaining strength and getting closer together all afternoon, so I never knew when to start worrying."

She looked down at her seat and Meg followed her gaze.

Wet. All wet.

Oh, God.

Sweet Jesus, it was happening right now.

"That doesn't look like Braxton Hicks," Meg said, even though she had no experience whatsoever in this area.

Catherine laughed, then pressed a palm to her stomach and groaned. "Can you get Josh? And tell his parents... and Jack. Oh, Meg. I'm so, so sorry. It's your wedding day."

"Are you serious? We already got the best part out of the way. Now we get to meet this little gate-crasher. Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back." She jumped up from her seat, gathered the hem of her dress in one hand, and rushed across the room with her heart thumping like mad.

A few breathless words were enough to throw the entire reception center into chaos.

Josh stared at her as she blurted out the news, then took off running the second he got the gist of her rambling.

Activity exploded around her.

The noise level rose considerably.

And all the while the three-piece band played on like a scene out of The Titanic.

~ * ~

Eight hours later, Meg sighed with relief as she walked into the hotel suite Jack had booked for the night.

She still wore her strapless wedding dress, but her hair had begun unwinding from all its intricate twists. Her heels were dangling from her fingertips, and she was pretty sure her makeup was in ruins.

They only had about four hours to go until they needed to head to the airport for their honeymoon in Bali.

Jack closed the door and sighed. "Thank God we're finally here," he said. "I almost fell asleep on the elevator."

Meg smiled and tossed her shoes beside the beige couch.

She wandered across the room and stopped before the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city, her reflection blending with the view of the darkened streets outside. Tiredness and anticipation had her feeling on edge and exhausted at the same time.

Almost a dozen relatives had crowded into the hospital waiting room, every one of them dressed to the nines while they waited for the snippets of news trickling from Josh through to the nursing staff.

Then, after five hours of labor followed by an emergency c-section--and her heart may never recover from the stress of that, thank you very much--Meg and Jack became the proud auntie and uncle to Avery Rose, a sweet girl with pink cheeks and pale wisps of hair.

Meg hadn't seen so much happiness crammed into one room before. The hugs and tears, the laughter and claps on the back. After all the emotion of the wedding and the fatigue that accompanied her early weeks of pregnancy, it had all been too much for her, and she'd burst into a messy crying jag that had baffled and amused Jack.

"Everything okay?" he asked, coming to stand behind her.

His reflection appeared above hers in the window, and his eyes settled on her rather than the view.

Meg turned to face him, eager to finally share her news. "I was just thinking--"

He let out a world-weary sigh. "Again?"

Meg smiled and poked him in the stomach. Her nerves took over and made her voice tremble a little. "I was thinking," she said again, sending him a look meant to keep him quiet long enough for her to finish. "That just yesterday you were a son and a brother--a fiancé, too. But now you're a husband..." She tilted her head and kissed the underside of his jaw, breathing in the scent of him, loving the feel of his light stubble against her lips. "And an uncle..." She kissed his cheek, the corner of his mouth. Her nose brushed against his, then she pulled back to meet his eyes. "And a dad."

Meg wished she could have photographed the look on his face. His initial shock turned to a narrowing of his eyes, then he stared down at her as the gears clicked into place. "Meg, honey, sweetheart, fire of my loins, if you're suggesting I had anything to do with that pregnancy..."

The words he'd left unsaid hung in the air between them, his expression stuck somewhere between wariness and surprise.

"Not that one." She'd seen the way Jack was with Catherine. Whatever feelings he'd kept to himself all those years were nothing more than harmless brotherly affection now. She'd never doubted him for a second. Meg smiled and reached for his hand, placing his palm flat on her belly. "This one."

His arm tensed against her, his fingers giving the slightest twitch. The look of complete wonder on his face almost had her bursting into tears all over again. "Excuse me?"

"I'm pregnant. We're having a baby."

Jack dropped to his knees without warning and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed his head against her breasts and let out a long, heavy breath, a wealth of emotion in the sound.

Meg stroked her fingers through his hair and waited, her heart swelling with love as she gave him his moment.

He clutched her to him, his warmth and strength surrounding her, his arms a protective barrier between her and the rest of the world.

Emotion rushed up inside her and she hugged him close. He'd be the most dedicated, loving, fearless father she'd ever known. To be on this journey with him, well... she hadn't quite got her head around it yet.

Jack sank further, his arms lowering to encircle her hips.

Through layers of silk and lace he pressed his lips to her stomach, once, then twice. "I love you," he said, giving her a squeeze.

She smiled and squeezed him right back. "I love you, too."

"I wasn't talking to you."

Her whole body shook with laughter. She wanted to smack him and kiss him and tear off his clothes, and not necessarily in that order.

"Come up here." Meg clutched his biceps and tugged until he'd moved to a standing position again.

She slipped her hands around the back of his neck and pulled him down to her level, touching her mouth to his with an eagerness she could no longer control.

Jack framed her face with his palms and dived in, taking the kiss deeper, pouring so much feeling into it that she ended up breathless and lightheaded.

Long moments later, when his mouth left hers and he cradled the back of her head in his big, warm hands, his eyes came back to hers. "How far along are you?"

Meg licked her lip while she tried to master the art of speaking again. "About seven weeks, I think."

"Why didn't you let me know before now?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"I only found out a few days ago. I wanted to get through the wedding without everyone knowing, then enjoy the news with you during our honeymoon--and just so you know, it's been a living hell trying to keep it to myself. I almost slipped up so many times, it was driving me crazy in the end."

He smiled and kissed her again, moving his hand down her body, pressing it against her stomach where it stayed, strong and steady. "I don't want to tell anyone until we get back from Bali. For the next two weeks, it's just you and me... and this little one."

Yes. Just the three of them, exactly as it should be. That sounded perfect.

"I love you," she said again, just in case he needed reminding.

Jack smiled and scooped her up in his arms. He turned and headed toward the bed, laying her gently on the mattress as if he wanted to take the greatest of care with her.

He gave her a soft, sweet kiss, then straightened and went to work loosening his tie. "I love you too, wife."

The End.