Where She Least Expects It

Chapter 22

Tom got in his truck and headed for town. He realized that he had been putting a lot of things off under the excuse of letting Becky heal, and it hadn't really been helping anything. He would fix things with Becky, then he would talk to his parents about coming over. He wanted them to know about the baby and Becky.

First things first, he pulled up to her apartment and knocked on the door. He heard her call, "come in!"

He walked up the stairs and saw her sitting on a stool at the breakfast counter in her kitchen. Just like that, something snapped in him again. He walked over to her and saw her start to say something but didn't give her the chance.  He pulled her into a passionate kiss and didn't let her go until they were both out of breath. 

She smiled, "I've missed you."

"I missed you too.  I'm sorry.  I've been scared shitless that I'm going to hurt you."

"I'm not made of glass."

"I know, but that's the last thing I'd ever want to do."

"I know."

"So are you ready?"

She looked at him confused, "ready for what?"

"To come home."

"I'm sorry what?"

"I kissed you, I apologized...now you can come back."

"Tom, that's not what this is about."

He looked at her...he didn't know what more she needed.  "Then what?"

"We haven't solved anything about our relationship!"

"What do you mean?"

"You thought I left because you wouldn't touch me?"

"Ya, I've been keeping my distance."

"I'll admit it didn't help, but we haven't talked about anything to do with us either."

"What do you mean 'us'?"

"Oh my god Tom!  You couldn't possibly be this stupid!"

"Well obviously I am!  I've told you I care about you and I care about the baby..."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Tom, I swear on everything you hold dear, that if you tell me one more time how much you care, I will have to kill you."

He thought about what she said.  He didn't know what to say.  "What else is there?"  She started to tear up, and he knew he had fucked up monumentally.  He thought back over what she said, and it finally hit him what she really meant...what she really needed. He went back to her and tipped her face up to look at him.  He smiled, "so I guess that telling you how much I love you will mean mass casualties for the whole town?"

She opened her eyes, "what?"

"Beck, I'm sorry I didn't lay it all out on the line for you before. I've been so worried about you.  I thought I wouldn't be able to stop myself if I got close to you.  I was afraid that talking about our relationship would be too much stress on top of everything else.  All I knew was that I loved you more than anything else in the world and, as long as you were close by and taken care of, that that would be enough for now."

"Are you crazy on top of stupid?  When has a girl ever not wanted to hear that her boyfriend loves her?"

"If she doesn't feel the same?"

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She grinned, apparently she'd have to live with the stupid part because it wasn't going away.  "You really are an idiot, you know that?  I love you."

His face looked shocked, "really?"

She nodded and pulled him in for an earth-shattering kiss. When they separated, he whispered it again and made her shiver. "I love you."

She grinned, "prove it."

"How?"

"You know how."

"We can't."

"Yes we can. I am cleared for any activity that I feel up to aside from riding and driving. Doctor's exact words actually."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

It wasn't perfect, but she finally felt connected to him again. She lay wrapped in his arms awhile later and smiled. She was pretty sure that she was the only person that could get a rise out of Tom. Maybe that was how she knew it was right...he didn't get worked up about other things, but this...this mattered enough to get worked up.

"I've got a favor to ask," He whispered in her ear.

"Kinda pushing it, don't you think?" She rolled over carefully to look him in the eye. "What?"

"Well, before I jump to conclusions again, I need to know, are you coming back to the house? I need you, and, if you're not moving in there, then I'm moving in here."

"That didn't sound like a favor being asked," she grinned.

"It's not the favor."

"Ok. Are you going to start sleeping in bed with me again?"

"Definitely."

"Are you talking permanent or just until the cast is off?"

"If it makes you feel better, I can say just until the cast comes off, and then fight you on it again at that point."

Her heart warmed. She loved her apartment, but Tom's place really felt like home to her. She felt like she belonged there, even over the last few weeks when he had been keeping his distance. "Or I could have mom and Alli help pack up my stuff here and then the guys can move it all over to your place."

"Hmm, I don't know, we have damn good make-up sex."

She grinned, "I'm sure we can find other things to fight about."

"Promise?"

"Promise, I love you."

"I love you too. Ok, then now that that's settled...the favor. I haven't told my parents yet about the baby. I wanted you to be there, and I was worried about stress, so..."

She smiled. She had always liked his parents and thought they liked her as well. "What'd you have in mind?"

"I'll make supper tonight for them? Maybe your parents can come too?"

"That sounds great. Should I be worried?"

He looked at her, "worried about what?"

She rolled her eyes, "I don't know...we're not married...I'm pregnant...it's only been a few months..."

"I'm pretty sure that they are going to be over the moon that they will finally have a grandkid and that you are the one it's with." He kissed her with all of the passion that he had. "We should probably get going though."

"Ok," she kissed him one last time and then got out of bed. She couldn't help but be a little nervous still...sure, his parents liked her, but she was pretty sure that they had never thought of her as his girlfriend before.

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