Loving Laurel Animals MC book 6

Chapter Twenty

When Ivan woke up the next morning Laurel once again was gone. He sat up glancing at the bedside clock and seeing it was actually pretty late in the morning.

He climbed from the bed, pulling on some boxers and a pair of jeans. He had to dig through his suitcase to find a new t-shirt since Laurel had been stealing most of them.

He walked downstairs and could hear children playing as well as women talking and when he entered the living room found Laurel. She was sitting on the floor with Addison's baby on her lap, her other nieces and nephews and an array of toys scattered about and were playing happily while Laurel watched and played with them. Addison sat on the couch sipping coffee.

Ivan glanced around at what looked to him like complete chaos except for Laurel, she looked completely at peace with the children running loose and baby on her lap. He suddenly felt like he had been punched in the stomach, she would make a fantastic mother.

"Morning," Addison greeted.

"Morning," He replied picking his way to the couch over the toys and tiny humans.

"Nice shirt," He commented to Laurel taking in one of this missing t-shirts.

She smiled back and offered him a little shrug.

"Look!" One of the twins demanded shoving a sculpture out of play-doh in Laurel's face.

"Oh, my! That is the best...uh...thing I've ever seen!" Laurel praised.

Addie laughed and Ivan shook his head as another child rushed forward eager for some of her attention as well.

"Why the hell would you want this many kids?" Ivan teased Addie.

"Well, we didn't but a condom broke so we had Alan, then we planned Ben, one night we didn't have a condom I hadn't started birth control yet so we got the twins." She shrugged.

He paled, feeling his heart drop, condoms. He hadn't used any condoms with Laurel, not a damned one. He glanced at her wondering if she was on the pill or not but she was busy playing with the baby and didn't even seem to realize what he was thinking.

He watched her lift the baby above her head, the sunlight shining in her golden hair, the baby giggling and drooling. Would it matter if she was pregnant? the thought briefly filtered through his mind.

If he was going to have a baby Laurel was the woman he wanted to do it with there was no doubt about that, and he wasn't getting any younger but Laurel wasn't ready for a commitment she had said so herself and trapping her with a child wasn't the way he wanted to win her over.

When he pulled his gaze away from Laurel he glanced at her sister who was grinning at him like a Cheshire cat.

"Why don't you hold him?" Addison offered.

"No, that's alright."

"Come on, he won't bite," Laurel said with a laugh.

The next thing he knew a very small, delicate human being was in his arms. He stared down at the infant and realized that he couldn't remember ever holding a baby before. Taking in the wide-eyed stare the baby was giving him, chubby pink cheeks, tight little fists, and fingers.

"He likes you," Addison said.

"He's pretty cute," Ivan admitted.

Laurel moved closer from her spot on the floor to smile at the baby in his arms. So small and delicate Ivan was almost afraid to hold him.

"He was planned," Addison said with a small laugh.

Ivan chuckled and turned his attention back to the baby and his tiny bald head that barely filled Ivans' palm.

"Well, when they're this cute I can see why." He replied.

Laurel reached out to place her hand on the babies head, he kicked his small feet in the air.

"Ezra's baby would be a little bigger than him," Laurel said.

Ivan gave a small nod, Ezra's baby. How messed up was it that his cousin had a baby and was six feet under while Ivan was here and had no reason to be.

"Are you going to have more?" Ivan asked.

"Shit, I hope not," Addison said with a laugh.

"I guess it's up to Rex to extend the bloodline then," Laurel said.

Ivan glanced at her looking for any indication that meant she was on the pill and not concerned about being pregnant.

"I bet that will happen," Addison said with a laugh.

"So what are you wearing tomorrow to the rehearsal dinner?" Laurel asked turning her attention from the baby.

"I'm thinking maybe this one blue dress I have, I don't know. Depends on what I can fit my wide ass into."

"Come on, you're as thin as ever," Laurel said.

"Not after six babies I'm not."

"Maybe I can come over beforehand and help you pick and get the kids ready," Laurel offered.

"That would be a huge help," Addison admitted.

As the women rambled on about what they would wear Ivan turned his attention back to his nieces and nephews. The day dragging on, pizza for lunch and then nap time for everyone under the age of ten according to Addison.

By the time Addison and he brood had all been safely tucked into her minivan night had fallen leaving Laurel and Ivan alone on the sidewalk.

Laurel smiled up at him, looping her arm through his as they turned to start towards the house.

"You did great with them today," She said.

"They're cute."

"They are but they can be a handful," She admitted.

"Not to you, you're a natural."

She shrugged as they walked up the steps onto the porch, she made a move to enter the house but he caught her wrist stopping her he pulled her back and into his arm. Leaning down for a gentle but passionate kiss.

When he finally pulled away he spoke.

"You're amazing."

"Ivan..."

"No, I know you're not ready and I know you're just in a weird place right now but I do care about you. I will always care about you."

She smiled softly.

"I care about you too."

"I...I would never force you into something you didn't want to do, you know that right?" He asked.

"Of course I do."

"and I...I would support you if...if you ever needed me too. Regardless of if we're in a relationship or..." He started to ramble.

"Woah, Woah, Ivan...what's this really about?"

He paused taking a deep breath.

"I just...nothing," He said finally.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, it's nothing."

She smiled and leaned up for a quick kiss before turning and going into the house. He waited a minute. What could he say? That he just now realized he might have gotten her pregnant? What if she was? did he want her to be? he didn't know and he wasn't ready to talk about it.