Filthy Doctor(52)

Even the team asked me what was going on in my life. There were times that I was content and relaxed with them as well as days that I was on edge. They teased me about a new girlfriend and I was frustrated that I couldn’t tell them the truth. I couldn’t tell them anything. These were like my sons and I wanted to share my news with them, knowing that they’d be the overprotective uncles to this baby. At this rate, I wouldn’t be with her mother since we kept fighting with all of the stress hovering around the situation. It was terrible and I grew more on edge being alone in my house as I worked on a pretty pink nursery for my baby girl.

The season started and I was busy with that, but missing Tory. She only came over on weekends since her parents were acting worried, something they had the right to when I didn’t.

It was making me crazy and I picked up the phone one day to make some calls. I had to find a way to make Tory mine so we could be a family once and for all.

I decided to give everyone until the upcoming holidays to drop the bomb. It would be a break for Tory and we got together for a big Thanksgiving party every year. I’d skipped it last year since my mother had come down with a serious flu that put her in the hospital, but this year I’d be home and able to go through with my plan.

I made some calls and hung up with a grin on my face as I stared at my phone and considered calling Tory. No, this as a surprise to her as well and one that I hoped was well received.

I had just over a month to plan and I took what Tory could give me in that time. I knew that she was stressed out and the upcoming due date wasn’t helping matters. Her parents were being overbearing and school was nothing but studying for her right now.

I let her study at my house in the evenings, watching her on the couch one night as I went over plays. She looked beautiful with her long hair and growing belly, and I saw her glance at me. “What?”

“I want you to move in,” I told her, nudging the subject as she stared at me.

“How? You’re lucky that I’m here at all. I doubt that they’ll let me leave the house once she’s born.” Tory was crabby, and I reached over and took her hand.

“Just study. We’ll worry about this later.” I assured her as she smiled at me and looked down at her book.

She finished with all of her tests just before the middle of November, and I saw her a little more than usual. It was hard to leave her house, but Tory told her parents that she wanted to shop herself for things, even though there was a shower coming up just before Christmas. I sat back and let my plan form.

Tory took advantage of her parent’s party planning and came by to see me more since she wasn’t allowed to help this year. She looked gorgeous even though she claimed that she was a beached whale all of the time. I disagreed.



CHAPTER 11



Tory

The party was next week, and I was so glad to be done with school. I helped Mom from the couch as she planned the caterers, called the bartenders and scheduled delivery of the additional tables that we’d need. As stressed as party planning made my mom, she loved it. Nothing made her happier than keeping busy.

I knew that she had a baby shower planned for me as well, though I’d asked for something smaller. I didn’t want it to be one of the events that they planned for the team or the extended family. That was intimate.

I left the house when I could to see James, loving the feelings of his arms around me. He soothed me in a world that seemed so uncertain, though he didn’t bother me about moving in anymore. He just acted happy when I was there as though he didn’t want anything else and I got scared with that. My mind was mush. I didn’t know what I wanted anymore, and I grumbled about the party.

“It’ll be fun, Tor. Lots of good food, the team. It’s tradition,” James told me as I rolled my eyes. “Maybe we can sneak off into that little room for old times’ sake.” I smacked his shoulder for that and crawled over him as I kissed him. It wasn’t easy, but we managed these days, and he seemed happy.

Too happy.

I managed to help Mom decorate for the party here and there, looking forward to it being over. Maybe then, James and I could sit down with them and tell them what was going on, just the four of us. I knew that there was going to be a fight afterward, and I wanted to keep it as calm and quiet as possible.

This was so nerve-wracking for me.

I wore a beautiful purple dress the night of the party with some black flats. It had cute cap sleeves and hugged my chest while it draped over my stomach down to my knees. I looked in the mirror after I lined my eyes with some dark liner and added some mascara. I didn’t want the bombshell effect from the party the year before since I got what I wanted, just without the man. I just wanted to be pretty because the cameras would be going off and my daughter deserved a beautiful picture of her mother before her birth.

Then I would go cry for what I didn’t have in my life; the man that I loved but was too afraid to say the words to.

James hadn’t told me that he loved me either, even though there had been hints about my moving in here and there and his telling me that he wanted me in my life. That was all I had and I wanted love for us. I wanted love for our daughter.

I went downstairs when the guests started arriving and forced a smile on my glossed lips as I descended carefully down the stairs. The team was arriving and I greeted them as they passed by me on the way to the bar to grab a drink, accompanied by their cute kids and beautiful wives. I told the family members that were walking in and hugged them as they told me how beautiful I looked.

James took my breath away when he came in, dressed in a classic suit with his hair slicked back. He shook my father’s hand and kissed my mother’s cheek before he moved to me. “Looking beautiful as always,” James told me before he leaned down and pressed his lips gently to my cheek before moving into the house. I felt wrecked with the idea that I couldn’t join him, holding his hand and walking around with him. I imagined him here with a date and the idea killed me as I watched him smile at everyone as he chatted, looking happy and content. What was his secret?

We sat to eat dinner and I considered myself lucky to be at the same table that he was. My father said a blessing as he always did at big meals and he teared up when he mentioned the baby and looked at me. I fought my own tears after all of the silence and stress I’d seen him go through over the last year. I glanced at James, who was smiling to himself as he raised his glass.

Why was he so damn happy? I wiped the tears away that were more than just a reaction to my father. I wanted to stand up and scream that I was in love with James and that he was the father of my baby. I wanted them all to know.

I was done with my plate and I pushed it away as James stood and cleared his throat. I stared at him, wondering what the hell he was up to. “I have a few things I’d like to say here.” He looked at my father and smiled. “Gary, I have been blessed to coach for your team. The guys are like my own kids but I’ve made the decision to resign and my assistant coach is happy to step up and take over for me. I have something else that I want to pursue in my life.”

“James, what’s going on?” My father stood and looked at him with angry eyes. “Is it money?”

“No, sir.” He stopped in front of my chair and dropped to one knee as my mouth dropped open. “I am in love with your daughter and she’s giving me a beautiful gift. The baby is mine and I want her to marry me more than anything and be a family.” I felt tears slide down my cheeks as the room reacted, but nobody stronger than my father.

“You did this to Tory? She’s a kid, James. What the hell is wrong with you?” I winced as we were all a witness to Dad’s anger and I looked at him.

“I’m going to be twenty-two soon, Dad. I am young but not too young to be his wife and a mother. I love him, and we’ve been seeing each other for months, only secretly. We didn’t know how to tell you, and I didn’t expect…this.” I looked at him and wiped my eyes. “What are you doing?”

“I’ve been dying to say all of this to you, Tory. I wanted to do it big and prove to this entire room that I’m in love with you.” He stood and looked at my dad. “Can I have your daughter’s hand in marriage, sir? I promise to take the utmost care of her and our daughter. I will make them my everything and give her the world. I just know that I can’t live without her.”

“Shit, James. I don’t know whether to punch you or kill you right now. She’s my baby…” He looked at James and me. “You two are really in love?”

“Desperately,” I told him as the tears ran free down my cheeks.

“Take care of her,” my brother said as he stood with my father, joined by the other one. “Take care of her and the baby.”

“For God’s sake,” I said as I wiped my eyes and looked down at James. “I know he will.”

“You bet your ass he will,” Dad said as Mom looked over his shoulder and glared at him. “Go ahead, James. Do what you’re going to do.”

James swallowed and looked at me. “Tory, I have loved you for far longer than I might be willing to admit and I’d love for you to be my wife. I want to make a home together for our baby. Will you marry me?”