The baby was something for me to focus on, to look forward to and alternately freak the fuck out about. After much debating, Cade and I had decided we would live out at his place. I felt like I was abandoning Amy, since we hadn't even lived in our house a year, but she convinced me she didn't mind.
"Seriously Gwen, I love you and living with you is the best, but I like my beauty sleep so you're practically doing me a favor by taking you and your future child somewhere I don't have to hear it screaming at 2am." She joked. "And it means we've got another redecorating job on our hands. Got to revamp Cade's bachelor pad so it's suitable for you and Supe.
I agreed with her on that one. Cade's house was nice, and more than big enough for the three of us but its décor screamed single man. I had expected some argument from Cade on that score but he had just kissed me on the head and said; "Do whatever you want to make it a home for you and Bun. Just don't do anything with the fucking TV."
What I did get an argument about was who was paying. I had been more than happy to finance the renovation considering I was the one insisting on it, but Cade got seriously defensive when I mentioned it.
"You are my woman, and this is my baby, I will take care of you both, you aren't paying a fucking cent." He had declared over the dinner table. I fought the urge to roll my eyes, I had expected nothing less from the macho man.
"Cade it's not like I don't have the money, and I think you underestimate my freakish ability to spend. I can pay." I don't even know why I even tried to argue. Cade's eyes had narrowed. "I know all about your spending habits Gwen, I've seen your fucking closet. I've also seen where you grew up, the car you drive and the house you brought. It's not lost on me you come from money. But the moment you became my woman, the moment I put that baby inside you and that ring on your finger, those moments meant I take care of you in every way. Including bankrolling whatever crazy shit you've got thought up for this house. I got money babe, I'm more than able to keep you in the lifestyle in which you are accustomed." I opened my mouth at this point to argue with his prehistoric ideas but he stopped me.
"I know that doesn't make you happy, but how about you put your money towards our little girl's future, like her college fund and no doubt to fund an addiction to expensive clothing she will inherit from her mother."
I had stewed on that for a moment, deciding not to fight over something he obviously wasn't budging on. He was also right, my little girl was going to be clad in designer from birth.
So Amy and I had taken a trip to LA to hit this baby furniture boutique that we had found online and shopped up a storm, with Cade's credit card.
I decided to fit out the baby's room in neutral colours, no tacky pink screaming everywhere. We put the nursery in the back room of Cade's house, it was big, had heaps of natural light and a view of the ocean. I had it painted all white, then got one wall painted with a tree of life design. It was a golden brown, simple, taking up the entire wall, its roots crawling from one edge of the room to another. No leaves, a symbol of eternal life, like the tattoo my brother had on his back. I had Cade's hardwood floors polished and varnished and they looked amazing. I had a huge sheepskin rug shipped over from NZ so my feet could feet home and put it in the middle of the room. The crib was white, and old fashioned, with white frilled bedding and a huge butterfly mobile hanging above it. I had a white wicker rocking chair sitting beside the crib, my Mum used to always talk about rocking me to sleep so I wanted the same for my baby. There was a big wicker sofa in the corner that had a light pink afghan thrown on top of it, and hand printed butterfly cushions. There was changing table underneath the window and a huge old free standing wardrobe beside it. I loved the room and so did Cade.
"Was expecting a fucking explosion of pink and bows babe, prepared to live with it too, but this is perfect." He told me after seeing the final product.
I was slightly affronted that he thought so little of my taste, but cut him some slack since I had turned his house into a war zone. And because he was putting up with my pregnant mood swings. Cade loved me being pregnant. Every time he was near me his hand would rest protectively on my belly, and he would talk to it when we were in bed. He even insisted on putting my stretch mark cream on. Me turning into a beached whale hadn't dampened our sex life, if anything I was more horny, not that Cade complained. He couldn't get enough, even dragging me off into a dark corner at the clubhouse during a party. He had bent me over against an old car and made me scream, luckily drowned out by ACDC.
Club business had been quiet also. They were out of guns completely and so far hadn't had any backlash. Their security business was booming according to Cade, but he refused to take any assignments that would mean leaving me for even a night.
"Missed out on two months of your pregnancy Gwen, not missing a fucking second more if I can help it." He had told me in explanation.
Things between him and Steg had even improved. They had some kind of mutual understanding. They would never have that father and son bond back, but there was some form of respect. Steg was slowly proving me wrong about my first impressions, treating me with care ever since I had got home. He had been at the airport when we got back and hand given me a warm embrace and sincere words about my brother. And every time I saw him he kissed my head and asked the same question.
"How's my little Templar going in there?" Meaning Bun. Since Cade was the closest thing he had to a son, our baby was going to be treated as his grandkid. I didn't actually mind too much, especially since, to my shock Evie had taken on the grandmother role with everything she had. Not that anyone would ever mistake her for a grandmother. But she was always coming to the store, bringing baby gifts, (a pink ‘Sons of Templar' onsie was my favorite so far) and had helped me oversee all of the renovations to Cade's house. Not to mention she always brought whatever I was craving that week, even when for an entire week it was cottage cheese wraps with pumpkin seeds.
Luckily Cade was just as patient, I had made him leave the house at 2am to go and get me grapefruit, near tears.
So that led me back to now, after two amazing orgasms, but unfortunately no labor.
"Fuck." I muttered after coming down from my wave of pleasure.
"Not the response I'm used to getting babe." Cade remarked dryly, from where he sat behind me. My back was resting against his chest and he was sitting up slightly against the headboard, his arms around my belly. It was the only comfortable, and humanly possible cuddle position thanks to my belly that should have its own sun.
"You know full well that was great." I huffed. "But I thought in addition to an orgasm I might also get a baby out of me."
I felt Cade's chest vibrate as he laughed, hands caressing my stomach.
"She'll come out when she's ready. I bet she's just stubborn like her mother."
I rolled my eyes. Cade hadn't always been so breezy about our child's lack of eagerness to leave the womb. He had actually been worried out of his mind the day after the due date, dragging me to the doctors demanding to know if the baby was okay. After some reassurance he was calmed down. Although I thought he might've attempted to bring an ultrasound machine with him if he could've hidden one under his cut.
Our post sex cuddling was cut short when Cade and the guys had to go check on some security thing, he did tell me what it was, but I was currently neck deep in self pity, so I didn't listen. It was too hot to be this pregnant! Cade had commanded me to either stay at the clubhouse with the remainder of guys left behind, or have someone drive me if I was going to go anywhere. Since I was bound to pop and any given moment Cade wouldn't let me be alone. Considering the fact that my girth couldn't fit behind a wheel anyway I didn't have much choice.
A couple of hours later, after making Bull take me to get five ice creams, I was happily sucking away at number three while watching my boxed set of the Walking Dead on the club's huge flat screen. I was hoping one of the frights I had been getting would shock the child out.
"That would never fucking happen, you can't get a head shot from that far away." Bull growled from beside me.
"You're seriously questioning the realism behind a program that is based on flesh eating zombies?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.