Sorry for the delay. Sometimes real life intrudes and we had family in town during Spring Break so I haven't had any time to write.

Note: I do not write anything explicit but I have changed the rating of this story going forward just to be safe. Thanks for reading and enjoy.

Ch 20

"Hey Coop," Nathan said to his uncle as he walked into the kitchen.

"What's up?" Cooper asked, getting himself a drink.

"I feel weird asking this, but I don't know who else to talk to..." Nathan started.

"Uh oh," Cooper said, taking a seat. "This must be about sex."

"What? Why?" Nathan asked in surprise.

"Because, every time you have ever started a conversation that way, that it what it's been about. For such a good looking young guy you sure have a lot of problems with sex," Cooper teased. "First, it was answering your questions because Dan just told you not to knock anyone up, even though you were only 12. The second time was when you got serious with Haley and you called because you wanted to make sure you didn't screw up her first time. Now, I'm assuming it's because you aren't sure what to do with the very attractive young woman you find yourself married to."

Nathan glared at his uncle, "I guess this was a mistake."

"Seriously, I'm glad you trust me Nate and I'll try and help," Cooper said. "Although, as much as I hate to say it, it sounds like you probably should have listened to Dan's advice about not getting a girl pregnant in high school as well."

"You're a dick, you know that?"

"I'm sorry. I'll be serious," Cooper said, realizing that Nathan was not taking his teasing as the ice breaker he had intended it to be. "I'm guessing you're nervous about making love with Haley for first time since the accident."

"How'd you know?" Nathan asked.

"Well, I know when your first time was and I also know that unless you've been holding back, you don't have any memories of that time or of much since then," Cooper said.

"I don't know what to do. I mean... I know what I want to do, but I'm afraid of making an ass of myself. Do you think it's dumb to be freaking out about this?" Nathan asked, feeling stupid. "This can't be normal."

"Nothing about this situation is normal Nate. There is no right or wrong to how you feel," Cooper told him honestly. "Have you talked to Haley about it?"

"Are you kidding? I had a hard enough time getting the nerve to talk to you," Nathan said.

"I really think you should just talk to her. Tell her how you feel. I know you don't want to screw it up, but that's going to be much more likely if she doesn't know what you are feeling," Cooper told him.

"I just don't want to disappoint her," Nathan sighed. "I mean, how screwed up is it that I'm jealous of myself and worried about living up to what I was like before the accident?"

"I know you said that Haley was nervous about living up to other girls you'd been with so I know she'll understand this better than you think. She might even be nervous about being with you again and what you'll think of her," Cooper advised. "Just talk to her and work through it together. If it helps, I really think you'll be fine. It's mostly just instincts and trust anyway and you still have those."

"You give pretty good advice for someone who can't seem to keep the same woman for very long," Nathan ribbed, feeling somewhat better. Cooper was right, the best thing to do was to just suck it up and tell his wife how he was feeling.

"I'm great at giving advice," Cooper said, "just terrible about following it."

It had been a long, frustrating day and Nathan was determined to see his wife before he left for work. The last couple of days had really sucked. He had early morning practices so he was leaving while she was still asleep and then Haley had been tutoring during lunch and last period so that she had more time to get hours in at the cafe. He'd tried talking to her about working too hard but she argued that she felt fine and she needed to work now before it got more difficult as the pregnancy progressed.

He headed to the tutor center, hoping to catch her before she left. This only seeing each other in class and in the hallways in between was quickly wearing thin and he wanted some uninterrupted time with her, even if it was only 10 minutes.

He opened the door, seeing her sitting at the desk in the middle of the room, her hair pulled back and piled on the back of her head and was suddenly hit with a memory.

"We can't do this here," Haley smiled as she broke away from his kiss.

"Oh come on. No one else ever comes in here after school," he argued, trailing kisses across her neck.

"Nathan, we have to finish this," Haley giggled.

"Oh, I definitely agree," he said, continuing to kiss and nibble on the skin exposed by her spaghetti strap tank top, "but who would have guessed my girl would suggest doing something so naughty in her beloved tutoring center."

"Ugh," Haley groaned in mock frustration, "I meant we have to finish this paper. You can't afford to get a bad grade on it and it's due tomorrow."

"Well then why do you keep distracting me with that beautiful neck and those perfect creamy shoulders?" Nathan teased. "Shame on you Tutor Wife. You should totally keep those covered if you expect me to concentrate. "

"Shame on me?" Haley asked, "I had them covered. You're the one that convinced me to take off my sweater because it was supposedly hot in here."

"It is," he told her in between kisses. "You always make me hot. I'm melting here."

"Says the guy still wearing 3 layers of clothes," Haley rolled her eyes.

"I'm perfectly willing to fix that," he said, pulling back and reaching for the zipper on his sweatshirt.

"Nathan," Haley have squealed half groaned. "We really need to get back to work on this paper."

"Come on Hales," he said, "it's raining. How do you expect me to get any work done when I can't stop thinking about all the things we could be doing instead? Why can't we just finish it at home later?"

"Oh no," Haley argued. "If we don't have it done before we get home, it won't get done at all. I know you too well."

"Well you weren't complaining last night," Nathan reminded her. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I heard you say 'don't stop' more than once."

Haley blushed at his words, "I'm not saying I don't enjoy it. I'm saying I have no willpower where you are concerned and we need to get this done now so we can do those things when we do get home."

"Or we can do them now," he tried again.

"How about this," Haley said, "we hurry up and get this paper done and then we can go home and I'll..." she leaned forward and whispered something in his ear.

He whipped his head around to look into her eyes. "Really?"

She nodded her head, desire in her eyes. She never would have imagined she was even capable of feeling this level of love and need before Nathan came into her life and turned it upside down. Now it seemed like even the rest of their lives together wouldn't be enough time.

"Then why didn't you say so before?" Nathan said, turning back to the papers on the table. " Let's get this thing done."

"Now you want to work?" Haley laughed. He was so predictable sometimes.

"Hey, I just needed the right incentive."

"Hey babe," Haley said as she looked up and saw him standing in the doorway. "You okay? You look like you saw a ghost or something."

"Huh?" Nathan answered, bringing his focus back to the present. "I was just remembering something."

"That's great," she said, giving him a kiss as he approached her. "It's happening more frequently now."

He nodded his head . Most of the memories over the last week had been vague little snippets without any real context or information. This one had been a full scene and crystal clear. In fact, just the thought of what she'd whispered in his ear was going to make his evening at work feel twice as long. That was a memory he'd really love to have back.

"How did the doctor's appointment go?" she asked. She was pretty sure she knew, but wanted to make sure. No matter how hard she'd tried to temper his expectations she was aware that he had gotten his hopes up of being cleared.

"It's healing well, but not enough to clear me for contact yet," he told her, his hands clenching involuntarily in frustration.

"Hey," she said, "you knew it was a long shot. The next game after tomorrow's isn't for 2 more weeks. You've got a shot at being ready for that one."

"If they get that far," he reminded her. "If they lose, the season is over." It was killing him to be forced to stay on the sidelines while his team fought to try and keep the season alive without him.

"We just have to support them and hope they can get it done," she said. "How about the shoulder?"

"I'm allowed to resume weight training," he told her, "but nothing more than 50 pounds yet."

"Well, that's a lot better than 5," she teased.

"Yeah, I really hate that I can't scrimmage, but I guess I can at least try and get back in shape," he said. "They don't want me going full speed but I am allowed to move it up from a jog to an actual run. "

"I'm sorry this is so hard on you," she told him, "I wish I could wave a wand and make it all better."

"You do," he told her. "Just knowing I have you helping me makes everything so much better. I don't know how I'd do this without you Hales."

"I feel the same way Nathan. I just wish it were easier," she admitted.

"I miss being with you," he told her, holding her against his chest and kissing her temple. "Our schedules suck."

"I know," she said, trying to soak up this feeling to keep with her for the next few hours apart. "I miss you too, but I get off at 7 tonight and you are done at 8 so we should have a few hours together when you get home."

"I'm looking forward to it," he told her. "I hate that we never have any time to spend alone together."

"I feel the same way," Haley said, "but it's really important that we put away some money for when the baby comes."

He nodded in agreement. They had decided this was the best plan for being able to financially handle the baby and college when the time came but it didn't make it any less annoying to deal with.

He looked at the clock and knew he needed to get going if he was going to make it to work on time. "Brooke is still taking you to the cafe right?"

"Yeah," she answered, "and Lucas is going to take me home. No need to worry about me. I'll see you after work."

"I can't help it," he said, brushing aside a stray curl. "Now there are two of you to worry about."

"We will be fine and see you later. Now get that sexy ass moving or you're going to be late," she told him, giving him a kiss. "I love you."

Nathan sat at a spare desk at the dealership working on the stack of paperwork his father gave him and periodically answering the phone. It was boring work, but he was able to work around his schedule and it paid better than getting another job at the mall. He looked at the clock, only 10 minutes left before he could help close up and leave if he got his work done. Haley had worked tonight as well but she was supposed to be off by now and should be waiting at home for him when he got there. He was thankful that Lucas was willing to help with driving her sometimes because they couldn't afford another vehicle and he didn't want her walking at night.

He finished his work a few minutes after closing and filed the papers. Using the key his dad left for him, he put the ledger he'd been working with in his father's desk before locking the office behind him. That finished, he grabbed his jacket and headed for his car, hoping he could talk to Haley about how he'd been feeling tonight before they went to bed. He'd been trying to work up the nerve and thought he was ready if he could just have the time and privacy.

He called Haley and asked if she needed him to pick up anything from the store on the way home and then after telling her he'd be home in a few minutes he climbed in the car and put the key in the ignition and turned it. Nothing. He tried it again and still not a sound. He slammed his hands against the steering wheel in frustration and then got out of the car. He looked at the mostly dark parking lot and shivered. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason the darkness seemed more ominous than usual. The only other car left in the parking lot was on the other end of the lot and pulling out onto the road. He popped the hood but had no idea what to look for. He didn't know much about cars, or how long it had been since the battery had been replaced but whatever the reason, the car wouldn't start. He pulled out his phone again to call Haley again to ask her to come give him a jump start. He knew his mom wasn't home but her car should be since she went to Charlotte with Cooper for the evening. He called 3 times and each time it went straight to voicemail. Haley rarely ever turned her phone off but occasionally she forgot to charge it and it died, especially if she'd been out all day. He debated calling his mom but decided on Lucas instead since he was closer. He dialed and got no answer there either but left a message and waited a few minutes in case his brother called back. Sighing in frustration, he was considering actually calling his dad when car lights shined in his eyes as someone pulled into the driveway.

"Having some problems?" a voice asked as the car pulled up alongside his.

"Yeah, it won't start," Nathan answered, barely able to see who the voice belonged to in the dark. "I'm waiting for my brother to call me back."

"It's probably just a dead battery. I can give you a jump," the guy said, "I'll just pull my car around to the front."

"Um, not to sound paranoid, but what are you doing here this late?" Nathan asked. "The dealership is closed."

"Sorry, I probably should have said something," the man chuckled. "I was hoping to catch someone working late because I left something in my car that I need for work tomorrow. Don't you remember me? We met a few days ago when I was here to drop it off before I left town on business. You back to playing yet?"

Now that Nathan had some reference, he recognized who he was talking to. "I'm doing a little practicing," he said, "but I haven't been cleared for contact or full speed yet. Hopefully soon."

"Just stay patient and work hard when you get your chance," the man said . "Let's get you on your way home."

He pulled the car around and it was the work of a couple minutes to get it started and ready to drive home. "Thanks," Nathan said, "It could have been a long night."

"No problem. I've been following your career for while now. I'm a big fan and I'm glad I was able to help," he said. "Here's my business card. Feel free to call if you need any more help."

Nathan accepted the card and waved as he got into his car and headed home. That was a strange encounter he thought, but put it out of his mind. He had much more important things to think about and he was hoping to get a start on one of them as soon as he got home.

Haley had taken a shower as soon as she got home and then got ready for her husband to come join her, lighting candles and slipping into the nightgown he'd given her on their first date, still her favorite despite Brooke's attempts to broaden her lingerie horizons. She actually still had a few things Brooke bought her for her "Wedding Shower" that she still hadn't found the courage to wear.

She put on some music and turned down the bed. Nathan had called when he was about to leave so he should be home any minute. He'd sounded eager to see her on the phone and she hoped he'd be in a good mood when he arrived. He'd seemed a little down earlier. She turned off her phone to make sure that they wouldn't be disturbed and lay on the bed while she waited for him. They had the whole house to themselves tonight and she wanted to take advantage of it. Yawning, she realized how tired she was and figured she'd take a short rest while she could. She wanted to have plenty of energy for when he arrived.

break

Nathan arrived home and headed for his room, figuring that Haley would be there waiting for him. He walked into the room, his breath catching as he took in the scene she'd prepared for him and then looking for her only to find her curled up and asleep on the bed. He walked over and sat next to her on the bed, watching her as she slept with a soft smile curving her lips. He wanted to wake her up, knowing that it would be another long day before he had another chance to talk to her about more than superficial things, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew how tired she'd been lately, with work, school, and tutoring on top of her pregnancy. He'd read a few magazine articles when they'd gone to the doctors the last time and one of them talked about the importance of rest, especially early in pregnancy. He'd just have to wait a little longer, and in the mean time he would enjoy just being close to her. Climbing carefully into bed on the other side, he slid his body in behind her and pulled the blankets over them before wrapping his arm around her waist and joining her in sleep.