A/N I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season! Here's a little Thornton sweetness for you :)
...
"Jack, we're going to be late."
"Calm down, I'm coming." He came down the stairs, straightening his tie. "How do I look?"
"You look handsome. So handsome, in fact, I think I want to have your babies. Oh, wait." I smirked and put my hands on my stomach.
"You look beautiful." He leaned in and kissed me. "Ready to go?"
"Mhmm, just as soon as we say bye to Teddy. Your mom took him out back to play."
"Okay." He followed me out the back door. "Ma? We're going to head out now."
Charlotte picked up Teddy and carried him over to us. "Have fun, you two."
"Bye, Teddy Bear." I kissed his forehead. "Have fun with grandma Charlotte."
"Be good, little man." Jack kissed him, then leaned over and kissed his mother's cheek. "Thank you for watching him. We shouldn't be out too late."
"You enjoy yourselves, and don't worry about us. We'll be fine here. Right, Teddy?"
"Okay. Bye, buddy." Jack waved, then put his hand on my back and led me to the car.
...
Faith and Carson were in the middle of the dance floor, turning slowly to the soft music playing over the speakers.
"They make such a lovely couple."
I nodded. "They do. And what a beautiful night for a wedding."
"It really is so nice tonight." Rosemary sighed, looking wistfully into the distance.
"Missing your kids?"
She nodded. "It's nice to have some time away from them, but it's my first time out of the house without Matthias since he was born. I forgot how tough the first outing is."
"Tough, but necessary," I agreed. "Are you all settling in okay, then?"
"Mostly. Alina still hasn't decided how she feels about having a brother." She chuckled. "I think she's still upset he's not a sister."
"Oh dear. I really hope Teddy is okay with having a sister."
"When are you due again?"
"About a week and a half before Christmas." I put my hands on my stomach. "Unless, of course, she decides to come a few weeks early like Teddy."
"So you're almost in the home stretch now, the last trimester."
I nodded. "I know she needs to stay in there for a few more months, but I'm so anxious to meet her."
"Does she have a name yet?"
"Yes." I moved my hand across my stomach, to the place where the baby was moving around. "You don't get to find out what it is until she's born, though."
"Oh, come on! Please tell me!"
I shook my head and laughed. "Nope. Only Jack and I know. Our parents don't even know her name, yet."
"What are you ladies talking about over here?" Jack put his hand on my shoulder.
I looked up at him. "Rosemary is trying to convince me to tell her our daughter's name."
He chuckled and looked at Rosemary. "Good luck with that. She won't even let me say her name out loud when we're alone in our house."
Lee raised his eyebrows. "Wow. That's some real dedication to keeping that secret."
"Honestly, I'm a little surprised she told me the name in the first place."
I hit his arm lightly. "Jack Thornton."
"Well, anyway, if you ladies can find a stopping point in this conversation, I think it's time for us to head over to the dance floor." He held out his hand, and I slipped my fingers into his.
Rosemary and Lee followed right behind us.
Jack put one hand on the small of my back, keeping me as close as he could with my belly between us. As we swayed, the baby kicked the front of my stomach, hard.
"Did our daughter just kick me?" He laughed softly, his breath tickling my ear.
I smiled. "I guess she doesn't like our dancing."
He dropped his hand from my back, moving it to my stomach. "Well, she better get over that." He leaned down and kissed me slowly. "Dancing with you is still one of my favorite things."
...
A week and a half later, I woke to Jack's lips on my cheek.
"Happy anniversary, Beth."
"Mm, happy anniversary." I pressed my lips to his. "I can't believe it's been two years."
"Are you tired of me yet?"
"Never." I kissed him again, scooting closer to him. "I love you, Jack Thornton."
"I love you, Elizabeth Thornton."
"Oh." I gasped and moved my hand to my stomach when the baby kicked me. "Baby girl is awake."
Jack shifted down in the bed and kissed my belly. "Good morning, Em. It's your daddy again. I love you. You be nice to your mama today, okay?"
I reached down to run my fingers through his hair. "Have I told you lately how happy I am to have you as the father of my babies? We're all very lucky to have you."
He moved back up in the bed and kissed me, keeping a hand on my belly. "I say we're lucky to have you. I can't imagine making and raising babies with anyone else."
"Jack Thornton, you better not be imagining making babies with anyone else."
"I just said I can't imagine it." He chuckled.
"Well, don't even try to imagine it."
"Don't worry. You are even better than anything I could ever dream up."
I smiled and touched his cheek. "You sweet-talker. So, what do you have planned for our anniversary celebration tonight?"
"Not telling." He kissed my nose and slipped out of bed.
"Have I ever mentioned how infuriating you can be sometimes?"
He grinned. "But you love me anyway."
...
"Sorry I couldn't wear my blue dress this year."
"Don't be sorry." He kissed my temple. "It's kind of my fault, anyway. I just had to go and get you pregnant." He gave me a mischievous smile and took my hand, leading me into the restaurant.
"You're really going all out this year. This is the fanciest place in Hope Valley."
"Only the best for you. And don't worry, I checked the menu ahead of time to make sure there are some spicy options for you."
"It's not for me, it's for your daughter."
He chuckled. "Okay, then there are some spicy options for our little peach."
"Mm, peaches sound good."
He shook his head and smiled as he pulled out the chair for me. "I can't keep up with your cravings."
After a delicious—and spicy—meal and a dessert of warm peach cobbler and freshly-made ice cream, Jack drove us toward our neighborhood.
"Where are we going?" I questioned when he turned the opposite direction from our house.
"The night's not over yet." He glanced over at me and grinned, eyes sparkling in the light from the setting sun.
"That wasn't an answer," I grumbled.
He laughed quietly. "You'll find out where we're going soon."
A few minutes later, he parked the car against the curb.
"Jack, is this…?"
He stepped out of the car, walking around to my side to help me out. He took my hand. "Take a walk with me."
He was quiet as we meandered through the trees, eventually reaching the meadow.
"Jack…"
He leaned in and kissed me softly. "This is the exact spot where I asked you to marry me."
"I remember. That was one of the best days of my life."
"I didn't think it was possible, but somehow, I love you even more today than I did back then." He kissed me again. "Will you dance with me?"
"Always." I slipped my hands behind his neck, and we swayed in the dimming light. "I love you more than anything else in the world, Jack Thornton."
...
Abigail greeted us when we walked in the door. Teddy was leaning on her shoulder, awake but obviously tired. "So, everything is fine, but he spiked a fever, so I called Carson. He just said to keep an eye on him tonight, and bring him in tomorrow if the fever hasn't gone down."
"Oh, poor baby." I took my son from her, and he snuggled into me.
"He's been acting fine, though. I wouldn't worry." She rubbed his back. "How was your evening?"
I smiled and looked over at Jack. "Wonderful."
"Thank you for watching Teddy so we could go out."
"Of course." She squeezed Jack's shoulder. "I'll watch him any time. Baby girl, too, once she's born."
"Thank you."
"Well, I should get going. Good night, you two. And good night, sweet boy. I hope you feel better." She kissed Teddy's cheek.
Twenty minutes later, I was on the floor in the master bathroom, rinsing the last of the soap off of Teddy.
"Well, this isn't really how I expected to be spending the last few hours of our anniversary." I lifted Teddy from the tub, passing him to Jack.
He wrapped him up in a towel, lifting him up on his hip. "It could be worse."
"True."
He reached down and took my hand to help me up. "Family sleepover tonight?"
"Sounds perfect." I kissed him softly.
"Why don't you go get changed, and I'll get little man dressed?"
"Let him pick out a couple of books, too."
"Did you hear that, bud? You get to pick out a couple of books for mama and me to read to you." Jack kissed my cheek and carried our son out of the room.
I changed into my pajamas and pulled on my robe before heading downstairs to get a drink for Teddy. A few minutes later, he toddled into the bedroom, followed by Jack.
"Mama." He held up a book for me.
"The Cat in the Hat. Good choice, Teddy Bear."
"He's in a Dr. Seuss mood tonight." Jack held up two more books: Green Eggs and Ham and Hop on Pop.
"Apparently he is." I chuckled.
"Come on, little man." Jack picked him up and put him on the bed.
I handed Teddy a sippy cup of warm milk, and he snuggled up between us. Jack grabbed one of the books and began to read. I brushed my fingers through Teddy's hair as he stared at the pictures in the book, sipping his milk all the while.
Just a few pages into the third book, Teddy dozed off, milk dribbling down his chin. Jack set the book aside and wiped off Teddy's face.
He brushed his fingers across his forehead. "He still feels warm."
"Well, he can't go to daycare if he's sick, so I guess I'll take off work to stay with him tomorrow."
"I can stay home. You're already going to miss a couple of months when baby girl is born."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "I'll take any excuse for a little extra father-son bonding time."
"Okay. Thank you." I slipped out of my robe and dropped it beside the bed before I shifted down in the bed.
"This is new." Jack fingered the lace neckline of my nightgown.
I nodded, giving him a mischievous smile. "A little gift for you for our anniversary. Sorry you can't fully appreciate it."
"Oh, we'll definitely be finding a time for that." He kissed me softly. "I love you, Beth. Thanks for marrying me."
"Thanks for asking me to marry you." I touched his cheek, brushing my thumb across his lips. "And thank you for making these past two years the best years of my life. I love you, Jack Thornton."
...
"Well hello, Faith Shepherd."
She smiled, her cheeks turning pink. "I'm still not quite used to that."
"So, how's married life treating you?"
"It's been good. It's a little strange living with someone after being on my own for a few years. And don't get me started on sharing a bed." She chuckled. "Who knew men take up so much space in their sleep?"
I laughed. "Yeah, that does take some getting used to."
"Anyway, enough about me. Let's check on you and this little girl of yours."
After she checked my heart rate and blood pressure, I leaned back on the bed, lifting my shirt over my belly.
"Anything changed since your last appointment? Any concerns?" she questioned while she took some measurements and felt around my stomach.
I shook my head. "No, not really. She still been moving a lot. It's just getting more uncomfortable as she gets bigger, but nothing out of the ordinary."
"Good. Well," she straightened up, "she seems to be growing just as she should be. Are you feeling her movement more in one side than the other?"
I thought about it for a moment. "Now that you mention it, yes. Usually the left side."
She nodded. "That makes sense. She's lying sideways in there."
"Is that bad?"
"No. Most babies will lie sideways for part of the pregnancy. The majority are upright by this point, but your little one still has plenty of time to turn. Now, if she's still sideways at your next appointment, I'll give you a list of some things you can try to encourage her to turn head-down."
"But she'll be okay?"
Faith nodded. "She'll be fine. She's doing great, Elizabeth. I know you're going to worry no matter what I tell you, but you really don't need to be concerned. As always, let me know if anything changes before I see you again."
"I will. Thanks, Faith."
...
I walked in the front door and found Jack on the sofa with Teddy curled up next to him, a movie playing on the TV.
"Hey, little man, mama's home." He gently nudged him.
"Mama!" Teddy's face lit up, and he reached out his arms.
I picked him up, sitting him on my belly. "Hi, Teddy Bear. Have you been having fun with daddy today?"
He gave me a sloppy kiss on my cheek.
I touched his forehead. "He still feels warm. Does he still have a fever?"
"Yes. His temperature has been holding pretty steady around 102 all day, so I took him to see Carson. He thinks it's just a virus, and it should clear up on its own."
"Good." I lowered Teddy back onto the sofa. "It's not really too surprising that he's sick. Viruses spread like wildfire in daycares."
"At least it's nothing too bad. And he's been acting normal. He ate fine and everything."
"That's good. Well, I'm going to get changed, then I'll join you boys down here."
"We'll be here."
I returned downstairs a few minutes later, sitting beside Teddy.
"Hey, Teddy. Can you tell mama what else we did today?" Jack ran his fingers through Teddy's hair. "Who did we see?"
He let out a little whinny, then giggled.
"That's right, bud. On our way home from the doctor, we stopped by the stables to see Sergeant. Little man got to help brush him and give him some carrots."
"You got to see daddy's horse? That sounds like fun, Teddy Bear. I'm glad you've had a good day with your dad."
"Other than that, we've just been hanging around here, watching movies."
"Sounds wonderful."
Teddy leaned into my side and sighed. "Mama."
"I love you, Teddy." I kissed the top of his head.
Jack scooted over, resting his arm across my shoulders. "You had an appointment with Faith today, didn't you?"
"Mhmm." I nodded. "Baby girl is doing great. She's lying sideways, but apparently that's nothing to worry about."
"Sideways? How exactly does that work?"
"Her head is up here, instead of facing down." I touched one side of my stomach pressing gently against the hard mass of her head. She stretched at the contact, her foot creating a bulge on the other side of my belly. "Faith said she should turn head-down sometime in the next month or so."
"Everything is on track, though?"
"Yes. She growing and kicking and doing everything she's supposed to do at this point."
"Good." He leaned over and kissed me. "Oh, I may have gone a little crazy buying clothes for her today…"
"How crazy are we talking?"
He pulled out his phone and opened up his pictures. "Teddy helped me pick some of these." He scrolled through the pictures, showing me the little dresses and rompers he had bought. "I even found a place that will embroider the baby's name on a little hat, so I ordered one of those. And I finally found a bowtie and shirt for Teddy that match the Christmas dress I got for Em."
I smiled at the way his eyes lit up as he showed me the clothes. "You're adorable, Jack Thornton."
"It's funny, I never really cared about shopping for clothes until the babies. I just see these outfits and think about our daughter in them and I can't resist."
"She's not even born, and she's already got you wrapped around her little finger."
He shrugged. "She's half you. Of course I already love her more than humanly possible. Just like I love our little man." He ruffled Teddy's hair. "And you."
I kissed him, then he kissed me back, slowly, sweetly.
"I love you, Jack."