Thanks for the reviews, one more chapter after this one.
Josie smiled as Mark packed up his fishing gear, it was three in the morning, but she was just up to see him off, she had told him there was no way in hell she was going fishing.
Mark had just laughed. The last four months had been perfect. No major glitches in the road, she had moved in with Mark, it wasn't something they discussed, it had just gradually happened.
Josie was as happy as a person could get and so was Mark. The two had adjusted perfectly to living together.
Margery had been upset to find they had decided to cohabitant, but Josie refused to be drawn in to a battle with her and told Margery it wasn't up for discussion, and that was the end of that. Summer was long gone, the fall was upon them, and Josie was getting ready for a visit from her sister and brother in law in a couple of weeks, her dad was set to visit right before Christmas.
Josie couldn't be happier about the pace her life was going, Mark hadn't mentioned marriage again and she was happy about that at first, this in itself was a big step for her, but the more it crossed her mind lately the less is scared her.
Mark pulled her close and kissed her. "I'll see you about four, now its chilly get back in the house."
Josie snuggled against his warm chest.
"Go on girl, you be a good girl, and daddy will have a nice treat for you." He teased.
Josie giggled. "Better not be a fish." She said wrinkling her nose.
Mark laughed and pinched her nose. "No fish, just something else I know you like." He said smacking her ass. Josie laughed. "If its what I'm thinking, I know I'm going to like it." She said rubbing her hand over the front of his jeans.
Mark bent and kissed her hard. "You got a nasty mind, thats what I love about you."
Josie just laughed and Mark pulled her close. "Go on, or I'll make you come with me."
Josie backed up so fast that Mark had to laugh. "I love you."
She grinned. "I love you too."
Josie went back in the house, she was wide awake now, she grabbed a cup of the coffee and went and curled up on the couch in the den, flipping on the TV. Tom came in and curled up beside her and she smiled and he settled on her feet.
She had a few drinks of the coffee and frowned, it sure didn't taste so good, she got up and sat it down, she wondered if the water was messed up or something, Mark didn't mention it tasting funny. Suddenly she clamped a hand over her mouth and ran for the bathroom, she made it and emptied her stomach and lay there breathing hard, she hoped she wasn't coming down with something. She closed her eyes for a minute and the got up and rinsed her mouth, then froze, no way, she thought.
Josie ran to their bedroom and pulled out her pills and started counting and sank to the floor, being in love had took a toll on her brain, she had missed two days."Dummy." She muttered. She got up and got dressed, she might as well find out for sure, she would go to the pharmacy and buy a birth control test. "Then what?" She asked herself.
Josie took the test, but inside she already knew and the test only confirmed it, she was pregnant, since she didn't have a regular period anyway, she had no way of knowing how far along she was, she phoned her doctor and made a appointment for that afternoon, telling the nurse it was a emergency, well it was for her she reasoned. She knew she was lucky to get in on a Friday. She got off the phone and walked around in a daze, what the hell was she going to do?
Josie lay back as Doctor Jamison examined her. She forced her mind blank, she didn't want to be here, having to worry about this.
"Okay Josie sit up. Josie adjusted the stupid paper gown and sat up. The doctor pulled a stool over to sit in front of her. "You're three months long, its a wonder you wasn't having any nausea before this, but some women don't have a lot, so you must be one of the lucky ones."
"Three months, but I just skipped two pills this month, that cant be right."
The Doctor shook his head. "Pills fail, or you could have missed a few pills before and didn't notice, but you are definitely three months, do you want this baby?"
Josie hung her head. "I don't know."
"Josie you have to make a decision soon, pretty soon, you wont have a choice." He said.
Josie knew he was talking about abortion, but the thought of aborting Mark's baby, made her sick to her stomach, she loved him, she knew how bad he wanted children.
Josie walked in the house, not knowing what to do with herself, she was so confused, if she had this baby, she didn't want to be like Margery, never being with the child , always working, never home, but she liked working. Josie sank on the sofa in the den, she had never been so scared and confused in her life.
Mark looked at the time as he walked in the house, it was a little later than he had anticipated. He smelled something good and walked back to the kitchen to find Josie cooking dinner. He wrapped his arms around her. "Smells good."
Josie leaned back against him. He frowned, something seemed off. "You okay?"
Josie took his hand. "We need to talk."
Mark followed her to the table and he sat down beside her, his thoughts were racing, maybe she didn't want to be with him anymore, or he was smothering her.
Josie squeezed his hand. "I'm pregnant."
Mark was floored and didn't say anything for a full minute. Then he looked up at her. "Are we happy about it?"
Josie knew in that moment, how much she loved him, how much he loved her, she knew how bad Mark wanted kids, how happy he must be, but he was waiting for her, her decision.
Josie leaned forward and laid her head on his chest, Mark's hand came up to cup the back of her head. "We're happy, just scared." She said.
Mark let out the breath he had been holding, this he could deal with. "Scared of what baby?"
"Its just going to be hard for me to quit work, I like to work, but I'll deal with it, scared that I might be like Margery, not there for this kid."
Mark pushed her back to look at her. "Who said you have to quit work, I'm here, you don't have to quit work, Josie."
Josie looked confused, she just assumed Mark would want her home with the baby. "Well I don't want our child wondering where I'm at all the time, I want to be here for them."
Mark hugged her. "Its not like you're gone for days at a a time, you go to work, you come home, you're off on weekends, we'll be a family Josie, I'll be here all the time, its gonna be fine, you'll see."
"So you don't mind if I work?"
Mark laughed. "No Josie, I want ya to be happy, whatever makes you happy, we're going to be the best parents in the world, you'll see." He said bending to kiss her.
Josie kissed him back relief flooding her, Mark made her believe they could do anything.
Josie pulled back. "Mark?"
"Hmm?" He asked smiling in happiness.
"Do you want to get married?" She asked looking nervous.
Mark jumped out of the chair and grabbed her twirling her around. "Darlin, nothing would make me happier."
Josie smiled and held on tight to him, everything in her world made sense now, loving Mark was the best thing that ever happened to her.
Two weeks later..
"Ana its so great having you here." Josie said looking at her sister, where as she had light brown hair and brown eyes, Ana leaned more toward the blond spectrum with blue eyes, she looked like their dad.
They were laying in Josie and Mark's bedroom, drinking hot chocolate and eating Captain Crunch..supposedly watching TV, but mostly they were talking.
"I'm so excited I get to be your maid of honor, I'm glad you guys aren't waiting and if I haven't told you, Mark is a doll, he's so sweet." Ana said grabbing the Captain Crunch.
Josie smiled. "Yeah I think so to, just think, you'll be having you baby in January, me in April, Girl, I'm so excited."
Ana grinned. "Who would have thought you and me being so happy, married, with kids on the way."
"Not me thats for sure, but Ana, I love Mark so much, I just know everything is going to work out perfect."
Ana nodded. "Daddy will be in tomorrow night, I'm so glad he dug his head out of the jungle to walk you down the isle."
Josie grinned. "Me too."
"So Mark and Ben seem to be getting along..." Ana said.
Josie lay back on her pillows. "Thats cause they're so much alike..Bossy, sports nuts, domineering.."
Ana grinned. "Sweet , wonderful, handsome , great in bed..."
They both burst into a fit of giggles.
Ben and Mark were in the den, having a beer and watching a football game. "So you nervous?"
Mark shook his head, looking over at the dark headed man. "No, cant wait, I've known for a while, this is what I want, just had to let her come around to my way of thinking."
Ben grinned. "Yeah been there done that, it took Ana a while, to realize there was nothing wrong with love and marriage."
Mark frowned. "Josie is really worried about her mother coming, she called and asked her, but she said Margery wouldn't give her a answer."
Ben nodded. "Margery is hard to deal with at best, but I just try to think if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have Ana, that usually helps, some anyway." he said laughing.
"Yeah I guess I'll have to look at it like that." Mark said, he wasn't sure if he wanted Margery showing up at his wedding or not, he knew Josie wanted her there, but he didn't want her causing Josie any stress, especially with her being pregnant.
Ben just smiled, it was obvious Mark was crazy about Josie, for Margery's sake, he hoped she didn't cause any trouble. "So what do you want a girl or a boy?" Ben asked, he and Ana had arrived with the news they were having a boy.
Mark grinned. "A little girl, just like Josie."
Ben's smiled got even wider, Mark had it bad, he could see that.
Josie and Ana lay in the big bed trading stories about their men and giggling.
Mark and Ben stood in the doorway watching them, smiling. "Princess, I think its way past your bedtime."
Ana looked up and saw Ben and then looked at Josie. "See bossy."
Josie and Ana both fell into a fit of giggling and Mark and Ben just shook their head, the girls had a case of being silly.
"Are you two always like this when you're together?" Mark asked.
Josie and Ana both nodded. "Yep." They said together.
Ben bent and scooped his wife up in his arms. "Goodnight Josie, Mark.
"Night." Josie said smiling.
Mark said goodnight and Ana waved at her sister. Mark closed the door behind them and walked over and sat down next to Josie. "You having a good time?"
Josie nodded and hugged him. " I love having Ana here, and I'm so excited, we're going to married day after tomorrow, are you excited?" She asked practically bouncing in the bed.
Mark put his hands on her shoulders. "Yes I'm excited, Have you been drinking caffeine, I thought we already had a talk about this."
Josie got a trapped look on her face. "You know, I'm so sleepy, I cant stay awake another minute."
"I don't think so, what have you been drinking?" he asked frowning.
"Umm well, when me and Ana went out earlier, we stopped at Starbucks and got some Frappacinos."
"Good grief, thats worse than regular coffee, my child is probably bouncing around like a volleyball in there, didn't the doctor say caffeine is bad for the baby, or did I hear wrong?"
"Mark, gee I just wanted one, okay, I wont do it again, ease up, I'm not two." She snapped.
Mark counted to ten in his head. "Josie lose the attitude, no more coffee, soda or tea, while you're pregnant, end of story." He said getting up.
Josie just flipped on her side and looked away from him. "Bossy ass."
Mark turned back. "Excuse me."
"I didn't say anything, you starting to hear things now?" Josie asked closing her eyes.
Mark's hand itched to light a fire on her cute ass, but he didn't, firstly she was pregnant , he knew it wouldn't hurt her or the baby, but he didn't want to upset her, while she was pregnant , although if she kept it up, he might make an exception, secondly, he knew being the way she was , she might just call off the wedding to pay him back, he wasn't willing to take that chance.
Josie was on a roll, he was backing down and she just pushed harder. "What, not going to threaten me, whats wrong Mark?" She snapped.
Mark had few options, he was pissed off and he didn't want to say something he might regret. "Josie, if this is the way you want to act because I'm concerned about you and the baby, fine act like a brat, I'll be downstairs in the den." He walked over and went out the door closing quietly behind him.
Josie rolled over burying her face in his pillow, why had she pushed him and she had purposely pushed him, to see what he would do, she knew it was unfair. Josie knew Mark held back a lot because he was afraid of scaring her off, and she had used it against him, just trying to see how far, she could go.
Josie knew on some level, she had just wanted to see what he would do, the whole caffeine thing was stupid, she knew she wasn't supposed to have it, she had gave in to momentary craving, but she knew Mark wouldn't like it, she should have just told him, it wouldn't happen again, instead of being a smart ass, what the hell was coming over her?"
She laid there miserable without Mark, tears pooling in her eyes. She thought about the last few months with Mark, she loved him and he loved her, but she had known for a while, Mark was holding back with her, biting his tongue, trying to be what he thought she wanted, but what did she want?
She loved Mark, she loved him the way he was, he never asked her to be anything other than who she was, had she been unfair to him, letting him change, to suit her.
Josie sat up tears in her eyes, she truly loved him, bossy ass attitude and all. Josie got up and headed downstairs to the den. She walked in to find him laying back in his recliner. She walked over and stood in front of him. "Mark, are you sure you want to marry me?"
Mark sat up swiftly and pulled her down in his lap."Josie, I might get pissed at you, mad, whatever you want to call it, but I love you, of course I want to marry you."
Josie lifted her head and lifted one hand to his cheek. "Mark I feel the same way, no matter what you did, I mean even if you get mad and yell at me or whatever, I would still want to marry you, what I'm trying to say is, that you need to stop trying to be something you're not, I kinda figured out, you're a bossy , hard headed old fashioned man, thats not news for me, I fell in love with you...I guessed a long time ago, you like smacking my ass, a little obsessed with it do doubt." She said grinning. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I like you just the way you are, you don't ever have to worry about losing me."
Mark felt a weight lift off his chest and he hugged her close to his chest. "God I love ya Josie."
She just smiled and hugged him. "I'm sorry I'm such a pain sometimes."
Mark kissed her cheek. "Its okay..I love you just the way you are, but we still haven't covered caffeine consumption have we?"
Josie gave him her best puppy eyes. "I wont touch another drop."
Mark nodded. "No, you wont."
Mark stood and took her hand. "C'mon, its late."
Josie followed him with a grin, she knew her and Mark might clash sometimes, but she knew whatever came, they would face it together.