CHAPTER 27
THIS BOY
Leah had just gotten Noah back to sleep and decided to lay down herself for a little while before class as it had been a very long night. She stayed up late to finish a paper and then Noah decided he needed to eat twice instead of once, and now she was exhausted. Glancing at the clock, she decided she could sleep for a couple of hours and still have time to shower and get to class. Setting the alarm, Leah rolled over and closed her eyes.
That's when someone had the nerve to knock on her door. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," she mumbled into her pillow, quickly deciding to ignore it. It was probably just Jenny and she would understand if she didn't answer. Then the knock came again, only louder this time. "Shit." Not wanting to wake Noah, she decided she better answer it.
"Coming," Leah called out as quietly as she could as she crawled out of bed and shuffled to the door. After unlocking it, she cracked it open to gasp, "Oh my God." Suddenly she couldn't breathe . . . it's Paul. Paul is here! And he doesn't look happy. Paul was standing in the hallway in a black t-shirt and jeans, with a gray hooded sweatshirt zipped over it, glaring at her. Finally she opened the door wider. "Paul? What . . . what are you doing here?" she stuttered.
"I came to meet my son," Paul stated flatly, trying to control himself as best he could. He was torn right now between wanting to shake the shit out of Leah, and pulling her into his arms to kiss her senseless.
Leah's legs were shaking as she closed her eyes and tried to get a grip. Her heart was racing now - partially out of the shock of seeing him again after 7 long months, and partially because she could see he was furious with her.
"Leah?" Paul startled her and she opened her eyes. "I drove way too fast for over 10 hours straight. Please let me in."
Leah finally stepped back and opened the door for Paul to come in. That's when she realized her drom room was such a mess. There were dirty clothes pilled up in the corner, clean clothes on the couch that needed folded, a pizza box on the floor by the bed where she had left it last night after she ate the last piece before she went to sleep . . . "I'm sorry the place is such a mess," she said as she started picking things up.
Paul just stared at her. "You really think I care about what your room looks like? Damnit, Leah, you had a baby . . . MY baby and didn't tell me. I don't give a damn about what's laying on the floor."
"I know, I'm sorry, I . . . "
"Oh, you're sorry. OK, that makes it all better." Paul's anger had been simmering for 13 hours, and it was just about to bubble over. "What the fuck were you thinking, Leah? Did you honestly think you could hide this from me forever? Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
"No, I was going to tell you . . ."
Paul stepped closer as Leah shrunk away. "You were going to tell me? When? When, Leah? When the kid was 10? Or graduating high school? I just don't get it! I don't understand why you didn't tell me in May! My God, Leah, how could you keep this from me?"
"I just wanted to make my own decision . . . about this . . ."
"Your OWN decision? Like I don't count? That's my baby, too, Leah. Don't you get that? Why do you think you're the only one that gets a say here?"
"Because MY life would be the one to change, not yours. I was the one carrying the baby, and getting fat and I would be the one going through labor and then taking care of him . . . "
"And you didn't think I would want to be there for you? God, when did you turn into such a selfish bitch? What is about women? They get a kid and they turn into this . . . "
"Don't do that, Paul. Don't you dare compare me to your mother," Leah shot at him.
Paul eyes were blazing. "You're keeping my kid away from me. What am I supposed to think? I don't have a fucking clue why you would do something like that!"
"Shut up, Paul! Just shut up!" Leah shouted. Their voices woke the baby and he began to cry. "Shit. Now you woke him up and I just got him back to sleep," Leah whined as she walked over to the small crib and bent over it. "Hey, sweetie. It's alright," Leah cooed as she picked up the pacifier that was lying there and put it in Noah's mouth then talked quietly to him and lightly ran her hand over his belly. Thankfully, he took it and closed his eyes and Leah sighed. As she straightened, she noticed Paul, standing beside her.
Paul peered down into the small crib and what he saw took his breath away. There on the small little mattress, lay his son. HIS son. "He's so tiny," he whispered. The baby was lying on his back in pajamas with yellow ducks on them, his shock of black hair standing up and he was covered with a knitted blue blanket. Paul slowly reached out and very lightly touched his little hand.
"He looks just like you," Leah said quietly. "His name is Noah Paul Jacobs."
"I know."
"Who told you? It was Seth, wasn't it?"
Paul glanced over at her. "It doesn't matter who told me. What matters is YOU didn't tell me."
Tears rolled down Leah's cheeks as words started tumbling out of her mouth. "I know. I hate myself, Paul. I know I made the wrong decision. I knew it when I gave birth to him and you weren't there. I just thought it was so important to stay here and finish my degree . . . I thought I could do it alone. Then he came and . . . it's so hard to keep up, and I was in so deep with this lie, I just didn't know how to tell you. I was planning on telling you when Mom brought us home for Christmas. I am so sorry, Paul. Please, please, don't hate me. I couldn't take it if you hated me."
Paul hung his head as Leah cried harder. God, I hate it when she cries. Finally he couldn't take it, and he gave in and pulled her into his arms. "Damnit, Leah, I don't hate you. Maybe I should, but I don't." She sobbed on his shoulder as he looked down at their son.
After a few minutes, Paul turned Leah and led her over to sit on the edge of the bed. As she looked up at him and wiped her face, Paul said with a small smile, "God, you look awful."
"Thanks. That really does a lot for my self-esteem," Leah sniffed.
"I can tell you're exhausted. I know that look well. I've seen it on myself enough."
Leah rested her head in her hands as she muttered, "I am. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be to take care of a newborn and study and go to class and work . . . I'm a horrible mother, Paul."
Paul squatted down in front of her and took her chin in hand. "I'm sure you're not a horrible mother. You just need help. A child needs two parents, not just one."
"I know, I know."
Paul's hand dropped. "Why don't you lay down and take a nap. We'll talk more when you wake up."
Leah nodded then laid down and Paul pulled her blanket over her. "Go to sleep," he commanded quietly. She obediently closed her eyes as he straightened and shook his head at her.
As much as he was furious with her for not telling him, he couldn't help but love her with every fiber of his being. Moving back over to the crib, Paul looked down at the baby. His son. He was overwhelmed with emotion just looking at him. Paul made a silent vow there and then that he would never spend another day without being with this boy. And his son would never go a single second of his life without knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt how much his father loved him.
Finally, exhaustion got the best of him, too, and he turned from the crib and looked around the tiny room, finally noticing a couch and decided to lay down for awhile. Sitting down on the edge, Paul took off his shoes then folded the clothes on the couch and set them on the floor so he could lay down. He had driven all night to get here after working all day and running a patrol and he was beat. Once he stretched out on the couch, he was asleep in no time.
They all slept for two hours then the alarm went off. Leah sat straight up and hit the button then listened to make sure Noah was still sleeping. That's when she heard snoring.
Turning her head to look at the couch, Leah smiled. So it wasn't a dream. Paul was really here . . . and sound asleep on her couch. Since they were both still sleeping, she decided to slip into the bathroom and take a quick shower.
As the hot water soaked into her tired muscles, Leah thought about her fight with Paul. She really shouldn't have been so surprised that he showed up here. In the back of her mind, she always suspected that Seth wouldn't be able to keep it from him. And he had every right to be angry with her. Stepping out of the shower, Leah dried off then quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and a plaid blouse. After running a comb through her short hair and brushing her teeth, she came out of the bathroom to find Paul holding Noah, who was crying.
"He started crying, but I didn't know what to do for him," Paul said anxiously.
Leah smiled and took Noah from him to sit down on the couch and open her blouse. As soon as Noah latched on she looked up at Paul and said, "I don't think you could really help with this one, Dad."
Paul gave a short laugh and sunk down on the couch beside her. "It made me realize that I don't know anything about taking care of a baby. He's my son, and I have no idea how to help him." As Noah nursed, Paul ran a hand softly across his head.
"It's mostly common sense," Leah explained. "If he's hungry, I feed him. If he's wet or stinky, I change him. I bathe him every night and put clean clothes on him. I hold him and sing to him and just . . . love him."
Paul looked up at Leah and smiled. "You are a good mom, Leah. I always knew you would be."
Returning his smile, Leah then looked down at the baby. "I think you'll be a good dad, too. You are so good with the boys." Suddenly, Leah looked up exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, the boys! Do they know?"
With a nod, Paul explained, "I told Ty when I was packing to leave. I tried to tell Travis, but he was pretty sleepy. We had to get him out of bed to go with Sam. He knows, too."
Leah closed her eyes and shook her head. "What can they all think of me?"
"Who the hell cares, Leah? What matters is you and me and this little baby. We're a family now. I hope you realize that." Leah didn't say anything, but nodded. "Why Leah? Why in the hell didn't you trust me enough to tell me?"
Letting out a long sigh, Leah started her explanation, "It's not that I didn't trust you Paul. At first I was completely freaked out! I mean, you know I thought I could never have kids. I bought four pregnancy tests and when they all came out positive, I was in shock! When I was home in May, I was so close to telling you. Remember that night? On the cliff top?" Paul nodded. "When you started to pull up my shirt, I panicked because of my baby bump. After I ran away, I stopped and stood there in the middle of the woods for so long battling with myself. I wanted to turn around and run to you and tell you . . . and I should have. But . . . I was still scared . . . about the imprint."
"But Rachel was gone and . . . "
"I know she was gone, but we've never seen an imprint completely disappear like that. And I didn't know if for some reason, Rachel decided to move home, would it come back? I just couldn't make myself take that chance."
Paul hung his head. "God, I hate this. Everything was so perfect for such a short time, then I had to fucking imprint . . . "
"Don't Paul. This is my mistake, OK? I made the decision to run and hide and it was wrong. It was so very wrong and I will be sorry for the rest of my life for hurting you this way." Looking into his eyes, Leah pleaded silently for him to understand.
"Look, Leah, I can't say I understand your thinking on this or that I can just forget what you did. It kills me that you found out you were pregnant, something you thought you could never do, and you felt you couldn't share that with me. We weren't only lovers, we were best friends. I should have been the FIRST person you came to when you found out."
"I know."
"You are everything to me, Leah. EVERYTHING. My God, I would walk through fucking fire for you! I guess I just want to feel like I am everything to you."
Leah turned her head to look at him. "Oh Paul," she sighed. "You are. You and Noah are the most important people in the world to me. And I am so sorry that I hurt you. I don't think I can ever say that enough."
"Saying it over and over doesn't change the fact that you shut me out and kept me from being with you on the day our son was born. I will regret that for the rest of my life."
"So will I," Leah admitted softly as she touched her son's rosy cheek.
Paul leaned back and closed his eyes as he sighed and ran his hands through his hair. This was so hard. His emotions were all over the place. He was still so pissed at her, and yet, all he wanted to do was to hold her close and tell her how much he loved her.
Finally Paul opened his eyes and looked at her. This was his Leah . . . his best friend, the woman he loved . . . and now, the mother of his child. He knew he still wanted to spend the rest of his life loving her.
"Paul?"
"Yeah?"
"I know you might not want to hear it right now, but . . . I love you and I am so glad you came here. Even though you might want to strangle me, I'm still glad you're here."
Paul had to smile at that. "Well, I can't guarantee that I still won't strangle you, but I wouldn't miss seeing him for the world. He's amazing, Leah."
Smiling down at her baby, Leah agreed, "Yeah, he is. It's been so hard the last few weeks . . . looking down into those eyes that are just like yours and . . . well, I've missed you. I really miss you." Leah looked over at Paul and her lip quivered as she tried to hold back her tears.
Paul held her gaze as he leaned forward to put his lips gently on hers. It had been so long . . . too long. He pulled away and smiled, "Me, too."
Returning his smile, Leah whispered, "Truce?"
Paul sighed and whispered, "For now." Then he kissed her again because he had dreamt almost every night for the last seven months of kissing those lips, and now, here they were, and he had a hard time staying away from them.
Leah smiled and said, "I don't know if you know this or not, but hormonal women tend to get horny. You may want to be careful about kissing me for awhile."
Paul grinned and leaned in for another kiss, this time lingering a little longer. When he pulled back Leah added, "And the doctor said that I might be very fertile right now, so she suggested I go on the pill if I didn't want to get pregnant again right away."
"So did you?"
With a smile, Leah answered softly, "Yes."
Paul smiled back. "Good."
Leah pulled Noah away to put him on her shoulder to burp him. After patting him for awhile, he belched and Paul laughed.
"That he gets from his daddy," Leah said with a smile.
Leah told Paul she had to go to class because she had a final. She insisted on taking Noah to the day care center so Paul could get some more sleep. "When we come back, I'll give you your first lesson in changing diapers. You'll love it."
Paul realized he had no idea how to care for Noah, so he relented, and as soon as she left, he laid down on the couch and went right to sleep. Three hours later, Leah walked into her room to find Paul up and cleaning. "Hey, what's going on here?"
"Well, I wasn't real sure where you kept everything, but I wanted to help out," Paul told her.
The floor was clear and the clothes were all put away. The trash was taken out and the bathroom was clean. "I thought you were going to sleep," Leah said as she lay Noah down on the bed that was now made to get him out of his bunting.
"I did for a couple of hours. Then my phone rang and woke me up. Tyler. He was worried about me. And then Travis had to get on the phone and ask me like a million questions about this baby."
"YOU have a cell phone?" Leah asked in surprise.
"Yeah. I got it because of working so far away from the boys. I drive to Port Angeles every day now, and I guess I just wanted them to be able to get a hold of me if they needed something."
Smiling, Leah shook her head as she said, "Look at you. Mr. Responsibility." Then she stepped toward Paul and held out Noah. "Here. Hold your son. I have to pee really bad."
Paul chuckled as he took the baby from her, settled him in the crook of his arm, and then just stood there and stared at him. Noah had his eyes open and was staring back and Paul felt this incredible bond all of a sudden between himself and this small little person. It was amazing to him. He never could have imagined it in his wildest dreams, the depth of love for this boy.
Leah walked out of the bathroom and smiled at Paul. "You don't have to just stand there, you know. Come here and sit down on the couch," Leah instructed. "Take that pillow and put it under your arm. He may be little, but he gets heavy after awhile." Paul did as she said and then Leah sank down beside him, her leg folded underneath her. Looking over at Paul holding their son, she soon felt tears spring to her eyes. "You look good holding a baby."
Paul looked up from the baby and gave her a killer smile. "Thanks." Then he asked, "So, how did your final go?"
"Oh, I don't know. I studied like crazy last night then finished a paper for my other class. I just hope I remembered as much as I thought I did." Leah ran her hand through her short hair.
"I like your hair, especially the bangs," Paul commented.
Leah looked over at him. "Yeah? I thought you liked my hair long?"
"I do. But . . . I kind of like this, too. It makes you look a little older, more mature. It's kind of hot hanging out with an older woman."
Leah rolled her eyes at that. "I've always been older than you." He chuckled and she added, "I had to cut it when Noah was born. It was too hard to keep up with and he kept getting lost in it."
Paul bit his tongue as he almost told her how he had always loved getting lost in it. He thought maybe that was too much right now.
"Um, I fed him before I brought him home. He just couldn't wait. So, while you two seem to be settled for awhile, I am going to take the laundry down to the laundry room and throw it in the washer. Is that OK?"
"Sure. We're fine," Paul said quietly, his eyes never leaving Noah.
Leah gathered up the laundry and detergent and left as Paul just stared at this little being in his arms. He was amazed that he and Leah could make something so . . . wonderful. And then his thoughts turned to his own parents. Had they ever felt like this with him? Ever? He was pretty sure his mom never did. Kids to her were a by-product of too much booze and faulty protection. But looking down at his son, he couldn't imagine ever thinking of him as anything other than a miracle.
Later, after the load of laundry was out of the dryer and folded, Paul said, "I'm starving. Is there anywhere good to eat around here?"
"I usually eat in the cafeteria, but it's not that great."
"No, I mean a restaurant. I want to take you out to eat."
Leah gave him a shy smile as she protested, "You don't have to do that."
"No, I don't, but I'm going to, so pack this boy up and let's go!" Paul told her.
Leah made sure she had what she needed in the diaper bag then she bundled Noah up and put him in his car seat. Paul led her out to his truck and Leah showed him how to buckle the car seat into the back seat then they climbed into the front and Leah named off a few of the restaurants she knew. He decided he needed a steak, so Leah directed him to a local steakhouse. "Are you sure, Paul? This place isn't cheap."
"Don't worry about it. I brought my emergency money."
Leah rolled her eyes. "This is hardly an emergency."
"Didn't you hear me? I AM STARVING! That is an emergency." Paul grinned and Leah laughed softly.
Paul parked the truck and walked around to take the car seat from Leah then they walked inside and were seated at a table. "You know, I think this is only the second time just you and I have been in a restaurant together."
"Have a baby then date. Well, that would be the way we do things," Paul commented. They both laughed at that.
After placing their order, Leah said, "So, tell me what's been going on with you for the last 7 months."
Paul shrugged and said, "Going to work, taking care of the boys, patrolling for leeches, you know, same old shit."
"Stuff," Leah corrected. "Now that we are parents, we need to clean up our mouths, don't you think?"
"OK, fine. Stuff." Paul glanced over at Noah who was sound asleep.
"So, that's it?"
Paul shrugged again. "Yeah. I tried to keep busy. I had to do something to try and put you out of my mind."
"I know," Leah sighed. "I buried myself in homework. I got straight A's, so I guess that was good for me. I also worked as many hours as I could stand to save up some money. I had enough to buy the car seat and crib and I stocked up on diapers."
"Aren't you supposed to get stuff like that at a baby shower?"
Leah played with her straw. "Yeah, I guess. I cheated myself out of that by staying here and hiding."
"Emily's pregnant. Did you hear?"
"Yeah, Mom told me."
Paul laughed softly as he said, "Of course Travis was full of questions. He wanted to know when it would get here, and where it was now. When she told him it was in her belly, he asked if she swallowed it."
Leah broke out in laughter. "Oh I miss him so much."
"He misses you, too. He loves the book you sent about the legends. I finally told Ty he would have to take over reading to him at bedtime. I just couldn't read it one more time."
The waitress brought their food and they started eating. "Mmm, I haven't eaten red meat in wayyy too long," Leah said as she chewed her steak. "This was a great idea. Thanks, Paul."
They enjoyed their meal, and Noah slept the whole time until Leah ordered pie for dessert. He woke up and cried a little until she gave him a pacifier and he quieted down, but stayed awake. Paul pulled him out of the car seat and held him. "I just want to hold him while he's awake," Paul said as he stared into Noah's eyes.
"It should be like looking in a mirror," Leah commented. "That's the first thing I noticed when I held him - that he looked just like you. Do you have any baby pictures? I'd love to see if they look like Noah."
"I doubt it. Doreen's not the sentimental type." Paul filled her in on Doreen's last visit and seeing his dad for the first time since he was little.
"So, what did you think of your dad?" she asked as she took another bite of her pie.
Paul shrugged. "I don't know what to think yet. Ty and I are proceeding with caution."
Leah held out a bite of pie for Paul and he opened his mouth for her to feed him. He smiled as he chewed and then said, "I think I enjoy eating ice cream with you better."
Leah embarrassed herself by blushing as Paul just grinned.
On the way home, they stopped at the store so Leah could get a few things for the baby then they made their way back to her dorm and into her room. "I need to give Noah a bath then I'll feed him and put him down for the night. Well, until around 2 a.m. that is."
"Can I help?" Paul asked.
"Sure. You get him undressed, except for his diaper, you take that off last, and I'll get his bath ready." Leah left him to go into the bathroom and filled the little baby tub.
"He's so little. What if I hurt him?" Paul asked anxiously.
Leah laughed and stuck her head out of the bathroom. "You won't hurt him. He's tougher than you think."
Paul finally got his clothes off and Leah picked him up and took him in the bathroom to give him his bath. Paul stood by and watched as she handled him like a pro. She dried him off then wrapped the towel around him and laid him on the bed. "OK, Dad. Grab a diaper."
Paul picked one up and Leah gave him instructions on how to put it on. As he worked at it, Noah started crying. "Did I hurt him?" he asked.
"Would you quit worrying about that? He's a tough little guy. Besides, he's just hungry." Paul finished snapping his pajamas up and then Leah picked him up and moved to the couch to feed him.
Paul cleaned up the bathroom then joined Leah on the couch. "This may sound like a stupid question, but, what does that feel like?"
Leah looked over at him and smiled. "I don't know . . . like he's sucking on my nipple." Paul laughed and she said, "What do you want me to say? I don't know how to describe it. It's kind of cool I guess. I'm the only one that can do this for him, you know?"
"I guess I'm kind of jealous of that," Paul admitted.
"Of him or me?" Leah asked with a sly smile.
"Both," Paul grinned.
Leah burped Noah and then got up to lay him in bed. As soon as he was settled, she joined Paul on the couch again and looked over at him to say, "I still can't believe you're really here."
"Yeah, me either."
"Paul . . . can you ever forgive me? I thought I was doing the right thing, but I know now it wasn't. I cheated you out of so much . . . "
"Look, Leah, I don't want to fight anymore. I'm tired, you're tired, let's just go with the truce right now, OK?"
With a sigh, Leah relented, "Yeah, OK."
They sat there in silence for awhile then Leah said, "Sorry I don't have a TV. Luxury I couldn't afford."
"Yeah, I get that."
"I'm usually studying anyway, so . . . "
"Well, go ahead if you need to. Don't let me stop you."
"Are you sure? I have another final coming up day after tomorrow. That will be my last one."
Paul smiled and reached out to brush her bangs from her eyes. "I'll try not to be a distraction, but I can't promise."
Leah grinned at him. "Well, I could use a distraction every now and then." She surprised him by leaning forward and putting her lips against his. It was supposed to be a simple kiss, but Leah found herself unable to pull away from him. She had missed his lips so much . . . she scooted closer and wound her fingers into his hair as her lips moved with his.
Paul groaned and wrapped his arms around her. It had been way too long since his arms had held her. His tongue found it's way into Leah's mouth and was gently caressing hers. They were both quickly losing control of their senses . . . they were drowning in the physical pleasure of touching each other again.
As Paul's hands began to roam, Leah leaned into him and sighed. Suddenly, Paul pulled away and she opened her eyes and looked into his face. "What?"
"Leah . . . this is very hard for me to say, but, I still need some time . . . "
Leah slid away and quickly said, "No, I get it. It's OK. I need to study."
Paul reached out and touched her arm. "No, I don't think you do. I'm not . . . rejecting you. God, I know I sound like a chick or something, but, my emotions are all over the place right now. I'm still tired from the drive, and pissed off at you for not telling me, and I'm still trying to get used to the idea that I have a kid. I don't know. It's a lot to deal with, you know?" He ran his hand over his eyes and leaned back into the couch cushions.
Leah smiled at him. "I really do get it, Paul. It's OK." Shoving herself off of the couch, she picked up her book bag, then asked, "Do you want something to drink? I have iced tea and Pepsi, I think."
"Sure. Pepsi," Paul grunted. He was feeling unsettled and figured it was just because he was tired. Leah came back and handed him a Pepsi then sat down on the floor in front of the couch to get her books out of her book bag, quickly spreading them out to start her study routine.
Paul opened his Pepsi and took a sip just as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and answered, "Hello?"
"Hey, Paul." It was Tyler.
"Hey, Ty. Everything OK?"
"Um, yeah . . . but, I just got a phone call . . . from Mom."
Paul sat up straighter and said, "What? At Sam's?"
"No, I came home because Travis wanted his Thomas pajamas and he left a book here he needed for school, and the phone rang so I answered it, and it was her."
"What the fuck did she want? Let me guess . . . it had something to do with money."
"Yeah. After she ran through her 'Oh sweetie, how are you?' bullshit, she started asking questions. I guess she found out that Jim sent us some money, and she wanted to know how much."
Paul closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. When was that woman going to leave them the hell alone? "What did you tell her?"
"I told her I didn't know what the hell she was talking about. Then I told her Merry fucking Christmas and hung up on her."
Paul let out a short laugh that made Leah turn and look at him. "You did? Seriously?"
"Yep."
"Good for you, bro. I guess some of me is rubbing off on you."
"Yeah, whatever. I just wanted you to know."
"Thanks, Ty. I'm glad you called. You guys doing OK?"
Tyler told him that Travis cried last night when he put him to bed. At first, Emily had given them separate rooms, but it upset Travis to try and sleep alone. He was too used to Tyler sleeping in the same bed with him. So, Tyler gave up trying to get him to go back to his own room, and just moved over and let him sleep with him.
"I'm sorry, dude. I know it must be tough for you never getting to sleep without your little brother there."
"It's OK. I guess I'm used to it. He misses you . . . a lot. Could you maybe call him? It would help, I think."
"Sure. I'm sorry. Today's been kind of a rough day. I'll call him. Wait, is he in bed yet?"
"Probably not, since I'm still at the house. I'm heading back right now."
"Ty, you shouldn't be out by yourself this time of night, not with those hikers getting killed just a couple of nights ago." Leah's head popped up to look at him when she heard that.
"Yeah, yeah, I already got the lecture from Sam. He drove me over."
Paul smiled at that. "Good. OK. You go back with Sam and I'll call Trav."
"Paul? Is everything . . . OK? With you and Leah?"
Paul looked over at Leah, and smiled. "Um, not quite yet. But it will be."
"Thank God! OK, see ya."
"Yeah, bye." Paul hung up and smiled at the phone. He never would have guessed when those kids moved in that he would come to love them as much as he did.
"Everything OK?" Leah asked.
"Yeah. Ty got a call from Doreen. He handled it like a pro." She smiled at him, and he added, "You know, I was so pissed when she dumped those boys on our doorstep and took off. But now . . . I realize what a really great thing that turned out to be."
Leah grinned. "Look at you, you big softie."
Paul rolled his eyes and said, "Don't you dare tell anyone. Especially the pack. I gotta a reputation to keep up, you know."
Leah laughed softly then said, "Speaking of the pack . . . what was that you said to Ty about hikers getting killed? Was it bloodsuckers?"
"Well, we were out on patrol when I learned your little secret from Seth. I just quit and took off for home. Sam came to get the boys and told me to go. So, I guess I'm not sure." Paul frowned for a moment as he thought about that. He was sure Sam would keep the boys safe, but still . . . he didn't like the thought of not being there to protect them.
Paul dialed Sam's number and when Emily answered, he asked her quickly about the hikers and what the pack found out. "Sam doubled patrols, but they haven't come across anything, so he thinks it probably was a bear."
Paul let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I felt bad for just leaving . . ."
"Uh, I think you had a good reason! How is she, by the way?"
"Good. And Noah is amazing."
"I can't wait to see him."
"I actually called to talk to Trav. Is he still up?"
"Yes. Hold on." She covered the phone and he heard her call for Travis.
"Paul?"
"Yeah, buddy. How ya doin?"
"OK. I miss you. When are you coming home?"
"In a couple of days. School OK today?"
"Yeah. Emily packed my lunch today and she used strawberry jelly instead of grape on my peanut butter sandwich. It was kind of good. And she put in six cookies and told me to share with Carly."
Paul smiled. "That sounds good. Did you?"
"Yes. She liked them."
Paul let Travis talk for awhile then he told him it was getting late and he should get to bed. "Can I talk to Leah first?" Travis asked.
"Just a minute," Paul told him. He tapped Leah on the shoulder. "He wants to talk to you. Is that OK?"
Leah smiled and took the phone. "Hey, Travis."
"Hi, Leah. Tyler told me you had a baby. Did you really?"
"Yes, I did."
"Emily is going to have a baby."
"Yeah, I heard."
"Are you coming home with Paul? He told me he was bringing you home."
Leah smiled and looked at Paul. "I think so. I really miss you."
"I miss you, too. Will you bring the baby too?"
"Yes, of course I will."
"OK. Emily says I gotta go to bed. Good night, Leah."
"Good night, little man." Leah handed the phone back to Paul.
"Hey, buddy, I'll see you soon, OK?"
"Yeah."
"Be good for Sam and Emily."
"I will."
"Good night, Trav."
"Good night." Paul closed the phone and sat staring at it.
"You miss the little booger, don't you?" Leah asked.
"Yeah, I do."
"Me, too. He told me that you said you were bringing me home. Is that true?" Leah asked.
Paul smiled. "Uh, yeah, I may have said something like that."
Leah smiled back then she turned back to her books.
"What, no answer to that?" Paul asked. "No argument?"
Without looking up, she said, "Nope. We have a truce, remember?"
Paul let out a short laugh then he slid off of the couch to sit on the floor beside her. He put his arm around her and pulled her close then said, "I have missed you, Leah. A lot."
She turned to look at him. "Yeah? Good to know." He leaned forward and put a gentle kiss on her lips. "Are you trying to distract me?"
"Maybe," he said against her lips. She put her book down and turned to him and kissed him back. They sat there on the floor, lightly kissing each other for a few moments then Paul pulled away and leaned his forehead against Leah's. "I am beat, Leah. Do you mind if I stretch out on the couch?"
"Nope," Leah said. "I'm almost done here. I could use some sleep, too."
Paul kissed her again and then said, "Good night."
"Good night, Paul."
Standing up, Paul took off his jeans and t-shirt and laid down on the couch in just his boxers. Leah got him a blanket and pillow and he settled in for the night. As much as he wanted to sleep holding Leah in his arms, he still felt like he needed a little space from her to work through his feelings.
Leah picked up her books and changed into some pajama pants and a t-shirt then crawled into her bed. As she made herself comfortable, she looked over at Paul on the couch. She smiled as she thought about what Travis had told her. He was planning on taking her home with him. He would forgive her. She would see to it.