Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to the wonderfully talented Martha Williamson.
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Chapter 9
Shane was now only six weeks away from her due date and Dr. Mills had finally pulled her off of bed rest a couple of days prior. Her blood pressure was back to normal and she had not experienced any contractions in over a week, so she was given the green light to proceed with normal day to day activities. There were of course a few restrictions, however Shane didn't complain about following them since the most important restraint had been lifted. Not having to hold back her desire for her husband is something she will never take for granted.
Today was Shane's baby shower and Rita was hosting the event at her home. She was excited to finally be getting out of the house and couldn't wait to indulge in some much needed girl talk. Shane had just gotten out of the shower and began getting dressed, then realized that she had forgotten to pick out her outfit for the party. She tried on a couple of dresses and soon became discouraged when she discovered that they were all far too small. While she was on bed rest, she mostly lounged around in her pajamas and hadn't been able to update her maternity clothes to match her growing belly. Desperation began to take over as she hopelessly rummaged through her clothes and prayed she would find a hidden gem amongst the expanding pile on the floor.
Oliver walked into the master bedroom and found his scantily clad wife frantically tossing clothes out of the walk-in closet. He could see that she was frustrated, however he couldn't understand what would make her so upset that she'd tear apart her wardrobe wearing only her undergarments. "Shane, is something the matter?" He cautiously asked as he slowly approached her. "Can I assist you with anything?"
"I have absolutely nothing to wear, Oliver." Shane stopped what she was doing and turned to face her husband with tears filling her eyes. "My baby shower is in a couple of hours and it looks like I'll be wearing maternity yoga pants and a sweater." She trembled with frustration and began to cry.
"Sweetheart, it's okay." Oliver's arms were instantly wrapped around her and she buried her head in his chest. He soothingly rubbed her back with one hand and used the other one to lovingly cradle her head to his body.
"I keep getting bigger while my clothes keep getting smaller." Her sobs dampened his shirt and she clutched him tightly. "I'm sure you're not even attracted to me anymore!"
Oliver pulled back slightly so that he could look into her eyes and gently cupped her face with one hand. "How could you ever think that? You are the most beautiful woman I've ever been privy to lay my eyes on." He placed his hands fondly on her tummy. "When I look at you, a sense of pride washes over me because I know that our love created this precious life. You have no idea just how breathtaking you are, my love." He gave her a flirtatious smirk and raised his eyebrows suggestively. "As a matter of fact, at the moment I'm finding it rather difficult to refrain from showing you exactly how insatiable you are to me."
Shane's pulse quickened as her agony was replaced by her passion for Oliver. His eyes were sensually dancing over every inch of her causing her knees to grow weaker by the minute. If Oliver hadn't have been holding her in his arms she surely wouldn't be able to stand on her own. "You have no idea what you do to me." Her lips were on his in an instant and she pulled him as close to her as humanly possible.
"I think I have a pretty good idea." He whispered into her lips before claiming them as his once again. The earth shattering kiss ended far too soon, their foreheads touching and their breathing labored. "If we don't stop this right now, you're going to miss your own baby shower." He hated being the voice of reason, especially when it came to his desire for her. "I vow to you that we will finish what we started tonight and I will make it worth the torturous wait."
"I will hold you to that, Mr. Toole." Shane couldn't help but blush in anticipation of his promise for their night together.
"I expect nothing less, Mrs. O'Toole." Oliver pulled back from her and kissed her hand before walking into the closet and pulling out a garment bag hidden behind one of his suits. "Now, I believe I have the perfect solution for your ensemble dilemma." He laid his gift on the bed and unzipped it for her to reveal a beautiful pink floral lace maternity dress.
"Oh, Oliver, it's beautiful!" Shane gasped with elation and held the dress up in front of her. "How did you do this?" She carefully slipped on the dress and Oliver assisted with zipping up the back. It was a perfect fit and complimented her baby bump.
"Well, I knew you were unable to go shopping and I wanted you to feel special today." Oliver beamed with pride and gazed appreciatively at Shane's beauty. "Rita helped me pick it out. I hope it's okay I—"
Shane cut him off by brushing her lips against his and possessively draping her arms around his neck. "It's absolutely perfect. Thank you for always knowing exactly what I need." They held each other for a little while longer until Oliver reminded Shane that the baby shower was fast approaching. As she walked towards the bathroom to finish getting ready, she stopped and gave her husband one last glance. She would never be able to thank God enough for the wonderful man she was delighted to call hers.
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The O'Toole's arrived at the Dorman's home just a few minutes before the baby shower was to begin. Oliver was picking up Norman and Francis to accompany them to the zoo, which offered a reasonable excuse for him to drive Shane to the party. The further along that Shane got in her pregnancy, the more Oliver's overprotective side took over. He found himself watching her as though she were a ticking time bomb set to go off at any moment. He couldn't even imagine the intensity he would feel when her due date arrived.
Norman opened the door for Oliver and Shane before they even had a chance to knock. The look in his eyes spoke volumes—he was ready to get out of the house. He greeted his friends and then moved aside so that they could come in. Oliver noticed that the house was bustling with female movement and instantly noted the reasoning behind Norman's anxiousness.
"There's my sweet daughter!" Shane was quickly pulled into the welcoming arms of her Mother. "You look absolutely gorgeous!" She lovingly placed her hands on Shane's stomach and then turned to Oliver. "I love the dress, Oliver. I knew it would be perfect on her!" Oliver blushed with pride as he hugged his Mother in-law.
Margaret cherished Oliver and knew that there was no man in the world better for her daughter than him. A couple of months ago, he had called her just to check on her and they ended up having an unexpected heart to heart conversation. She confessed to him how badly she missed Shane and how worried she was that she wouldn't get a chance to really get to know her granddaughter because of how far away she lived. Oliver had convinced her to consider moving to Denver and even offered to hire movers for her. After a few days of thinking through her son in-law's idea, she called him up and told him she had just put her condo on the market. Margaret had requested that Oliver keep her move a secret from Shane so that she could surprise her in person. She officially became a Denver resident a month ago and Shane couldn't be happier to have her Mom living so close.
"I agree, Mom, Shane looks breathtaking in this dress. But then again, she always takes my breath away." Oliver gazed adoringly at his wife in such a way that she immediately blushed. She kissed his cheek and gave him a look of appreciation and then noticed a couple of cars pulling up outside. As much as Oliver hated leaving his wife, he knew that the rest of the baby shower guests would be arriving momentarily and thought it best to leave before that time came. Brief greetings were exchanged between Oliver and the other women present before he placed a soft kiss on Shane's lips and then parted with the Dorman boys.
About an hour later, the baby shower was in full swing and Shane finally sat down on the loveseat in the family room. She had been on her feet longer today than she had in the past few weeks and she knew it was time to take a break. She took in her surroundings and sighed contentedly to herself, resting her hand protectively over her daughter. So far her baby shower had been a success and she was enjoying spending time with her family and friends. She was also quite thankful that Rita had kept the party games to a minimum and had relinquished the game of guessing how big her baby bump was.
"Deep in thought, little sis?" Shane's mind was somewhere else and she hadn't even noticed Alex sit down next to her.
"I was just thinking about how much my life has changed in the past few years." She looked at Alex with happy tears in her eyes. "I never thought I would have all of this: the most perfect husband, a baby girl on the way and a second chance with my big sister." Shane grabbed Alex's hand and turned to face her. "I'm so proud of you for how far you've come and I can't thank you enough for being here today."
"There's no place I'd rather be. And when that baby comes, I'll be on the first flight out to Denver to meet my niece." Alex hugged Shane, beyond thankful that she could share this moment with her. For the first time in a long time, Alex finally felt that her life had stability. She had given up gambling for good, although she still attended regular Gambler's Anonymous meetings to help with those sudden urges. She had met a wonderful man that she'd recently moved in with and she often traveled all over the world with him on business. However of all these positive things going on in her life, the one she was most happy about was her reconciliation with Shane.
"I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see my girls together like this!" Margaret exclaimed as she approached her daughters. She sat down on the other side of Shane and enveloped her girls in warm hug. "We've all come such a long way and I'm so blessed to be your Mom." The three McInerney women continued to reminisce, sharing stories of the past and hopes for the future. Their moment was cut short when all of the women began gathering in the room.
"It's present time!" Rita joyfully clapped her hands together as she and Hazel began placing the gifts in front of Shane.
"Open mine first!" Hazel gleefully handed Shane her gift bag and anxiously waited for her to open it. Shane pulled out the purple tissue paper and reached inside the bag. She received a package of newborn diapers, various baby towels and washcloths and a pink onesie with a stork on it with the words "Special Delivery" written underneath it. Shane knew that her husband would especially enjoy this sentiment. She thanked Hazel and continued diving into the mountain of gifts.
"Oh Rita, this is beautiful!" She held up the tiny blue and pink dress adjourned with owls and the ladies in the room squealed with delight at how adorable it was.
"I'm going to make sure that Charlotte has a deep love for owls, just like her Aunt Rita." Rita shyly stated, pushing her glasses up and blushing slightly.
Shane could hardly believe how many gifts she had received for her daughter. She now had everything from nail clippers to baby shampoo to more onesies than she knew what to do with. She also received many treasures that she would be able to enjoy for many years to come. Alex had made Shane a scrapbook, leaving empty slots on each page for special pictures and moments to be captured throughout Charlotte's life. Margaret made her granddaughter a beautiful pink quilt with yellow roses on it and her name stitched in the middle.
At the end of the baby shower, most of the guests had left but Alex and Margaret stayed to help Rita clean up. They were all insistent that Shane sit on the couch and would not allow her to help in any way. After everything was back to normal in the Dorman home, aside from the baby gifts scattered through the family room, it was time for Shane's Mom and sister to leave. Alex had an early morning flight and Margaret would be taking her to the airport. They said their reluctant goodbyes and Rita walked them to the door, soon joining her best friend on the couch once they left.
"Rita, thank you for today. You made everything so special and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to celebrate my baby." Shane hugged Rita close and couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "My daughter is lucky to have her Auntie Rita."
"Oh Shane, I love you and my niece to pieces. I'll always be there for both of you." Rita's eyes also quickly filled with tears. "I'm going to spoil the heck out of this baby!"
"Mommy!" Rita and Shane turned towards the door and soon noticed little Francis toddling over towards them. Rita picked up her son and showered him with kisses as he told her all about his day at the zoo with Daddy and Uncle Oliver.
Norman watched the scene unfold as Oliver looked at Shane and instantly saw the exhaustion etched in her face. He made a mental note to give her a foot massage later and hopefully convince her to take it easy for the rest of the night. Norman helped Oliver carry the gifts to the car and they barely managed to fit everything in there that Shane had received for the baby. Soon after, thank yous and goodbyes were exchanged between the Dorman's and the O'Toole's, Oliver determined to get his wife home for some much needed time alone.
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Oliver had just finished bringing in the last of the baby gifts and went into the master bedroom, hoping to find his wife laying down. Once they got home, Shane had agreed to go change into her pajamas while Oliver unloaded the car. She was supposed to be waiting for him in their room so that he could give her a massage. He was disappointed to find his wife absent and soon began scouting the house for her. He didn't have to search long as he noticed the light coming from the nursery. He walked inside and found Shane sitting in the rocking chair holding a stuffed teddy bear. She looked completely serene and hadn't noticed his presence yet. He made his way to her and then sat down on the ottoman in front of her, taking her hands in his own.
"I feel like I'm in a wonderful dream, Oliver." Shane broke the silence and looked into Oliver's eyes. "When I first met you, I felt this pull towards you that I couldn't explain. You frustrated me more than anyone I had ever met and yet I found myself looking forward to going to work every day just so that I could see you. Once I admitted my feelings for you to myself, there was no going back and you became my dream." She smiled at him and he leaned in to kiss her tenderly. "Thank you for making my dream a reality."
"Shane, it is I that should be thanking you. You gave me my life back and I will spend every day for the rest of my life showing you just how grateful I am for you. I love you more than life itself." Oliver stood and then graciously helped Shane to her feet, his lips immediately seeking hers as he pulled her body tightly to his. Their passion for each other was evident in their embrace and both were unable to get enough of the other.
"I believe you made me a promise this morning, Mr. O'Toole." Shane muttered close to his lips. "Something about 'finishing what we started' and it would be 'worth the wait'." She pulled back and looked at him, pure mischief dancing in her eyes.
Oliver gulped in anticipation, his heart racing at his wife's words. "Are you sure you aren't too tired? I know you've had a long day." He worked hard to keep the longing out of his voice. He didn't want Shane to think she would be disappointing him if she just wanted to get some rest.
"I've been looking forward to you making due on your promise all day." Shane leaned into his ear and seductively whispered. "We have a lot of lost time to make up for." She slowly brushed her lips up against his and then unexpectedly pulled away, leaving Oliver yearning for more. She gently grabbed his hand before leading him out of the room, both anxious to get reacquainted with each other.
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Up Next: The final countdown has begun before baby O'Toole's arrival!