“The nerve of that guy!” I steam. “What a prick!”
Stone merely fills a glass of water in the kitchen before coming back to join me.
“He’s more than a prick,” my man intones while handing me the cool liquid. “That guy was a fucking douchebag for saying those things.”
I shake my head angrily before sipping the water.
“Yeah, Elder Stott has always rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, he has a daughter my age, which makes you think he’d be a little less judgmental. But no. Instead, he’s totally into the lives of the women of our congregation, and especially the ones who are dating age,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Sounds like a real Warren Jeffs to me,” Stone remarks off-handedly.
“I know, right?” I rage. “Seriously, I think Elder Stott would be happy to wed multiple women if he could. Especially if they were underage because that’s just his style. I can see it now: he’d slip promise rings on their fingers as children, and then marry them when they turn twelve to get first dibs.”
My man shakes his head.
“Those are serious accusations, but I believe you. He’s fucked up in the head when it comes to this promise ring stuff. You know guys like this: they always dress it up with religion so it sounds righteous, but really, they’re the ones who are manipulating others, not to mention acting completely fucking crazy.”
I nod. But then I turn to Stone with a perplexed look.
“But how did you know that I was at the church?” I ask. “And thank you, by the way, for rescuing me.”
“Well,” he drawls with an amused smile. “Actually, I’ve been following you a little.”
I squint at him.
“But why? And how? Not that I’m not appreciative,” I say quickly. “But was there a particular reason?”
Stone shrugs casually, but I can sense that suddenly, he’s dead serious. “Let’s just say that last week I went to use the bathroom and found a positive pregnancy test in the trash,” he says in a low voice that reverberates with tension. “I’ve been waiting for you to tell me about it for a while now, Tanya.”
The pained look on his face brings tears to my eyes because suddenly, I know that this is the man for me, and yet I was lying to him. It wasn’t a flat out lie, but it was a lie of omission, which is just as bad. And why? This man has treated me so well, and he deserves to know, as the father of the baby. My heart contracts painfully, as I look at my hands.
“I’m sorry, Stone. That was idiotic of me, and I was going to tell you at some point. It was all so much and I just needed a little time—”
“It’s alright,” he reassures. “I’m not angry with you, Tanya. But I got worked up because I was afraid that you would run off without telling me. Or even worse, that you might terminate the pregnancy—”
“What?” I gasp, jerking my head up to stare at him. “No, never! I wouldn’t do something like that, and especially not without telling you first. Children are a blessing,” I say in a voice that trembles as tears prick my eyes. Hell, I might as well go for it. “Even if we didn’t plan this, I want this baby,” I declare. “I’m not sure about you, but this baby was made with love, and I’m going to welcome him or her to the world with loving arms and an open heart.”
Stone is motionless for a moment, and panic begins to race through my veins. OMG, I’ve said the wrong thing and he’s going to throw me out now. Yet, I spoke from the heart and I have to be one hundred percent honest when it comes to a matter like this. I do want the baby. I want to be a mommy, and I’d love for him to be a daddy too, but I can’t make his choices for him. He’s a grown man, and I don’t think anyone’s ever told Stone Thompson what to do.
But then, my man lets out a trembling sigh of relief, and to my surprise, there are tears in the alpha male’s eyes as well.
“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that, Tanya,” he says in a low, emotional voice. “Because that’s what I want too. I want us to raise this baby together, but I wasn’t sure what to think when you didn’t say anything. I thought that you might not want him or her, because of your religion and because of the vow you took.”
“No,” I shake my head quickly, my heartbeat slowing as relief flows through my frame. “I realize that the promise vow, while taken in good faith, was ultimately an error for me. It’s not an error for everyone,” I add quickly. “But it’s definitely was one for me, and I wouldn’t encourage it for my child.”
“That’s good,” Stone interjects, his blue eyes glinting. “Because I wouldn’t want that for our child, whether male or female.”
“I know, right?” I say, cocking my head at him. “Isn’t it weird that only the women of my church were asked to take the vow? The men were allowed to sow their wild oats and it was dismissed as a ‘boys will be boys’ thing. What a double standard!”
Stone nods.
“It sounds like your church engaged in a lot of questionable practices, but this isn’t the time to get into them,” my man says in a low voice. “What matters is that we both want this child, and we’re prepared to raise him or her in a loving home with both parents present. That’s what matters because I love you Tanya Grimes,” he growls. “I’ve adored you since the moment I saw you in that rehearsal room, and now, I’m proud to call you the mother of my child.”
I stare at him.
“You love me?” I whisper.
Stone nods.