Take Me Away (Southern Bride 6)

I felt my heart slam against my chest. “Is everything okay? Do you feel okay?”

She laughed. “It was my annual appointment. I got a bit of news today. I was sort of expecting it, but wanted to wait for confirmation.”

I could feel the hope building up inside me, but I pushed it away. The last thing I wanted to do was get my hopes up. “Good news?”

A single tear slipped free and made a slow trail down her face. I stared at it, confused. She was crying but wore a smile on her face. “The best news ever.”

She placed her hands on my chest and looked down and let out the sweetest little laugh before she lifted her head and our eyes met. And in that very moment, I knew. “Linz, are you pregnant?”

With a nod, she whispered, “Yes. Six weeks.”

I cupped her face with my hands and felt my entire body shudder with happiness. “Are you serious? We’re pregnant?”

She nodded, more tears now streaming down her face. “Yes. You’re going to be a daddy again.”

I pressed my mouth to hers and kissed her with everything I had. I poured every ounce of happiness I felt in that moment into the kiss, and I could feel her doing the same. We were lost in one another for what felt like forever before I slowly drew back.

“Linnzi,” I whispered as I kissed all over her face.

“I’m so happy, Nolan.”

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut to keep my tears at bay. “I am too, sweetheart. So happy.”

She wrapped her arms around me and held onto me. “I am a bit scared.”

I gently moved her away from me until I could see her face. “Why are you scared?”

Linnzi shrugged. “I don’t know, but I think it’s a normal reaction. When I found out, I wanted to call you right away. I suspected I might be because I was late, but I knew I had this appointment and I thought I’d have them check to be sure. I was afraid to get our hopes up. Then I left the doctor’s and stopped and bought paint! Don’t ask me why, but I had the sudden urge to paint the room. I know this was Amanda’s room, but I think she’d be happy knowing a little baby brother or sister will be in here.”

I swallowed hard and nodded once. “I think so. I like the neutral color. It’ll be perfect whether it’s a boy or girl.”

“That’s what I thought too.”

I shook my head and stared down at her. “We’re having a baby! I can’t believe it.”

With a giggle, she covered her stomach with one hand. “I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl. I only want them to be healthy.”

I brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear and nodded. “I agree. I don’t care either.”

She looked away and then back at me. Her eyes fluttered nervously as she spoke. “I know most of Amanda’s things are gone, but I also know we have a few things still in the trunk we decided to keep. I don’t want to use anything that was hers. It doesn’t feel right, ya know?”

“I agree.”

More tears came, and I wiped them away from her cheeks with the pads of my thumbs.

“I…I…just don’t want to feel like we’re replacing her, because we never could.”

Her voice shook, and I pulled her back into my arms and buried my face in her hair. “I know, baby. I know. I asked Truitt to donate all of the furniture, except for the artwork that was on the walls. It didn’t feel right giving that away since I knew how much you loved those paintings.”

She pulled back and looked up at me, then nodded as she swept away fresh tears. “I’d like to hang them up in the baby’s room at my folks’ house, if you’re okay with that.”

“Of course I am,” I said as I kissed her on the forehead. “Did you have a theme you were thinking about?”

A wide smile helped to ease her tears, and I dabbed at the corner of my own eyes to keep mine from falling.

“Yes!”

“Tell me.”

A beautiful, brilliant smile grew across her face. “I was thinking a rustic woodsy theme. Maybe we could even put up a theme wall over there. Stained wood, I was thinking.”

“I like that idea. A light stain?”

She nodded. “Yes, I like the idea of something lighter. To keep the room feeling airy and fresh. Then we could decorate the walls and put up cute curtains. I was even thinking maybe Truitt could make us a mobile with little wood animals on it.”

I smiled. “I love that idea.”

“Really?”

Pulling her into my arms, I kissed her. “Really.”

Linnzi’s eyes sparkled with happiness, and I felt my chest expand with love. I reached down and picked her up. “I want to make love to you.”