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Chapter 28 - Jim
I missed a call from Alyson today, and I noticed it right before I went into surgery. I’ve never had a hard time clearing my head before, but today, as I wash my hands and have my surgical scrubs put on, it’s all I can think about. She hasn’t called me—ever. What if something is wrong? She didn’t leave a message, and she didn’t text either.
I’m sure everything is fine with her and the baby. It has to be. As awful as I feel to admit it, there’s a small part of me that’s glad Alyson is pregnant. The timing couldn’t be worse. Jacob is going to hate us both. He’ll forgive Alyson eventually, but the light he holds her in will forever be dimmed.
But now that she’s pregnant, we’re talking, and we have a chance. And if anyone was to be the mother of my child, no one is better than Alyson.
Sam puts the patient under and we get started. As soon as I make the first cut, I’m back in the game, and the surgical team and I make small talk as we go about treating the patient
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Further to Fall in Love Chapter 29 - Jim
WAKING UP WITH ALYSON IN MY ARMS IS THE BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD. THE SUN IS SETTING, AND we’ve both been asleep for hours. Alyson is still asleep, snoring slightly through her stuffy nose. I brush loose strands of her hair back from her face and kiss her softly. Slowly, I get up and use the bathroom, then climb back into bed with Alyson. In her sleep, she rolls over and wraps her arm around me. I hold her close, never wanting to let go. Then she starts coughing, waking herself up. Groaning, she sits up and reaches for the glass of water, but hesitates. I smile, remembering her saying she won’t drink out of a glass that’s been sitting unattended. “I’ll get you a fresh glass,” I offer and get out of bed. I go into the kitchen, Neville winding around my feet the whole way, and get a clean glass from the cabinet. “Thanks,” Alyson says when I get back, taking the water from me. “How are you feeling?” “I think a little better. I don’t have a heada
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 30 - Alyson
I wake up in Jim’s arms, and for the first time since I found out I’m pregnant, everything feels like it’s going to be okay. He made me dinner last night, and went out and got me more Sour Patch Kids before we went to sleep. I carefully roll over, moving closer to him. It feels so good to have him next to me. Physically, his presence is comforting on its own. But having him here for everything else is almost enough to do me in. We jumped into a relationship and need to take things slow. He said he likes me but held off moving forward out of respect to Jacob, but things are bigger than their friendship now. We have less than a week before we drop the bomb on my family, and I’m fairly sure all four of my brothers are going to have a few choice words for Jim. Early morning sun filters through the large windows. I forgot to close the blinds last night, and the light is shining right in on Jim. I reach over and take my phone from the nightstand.
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 31 - Alyson
TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER, I WAKE UP, NEEDING TO PEE. JIM IS ASLEEP, AND I SLIP OFF THE couch without waking him up. The ultrasound photos are on the coffee table, and I pick them up when I get back into the living room, staring at them as I go into the kitchen to get more candy. “You’re going to be a big sister,” I tell Lily, the biggest of all my cats. And by biggest, I mean fattest. She’s been on a diet for over a year and hasn’t lost a single pound. “He or she won’t be here for a while, but I thought I’d let ya know.” Lily lets me pet her for a minute before walking away. I take my candy back to the living room, sitting on the edge of the couch by Jim’s feet. After a few minutes of me searching through Netflix for something to watch, Jim wakes up, smiling as soon as he sees me. He runs a hand through his hair, and that messy-sexy look is doing bad things to me. We never did get our thirty minutes like he promised. “How are you feeling?” he asks r
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 32 - Jim
Panting, I roll to the side, flopping down onto the mattress. My heart is still racing, and sweat covers my brow. Alyson is breathing just as hard, and her bare breasts rise and fall as she gulps in air. I didn’t think it was possible to have better sex that we did the first time, but I feel confident to say we just topped it. Reaching for the water bottle on the nightstand, I take a drink and grab the sheet, pulling it up over us. We’re both hot and sweaty now, but with the ceiling fan going on high, we’ll cool off fast and I don’t want Alyson to get a chill. She’s still fighting a cold and has to be worn out after the marathon sex we just had. I know I am. “That was more than thirty minutes,” she says once she catches her breath and moves onto her side. I wrap her in my arms. “I’m not sorry about that.” “You’ve set a high standard for yourself,” she says with a coy smile. “I always aim to please, babe.” Alyson laughs and runs her fin
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 34 - Alyson
I need a drink. A big one. With lots and lots of alcohol. I close my eyes in a long blink, praying I misheard Rose. “That’s less than a year away!” Mom exclaims. “Do you think you can get everything ready in time?” March isn’t that far away, she’s right. And there is a lot to do before then, and I’m not thinking about the wedding. “I think we can swing it,” Rose says. “I’ll have to get right to work, I know, and my mom’s already on it.” She looks back at Jacob, smiling. “We don’t want anything fancy, anyway.” I bring my hand to my head, subconsciously rubbing the space between my jaw and my ear. It’s been hurting off and on since last weekend, and I knew I should have listened to Jim about a sinus infection lingering for longer than normal now that I’m pregnant. “Are you okay, hun?” Mom asks, and I flick my eyes up to her. “Oh, yeah. I think I have an ear infection, that’s all,” I blurt. I should have made something up, but I’v
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 33 - Jim
THERE ARE ONLY TWO PLACES TO STAY WHEN VISITING EASTWOOD IF YOU DON’T HAVE A FRIEND OR family member to crash with. One is the Whippoorwill Bed and Breakfast, and the nicer of the two options. It’s where I stayed weeks ago, the first time I came back to Eastwood in years. And it might be where I’m staying tonight, based on how the situation goes when Alyson and I break the news to her parents. Currently, I’m parked on the street downtown, waiting for Alyson. No one knows I’m coming into town with her, and she thought it was best to arrive together. She’s getting panicked about this, and as much as I’m trying to tell her—and myself—that it’s really not that big of a deal, her anxiety is getting to me. Not because I’m worried what will happen to my friendship with Jacob. I already know he’s not going to react well. It’ll hurt to lose him. Hell, it’ll hurt to lose Ben and Logan, but it’s not me I’m worried about. I can handle it. But Alyson…it’ll kill he
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 35 - Alyson
The air leaves my lungs, and if it weren’t for Jim’s arm around me, I might have fallen over. Mom’s eyebrows pinch together, and she tips her head looking at the images. “Where did you get—” Mom tips her head, eyeing the photos. The blood drains from my face, and I can’t open my mouth to form the words to warn Jim. “This has your name on it, Alyson,” she says quietly. And then it hits her. Her mouth opens, and she lets out a gasp. The ultrasound pictures fall to the table, and Dad picks them up. It doesn’t take him long to come to the same conclusion. He stands up so fast his chair scoots out from behind him and falls over. “You knocked up my daughter?” A hush falls over the room, and I swear even the dogs stopped sniffing around the table to look. “Alyson,” Mom starts, still looking confused. She picks up the chair and reaches up for Dad’s wrist, pulling him back down. “What…when…are you sure?” “Wait a minute,” Ben says, reachin
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 36 - Jim
“All things considered, that went as well as I thought it would.” I put my arm around Alyson and push off the ground, sending the glider back. It’s getting late, and everyone but Weston and Jackson has left already. Wes is working the night shift tonight, so Jackson is staying here with Alyson’s parents. Alyson rests her head on my shoulder and closes her eyes. She looks exhausted. Physically, I know she will be for the rest of the first trimester at least. Emotionally, she’s spent. And I still think she’s one of the fucking strongest people I know. “Yeah. Only my dad and Jacob want to take you out back and cut off your testicles. But don’t worry, I won’t let that happen. I happen to like them. Well, more so what they’re attached to.” I laugh and press my lips against the top of Alyson’s head. “Thanks for looking out for my balls.” The sound of katydids and crickets echo through the yard, reverberating off the tall corn that surrounds us. The sounds o
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