Going Long (Waiting on the Sidelines #2)(86)
“Are you…are you sure?” I asked. She just nodded big.
“Oh, I’m sure. It’s about six weeks according to the doctor,” she said, laughing a little at my stunned face.
“We’re…pregnant?” I said, placing my hands on her stomach now and staring at it again. I’d never felt something so important before. So fragile. Nolan was giggling, and I looked up at her, my mouth unable to do anything but smile.
“Uh, I’m pretty sure I’m the one that’s pregnant. You get to be a dad, yeah. But I don’t see you throwing up your damn breakfast in a stadium bathroom,” she said, her hands on her hips. I laughed out loud, half because she was right, and it was funny, and half because I’d never been happier than I was in this exact moment.
I got down on my knees and hugged her waist, just listening to her like I could hear something. I knew it was ridiculous, but suddenly I couldn’t wait to get her home to touch her belly and talk about names and Google whatever the hell it was we were supposed to do.
“Hey, I’m having a baby!” I shouted to the reporters standing and staring now. They started to walk over, taking pictures of us together. Suddenly, my interviews got a whole lot more interesting, and Nolan fielded a few questions, too. When she started to look tired, I held up a hand and apologized to the few reporters left. My girl was running out of steam, and I had to get her home.
“Sorry guys. Just give me a call and we’ll talk. I gotta get my family home,” I smiled. Family. I was going to have a family.
I took Nolan’s purse from her and tucked it under my arm. “I can hold my purse. You look silly,” she sassed. I refused to give it back, though. If I had my way, she wouldn’t carry anything for the next nine months. “Fine, if you insist. I’m going to start bringing the heavier one, though, just to torture you,” she said, crinkling her nose at me. I just crinkled mine back and leaned in to kiss her quickly.
I held her hand as we walked through the family area and down to the garage. Suddenly, I felt guilty making her climb up into a lifted Jeep. I was going to get a new car tomorrow. Hell, I might just go get one tonight.
We drove home through the hills and pulled onto our private street. I was waiting for the gates to swing open when Nolan broke the silence.
“Peyton,” she said.
“I’m sorry?” I asked, a little confused.
“Our baby. I’d like to name him Peyton,” she smiled, looking straight ahead as I drove through the gates to our house.
“Him, huh? You feeling a boy?” I said, my male instincts kicking in with pride at the thought of having a son.
“Either way,” she shrugged.
“Either way what?” I asked, then realized. “Oh, yeah. Either way. I’m happy whatever we have.”
Nolan just laughed to herself, rubbing her hands over her sleepy eyes. “No, silly. Either way. We’re naming our baby Peyton either way.”
Peyton, just like Nolan. I loved it with all my heart, instantly. Just like my girl.
“Yeah, Peyton. I like it,” I said, falling in love with her all over again.
Acknowledgements
Last year, I began a journey. I finally dedicated myself to finishing something I started, something deeply personal and that meant more to me than anything I’d ever done before professionally. When Waiting on the Sidelines went live for the world to read in April 2013, I wanted to pass out—both from the thrill of it being done and real and tangible (at least, as tangible as an e-book can be) and from the panic that no one would care it was there.
Thankfully, my panic was misguided. To see this story embraced by readers around the world is so special to me. I have carried Nolan Lennox in my head for years, and to see others love her as much as I do is the best affirmation that I’m really doing something I’m supposed to be doing when I string words together into stories.
I knew when I finished Waiting on the Sidelines that I wanted Reed and Nolan’s story to continue. But I had to make sure others wanted it to as well. And bless you, readers, for not being shy. It’s because of you that Going Long is here. And I hope I have met your expectations.
Just as with Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long has a wonderful support team of friends and family that helped it move from my MacBook to e-reader. Thank you, Team Ginger—you girls are my heart and soul (my super-ultra battery in the Arizona desert). Mom, dad, Phil and family—thanks for knowing I could do this. My sweet husband, thanks for giving me a real fairytale of my very own (I’m one of the lucky ones, don’t I know it!) And Carter, thank you for always checking to make sure mommy had enough sports in the book. I promise, someday we will write the story together about the boy who learns to play baseball with magic shoes and Bryce Harper’s bat (honestly, my son has some great ideas).
Thank you, Lesley and Jayne, for being such amazing artistic geniuses and sharing your time and talent with me. You make things look so dang good. And thank you, Billi Joy Carson, the best editor this side of the Mississippi (and perhaps the other side, too…I haven’t travelled east in quite some time).
But most importantly, thank you readers and bloggers. You have taken time from your lives to tell your friends, blog, Tweet and Facebook your passion for Reed and Nolan’s story. And I know that you are the reason for any success my stories may find. You are amazing, and I love each and every one of you!