Relinquish(82)

“I beg to differ. You are perfect for the job. You know more about being in those girls’ shoes than anyone.” Landon strides behind me, his hands on my hips as he rests his chin on my shoulder. “Let’s get you to bed. You need to rest.” Landon turns me and presses on the small of my back, leading me back to the bed. The bed is made perfectly, the sheets seemingly brand new. Landon pulls the comforter back and helps me crawl in; they’re crisp and clean against my sore body. He turns the lights off then climbs in after me, pulling me into the crook of his torso. The warmth of his skin against mine is comforting and relaxing. It’s all I could ever want.

“If fate hands us the worst, Charlie, the doctor said we could try to conceive again.” My eyes widen and my heart sputters. I tilt my head back and search Landon’s face in the dark. We should wait. We shouldn’t jump into a commitment so quickly, but my gut says to hell with what normal people do. When have we ever been normal anyway?

“Is… is that something you want?” I question. I know getting pregnant was an accident, but actually planning to have a child is a whole other level of commitment.

Landon runs his hand along the crook of my neck and exhales.

“If we lose this baby, then yes. When we’re both mentally and physically ready.” He raises a stern brow at me. “Yes, it is something I want.”

I nod, agreeing.

“All in?” he whispers, kissing my forehead tenderly. My lips curl into a smile, his ‘all in’ making me giggle.

“All in.”





EPILOGUE


LANDON


Three Days Later

I sit at my desk, working some of the girls’ clients for the week when my phone rings. “Landon Blackwell,” I answer anxiously. Charlie is with the doctor upstairs. She said she wanted to be alone when she found out if we had lost our child or not. I refused, but the doctor insisted.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Blackwell. This is Aaron from wildlife conservation. I got a call that you had two gorillas you were looking to have placed in our reserve?”

I sit up straight and jerk my tie loose. “Yes, that is correct.”

“Can I set up a time to come and look the gorillas over, observe them to see if they’re fit for our program? I’m sure they will be. I would just like to see them firsthand.” He chuckles and I give a half-laugh, standing to relieve my nerves.

“Yes, that would be terrific,” I respond. “Next week sound okay to you?” I’m not sure if I’m free next week, but I can shuffle some things around if I need to. Since Father’s death, Roman and I pretty much run things together.

“Great. If you want to email me the directions and any information regarding Jaheem and Ebele, that would be great.”

“Yes, of course.”

“I’ll see you next week then, Mr. Blackwell.”

“See you then.” I hang up, my back sweating. I’ve been trying to get them into one of these programs for what seems like forever. It’s not that I won’t miss them, because I will. I grew up running out to their cage and seeing them. But they deserve to be free, to be animals. Not prisoners.

The door opens and shuts to my office, catching my attention.

Charlie walks in wearing a long, sexy-as-hell black dress, her dark hair is let down and curling at the ends. When I was younger, my mother would dress in a black dress before she worked the estate. When I asked her about it, she furrowed her brows and said, “Every woman deserves a little black dress, Landon.” Then she smirked and ruffled my hair. “Don’t forget that, son.”

“Have I said how sexy you look in black?” I smile wolfishly. Charlie’s cheeks flush as she strides over to my desk. My cock grows in my slacks with the need to take her again. “We just got Jaheem and Ebele a home into a nice reserve, I think,” I inform her with a big smile.

“Really?” Charlie lights up. She smiles and looks off. “That’s crazy.”

I lift a brow, curious at what she’s thinking in that head of hers. “Why’s that?”

“They’re free, we’re free. It’s just an odd coincidence.” I nod and smile, noticing she has her hand behind her back and a mischievous smile playing her face. I cock my head to the side, curious what she’s up to.

“What?” I ask with a laugh.

She pulls her arm out and shoves her hand in my face as she squeals in excitement. I pull my face back to look at what she has in her hand to find a picture of some sort. I take it from her, and examine it. It’s an ultrasound image. I forgot for a moment about her being with the doctor I was so excited about finding Jaheem and Ebele a home.

“Really?” I look at her with surprise.

“Mmhhm.” She nods. “We didn’t lose the baby!” I stand from my desk and make my way to her, pulling her into my arms. “I can’t believe it. I surely thought we had lost it,” she mutters into the crook of my neck. I scoff.

“Must be a boy then, tough like his dad.” She rolls her eyes and slaps at my chest. I slide my hand along her abdomen, and smirk. “A Blackwell and an Evans, imagine that,” I mutter. Relief floods my senses that we didn’t lose it, that Charlie and I created something precious out of an act of love rather than creating chaos and damage in our wake. This baby is a start to a new chapter in mine and Charlie’s life. He or she stands for something memorable.