Almost There and Back Again

by Nancy

Chapter 36

“SCOTT!”

Nathan grabbed the towel thrown his direction out of the air wiping it over his already drenched head. He looked at his coach blank faced waiting for more. Scott…yeah…and…

“Where is your head…besides up your ass I mean!” the coach bellowed. “We’re not four minutes into this game and I’m already calling a timeout because our so called leader is screwing up left and right! What the hell is your problem tonight?”

“Nothing,” Nathan shrugged glancing around the huddle at his teammates who were only giving him half-hearted return looks and complete silence. Any look of real support they knew would have the coaches ire turned on them. It was best to appear noncommittal.

“Nothing! I’ll say nothing! That’s what you’re doing – nothing! Of course that’s when you’re not doing something – like screwing up! You just let that pass from Patterson go right through your hands! You let Simmons drive around you for a basket! You threw the ball away…twice, and we’ve barely started! If you don’t feel like playing tonight say so and you can sit your ass down and watch. I don’t give a shit who you are!”

“Sorry coach…it won’t happen again. I’ll get it together,” Nathan finally replied with appropriate chagrin.

“Or you can go sit in the stands where I saw your head turned during half of warm-ups. You see some piece of ass up there you’re aiming to get with or something?” The rest of the team had their hands over their mouths trying to hold back the snickers.

“No! God…come on coach. I said I’ll get it together.”

“You better! Or I’m directing every post game question about the loss to you! And you can explain we lost because your brain was more focused on your dick than basketball! Now let’s go!”

“Which one is she?” Patterson mumbled on their way back on the court.

“Shut up and play man!” Nathan hotly shot back.

Haley jumped to her feet waving her arms frantically over her head, almost dancing in front of her seat, her face one huge smile when the team came back on the court after halftime. Nathan barely cut his eyes her direction. It was all he could do not to burst out laughing at how crazy she looked. He allowed the briefest of smiles and the tiniest of head nods. He didn’t like post game press anyway, and he knew the coach was dead serious about throwing him under the bus if they lost because he couldn’t concentrate. But still…what one little kiss would do for him.

Haley leaned against the wall opposite the locker room. She was just one of a group gathered outside. Everyone else was seeking an autograph or…and extended evening of some sort with one of the players. She tried to stay a bit back from the others so Nathan could see her when he came out. She could tell he was beat, it was another squeaker they’d barely pulled out.

A player here, a player there dragged out of the room each time surrounded by those waiting outside. Nathan finally slipped out the door. He stopped and signed a few autographs and smiled for a picture with a couple of teenage boys as he kept easing his feet along. Haley kept waving her arm till he caught a glimpse. He winked and smiled at her before scribbling his name on someone’s Bobcat hat. He mumbled a few words to the little group of seductively dressed girls that were lingering around. They kept smiling and chatting at him as their group closed in a circle around him.

Haley frowned. Her hands set on her hips. He kept shaking his head. Enough. Haley inched her way into the group, her hands still set on her hips. The girls barely gave her a glance. They just figured she was after the same thing they were. And she was…sort of.

“No. Move back,” Nathan grumbled shooing at them. “I have a girlfriend okay so forget it.” Haley couldn’t contain the smile.

She reached out grabbing his hand jerking him toward her. The other girls went wide eyed at this little girl’s nerve. Her hands quickly took his face between hers. Her lips were on his before the smile could finish spreading across his face.

“Excuse us,” Nathan mumbled from behind Haley’s lips that were attacking his as he tried to back them out of the circle. She refused to let his mouth loose. Three more steps and they managed to reach a wall where Nathan let his bag fall from his shoulder. He leaned back into the wall pulling her closer, wrapping his arms around her returning the kiss with increasing fervor.

His palms caressed her face as he eased his lips from hers. He needed air in the worst way. Haley grinned wide at his almost embarrassed smile.

“Nice game Scott.”

“Thanks.” He smiled into her bright smile touching light kisses to her lips as he gently brushed the stray little hairs from her face. “I love you Hales.”

“I love you too.”

“Are your groupies still here?” She grumped pushing a long kiss to his wanting lips.

“They aren’t mine. They’re just …general groupies.” He glanced over her shoulder at the dispersing crowd. “No, everyone’s kind of leaving. We must have scared them off,” he chuckled tangling his fingers in her hair pulling her in for another deep kiss. They both sighed with satisfaction when he eased from her and wrapped her tightly in his arms holding her warm body against his in a much needed simple hug.

Nathan lifted his head from Haley’s to find his coach standing outside the press room, his arms folded across his chest staring at them. Nathan half smiled easing himself a little straighter and loosening his grip on Haley. She looked up with mild confusion, turning her head the direction she saw Nathan’s eyes focused. She smiled broadly at the coach, gently disentangling herself from Nathan’s arms.

“Hi,” she greeted him with an extended hand and a cheerful smile. “I’m Haley James.”

“Nice to meet you Haley, Sam Allen.”

“Yeah umm…Haley’s my um…she’s my girlfriend,” Nathan stammered.

“I kind of had that figured out,” the coach dead panned. Nathan gave a half hearted head shake.

“That was a really good game. Nathan played really great don’t you think?” She grinned at the coach wrapping an arm tightly around Nathan’s waist hugging him into her side. It was all Nathan could do not to groan. Why did she have to be so damn friendly!

“Oh…he…got better,” the coach said grasping for something positive. And he had gotten better, but he’d be damned if he was going to cut him any slack. “You come to the games very often Haley?”

“Well, I came one other time, but this is the first time I’ve come when Nathan knew I was going to be here.” The coach narrowed his eyes at Nathan who was staring holes through the floor, his face taking on a definite red shade. “I’ll be coming more often now though. Nathan got me a season ticket with a really great seat.” She couldn’t stop her giddy smile.

“Oh really. That’s great…just…great,” the coach returned with a tight smile and next to zero enthusiasm. Haley smiled up at Nathan who glanced her way with a pained smile of his own.

“I’ll let you guys go. It was nice to meet you Haley.” Nathan finally looked up to see his coach shooting daggers at him. “Umm…Nathan…I just remembered, we need to have a meeting…a long one. Be at practice an hour early tomorrow will you please.” Nathan gulped hard fighting against the eye roll.

“Sure…no problem coach. See you then.”

“What kind of meeting?” Haley asked as they walked arm in arm toward Nathan’s car.

“Oh just one where I’m going to get my balls handed to me that’s all,” he sighed tugging her into him, dropping a kiss on her confused head.

The way she refused to unfuse her lips from his had him starting to laugh. He needed air, he knew she had to need some too. She finally released his mouth, scowling at his grinning face.

“Sorry. I’m sorry, there’s no air left in here Hales. I need just a little, but um…you’re kind of infatuated with my lips right now.”

She pushed back from where her bare breasts were pressed against his uncovered chest with a continued scowl. “Is that a complaint?”

“No no no, not at all. I umm…we’ve just kind of sucked all the air out of the car Hales. There was a lot of heavy breathing going on in here. I mean the windows are completely fogged up, the rains still pouring so it’s a little hard to crack the window. But this is still sexy as hell, I’m sure not complaining.” He smirked letting his head fall back against the headrest watching as his finger caught the bead of sweat trickling down between her breasts swiping it slowly back up the crevice. “Very sexy.”

She glanced down at his finger with her own smirk. “If you need air that badly I can get off your lap you know. Give you plenty of room.”

“Oh no.” His hands quickly latched onto her nude hips pushing her back down so she stayed straddled across his lap. “I never said anything about you getting up. I just wanted a tiny smidge of air. And now I’ve had it so…,” he smiled sliding a hand through her hair to pull her mouth back to his. Her arms immediately wrapped around his neck easily losing herself in his kisses.

She reluctantly pulled away resting her forehead to his as her hands ran over his damp chest. She couldn’t stop pressing light kisses to his lips. He was completely wound up again. He pulled her mouth tighter against his.

It didn’t matter that there wasn’t an ounce of air left in that car or that they were both hot and sweating. It didn’t matter that Haley’s neighbors were probably calling each other telling one another to peek out the window and past the rain to the dark car in the parking lot…the one with the fogged up windows…the one where you could barely see the shadows behind the fog…the one with the shadows that were quite obviously mauling each other…the dark car that appeared to be rocking up and down…yeah, none of it matter to him anymore. The only thing he was aware of was the way Haley was once again riding up and down on him and at a rate that had both of them panting and screaming with the passion flowing between them.

He was the one that wouldn’t let go of her this time. His hands pushed up under the back of her blouse moving it away from where it had adhered to her wet back where they massaged into her soft wet skin as his lips devoured hers.

He finally fell back against the seat completely drained and gasping for air. “I have to stop…I’m going to pass out.” He pushed down the button to retract the window on the passenger side. The rain immediately began to thump against the leather seat. Haley clutched the unbuttoned blouse around her breasts staring at him in disbelief. It wasn’t only wet, it was cold out there. “I’m sorry baby, but it’s hot in here.”

She pushed the button to close the window. “Maybe we should go in. I’m sure I’ve given my neighbors enough to talk about anyway.” She laughed working closed the buttons on her top. She popped a quick kiss to his mouth before climbing off his lap into the backseat. She reached back to the front floor to gather up her pants, struggling to get them up over her damp skin. “I’m starving, let’s go in and eat.”

“I’ve worked up an appetite myself,” Nathan agreed cinching his belt closed. They glanced at each other… “One two three…run!” she yelled as they both raced through the pouring rain lot toward her apartment.

He pushed the curtain aside a bit, watching the relentless rain. Shaking his head with a long sigh he let the curtain fall closed, shoving his hands deep in his pockets he turned back to find Haley standing across the room in a dry t-shirt and sweats rubbing a towel over her wet hair watching him. She gave him a small reassuring smile.

“I think we went right from hurricane season to monsoon season. This rains getting a little old,” he sighed quietly absently digging his hands further into his pockets, nipping with slight nerves at the edge of his lip.

“Come on…let’s find something to eat,” she softly said holding her hand out for him. He returned the small smile, taking her hand and following her into the kitchen.

“This…this is a little weird Hales.”

“What? Eating breakfast for dinner? Or eating dinner at almost midnight? I think we did both of those more than once.”

“No,” he chuckled pouring more syrup over his pancakes as he bit off a piece of bacon. “Not that. This apartment. It reminds me of ours. I mean this is all our old furniture right?”

“Yep.” She licked the smear of butter off her thumb. “My parents kept it all. So…I took it back. Now they have to buy their own,” she smiled smugly behind a mouthful of food. “The beds the same one too. I finally get you back in it for real instead of just in my dreams.”

“So you’ve been dreaming about me huh?”

“Continually…for three years. But since I’ve been back in this bed they’ve become a little more…sexually explicit,” she giggled at his smirk. If she didn’t know better she’d think she was making him blush a bit.

“Well I think I’ve been having the same continual dreams…only mine never stopped being sexually explicit.”

“Oh…do tell,” she said with a flirty lilt. He chuckled again. There was nothing better than a completely happy Haley.

He couldn’t help but laugh at the way she carried on about eating such a big meal so late at night, and how she was going to have to run extra far to burn it off. The whole time she talked, she kept stuffing her face. A happy Haley was a little pig too.

He wiped off the table and put things back on the shelves while Haley loaded the dishwasher. He leaned against the counter watching her finish trying to build his courage. Surely she would understand.

“All done,” she grinned punching the button to get the washer going before walking to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She pushed up on her toes to drop a kiss to his lips. The smile ever present across her face. “You want to watch T.V. for a little bit…unwind some more or you ready for bed?”

He drew a long breath rubbing his hands softly around her back. “You um…you know what Haley…I think I’m going to head out.” Her face dropped to the floor. He rubbed more briskly. “I just…you know you have to work tomorrow and I’ve got that meeting before practice and…you need your rest so I think I’ll go back to the house.” Her brow was knit in complete confusion.

“No! I mean…no Nathan you can’t leave. Why do you…you don’t want to stay with me?” He cringed at her hurt tone sighing hard again. He pulled her into his chest laying his head on hers.

“It’s not that baby,” he quietly whispered into her hair hugging her tighter against him. “I love you. I want to, you know I do, but…you need to sleep and… Look, the weather’s all crazy. I’ll be up and down all night. You’ll never get any sleep. It’d just be better if I went home okay. You understand…don’t you?” He leaned back meeting her eyes that were threatening to spill tears at any moment. She slowly shook her head.

He sighed thumbing away the lone tear that escaped down her cheek. “Haley…please baby. I can’t keep you up. It’s not fair to you. I know what I’ll do. I’ll roam, and be in and out of bed…It would just be better.”

She shook her head again pulling his arms from around her to take hold of his hands. “I don’t care if you’re up and down. At least you’re here. I want you here. I don’t want you to go home Nathan. Please don’t go.”

“Haley,” he groaned with frustration. He didn’t want to go either. All he wanted was to hold her while they slept…only he knew he wouldn’t sleep.

“Besides, I haven’t gotten to tell you my idea yet.” He looked at her perplexed. “My idea…for how to help you with your bad dreams.”

He shook his head with a small eye roll and a long sigh. Help. He figured anything short of a lobotomy wasn’t going to do much good.

“Come on, let’s sit and I’ll tell you,” she said trying to smile as she quickly swiped another tear away. She took his hand leading him back to the couch.

“If I don’t like the idea can I go home?” He hesitantly asked.

Her face was one big frown. “If you can still leave while I throw a tantrum complete with slinging myself to the floor and rolling around and stomping my feet and wailing at the top on my lungs…then yes, you can go,” she said with a faint smile.

“I might try to leave just to see that performance,” he chuckled. He glanced down at their joined hands. He knew he needed to leave, but he was far from positive he’d actually have the strength to do it. Having her sleep across town…alone, when he could be with her…he wasn’t sure he could do it.

“Okay, remember the very first time we ever talked?”

“Yes, you were completely soaked, your clothes were stuck to you like you’d been poured into them. Your jeans clung to every curve of your butt which was like this nice round piece of perfect ass, and your shirt…yeah Hales I noticed you had um nice…uh…nice…perfectly shaped…full…breasts that were um…making it quite clear you were cold.” His smirk was threatening to turn into a full belly laugh at the scowl she was giving him. “What?” He asked with a little laugh. “I said I remembered the first time we talked.”

“God,” she grumbled rolling her eyes. “Okay…that actually was the first time we spoke, but that wasn’t what I was referring to. The next time…”

“Oh, the next time. You mean when you were showing me your ass? Which pretty much started the whole Pinky thing. That time? You had on a pink bra and…”

“No! Not that time. God Nathan! I had no idea you were so obsessed with my ass and boobs the first times I met you. Well…okay, I knew you liked my butt in the pink underwear but,” she sighed with a bit of frustration. He was so missing the point to this whole conversation. He couldn’t keep from laughing at her.

“You have great ass Hales and a really really nice set of…,” he hesitated his words at the narrow eyed glare she was giving him. “Breasts,” he finished with a big grin. “I noticed…sorry. That’s what guys notice about girls when they look at them. Sorry,” he shrugged unapologetically.

She sat back with a huff against the couch folding her arms across her chest. She stared with an annoyed head shake at his cocky smirk. “So what…that’s what you notice when you look at girls…their ass and boobs?” She incredulously questioned.

“Yes…I mean,” he quickly realized the error of his words. “I mean no…not girls…per se…like girls. Just you. I mean I just noticed your ass and breasts.” He was beginning to sweat again.

“Un hunh…I see,” she mumbled with disbelief. “So you don’t zero right in on the girl’s chest or butt?”

“Jesus Haley…can we drop this subject. Man, you really paid attention in interrogation 101 didn’t you?”

“Well do you look there or not?” She had him on the ropes and she wouldn’t be deterred.

“No! I don’t. I look right in their eyes.” He stated with utmost sincerity.

She burst out in a loud laugh. “Oh my god Nathan, you’re not even scratching your head and I know that’s a big fat lie.”

“Whatever,” he grumbled. “Can we please change the subject…please,” he pleaded.

“I have the only ass and breasts you ever noticed huh?”

“Exactly,” he quickly agreed.

She smiled wide at his serious expression and his rapid head shake of confirmation. She leaned up placing a long kiss to his mouth. “Thank you. I know it’s a lie, but thank you anyway.”

He mumbled you’re welcome, but wasn’t sure that was a proper response.

“Okay, now back to my idea. I was talking about the first time we talked…really talked. In the library.”

“I remember. I wanted to kiss you.”

“What…you did?” She asked smiling at the very idea that the hot guy she was hesitantly passing the time with wanted to kiss her, of all people.

“You kept licking your lips and they were all full and wet and looked like they needed kissing…kind of like now,” he whispered sliding a hand up her jaw and pulling her mouth to meet his. “What would you have done if I’d kissed you that night in the library?”

She slowly opened her eyes, her smile widened. “Passed out.” He laughed.

“Yeah, my kisses are pretty devastating.”

She rolled her eyes pushing playfully at his chest. “Yeah…you’re ego…that’s something I definitely remember about that night,” she giggled. He shrugged acceptingly.

“Back to the topic,” she insisted trying to scoot back to get a little distance between them. All this kissing talk had her mind wandering. “When I first saw you in the library you had your computer with you…remember? You were writing in your journal.”

“Oh,” he sighed a long breath. “My journal…yeah I remember. You know you’re still the only person I’ve ever told about that. I haven’t dragged that thing out in years. It doesn’t really reflect my best times.” He dragged a heavy hand through his hair at the memories his journal evoked.

“Which is sort of my point,” Haley gingerly continued. “You said it helped you Nathan. It helped you to write things down. Helped get out your feelings about things…”

“Haley…” He shook his head. He knew exactly where she was going now, and it was a far fetched idea. That journal was years ago. When he was a kid. When he didn’t have her. When he could barely deal with things. That’s what the journal was for…the angst of youth not adult…mental issues. It would never work.

“I read parts of it Nathan. Some of it was pretty…dark, and sad, and…deep. You could tell you were really pouring your heart out in those words. You didn’t have anyone to talk to, or you wouldn’t, or couldn’t talk to anyone…sort of like now. I mean I’d love it if you talked to me about your dreams, or go see someone, but you don’t want to. I talked to somebody and it helped me so much. It’s what got me through, but that’s not what you want. I’d love it if you talked to me about your dreams or anything else about that time you wanted to talk about, but you said no and I have to respect that. But you have to do something Nathan; you’ll never let it go if you don’t do something. I really think this could help you.”

He squeezed her hands more firmly between his. Despite his complete apprehension, he wanted to tell her it was a terrific idea just to ease her fears. The corner of her lip was under her teeth as she nervously nibbled at it. She wanted so desperately to help him.

“Haley…I don’t know. That was a long time ago. A lifetime ago. I had a lot of pent up anger then. A lot of crap going on in my life. I admit it kind of helped to get things out. Kept me from totally exploding some days I think, but I don’t know. I don’t know if I can do that again. I wouldn’t know how to start anymore Hales. I wouldn’t know where to start. Writing in that journal…that wasn’t easy Haley.” He released her hands resting his elbows against his thighs as his hands massaged through his hair. Writing in his journal, while helpful, was a gut wrenching experience some days.

“Write what you’re feeling. Write about your nightmares. Write about…me. You have pent up anger now Nathan,” she softly prodded him as his brow furrowed in disagreement. “You have pent up something…if you don’t want to call it anger then don’t, but it’s pent up something. And until you work on it, deal with it, these dreams; these nightmares are going to haunt you. I still think me being here is going to help. But you know in the past expressing yourself by writing it down…it probably saved you from completely going bonkers when you were a kid…don’t you think?”

He held her beseeching eyes. He couldn’t turn her down. No matter how useless he thought it was, he couldn’t turn her down when she looked at him like that. She couldn’t help him, save him, she was imploring him to save himself. Save himself from a life of perpetual inner turmoil.

He shook his head with a small smile taking her hands between his again. “Okay…okay I’ll give it a try I guess. I have no idea how to start, but if that’s what you want, I’ll try it.”

“Oh thank you!” She squealed with joy throwing her arms around his neck. “Thank you for trying Nathan. I love you.”

Haley set up her laptop for him at the kitchen table before they finally gave up their make out session on the couch to continue it in the bedroom.

He gave the computer a sideways glance and a long silent sigh as he shuffled past it to bed. A lot of his other writings were pretty much spontaneous bitch fests. Writing about something like this, the wreck and the baby and losing everything that meant anything…writing about those damn dreams that wouldn’t quit coming…he wasn’t sure he knew how to reach that. But he knew if he was going to move on, move forward with Haley, he had to work on resolving the past. He owed her that…a whole person. If it meant that much to her he’d at least try, for her if nothing else.

If the thunder and the torrent of rain hitting the window hadn’t already nudged her from her sleep his mumblings would have. It was the second time since they went to bed a couple of hours ago that he was sitting at the edge of the bed running his hands over his head. The first time she’d rolled on her side and rubbed lightly over his back. He got up and rambled around in the bathroom for a few minutes before flipping off the light and trying to quietly climb back into bed. This time she remained still keeping up the pretense of sleep. He was concerned with disturbing her; she didn’t want him knowing he’d woken her again so she remained still trying to keep her breathing steady until she actually did fall back asleep.

With an eye barely slit enough to read the numbers on the clock she slapped the snooze alarm for the third time. There was a bit of sun shining behind the shades. She rolled to her back with a yawn and a deep stretch trying to blink away the fog from her brain. “Morning,” she mumbled rolling up on her side to find the space next to her empty. She pushed up on her elbow glancing toward the bathroom. The door was open. She slammed her hand on the alarm with grumbled cursing when it started up again.

Sitting on the edge of her bed she grabbed up his old jersey off the dresser and worked it over her already goose bump covered naked body as she padded as quickly as her still sleepy feet would take her out of the bedroom.

She heard his muffled snoring before she saw him. He was slumped over the kitchen table, his head lying on his arms that were folded across the table in front of him. He looked uncomfortable, but his light snoring and the completely content expression on his face said otherwise.

The computer was still open, but the screen was black. She silently inched up behind him. Reaching over his shoulder she rubbed a finger over the pad. The black screen immediately disappeared to reveal a screen full of words. Her teeth sunk hard into her lip to keep the gasp back, but it couldn’t stop the smile. She was surprised at her lack of temptation to read what he wrote. She was just grateful he’d written anything.

She lowered the screen to almost closed pushing the laptop further back on the table. She touched her lips lightly to his shirtless shoulders until he startled at the feeling. “Good morning,” she whispered in his ear with a long kiss to his cheek and warm arms that wrapped around his chest from behind. “I love you.”

“I love you,” he gravelly mumbled in return as he pushed himself to an upright position groaning at the stiffness. “God my back’s killing me.” He rubbed a hand over her arms that settled around his shoulders smiling at the nuzzled kisses she was smothering his neck with.

He moaned appreciatively at the way her hands massaged over his aching back and shoulders. “How’d it go?” She finally got up the courage to ask.

He shrugged. “Okay I guess. I wrote. It was a little…I don’t know, it felt kind of creepy. I felt like a mad professor banging on the keys as the rain pounded outside,” he said with a light chuckle. He pushed the laptop open, paging down to see several pages of words before him. His eyes widened with surprise. “It looks like I got on a role doesn’t it? I don’t know Haley…we’ll see. It’s going to take more than one night I know that,” he said with a heavy sigh pushing in the cd she passed over his shoulder burning his words to it.

“It’s a start Nathan. That’s all I wanted, that’s all you can expect of yourself right now. It’ll take time that’s for sure, but it looks like you got a good start. Now just take that disk with you and keep adding to it. Don’t just wait for the next rain storm, take it on the road with you and type when things come to you. You’ll clear it out eventually, and pretty soon you’ll be curled up next to me all night long driving me crazy with your snoring,” she smiled popping another kiss on his cheek.

“Hey, I don’t snore,” he chuckled pulling her onto his lap. “My back needs to stretch out on a bed for a little bit. In fact I think it would be best if I stretched out on top of a little body…work some kinks out,” he said with a leering smirk. “Come back to bed with me.”

“Okay mister…we can’t do this every morning,” she said with a feeble attempt at pulling away her hand that he was dragging her down the hall with. “I’m not going to be late today,” she insisted while holding her arms up so he could get her shirt off. “I’m not,” she mumbled behind his lips as they fell back on the bed.

“Are you going to eat that?” Haley questioned with an already salad stuffed mouth.

Peyton stared down at her garlic bread and back up at Haley’s chomping mouth. “Yes, I’m going to eat it,” she slowly drawled out. Haley shrugged. Peyton almost felt the need to wrap a protective arm around her plate the way Haley was gobbling up her food.

“When was the last time you ate?” Peyton asked settling back against her chair watching with amazement.

“This morning,” Haley mumbled through another mouthful. “Sorry,” she said trying not to laugh at the crumbs that flew out.

“So when Nathan’s out of town you substitute food for sex, is that it?” Peyton snickered at the scowl being tossed across the table at her.

“I’m hungry. I didn’t have much breakfast and this salad is like…so not satisfying.”

Peyton shook her head going back to munching on her own salad.

“Did you guys settle on a date yet?” Haley asked waving over the waiter. She pointed at the cheesecake on the menu with a broad grin. “You can help me eat it. Well?”

Peyton’s brow furrowed before shaking it off. “June twenty-second.”

“Awww a June wedding. How perfect,” Haley said with genuine excitement. “You have a church or whatever already ‘cause you know everybody wants to get married in June.”

“Yes mother, we’ve got it covered. Although it is weird how much in advance people plan their lives. I mean Thanksgiving’s not for another week and places are booked like you wouldn’t believe for June. Some people were so huffy with the ‘we’ve been booked up for two years’. I mean I can’t help it if people have nothing to do but plan a wedding for two years. Jeez people, get a life. I think we’re going to have the reception at Deb and Dan’s house. It’s huge, the grounds are manicured to perfection and…it’s free,” Peyton smiled happily.

“Free, my favorite word,” Haley laughed.

“Speaking of Thanksgiving…are you guys staying here or going to your parents or what?”

Haley stared across the table her face filling with annoyance. “Nathan plays on Thanksgiving,” she grumped rolling her eyes irritated. “Not only does he play, but he plays in Boston of all places. He’s so looking forward to that game,” she sarcastically snit. “I’m going to Tree Hill I guess. My parents are off to one of my sister’s and I’d really rather skip that whole scene.”

“Nathan going to meet you there?”

“No,” she huffed with disgust. “He plays Thanksgiving, and then again on Saturday in…somewhere…Toronto I think. Then they go to Minnesota on Monday so he won’t be back till late Monday or Tuesday. Why they have this long road trip in the middle of the holidays is beyond me. Their scheduler is an idiot obviously. Here, eat some,” she said shoving in a big bite of cheesecake and pushing the plate toward Peyton.

“They probably have some big blowout meal for them on Thanksgiving since they’re away from home. Then they’ll probably play like slugs on Saturday.”

“I think they do, but Nathan’s going to go to Brooke and Greg’s actually. Greg has a game on Sunday so they’re pretty much stuck there. Greg’s parents are coming up so Brooke’s been rescued from cooking.”

“Thank God for that. They all lucked out on that one,” Peyton smiled. “You’ve eaten Brooke’s food. Yikes.” Haley laughed. She knew exactly what Peyton meant. She had eaten Brooke’s cooking, and Greg had passed along a few stories. She had a worried thought about Nathan’s health until he told her Greg’s mother was going to be there.

“God Haley…why don’t you just lick the plate. I got two bites,” Peyton complained, watching Haley scrape the remaining crumbs of cheesecake off the plate and lick her fork clean.

Haley smiled with satisfaction. “Mmm, that was yummy. I’m full now.”

“I would hope so. Things still going good with Nathan I guess?”

Haley’s face twisted in confusion at the question. “Yes it couldn’t be better. Why did you ask it like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like…it was a leading question. Like you really wanted to ask something else.”

“I didn’t ask it like that,” Peyton laughed. “I was just asking. Although…why are you still in your apartment? It’s been weeks since you got back together yet you’re still living there.”

“I…I don’t know,” Haley shrugged. “I hadn’t really thought about it. He hasn’t asked me to move in for one thing I guess. I still have a couple months left on my lease, and besides we sleep in the same place when he’s in town. Either at the apartment or his house. So it’s like we’re living together…sort of.” Her voice fell off as she pondered the situation for the first time. Why weren’t they living together? “And really...that house is huge. I think I would be creeped out staying there by myself. Too many places for the bogeyman to hide,” she laughed.

“Well he won’t be hiding behind any furniture, considering there’s hardly any in the thing. Nathan’s weird. Why doesn’t he get some furniture?”

“He’ll get around to it. He’s busy with basketball. He’s printed out all kinds of stuff from the internet, but I don’t know, he never buys any of it. He just shows it to me and sort of grunts about it. You know…he is kind of weird,” Haley giggled. “That’s why I love him.”

She could hardly keep her head from hitting the desk. She decided she’d try staying at the house last night just to see how it went. She’d spent half the night with the covers pulled up under her chin peering wide eyed into the dark. She heard every creek and groan the house made. She woke Nathan out of a deep sleep at three in the morning when she called him at the hotel with a panicked whisper about some noise. He finally got her convinced it was probably just the heater kicking on. She didn’t appreciate his constant chuckling one bit. They finally hung up with Haley almost having him convinced to get a dog to keep her company. “We’ll talk about it when I get back tomorrow,” he mumbled into the pillow before hanging up and immediately falling back to sleep. By the time she fell asleep it was almost time to get up, thus leaving her where she was now…with a nodding head trying to fight off sleep.

She was never so glad to leave early in her life. She organized her piles and sent a couple of emails. Flipping off the light she closed her office door behind her. “Barbara, I have an appointment. I won’t be back so I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Alright honey, have a good evening and get some rest.”

“I will,” Haley smiled with a little wave back over her shoulder.

REST….rest…how the hell was she supposed to get some rest! She was pacing the house in a full out panic. The same way she’d been doing since she walked through the door. Sleep…tired…they were foreign words right now. She was beyond wide awake, and was fairly certain she might not sleep for some time to come. Especially after Nathan got home. God!

She looked at her watch, she looked at the clock, she checked the clock on the microwave. None of them seemed to be moving! She turned on the television mindlessly passing by channel after channel. That was Nathan’s routine, she never did that, in fact, it drove her crazy when he flipped through the channels like she was doing now. She looked at her watch. He was going to be here soon. Oh god!

She looked at herself in the mirror. “This is ridiculous,” she griped when she observed her reflection. Her mouth twisted with disgust at the slinky lingerie she’d put on. “Dumb, dumb, dumb,” she grumbled ripping the seductive clothes off and digging out some pajama bottoms and a tank top. “He’s not going to be in the mood, and that shit’s not going to help either,” she continued to bitch as she stuffed the lingerie back in a drawer.

She went back downstairs and turned off the T.V. in favor of music. “Why is this thing so damn complicated,” she grit hitting buttons and switches till sound poured out the speakers. “Finally.”

She lit a few candles and laid back on the couch trying to calm herself, hoping the music and fresh candle scents would induce peace. Her hands were trembling and she was sweating like whore in church. It wasn’t inducing shit! She bolted straight up when she heard his car pull into the garage.

She quickly threw him a drink together and set it on the table. One hand ran nervously through her hair as the other one smoothed at her clothes over and over.

“Hey baby,” he smiled dropping his bag on the floor just inside the door.

“Hi,” she quietly replied a nervous smile filling her face where she stood next to the couch.

“I thought maybe you’d be asleep it’s so late. We got a little delayed with the weather. Mmm, you feel good,” he sighed contently scooping her up in his arms that lifted her from the floor. “You do to,” she whispered wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I made you a drink,” she smiled motioning toward the glass when their lips finally released the others. He searched her eyes that were blinking rapidly back at him. A little smile pasted to her face. He tucked some stray hairs behind her ear.

“You okay?” He gently asked pushing another kiss to her mouth. She shook her head agreeably.

She took up his hand fiddling with his fingers when they sat down on the couch while he sipped on his drink. “You’re not having anything?”

“Oh I have my ice water,” she smiled holding up her glass she had yet to touch.

“Ice water…okay,” he chuckled.

“How was Thanksgiving?” Haley asked. She kept tucking and retucking her hands under her legs that were folded up in front of her.

Nathan laughed. “We talked about this already Hales. Remember? Food was great. Greg was good. Brooke was…Brooke. Not much else to tell. We lost to the Celtics which totally sucked…which I also told you already. I got heckled like a mother. But I kind of expected that so…we won tonight.”

“I saw that,” she smiled. “Twenty-four points for mr. bigshot too,” she teased leaning in to kiss him again. “You want something to eat?”

“No I’m good. I’m going to run my bag upstairs and get comfortable. I’ll be right back.” He dropped a kiss on her head as he went by. “I like the candles,” he tossed back to her as he jogged up the stairs.

She blew out one long breath after another, shaking her hands trying to jolt the tremble out of them. She took a long swallow from her water, scowling at the lack of flavor; she set it back on the table. She could really go for a couple of shots of bourbon in there right about now.

She glanced over her shoulder to see him coming back down wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants. She was grateful he didn’t come back just wearing his boxers. She didn’t need that right now.

“Wow, you’re quite a bartender tonight Hales,” he smiled seeing she’d refreshed his drink. “I thought I was supposed to be cutting back.”

“Oh well…you won. Just a little celebration.”

“Candles, music, drinks…kind of romantic.” He smiled taking up her hand kissing the back of it. She smiled back.

She glanced at their joined hands chewing lightly at the corner of her lip. She tucked the hair behind her ears again.

Her wary eyes drifted up to his smiling ones when she felt his finger take her chin and lift her face to his. “I love you,” he softly said leaning in for another kiss.

“Haley, I…Nathan, I…,” they said in unison. They both broke out laughing.

“You first,” Haley hurriedly said.

“No…that’s alright, you go ahead.”

“No…I umm…no you…you can go first. It’s okay.”

“Alright,” he sighed with a shaky breath of his own. He took both of her hands squeezing them tightly between his. “I didn’t really plan this out. I mean tonight…I,” he sighed frustrated. He ran a nervous hand through his hair blowing out another deep breath. He held her eyes for a long moment. He wasn’t going to do this tonight, but he couldn’t wait a minute longer.

If he didn’t hurry she was going to chew a hole in her lip or stomp all over her ‘you can go first’ proclamation.

“I love you Haley. Getting back with you has been like a dream come true. The past few weeks I’ve been happier than I’ve been in three years. I umm…I am so screwing this up,” he mumbled to himself. Haley watched his every move and took in his jittery motions with confusion. Her brow knit a bit at how increasingly nervous he was.

Her eyes grew wide, the panic spread like wildfire through her body when Nathan eased off the couch to one knee. It was all she could do not to yelp. He grasped her trembling hands with his fiercely shaking one. He couldn’t swallow down the lump in his throat no matter how hard he tried. He wasn’t sure he had enough air left to talk. He blew another long quiet breath.

“I love you Haley. I have since I was eighteen, practically since the moment I met you. I’ve always loved you. No matter where we were, or how bad things got between us, I never stopped loving you. I never will. I never want to be without you. I want you in my life…for the rest of my life Haley.” He quickly pulled the black velvet box from his pajama pants pocket pulling back the top he held it out to her. “I love you Haley. Will you marry me?”

Her hand flew to cover her gaping mouth and the sobbed cry she was trying to stop. His hopeful eyes met with her tear spilling ones. She jumped to her feet where she began a panicked back and forth pacing. Her hands tore at her hair as she rapidly shook her head not even bothering to wipe at the tears that poured down her cheeks.

“Oh god…oh god…oh god oh god oh god,” she said with a stammering mumble. “Oh god…Nathan…” Her hands and voice were almost at a tremor.

Nathan pushed himself back to sit on the couch. He watched her crazy pacing. He could feel his stomach starting to churn. He was quickly getting nauseous. His head fell hard between his hands where his fingers dug deep into his scalp.

This was definitely not the reaction he was hoping for.

She was supposed to scream yes, and throw herself in his arms where he’d carry her to bed and they’d make passionate love for the rest of the night.

He was trying to figure out how he could have totally misread everything.

“Oh…Nathan… I’m pregnant,” she sobbed out covering her mouth again trying to quiet her cries.

He slowly lifted his head from his hands staring blankly at her tear soaked face. “You said I could go first. I said ‘no you’, but you said ‘no you’ so I went first,” his voice was growing louder and more agitated. “You said I could go first Haley.”

“I’m pregnant,” she repeated more softly, but with no less quiver to her voice.

“And you said I could go first!” Her brow furrowed at his angered tone. She was no longer worried about stifling her tears as her hands landed with a thud on her hips.

“Why do you keep saying that? I just told you I was pregnant,” she huffed with her own growing agitation.

“I heard you.”

“And…and it’s yours too. This is your baby…because I mean…it’s yours. It can’t be anybody else’s because I haven’t had sex with anybody but you in like…well…in like forever. I know you probably think I slept with Ryan, but I didn’t. He slept on the couch and I slept in my bed. I mean we, you know, we kissed and stuff but I didn’t do that with him,” she snit like Nathan had actually questioned her. “It’s yours. It is,” she haughtily quipped facing him straight on with her hands still firmly planted on her hips and an ever stiffening posture.

“Well hell Haley…considering we had sex like…I don’t know…ten times or something in about a forty-eight hour period when we first got back together, where neither one of us ever mentioned the word condom, or…or birth control of any kind I can’t say I’m surprised. I mean we’ve pretty much been…humping like rabbits for weeks now, and only about half the time did either one of us pause long enough to get some protection so…I mean…I don’t know what you want me to say. This isn’t exactly stunning news Haley. Now damn it, will you answer me!”

“Well you don’t have to be so snippy about it,” she grumbled. “You’re supposed to be romantic and stuff not a big grouch!”

“I tried to be romantic, but you busted out with the ‘I’m pregnant’ and wouldn’t stop. Which you know wasn’t right, because you did say I could go first.”

“Here we go again,” she sniffed folding her arms around herself and rolling her eyes at him.

He drew a long breath hoping it would bring in some calm. This had fallen into the realm of insanity. “Haley…will you marry me?”

She twisted back and forth for a moment cutting narrowed eyes at him before the smile spread slowly across her face. “Yes. Yes I’ll marry you.”

“Thank God,” he blew out releasing the breath he held. “Well…come on.”

She leapt into his arms he held wide for her wrapping her legs around his waist and smothering his face in kisses. “You want the ring?” He chuckled from behind her lips that wouldn’t release his.

“Eww yes! Let me see let me see let me see,” she giddily exclaimed clutching her legs tighter around him as he backed them up to the couch. He held the open box up to her…and the tears started again. “It’s huge! And beautiful. It’s just beautiful Nathan,” she whispered trying to hold off more tears when he slipped it on her finger. “Thank you,” she choked out.

“I love you Hales.”

“I love you too.”

She collapsed on his damp chest spent. Her head popped up at the rumble she felt brewing in the chest pressed against hers. “That was fun. I know you said I was going to enjoy your thank you, but damn…you almost killed me,” he laughed lifting his head to see her grinning broadly at him. “Can we do it again?”

Her giggles filled the room as she rolled onto the bed beside him. He wrapped his arm around her snuggling her into his side pressing soft kisses to her head.

“So…you’re pregnant huh?”

She lifted her head, her eyes suddenly filled with concern until she saw his smiling ones. She silently nodded her confirmation.

“You’re scared aren’t you?” He softly asked hugging her tighter.

“Kind of.”

“I am too…a little bit,” he quietly admitted. “We just have to take it one day at a time I guess. I’m sure it’ll all be fine. Have you been feeling sick?”

Her finger rubbed light circles over his chest as she pushed up on her elbow so she could see him better. “No, I haven’t been sick at all. That’s what’s so weird. Even though we’ve been pretty careless with the sex I never really thought I was pregnant because I haven’t been sick or really tired, at least not yet. I actually went to the doctor today. I went for a check-up so I could get some birth control pills,” she laughed at the irony. Nathan’s chest shook with his own laughter. “He said ‘you’re a little late, I’ll give you a prescription in about nine months. You’re pregnant’. I almost fell off the table. God Nathan…I was completely petrified to tell you.”

He pulled her jewel laden finger to his lips kissing over the back of her hand. “I’m sure it was pretty scary for you baby, but it’s going to be alright. We’re going to do better this time. No matter what happens, not that anything is,” he quickly assured her, “but no matter what we’re going to handle it. We love each other, we know the hell life is without each other so don’t worry okay, we’re going to be fine, I promise.”

“Okay,” she whispered resting her head against his shoulder. She lifted her hand to look at her ring, letting the grin fill her face again. “It’s beautiful. When did you get it?”

He could laugh about it now, but at the time… “I got it Friday, in Boston. I called Brooke last week and told her I wanted to get a ring and to scope out the jewelry stores, and you know, maybe help me out by picking some rings she would like. God! What a mistake!” Haley burst out in giggles. She could already envision the battle that must have taken place.

“Damn she can be crazy. Thank God Greg was there or I swear we would have come to blows. I think some of the ones she picked must have been a billion carets or something. You’d have needed a crane to hold your hand up they were so ridiculous.”

“Well this ones pretty big Nathan,” she smiled holding her hand up for him.

“You have no idea Haley. That looks like it came out of the gumball machine compared to some of them. Anyway, I picked one and she grumbled about it, and I grumbled about hers, and the sales lady of course wants me to get the enormous one. In the meantime Greg’s wandering around the store. He waves me over to this display case and mumbles something about ‘how about these’, and they were perfect. It took me about two minutes and I said ‘I want that one’ and there you have it,” he grinned kissing her hand again.

“What’d Brooke say?”

“It’ll do,” he mocked with rolling eyes.

“Well I think it’s perfect. And you know the best thing…I didn’t even have to get pregnant to get you to marry me. Because I let you go first.” They both laughed. “You asked before you knew, so I officially didn’t trap you.”

He laughed rolling up on his side to peer down at her smiling face. His fingers stroked tenderly over her cheek. He couldn’t stop smiling either. “Oh you trapped me alright. About…hmm…seven years ago? Damn that’s a long time! You trapped me by making me fall in love with you. Trapped me with your hot little body and your unbelievable love making skills. Trapped me with your sparkling personality and that silly giggle that gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. You trapped me just by being you Hales. I love you and I can’t wait till you’re my wife.” He glanced toward her stomach rubbing a gentle hand over it. “I’m happy about the baby Haley. I honestly am. I can’t wait till it gets here either. I love you.”

He raised his head popping open an annoyed eye at Haley who was still sitting up in the bed shaking it with her laughter. She woke up both Brooke and Peyton, and now had them both on the phone relaying every little detail. “Sorry,” she whispered down to him. He rolled his eyes nuzzling his head against her side trying to tune her out so he could get some sleep. She stroked lightly over his head before laying her hand over his that rested across her stomach.

Everything she needed to be happy was right there in that bed with her. Life didn’t get any better than that.

Chapter 37

As she looked around the massive closet she concluded her father was right…the thing was big enough to hold a square dance. It was obvious Nathan took his clothes and hung them…wherever. Everything was mixed together and spread out. That would never do. Thirty minutes later she was still moving and organizing his things. Suits here, dress shirts there, pants, casual shirts, and… Her brow furrowed as she shuffled through a batch of shirts. She pulled off one, and then another, and another. She recognized them - and they all still had the store tags on. With a heavy sigh she gathered up the half dozen unworn shirts and set them on an empty rod.

She took another look around pleased with her efforts. Even if she hadn’t moved a thing there still would have been three times more room than she needed for her clothes, but she would have stewed and stewed over his messy side. It was much better this way.

Her eyebrow quirked annoyed at the array of hats he’d apparently slung haphazardly up on the shelves. It looked like he’d acquired a gimme’ hat from every product ever pitched his way, not to mention all the old college and team hats he was still dragging from home to home.

No matter how high she jumped she couldn’t reach the stupid things. She dragged the blue box from the corner of the closet across the carpet lining it up in front of the shelves. She pressed down on the lid to check for sturdiness. Seemed alright. The last thing she wanted was to step on top just to have her foot go right through it or end up a heap on the floor when it completely collapsed.

She didn’t want to break anything either. She popped up the corner to take a quick peek inside. Her brow creased further as she slowly knelt down beside the box lifting the lid higher until it simply fell to the floor. Her lip landed under her teeth as her hands gingerly reached for the contents. She thoroughly examined one item and then another setting each almost reverently on the carpet next to her. She swallowed back the lump in her throat, and blinked away the misting in her eyes as her finger ran gently over their faces. They were so happy.

When she lifted the next frame she heard it thump down into the box. Her eyes went wide with shock, reaching hesitantly for the black velvet box with two fingers as if actually touching it might make it real. It was one of those boxes she was certain. It looked almost exactly like the box he’d handed her just a few nights ago. Her teeth sunk deeper into her lip as she apprehensively pulled back the top. She gasped a quick breath at the diamond ring sparkling up at her.

Pulling it from the box she examined it closer, completely confused by its meaning. She had no idea there had been someone else. Someone he had loved enough to give a ring to. Her sigh was long and deep as she sat down on the soft carpet, contemplating what her fate had almost been. She’d almost lost him permanently to another. She couldn’t fathom such a thing. She swiped away the tear pushing the ring back into the velvet box and snapping the lid closed.

She held the box curled in her hand as she leaned against the wall and slowly paged through the scrapbook. Each succeeding page led to an ever larger smile and a couple of giggles at the memories some of the pictures evoked.

And that’s where he found her.

Leaned up against the closet wall, her legs sprawled out in front of her, the scrapbook spread across her lap, and a wistful smile on her face. His face stiffened at the sight.

Their pictures were lying on the carpet around her. His eyes flit to the stack of envelopes beside her. The edge of his own lip ended up beneath his teeth as he silently watched her turn the pages, fighting back the nervous exhale. He sucked in a shaky breath. Leaning against the door jam he tried to appear calm and unaffected.

“Hey Hales,” he quietly greeted, tipping back the water bottle he held in his hand for a long drink. She startled at the unexpected voice.

“Hey,” she returned just as quietly giving him a soft smile. Her fingers tightened around the black box in her palm he couldn’t see.

Glancing around the closet he smiled, “Looks like you’ve been busy.”

She followed his eyes that examined his now organized things. “A little bit. How was your workout?”

“Same as usual,” he shrugged pushing away from the door. Settling on the floor opposite her letting his legs stretch out in front of him he too leaned back against a wall. He briefly eyed the items around them before glancing back to Haley. She held his apprehensive gaze with one of her own. Everything was so perfect between them she didn’t want to start anything.

“I wasn’t snooping.”

He chuckled.

“I didn’t think you were Hales.”

“I wanted to gather up all those hats you have everywhere and I was going to stand on this box, but I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t break something and when I opened it…I’m sorry,” she quickly rambled out.

He smiled sucking down another drink. “I’m thinking it’s not a good idea for you to be standing on anything, box, chair, stool or otherwise. Wait for me next time you need to get something down. I don’t want to take the chance of you falling. Okay?” She shook her head in agreement, the lip returned right back under her teeth.

“I’m not mad Haley.” He lightly patted her socked foot lying next to his leg.

She examined the items around her with a light shake of her head. “I…I um…I want to put these things out. I mean I want to put them out, like on the walls or tables or something. I love these pictures and…and stuff and I want to see them…please?” she added with a hard nervous swallow.

“Okay…alright, that’s fine. I’d like to see them myself. Those were great times for us. I just um…the past few years I…I just couldn’t look at them Haley. It hurt too much. I hope you understand.”

“I do. I…I know exactly what you mean. In fact my copies of some of those pictures are probably in one of the boxes my parents brought down the other day. I had to put mine away too Nathan. It did hurt too much. But…not any more. And this,” she said turning the scrapbook around to show him, “I am sooo glad you didn’t throw this away. I want to show our child what a big deal their daddy was. Maybe they can take it for show and tell some day and brag about their Dad the Tarheel superstar.” She giggled at the scowl that had taken over Nathan’s face.

“Hmm, something tells me they aren’t going to be that impressed. Now if I was like…a rock star or invented some gooey candy or something…then I think I’d get the scrapbook taken to school. I don’t think my basketball’s going to do much for them.”

She handed him the book as they laughed at some of the articles, and how young he looked in some of those old newspaper photos. She tucked her hand under her leg, the ring box still beneath her palm.

“Nathan…”

“Yeah?” he said glancing up the smile now seemingly glued to his face.

She held up the stack of envelopes.

“Haley…,” he softly started at a loss for what to say. He was afraid anything he came out with would only hurt her feelings.

“There’s several of them unopened. And um…those shirts,” she said motioning to the rod above her. He glanced up blowing a long sigh across his lips. “Aren’t those ones I sent you as gifts?”

“I…god Haley. I’m sorry. I just…I couldn’t wear them. I couldn’t. I’m sorry. And those cards…I mean…I appreciate you sending them, but I. Look…I don’t know what to say Hales. I was hurt and anything that reminded me of you I had to put aside. And the cards…I couldn’t read them, not after everything. It only got me…”

“It’s okay Nathan,” she interrupted knowing he was struggling for explanations. “I don’t know what I expected really. I was trying to have it both ways I guess,” she sighed looking around at the pile of colored envelopes. “Break-up and be friends…after everything that happened it really was too much to expect. Don’t worry about it. I’m kind of shocked to see them is all.”

“Just shows you how twisted I was...or am. I didn’t want them, but as you can see…I still kept them. I’m not sure what that means. I’m a sadomasochist I guess,” he said with a rueful chuckle.

“I think it means you loved me,” she softly explained.

“Always,” he easily agreed.

He went back to flipping through the scrapbook while she pulled more of their things from the box. It seemed a little odd to him how one day he couldn’t bear to see the book, and now he was cherishing every page she’d lovingly put together. He felt her eyes on him glancing up to find her watching him with an unreadable expression. He silently questioned the gaze only to have her shake off his stare with an uneasy smile and averted eyes.

“What?”

She looked back to him unsurely.

“What?” he repeated. She sighed glancing back to her fidgeting hands trying to gather courage.

“I need to ask you something.”

“Alright,” he apprehensively replied. Her obvious nerves were beginning to unnerve him as well.

“Were you in love with someone else?”

“What?” he slowly drawled stunned.

“While we were apart…did you fall in love with someone else?”

“Wha…Haley…why would you ask that?”

“It doesn’t matter…I mean it does, but it doesn’t…not really, because we’re together now and engaged and…and having a baby and…were you?” Her eyes were intently watching his, anxious for answers yet completely dreading what they would be.

“Haley…I have no idea why you would ask that. But…no, I wasn’t…I didn’t fall in love with someone else. I’ve only loved one girl my entire life Haley, and that’s you. Why would you ask me that?” He was completely baffled by this whole conversation.

She reached under her thigh where she had tucked the ring box and held it out to him. His face fell as his jaw tightened, swallowing hard while he grasped for words and breath to say them.

“Were you going to get married Nathan? Was it Kelly? Were you going to ask her to marry you?”

He went from dead serious and slightly panicked to almost a full belly laugh. Haley’s face contorted with confusion her eyes instantly watering at his seeming mocking of her. She scrambled to her feet slinging the box with all her might into his chuckling stomach stomping angrily out of the closet.

“Haley…god baby wait…I’m sorry,” he quickly tried to cover his inappropriate response hurrying to get his feet under him. “Baby wait.” He captured her arm before she could get out the bedroom door reeling her back against his chest.

“Don’t,” she pouted snatching her arm out of his grasp and harshly folding them across herself with a petulant huff.

“I’m sorry Haley. I shouldn’t have laughed, it’s not the least bit funny it really isn’t, but come on…Kelly?” He tried not to laugh again at the sheer preposterousness of the very idea.

“You thought she was pregnant with your baby Nathan!” she raged back.

“But I never gave one thought to marrying the stupid bi…look just… Okay…okay…calm down,” he tried to soothe, lightly rubbing his hands down her folded arms. “Relax a minute alright...please.”

He pulled the ring box from where he’d quickly stuffed it into his pocket. He opened it staring down at the jewelry he hadn’t looked at or allowed himself to think about for three years. Haley watched his every move with intense interest. He was uncomfortable with the topic that was evident. He sighed shaking his head tiredly before finally meeting her anxious eyes.

“It…it’s yours. It was supposed to be yours Haley,” he almost wearily admitted. Her entire face knit in utter confusion as she shook her own head in denial of his words, her fingers rushed to cover her gaping mouth that had just released a stunned gasp.

“What…what are you talking about…supposed to be mine?” Her voice was a hoarse whisper. “I have mine right here,” she said protectively covering her engagement ring.

Running a heavy hand through his hair he glanced once more into the open box. “I bought it…I bought it when you were pregnant…you know before and…then things got…the wreck happened and… I was going to propose anyway when I got back from the draft, but everything was this huge mess and… Anyway, it’s yours,” he finished with a deep pained sigh pushing the box toward her.

She took the black box from his palm barely able to see the contents through the watery fog covering her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. The tears dropped from her eyes as she looked up to meet his. “I’m so sorry Nathan.”

He took her trembling shoulders firmly between his hands. “Haley,” he softly started, stooping a bit so they were eye to eye, “we’re not going to do this. We’re not going to keep dredging up the past. We made mistakes. Things didn’t go like we planned, like I wanted, like…you wanted, but it’s over. We’re together again.” He gathered up her left hand laying a gentle kiss over her ringed finger. “We’re engaged now, that’s all that matters. We’re getting married and having a baby, and life…life couldn’t be any better. I love you Haley.”

“I love you too,” she choked out throwing her arms around his neck in a fierce hug.

She took his hand guiding him to sit beside her on the bed where she flopped one of her legs over his. “What should we do with it?” she asked looking once more at the older ring.

“Throw it back in the box? I don’t know Hales. I guess you could wear it like a regular ring if you wanted or…hell, I don’t know. Pawn it. Put it on EBay? It’s your ring, do whatever you want.”

Her finger ran slowly over the stone. It really was a beautiful ring. She briefly wondered if things would have been different if he’d actually come out and asked her back then, but just as quickly knew they wouldn’t, and what’s more, it just didn’t matter now.

“It’s too pretty to put in that box. I’ll put it in my jewelry box till I figure something out. I may just…I’m not sure. Maybe we could take the stone out and make a necklace or something like that for our daughter some day.”

Nathan’s eyebrows shot up and an amused smirk took over his face. “Daughter? So you think it’s a girl huh?”

“I’m thinkin’ maybe,” Haley coyly replied before breaking out in a silly giggle.

“Really…cause I’ve kind of been feeling boy myself.”

“Hmmm really…well, I guess one of us will be right huh.”

She gently took his face between her palms laying soft kisses over his mouth while she pushed him down on his back and moved to straddle across him. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he questioned behind the kisses she continued to ply him with as his hands massaged over her hips.

“For the ring. It’s beautiful Nathan. I’m discovering you have great taste in jewelry.”

“Can I get a thank you like the one you gave me the other night when I gave you the first ring? ‘Cause that one was…well it was um…kinky,” he laughed wiggling mischievous eyebrows at her.

“If you insist,” she smiled against his chuckling lips, working them until she’d turned his sounds into deep moans.

Haley rolled her eyes at Peyton who was barely holding back her laughter. Peyton was never so glad she and Jake decided to get married in Tree Hill as she was right now. Just tell the parents what day to be there. Much easier than what was going on in the house on Maple Street in Mt. Airy right now.

Haley had been standing bare foot in the middle of her mother’s living room, holding her arms up and down and over and out while her mother and her neighbor, Marion, poked and pinned and tugged at her wedding dress for the past twenty minutes.

“Mother…,”

“Be still! And stand up straight. How do you expect us to get this thing pinned right if you keep squirming?” Lydia fussed for the tenth time. Haley groaned and mumbled curses yet again.

“Why don’t you just let me take the thing to be professionally altered?” Haley whined.

Lydia shot to her feet. Marion quickly pushed herself into one of the chairs giving Peyton an apprehensive glance. She knew it was about to get ugly.

“Why…why…I’ll tell you why Haley James, because your pregnant that’s why! You just had to go and do things backwards. Just had to get the kid in the works before you got down the aisle and now…now you have a body that’s like a…a…a moving target. You’re one size today, but the weddings not for another six weeks at which time you’ll be another size. We’re fixing it so you’ll be able to breathe. This dress doesn’t need to be locked into some too small size by some ‘professional’ seamstress. And judging from the fact that you’re barely three months pregnant and you’re already getting a noticeable bump across your stomach, there’s no telling what you’re going to look like by the time the actual wedding gets here! I think you may need to revisit with that doctor of yours about a due date because you’re awfully big for three months…”

“Well thanks a lot Mom! You talk like I look like a…a…cow or something already. Thanks! Nathan happens to think I look beautiful!” Haley haughtily sniped.

“Well of course Nathan thinks you look beautiful dear. That’s how you got in this shape! Now stand still!

“God…can you say hormone pill,” Haley grumbled under her breath. “OW!” she wailed when Lydia took a straight pin and gave her a sharp poke in the ass.

“Oops…my bad,” Lydia sarcastically apologized with a rolled eye smirk at Marion. Peyton nearly split her lip with her teeth trying to bite off the laugh she knew would just send Haley’s bitching her direction.

They were both bundled up in their coats, their breaths coming out around them like a fog from their mouths and noses as they leaned back against a dock post gazing across the peaceful lake sipping at their warm coffees. January wasn’t exactly the time of year to be hanging by the lake. But a few moments of peace and quiet...that’s all either of them wanted.

“Did Jake ever bring you skinny dipping here?” Haley asked curiously peering across the rim of her cup at Peyton.

“What do you think?” she grinned back with a short laugh.

“Nathan and I did too. Mr. Lowry walked up on us, after we were in the water of course. Nathan almost shit. I bet Mr. Lowry could see him blush all the way from the dock,” Haley giggled loudly.

“That would be a little embarrassing, even for Nathan who thinks his body is statue worthy.”

“It is,” Haley laughed again. “Mr. Lowry saw our clothes. He didn’t care. This lake’s known for that anyway. It’s so secluded and quiet and clean. His own kids were the biggest skinny dippers in the county. No telling how many girls his boys had in here.”

“Including Brooke.”

“Oh yeah. I heard.” Both of them almost doubled over with laughter at the story Brooke replayed about her and Greg and their skinny dipping adventure. Only Brooke would admit to making the coyotes howl with her loud moaning.

“This weddings going to be beautiful Haley,” Peyton said finally breaking the long peaceful silence. Haley smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about an impending wedding. Including my own. The thought of mine just about makes me break out in hives so I prefer to concentrate on yours. What else is on the list?” She read over the list Haley handed her.

“Everything. We have to stop at the florist and then the caterer. There is one advantage to a small town wedding. You don’t have to plan months in advance which is awfully handy in my case,” she laughed. “Come on, Mrs. Baumann is expecting us. We get to taste cakes and icings and food. Yum,” she swooned latching her arm through Peyton’s and tugging her along. “You can come with me to see Father Sloan too. That should be fun. My preggers self going to see the priest I’ve known all my life. The one who used to come to our house on a regular basis to eat and drink beer with my father. The one who annoyingly still calls me Haleybop like the rest of my family…yeah good times that little visit’s going to be.”

“No thanks! You get the priest on your own my little pregnant friend.”

“Thanks for the support,” Haley said nudging Peyton with pretend annoyance. “It actually won’t be bad. The man doesn’t have a judgmental bone in his body. He’s as sweet as he can be, but he already told me he wants to meet Nathan before the wedding. Now that…that should be interesting.” They both laughed heartily at the idea.

“Nathan and a priest. Nathan and a priest and his pregnant fiancé… Can you take a video?” Peyton asked stumbling with laughter.

If he’d just stop grumbling and flinching she might actually drift back to sleep. She’d spent the entire day running all over town, and had finally settled on the couch exhausted. She snuggled under a throw blanket and curled into her father’s side. Her hopes for a restful nap were constantly interrupted by the basketball game she should be, and he was, watching. Apparently Nathan had just fouled somebody because Jimmy was smacking his lips and mumbling annoyed at his future son-in-law.

“Leave him alone Daddy,” Haley grumbled into his arm.

“He’s fine…he’s fine, there was a jumble of people and I think the refs just saw Nathan’s number first. He’s doing fine.”

“Mmm,” she muttered with a deep yawn forcing her eyes open so she could at least say she watched without having to lie.

Jimmy laid his own head back against the couch. He reached under the blanket giving Haley’s hand a light pat. It was a commercial…he was just going to rest his eyes. “How’d it go today? Get it all done?”

“Mostly,” Haley answered yawning again as she too rested her eyes. “I think I can get anything else with a phone call. Has anybody heard from Taylor? I sent her an email ‘cause I had no idea where to send an actual invitation.”

“She’ll be here. She’s traipsing around Europe with her rich old boyfriend. I swear the old buzzard’s damn near old as me,” Jimmy chuckled.

“Oh Daddy he is not. He’s like…forty-two or something…”

“And has a head full of gray hair.”

“Well he’s rich apparently, which is all Taylor cares about.”

“Says the future Mrs. Moneybags,” Jimmy laughed again.

“Whatever,” Haley mumbled swatting at her father’s arm.

“Daddy...”

“Hmm?”

“Is Mom mad at me?”

“For what?” Jimmy asked nestling his head further into the couch. Maybe he’d nap just a little bit past the commercial.

“For being pregnant and not married…again. And…I don’t know…embarrassing her maybe.”

Jimmy’s opened his eyes staring down surprised by his youngest daughter. “Embarrassed? You do realize you’re talking about your mother…the one who’s also the mother of Taylor. The woman who goes to city council meetings on a regular basis and bitches about things that don’t amount to a hill of beans? The woman who still dresses in character when she goes to the library to read to the little kid groups? That woman? No Haley, you haven’t embarrassed her. She’s more than capable of embarrassing herself without your help,” he snickered.

“She’s awful snippy.”

“She’s a little stressed I guess. We haven’t had a wedding in a while and she just wants it to be perfect for you Haley. Don’t get yourself all upset over nothing. This whole weddings like a dream come true, the answer to her prayers. She’s practically beside herself. The baby’s just an early bonus.”

“Really?” Haley grinned pushing up to get a better look at her father.

“For heaven sake Haley, the woman’s lit enough candles in that church in prayer that you and Nathan would come to your senses you could fund a small orphanage with her donations. Now let me rest my eyes for just a minute.”

“Okay…I’ll rest mine too,” she smiled snuggling back against her father where they both fell fast asleep.

Nathan rolled over in the bed straining to hear. It was faint, but he was certain it was crying he heard. He threw back the covers and hurried into the bathroom. She wasn’t there, but one glance to his side and he saw the closet door open and the light streaming into the bathroom

“Haley!” He gasped quickly squatting at her side where she sat in the middle of the closet floor with piles of clothes scattered around her and tears streaming down her face. “Are you alright? Haley…,” he said with complete panic as he gingerly grasped her arm. “Haley baby say something. What is it? Do you feel alright? Is it the baby?” His voice was a whisper of mild terror.

She sucked a deep breath drawing back the sniffles before releasing another cry. “I’m fat!” she shrieked with another long wail. Nathan’s face completely dropped. He fell back on his butt, his back landed with a thud against the wall, his mouth hung open stunned.

“You’re fat,” he flatly repeated.

“I can’t fit in any of my clothes!” she cried out picking up some of the clothes that surrounded her and slamming them back to the floor in disgust. “I’m so fat I can’t wear my clothes. I’m not even four months pregnant and I can’t wear any of my clothes! Some people can wear their clothes for months, but no, not me. I’m so fat,” she sobbed falling over on her side to dampen her clothes with her tears.

Nathan’s head fell into his hands, “God,” he groaned softly. “Hales…you’re supposed to be fat aren’t you? You want the baby to grow and be healthy so you kind of have to be fat. There wasn’t much room in your clothes for any extra inches anyway so…don’t worry about it. Wear some of that maternity stuff you bought.”

Haley quickly pushed herself upright glaring at him through the wisps of disheveled hair that fell wildly around her head and over her face. “Are you saying I’m fat? You just said I was fat! I’m having your baby that’s why I’m fat I hope you know!” Nathan was quickly regretting not only opening his mouth, but getting out of bed to begin with. “And you just said I wear my clothes too tight! I don’t wear my clothes too tight! They’re only tight now because of your baby!” she quickly scrambled to her feet, and began slamming through more clothes looking for something suitable. She just wasn’t mentally psyched up for the maternity stuff yet. There had to be something in there!

Nathan quietly sighed letting his head silently fall back against the wall. God he needed more sleep. “Baby I didn’t mean to imply you’re fat. You’re not close to being fat. You’re barely showing. You’re beautiful.”

She ignored his groveling. She swatted away more tears as she relented to the maternity clothes, jerking a pair of maternity pants and sweater off the hangers. “I can’t believe I have to wear this already,” she grumbled under her breath. “We need to stop having sex,” she garbled out from behind the sweater she was tugging over her head.

He was awake now.

“Hunh?”

“The weddings in three weeks. We need to stop having sex till the wedding.” She jerked at her pants smoothing her sweater over herself moving over to examine her figure in the mirror.

“Why? It’s a little late to get all chaste don’t you think Haley?” The very idea was…no. It sucked, that’s what that idea did. It sucked.

“I’m not trying to get ‘chaste’ Nathan! I just think…we should hold out till the wedding. Because…I don’t know!” She whined with a bitter stomp of her foot. “I don’t have a good reason, I just think we should! Then when we go on our honeymoon – however brief it’s going to be,” she grumped with a pointed glare his direction, “we can just go crazy or whatever.” She barely looked his way as she dug for a pair of suitable shoes.

He pushed up on his bare feet. Scratching at his bare chest he tossed a dismissive hand her way as he shuffled tiredly out the closet door. “We’ll talk about it later. When you’re not completely wigged out,” he muttered.

“I may be wigged out, but I’m not changing my mind!” She called after him. “My god, you can survive three weeks without sex Nathan!” She couldn’t understand his return grumblings. There was a shit in there somewhere though, she did hear that much.

He backed the SUV up to the loading dock shoving it in park. Looking in his rearview mirror he didn’t see anyone. He wasn’t surprised. When he went in the store and gave them his name and what he was there to pick up they’d all looked at each other like he was speaking in a foreign tongue. It was going to be a long wait. He glanced over at Jake who was still snickering beside him.

“It’s not that funny man. In fact it’s not funny at all. You’re getting married and you’re still getting some so…just be glad Peyton’s not pregnant ‘cause Haley’s turned into a complete nut the last few weeks. No sex, she won’t let me play my music loud. ‘It disturbs the baby’,” he imitated her. “Hell of a lot better than that chamber music shit she’s taken to playing. She’s totally lost it. I’m just hoping once the weddings over, her nerves will be back to normal and so will she. Man,” he mumbled with a long tired head shake.

“So how’s this no sex thing work? I mean when you’re out of town that’s one thing, but you live in the same house.”

“How’s it work?” Nathan incredulously repeated. “Like crap that’s how. She was going to sleep in another bedroom. Yeah, that lasted all of half a night. I woke up the first morning with her flopped all over me. So now we’re just supposed to sleep in the same bed and not…you know. It’s ridiculous,” he scoffed. “One week…if I can just get through this last week.”

“You’ll make it. Just spend your time putting together this crib and stuff we’re picking up,” Jake said glancing out the back window. “That’s if they ever bring it,” he mumbled when he saw the loading dock door still closed.

“You ever see a pregnant woman Jake?” Nathan asked with all seriousness. His eyes took on a glazed look as he stared out the front window, a small smile starting across his face. “They have this incredible…body. It shocking how sexy it is. I mean Haley’s got this tiny sexy ass body to begin with, but now there’s this perfect sort of…roundness coming out of her stomach and it’s like…god it’s…so damn hot. It’s so…god it’s sexy as hell! And her chest…her breasts are actually getting bigger I swear. And she…”

“Nathan!” Jake barked into Nathan’s reverie. “Shut up! God…shut up, you’re getting me all excited over here. Get out of the car!” Jake ordered slamming his back into the seat with an uncomfortable huff.

“Yeah…yeah…sorry. I think I will. A big dose of forty degree air sounds good right now,” Nathan mumbled pulling the handle open and stepping coatless into the cold February air. One lousy week, just one lousy week.

Barbara practically jumped from her chair to intercept the new intern who was about to barrel past her and into Haley’s office. “I’ll take that,” she said holding her hand out for the documents the young man held.

Secretaries, he thought barely holding off the eye role. “That’s alright. I wanted to talk to her, make sure this is what she wanted,” he dismissively stated trying to move around the stout woman again.

“I said I’ll take it. Look…,” she paused searching her brain for this latest kid’s name. “Ben,” he supplied with a tight smile. “Right…Ben. Ms. James is um…a bit stressed at the moment. She’s getting married in a few days, and she’s up to her eyeballs in work, and she’s a little, oh how can I put this nicely…cranky, so if you value your ego you’ll let me give it to her. Because I promise you if it’s not what she wants…she’s going to make you cry. Understand?” She asked easing the papers from Ben’s clutches. “I’ll make sure she calls you,” she winked as her voice returned to the sweet grandmother tone again. Ben dejectedly slunk away.

Haley was literally pulling at her hair and cursing at her computer at a level so loud she was surprised Barbara hadn’t come in to check on her. She reread her memo. “God! I can’t send this no matter how bad I want to,” she grumbled going back through her memo and editing out the three times she’d called her clients daughter a bitch. Even if the old man had called her that she didn’t think he’d appreciate Haley calling her one. No matter how true it was. “She doesn’t deserve his money,” she complained as she reread it again. “That’ll work,” she sighed falling back against her chair.

She didn’t want to do it, but she had to. She just had to. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, and the more she thought about it the crazier the thoughts became until she was just about convinced there was something wrong with her. She had them doing things she wasn’t sure were even physically possible, but she sure wouldn’t mind finding out.

She was a giant ball of heated stress and lust and she couldn’t take it a second longer. She slammed her pen in her drawer, hurriedly stacked her papers, and logged off her computer. She didn’t care if he threw the ‘it was your idea’ in her face or not. She was getting some.

“Barbara, I’m leaving. I don’t know if I’ll be back today or not. I’ll call you,” she rambled out trying to tug her coat on as she whisked by.

“What about your meeting with Mr. Green at three-thirty?” Barbara quickly reminded.

“Fuck!” she puffed spinning around to face the older woman. “Oh…god I’m sorry Barbara,” Haley hurriedly apologized when she saw Barbara’s flabbergasted face. “I’m sorry…I’m just so…I’m sorry.” She glanced at her watch. It wasn’t even noon; she could get a couple rounds in between now and three.

“Should I cancel?”

“No, no I’ll be back by then. I’ll be back. I um…I have to go.”

“SHIT!” she screamed within the confines of her car when she pulled up the driveway to see a car she didn’t recognize parked in the half circle drive in front of the house. “Who the hell’s here?” she barked out beating her fists furiously against the steering wheel. “I need sex, get the hell out of my house!” she screeched before jerking open the car door, slamming it behind her and stomping off for the house.

Nathan was coming out of the kitchen with beer and glasses when he saw Haley out of the corner of his eye come into the dining room. Her face was flushed, and even under her heavy coat he could see her chest rising and falling at a rapid rate. She was supposed to be at work so the unexpected sight of her, especially with the flustered look she wore, sent a worried jolt through him.

“Hales…what are you doing here baby?” He anxiously asked quickly setting the beer and glasses on the table and moving to take her into a gentle hug. His hand slid down to rest protectively aside her stomach.

“Hi Trent,” Haley greeted with a forced smile when he finally released her. Nathan kept concerned eyes locked on her.

“Haley, it’s been a long time!” Trent greeted with his usual exuberance jumping up from his chair to enfold her in a small bear hug. “My gosh you’re even prettier than I remember! It’s great to see you. Congratulations on the marriage and the baby. It’s about time you made an honest man out of him,” Trent said with a hearty laugh. “That is a beautiful ring,” he gushed taking up her hand to examine the engagement ring.

“Thank you,” Haley replied sweetly, trying to keep the pleasant smile pasted to her lips. “You are coming to the wedding?”

“Front and center, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m looking forward to my first trip to Mayberry. Andy Griffith…one of my all time favorite shows.” He chuckled at Haley’s wrinkled up scowl. “The whole things long overdue Haley. I’m very very happy for both of you,” Trent said with sincerity. “How about some lunch?” He motioned to the table where they had spread the food.

“Yeah, you want some lunch Hales? Trent brought it. There’s way too much for the two of us. You hungry?”

Haley was trying not to fidget. It was taking concerted effort not to play with her hair and chew at her lip. She glanced up to Nathan. His blue eyes were penetrating into hers. He innocently licked his lips. Haley watched his tongue trail from one end of his mouth to the other and back into his mouth with rapt attention. She thought her feet must have some how glued themselves to the floor because that’s all she could figure was keeping her from flinging herself into his arms. She gulped.

“Uhh…”

“You never did say why you were here,” Nathan smiled moving back to the table and pulling out the chair next to him for Haley to sit in.

“I um…,” her eyes darted nervously toward Trent who was busy spooning food onto his plate. “I…I needed to talk to you,” she quickly blurted out. “I need to talk to you…about…the wedding. I need to talk to you about the wedding.”

“And it required a personal visit huh? Okay, talk,” Nathan shrugged pouring his beer into a glass.

“It’s umm…I kind of need to talk to you in private. Sorry,” she shrugged with an embarrassed laugh when Trent looked her way. “Would you mind terribly if I borrow him for a little bit…”

“You don’t want to eat first?” Nathan questioned almost stumbling from his chair when Haley grabbed onto his arm and jerked him her direction.

“No I’ll eat after… I mean after we talk I’ll eat. I’ll try not to keep him too long Trent,” she said pushing Nathan toward the stairs. “Here,” she said grabbing up the television remote and clicking it on. She flipped channels till she found ESPN. “There…there you go. Sports. That should keep you busy,” she mumbled tossing the remote to Trent before hustling out the door. “Go go,” she urged Nathan shoving at his back to get him moving faster up the stairs.

Nathan’s face was one mass of confusion as he watched Haley pace in front of him. She’d glance his way before practically groaning, her hands perpetually digging through her hair.

“Is there a problem with the wedding?”

“No there’s not a problem with the wedding,” she scoffed out. He shrugged with more confusion.

“I know you’re going to say ‘I told you so’, but that’s just the way it’s going to have to be because I’m dying here. My hormones are like freaking out on me or something. I can’t stop thinking about it. And the more I think about it the weirder my thoughts get.” Nathan eased down on the edge of the bed. She was wearing him out with her constant pacing, not to mention his head was starting to hurt trying to figure out just what the hell she was talking about. “It seems like ever since I said we couldn’t, all I think about is how we could. I mean I dream about it at night and catch myself daydreaming. I have us doing just…like really…we did it in the middle of the basketball court…with the stands full of people for god’s sake! I was wearing this little…and you…god everybody was watching and I didn’t even care! I’m like a nympho or something! A bunch of them have people watching…we did it in the park, the car, a stairwell, the…oh my god we did it in a hotel window! And the positions…I swear I don’t even think some of them are possible. God, I’m so…freaky now!” She barely glanced at Nathan as she continued her flustered stomp back and forth in front of him. He’d lain back on the bed, propped up on his elbows, and wore about the smuggest smirk she’d ever seen before. It just frustrated her further to know he was right.

“What…can’t survive three weeks without sex Hales?” He smirked wider throwing her words back at her.

“I…I don’t care…I’m on fire down there,” she mumbled out as she quickly shoved him down on his back and climbed on top of him, her mouth ravaging his before he could even draw a good breath.

“Get your clothes off,” she mumbled sitting back on his thighs breathless while she tugged at his shirt trying to pull it up.

“Whoa…whoa, not so fast there. Don’t I get a say in this?” He asked fighting the laughter while he stilled her hands that had given up on his shirt and were now fumbling with getting his pants undone.

Say in this? As far as she was concerned he was already having a say in it. Wasn’t that his tongue that was just exploring her mouth only seconds ago? Weren’t those his hands holding her face to his? Wasn’t that his ‘say’ pressing through his pants and between her legs right now?

Her shoulders slumped. He was fighting the chuckles. She searched his face. She didn’t care. She slid off his body, standing on the floor staring into his amused eyes with lustful fire in her darkened ones. “Actually, no,” she finally ground out. Her hands quickly reached up under her shirt to unhook her pants where she sent them tumbling to her ankles with one fast shake of her hips. His eyes followed them down before slowly moving back to her face. He quirked a mischievous eyebrow allowing a slight crack of a smile.

She took the edges of her sweater and with one swift movement had it off. She held it clutched to her chest, the edge of her lip tucked under her teeth as she briefly hesitated.

His eyes swept her soft exposed skin. Soaking in the sight of her messy hair falling with abandon over her bare shoulders, and her ever increasing chest pounding behind the sweater she wound loosely in her fingers. She watched him watch her, waiting for a signal of some sort. Not that she needed one given the way she burned for his touch.

“Now you’re just being down right unfair,” he slowly drawled out, his smile stretching further. Pushing himself to sit upright at the edge of the bed, with two fingers he easily tugged the sweater from her hands letting it fall on the floor. He released a quiet appreciative whistle at her standing before him in only a generous breast baring bra and a small pair of panties.

Her cheeks flushed a light red at his low flirting growl, her hands self-consciously moved to veil the swelling of her stomach.

“Oh no,” he whispered reaching out to gently push her hands away. “That is one beautifully sexy sight.” He held his arms wide for her. She stepped into them, sighing deeply at the feel of his open mouth moving wet over her neck. He worked open the clasp of her bra dropping it into the small pile of clothes. He groaned low at the softness of her breasts in his hands. He moved her to settle across his lap massaging deep into her back while their mouths melded together. He laid his forehead lightly to hers, both of them seeking much needed air, while his fingers traced gently over the round rise of her stomach.

“So much for waiting,” he whispered touching another light kiss to her mouth. “Sorry,” she murmured against his lips. “I’m not,” he returned with a quiet chuckle lifting her to lay her down on the bed where he gave her all she desperately needed.

The rumbled chuckles her continued kisses into the crook of his neck were eliciting from him caused her to start her own giggles.

“You do remember my agent’s still sitting in our living room,” he smiled squeezing her into his chest laying a kiss atop her head as his hand traced slowly up and down her arm.

“Now that you mention it, I do seem to recall that,” she giggled. “This is a big house. You don’t think he heard us do you?” She pushed up peering into his smiling eyes with mild concern.

“This from the girl who had us performing sexually in front of a basketball arena full of people? Pfttt, like you’d care,” he teased laughing harder at the embarrassed groan she’d just let go and the way her face was burrowing into his chest trying to hide her crimson cheeks. “And you call me an exhibitionist.”

She lifted her face grinning at him. “You are. You probably wouldn’t even care if we did do it in front of a huge crowd.”

“I think I’d pass on the arena, but that hotel window…now that I think I could go for.” He busted out at the swat she gave him and the hand that flew across her mouth to stifle more embarrassed giggles.

Stretched out in the middle of the bed, only parts of her covered by the sheet, she watched him pull his clothes back on. He tried to work his hair into some more manageable shape. “Let me see if I can’t get rid of him,” he winked moving for the bedroom door.

“I have to be back for a meeting at three-thirty, and I’m not near satisfied enough so…”

“Yeah,” he grimaced glancing at his watch. “Yeah okay…I’ll get rid of his ass in a hurry then. Do not go anywhere,” he authoritatively ordered pulling the door shut behind him shaking his head with a broad smile at the crazy giggles coming from behind the closed door.

With his elbow propped into the arm of the chair, his cheek rested tiredly against his fist. He’d come to relish the vacation he got during the week long All-Star break. Even the times he played in the games he still enjoyed the time off. The game was for fun and so was the atmosphere surrounding it. A mid-season mini vacation, it was always welcome.

Trent had sort of frowned and grumbled at the idea of him passing up his All-Star nomination this year, but was hard pressed to object too much. People would understand him giving it up to get married. They even had time for a short honeymoon. Given that a baby was already on the way, the next vacation with just the two of them may be years away, they knew to be thankful for what they could get.

“Here’s a short list,” Haley mumbled shoving the paper she’d been worrying over for the past fifteen minutes his direction.

He yawned taking it from her hand trying to blink away some of the fog from his eyes. It had better be short. Tomorrow night was the rehearsal, and Saturday was the wedding, they didn’t have time for anything but short.

She gawked around the waiting room. “You know they get all pissy with you if you’re late for your appointment, but when you’re on time they make you sit here for thirty minutes past your scheduled time,” she grumbled under her breath. The woman sitting across from them let her eyes drift up at Haley’s hardly whispered words. Her eyes clearly registered complete agreement.

Nathan silently patted her thigh in sympathy continuing to read over the to do list. “Okay,” he mumbled handing it back to her, closing his eyes again.

“Okay…that’s it?” she snit rolling her eyes at his disinterest. “Oh…one more thing.” He took the list back with a tired sigh.

“Shit,” he grumbled at the added item. “Can’t we freakin’ elope?”

“Too late,” she smiled smugly as her pen circled round and round the words Nathan and Fr. Sloan she’d added to the bottom. Just the words made her giggle.

He hugged himself as he sat in the chair next to the examining table she was stretched out on. He was cold, half from nerves, half from the fact the office thermostat seemed to be set on meat locker. Damn it was cold in there; didn’t they know it was February? Must be a pregnant thing he concluded rubbing a hand briskly over his arms.

“Haley,” Dr. Wilson smiled reaching out to shake her hand as he came in the exam room.

“Hi. You remember Nathan right?”

“Certainly. Mr. Scott, how are you?” politely shaking Nathan’s cold hand.

“How’s everything going Haley?” He asked while stuffing his stethoscope into a pocket and taking up the doppler instrument to check the baby’s heartbeat.

“Except for the fact I’m getting fat as a pig, it’s going good.”

“Fat?” Dr. Wilson chuckled. If he had a nickel for every time he heard that complaint he could have retired years ago. “Let’s see… You’re seventeen weeks and you’ve gained…twelve pounds. Hmmm, I don’t think I’d call that fat. Maybe just a few more than hoped for, but nothing to get upset over,” he smiled with a light pat to Haley’s leg. “Have you felt any movement?”

Haley’s eyes grew wide before they furrowed with concern. “No, I don’t think so,” she softly replied her fingers beginning to nervously fidget with one another. “Is that bad? Should I have felt something already? Maybe I felt a twinge or two, but I really don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like so…I don’t know,” she anxiously continued. Nathan stood up taking one of her wringing hands snugly into his. He smiled down into her worried eyes that darted over to meet his.

Dr. Wilson sighed with a short humph, a hand landed on his hip as he stood straighter after listening to her abdomen. His mouth twisted one way and then another. He fiddled with the volume on the heart monitor moving the instrument over Haley’s stomach once more.

Haley beamed brightly up at Nathan’s already smiling face at the rapidly pounding sounds of the heartbeat.

“Just a minute.” The doctor stepped back opening the door. “Margie,” he called into the hall. “Hey guys,” Margie smiled at the couple, easing into the room.

“Tell me I’m not nuts,” the doctor mumbled once again moving the instrument over Haley’s belly.

“Oh my goodness,” Margie breathed out with a soft laugh. “No…no I don’t thing you’re nuts at all. Why didn’t we hear this before?”

“Beats me,” the doctor mumbled. “Get some blood and do an AFP, let’s check the protein level and then we’ll do an ultrasound.” Margie shook her head leaving them to get some supplies.

Nathan and Haley’s smiles were beginning to wane as they exchanged ever anxious looks.

“What’s wrong?” Haley hesitantly questioned increasing her grip on Nathan’s hand.

The doctor moved the sonogram machine into place, taking up a bottle of gel giving it a good shake. “Wrong? Oh, nothings wrong,” he chuckled. “In fact everything sounds just great. From both of them,” he finished with another soft laugh.

“Both of what?” Nathan asked expressionless. He shifted nervously back and forth on his feet. He was about to crush Haley’s hand with his.

“Both babies. I don’t know why I didn’t hear the second heartbeat before. They must have been lying just right or my ears were bad that day. I’m ninety-nine percent sure I just heard two distinct heart beats. This sonogram should tell us more, but I’m pretty confident when I say you’re having twins. ”

Nathan fell with a thump into his chair. Haley shot straight up. “No I’m not! Oh no we’re not. I…no. I…hunh? That’s not possible. I know I’m fat, but come on! Twins? I don’t have twins in my family. Neither does Nathan…do you?” she asked with a panicked glance his way. He didn’t answer. His head was buried in his hands. A barely audible groan was coming from his direction as his hands rubbed deep into his suddenly hurting head. She ignored him. Her ramble only picked up speed. “See, he doesn’t have them either. So it’s not possible. It’s a heredity thing isn’t it? I mean I’ve always heard it’s hereditary and we don’t have twins in our families so it’s not twins. It’s just…a…a…an echo or something. Just listen again. It’s not twins. I can’t have twins. Listen again,” she ordered quickly laying back on the table waving a hurry it up hand at her amused physician. “Come on…get your little thingy over there and listen again,” she instructed lifting her shirt to expose her enlarged stomach, her wide eyes blinked rapidly at the stark white ceiling above her.

Dr. Wilson put a hand to his hip gazing down at Haley’s flushed and flustered face barely able to contain a full out laugh. “And why exactly can’t you have twins?”

“Because. Because there would be two of them. Two babies at the same time.”

“Two at the same time. That would be twins alright,” he laughed. “It’s been done before Haley. Many, many times.”

“Well not by me,” she scoffed back. She threw a wild thumb Nathan’s direction, “And…and…he’s never changed a diaper or even held a baby before so…you know we can’t have more than one at a time. So just…you know, go ahead and listen again.” She burrowed her back further into the table waiting impatiently.

His head was still lowered, his hands still rubbed roughly through his hair. “I’ll figure it out Haley,” came his muffled voice. Twins? Holy shit he inwardly moaned.

“That’s alright baby, he’s going to fix it. Aren’t you Dr. Wilson?” she said with a sweet smile.

“I highly doubt it,” he chuckled stepping aside so Margie could draw some blood. Haley flinched a bit at the needle stick, but was too wound up to feel much of anything.

“What’s the blood for anyway?” Haley grumbled holding a finger over the cotton ball.

“We’re going to check the protein level. A higher than normal level is very indicative of a multiple birth. Of course this test can check for all kinds of things, but we’re just interested in the protein level right now. If it’s high will you believe me then?” He asked smirking down at Haley’s frown of disbelief. “Well then a picture’s worth a thousand words huh?” He laughed flipping on the sonogram machine. “Might be a little cool,” he warned, squirting some gel onto Haley’s stomach.

Nathan slowly pushed to his feet. His face dropped as his eyes went wide. His mouth gaped in amazement at the swirling images on the screen. “Jesus Hales,” he whispered engulfing her hand between both of his, never letting his eyes stray from the screen.

They both gaped and gasped and grinned at the doctor’s words. He pointed out legs and arms along with other body parts and organs, and with resolute authority - two separate heartbeats. He had Haley brushing away the tears that had spilled out behind her perpetual smile and continual gasps of astonishment.

“Can you tell what they are?” Nathan hesitantly inquired. Haley glanced his way with surprise. She nibbled nervously at her lip waiting for the doctor’s reply.

“Well…it’s a little hard to tell for sure right now. Next visit we should be able to tell much easier. At around twenty weeks you can see things a little better.” He continued to move the instrument around Haley’s belly. “This one here is being completely uncooperative anyway. Just wants to show us their butt.” Nathan and Haley both laughed. He held the spot that supposedly showed the baby’s rear end. “Nope, not cooperating. Do you want to know what they are?”

They looked at each other unsurely. “It’s up to you Hales. I think I’d like to be surprised, but whatever you want is fine with me.”

Haley chewed at her lips looking back at the squirming blurs on the monitor once more. She handed Nathan the handful of sonogram pictures the doctor had given her. “I’m not sure,” she softly answered. “We can talk about it between now and next visit. I’m thinking maybe I don’t want to know either, but you know what a control freak I am. I may not be able to stand not knowing.”

The doctor pushed the machinery aside. He wiped away the gel from Haley’s stomach before taking her arm to help her sit upright. “Now do you believe me?” he laughed leaning back against the counter with a smug smile.

“Yes, I believe you,” she sheepishly laughed. “At least now I have an excuse for being big and fat already.”

“You’re doing great Haley. Everything looks really really good. I would expect you’ll be feeling movement quite soon. And the weight…while you will put on a few more than a single birth it really shouldn’t be too much more so don’t worry. Just keep eating healthy. Little as you are though, you are going to look very large by the time it’s over I’m afraid,” he chuckled. “They’ll probably come before your due date too, but that’s a ways off so we won’t worry about that right now okay. Congratulations,” he smiled shaking Nathan’s already shaky hand.

“Thanks.”

Haley suddenly gasped her hand flew to her mouth. “Early? Oh my god Nathan…Peyton and Jakes wedding! It’s less than a month before the due date. I can’t have them early,” she quickly informed Dr. Wilson.

The doctor’s mouth twisted in a mini scowl as he sighed a long breath. He imploringly looked Nathan’s way.

“Yeah,” Nathan shook his head knowingly.

The doctor nodded his thanks. “Take care of yourself and get plenty of rest Haley. I’ll see you guys in four weeks.” His head was still shaking when he left the room.

“He thinks I’m a nut,” Haley grumbled up to Nathan. He shrugged. “Yeah okay…I am a nut. I’m going to have to talk to Peyton about my bridesmaid dress. She’s going to have to change mine to a tent,” she grumped working her way off the table. She rolled her eyes at Nathan’s howl of laughter.

She’d hardly settled into the car seat when his hand slid up her face, fingers tangling in her hair, his mouth plundering hers. Minutes passed before she had to pull away. “What’s all that about?” she whispered with a breathless smile.

“Haley…” he mumbled against her lips ignoring his own need for air. “We need to go home and have sex. I’m so turned on right now I can’t stand it.” He grabbed her hand pressing it against the bulge in his pants while his mouth took hers again before she could formulate a reply.

She could barely wrench her mouth free of his. “God Nathan!” Her chest heaved as she sucked deep breaths.

With their foreheads pressed together they both gasped for air. “I’m sorry, but I swear to God if we don’t get out of here I’m going to take you right here in this parking lot. I don’t care if half the pregnant women in Charlotte are walking by or not,” he growled low against her cheek.

“Then go…go,” she giggled pushing him back against the seat.

They barely made it to the couch.

The smile on her face seemed to be permanent. Her fingers traced through his hair with soft giggles at the way his lips kept tickling over her naked belly. He worked his way up to her smiling lips with a smile of his own.

“There are two kids in there Hales,” he whispered rubbing a gentle hand over them.

She laid her hand atop his letting him guide them around her abdomen sighing contently at the feeling. “That was one amazing doctor visit wasn’t it?” He nodded his agreement. “I still don’t think I’ve digested it just yet. Should we tell everybody before or after the wedding?” She pressed a light kiss to his nose.

“I think after. The buzz should be about you Hales, how beautiful you are. I want your wedding focused totally on you not the babies okay?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. You up for seconds?” She laughed against his lips she pulled to hers in answer.

He set the platter of burgers Jimmy had recruited him to help cook on the table dodging Haley’s niece that had just gone flying by. The James house was crawling with family Nathan had either barely met in the past or never met at all. He could tell the crush of people was setting Haley on edge. He went from one room to the next in search of her.

He glanced around hoping someone else would appear to answer the endless doorbell ring, but reluctantly went himself when everyone else apparently chose to ignore it.

“Finally,” Taylor griped blowing the stray hairs from her face, trying to shrug a bag back on her shoulder while barely hanging onto the two dangling from her hands. She smiled at Nathan over her sunglasses that had slid to the end of her nose. “Well well well…the groom. How’d I get so lucky?” She sarcastically smiled.

Nathan sighed unwilling to bite. He wordlessly grabbed the bags from her hands setting them down in the entryway. “What a gentleman,” she said sighing a tired breath. She let the bag on her shoulder fall to the floor placing her hands on her hips, shoving the glasses to the top of her blonde head smiling up to Nathan who was returning the gaze sans smile. “Oh come here, you know you love me,” she chided opening her arms to him. He rolled his eyes taking her in a light embrace. “God, you’re hard as a rock,” she puffed punching him in the arm. His eyes rolled toward the heavens again.

“So,” she started in after finally releasing him. “You knocked her up…again.” Nathan’s face twisted into a deep frown, his jaw clamped tight. He was desperately fighting the urge to unload some stress on her. “Oh I’m just giving you a hard time. Lighten up. Jeez you always were so damn uptight. I’m happy for you. I really am Nathan. Haley’s been completely pathetic the last few years. I tried fixing her up with a couple of guys when I dropped by to see her…lord she couldn’t have been a bigger drag.” Nathan’s jaw only drew tighter at the very idea. “She’s been incurably hung up on you since freaking forever. It’s about time you two got your shit together. And baby makes three,” she laughed. “Have no fear, Haley will be mother of the year material. Honestly, congratulations Nathan. I know you guys are going to be very happy.” She wrapped her arms around him for another warm hug.

“He’s taken,” Haley’s grumbled voice echoed behind them. They turned to find her standing in the middle of the stairs, arms folded across herself glaring at Taylor.

“Oh please. I wasn’t interested years ago when you warned me away from him the first time.” Haley rolled her eyes at Nathan’s smirk. “Damn you look pregnant! And look at the boobs on you!” Taylor laughed ascending the stairs hugging her younger sister tightly against her. She sweetly brushed the hair away from Haley’s face tucking it behind her ear. She held Haley’s face softly in her palm. “You look beautiful little sis. This baby…this whole thing’s totally agreeing with you. You look positively radiant,” she said with complete sincerity clasping Haley against her again. “I’m happy you’re happy.”

“Thank you Taylor. I’m glad you could come.”

“Me too,” she winked. “I guess the rest of the family’s here? Yeah,” she sighed to Haley’s nod. “I guess I’ll go rustle up some trouble with them. Oh…I take it your brother’s going to be here?” she tossed back to Nathan.

“He’s the best man so I’m kind of expecting him,” Nathan relented to speaking.

“Good,” Taylor laughed.

“He has a girlfriend Taylor.” Taylor stopped short turning back to Nathan with a questioning look. “A serious one,” Haley added in answer to her unspoken question. “And she’ll be here.”

“Well damn,” Taylor muttered moving on toward the kitchen.

Nathan’s hands flopped in confusion at his side. “I thought she had a boyfriend?” Haley shrugged. Was that supposed to make a difference?

He sat down on the stairs helping Haley onto his lap. Nathan stroked a gentle hand over her head that was laid against his chest. She was worn out and stressed to the max. He just wanted to take her away from all of it. This wedding couldn’t get over quick enough for either of them.

“There are two babies in there Hales,” he whispered against her hair with a small laugh as his hand slid up under her shirt to rub her belly. If he said it enough maybe it would eventually sink in.

“Well they’re not up there,” she giggled when she felt his hand stealthily work its way up to massage her breast. He returned the laugh, but didn’t stop. Taylor was right, she was getting some major boobage.

He held a kiss to her head. “You want to get some lunch? There’s a whole smorgasbord in there.”

She glanced at her watch. “No time. We’re supposed to see Father Sloan in about twenty minutes.” Nathan’s groan was loud enough for the neighbors to hear. “He doesn’t bite Nathan.”

“You sure about that? Let me just grab a burger real quick…please. I can’t handle the clergy on an empty stomach.”

Haley strolled the church office peering at the old pictures around the walls while Nathan huffed and sighed uncontrollably from where he sat in a corner chair. He rolled his eyes at Haley’s annoyed glare.

“Sorry to make you wait,” Fr. Sloan grumbled when he finally appeared from behind his office door. “I got stuck on the phone. Why do people call me with their every little issue? Priests hardly have the answer to everything you know,” he continued to grumble running a tired hand over his sparsely covered head. “Do I look like I know if a kid should have his tonsils out or not? No, I don’t,” he answered himself. “I’m not a doctor. Jeesh people.”

He pulled the half glasses from the bridge of his nose, shoving them into his shirt pocket. He eyed Haley and then Nathan who had remained in his spot in the corner of the room, now shuffling nervously back and forth on his feet, his hands alternating between his pockets and being tucked under his armpits.

“Hi,” Haley chirped when the priest finally stopped complaining wrapping him in a hug. “This is Nathan.”

“Nathan…Pete Sloan, nice to meet you,” he greeted with a much more contented tone.

“Father Sloan, nice to meet you too,” Nathan replied with a forced smile shaking the man’s hand with a sweaty palm.

“You don’t have to call me Fr. Sloan you know, most people don’t. I’m just plain father or Pete or Fr. Pete – not Peter, only my mother calls me that. I dropped the R in high school. Peter’s not the name to have as a teenager you know…for obvious reasons,” he laughed. Nathan couldn’t help the schoolboy snicker. Haley gasped. “Oh please,” Fr. Pete scoffed at Haley’s noise. “You’ve lived twenty-five years with Jimmy and Lydia, it should take a hell of a lot more than that to embarrass you Haley James,” he chuckled heartily again. “Well, come on in and have a seat,” Fr. Sloan smiled waving Nathan through the door. “Sorry about the mess. I’m pretty much a pig. My secretary knows where everything is on my desk, but I haven’t a clue. Coffee?” He asked pouring himself a cup.

“No thank you.”

Fr. Sloan’s face wrenched in confusion when he turned to find Haley sitting next to Nathan smiling cheerfully back at him.

“I said I wanted to talk to Nathan.”

“But…” Haley stammered. Her eyes darted between Nathan and Fr. Sloan. Nathan’s eyes flew wide with panic at the realization he may be left alone with this man.

“That’s okay, she can stay,” Nathan quickly threw out.

“No, it’s not. Go go…shoo,” he waved a dismissive hand at Haley.

Haley quickly pushed to her feet. “Why?” she huffed, her hands defiantly flying to her hips. “Why can’t I stay?”

“Because I’ve talked to you already. I’ve been talking to you for years. I’m done with you. Him, on the other hand, I don’t know. I’d like to get to know him without the ball and chain hanging around listening to his every word, throwing her two cents in every chance she gets,” Fr. Sloan replied with a humorless smile. He walked to the door holding it wider waiting impatiently for Haley to leave.

She groaned frustrated trying not to stomp her foot in a childish hissy fit. “Fine!” She popped a quick kiss on Nathan’s lips. “I love you. Don’t let him bully you,” she snit marching past the priest with a narrow eyed glare. Fr. Sloan laughed pushing the door firmly closed behind her.

“Ahh sweet freedom,” he chuckled relaxing back in the chair behind his desk. “She’s something else isn’t she?” Nathan nodded his agreement with a tiny smile. “My heavens don’t be so nervous Nathan. I’m not going to make you pledge your undying devotion to the church or anything. This is just a casual conversation alright. I just want to get to know you a little bit. The James’ and I have been friends for years. They’ve always been very special to me and that includes Haley. You’re going to be a member of their family now, I just want to get to know you that’s all.”

Nathan nodded again, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. He felt like he was on the verge of passing out.

“Oh, but just so you know…I will be expecting a couple of game tickets,” he laughed. Nathan’s nodded his agreement. “That was a joke…unless you just feel compelled to fork ‘em over,” he laughed again. Nathan replied chuckle was short. No matter how nice this guy was he was still sweating bullets. He didn’t know how he was going to survive this.

Two hours later the office door finally opened with Fr. Sloan patting Nathan on the back as they both laughed loudly. They found the church secretary at the front desk pecking away on her computer and Haley sound asleep on the couch.

Nathan nudged a place to sit on the couch. Running his fingers softly down her cheek he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Haley’s eyes slowly fluttered open. She smiled up at his smiling face. “Hey.”

“Hey, you ready to go?” He brushed away the stray hairs.

“Yeah,” she mumbled rubbing the back of her hand over her weary eyes pushing herself upright. “Were you nice?” She asked the priest when she saw him leaning in the doorway watching them.

“Am I ever anything else?”

Haley couldn’t help but smile. She drew him into another hug. “We’ll see you at rehearsal tonight.” She yawned latching her arm through Nathan’s.

“Thanks,” Nathan smiled shaking the priest’s hand once more.

“I appreciate your tolerance. I’ll see you guys tonight.”

“My goodness he’s handsome. I think he’s what my granddaughter would call ‘hot’,” his secretary Betsy said with a little giggle as she watched the couple drive away.

Fr. Pete rolled his eyes. “He’s a little young for you Bets. A little young,” he laughed retreating back into his office.

Haley’s face was one big contorted frown as they drove back toward her parent’s house in silence. She kept looking Nathan’s direction, but he only continued to watch the road.

“Are you going to tell me what you talked about?”

Nathan shrugged. “No. No actually I don’t think I will.”

“Uh! Why not?”

“It’s private. Just talk between a man and his priest you know.”

“Oh my god! Whatever! It wasn’t like confession or something Nathan.”

“Oh yeah? How do you know?”

She gasped. “What did you tell him?”

He laughed at her suddenly panicked tone. “I don’t know…nothing really. Look Hales…it was…it was kind of cool. I like him. He’s easy to talk to. It went really good. I’m really glad I talked to him. He said whatever we talked about was just between us, and for now I’d just kind of like to keep it that way…okay?”

“Alright fine,” she huffed frustrated. She glared out at the road ahead irritated he wouldn’t give up details.

“I think we should bring the babies here when we get them baptized. Have Fr. Pete do it.” He pulled into the James driveway and turned the car off.

Haley’s mouth hung open to her chest. “Baptized?” She broke out in a loud raucous laugh. “Ohhh he so hooked you! He reeled you right in!” She slammed the car door behind her barely able to walk she was laughing so hard. She paused before going in the house finally realizing Nathan wasn’t following. He was leaned against his car arms folded across his chest staring after her with confused hurt. She went back to him with the smile still broad across her face. She tried to free a hand to pull him along. He wouldn’t let her.

“Why is that so funny?”

She quickly sobered. It was obvious he was hurt by her cackling. “I’m sorry Nathan it’s just…you haven’t exactly been a church person you know. It’s just a little…funny that you talk to a priest one time, and all of a sudden you want to make sure your kids are baptized. It’s…just…not really you,” she shrugged finally tugging a hand free.

“Well maybe it should be,” he snapped back. “Maybe I’d like to try church. I mean you’ve been going again for a while now. Maybe I’d like to go too, you ever think of that?”

“Well I…I didn’t think…”

“No you didn’t. You never invited me. You never asked me to go with you. Maybe I wanted to go.”

“You never asked,” she defensively returned.

“I’m asking now. I want to go with you next time. I want to try it. Besides, kids should grow up going to church don’t you think? You did, I didn’t, and you turned out a hell of a lot better than me. So…I think they need to go to church,” he declared with finality.

She shook her head briefly wondering if hell had just frozen over.

Her fingers fiddled with his. “I um…okay,” she stammered at a loss for words, completely flabbergasted by the last few minutes. “I’ll ask you to go with me next time, and we’ll take the kids to church and…wow…this is…I’m sorry Nathan, this is just really weird. Not bad weird,” she quickly amended, “just weird weird. I’m sort of…strangely happy about it actually.” She smiled. Nathan smiled back pleased. “Can uh…can we go in now because it’s cold out here, and I’m suddenly thoroughly worn out.”

He pulled her into a bear hug growling teasingly into her ear as he rubbed his hands briskly over her back to warm her. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “I love you. Let’s go into the madness.”

She slipped her arm around his waist as they walked toward the house. She glanced up into his content face. She shook her head in amazement. She was certain the last two days had not only been the strangest but the most satisfying and exciting days of her life. Everything was only getting better. She could go for a lifetime of this.

Chapters 38 - 39

1 - 3 :: 4 - 7 :: 8 - 11 :: 12 - 13 :: 14 - 15 :: 16 - 17 :: 18 - 20:: 21 - 22 :: 23 - 24 :: 25 - 26 :: 27 - 28 :: 29 - 32 :: 33 - 35 :: 36 :: 37 :: 38 - 39 :: Epilogue