“Should I be scared?”
“Never. You should never be scared of anything.”
Ryan leaned in and kissed her, his mind racing with thoughts he wouldn’t share with her. He was excited about having babies, it wasn’t that, but he was terrified about how he would take care of them. They would be expensive and he worked in a dangerous world.CHAPTER TWENTY-ONELucy
“I look like a basketball,” Lucy moaned as she slipped the Valentine’s Day dress over her head.
“Don’t be silly. You’re barely even showing.”
She pooched her belly out further and he laughed.
“Everyone is going to know you’ve been naughty,” she told him.
“It’ll give them something new to talk about.”
Lucy smiled.
“I think we need to move into the same house,” he said.
“You do, huh? Don’t we pretty much already live in the same house?”
“Yes, but you’re going to need a lot more help soon and we’ll save money if we live together instead of apart.”
“Which house would you like to live in then?”
“When is your lease up?”
“Whenever I say it is. It ran out a while back and she’s just been letting me rent month to month.”
“Then let’s look for a new place, someplace big enough for us and all these pups we’re expecting to come along. I’ve got a lease, but I can break it.”
“Can we afford a bigger place though?”
“If we can afford two places, then we can afford one bigger place.”
“Yeah, but once I finish school, I’ll lose all my school income. I won’t have any.”
“I guess you’ll have to put that new degree you’ll have to use then.”
She looked at him, terrified at the thought of trying to find a job while nursing a bunch of new pups.
“I’m kidding, Lucy. I have some money saved up. We have enough to make a decent down payment and to keep us going for a while after that. My income from the police isn’t the greatest, but it’s enough to support a family.”
“A large family.”
“Possibly.”
She felt a strange mix of excitement and fear, but nodded at him.
“A new house then?”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful. Now, finish getting dressed so I can show you off to my buddies at work.”
Lucy smiled at him and turned back toward the mirror. She sighed at the obvious pudge in her dress and sat down at the small dressing table that had come with the rental to do her hair and makeup. She walked out into the living room and heard Ryan let out a low whistle.
“Damn, I’m a lucky man.”
“You sure are,” she teased, walking toward him, and smoothing out the collar on his jacket.
“Well, let’s go do this thing,” he said.
The Valentine’s dance was just as cheesy as she had expected it to be, with heart shaped mylar balloons, streamers and a chocolate fountain surrounded by strawberries. The room was filled with everyone from middle aged detectives with beer bellies to young traffic cops who looked like they just left the academy. She’d only met a few of the officers during stops by the station or from the follow up after her missing persons fiasco.
Ryan was very attentive, quickly rectifying that by introducing her all around. Everyone seemed to accept her quickly as a part of their family. It might be very sophomoric little event, but she had to admit it was a good time. She and Ryan danced and chatted with other couples that she could see herself spending time with at some future date.
“Alright, Wilson. Here I am. Now, move over and let me dance with this pretty little wife and kid of yours.”
“Ah, Tate. I guess I’m on the hook then. Lucy, this is my partner, Tate. Tate, this is my Lucy.”
“She’s my Lucy for the moment. Scat,” Tate told him, turning toward Lucy, and holding out his arms. “Make an old man look good, would ya?”
“I’ll do my best,” Lucy laughed.
Ryan disappeared into the crowd as Lucy whirled about the floor with Tate, who was a surprisingly good dancer for a man in his sixties. When the song finished, she found herself looking around for Ryan, eventually realizing he was standing on stage.
“Listen up everyone. We’ve got a treat for you tonight. One of Shiloh County’s finest is going to sing for you.”
There was a mixture of boos, clapping and laughter from the crowd as the singer handed Ryan the mic and moved away.
“As some of you may know, I’ve recently met the most wonderful woman in the world and we’ve wasted no time at all in starting a family. So, good news, there’ll be more Wilson’s in the neighborhood soon. You’re welcome.”
There was more laughter and several people turned toward Lucy and smiled. She returned their amusement, but couldn’t figure out what Ryan was doing up on the stage. When the music started, she recognized it immediately. It was a song that had been playing in the background on their first date. Ryan had asked the name of it and he’s commented on how it was really nice.