One Second (Seven Series Book 7) (43 page)

Footfalls trampled through the house and shook the floorboards until Austin appeared in the doorway, looking devastatingly handsome.

He crawled up the bed and pulled me into his arms.

“You came back to me,” he whispered in my hair.

I drew in a deep breath and smelled the soap on his skin, shampoo in his hair, detergent on his shirt, and a musky scent that told me he’d been outside in the sun recently.

His kisses moved from my temple to my mouth, his strong arm still supporting my lower back. “How are you feeling?”

“Dirty,” I croaked.

He chuckled. “Yeah. You’re going to be just fine.”

Edward moved in and shone a light in my eyes before listening to my heart. “Any pain?”

I thought about it and leaned back. “Not that I can tell. Just sore and stiff. It feels like a pulled muscle in my shoulder. Do I need to shift again?”

“Too late now.”

I looked between him and Austin. “What do you mean by too late?”

Austin penetrated me with his stare. “Do you know how long you’ve been asleep?”

My shoulders sagged when I realized I must have been unconscious for a long time. I hoped it wasn’t years, but if that was the case, then I would have to yell at Austin for not buying a new wardrobe. “How many days?”

He swept a lock of hair away from my eyes, still holding one of my arms as if I might fall. “Two. Well, technically this is the third day.”

Suddenly I couldn’t breathe when I saw an empty cradle, and the pieces began falling together. “Where’s the baby? Where’s my baby?” I gripped his arms, my nails digging in. “Please tell me—”

“He’s all right. Everything’s all right,” Austin assured me.

When Katharine approached the bed with a bundle in her arms, I reached out and realized I would always be a broken puzzle with a missing piece if I didn’t have my child. The moment I felt his weight, his warmth, his strong arms and legs, I pulled him close to my chest and kissed his nose. Austin scooted to my left and let me lean against him.

“There’s my handsome man,” I whispered, tears in my eyes. “I missed you… and I’m so sorry for leaving. I didn’t mean to. I’ll never leave you again. Gosh, look at him, Austin. He’s so beautiful.” I smoothed my fingers across his chubby cheeks as he yawned and went back to sleep. “I can’t thank you enough for taking care of him, Katharine.”

A laugh bubbled out, and she patted my shoulder. “You can thank Austin for that. All I did was fold laundry and change sheets.”

I swung my eyes toward Austin. “You took care of him?”

“Did you ever doubt?”

“Wait. Are we talking about the same man who vacates a room when a baby is crying or a diaper is dirty?”

He frowned, and a tiny crease appeared between his brows. “Those damn things aren’t easy to put on.”

“See? What did I tell you?” I kissed my baby and placed him on my lap. “You have the best daddy in the world.”

“Are you okay?” Austin asked, eyes brimming with concern.

“It just tires me to hold him too long. My shoulder’s sore, and I have a migraine.”

Edward handed me a bottle of water. “You’re probably dehydrated. I couldn’t run a saline drip in you because it could damage your vein if you shifted. We just gave your wolf small but frequent sips.”

I drank several mouthfuls, and water dribbled down my chin. It felt like ice going into my empty stomach, and I slowed, afraid I might get sick.

“I’d like to run a line now, if that’s okay,” he said. “I brought my equipment, and we’ll also give you a round of magnesium and potassium.”

I nodded. “Sure. But can you give us a minute alone?”

Edward inclined his head. “As you wish.”

Austin urged me to drink more water, but I declined. I was about to get an intravenous bag of it, so I didn’t see a point in increasing my bathroom trips. He propped several pillows behind my back and then sat near my legs.

I looked down and smiled when our little boy opened his eyes.

“What should we name him?” I asked, holding his little hand.

Austin tickled his chin. “I’ve already given him a name.”

“Oh really? You didn’t think I might want to be consulted?”

Austin reached around his neck and removed his medallion. “This is the last day I’ll ever wear this.” He placed it over the baby’s head.

“Isn’t that a choking hazard?”

Austin smiled and brushed his fingers over the round heirloom. “He’ll grow into it. I can always make it a belt buckle.”

I chuckled and let the little guy grip my fingers with his tiny hand. “What was the name you had in mind?”

Austin leaned closer and winked. “Not just had in mind, Ladybug. His name isn’t up for discussion. I’d like you to meet Travis Cole.”

“Travis,” I said, letting the name play on my tongue. “I actually like it.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You seem surprised.”

“Well, it’s such an ordinary name. No offense, but your family is a little kooky with baby names. First your parents with all the cities, and then Jericho and all his musical names.”

“My parents said a name should mean something. Travis is special.”

I could hardly take my eyes off Travis.

My Travis. The more I looked at him, the more I could see into his future. Horseshoes in the yard with Uncle Reno, summers at the lake with Uncle Denver and Aunt Maizy, ice cream cones and bubbles, girlfriends and first kisses, leading his own pack and giving me grandchildren.

“What’s special about the name?” I asked.

Austin held my hand in his. “I named him after the lake where I fell in love with you.”

I smiled and kissed him softly. “I love you, Austin Cole. And I’m so glad we didn’t go to Lady Bird that night.”

He nibbled my lip playfully and scooped Travis up in his arms. I watched as he placed him in the cradle and pulled the curtains closed.

“Austin, what if we have more kids? You only fell in love with me once.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Ladybug.” He checked Travis one more time before turning around. “The lake is where I first fell in love with you, but it’s not the last time. I have names picked out for every place where we share a special memory.”

I smirked. “I hope we can automatically rule out Schlitterbahn then. What about his middle name?”

Austin shrugged. “We don’t need middle names unless you want one.”

I lay back down on my left side, pulling the sheet all the way over me. As much as I’d been sleeping, I still felt tired.

“What were you thinking?” Austin asked, winding up a musical toy.

When it began playing a familiar tune—our tune—I wept. Just a little, but enough that Austin noticed.

He sat on the edge of the bed. “What’s the matter?”

I wiped my cheek, lost in the sweet melody of another life. “I was just remembering eating a corn dog on the curb outside my house when I was eleven. It started sprinkling, and instead of going inside, I used the stick to draw lines in the dirt.”

Austin gave me a bemused look. “What’s so special about that story?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing is special about that story. That’s what’s wrong. I can remember an insignificant moment in my life with clarity, but why can’t I remember my brother’s voice?”

He held my hand and shook his head, unable to give me any words of comfort.

“I thought about naming him Wes,” I said, sniffling. “But I feel like our pack name honors him that way. Wes never liked his name; did he ever tell you that? Maybe that’s why it’s a little funny that we’re the Weston pack. He would have rolled his eyes and asked why we didn’t pick something cool, like Diesel.”

Austin sighed and lowered his head.

“But he always loved his middle name,” I went on. “He said if he ever became famous, he was going to change it to that because it sounded cool with Knight as his last name. I want Wes and Travis to share the same middle name.”

When I saw the confusion on his face, I realized that Austin didn’t know Wes’s middle name. My mom had only put his first and last on the grave marker, and I guess it wasn’t something that guys talked about much.

My gaze drifted to the cradle. “Travis Loyal. He’ll probably never use it, but I want him to have something that Wes loved, even if it’s just a name. Maybe he’ll pass it down to his firstborn, and it’ll be a thing.”

A smile twitched on Austin’s lips.

“What’s so funny?”

The more he tried to suppress it, the more contorted his expression became until he couldn’t hold in the emotion any longer. He rocked with laughter and fell onto his back, tears glittering at the corners of his eyes as he tried to palm them away. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it,” he managed through a coughing fit.

I slapped his thigh. “You better tell me what’s so damn funny about your son’s name.”

He wiped his tears with the palms of his hands and stared up at the ceiling. “Our son’s initials are TLC.”

The hinges on the door creaked when it opened. My mom set a tray of food on the dresser to the right and circled the bed, showering me with kisses. “My baby’s awake. I knew you’d be all right. No one else knows how tough you are, but I do. I brought you something to help get your strength back. Bacon, scrambled eggs, and sliced oranges.”

She came around the bed and bent over to give me a kiss and a hug. When she stood up, she wiped a tear away and took a few steps back. This must have been so hard for her. My mother had never fully recovered from Wes’s death, and I couldn’t imagine having almost lost a second child and grandchild.

Austin stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I was going to do this alone, but I guess this is better.”

“Do what?” I asked, tucking the sheet under my arms.

Austin reached in his pocket, but I didn’t hear any change jingling. He pulled out a silver band attached to a chain and knelt down, sliding it onto my finger. “Lexi, will you marry me?”

This time I was the one laughing. “Austin, we’re already married.”

“No, we’re
mated
. I want to marry you. I want to be your husband and your mate. I want you to walk down the aisle in front of everyone who matters so I can promise to love and protect you. I want you to wear a pretty dress and have a cake with a plastic couple on the top. I want a day I can remember that’s ours.”

My mom gasped and covered her mouth, tears shining in her eyes.

Austin wound up the silver chain and placed it in my palm. “You’ll have to wear it around your neck since you might lose it. I didn’t get a diamond like Izzy has.”

“It’s perfect. But it’s missing one thing.”

His frosty eyes filled with worry, dark brows slanting down. “A diamond?”

“No. An engraving. I want TLC to be carved into this ring, because that’s how you love me, Austin—with tender loving care. And whenever I look at it, I’ll think of this day. I’ll think of Travis and that musical toy playing in his crib while we talked about his name. Think you can do that?”

He pressed a kiss to the ring. “Ask for the world, and it’s yours.”

“How about chocolate pudding instead?”