I felt myself starting to cry again, but this time it was because I was happy. “I wasn’t expecting you to say that, Gavin. To say I’m shocked would be an understatement.”
He rubbed my hands even harder. “A family is a beautiful thing, Crystal, and I desperately want to have this baby with you. Even though it happened by accident, I’m happy that you’re pregnant. It means that we can move forward in our relationship, which I’ve wanted to do for a while now. I’m going to be there for all of it, too. I'm talking morning sickness, backaches, stomach aches, weird cravings, and anything else that comes up. Whatever you need, I’ll provide it for you. I promise.”
As I wiped the tears away from my eyes, I still needed a little more reassurance. “You need to be one-hundred percent on board with this, Gavin, because this is just the beginning. Who knows what the rest of this pregnancy is going to be like for me. If today is any indicator, I may not be able to work and have to depend on you for more than you’re willing to give. You say that now, but you should have seen me at the studio today.”
“I wish I had been with you at the studio today, and now that you mentioned it, I’m going to speak with Mr. Truman about traveling less.”
There was no way in hell that I wanted him to risk his job. “Are you crazy? By that time, Annie and Julianna will have had their babies, and I’m sure they will look after me.”
Gavin brushed a few hairs out of my face. “Let me worry about Mr. Truman. Besides, they’ve done the same thing for Richard and Annie. He views me like a son, too, so I’m sure he’ll view our baby as his grandchild. I mean it, Crystal. I’m not going anywhere.”
I looked around my tiny apartment and stated the obvious. “I have to by a house, and I need you to help me shop for one…since you are an expert at real estate. There is no room for a nursery in here. I don’t even know where I’d fit a crib. If I didn’t live in such a cramped apartment, I’d stay until after the baby was born, but I need help?”
Gavin brought my hands to his mouth and kissed them. “I know you are all financially secure now that you got your settlement, but why spend it on a house? Why not just move in with me. Crystal because it means that we get to spend even more time together. I’m already planning the nursery in my mind, and when I was at my house earlier, it felt empty without you. It’s much too big of a place for just me, anyway. We’ll move everything you own and get you settled in. Then we will shop for baby furniture and whatever else you want or need.”
I was so relieved to hear Gavin saying all of this to me. He was the man that I loved. I pictured us having romantic dinners in his garden, decorating the nursery together, and even throwing parties with the Truman’s.
At that point, I was smiling from ear to ear. “That makes me feel better, although I am worried about how this pregnancy will play out. I have never felt this sick in my entire life, and it’s just the beginning. I nearly fell over while teaching a class from the dizziness. So that’s why I need to make sure that you and I are a team. It was so embarrassing, too. It’s considered lazy for yoga instructors to not do the poses along with the students, and I saw some of the looks on their faces.”
“People are going to judge you regardless of what you do, Crystal.”
“My mother used to say that to me all of the time.”
Gavin looked right into my eyes, and I instantly knew that we would make a family. I pictured us having several more children and traveling the world together. We’d take them to Moldova and have them try the pies; train with yogis in India, and show them where I used to live in Hawaii. I never thought that he and I would end up together, but we were utterly in love and expecting a baby.
“I’m looking forward to waking up next to you every day, you know.”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at that comment. “It’s not going to be as sexy as you think, and yes, I know you find me sexy in the mornings. And you can forget all of those fancy dresses and date nights because something tells me that I’m going to look exactly like this most of the time. Messy hair, no makeup, crying for no damn reason, and spending all day watching cheesy movies. Don’t even tell me that I look beautiful right now, either, because I’ll know you’re lying.”
Gavin chuckled again, but this time it didn’t upset me. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, my dear. And right now, you are the most beautiful woman in the world to me.”
It was a cheesy line, but I was willing to take it. “Well, that I can believe. I just don’t want you to be surprised when you see me like this most of the time.”
“Are you kidding me? If you look like this all the time, I’ll be following you around like a puppy.”
He kissed my nose, and all I could do was laugh and wipe away my happy tears.
24
Gavin
A Few Months Later
Jake, Richard, and I were sitting in Mr. Truman’s home office. The two of them said their father wanted to discuss something with all of us. I was holding my breath, hoping he wasn’t going to send me out on another business trip. The past few months of Crystal’s pregnancy had been a bit complicated, and the last thing I should do was leave her alone. Then I did a mental shrug. There was no use worrying until I knew what was going on.
Mr. Truman came in a few minutes later, his coffee mug in hand as usual. “Thanks for coming over, boys. Before I forget, I just made a fresh pot of coffee downstairs if any of you guys want a cup. Now, Gavin, this is the first time you’re hearing about this, but Jake and Richard are trying to talk me into purchasing some more property in Hawaii.”
My mind began racing, and I saw it happening all over again. The company is flying me out to Hawaii to oversee the construction, negotiate prices, and the whole nine yards. Even though Crystal had been working a lot less lately, there was no way that she could fly in her condition. Plus, I hated being away from her for long periods of time. Everything had been going so well between us, too. She had moved into my place and was settling in. For the first time in my life, the mansion felt like an actual home.
If I had to, though, I’d do it for the company. I owed my successful career to the Truman family, and I’m sure that Crystal would have plenty of help now that I had hired a housekeeper and maid.
I kept my poker face on, though. “That’s wonderful, Mr. Truman. I think it’s a good idea to expand the company in Hawaii, especially since the homes are worth significantly more than what they’re currently being sold for. Do you have pictures of the properties?”
He nodded while looking over something on his computer. “I sure do, Gavin.”
He turned his computer around and showed us four stunning homes in Hawaii, all directly in front of the ocean. They all appeared to be fairly new, which meant that unless he wanted to add something more, then no work would be needed. The more I looked at the awesome homes, the more I realized that I might even be able to negotiate the prices remotely.
I wanted Mr. Truman to know that I was on board, though, regardless of what he wanted. “They’re absolutely beautiful, sir. Crystal would fall in love with those right away. I’m sure you already know this, but she attended college in Hawaii and talks about it all of the time. She misses sitting on the beach by the water, too.”
