Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
I grin, looking at the doctor and then up at Kent. â??This is so weird,â? I say, amazed, â??but also very cool.â?
Kent nods to me, smiling, and runs a hand over my hair as the doctor says a little farewell in Italian, leaning forward to kiss me on the cheeks and, I think, wish me luck. I thank her in English, hoping she understands, and Kent smiles at her warmly, translating my thanks and giving his own in Italian as he walks her to the bedroom door.
After she goes, Kent sits on the edge of the bed. â??Daniel and Jerome are nearly at Villa Bianci,â? he says, his voice a little awkward â?? because, I mean, thereâ??s a third person in that car that Kent isnâ??t mentioning, isnâ??t there? But I donâ??t bring her up either. â??They say theyâ??re thrilled for you, and jealous that they didnâ??t get to be here, and that they canâ??t wait to meet the new guy.â?
â??New guy,â? I murmur to the baby, smiling at him. â??Thatâ??s you!â? I laugh a little, shaking my head. â??Youâ??re going to meet your big brother, my husband â?? and heâ??s huge â??â??
Kent laughs, starting to say something, but then a knock comes at the door.
â??Puppy delivery,â? Janeen says, smiling as she stands in the doorway, the puppy in her arms, his little scrabbling paws reaching for me as soon as he sets eyes on me. â??Also, dad delivery,â? she adds, stepping aside to reveal my dad behind her.
I burst into tears again and try to stand up.
â??Oh, baby,â? dad says, laughing and hurrying across the room to me, his hands out. â??Donâ??t get up â??â??
â??I canâ??t be baby anymore dad,â? I say as Kent stands, making room for the new grandpa to sit next to me on the bed. â??Weâ??ve got a new one for that title.â?
â??No, sweetheart,â? dad says, cupping my cheek in his broad, calloused palm. â??Youâ??re always baby. Always my baby.â? And he leans forward and kisses me on the forehead, just the same way I kiss my son.
My tears start to flow harder now â?? Iâ??m exhausted and happy and overwhelmed all at once.
Dad murmurs nice and comforting things to me as I pull myself back together. Then he kisses me again and stands up. â??Iâ??ll come and see the little man later,â? he says quietly, â??after youâ??ve both had a little rest.â? He looks up at Kent then. â??You let her sleep now, you hear?â?
Kent nods seriously to my father. â??Yes, sir,â? he says, and I smile because I can tell that he means it.
Janeen comes forward then, plopping the dog on the bed.
â??Janeen,â? Kent groans as the puppy climbs over the lumps and folds of the blankets, intent on getting to me. â??Seriously, on the white duvet â??â??
Janeen just grins and ignores him, sitting down in the spot dad just vacated. â??Seriously, sis,â? she says, her perky personality coming back to her now that all the drama has passed. â??Can you like, move your boob? I want to see his little faceâ?¦â?
Kent groans a little and excuses himself, heading into the bathroom â?? I think probably for a quick little shower himself.
I laugh and swat at her. â??No, Janeen,â? I say, grinning at her. â??He needs to eat â?? heâ??s probably starving, after all the excitement he crafted today.â?
â??Seriously,â? she says, her eyebrows going up. â??Kids either got horrible timing or a wicked sense of humor.â?
â??Letâ??s hope for the latter,â? I sigh. The puppy gives a little yip of triumph as he finally settles by my side, and I wrap an arm around him, tucking him in close.
â??Are you okay?â? Janeen asks, her voice unusually serious, and I look up at her. â??I mean, with the birth stuff, but also withâ?¦â? she grimaces a little, and I know she means mom.
â??I am okay,â? I say quietly, a little guilty. â??Areâ?¦you okay with the fact that Iâ??m okay with it? Because, Janeen, youâ??reâ?¦allowed to hate me for it. If thatâ??s how you feel.â?
Janeen clicks her tongue and shakes her head, reaching forward to tuck my hair behind my ear. â??She was always kind of a bitch,â? Janeen murmurs, which makes a shaky little laugh fall from my mouth. She tilts her head to the side now. â??And, I mean, I usually like that about a woman -â?
I start to laugh harder at this and my sister grins at me. â??But Gio filled me in a little. Abandoning you at five and then trying to ruin your life again by threatening your baby daddy if you didnâ??t snitch on the most powerful man in Italy? Which probably would have resulted in you getting killed?â? She shakes her head. â??That woman â?? she had whatever was coming to her. And you have nothing but my love and respect.â?
I nod, grateful, but I glance towards the door. â??Does dadâ?¦â?
Janeen sighs and looks in the same direction. â??If he knows, he hasnâ??t said it. And if he hasnâ??t said itâ?¦he doesnâ??t want to talk about it. I think heâ??s at peace with it, Fay, no matter what happened. Dad â?? heâ??s always been a look-to-the-future kind of guy anyway.â?
â??We owe him big time,â? I murmur quietly. â??Maybe we can get him likeâ?¦a vespaâ?¦â?
Janeen starts to laugh at this, and the two of us spends a few more minutes together. She helps me switch breasts halfway through the breast feeding â?? which the baby does not like â?? and she keeps me laughing when she comments that the baby looks like a very old, very grumpy, very tiny Italian man.
Weâ??re still laughing and chatting five minutes later when Kent comes out of the closet dressed in gym clothes â?? soft pants and a black sweatshirt.
â??Damnnn, Kent!â? Janeen says, leaning back on her elbow and grinning as she looks him up and down. â??I like you in leisurewear! God damn it, why do you wear those suits all the time when you look like this dressed down â??â??
â??Out, Janeen,â? Kent says, keeping his voice dry even as he smirks at her. â??Fay needs to sleep.â?
â??Fayâ??s not gonna get any sleep when you look like that,â? Janeen mumbles, winking at me as she pulls herself to her feet. â??Sheâ??s gonna get started on that second baby â??â??
Kent goes very still at the sheer mention of it, which makes me burst into a wide grin.
â??Out,â? Janeen, he commands.
Janeen just laughs, and when she stands up from the bed Kent gives her a playful little shove on the back that makes her grin over her shoulder at him.
â??And take this puppy with you â??â?? Kent says, reaching for my little friend who is pressed so close to my side.
â??Noooo,â? I cry, wrapping a hand around the puppyâ??s little belly and pulling him closer to my side. â??No, you canâ??t take the puppy, heâ??s had such a hard day!â?
â??The puppy has had a hard day, Fay?â? Kent asks, disbelieving as Janeen calls her goodbyes and heads out the door, shutting it behind her. Kent sighs at me for a moment before he turns away and moves around the room, pulling the curtains shut against the afternoon light.
â??Just because we also had a weird day doesnâ??t mean that the puppy canâ??t have had a stressful day too,â? I say, smiling slyly because Iâ??m very aware that Kent could have made Janeen take the puppy, and sheâ??d have done it. But Kent let the dog stay because I want him near.
â??I think youâ??re allowed to be the focus of the day, gorgeous,â? Kent murmurs, finishing his work and slipping into the bed next to me. â??It should be about what you need, not the dog or anyone else.â?
My drowsiness comes back in full force now that the room is quiet, and shady, and the baby has finished eating and has fallen into his own doze in my arms.
â??Not me,â? I say quietly as Kent wraps a warm arm around me, moving the puppy so that he rests lightly on my lap instead of squished between us. â??I think baby needs to be the focus today.â?
â??Baby,â? Kent murmurs, smiling down at our sleeping son. A huge smile breaks out onto my face as I look at him too, though itâ??s instantly interrupted by a yawn. â??Heâ??s good looking,â? Kent considers quietly. â??Thank god.â?
I laugh and whip my face up to Kentâ??s. â??You wouldnâ??t have liked him if he was ugly?â?
Kent just shrugs, his eyes still on our kid. â??I would have. It just would have been harder.â?
I laugh and shake my head but snuggle up against Kent, because I know he doesnâ??t mean it â?? heâ??s just making me laugh. â??Donâ??t listen to your vain father, baby,â? I murmur to my new baby, all cozied up in my arms in his little newborn onesie. â??Looks arenâ??t everything.â?
Weâ??re quiet for a long moment as I rest my head against Kentâ??s shoulder, my eyes drifting a little shut.
â??So,â? Kent says quietly, his voice soft in the quiet afternoon peace of our room. â??Are we just going to call him baby his whole life? Because, I mean, thatâ??s very cute. But he might get a little beat up for it.â?
â??Anyone who beats up our baby is going to have to come through me,â? I say, grinning a little. But then I sigh and open my eyes. â??But youâ??re right.â? I sit up a little and look down at my cute babyâ??s little scrunched face. â??The child needs a name. Whatâ?¦hmm.â? I turn my head to the side a little, considering him. â??What do you think suits him?â?
Kent and I â?? weâ??ve talked about names casually, things we like and we donâ??t, but we never decided on anything â?? never even came up with a top ten. I guess it just sort of got lost in all of the other insane things we had to plan during the tail end of my pregnancy.
â??I donâ??t know,â? Kent says, his words slow and considerate.