Chapter 47: Bad Girls Make Plans

Just a little Friday night bonus scene for you...

Mac

Adam and I sit on my old bed, staring down at his phone, re-watching the ultrasound video Samantha emailed us just before she and Sidney left to give me privacy to dress.

"Holy shit, we made a person," I say, my finger tracing the outline of Babycake's beautiful little spine.

Adam makes a strangled laugh. "Fuck yeah, we did."

We sit in silence. Awed.

Adam's voice is soft. "We're gonna be parents. Like, diaper-changing, baby-wearing, no-sleeping parents." He looks at me tenderly. "We ready for that?"

"Absolutely." I mean it. "I can't wait to meet my sweet little man."

Maybe it's just because he's tired and unwell, but Adam seems...mind-blown. I do the Trace talk/rant-him-down thing. " So here's the plan: we'll make Leed change all the diapers; he'll be good at it by then. You can wear the baby for awhile once he's born, since you're so big and strong. That's fair-- I'm wearing him on the inside for 40 weeks straight. And we don't sleep now, so what does that part matter?"

Adam pushes his forehead to mine and grins against my lips. "Good plan."

I flop back on the bed, pulling him down over me. "Adam, I'm so happy right now, but I can't really feel it. I'm exhausted."

He rests a hand lightly on my barely-baby-bump as he plants a line of kisses down my temple toward my ear.

"I'm happy too. So fucking happy. I know you're tired, Shortcake. And because you are so tired, I'm not even going to argue with you about the fact that Babycakes is totally a baby girl."

"Good," I grin with my eyes closed. "That's a fight to look forward to." I drift, listening to the brek-cack of early morning frogs singing in the trees outside the open window.

"We can't keep doing this, Sweetheart. Stayin' up all night, pushing your body, your limits. You heard what Sidney said. You need more rest and more calories than you are getting. That pretty little parasite inside you will take what she needs—you'll be the one to suffer. We need to announce this pregnancy and make sure everyone in the band, the business, and our families know...all the bullshit takes a backseat."

I breathe evenly while I try to think about what he just said. Adam's right, there's no good reason not to tell now. I'm nearly at the end of the first trimester, and the baby is healthy. I'm practically showing. I won't be able to hide the pregnancy much longer, at least not from the guys. I know Adam wants to tell his family before we go public. It's time. I'm terrified of what happens next professionally, but it's time.

Time to be brave. For Adam. For Babycakes.

I crack an eye. "Can we take the next few days to ease into it? Maybe announce on Sunday, after church? Didn't you say there would be a Sunday Brunch for just your family and the SCIC?"

Adam's face loses all expression. "For real?"

I reach up and cup his cheek, brushing my thumb across his bottom lip. "Yeah."

The smile that breaks across my lover's face sends my heart into overdrive. Goddamn, this man is not just handsome or hot. He's beautiful. His goodness, his strength, his steadiness, it's all beautiful.

Leaning on an elbow, he runs his other hand beneath my shirt, rubbing my baby belly round and round. "I love you. I love you every way, MacKenna Lawson, but I especially love you just like this. Both of us wrecked and you frizzy-haired in an old ratty t-shirt, letting me touch you while I'm pukish and reaking from last night's show."

"Oh Adam, you are so sweet." My voice drips with sarcasm.

He buries his head into my shoulder and whispers. "You know what I mean."

"I do," I soothe, as I draw my fingertips up and down his spine and press my lips against his sweat-salty neck. "You love me real. I love you real, too. No matter how real being parents gets. No matter how shitty the diapers get, or how heavy the kid gets, or how little sleep we get."

"Exactly." He kisses me hard, and I think maybe he wants to claim that rain-check on oral, but I hardly have the energy to rise to the occasion, even if he does. He senses my lifelessness and doesn't pursue the kiss.

We have a brief discussion about taking a nap, but in the end, we decide to push on to Adam's parent's house. Trace has already texted us both several times, each message growing more irate. He doesn't know where we are, and apparently Leed is MIA, too.

SCIC has checked out of the hotel and they are breakfasting in Nashville. The crew will remain in their lodging, but the next stop for the SCIC is supposed to be the Heartley Farm and we are holding them up.

"I need to get ready," I groan. I guess I've gotten spoiled, having Tamara around so much. The idea of blowing out my own hair, putting on make-up, and ironing something from my bag is just too much right now. "For real. I've got to get up. Right now." Adam just grunts against my neck, and I lie there boneless.

With a roar like he's slaying a dragon, Adam pushes off the bed. I still don't move. I hear him rustling around. A minute later, he grabs my ankles, tugs me partially off the bed, and shimmies me into a pair of cut-off jean shorts I haven't worn since I was sixteen. I was a little meatier back then; they button with ease. Adam tugs me upright by the arms, rakes his hands through my hair and secures it into a pony-tail.

The man's ability to summon a hair elastic is truly a wonder to me, because I can never fucking find one when I want one.

"Congratulations, you've been styled by Adam Heartley," he grins.

If I had the energy, I would laugh. "Adam, I can't go to your parent's house like this."

"Sure you can. We're just going straight to bed when we get there, anyway," he assures me.

"We can't do that. It seems...rude," I protest.

"You let me worry about that. You worry about telling your mom that breakfast makes you puke, because it smells like she's cooking something." He pulls me to my feet.

A half—hour later, we are saying goodbye to Samantha and Sidney by the rental car, with a baggie full of breakfast burritos for Adam and a few crackers and an apple for me.

Adam is a motherfucking liar, because he's still refusing to let me drive.

"I got a nap, you didn't," he reasons.

Samantha puts her hands on my shoulders, and smiles at me. It's weird. We had a falling out years ago...the summer before my senior year. I did something stupid and dangerous and for the first time in my life she pulled mom rank on me...and we never really recovered from that. Now, all that seems petty, and I want nothing more than to hug her.

So I do.

She feels...fragile beneath my grasp. I guess that's just me... because I never hug anyone like this, except for Adam and Leed and Trace and Bodie, and they are large, and powerful, and grip me back fiercely.

"Your baby is beautiful," she says. "I know we don't say things like this...but I'm so proud of you. You are so far along. Much farther along than me at your age. You'll make a good mother, MacKenna. You can trust yourself."

Tears surprise me. I toss my head up and blink to reclaim them. "Fuck," I growl. "This is why we don't say things like that."

Samantha laughs. Then she sighs. "Leed."

I drop my head. "What about him?"

"He's been here. Three times since Soundcrush has been touring Tennessee."

"So this has been where he's disappearing to." He's been bailing right after shows and not showing up  until the last minute for soundcheck. I thought he was pissed at me for moving back into Adam's suite. I hesitate, not sure what to else to say.

She nods. "He shows up in the middle of the night. Smokes out with whoever's around. Comes here for breakfast. Talks a little about Tamara and the baby, holds back more. Takes a shower, cowboys up, and rides off into the sunrise."

My insides ache at her words. "I...I didn't know." How devastated he really is. How lost.

"It's funny how life changes all at once," Samantha muses. "You and your brother, both becoming surprise parents at the same time. He's much more thrown than you, though."

"I have Adam," I look across the top of the car at him. He and Sydney are in earnest conversation.

Samantha nods, raking her hair to the side just like Leed. "I'm glad. I hope you keep each other."

"Me too." I say simply. This is already deeper than I want to go, so I circle back. "I haven't been much comfort to Leed."

"Me either," Samantha says. She cocks her head. "Who's Ashlynn?"

I grin, suddenly feeling better. "She's the hippie chick with the sunshine he needs."

So you may have guessed....Leed is AWOL in Florida. I can't decide. Should we have the next scene from the Front Man's POV...or our first Hippie Chic POV? Thoughts?

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