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Still she looks down with tears brimming in her eyes once more.
“But Rowan, oh god, I’m so sorry.”
I turn to her when we get to a stoplight.
“Look at me, sweetheart.” I grabbed her chin and made her meet my eyes. “A good guy named Liam Borden is going to come on board and manage Crane until they find a new CEO. The company’s in capable hands, and besides, I have time for other interests now. I’ll take some time off and then focus on a new adventure. So relax, baby. Everything is going to be fine. Besides, I’ve got a perfect date planned for us at the park. Can you take a few more deep breaths and try to smile for me?”
“I’ll try,” Natalie managed while sniffling a bit more. Then, we parked in Greenwood Cemetery, and I helped her out of the car.
“Really? A cemetery for a date?” she asked, looking around. “That’s pretty morbid, or were you trying to mourn the death of Crane?”
I laugh and take her hand.
“Crane’s not dead, honey. Like I said, it’s in good hands, and I see this as an opportunity for me to move on in my life. Come on, I’ve got a picnic waiting.”
I guide her westwards into the park and then we come upon a bower laid out with a red and white checked cloth as well as a picnic basket brimming with goodies.
“Where did this come from?” Natalie gasps.
I grin.
“I hired a little company in town to set everything up for us. Come on, the wine’s chilled and I spy some of that soppressata from Italy. That stuff’s my favorite. Now, doesn’t this look like a good date?” I ask, smiling
“Yes, it’s very romantic,” Natalie sniffles a bit, wiping at her eyes.
“Good, now let’s sit down and enjoy ourselves. I haven’t had a Monday off in years, so this is a treat.”
We sit, and I fill my girl’s plate full with all the best things: cheese, olives, as well as soppressata, guanciale, prosciutto, and nduja on flatbread. We munch happily in the sunshine, the leaves rustling above us.
“Oh wow, this is the life!” Natalie exclaims after finishing her meal. “I could do this forever.”
I chuckle low in my throat.
“You know, we can do it forever if you want. They’re not taking my money from me, so I have more than enough.”
She giggles.
“Yeah, but I don’t want to hang out in a cemetery forever!”
I laugh.
“Okay how about Hawaii then. Oahu? The Big Island? How does that sound?”
She giggles.
“Oh, you joker,” she says. “Hawaii’s like a fantasy place that I only read about in books.”
But I cock my head at the beautiful girl, suddenly serious.
“I’m happy to spend time with you anywhere in the world, baby, but I’m serious about going to Hawaii actually. I love you Natalie and I’d be happy to spend the rest of my life with you on the beach, eating coconuts and dressed in grass skirts.”
The tears instantly welled up in her eyes and my heart thumped hard.
“You want me to go to Hawaii with you?” she asked in a soft voice. “Even if I hate coconuts?”
“Yes, I’m happy around you, baby girl. I adore you, coconuts or not. I want to spend time with you. So yes, it’s a great idea, actually. Will you go to Hawaii with me, sweetheart? It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”
She throws her arms around me then.
“Yes!” she whispers into my ear fiercely. “I love you. I love you Rowan Crane,” she says. “I’d go anywhere with you.”
But suddenly, the beautiful blonde sits back, one hand curving protectively over her tummy.
“There is something I should tell you first,” she says.
I cock my head.
“What’s going on, sweetheart? You know you can tell me anything.”
She nods while biting her lip.
“Well, I didn’t want to tell you right away until I’d confirmed it with the doctor, but it’s a pretty big deal.”
Again, my world seems to tilt on its axis. Oh shit, does she have a heart condition? Has she been having fainting spells? Immediately, I start thinking of all the specialists I know. How do I get her into a luxury suite at First Presbyterian?
But Natalie merely smiles when she sees the concerned look on my face.
“Calm down, Rowan. It’s not anything bad,” she begins. “It’s just that … well, I’m pregnant,” she finishes a bit lamely. “I’m having your baby. I was on birth control but you know that contraception is never one hundred percent, and now, we’re having a child.”
I stare at her, unable to breathe. My heart races as my temples pound.
“Pregnant. Like we’re having a baby?” I manage in a weak voice.
She bites her lip once more, looking down.
“Yes, is that okay?” she asks. “I know it’s unexpected, and I know that we weren’t planning on this but—"
With that, I pull her into my arms, cradling her soft form close.
