CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

Payton

Eighteen months later…

I CAME AWAKE with a groan and Alex reached for my arm. Pain sliced through me and I whimpered.

“Payton?” he whispered.

“I think… ah… ooof.”

Alex knifed off the bed and flooded the room with light.

“Too bright,” I moaned.

He shut off the light again and turned on the bathroom one. “I’ll get the bag. Should I call 9-1-1? I should get Lily. Should I get Lily, ’cause waking her might take time?”

I forced back a giggle. “Call Mom, honey. I’m okay. You don’t need to call 9-1-1.”

He nodded and grabbed his cell phone. “Hey, Melissa? Yeah, she woke up in pain. Yeah. Ah…” He focused on me again. “How far apart are the contractions?”

“About six minutes,” I said, and took a deep breath.

“Six minutes,” Alex said. “Yes. Okay. Right. Thanks.” He hung up and grabbed his jeans he’d dropped on the floor before we went to bed. “What do you need?”

“Well, if you can help me out of bed, honey, that would be a good start.”

“Fuck, sorry.” He rushed to my side and lifted me gently so I could stand. “Sweats. You want your sweats?”

“Yes, that would be great. Um, ohmigod,” I breathed.

“What, baby?”

“I think my water just broke. I’m soaked.”

“Okay. It’s okay.”

He helped me into clean clothes and guided me to the sofa at the end of our bed. As I sat attempting my breathing exercises, he finished dressing and then slid my fluffy slippers on my feet. Another contraction hit and I forced myself not to call out.

Alex knelt in front of me and took my hands. “You ready?”

I clamped my jaw shut and shook my head.

“Okay, we’ll wait a minute.”

We sat and waited through my contraction, my mother rushing into the room a few seconds after it passed.

“Hey, honey,” she said, and cupped my face. “I can’t believe my baby’s having a baby.”

I smiled. “Me neither, Mom.”

“Okay, Alex you get her to the hospital. I’ve got Lily and I called Macey. She’s on her way. I’ll join you as soon as Anna relieves me.”

“Thanks,” Alex said, and helped me stand.

We inched down the stairs and out to Alex’s truck. He lifted me in, buckled my belt, and then we were off. We were less than ten minutes from the hospital, but it seemed to take longer, especially during contractions. Even with the pain, though, I was blissfully happy.

After the Russians had waged war on the club, the Dogs of Fire went on the offensive and took down several of the key players. I don’t know how they did it and, quite frankly, I didn’t want to know.

The final walk through of our house happened one week before our wedding which meant we had only a few days to move in, and this threw me into a stress tizzy, the likes no one had ever seen. Alex survived it, mostly because he drank a lot of beer. And I mean a lot. Even in the midst of what would be my final meltdown, I recognized the lengths he was going to make me happy (partly because my mother pointed them all out… yay, Mom). He organized every member of the club to act as moving men, which meant everything was moved in one day. Several of the club members’ “old ladies” showed up to help me unpack, which added to my family, Macey, and Dani, so it made for light work.

Our wedding was perfect. My parents wanted a traditional Catholic wedding, which Alex didn’t object to (much), but it was funny having biker men and women sitting in the beautiful cathedral in amongst my very formally dressed family and friends. It was perfect.

After a rockin’ reception, Alex and I stayed one night at the Hotel Monaco in downtown Portland before we took off for a magical beach honeymoon in Cancun. My parents watched Lily (who I officially adopted), so we had an entire week to ourselves, and as promised, he’d packed some very creative toys including my clamps, which we utilized every night until I got pregnant. After that, I was just too sensitive.

Bailey discovered she was pregnant a month before I did, so we giddily planned the birth of our babies together. Kristen and Gordon had a beautiful baby boy who showed up a month early, and was now a perfect little walking terror. They couldn’t have been happier.

Life for the James’ family settled in to a surprisingly normal one for a badass biker bounty hunter and his elementary school teacher wife. I joked that I should write a book about our love story, considering it was just so unique.

Hunter Alexander James arrived six hours after my labor had begun, weighing in at seven pounds, eleven ounces and twenty-two inches long. He was healthy, he was beautiful, and he was all ours.

“You’re so beautiful, baby,” Alex whispered, and kissed me before kissing our son’s head. Tears slid down his face as he smiled at us. “I’m in awe of you.”

I ran my hand down his cheek and let my own tears flow. “Thank you for our life, Alex. Thank you for our children.”

A tiny little gasp sounded, and we looked to see Lily rushing into the room, my mom closely following. Lily was beyond excited to be a big sister. She’d grown out of her speech issues, which honestly, I was kind of sad about, but I suppose I’d have to let my kids grow up at some point.

“Hey, honey,” I said. “Meet your new brother.”

Alex lifted Lily onto the bed, and she stroked Hunter’s hand. “He’s so cute, Mommy.”

“I know. Do you want to hold him?”

“Yes, please.”

“Okay, come sit up here beside me and Daddy will help.”

As the rest of my family piled into the room, Alex guided Hunter into Lily’s loving and capable arms and I basked in the glow of unconditional love surrounding us. When Macey walked in to check on us, my circle was complete.

I had the best man in the world at my side, two gorgeous kids, plus the most loving friends and family on the planet.

Alex said that I’m his light, and perhaps I did help illuminate his road to a redemption of sorts. I’m not sure about all of that. What I do know, is that Alex is my protector, my lover, my soul mate, and my one true love, but most importantly, he is my awakening.