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“Taco dip is amazing.” I licked the mixing spoon and dropped it in the sink.
“Is there actually some left?” Jay asked as he walked down the stairs, fresh from his shower.
“Yes, there most certainly is.”
Jay wrapped his arms around me from behind and laid his hands on my belly. “I still say the little guy grew in the four days I was gone.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed the bag of shredded lettuce. I was finishing up the taco dip for the party tomorrow and planned on working on the fruit pizza next.
Jay had gotten back Monday morning and was knocking on my door a few minutes after I walked in from clinicals that night. We hadn’t been separated since except for when I had to work. Jay was lucky and was given the whole week off.
I was sprinkling the lettuce on top of the dip when a horn sounded in the driveway. “Who could that be?”
“Delivery,” Jay mumbled.
“Pizza?” I asked. Though why would the pizza delivery guy be honking his horn?
Jay chuckled and grabbed the bag of lettuce from me and set it on the counter. “Different delivery, though now I suppose you want pizza.”
I did. I had been thinking about ordering in while I was making the taco dip so I didn’t end up eating all of the fruit pizza when I made it. “Pepperoni and onion pizza does sound good,” I mumbled.
Jay turned me in his arms. “First, you need to come see what the delivery is and then we’ll get pizza, Del.”
That sounded like a plan I could get behind. “Deal, but why I do need to see what you got delivered. You go get it, and I’ll order the pizza.”
He shook his head and pulled me toward the front door. “Because the delivery is for you, not me.”
“Me?” I asked, surprised.
“Yup. Close your eyes and keep them closed until I say so. I’ll lead you.”
I closed my eyes but instantly opened one. “You promise not to let me trip?”
“Del, you really think I'll let you fall?”
I closed my eye. “No, just don’t go to fast.”
“Gotta trust me.”
Jay lead me out the front door, and it felt like we stopped when we got to the end of the sidewalk where it met the driveway. “I don’t smell anything.”
“Uh, you shouldn’t,” he laughed. “What the hell do you think the surprise is?”
“Obviously something that doesn’t smell.”
“I think that’s a good thing,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Can I open my eyes yet?” Surprises were not my thing.
“Just one more second.” Jay’s hand didn’t leave my arm, but I could hear him fiddling with something.
“Now?” I asked impatiently.
“Lord have mercy, Del. Two minutes ago you, didn’t even care what the surprise was and now you need to know.”
“Because I want pizza,” I complained. The man teased me with ordering pizza and now he was making me wait.
“Open your eyes, Del.”
My eyes sprung open and sitting in front of me was the shiny SUV we had test driven days ago. “What?” I gasped.
“It’s yours, Del.”
My jaw dropped, and my knees felt weak. I grabbed onto Jay’s arm. “What did you just say?”
“She’s all yours, Delaney. Your car isn’t safe for you to be driving it back and forth to Hilltop almost every day. You need a more reliable car.”
“So you bought me one?” What universe had I fallen into?
Jay had bought me a car.
And not just any car.
A real nice, really pretty, new car.
“Jay...” I didn’t know what to say. This was absolutely insane. “You bought me a car.” That was about the only thought that was going through my mind.
“I want you and the baby to be safe. Driving around in that death trap worried the hell out of me anytime you went anywhere.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the SUV. “Get in the driver’s seat.” He opened the door and motioned for me to get in.
I hopped into the car and rested my hands on the steering wheel.
“Del, you look like you’re about to throw up.”
“You bought me a car!”
Jay took a step back and smiled.
“Why do you look so happy?”
“You’re funny, Del,” he chuckled.
“Jay.” I pointed to the steering wheel. “You bought me a car.”
“I’m the one who bought it, Del. You don’t need to keep telling me.”
I dropped my head to the steering wheel and closed my eyes.
The man had bought me a car because he was worried about me and the baby being in my old car.
So sweet and so unexpected. I had planned on getting a newer car before the baby came, but Jay had beat me to the punch with a beautiful, roomy, SUV.
“You bought me a car,” I whispered.
“I’m a little worried you’re about to flip out on me.”
I turned my head but kept it resting on the steering wheel. “I’m in shock.”
“I can tell that, Del.”
“It’s so pretty,” I whispered. “It has heated seats and a camera that shows me where I’m going when I’m backing up.”
“It does,” he laughed.
“I shouldn’t accept this, Jay. I should tell you to take it back.” I shouldn’t even be sitting it right now.
“Says who?” he asked.
“I have no idea, but I know there are people somewhere who wouldn’t ever dream of taking a car as a present.”
“It’s not a present,” he insisted. “I want you and the baby to be safe. Think of it as giving me peace of mind when I’m not with you.”
“Is that how you’re going to play this?” I laughed.
He nodded and stepped closer. He rested his hand on my thigh. “Del, you and I are the only ones who matter when it comes to making decisions.”
“And the baby,” I added.
“And definitely the baby. I don’t give a rat’s ass if Susan Can'tMindHerOwnBusiness in Timbuktu thinks you shouldn’t have this car. I want you to have it, and that should be all that matters to you.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled. “It even smells amazing,” I whined.
Jay shut the door, and I lifted my head off the steering wheel. “What are you doing?” I called.
“We’re going to get pizza.” He rounded the front of the SUV and got in the passenger seat. “If after we go get pizza, you tell me you don’t want the car, I’ll take it back with no questions asked.”
“You can do that?” I asked. I had never bought a car from a dealership before. My last car I bought from a guy who had it for sale in front of his house.
“Yes, Del, but don’t worry about that.” He set the keys in the cupholder. “Hit the button and let’s go.”
“Button?” I looked where one would normally stick the car key and saw there was just a button that said start/stop. “This thing is like a spaceship,” I muttered. I pressed the button, and the beautiful car came to life.
I loved it already, and I hadn’t even pulled out of the driveway.
*
