I stare into the full length mirror on the back of the closet door, turning sideways so I can see my profile. My stomach isn't huge by any means, but it's slowly getting bigger each day. There's a little pooch there that is slightly bigger than something I could play off as having just eaten a whole pizza by myself. I lift my shirt and rub my hands over the pooch, reminding myself there's a growing baby in there. It's insane, when you think about it. A baby. A real, life, human being will jump out of me in a few months' time. Well...okay, maybe not jump. But I hope it's quick, and I hope it doesn't hurt as badly as it looks like on the movies.

Jace leans against the doorway of the closet, watching me watch myself in the mirror. "I thought your stomach would get much bigger this far along," he says, turning his head sideways. "We're like, five months now, right?"

"Twenty three weeks. They go by weeks for whatever reason," I explain. "Too many things happen each week for it to be based on the month."

He eyes me in this appreciative way and suddenly I'm self-conscious. I turn away from the mirror, covering my belly with my hands.

A moment later, his hands slide over mine as he hugs me from behind. His mouth presses against my neck, trailing kisses down to my collar bone. "I love you, Bay." Chills wash over me when his breath tickles my skin. "I love you, Jace." My words are a whispered reply and it's all I can do to even speak coherently when he does this to me. His hands slide up my arms and then back down again, circling around my protruding stomach and then wandering back up to my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He cups them and his lips linger on my neck just a moment longer than usual.

"What is it?" I ask, twisting around to see him better. His face is shadowed from the dim light in the closet, but the naughty way he smiles lets me know exactly what he's thinking.

"Your b.o.o.bs get bigger every day," he says, wiggling his eyebrows. "I like it."

I roll my eyes. "You're such a pig."

His hands slide around my waist and tug me toward him. I press against his chest and take special care to make sure my b.o.o.bs get squished in a way that makes the cleavage from my tank top look as s.e.xy as possible. "I'm your pig," he says with that goofy grin of his that I love so much.

Fifteen minutes later, my suitcase holds exactly one pair of jeans and two pairs of pajamas. I guess that can be considered progress. Jace lies on his back on the bed, tossing the remote control from one hand to the other.

"So tell me about California." I toss a blue shirt at him and he catches it but drops the remote.

"What would you like to know?" he asks. He folds my shirt in half and then in half again, setting it inside my suitcase.

"Well, the only thing I know about California is that it's really big and full of celebrities. Also, I'm not packing that shirt," I say, taking out the blue shirt and tossing it on the bed.

"Why not? You look awesome in it." Jace refolds the shirt and puts it back in my suitcase. I think the words he meant was that I used to look awesome in it. Now the shimmery blue fabric that's meant to hang loose at the stomach fits tightly around my midsection, stretching the thin fabric and making it look awful. If I tell Jace this, he'll probably ask me to try it on to prove it to him and that is so not happening. So I just leave it in the suitcase. I'll bring more than enough shirts to ensure that I won't be wearing that one on our short trip. "So, California," I say again. "You grew up there and you never even talk about it."

"There's nothing worth saying," he says. "I had an average childhood...went to school and raced dirt bikes. My whole life was dirt bikes. Same as it is here."

"You were pro though. That had to be different. I mean, you're famous here in Texas so I bet you're really famous in California."

Jace shrugs. "I haven't raced on the west side in two years. No one cares about me anymore. And that's exactly how I want things to be."

"Why's that?"

He looks at me. "Because I want things to be here with you."

Warmth spreads through me when I hear his cheesy answer. I don't know if he really means that or if it's just something a guy says to his pregnant fiance to make her feel better, but it makes me all emotionally gooey anyhow. I lay out three dresses on the bed and try to determine which one I should choose to bring along. Jace points to the middle one, a black knit dress with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. "Good call," I say, taking the dress and folding it neatly into the suitcase. Black is a slimming color and I desperately need all the slimming illusions I can get.

"Tell me about your parents."

This makes Jace laugh for some reason. I frown. "Why won't you talk about them? I need to know about them so I won't go in blindly. I need some topics I can talk about with them."

"They're going to love you, babe. Their simple people, I promise. Dad works hard and Mom...well she's a really good housewife. She works hard at...watching TV. And they aren't going to talk about themselves, you know."

"And what are they going to talk about?"

"You." He says it all matter-of-factly and I lift an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I like that idea," I say, feeling trepidation creep over me.

I hold up a few more shirts for Jace and let him choose his favorites. He picks all the shirts with low necklines and I try not to make fun of him for his love of my new big a.s.sets. Jace helps me fold the clothes we picked for our trip and I hang the discarded options back in the closet.

"Baby, I'm nervous," I admit to him when my suitcase is finally packed enough for three days and nights.

"I know. And I know there's probably nothing I can say to make you feel better."

I shake my head. "There isn't. I'm going to be freaking out about this the entire time, no matter what you say."

He smiles. "I think you're more nervous about meeting my parents than you are about the wedding."

I nod. "Totally."

I zip up the suitcase and Jace sets mine on the floor next to his. "I know what will take your mind off it," he says, stepping closer to me. I sit on the edge of the mattress and take his hands in mine, parting my knees so he can stand closer to me. "And what exactly is that?" I ask, giving him a coy smile.

He leans forward and kisses me, slowly at first but then deeper, faster. My hands slide up his chest and cling around his neck, holding on tightly when he crawls on the bed, pulling me underneath him.

He rests on his elbows, hovering over me and he smiles when I kiss him, moving all over his face to kiss every single part of it. When my lips find his again, I suck his bottom lip into mine, lightly grazing my teeth over it. He groans and presses into me, lighting me on fire. My back arches to meet him and I grind against him slowly, again and again.

"That's it," he groans, sliding his hands down my sides. He slips his fingers under my tank top and slides it up and over my head. He lowers himself over me again and kisses my neck, my collarbone, my chest. His voice is raspy, desperate. "I'm gonna make you forget every single one of your worries."

Chapter 13.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when we landed in California. Okay, maybe I did know what I was expecting. Celebrities. Fancy rich people. Paparazzi at every turn. You know, typical California stereotypes, because apparently that's all I know about the state.

"Sacramento International Airport?" The disappointment in my voice is impossible to miss. Jace looks at me funny as he winds an arm around my back and guides me through the throngs of people on our way to baggage claim.

"Where did you think we were?" he asks.

"You know. LAX. The airport that's always on TMZ and stuff."

Jace snorts. "Sorry to break it to you, but my parents live in Sacramento, not Los Angeles."

I put on a fake pout, but soon realize that I'm not faking it at all. I really thought we'd be swimming in famous people by now. I mean, this is California.

"What's wrong?" Jace asks. The way he glides through the airport without even stopping to read the signs or look for directions is the sign of someone who flies a lot. Someone worldly and experienced. It makes me feel this mixture of embarra.s.sment over my own sheltered life and admiration for my super s.e.xy fiance.

I stop and watch the ma.s.sive turning baggage claim belt as it turns around slowly, carrying people's luggage until they come to take it. It really is just like in the movies. Jace nudges me with his elbow, letting me know he's still waiting on an answer. "I don't know...I just thought we'd see some famous people since we're in California."

He smiles. "The day isn't over yet."

The exhilaration of being in a new place comes to a screeching stop when we arrive at the waiting area. "What are we doing?" I ask, looking around as if there is something here I'm supposed to recognize. "Aren't we renting a car or something?"

Jace's nose wrinkles. "You have to be twenty-five years old to rent a car, babe."

"Oh." I feel like an idiot now. "I knew that, I swear I did," I say with a pathetic little laugh. "I can't wait until we're old enough to legally do everything there is to do."

Jace slings an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close to him. "I can wait."

"Really? Why? We're basically kids and it sucks."

He shakes his head. A mother with three unruly toddlers rushes by, yelling for the kids to slow down. "I don't want to be too old, too soon. I want to live our lives as long as we can, you know? See everything we can and do everything we want. That can't happen if time speeds up and we're older."

"Oh blah," I say, leaning my head against his shoulder. "You always say all of the right things."

His lips form a slight smile, but his gaze is fixed somewhere in the distance. "I think a lot. I'm always thinking about something, so by the time I say it, I've had time to work it out in my mind. You, on the other hand..." He kisses me on the tip of my nose. "You are always talking. I think you might actually say words before your brain even thinks them."

"Oh shut it," I say, even though he's right. Jace is naturally quiet and I'm naturally talkative. I've always thought it balances out nicely between the two of us, but maybe I'm wrong. "Does it bother you that I talk too much?"

"You don't talk too much," he says. "A lot. But not too much. Besides, I like your voice."

"You better like it," I say, joking around with him. "Hey, why are we-?" I stop mid-sentence as realization comes to me. "How are we getting out of here if we're not renting a car?"

"We're getting picked up. I thought I told you all of this?"

"I guess I forgot," I say. Trepidation fills me as I put together the pieces in my head. "Your parents are picking us up?"

"Yes ma'am," he says in a fake Texas accent.

I let out my breath in a long, slow sigh. This is not what I was expecting. For some reason, I had imagined we'd rent a car and then drive to their house and that way I would have enough time to compose myself for meeting his parents. I know it's technically not that big of a deal, but it feels like one. I'm meeting my fiance's parents for the first time and I'm pregnant with his kid and I'm practically a kid myself. I guess if I prepare myself for the judgmental glares and snide remarks beforehand then it won't hurt as bad when they happen.

My fingernails dig into my palms and the inside of my bottom lip feels raw. I've been chewing on it absentmindedly and now I can't stop.

"They're here," Jace says, looking around. "I can smell her."

I smell it too. The scent of vanilla cupcakes and coffee. Two seconds later, a woman with bright blonde hair bursts through the crowds of people, her bright red lipstick molded in a beaming smile. "Jace!" she squeals, rushing up to him with her arms open wide. She wraps him in a hug and even though he's over a foot taller than she is, she almost makes him look like a little kid again with the way she hugs him, swaying back and forth like she hasn't seen him in forever. And, that's kind of true.

I recognize her from the photos I've seen of her, but Jace's mom is much more vibrant in real life. She's bouncy and colorful and all smiles. As soon as she releases him from her bear hug, she sets her sights on me.

"Hi," I say, lifting my hand in a pathetic wave.

"Bayleigh, my dear!" I suck in a deep breath to prepare for her ma.s.sive hug, and even with my expecting it, her embrace blows me away. She is somehow soft and motherly with the grip of a boa constrictor. She clings to me twice as long as she did with Jace. Up close she smells mostly like coffee, but in a good waylike I'm sitting in a beautiful coffee shop surrounded by books. When she ends the hug, she pulls back and holds me at arm's length, gripping my elbows so hard it hurts. "I am so happy to meet you."

"Me too," I stutter like some kind of idiot. "It's nice to meet you."

Her features are strikingly similar to Jace's now that I'm seeing her in person. She has a nice nose like he does and a strong jaw line. Her eyes, though lined with fine wrinkles, sparkle the same way Jace's does when he's really excited about something.

"Where's Dad?" Jace asks her.

"He had to work," she says, curling up her nose. "You know how it is."

Jace nods and I just stand here, wearing a small smile and trying to look nice because I don't know how it is. I've never met the man. It feels like a small blessing in a way, that I only had to meet one of the parents this time. Now, when I meet his father later in the day, I would have had time to compose myself and think of something better to say, something impressive and something that would make you glad your son is marrying this girl.

Mrs. Adams, or Julie, as she insisted that I call her, drives a ma.s.sive SUV type vehicle called an Escalade. But I'd rather call it a tank because it's so huge. My b.u.t.t slides across the tan leather backseat with every turn she makes. Jace turns around from the front seat and gives me a silly grin. "You okay back there?" he asks after a particularly sharp turn sent me flying.

"Yeah, yeah," I say. "Maybe I'm having fun back here."

"I could be having fun too if you'd have let me sit with you!"

"You haven't seen your mom in forever," I say in a snappy but joking voice. "You need to sit by her."

Julie nods appreciatively. "I like this girl," she says, looking back and winking at me. "I like her a lot."

They talk about Jace's job and our apartment and random other things that moms always ask about. When the conversation turns to dirt bikes, I accidentally tune it out and become amazed by the sights out of the window.

In Texas, the land is flat and dry and boring. There's cows as far as the eye can see. Here in Sacramento, the entire place is beautiful. Hills and mountains and beautiful homes. Even the air smells different. Or maybe that's just the new car smell from Julie's Escalade.

We come to a red light in a busy part of downtown. Jace turns around and slaps his hand on my thigh. "Hungry?"

"Starving. Are we almost there?"

"Oh, honey we're like an hour away," Julie says. "That's why we were thinking Mexican. You up for Mexican?"

"Huh?"

Jace laughs. "I told you she wasn't paying attention. Mexican food. Yay or nay?"

I rub my hand over my stomach. "Yay. Definitely yay."

We visit an enormous two-story Mexican restaurant called Escalante's for lunch. Things are going really well and I'm feeling less nervous by the second. Sure, I still have to meet Mr. Adams, but if he's anything like Jace's mom, it won't be so bad. Now all I have to do is play it cool and be sweet and charming, not get any unexpected morning sickness for three days and then make it home without any incidents that would make them hate me. So far, so good.

"I am so excited that Jace found someone to make his life with," Julie says. I only halfway heard what she said because I was stuffing my face with the most delicious tortilla chips I've ever eaten. She smiles warmly and pats my arm from across the table.

"Me too," I reply quickly, because that answer sounds like it would fit in with whatever she had just said. Jace and his mom laugh. I glance over at Jace, lifting an eyebrow. He just winks at me and dunks another chip into salsa.

Julie lets go of my hand and squeezes Jace's hand this time. She's a very touchy person. "Bayleigh is such a sweet girl." She's telling her son this, but she looks over and smiles at me. "I was a nervous wreck when I met Gary's parents. Of course they were both strict and very religious and since I was already pregnant with you at the time, they acted like I was some kind of evil witch who had come to take their son to h.e.l.l with me." She rolls her eyes. This story probably explains a lot about why she's so kind to me and in a weird way, I am grateful for Jace's mean grandparents. And I know this is a terrible thing to think, but they've both been dead for a while now, so I won't have to meet them and be subjected to the same treatment as Julie went through.

Jace glances at me and then back at his mom. "I'm lucky to have you guys as parents," he says. It's probably the most intimate thing I've heard him tell another person besides me. "You always support me, and I'm really grateful for that."

Julie's face crinkles up and for a moment, it looks like she might cry. "I love you, Son."

Our waiter brings Julie a margarita and Jace makes a little whimper as if he wanted one too. "I'd get you one if you were at home," his mom says. "This place probably prefers not to break the law by selling alcohol to minors."

I laugh and use the opportunity to poke fun at Jace. "Can't rent a car...can't buy alcohol," shaking my head as if I'm disappointed in him. "Would you like to order off the child's menu?"

Jace's mouth falls open. He reaches toward me, grabs a strand of my hand and tugs it. "Did you just pull my hair?" I ask, laughing. "Way to dispute the fact that you're not a kid!"

Jace laughs and sticks his tongue out at me. I stick my tongue right back out at him. A flash snaps both of us back to reality. We look over and find Julie holding up her phone and nodding. She just took a picture of us and now I'm so embarra.s.sed I could die.

"You better delete that," Jace tells his mom, still laughing.

She shakes her head. "This is going right in the digital sc.r.a.pbook. Trust me. When you're forty years old, I will send you this picture and you'll be really glad I took it."