Feel Like Makin' Love (Rock and Roll Trilogy #3) (36 page)

“Geezus Carlee, I hope you do,
‘cuz I am crazy in love with you.”

~ ~ ~

Within a week, the movie contract was with the Esquire, and Andy and Matthew were with her to look it over.

“Casting, scripts, pre-production, where to film, storyboa
rds - it’s all overwhelming to me,” Carlee said.

“First of all, if we agree to all these terms and conditions, Devin Marshall comes back here to sign. It’s pretty
cut and dry,” the Esquire replied.

“I do have a couple of things I want as part of the deal,” Carlee said.

The three men looked at her and waited.

“I want the filming to be done in Jacksonville
. Mr. Marshall can work with Thomas on that. And before the cottage is sold, I want the scenes from Eleuthera filmed there. That will be a beautiful memory for me, for all of us to see that place where my mama found such peace. I want final say in the cast – this is my mama’s life. And lastly, Papa will oversee all of the music aspects of the film.”

“When did you become so business
-savvy?” Andy asked with a smile.

“I pay attention.”

“But why Jacksonville?” Andy asked, and Matthew watched her with a grin. She and Matthew had seen the neurologist the day before, and they’d given her the all-clear to travel -
if
she could do it within the next month.

“What?” Andy asked, excitedly.

“That way I can be there to observe,” she said and saw the smile slowly spread across his face.

The Esquire called Devin Marshall with Carlee’s conditions
, and they agreed. “A new contract will be here in a week,” the Esquire told them.

~ ~ ~

Andy called Geni as they left and told her to dress for dinner. “We’ve got quite a lot to celebrate!”

“Carlee,” he said, “I’m so happy for this news!”

“Me too Papa. I have four weeks to be on the ground in Florida or I can’t go, so there’s a lot to get done, but we can talk about all of that later. I’m ready to see Nanny and Pops, but I don’t want to tell anyone at home. I want to walk up to the door and let them see me, my belly and all.” She hadn’t told anyone back home yet that she was pregnant. This way she could tell them in person.

They swung by the flat
, and Carlee and Matthew went upstairs for her to freshen up. Andy went in to get Geni, and she began an interrogation. “What’s going on? What are we celebrating?”

Quietly, he replied, “You’ll have to wait ‘til dinner.”

“Oh, I hate that! I want to know what’s going on,” she said as he opened his arms, and she stepped into his embrace.

“
I love that about you, but no, you’re still gettin’ nothing from me,” he laughed.

This was going to be a special night.

~ ~ ~

Matthew called ahead
, and a table was waiting for them. The waiter came, and Andy requested a bottle of champagne and a bottle of sparkling water. When the young man returned, he popped the cork and poured, while Andy filled Carlee’s glass with the sparkling water.

Matthew took the lead. “Tonight we are celebrating many things. First of all,” he said, rubbing Carlee’s belly, “to life, to health, and to love.”

They all tapped glasses, and Matthew continued. “We’ll be getting the final contract for the movie next week and then the process will begin.”

“A
re they going to film here in London so you can oversee things and make sure they keep it real?” Geni asked.

“Actually, I
will
be overseeing things,” she said and paused, “from Jacksonville. I requested that they work with Thomas on that.”

“So next year,” Geni said.

“No, they will begin as soon as Thomas works out details. They’ll begin with filming the parts from Eleuthera, in Eleuthera. As soon as they get that all settled Papa will sell the cottage. I wish I could be there for that, but I can’t, so I’ll trust that Thomas can oversee that part. They are working out details with him as we speak.”

“But, Jacksonville?” Geni asked confused.

“I’ll be flying home as soon as we can get a trip worked out.”

“Flying?”

“Yes, but I have to do it quickly. I saw the neuro doc yesterday, and they gave me four weeks to be there. The gynecologist here has been in touch with a doctor in Jacksonville that I will see as soon as possible.”

“You can go home?” Geni asked trying to contain her excitement.

“I can, but that means a lot of things have to happen quickly here,” Carlee replied.

“It may mean you and Carlee going home and then I’ll get there as s
oon as I can tie things up here,” Matthew said.

“We’ll make it happen,” Andy said.

“
Mom, Carlee and I have thought about it, a lot, and if the price is right we’d like to buy the house.”

“Oh, my head is spinning!” Geni laughed. “Yes, of course, we’ll work that out. That means we have to find a place and…”

Andy put his arm around her shoulder, “It will all work out. The good thing is we get our girl back to the states.”

They ordered their meals
, and much chatter followed as they talked about the future. Carlee noticed Andy out of the corner of her eye and saw something was on his mind. The waiter removed their plates, and she saw him take a deep breath.

“All of this has put something
forefront in my head. It’s something that has been on my mind for a while, but the timing was never right. I think it is now, so here goes.”

Geni watched him fidget. He reached into his pocket and placed a small box on the table and turned to Geni.

“You told me you wouldn’t marry me because you needed to be ‘Geni Davis,’ but I think that was just the hurt over a misunderstanding talking…”

She started to respond, but he placed a finger on her lips to stop her. “You can still be ‘Geni Davis
;’ hell, you can be whoever you want, but I don’t want our granddaughter growing up with grandparents who just live together. I want a commitment.”

He
turned to her, and she had tears running down her cheeks. Framing her face, he wiped them away and said, “I think Matthew asked Carlee to ‘spend forever’ with him. I’m asking you the same question. Geni, will you spend forever with me?”

She
pulled him closer and whispered one word in his ear, but they all knew the word was ‘yes.’

Another bottle of champagne was ordered
, and the celebration continued with a lot of talk of plans and what needed to be done. True to Carlee’s nature, she pulled out the phone and started making a list of everything everyone was saying, her fingers going 90 mph across the phone’s keypad. Suddenly, she realized they’d quit talking, and she looked up to find them all smiling.

“Whatever,” she replied sarcastically. “What’s for dessert?”

~ ~ ~

Later as they
lay in bed, Matthew’s arms around her, Carlee said, “I’ll hate leaving - this place is so much a part of us, but home is calling.”

“Me too, but we can come back over to visit anytime we want.”

“Matthew, I’ve been thinking about this. I don’t want you to stay behind. We can deal with everything here, but I want you with me, just in case.”

“We’ll work it out.”

~ ~ ~

The next day he called Dan to assure he could take over if he gave his notice. They’d be three weeks shy of the school session being over.
Dan said he could do it. Matthew gave his notice, and they moved forward with their plans. Carlee finished the on-line class and all of her tests, and they started packing every suitcase they had.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Three weeks later, Carlee and Matthew boarded a plane for Jacksonville. They’d made the rounds with their friends to say ‘see you soon’ in the days before. Carlee told Matthew she couldn’t say ‘good-bye.’ Cook and Hatchet were a mess of tears as they met them with Andy and Geni at the airport to see them off.

She went to Andy
, and he folded her into his arms, “Papa, I’ll see you at home. Happy tears!” she said as she started crying.

Matthew took her hand to lead her away.
“I promise we will see you again soon,” Carlee blubbered, looking back at Cook, Johanna, and Hatchet, as they made their way through security. Andy and Geni were staying behind to button things up.

~ ~ ~

For most of the nine-hour flight, Carlee slept. Matthew was going over lists of things that they’d made before leaving. They’d packed anything that would fit in their suitcases and get through customs to bring with them. Andy was working with an agent to sell their flat. He and Geni were keeping their flat livable for visits for a while. Geni was working with a shipping company to send what they wanted to ship home to the U.S., and she was working with Cindy at the second-hand store to sell the things that could easily be replaced. It was all falling into place.

Matthew
was also working on the photos they been taking of Carlee for the next Scarlet Poppies ads, and as he looked over them, he saw the changes in her facial features. The shaved-head photos were beautiful; she hadn’t lost too much weight at that point. The first one he’d taken after the idea blossomed showed short curls, close to her head and hollow cheeks.
She was down about eighteen pounds at that point. Too tiny
, he thought. The last picture was taken a week ago. She’d started putting some weight on, and her hair was about two inches long, framing her fair complexion like an auburn halo.

Matthew
put the pictures on the tray in front of him and turned so that he could see her. She was curled on her side with the seat leaned back, fast asleep. He watched her for a moment and then put his papers away and lifted the armrest between them. He rubbed her back with a loving caress of soft, light circles, and she stirred.

“Are we there yet?” she asked.

“No.” He eased his seat back to match hers and slipped his arm around her, pulling her close. She turned to put her head on his chest and went right back to sleep.

~ ~ ~

Thomas met them in Jacksonville and took them to the house that would soon be their home. Brian and Malia, along with Angela and the girls were there waiting. Angela knew about the baby because Geni and Carlee needed her help to make the appointment with the doctor. When she stepped out of the car, there was just enough of a bump to be noticeable, and Brian noticed.

He
went to her lift her off the ground. “Look at you!” he yelled and Matthew laughed.

“I wanted to do it at the airport, but something said she’d want us all
to find out together. There isn’t much of a bump,” Thomas said rubbing her belly lightly.

“I wanted to surprise you! I’m further along than I look,
about three months. I lost all that weight going through treatment, so for a while it just looked like I was putting some of that back on,” she said excitedly.

“Let’s get you inside,” Angela said. “Mama Davis said you needed to have your feet up for a while after the flight.”

“I want to walk around for just a minute. It feels like a lifetime since I was last here. I guess in a way it has been.” Matthew took her hand and they walked to the river. “I can’t wait.”

“For?”

“Every day!”

As they strolled the path along the riverbank, Carlee told him, “
It’s so beautiful here. This is going to be ‘home’ Matthew! I would have stayed with you in London forever, but I’m so happy!”

~ ~ ~

Matthew took her to see the doctor the next morning. “Jean Benoit,” he said introducing himself. “We’ve received all the neurology notes, the notes from the radiation doctor, and the gynecologist you saw in London. Before I start, do you have any questions of me?” Carlee shook her head no.

“Did they explain to you about natural childbirth?” he asked.

“Yes,” Matthew said. “We understand that a c-section is the only option.”

“I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I will see you every two weeks, no interruption in that. And in the very near future you
won’t be traveling more than an hour away from the hospital. I understand there is a trip south to see your family in the next day or so, and then one to Atlanta for an awards ceremony; when you return from Atlanta I’ll be limiting your travel. Your family will need to come here to see you; you can’t be that far away. OK, let’s have a look.”

Dr. Benoit examined her and said everything looked good. He wanted her to gain some more weight
. “According to your calculations you are about three months along. I need to have a sonogram, so we can see where we are. Before I send you two to the back to do that, do you want to know the sex of the baby? You are far enough along that we can tell.”

“It’s a girl,” Matthew said and Carlee laughed.

“Matthew and my Papa have been saying so all along. Yes,” Carlee said “we want to know.”

~ ~ ~

When they entered the room for the sonogram, a friendly young woman greeted them. “My name is Beth; are you ready for this?” she asked with a bright smile.

“Beth,” Carlee repeated and looked at Matthew. “Yes, we are.”

“Strip down to your bra and panties.”

“
Uh, I don’t need to wear a bra - yet,” Carlee laughed.

“Here’s a gown
; slip it on and pull it up so your stomach is all that’s exposed.”

As Carlee lay back, Matthew leaned over and gave her stomach a quick kiss
, and the tech smiled. “It’s a girl,” he said.

“Oh, have you already had a
peek?” she asked.

“No, it’s a gut thing,” he said and kissed
Carlee’s stomach again.

“She’s still tiny, but here’s the foot and her bottom…” the tech smiled
, and Matthew gave Carlee a big loud noisy kiss.

“It’s a girl!” Matthew shouted.

~ ~ ~

“Her name is Beth,” Carlee said when they left the facility.

“It’s a sign,
” Matthew smiled.

~ ~ ~

When they returned to the house, Malia and Angela were waiting for them. Thomas and Brian were on their way. Carlee and Matthew only told them that everything was fine. Matthew set up the computer to do a chat with Andy and Geni once his brothers arrived.

“Mama Davis said y’all are going to buy the house!” Angela
said, happily. “I hated that we were already so settled into our place when they told us they were going to sell. I love this place!”

“And it
’s way more house than we want, plus Brian’s business is at the beach. It’s nice that it will still be part of the family. Are you upgrading or changing anything?” Malia asked.

“
Just some minor things, the floors and some paint,” Matthew said. “We got used to no carpet. We’ve been looking online and found a wood-look vinyl that we like. We’ll have to get on that soon.”

“You can stay with us when they start,” Angela said.
“Carlee shouldn’t be exposed to those chemical smells that the adhesives have….”

“Yes, mother,” Thomas said
sarcastically as he came in the back door with Percy and Megs. “Mother hen!”

“I’m just excited for them!” Angela replied and turned to look at Malia.

“Oh, don’t get us in this baby stuff. We aren’t ready,” she laughed as Brian joined them.

Matthew called Andy and
Geni, and Carlee was happy to find Hatchet and Johanna with them.

“Oh! I’m so glad you two are there! I love you all! I just wanted to get that in before Matthew gets his mug in here because he’s about to POP!” Carlee laughed, and everyone crowded around the screen.

Matthew decided that he’d surprise them by playing Carlee’s favorite artist. “Are y’all ready? I decided to let Van tell you…” he said excitedly. He had it keyed up to “you’re my brown-eyed girl…”

Everyone cheered with excitement.

~
~ ~

The next day, Carlee and Matthew headed south for home. They’d be at Andy’s house for three nights. Andy called Kimmy and had everyone gather at Nanny and Pops’ home but gave no hint of what was to come. The closer they got, the more anxious Carlee was.

They parked the car and snuck in from the side of the condo
, where no one inside could see them through a window, and rang the doorbell.

Nanny opened the door and immediately
started crying. “Oh! Let me get a hold of you! You look so beautiful! I can’t believe you’re here!”

Carlee was wearing a sundress that hid her belly and made her way around the room before anyone realized.

“Carlee?” Kimmy asked.

“Yes?” she sniggered.

Kimmy had seen her only a month or so before. She walked over and smoothed her hands down Carlee’s belly to show the bump.

“Oh my gosh!” Nanny yelled, and the tears came again.

“We’re going to have a baby!” Carlee said.

“A girl, we already know!” Matthew added.

~ ~ ~

They shared an evening of chatter and pizza as they talked about the last few months and what was ahead.
They talked about Carlee’s health, the movie, Matthew’s work, and the house… She’d asked Andy before they left if she could tell them about him and Geni, and decided to make the announcement.

“But wait! There’s more,” she laughed.
“Papa asked Geni to marry him, and she said yes!”

“It’s time for him,” Nanny said.
It was a soft emotional voice, but Carlee felt that she meant what she said.

By the time they reached home
, it was late, and they fell into bed and were fast asleep.

They
only had three days to spend with family before heading to Jacksonville, and they crammed in as much family time as they could.

~ ~ ~

Devin Marshall met with Carlee, Matthew, and Thomas when they returned to Jacksonville, and the movie process began.

They talked with Andy
, and he told them Shirley was ready for them whenever they worked out the details. She would help with accommodations in Eleuthera when they were ready.

~ ~ ~

On Friday, May 10, Carlee and Matthew boarded a plane for Atlanta. This was the last trip out of town that the OB/GYN would allow. They checked into the Hyatt on Peachtree Street, where the ceremony would be held the next day.

~ ~ ~

On Friday evening, they went out for dinner and a stroll around the area. Returning to their room later, Matthew crawled on the bed to wait for her. When she joined him, his hands framed her face and he drew her near for a kiss.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Carlee told him.

“I wouldn’t have come without you. They could mail me my award if I win. I’m glad we could make this trip. The next couple of months will be hectic, getting everything ready at the house for our things to arrive.”

“Our house.” She rolled into his arms and said, “Our child will grow up in a house full of love, and just one house. I waited so long for that, Matthew.”

Matthew watched her; he could see she needed a moment. She was quiet and finally told him, “I was fifteen before I had a life-home and a devoted father. As good as that was – I want more for our child… Sorry,” she said, “I seem to reflect more now – the movie I guess.”

“Carlee, Kylie will have the same
family you have now. She’ll be loved as you are now, and you can ask for no greater gift than that.”

She pushed back a little to look into his eyes. “I am so blessed that Papa took me to Six for dinner that night. I love you, Matthew.
”

~ ~ ~

The next morning, room service delivered pancakes, and they talked about the evening ahead. “I can’t wait to get all dressed up! I haven’t done that in a while, except for Paris, but this is even dressier!” she said looking at Matthew’s tuxedo.

“I liked it best when you
’re dressed down - the white shirt and black heels – damn woman! I keep reliving that night in my dreams!” He exaggerated a shiver as he said the words.