Kori's Angel Heart (A Completed Steamy, Romantic Comedy)

That Moment

"It looks like you're right on target. Your due date will be April 18th. I will send you home with some prenatal vitamins.

I'm glad you went when you did for the blood work, which will tell me a lot. We need to talk about your HCG levels. Is there any history of multiples in your family?"

I look over at Luke and he is ghost white.

"Not that I know of, how about you, Luke?"

He shook his head. "No, not that I'm aware."

"Alright, one of two things could explain your extremely high levels. Either you're having a very healthy pregnancy, or you're healthy and having multiples. We will know more when you have an ultrasound. You can schedule that on your way out today. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, so if we are expecting multiples, what kind of danger does that put Korilee in?" Luke looks concerned.

"I don't anticipate any problems. We know how to handle multiples and Miss Heart will do great, I'm sure. She's healthy and takes care of herself, but we will know more after the ultrasound."

Luke reached over and squeezed my hand. "So, she can resume all activity? Can she travel?"

"Yes, just don't do the common sense things, like smoking, drugs, or drinking alcohol. Everything else should be fine."

Luke shook his hand and we stopped to make our next appointment before heading to the airport. I am so nervous about meeting his family. I know the relationship with his father is rocky, but he loves him and his stepmother both.

We landed at 3 pm and there was an older version of Luke waiting for us.

"It's good to see you, Dad." His dad patted him on the shoulder. "You too son, this beautiful woman can't be with you."

"Dad, this is Kori Heart. Kori, this is my dad, Bill."

I shook his hand. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Your mom has a big dinner planned and your siblings are coming over. We will eat at around seven, so you'll have plenty of time to settle in, maybe show Kori around the farm."

It was a 90-minute drive to Luke's childhood home. We pulled onto a gravel road, then a beautiful farmhouse came into view. It's hard to believe Luke grew up in this heaven, no wonder why he misses home.

Bill and Luke grabbed our bags and wouldn't allow me to carry anything. Very few know I'm pregnant yet, only Stella, Brad, and Gavin because we want to get past our first trimester, although he does plan to tell his family in person this weekend.

"Luke!" A middle-aged woman jumped into his arms.

"Mom, this is Kori Heart, my girlfriend. Kori, this is my mom, Leslie." I stuck out my hand to shake hers, but she pulled me into a hug instead.

"Our boy has been on cloud nine, and when he said you were beautiful, I never imagined you were so gorgeous." She looked me over, then looked at my face. A very large grin showed up on her face before she walked away.

"I have a feeling these two will have a lot to tell us over the weekend."

Can she tell I'm pregnant?

Luke went upstairs with his dad, and I helped Leslie in the kitchen.

"Are you planning to tell the family this weekend?" She asked.

"I presume you know about the baby?" I asked.

"Well, you're glowing and you have a tiny baby bump. But, what I don't understand is how you could be so far along." She continued cutting carrots.

"My due date is April 18th, so I'm eight weeks. We went to the doctor today and I have high HCG levels or whatever that means."

Her jaw drops.

"It means you're likely having twins." Her eyes watered.

"Please don't tell anyone. Luke was looking forward to making an announcement."

Damn, do I really have a baby bump?

I looked down, and maybe I'm a tiny bit bloated, but certainly not a baby bump already.

Luke walked into the room. "Are you feeling up to a walk?"

"Sure." I wiped my hands off.

"Come on, I want to show you something." He took me by the hand.

We walked through the back yard, then took a path that led us into the woods. Finally, we emerged out of the woods and a lake appeared. "Wow, this is beautiful."

"Come sit with me." We walked over to a bench that said "Evelyn's Escape."

"Evelyn was my grandmother. She was big city news in her day. She was a socialite in New York City, then when WWII broke out, she signed up to be a nurse with the Red Cross. Her father did not approve, but they agreed after the war she would marry the boy they had arranged.

My grandma was a spitfire and lived by her own rules. One day, there was a lot of injured brought in, and my grandfather was one of them. She sat with him every single day and read books and letters to him. Once his health improved, they would take walks and eventually they fell in love.

Grandpa was shipped back home, but Grandma was still over there and they wrote to each other every single day. Then she found out she was pregnant. She was sent back home and her father went crazy. He tried to marry her off to the wealthy man as originally planned, but my grandpa packed up his pickup and drove to New York, then walked straight into their home, picked up my grandma, and took her straight to his truck.

He brought her here to his family farm and her father was out for blood. One day, her mother showed up here on this very farm and gave her this."

He pulled out a beautiful diamond ring.

"She told Grandma to sell it and run away with Grandpa. To hide and never come back. Well, needless to say, my grandpa was a fighter. She never had to sell the ring. Her father's men showed up and there was a gunfight. Grandpa ran the men off the farm, and not one life was lost that day. Her father and his men were arrested just outside of town.

She left me this ring and told me to give it to the one woman I would die for, the one I would fight for and love for the rest of my life. I haven't seen this ring or thought of it since the day Grandma told me their story. I never met anyone I wanted to give it to until the day I walked into class and seen you.

I didn't need to be in the library as much as I did, but I thought if I ever got a chance with you, I would make sure you someday wore this ring. Korilee, will you wear my ring and be my wife?"