Janelle couldn't believe how he was talking to Victoria with her kids in the same room, and scowled at him "Dad, you know there's little kids in the room."

"Yea, so... like they know what I'm saying. Besides, that was like ten minutes ago... I just told her that she should ask him for a ring, and that I would approve."

"Dad, now isn't the time to be talking about a ring. We've only been together maybe five months or so." Dalton sat on the couch, and waved for Victoria to come sit next to him. He didn't feel it was up to his dad to be making any kinds of decisions for them, and didn't want his dad to be putting any type of pressure onto her.

Annette came into the room, letting them know dinner was done. Victoria looked at Dalton, and leaned into his ear. "You didn't say we were staying for dinner." she whispered.

"She never mentioned dinner."

"I'll feel bad if she made something I can't eat. I don't want to hurt her feelings if she did." she says, taking a deep breath.

Dalton walked into the kitchen, and looked to see what his mother made. "What are you looking at?" His mother asked, after seeing him opening the lids to the pots.

He turned around, and leaned against the stove, smiling after seeing she made something Victoria could eat. "I was seeing what you made. Victoria is lactose intolerant, and I just wanted to make sure it was something she can eat, plus I was curious."

"It's only pot roast, mashed potatoes, and gravy. There's a tiny bit of milk in the potatoes, but not much." She grabbed the pot with potatoes inside, and placed them into a serving bowl, handing it to him. "Put that on the table, please." she insisted while she finished putting the rest of the food into serving dishes.

He walked back over to Victoria, and sat next to her. "You'll be able to eat, but it's up to you on the mashed potatoes, she said there's a tiny bit of milk in it."

"I might skip the potatoes, just to be safe."

As they sat at the table and ate, Victoria kept eyeing Janelle's kids, watching them goof around, and had giggled a couple times when they were placing food they didn't like onto each other's plates. Janelle noticed how she was watching the kids, then looked at Dalton, and noticed he was watching her out the corner of his eye, and wondered what the two were thinking.

She also felt there was a little friction going on between them, and hoped it wasn't something that would tear him apart. Curious if was about kids, she decided to see what they both would say about watching her kids. "Victoria, Shawn and I are thinking about going out for once tomorrow night, and I was curious if you, and Dalton would be interested in watching our kids?"

Dalton, and Victoria both looked at each other, curious as to what each other thought about watching her kids. "I'm alright with that, if she is." he said, while looking at Victoria, seeing what her reaction would be.

She looked away from Dalton and over to Janelle, smiling. "Sure, we can do that." She wasn't sure how it would go, being this was the first time ever meeting her kids, hoping it will go alright, and that they won't be afraid of her.

"Perfect, I'll call you two tomorrow, and we'll figure out from there if you want to watch them at your place, or ours."

"I think it'll be good for Dalton, and Victoria, it will get them used to being around kids, until they have kids of their own." Stan says, with his mouth full of food, then looked over at Victoria. "I need more grandkids... preferably some grandsons this time, that way I can take them out fishing, amongst other things us men do."

Victoria choked, and spit her food out onto her plate, embarrassed she choked. Dalton looked over at her, and patted her back. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine... the food went down the wrong pipe." she says, taking a napkin, and wiping her mouth. She was caught off guard, and wasn't expecting his father to say that to her. She looked at Dalton, and swallowed when she noticed a strange expression on his face. "I'm fine, really."

"Dad, you can take the girls fishing, I've told you that before." Janelle sighed.

"I know I can, I was just saying it would be nice to have some more men around. We're a little outnumbered with girls, and need to balance it out." He looked over at Victoria, and grinned. "I know you two could make some very handsome blonde haired, blue eyed boys."

"Dad, not now..." Dalton groaned.

Annette stood up, and reached over to Stan, smacking him. "That's enough out of you. Right now, you need to worry about getting your sorry ass healthy again. If Victoria, and Dalton decide to get married, and to have kids, that's up to them, not you. And it's up to the good Lord to give them a boy or girl..." she looked at Victoria as she sat down, and shook her head. "I'm sorry, he's being an annoying pest. Whatever you two decide to do, is up to you, and don't be letting this old fart tell you guys any differently."

"Thanks mom."

After dinner, Victoria helped Annette clear the table, and put the left overs away while Dalton, and Janelle talked with their dad. Annette walked over to Victoria, placed her hand on her shoulder, and leaned into her ear. "Don't let that man pressure you into something you don't want to do."

"Who, Dalton? He never pressures me into anything."

"I meant my husband. He can be a nuisance sometimes, and likes to pressure our kids into doing things they're not interested in."

She giggled, and smiled. "I used to think Dalton was a nuisance, now I know where he gets that from... he's a lot like his dad."

"Yes, he is. But between you and I, Dalton is a lot smarter than him, and is much more romantic... he's full of love."

"I know that. He's shown me a lot already, and I never knew men could be that way... you've got a wonderful son, thanks for bringing him into this world."

"I don't mean to interrupt you two, but we need to get going. I have a busy day ahead of me, and I would like to get some rest." Dalton says as he walked into the kitchen, cutting Victoria off.

Again, the ride home was quiet, she stared out the window thinking, and he was in a daze while driving, thinking about the future, Victoria, and what his dad brought up.

The moment they walked in the door, he walked into the kitchen, and began getting coffee ready for the morning. She took off her shoes, headed into the kitchen, and leaned against the center island, quietly watching him. She couldn't take him not talking to her, and sighed. "Are you going keep giving me the silent treatment all night?"

"No, I'm just setting the coffee." he says, turning the auto button on. He set both hands on the counter, and leaned forward, lowering his head and stretched. "Did you take your pills?" he asked quietly.

"I did..."

"Good, because that cyst was pretty large to where it concerns me." He turned around, and crossed his arms while staring to the ground. "I know you want to talk, and I'm not sure what to think right now. Things have been running through my mind all day, and there's something I need to ask."

"What's that?"

"What did you mean earlier, when you said thank God you weren't pregnant? Was it because of the pains you were having, thinking it was a miscarriage... was it because you don't want to get pregnant, or is it because you never want to have kids?"

Her heart rate picked up speed, and had to look away from him, feeling she was being put on the spot. "Dalton... I like kids a lot, and yes, I was happy to see I wasn't pregnant, but for a few reasons. I look at it as we haven't been together long, we're not married, and if things don't work out between us, I wouldn't want to be this single mother trying to raise a child on my own... I'm not saying you wouldn't help out, but I'm trying to think realistically."

"So, you're saying you would like kids someday..."

"Maybe..."

"Maybe?" he questioned, while furrowing his eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She felt afraid to tell him the truth, she still wasn't sure if she wanted kids, or if she was scared to have them, and nervously shrugged her shoulders. She knew she needed to be honest with him, and hoped this wasn't the end to their relationship. "I don't know... I never saw myself having kids, and I've always said I love kids, in which I do... just... someone else's kids."

"So, my suspicions were correct... and seems like Janelle had something right about you." he says, walking away from her. Leaving her standing at the center island hurt, and confused.

Dammit... she muttered under her breath. Wondering what he meant about Janelle being right, she went after him, following him into the bedroom. "What's that supposed to mean? What's Janelle right about now?"

He finished taking off his pants, and threw them across the room, frustrated. Turning around, he raised his hands in the air, and groaned. "You're just like Krista."

"No, I'm not, I'm far from being her..." she says, feeling as if she were about to cry.

"Krista didn't want kids either... and I figured with you being different from her, you would be the exact opposite... I was wrong, she was right." He crawled into bed, and stared at the ceiling, feeling it must be him to be attracted to women who have no interest in kids. And began thinking it just isn't meant to be.

Her stomach was in knots, and was doing everything she could to not cry. Seeing him upset, and hurt like that got to her. She shut the light off, and walked out of the room, standing still in the hallway, and wondering, what in the world did I just do?

She ended up in the shower, and stood underneath the hot water, thinking about everything, and felt she just wrecked the one relationship she looked forward being in. The one she loved with all her heart.

He laid in bed pissed at himself for getting himself worked up. Thinking if it wasn't meant to be, it just wasn't meant to be, and didn't want to lose her. He loved her, and wasn't about to let her go. Hearing she was in the shower, he flipped the blanket off him, and decided to join her.

He stepped into the shower behind her, and wrapped his arms around her stomach, kissing her shoulder blade, causing her stomach to drop. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to compare you to her. If that's not want you want, then I'll have to live with that. I can't make you do, or make you have something, you don't want to have." he says, while kissing her shoulders, and moving his kisses along her neck.

She turned around, wiping her tears away, and gave him a hug. "I love you so much, and I don't want one thing to tear us apart." he said, feeling bad. He saw her tears, and leaned back. Cupping her face, he looked her in the eyes, and smiled. "I do love you." He pulled her in for a kiss, showing her, he wasn't going to let her go.

"I should make myself a little clearer." she says, as she pulled back, with tears still filling her eyes. "Maybe someday I'll want to have kids, I just don't want any currently, not yet. I'm not ready, and a little timid on having them."

He kissed her cheek, and smiled. "So, basically what you're saying is, you do want kids, but are too scared to have them." He sounded relieved, but in the back of his mind, he still wasn't quite sure if that's what she meant.

"Pretty much... I'm still trying to figure exactly how I feel, but to be honest, I am scared to have them, and I'm not sure why..." She looked at him, and took a deep breath, wanting to scold him. "If we're still going to stick by each other's side, and continue with our relationship... please, never compare me to your ex ever again. I'm not her, nor will I ever be."

"Never will I ever say that again." He lifted her, pressed her against the wall, causing her to arch her back from the coolness of the wall, and grinned. "How about we kiss, and make up?"

"How about we do more than just kiss?" She pressed her lips to his, kissing him desperately. She felt better getting that off her chest, and felt even better that he didn't end their relationship. As much as she loved him, she had a feeling she would give him whatever he wanted, and everything he wanted, meaning kids.

He wasn't finished making love to her in the shower, and wanted to continue it in the bedroom. He carried her to the bed, laid her down, and laid on top of her, kissing her passionately while thrusting into her.

Raising her legs, he rested them onto his shoulder's, and leaned down kissing her before he pushed himself up, and thrusted hard, deep, and fast. It then hit him that she had cysts, and knew it would cause pain to have sex, and slowed down. "Sorry, I forgot you're probably still in pain."

"I don't care, it hurts a little, but that's alright... I'll live." she panted. "Keep going." she demanded.

He lowered her legs, and made love to her slower, until they both released. She pulled him to her lips, kissing him long, hungrily, all while rolling him onto his back. "I love you." she said happily, after parting her lips from his.

******

Janelle called Dalton asking where they would rather watch the kids, with him saying they would watch them at his place, as well as saying they would take them for the night.

She was curious as to what the tension was between him and Victoria, and asked him about it. "Nothing's wrong, and there's nothing for you to worry about. We talked, and worked it all out, all is good." he tells her, not wanting to mention what it was about, and for her to say I told you so.

He hung up with her, looked at his schedule and saw there were no more patients to see, and grabbed Victoria. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Give me a second, there's a couple files I want to complete before leaving, unless we have to leave right this second?"

"No, go ahead, I'll meet you up front." He leaned down and curled his finger under her chin, turning her head his way, and softly kissed her lips. "Love you." he whispered.

"Love you too." she smiled.

She quickly finished the files she wanted to complete, and hurried to the front. She rolled her eyes when she noticed Danielle, and Dalton talking, and noticed how she was talking to him, practically drooling. She walked over to them, and wrapped her arm around his while glaring at Danielle. "I'm ready."

"Leaving so soon? Thought you two got it on in his office?" Danielle says, as she leaned into her ear, smirking.

Dalton overheard what Danielle said, and loudly cleared his throat. "We don't have to, you may not know this, or I may have forgotten to mention this to you, but we are a couple, and I do live with him. So, if you're jealous about that, too bad... go find yourself someone else, and quit ogling my man."

Dalton widened his eyes, shocked to hear Victoria speak that way, and was quite impressed. Although he wished it wasn't said in the office, and looked at Danielle. "We have to go, I'll look at the calendar on Monday, and will let you know if those days will work."

He walked her to his car, and shook his head as he opened the door for her. "Where on earth did all that come from?"

"What, with Danielle? She's been getting on my nerves, always making comments to me, and after seeing how she was looking at you, and her comment in my ear, I got a little defensive... I didn't mean to snap at her, but dammit enough is enough." she looked at him as he was shutting the door, and smiled "She had it coming."

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!

Do you think she'll give in, and give him what he wants??🤔🤔🤔