Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
I grinned. “Yes. You can have it when the judge pronounces us man and wife.”
“Okay. Setting aside this insane idea that we are getting married tomorrow.”
I opened my mouth, and she slapped her hand over it, making me chuckle.
“Don’t you think you should at least ask me to marry you before picking a date?”
I frowned. “We are getting married.” There was no give in my tone because this was not up for discussion. My eyes narrowed, and for emphasis, I picked up her left hand and waved it. “See?”
A smile curved her lips, and she rolled her eyes. “How anyone can be so adorable and a ruggedly handsome lumberjack at the same time is a mystery.”
“Ruggedly handsome, huh?” I gave her a salacious grin, and she giggled.
“Now, about the whole tomorrow thing…”
“You could already be pregnant,” I stated, thinking it was the perfect argument.
“The same will be true six months from now.”
“I’m not waiting six months to make you my wife, Faith.” Before she could make another argument, I remembered the texts I’d sent. “Your dad is bound to come after you any day, blue eyes. You really want him to find you knocked up and unmarried? He’ll probably try to kill me.”
Faith paled. “Okay, tomorrow.”
I grinned triumphantly, and she poked my chest. “Don’t think I don’t know that you just played me, Baldwyne,” she grumbled.
“When it comes to you, Faith, I don’t fuck around.” I scooped her into my arms and stalked to the bed. “Speaking of, I am definitely a man with a mission.”
“And that’s another thing,” she squeaked as she bounced on the mattress. “Did you say babies? As in plural?”
“Damn straight.” I had her clothes off in a flash and there were no more questions for a very, very long time.
Epilogue
Faith
Rush carefully settled our newborn in my arms and smiled down at us, his gorgeous hazel eyes full of love. “Our parents have to be chomping at the bit to get in here and meet our little beauty.”
My lips curved into a smile as I brushed my lips across the top of Gabrielle’s head. “I’m surprised my dad hasn’t busted the door down already.”
“Your mom does a pretty good job of keeping him in line.”
I tilted my head back to look up at him. “And it doesn’t hurt that he tends to be on his best behavior when your parents are around.”
“Only because your mom and mine have become thick as thieves over the past nine months, and my dad would do anything for my mom.”
My in-laws had welcomed me into the family with open arms, and I loved that our moms had grown close.
“Just like I’d do anything for you,” he promised, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “So if you need some more time before everyone descends on us, let me know. I’ll keep them out of here until you’re ready. Nobody would blame you for needing some rest. You have to be tired after twenty hours of labor.”
“I thought I’d be exhausted”—I stroked a finger down Gabrielle’s cheek—“but holding this sweet girl gave me a jolt of adrenaline. I feel like I could take on the world right about now.”
As if on cue, there was a rap of knuckles on the door before it swung open. My dad ushered my mom into the room, with Rush’s parents hot on their heels. The women made a beeline to the side of the bed to coo over my baby girl. Rush’s dad came behind him to clap him on the back while my dad nudged them out of the way to lean over me. After kissing my cheek, he scooped my daughter out of my arms.
I noticed that Rush clenched his hands at his sides, and I wondered if he was doing that to stop himself from stealing her back since I was tempted to do the same. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust my dad—he’d raised me, after all—but I realized that I wasn’t ready to share my daughter yet when he cradled her against his chest. Rush shot me a knowing look as my dad asked, “What name did you two finally settle on?”
“Gabrielle Celia Baldwyne,” I announced with a soft smile.
“That’s an awfully big name for such a little thing,” my dad cooed as he stared down at his newest granddaughter.
The moms circled the bed to crowd around him, and my mom suggested, “We could always call her Gabby.”
“Gabby,” I echoed softly, my attention shifting back to Rush.
He nodded. “I like the sound of it.”
“How about you, little Gabby?” his mom asked. “Do you like your new nickname?”
My daughter’s lips pursed together, and my mom clapped. “I think that’s a yes.”
“Our sweet Gabby might be tiny, but she’s so smart,” my mom murmured.
My dad shifted our baby girl in the crook of his arm and slanted my husband a look. “Maybe you’ll be luckier than me, and your daughter will let you walk her down the aisle.”