Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“Are you excited?” she asks as I kiss her bare shoulder, and she laces her fingers with mine resting over her stomach.
“About marrying you? Yeah.”
“No, about our daughter,” she corrects softly, and I smile against her skin.
When she told me she was pregnant, I was shocked but knew there was a plan in the works that was bigger than her or me. I won’t lie; I wish we had a little more time just the two of us, because I’m selfish when it comes to her, but I’m looking forward to becoming a father. I’m excited I’m having a girl, even if I am a little nervous about what that means for my future. My parents and family are also excited for us and looking forward to adding another baby to our ever-growing family, and my sister is planning to be here for a month after the birth to spend some time with her niece and new sister-in-law.
“Are you?” Her hand tightening on mine reminds me of her question.
“I can’t wait to meet her. I can’t wait to see you as a mom, and I’m looking forward to our future together and watching our family grow. So yeah, I’m excited.”
I listen to her yawn again then laugh when she groans loudly. “I’ll be right back.” She gets off the bed and rushes to the bathroom. When I don’t hear her getting sick—something that happens on occasion—I relax. The water goes on then off, and a moment later, she comes back and gets into bed, curling herself around me.
“‘Night, baby,” I whisper to the top of her head.
She doesn’t respond, because she’s already fallen asleep. With one hand resting on her stomach, the other curved around her back, I fall asleep with my entire world within my grasp.
December
I watch the happy couple enter the ballroom, along with everyone else, and smile when my cousin lifts his new wife’s hand in the air, grinning huge before he spins her around to face him. When he has her where he wants her, he dips her back over his arm and kisses her. Everyone applauds and laughs, including me. I’m happy for him, but happier for Hadley. Over the last few months, we’ve gotten really close, and I know from her past that she deserves her happily ever after more than most people do.
“I wonder who’s next,” my sister April says, and I look over at her, feeling myself frown.
“What?”
“I wonder who’s next. You know—the next person who’s going to fall in love. It seems to be happening at an alarming rate.” She takes a drink from her beer and glances around. “I’m saying not it. I have no desire to be shot at or kidnapped just to find love.”
“You’re so dramatic.” I shake my head at her.
“Am I?”
Okay, she’s not. There seems to be a theme when it comes to anyone with the Mayson last name falling in love. But still.
“Are you going to drink?” she asks, changing the subject and studying the glass of water in my hand.
“Probably not.” I move to one of the tables that is set up around the dance floor and take a seat, smiling at a few people I know who are already sitting down.
“Good, you get to be my DD for the night,” she says, sitting in the seat next to mine.
“Great,” I sigh, not really looking forward to babysitting her all night to make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. I love my sister, but she tends to push the boundaries of stupid.
“Who’s that?”
I look in the direction her eyes are pointed, and the world around me seems to come to a standstill. Across the room, talking to my cousin Sage and Brie’s husband Kenyon, is a guy. Not just a guy, but the most gorgeous guy I have ever seen in my life. He’s tall, taller than Sage, and almost as tall as Kenyon, who’s practically a giant compared to everyone. His dark brown hair is longer on top and clipped short on the sides. He’s in profile, so I can’t see all of his face, but his jaw, covered in a rough-looking beard, is all sharp edges and straight lines. He has tattoos peeking out from above the edge of his collared shirt, and more on his thick forearms that I can see where his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. His arms are so huge I doubt I could wrap both my hands around one of his biceps.
When he turns his body in my direction and smiles at something Sage says, my breath catches. I thought he was handsome in profile, but I was wrong. Straight on, his look is captivating and mysterious, with thick brows over his dark eyes and full lips surrounded by his beard.
“Whoever he is, I’m taking him home tonight,” my sister says, and my stomach plummets. “God, he’s hot. I can’t wait to.”