Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
“No,” she said slowly, as if saying the word for the first time. “I mean yes. But not now.”
I moved to her side, kneeling down next to her, seriously worried. “What’s wrong?”
In answer, she reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a little white stick.
Julian gasped, but I didn’t know what it was and why she was showing it to me.
“It’s positive,” she said, holding it up in front of her. Slater swore in a shocked voice.
“What—” I began, but then I saw it. Two little lines. I’d heard something on a TV commercial about two little lines.
Holy.
Fucking.
Shit.
“You’re pregnant?” I gasped.
She turned to me, biting her lip. Her face was pale now. “I—I think I am.”
The shock in her expression overrode everything else. I reached out and took her in my arms. My own shock could wait. Right now, she needed me.
34
MAGGIE
I buried my face in Rocco’s broad chest as the tears flowed. The shock was still there, but they were happy tears. Of that, I was sure. What I didn’t know was if they’d be happy.
We hadn’t known each other that long. We hadn’t expected this to happen. But then again, a week ago, we didn’t even know if we’d be alive at this point.
That made it a miracle in my book.
Rock rubbed my back and made soft crooning sounds, likely the same ones he’d made when Tommy was a baby. That thought made me smile. Tommy was going to be a big brother—as long as Rock was willing to be a father again.
As long as all of them were. I’d spent my whole life settling, and I didn’t want to do it anymore. I wanted it all: Rocco, Julian, Slater, and the baby.
But I didn’t know what they wanted.
And it was time to find out.
I pushed away from Rocco, but I couldn’t bring myself to look up to take in the men’s expressions. Not yet.
“Maggie?” Julian asked. There was concern in his voice. “Are you happy?”
“Yes.” I answered in a small voice. “Are you?” I finally looked up to find three pairs of eyes on me.
“I don’t think it matters,” Julian said. “It’s got to be Rocco’s baby.”
“It matters,” I insisted. Then I turned to Rocco.
The love I saw in his eyes hit me like a physical blow. He loved me. He wanted this baby. And he proved it by leaning down and planting the sweetest kiss on my lips. Then he turned to his buddies. “It matters,” he said. “Because we’re all in this together.”
Another tear slipped down my face. That’s what I wanted, and my heart filled with love to know that Rocco wanted that too. But did Julian and Slater?
“I’m in,” Slater said huskily, staring into my eyes. “Whatever you need, Maggie. Whatever you and the baby need.”
I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I kind of love you, you know.”
He grinned. “I know.”
We all turned to Julian. He still looked stunned as he stared at the table.
“Julian?” Rocco asked.
His friend raised his head. “Are you sure?” he said. “Because you two could just ride off into the sunset.” He gave a brittle laugh. “Hell, I’ll lend you my motorcycle.”
Rocco chuckled. “We’d better take my SUV, because there are four of us. We’re in this together.”
Julian took a deep breath. “We are. And I think you counted wrong, because there are five of us.”
“He means Tommy,” I said, elbowing Rocco in his rock-hard abs. Ow.
“Then there will soon be six of us,” Slater said. “But who’s counting.”
I grinned at him. “I am.” Then I turned to Rocco. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Absolutely. But are you sure, sweetheart?”
The warmth in his eyes made me start crying again. “I’m sure.” I’d never had a real father, and now my child would have three.
“Good. Because I kind of love you, you know,” he said, echoing Slater’s words.
Julian gave a small laugh. “If you guys keep saying that, she’s never going to stop crying.”
“I’ve noticed that only two of us said it,” Slater observed.
“Don’t,” I said in a rush as Julian opened his mouth. “You don’t have to say it.”
“Unless you really mean it,” Rocco added.
“I mean it.” The look Julian gave me melted my heart. “I love you too, Maggie.”
“You forgot the ‘kind of’ part,” Slater said.
Julian grinned. “No, I didn’t.”
“Good,” I said. “Because I love you all, too. And Tommy. And this ridiculous little plastic stick with the pink lines.”
Rocco laughed, plucking it out of my hand and tossing it on the table. “I prefer the real thing.” He put his large palm on my stomach. Somewhere, deep inside, there was a being, probably the size of a grain of rice, who was going to change our whole lives.
But change them for the better.
And I, for one, was excited as hell for the future. For a future that included all of us together. That sounded pretty damn incredible to me.