Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Monroe shifted into a sitting position, forcing me back a bit. “You’re seriously okay that I’m pregnant? Brodan, we’ve been dating less than two months.”
“But we’ve been in love since we were kids. Technically, I’ve been yours since I was five years old, so that’s thirty-three years. I’d say that’s a perfectly adequate length of time to be in love before having a baby.”
A slow smile lit up her beautiful face. “Well, when you put it like that …”
Matching her smile, I leaned in to kiss her, a slow, sweet kiss that grew with my euphoria. It was a bit manic to go from such terror to such happiness in less than twenty-four hours, but that was life, I supposed.
Monroe broke the kiss, her fingers gentle on my face as she warned, “I’m thirty-eight in a few weeks, Brodan. This is a high-risk pregnancy.”
A wee bit of reality leaked in, but I wouldn’t let fear rule me anymore. “Then we’ll take each day as it comes. Whatever happens, I won’t leave your side. Ever again.”
Roe leaned her forehead against mine, her warm breath puffing against my lips. “I love you so much, Brodan Adair.”
“I love you too, soon to be Monroe Adair.”
She smiled at that but said, “Your official proposal better be an upgrade from a command in a hospital room, Mr. Adair.”
“Oh, I’ll think of something good.” I kissed her again, sliding my hands down her waist to feel her solid warmth, to reassure myself she was here and well. My hand slid down over her stomach as we kissed, and I marveled at the idea of our baby growing in there.
“Mr. Adair, I must insist you go back to your room,” a sharp voice cut through the moment.
I glanced over my shoulder to find the nurse, and Walker behind her, standing guard. I could have sworn I saw a smirk on that usually stoic expression. “Walker.”
He moved into the doorway. “Aye?”
“I want you to be the first to know that Roe and I are having a baby.”
This time, I definitely saw a curl to the corner of his mouth as he nodded at me. “Glad for you both.”
“Yes, yes, congratulations. However, I really—”
“Must insist I return to my room,” I cut off the nurse. “Not a chance in hell.”
“Brodan,” Monroe said quietly. “I’ll be okay.”
I looked back at her. “They’ll have to physically remove me.”
She raised an eyebrow but said nothing else.
The nurse huffed. “Fine. But please do not pester my patient with your amorous notions.”
Monroe snorted, and I grinned down at her. “Am I pestering you with my amorous notions?”
Her shoulders shook with laughter. “How do you think I got pregnant?”
Love, tenderness, amusement filled me, and gratitude that we could laugh after the night we’d had. “I didn’t realize I was pestering you?”
“Oh, I definitely feel pestered,” she teased.
“So that’s what the screaming is? I thought that was you coming really hard.”
“Brodan!” She smacked me across the arm, and I chuckled like a kid as the nurse, affronted, fled the room. “You’re awful.”
“It got rid of her, didn’t it? Now, prepare yourself because I intend to pester you with my amorous notions.”
Monroe’s giggles soothed my ravaged emotions as I kissed the laughter off her lips, ignoring the flare of pain in my ribs. I didn’t pester her, though. Instead, she shifted over on the bed and I slid in beside her, holding her while we slept and vowing to myself that on the days we couldn’t hold back the dark, I’d be there to make her laugh through it. I’d be there to make her life easier, not harder. I’d be there to soften the harshness of bad days and to make sure the good days outweighed the bad.
I’d just … be there.
Epilogue
BRODAN
* * *
THREE MONTHS LATER
* * *
“I’m not sure we should be here,” Monroe whispered, like we were breaking into someone else’s home.
I shot a grin over my shoulder as I led her to the door, hand tight around hers. “We own it, Sunset. We’re allowed to be here.”
“But it’s not ready yet.”
“I need to show you something.” Unlocking the front door to our home that was but a two-minute walk to Arran’s and Arro’s homes and less than a ten-minute walk to Lachlan’s and Thane’s, I guided Monroe into what would eventually be our finished front entrance of the main house. Like Thane, we had a secondary building, but while his was a guest annex, ours was a large secure garage with an apartment above it. The garage was to protect my Black Shadow and the small collection of cars I’d had shipped from storage.
The Black Shadow made Monroe a bit uneasy, but as soon as she was no longer pregnant, I was determined to get her on the back of it. She was an adventurer at heart, always jumping into whatever us boys were doing when we were kids, so I more than suspected she’d love it. Besides, there was no way I was ridding myself of a vehicle that I felt was partly credited for bringing Monroe and me together. I’d told her about my bet with Walker, and she’d laughed her arse off at Walker’s mischief that had forced me to spend time with her. I think he endeared himself to her even more that day.