Her breathing slowed. I could feel her heartbeat under my palm.
I pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. Then her shoulder. Then I rolled us carefully until she was tucked against my chest, her back to my front, my hand finding her stomach again.
A puppy made a small sound from the kitchen. Then quiet.
"Wyatt," she said.
"Mm."
She covered my hand with hers. Both of us holding the same place.
"We're gonna be okay," she said.
I pulled her closer.
"We’re gonna be better than okay,” I whispered. “I promise.”
EIGHTEEN
Haven
We woke up first thing in the morning and we went to breakfast.
I’d been doing this for years—ever since I started working at the ranch in high school, when I was just fifteen, when I was in love with Wyatt Holt at sixteen. Now, I was walking to the main house with his hand in mine and with the littest puppy in my other hand, held tight to my chest so we could keep an eye on her.
We both…welookedhappy. Felt happy.
And I wasn’t even a little bit nervous about telling his whole family we were together and expecting.
Peggy was already at the stove when we came through the door.
She turned at the sound of boots on the threshold—and then she saw us. Saw Wyatt's hand in mine. Saw the puppy tucked against my chest. Saw whatever was on both our faces.
She didn't say a word. Just turned back to the stove with a smile she wasn't even trying to hide.
"Sit down," she said. "I made extra."
Millie looked up from the table first. She had Bea on her hip, trying to get a spoonful of something into her mouth whileBea regarded it with profound suspicion. Her eyes went to our hands. Then to my face. Then to Wyatt's face.
She kicked Gage under the table.
"Ow," Gage said, not looking up from his coffee.
She kicked him again.
He looked up. Looked at us. Set his coffee down.
He didn't say anything. He just looked at Wyatt with that flat, knowing expression, and Wyatt looked back, and something passed between them that was probably an entire conversation.
"Bout time," Gage said finally, and picked his coffee back up.
Dakota came in from the hallway looking like he'd slept in his clothes, which he probably had, hair pressed flat on one side. He stopped in the doorway, took in the scene, and pointed at Wyatt with his coffee mug.
"Glad you didn’t lose her," he said.
"Wasn’t going to," Wyatt said, smiling slightly. “Thanks to a good talking to from my incredibly wise younger brother.”
Dakota looked at me. Then at Wyatt. Then at our hands.
