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“Fuck yeah!” Zach yelled as the rest of the men stomped their boots and pounded the tables.
Copper held up a hand. “To whatever comes next. The good, the bad, the ugly, and of course…the fucking sexy.”
“Here, here!” the men yelled, lifting their glasses as they waited for Copper to take the first sip.
“I got one more thing to say, then we’re gonna eat till we burst.” He turned to Shell, whose eyes widened.
“Now?” she mouthed as she lifted her hands to her cheek.
He nodded.
Shell stood and walked behind Beth’s chair until she reached his side. Then she slid her hand in his and squeezed. Pure happiness radiated from her as though she’d been lit up from the inside by a thousand-watt bulb.
“What’s going on?” Toni called out.
“Yeah, Mommy, what are you doing?” Beth asked, craning her neck straight back to watch them.
“Got an announcement to make.”
“Oh, my God!” Steph yelled. “Are you…”
Copper nodded. “That’s fucking right! My woman is knocked up! Gonna be another little terror running around here in about seven months! Now let’s fucking eat!”
Everyone went nuts, shouting congratulations, sipping downing their drinks, and digging into the spread.
Copper kissed his wife, patted her on the ass, and let her go back to her seat. If his size was anything to go by, she’d need to eat a helluva lot to keep his baby satisfied.
Two hours later, dinner had been devoured, dessert consumed, and about half the contents of the bar sucked down. Some of the brothers had left, having other friends and family to visit for the holidays.
Zach, Mav, Jig, Rocket, LJ, and Screw remained along with their women and Jazz, who seemed to be working extra hard to avoid Screw. Cassie and Viper had taken off shortly after dinner, but the fact that she’d made it at all meant the world to Copper. Shell still wasn’t aware of Cassie’s diagnosis, and though she’d be pissed when she found out he’d been keeping it from her, the news would have ruined her holiday for sure. His woman deserved this day without the sadness of Cassie’s illness casting a long shadow.
The lingering group sat around the clubhouse, most of the men with their ol’ ladies on their laps. They chatted and had another few drinks. More likely than not, most of them would be crashing there that night. Shell and Izzy would take him and Jig home, but the others couldn’t drive for shit at this point. Beth had passed out about twenty minutes ago in Copper’s bed upstairs wearing the brand-new Elsa dress Mav and Stephanie gifted her.
“Man, you ladies outdid yourselves this year,” Mav said as he rubbed his stomach then let out a loud belch.
“Oh, that’s lovely.” From her perch on his lap, Stephanie rolled her eyes. “But I have to agree. We really rocked that meal.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat again for a week.” Toni groaned and let her head fall back on Zach’s shoulder. “Someone should have stopped me before that second piece of pie. I was out of control.” She shot Holly an evil glare.
Holly giggled. “Hey, don’t blame me,” she said in a sing-song voice while she cooed at Joy, who rested in her arms, awake for the first time in a while. “She shouldn’t blame me, should she? No, she shouldn’t. Oh no she shouldn’t.”
“Telling you, LJ, that uterus is begging.” Izzy pointed a finger at Holly.
LJ cast Holly a wary look. “Sugar, maybe you should give the baby back to Iz now.”
“Oh no, I shouldn’t. No, no, no,” she continued to babble with the baby talk.
Copper laughed right along with the rest of them.
“So, how are the wedding plans coming?” Chloe asked.
Steph smiled. “Great. It’s gonna be super chill. New Year’s party here at the clubhouse. Then, right before midnight, we’ll say our vows and have our first kiss at twelve. Then more partying.”
“Awww,” both Jazz, Toni, and Shell said at the same time.
“Holy shit, that’s cheesy,” Izzy said, looking like she just drank some sour milk.
“Hey, fuck you!” Mav laughed as he spoke. “It was my idea.”
“Ahh.” Izzy nodded. “Makes sense now.”
“Makes sense now,” Mav mocked in a ridiculous tone.
“Aiden?” Shell whispered.
The rest of the room faded away as he focused on the most important person in his life. “Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Thank you.”
He wrinkled his brow. “For what?”
“For this amazing life you’ve given Beth and me. For our family, crazy as they are. For loving us. For loving me.”
He slid his hand up Shell’s back until it tangled in her curly hair. “Listen to me, Shell, and listen good.”
Her eyes flew wide and she nodded as best she could with her head being held captive.
“I don’t know how to do anything but love you. And Beth.” He placed his other hand over the slight swell of her stomach. “And the bean. Don’t thank me for it. Loving you is the greatest pleasure of my life.”
