Page 126 of A Really Bad Idea

That’s right. My mom did own up to the fact that she had hoped that suggesting I freeze my eggs would lead to Christian doing this with me. When she heard of the idea, she thought it would be a great way to push me out of the funk I seemed to be in. It wasn’t until she ran into Thomas at the club and heard him talking about how he wished Christian would settle down and have children that her wheels started to turn. Knowing our friendship and Christian’s qualities as a man, she was banking on him not wanting me to go it alone and do it with me. I give the woman credit. She’s good.

“Do you know who’s having a baby?” Mom says from the end of the table. “Frank Romano. He married this darling girl named Vicki.” She turns to Lucille and shakes her head. “Wasn’t that a horrible wedding? The food was terrible, which is surprising for the Romanos. They love to eat.”

Dad laughs it off. “It wasn’t so bad. Garret Kent caught the garter and had to put it up Sally Romano’s leg. He went a little too far, if you know what I mean, and she punched him in the nose right on the dance floor.”

“What about the Vaduccis’ boy? Isn’t he getting married?” Thomas asks, moving Abigail to his shoulder so he can burp her.

“Yes. He’s getting married in Aruba next year to a lovely dermatologist from Greenwich. George and I are going. We’re extending it a week and taking a vacation for our anniversary.” Mom runs her fingers through Lucy’s hair. “Maybe my daughter and son-in-law will come and bring these little beauties with them. Won’t that be wonderful?”

Lucille claps her hands in glee. “We’ll come, too. We’ll make it a family vacation.”

“Can we go?” Dylan is on his dad like white on rice. “My friend from school goes to this hotel in Aruba that has waterslides and a pirate ship. Please, Dad, please!”

Aiden jumps up and grabs Brian. “That would be so cool. Please, Dad.”

Beth laughs into her wine spritzer. “You’re losing this one, three to one.”

Brian gives me a look of grief, which is really unfair because I didn’t start this vacation nonsense.

I just shrug at him and give a closed-mouth smile. “Looks like we’re going on vacation.”

He grimaces as his boys do a dance, and my mother beams as she somehow just managed to get everyone to agree to go away for her anniversary.

Beth rises from the table and pulls the boys by the shoulders. “Come on, guys. I have a job for you.”

As they go inside, Christian pulls on my hand and walks me away from our family, down the steps of the deck, and onto the grass. We stroll to the back of the yard where Beth’s garden is coming into bloom. The roses have just blossomed and look radiant with the man standing among them.

He laces his hands with mine and pulls our hands up and me against his chest. Our lips collide, and I melt into him. Like teenagers sneaking away for a make-out session, I let Christian cop a feel, and I do my own grab of his desirable backside.

“Happy birthday, Mrs. Gallagher,” he mutters against my lips.

I weave my fingers through his hair and give it a tug as his mouth moves to my jaw and nibbles lightly.

“Are you going to be okay with me being gone for a few days?”

I sigh into him. He’s leaving on his first symposium since the girls were born.

“I’ll miss you, but that’s why Beth and Brian made the nursery. The girls and I will be in great company.”

“Good, because I’m gonna be a mess without you.”

“It’s only three days.”

“Three days without my three favorite girls.”

With my hands wrapped around his neck, I look at my beautiful husband and the love reflected in his eyes. I told him when he proposed that his ability to heal was one of the things I loved about him. I meant it. I never want him to give up an ounce of his passion. I support him a thousand percent, and so does our family. Our village.

“When you come home, we’ll go to the zoo. It’s warm enough, and I think it’s time the girls saw the sea lions,” I say.

He grins. “I love that idea.”

“And maybe, in two months, I’ll take you up on that offer for a weekend away.”

“Really?”

I sway my head. “Well, we haven’t gone away since our honeymoon. We can go to the Hamptons for a few days. This way, if something happens with the girls or you have to get to the hospital, we can drive back.”

I don’t know if it’s because I agreed to go away or because I thought of the girls or because I considered his career in this decision, but he pulls me in and kisses me with so much passion that it feels like it’s the first kiss of the rest of our lives.