Page 136 of Hot & Heavy

She pulled her head back to look at him. There was hope in her eyes. Glancing over at the pregnancy test, she asked, "What does it say?"

He let her go. Now he was the one losing his nerve. He picked it up, looked at it, then closed his eyes.

Finally he turned around. With tears burning in his eyes, he held his arms open to her. Then he smiled.

Epilogue

Anything worth doing is worth doing well…

Two weeks later, on a Saturday, Ian and Maddie were sleeping late in his bed, with Sam curled up at the bottom of their bare feet.

In that dream state, halfway between sleep and wakefulness, Ian smiled to himself. Today was going to be his wedding day. They'd obtained a license, thanks to a forged birth certificate for Maddie given to them by Slick. Ian didn't want to know how Slick had gotten it. They had a noon appointment today at City Hall, where they would officially become husband and wife.

It would be a private affair. He and Maddie had both insisted on that, despite her family's suggestion that they hold a fancy big-ass wedding and reception at Blue Dragon, and despite his fellow SEALs' urging that they hold a wild big-ass party/wedding here near the base. Actually, they both felt as if they were already married, and the wedding rites were just a technicality.

He should have known it couldn't be that easy.

Just as he was about to open his eyes and wake Maddie with a kiss, and something more, a loud explosion went off out on the beach.

He jackknifed to a sitting position and then stood. Sam almost hit the ceiling with a screeching meow.

Maddie screamed. Another explosion went off, but now he realized it was more a rat-a-tat series of explosions.

Grabbing a pistol from the bedside table and a rifle from the closet, he rushed out to the deck, not bothering to dress. His jaw dropped practically to his chest. "Sonofabitch!"

It was Cage out on the beach, setting off firecrackers. And he was all decked out in dress whites. Up in the sky, some skywriter, probably Pretty Boy, was spelling out Ian Loves Maddie. Another plane followed the skywriter, and out dropped at least ten skydivers, all in dress uniforms. As they landed, he was able to identify them: his squad members, Ragnor, his commander, his XO and, unbelievably, his brothers and father. They shucked their chutes and harnesses, and the whole bunch of them joined Cage and started walking toward him. As one, they gave him a little wave.

He gave them the finger.

"Nice duds!" Cage called out with a laugh.

He looked down and saw that he was naked. Not that he cared. Oops! Maybe he did care. Glancing to the side of his house, he saw some women. His sister, Polly, the Magnusson and Ericsson women with their men, and lots of others.

Quickly he ducked inside the bedroom, where Maddie was staring with horror at the scene unfolding before them. At least she'd had the sense to don a robe.

There was a short rap on the open sliding door. It was Cage. "Don't hit me," he said, grinning. "I just wanted to explain."

"There isn't any explanation that would stop me from hitting you." Ian pulled on a pair of sweatpants.

"Remember how you always said, 'Anything worth doing is worth doing well.' Well, we SEALs and your family and her family decided it would be a shame not to give you a suitable sendoff."

"Do not dare throw my own words back at me. I am so pissed at you… all of you. I told you we wanted this to be private."

Cage shrugged. "My MeeMaw, she allus said, some folks jist doan know whass good for 'em."

"What are those people doing out there?" Maddie screeched in Ian's ear. She was standing right behind them.

"I think they're the caterers," Cage said.

A dozen people outside were arranging chairs and tables and a freakin' tent big enough to hold a circus.

In another section of the beach, a rose-covered trellis or archway or something was being erected. And

—oh, no!—a red carpet.

He and Maddie both glowered at Cage.

Throwing his hands up in the air, Cage said, "Don't blame me. It was your father." He was speaking to Maddie now. "Whew! When Magnus says he wants to do something, you don't argue with him.