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Calla leaned into Liam’s side, smiling at Mel.
“Tomorrow Mackenzie, Liam, and Calla will take their mustangs to the Extreme Horse Makeover competition.”
Mel grinned at each one of them in turn. “No matter how much each one sells for at auction, you’re already winners. By training these horses, you’ve made it so they can find forever homes instead of spending another winter starving out there or locked up in the BLM holding facilities. A round of applause to our trainers!”
The table erupted with clapping.
“And a round for the bar, on Mel’s Horse Ranch!” she yelled even louder. A roar of approval came from the crowd around them, along with clapping and a few wolf whistles.
“Alright now,” Xavier said, pulling Mel down into his lap. “Don’t anybody be getting any ideas. This here’s my woman.”
“Oh I am, am I?” Mel arched an eyebrow at Xavier.
“You bet your ass, babe.”
She grinned and kissed him. Long enough that the table started making a racket and Mel pulled away with an embarrassed blush.
Xavier just laughed and smacked her ass before letting her go.
Calla watched it all with a smile on her face but an ache in her chest. The last few weeks had been nothing short of perfect. Things with Liam and Mackenzie couldn’t be better. Painter was a dream. She’d never been happier in her whole life.
Which was the problem, wasn’t it?
Because for every second of happiness, she heard a ticking clock in the background. Ticking down to the competition. Mack hadn’t said anything about changing his mind about leaving afterwards. There were things he kept from her and Liam, she was sure of it. Important things.
Ha. She was one to talk. Every week that passed, she felt her body changing more and more. The nausea had been mild, thank God for that. But there was a little being growing inside her. One that was part her and part Liam or Mack. Twelve weeks. It was the size of a lime. That was what the website said.
Calla cursed herself for ever looking it up. Now she had to imagine the little lime in there opening and closing their fingers and curling their toes. That was what happened at this stage in development.
How the hell was she supposed to do what she might need to do, knowing that?
The appointment to get the results of her Huntington’s test was next week. Four days and she’d know. Four days and she might have to make the hardest decision of her life.
Under the table, her hand went to her lower stomach. It had just started stretching and protruding slightly. She’d been begging off going to Liam’s room the past week, saying she needed to rest up for the competition. Mel had let her pick through her closet for tonight’s shindig and she’d chosen a dark plum colored peasant top. At least that was what Mel had called it. It had a plunging neckline but was loose everywhere else.
From the way Liam kept not so subtly checking out her cleavage, she’d say it was a good choice all around.
The smile died on her lips, though.
She was lying to him. To both of them. They’d never forgive her if they found out. And if she had to—
“You okay?”
“Huh?” Calla looked up to find Mack scrutinizing her.
“Is everything okay?” His eyebrows were furrowed.
“Fine,” she said, aiming for breezy. She wasn’t sure she succeeded from the way Mack glanced over her head. No doubt sharing a look with Liam. She both loved and sometimes hated it when they did that. Watching the barriers come down between them in the bedroom was beautiful to watch. But she couldn’t say she relished having two times the observational power turned her way, especially lately.
“If we’re talking about things to celebrate,” Hunter said, standing up, “Isobel and I have some news.”
Calla looked up, glad to be distracted from her own thoughts. Hunter volunteered each year at the Makeover as an extra on-site veterinarian. Calla had known him forever since they’d both grown up around here, though he was a few years ahead of her in school. She only gotten to know him on a more personal level when he took over for Dr. Roberts at the only large animal veterinarian clinic in two counties. She’d gotten to know his wife Isobel a little over the past year too. She was good for him, had brought the life back into him after everything that happened with his first wife.
“We’re pregnant,” Isobel said, beaming as she stood up and hugged Hunter’s side.
Calla’s smile went brittle.
Pregnant. And they were obviously so happy about it. Of course they were. Everyone around the table congratulated them. Because pregnancies were usually something to celebrate.
“How far along are you?” Mel asked, hand going to her own extended stomach.
“Six months now,” Isobel said. “We find out if it’s a boy or girl at our next appointment in a few weeks.”
