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“She’s there.” I smile, standing up to pull it tightly to reveal my bump. “I thought for sure one of you would have caught on by now since I haven’t been drinking at all.”
“She?”Milly is almost full-on crying now.
“Yes, we’re having a baby girl.”
“I am so in shock right now.” Amelia laughs.
“Wait a damn minute,” Milly says, going from happy tears to anger. “You mean to tell me my asshole brother moved to Texas and broke things off knowing you were pregnant?”
“That’s right!” Brooklyn says questioningly.
“No!” I throw my hands up. “Sorry, let me explain before you guys freak out and want to chop his balls off. So, the night that he had his going-away party? That’s the night I found out I was pregnant. I took a test because I realized I was late, and I had the same feeling I had when I was pregnant before. Anyway, I was too scared to tell him to his face, which I realize was so wrong, but I didn’t want to upset him. He was uprooting his life and moving to Texas, and I just—well, I chickened out, so I wrote it in a letter.”
“The letter!” Milly gasps, realizing it was the one Paige gave her.
“Yeah, that one.”
“What letter?” Amelia looks from me to Brooklyn. “I’m so confused.”
“So I wrote all my feelings in a letter—said everything that was on my heart and told him I was pregnant. I went over to his house because I knew he was still at his parents’ place for the party, and I left it on his doormat. But before I left, Paige showed up at his house.”
“What the hell? Please don’t tell me they were—” Milly says, ready to fight again.
“No, they weren’t, but Paige made it seem like they were. She must have taken the letter after I left and held on to it. I thought he got it that night and had made his decision about being involved—or rather, not involved. Anyway, I guess Paige had a change of heart. She felt horrible for what she’d done, and ran into Milly at the store before she went down to Texas. Milly told her she was going to visit Ranger, and Paige asked her to give him a letter. He read it and was literally home the next day.”
“Aww,” Milly coos.
“It all worked out, though way more dramatically than necessary, especially since I should’ve just told him to his face. Probably could have saved myself several months of grief and anguish.”
“So have you talked to Paige then?” Amelia asks.
“I have. She apologized—twice, actually. She came over yesterday when I was packing up my house, and we talked some more. She has been through a lot, and while it doesn’t excuse her behavior, she’s figuring her life out. She’s actually buying my house. Small world, huh?”
“More like small town.” Brooklyn laughs. “Well, damn, I feel like we just went on a roller coaster, so I can only imagine how you feel, but congraaaaaats!” She raises her glass. “I am so beyond excited for you guys. I can’t believe we’re about to be aunties!”
“Thank you all so much. You have no idea how sane you kept me during those three months of thinking I was going to be doing this all alone.”
Milly reaches over. “You would have never been alone in this. That’s the good thing about being a Slade or marrying into the Slade family. You’ve got a huge support system full of people who love you.”
I thank the girls again and they all give me a huge group hug in the parking lot, taking turns touching my belly and giving me name ideas.
I stop back by my old house before heading to the ranch, deciding I’m going to grab the journal and give it to Ranger.
Pretty soon, I’m pulling into our driveway; the sun has already set but the porch light is on. Before I can exit my car, the door swings open and Ranger is standing on the porch.
“Evening, darlin’.” He smiles as I walk up the stairs. He’s shirtless, his jeans slung low on his hips, his feet bare. He wraps his arms around me, bending me back as he kisses me.
“Mmm, good evening to you too, Mr. Slade,” I say, half-breathless from the kiss.
“I like the sound of my name on your lips.” He kisses me again, this time backing me into the house as his hands begin to explore my body. “How was dinner with the girls?”
“Good,” I murmur against his lips as he kicks the door closed behind us. I drop my bag down my arm as his hands travel up my body, pulling at my sweater.
“Did you tell them?” He trails his warm lips down my neck, his tongue swiping across my skin.
“Yesss,” I groan as he pulls the sweater over my head and tosses it to the ground. I drag my hand down his chest and the hard ridges of his abs. His cock is hard, pressing into my thigh.
“The thought of you carrying my baby does things to me,” he whispers in my ear before reaching his hands down, hooking them beneath my ass then picking me up. My legs instinctively wrap around his hips. “Makes me want to bury my cock so deep inside you, fill you with my cum, and lick and taste every square inch of your body while also making love to you. Drives me absolutely fucking feral.” He rips the cups of my bra down, leaning over to bite my nipple as his other hand plumps my other breast. “Fuck, I need to taste you.”
