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Another server swings by, this time with tiny quiches. I chuckle to myself as I grab one, and Thea eyes me curiously. “Something funny about quiches?”
I shake my head. “No, just a thing between Cash and I.”
“So, is your mom coming?” Thea asks. “If she’s here, I’d love to see her. It’s been ages.”
“She and Paul are coming later; their flight isn’t arriving until five. Cash arranged for a car to pick them up at the airport, so they’ll hopefully be here by six.”
“I still can’t believe you never told her anything.” Thea shakes her head at me. “She must have been so pissed at you when you finally filled her in on everything that happened.”
Maya’s eyes go wide. “You didn’t tell your mom about the—” She snaps her mouth shut, flushing. “Sorry!”
I pat her arm, smiling. “It’s fine. And no,” I admit sheepishly. “I didn’t tell her about anything until after Christmas. At first, I didn’t want to worry her, and the longer I put it off… I knew she’d be upset.”
Thea snickers. “So you waited until you had good news to cushion the blow?”
“Pretty much. I kind of flew through all the terrible stuff,” I explain, looking between Thea and Maya. “And then I finished with—by the way, I’m engaged to Cash, and we’re having a baby. She had a hard time yelling at me after that.”
Maya laughs. “I’ll have to remember that.”
As afternoon turns to evening, I talk to everyone at the party.
Ian and Grant give me their suggestions for baby names—unsurprisingly, they each thinktheirname would be best.
My mom scolds me again for keeping secrets, but then quizzes me about the pregnancy and asks how soon she can start buying baby clothes.
Laila presents me with a handmade card, Ben smiling beside her.
And I don’t miss how Ben keeps sneaking glances across the room at Thea, and I make another mental note for later matchmaking efforts.
When the party starts to slow, only our closest friends still staying, I sneak off to the library to get off my feet.
It’s quiet in here, a welcome respite from the busyness of the rest of the house. Slipping off my shoes, I sink onto the velvet loveseat near the window, wiggling my bare toes in relief. Fatigue tugs at me—even though I’ve had a great time, all the entertaining is still tiring.
The door opens softly and Cash comes inside, his jacket gone and his shirt slightly rumpled. He spots me and his shoulders sag in relief. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah.” I scoot over so there’s room for Cash to sit down, but he just picks me up and sets me on his lap instead. “Just a little tired.”
His lips press to my head, one of my favorite things in the world. “Do you want to go upstairs and go to bed?”
Snuggling against his chest, I nuzzle his neck. “No, I just needed a little quiet time. I’m not ready to sleep yet. I want to enjoy the rest of our celebration.”
Cash strokes my hair, his fingers trailing through the strands and down my back. “Did you have a good time?”
“I had a great time, Cash.” Tipping my head back, I meet his gaze. It’s so tender, filled with the same depth of love I have for him. “I’m so happy.”
“Me too, sweetheart. Me too.”
