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Lincoln set another casserole of dressing down on the island and asked, “Have you kids decided on a wedding date yet?”
Maverick and I exchanged grins. He winked, and I answered, “We were kind of thinking New Year’s Eve.”
Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing and looked at us. Complete silence stared at us. Maverick wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. His chin rested on the top of my head, and we simply smiled at everyone. My mind drifted back to the morning in the barn when our lives changed for the absolute better.
The light knock on the door caused me to let out a groan before I said, “I’m fine, Nathan.”
When the door opened and I saw Maverick standing there, a look of concern on his handsome face, I smiled.
“Nathan came and got me. He said you’ve been throwing up. Are you okay? Is it something you ate?” His hand went to my forehead. “Are you sick?”
Laughing, I took his hand in mine. “I’m not sick and nofever.”
After helping me up, we made our way out of the small bathroom that was inside the barn and back to the office we both now shared. Maverick handed me a water, and I rinsed my mouth out, then took a long drink. When I looked back at him, I couldn’t help but feel the tears building.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked as he cupped my face in his hands. “Why are you upset?”
Sniffling, I shook my head. “I’m not upset.”
Frowning, he stared down at me. “Then why are you crying?”
I knew Maverick wanted kids. What I wasn’t sure of was if he wanted them so soon.
With a deep breath, I slowly exhaled, met his gaze and said, “I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”
His eyes went wide with shock. Then a million different emotions played across his face—disbelief, shock, then a look of terrified fright quickly replaced by pure happiness.
“A baby? We’re going to have a baby?”
I nodded. “We are. Are you happy?”
Tears instantly streamed down his face. “I’ve never been so happy in my entire life, Lily. My own family. I’m going to have my own little family.”
With a laugh that sounded more like a sob, I nodded.
Maverick pulled me into his arms and let out a shout of pleasure as my brother Nathan burst into the office yelling, “I’m going to be an uncle!”
Grams’s voice pulled me out of the memory.
“New Year’s Eve? Well, I guess it matches with how fast your relationship has gone, but don’t you want a spring wedding?” Grams asked.
“We don’t want to wait that long,” Maverick replied as he held me a bit tighter.
Aunt Kaylee sighed. “Young love. Oh, don’t you miss those days?”
Every woman in the room sighed.
Rose and Kipton walked in, with Avery pulling up the rear. It was so good to have her home from France, and Bradly home from the circuit.
“We can’t take the fighting any longer,” Rose declared. “I take back what I said last year about not wanting to be in the kitchen helping with the food.”
Kaylee laughed.
“Kipton, sweetheart, how are you feeling?”
Resting her hands on her stomach, Kipton beamed. “Wonderful! I love being pregnant.”
Stella huffed. “Wait another month until your ankles swell and you can’t sleep. You’ll be counting down the days until that little one comes out.”
