AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She smiled and nodded. "Yes, but under one condition."
He froze, his heart skipping a beat as he said, "Anything."
A grin spread across her cheeks, and the mischievous twinkle shone in her eyes. "Stop bringing work home with you. Maybe if you keep work at work, I won't keep ending up in dangerous situations. As exhilarating as it is, it's also exhausting."
She chuckled, and he threw his head back and laughed, pulling her in for a hug.
He pulled back and kissed her again. Then he grinned and said, "Deal, but I do need to warn you. Just so we're both clear, I want to marry you someday, little bird."
She gasped, leaning back to stare at him with wide eyes.
"Are you—are you proposing?" she gasped.
He shook his head and winked. "Not yet. You'll know when I propose. But I just wanted you to know that I'm in this for the long haul. I've never felt like this with anyone, Lucy, and I won't let you get away. I never want to spend months apart from you again. I'm not going to ask a yes no question regarding marriage yet, but just wanted to let you know where my head and heart are at about it."
Tears fell down her cheeks, and he wiped them away. She bit her lip and nodded, then licked her lips and said, "I have one more yes no question for you. Do you want kids?"
He frowned and tilted his head, glancing over at Will. He wasn't even pretending to fish, just staring at them as the drama unfolded with a goofy grin on his face.
Mason smiled and nodded, looking back at Lucy. "Absolutely, if you do, yes. Having a brother is the best, so at least two. You didn't have any siblings to worry about, fight with, or protect during those crazy growing up years. Do you want kids?"
She nodded and scrambled back on his lap, pushing his arms down. He leaned back on his palms in the water and stared at her as she sat like a queen on a throne.
She took a deep breath and pulled her wet tank top tight.
He looked at her and blinked, frowning. She had a belly, and—his eyes widened, and he clenched his jaw. It took several attempts to swallow past the knot in his throat.
Then he choked out, "You—you're pregnant."
She watched him warily and reached for his hand and held it, nodding. "We're pregnant."
He took a shuddering breath as his world tipped and spun. It righted itself and with it came a sense of purpose, belonging, and hope for a better tomorrow. Joy spread through him, making him too hot.
He grinned and threw his hands wide, falling back into the water.
"Mason!" she gasped, just before he went under. The water barely covered his face, but it was enough. Her hands rushed over his chest, trying to find a hand hold to pull him back up.
He sat back up, laughing and sputtering as he wiped a hand down his face. He shook his head, sending a spray of water around them. Lucy gasped as he yelled, "We're having a baby!"
Birds in the trees flew off with a squawk. Caroline clapped, and Will let out a whoop of excitement. He said, "Hell yeah!"
"About damn time," Ray grumbled.
Mason tugged her into his arms again, and kissed her with all the passion, hope, and love within him. She was part of everything good in this world, and he was utterly devoted to her and their baby.
Their baby.
His mind spun in time with their tongues as they kissed. He could scarcely believe it. He mentally recalculated the timing of his proposal.
He broke the kiss and asked in a rush, "Do you want to get married before the baby is born or after? I don't care either way, but you're mine, Lucy. Not just because of the baby, though. You were mine from the minute I first saw you. I just didn't know it."
She smiled and laughed as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Alright, hot shot, slow your roll. What happened to all that talk of getting to know each other and long-distance phone calls?"
The sound of her laughter made him feel buoyant in the water. He grinned and wrapped his arms around her. His hand hovered over her stomach, and he glanced at her.
She nodded, and he touched her. The skin was taught, and he couldn't believe the miracle. He sucked in a breath, "Last night, the baby—"
"Is fine. The paramedic listened and the heartbeat was strong. He said to monitor for kicks, but she's been moving fine."
