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“Yeah, boss,” I said, my voice too high. “Maybe the smell from all the roses is going to my head. Sorry.”
“If you want to take off early, I can cover the phones this afternoon. I’m done for the day,” he offered. I shook my head, adamant. I was not going to let him step in and cover my job so I could take a nap or, more likely, obsess and panic over the unexpected pregnancy and how to tell the guys.
“No, I’m good, thanks,” I lied with my brightest smile.
“Right. Okay, I’m going to reply to some emails and then head out. Close up at four?”
“Sure thing,” I said.
Then I counted down till four o’clock when I could switch the phones to voicemail, close out the scheduling program and decide which lavish floral arrangements and stuff to take home with me. I sighed and settled on leaving them all at the office so I didn’t hurt their feelings by only bringing what I could carry. I stopped at the drugstore and bought a huge box of chocolates for the guys and hurried home.
When I walked in—after passing like six layers of security thanks to Jake, they were assembled at the table and waiting for me. There were more roses in a big arrangement on the table and a lot of takeout containers. Chinese food and fries and hot wings, bags of the candy I like, a bottle of my favorite wine. It was so thoughtful and romantic. But one look at the wine reminded me I had a secret and no excuse not to drink tonight.
“You guys! You’re the best valentines I could ever have imagined. Thank you!” I said, hugging and kissing them.
I decided to avoid the wine, eat what I could stand the smell of and not ruin this for them. They obviously made tons of preparation to make this perfect for me, and I wasn’t going to wreck all their effort by bursting into tears and sobbing that I was pregnant and afraid they wouldn’t want to be with me now.
"I may have only gotten you a box of chocolates but I have good news to share,” I said brightly.
“What’s up?” Ty asked.
“I heard from the deputy in New York this morning. Chris is locked up until his trial. He was denied bail because he’s a flight risk. So we can rest easy for a few weeks.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Drew said, raising his bottle of beer. We toasted and drank—just water for me. Then they brought out a present for me.
“I didn’t know we were doing gifts. I’m sorry—" I began, startled and not wanting to appear that I didn’t care.
“We’re not. We just cooked up a little something because it’s our first Valentine’s Day together,” Eli said.
“The first of many,” Jake added.
I pulled the tissue paper out of the enormous gift bag and found a wooden box, lovely and carved with a heart design and vines on the lid. I looked at the guys and back to the box. Drew lifted it out for me and set it on the table where I could open it. Inside were the sweetest sentimental tokens of love from each guy—I looked first at Drew as I looked at the business card where I’d written my number down on that fateful day. He leaned in and kissed me. I hugged him fiercely. “I’m so glad you didn’t lose my number,’ I said.
“I’d never,” he told me seriously.
Then Ty’s reference card in case he needed to insult someone and he wasn’t with an English-speaking crowd. “I’ll cherish this, thanks,” I said wryly.
“Hey, that’s been with me some of the best times in my life. I almost got arrested in Athens using one of those insults. Good times,” he laughed.
I held Eli’s Naval pilot’s wings in my palm and blinked at him.
“You love these. You told me once they’re your lucky charm,” I protested.
“Not as much as I love you,” he said, so open and shameless about his feelings that I teared up as we kissed.
Then last came Jake with the smartwatches and the private VPN and location sharing. I couldn’t help but laugh because it was so classically Jake to get us all watches to communicate with each other.
“Now I think we need superhero names since you got us wrist communicators,” I teased. Jake hugged me.
“No, I think we have everything we need,” he said.
“You already know my superhero name,” Ty said. “World’s greatest lover. Right, Jas?” he winked. I rolled my eyes on cue.
“Come to think of it,” I said with a shy smile, “I do have a surprise for you but it doesn’t come in a box.”
“Really? Let’s see it!” Jake said. I could tell by his heated gaze that he thought I meant something sexy.
“I can’t show it to you, at least not more than a picture, for about eight months,” I said, touching my tummy. “You can check my math, but I think the baby will be here in early October.”
