AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"You’ve given me…everything," he says thickly. "I adore you. I cherish you. All of me is yours, always."
"God." A tear slips down her cheek. "This is like a dream. I’m so happy, Michael."
He kisses her again, then steps out of the way and I’m there, crowding in, my mouth on hers, scooping my hands under her ass, and pulling her off the counter. She wraps herself around me, our bodies plastered together.
I drag my mouth to her ear. "Danielle…I love you." I feel tears stinging my eyes and I pull back to look at her. "Thank you," I tell her sincerely.
I know she knows what I mean. I’m thanking her for loving me in spite of my cold exterior, my gruffness, my resistance to the relationship around us that makes her so happy, to opening up and letting them all in. I’m thanking her for the patience it took to let me get to this place where I know this is all right and what I want.
And I’m thanking her for letting me be a father to this baby that I want so fucking much.
She hugs me tightly. "I love you, Nathan."
I want to just hold her indefinitely, but there is someone else in the room who is a part of this and while I know Danielle needs to share this with him, even more I know Crew needs her to ground him in this crazy moment. He’s not fully on the marriage-and-kids train yet.
I set her on her feet and turn her to face her third boyfriend.
He looks dazed, but he immediately gathers her into his arms and puts his face against her neck.
She runs her fingers through his hair. "Say something," she tells him softly.
He doesn’t pull back. He seems to hug her even tighter. "Well…holy shit."
She gives a soft laugh. "I love you, Crew."
"I love you too, Dani girl."
She’s quiet for a moment, stroking her hands down his back. Then she asks him, "Will you teach our baby to play hockey?"
Crew shakes his head. "No."
I frown and glance at Michael. He also looks concerned. We know that Crew is feeling overwhelmed by a lot of what’s going on in our little unit. We’ve all just moved in together and there are still adjustments being made to sharing a living space twenty-four-seven. Michael and I have proposed, Crew’s not ready for that. And now…a baby.
We’re willing to accept that we all have different relationships with Danielle and we don’t all have to be at the same place at the same time. As long as she’s happy.
But if that starts to change, I will intervene. No one hurts Danielle. No one.
She pulls back to look at Crew.
But he’s smiling faintly now. "I’m going to teach our baby to win hockey."
The tension leaves my shoulders. Our baby.
Okay. That’s more like it.
I don’t have to kick Crew McNeill’s ass today.
But there’s a lot of time between now and ‘til death do us part.
CHAPTER 2
Dani
"I’m going to throw up," I tell my best friend, taking a deep breath and pressing my hand to my stomach. I concentrate on breathing through my nose.
"It’s okay to be nervous," Luna says. "But you cannot throw up. This dress is just too gorgeous. The wedding dress gods will be angry if you sully it."
That makes me laugh softly. "I’m not nervous."
