Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“So,” she said.
“Are you tired of sleeping outside?” he asked suddenly.
She paused and tried to follow his line of thought. “Huh?”
“Are you tired of sleeping outside with me?”
“Oh no. I love sleeping outside.” She let out a short breath. “I really do.”
They had a ledge out back of his place that overlooked the trees and a slice of water beyond. It was tucked under a rock outcropping so they were covered from rain and snow but still open to the night air. He’d hauled a thick mattress out there last summer and built a low frame so it wouldn’t shift. He was always doing things like that. Quiet things. Thoughtful things. It was one of the reasons she loved him so fiercely.
“Have you changed your mind about the wedding?” he asked.
That stopped her cold. She straightened slowly. “No. Have you?”
“Of course not.” He leaned back against the door, big and broad. More than a little dangerous when he wanted to be. His boots were planted wide, like he wasn’t going anywhere. “But you’ve been off.”
“You noticed.”
“Yeah.” A tiny flicker of amusement touched his bottom lip. “I noticed.”
She let out a soft breath. “Okay.”
The bed in the corner looked too small all of a sudden. The lamp buzzed faintly. Outside the door, someone laughed in the bar, then the sound faded.
“Everything’s fine,” she said carefully. “I still want to get married. I love you more than anything.”
“All right.” He just waited, patient in that infuriating way he had.
She took a deep breath. “I don’t want this to change anything between us.”
His gaze sharpened. “Don’t want what to change anything between us?”
She swallowed. “You have to promise you’re still going to attend the AWT training.”
“Amka, what’s going on?” There it was. The shift in his voice. Most people wouldn’t catch it. She did. He wasn’t angry or scared. He was bracing. That didn’t mean anything dramatic was about to happen, but he had been known to kiss her into confessing whatever she was holding back, and right now she needed a clear head.
She drew in another breath and steadied herself. “I’m pregnant.”
For a full second, he didn’t move. Then he slowly, very slowly, tilted his head. “You’re what?”
She almost laughed. Had she ever seen Christian caught off guard? Ever? The man handled bar fights, snowstorms, and broken engines without blinking. “Pregnant,” she repeated, softer this time. “I have a baby in me.”
His jaw went slack.
“You put it there,” she added, because apparently her mouth had decided to keep going.
He just stared at her. Nothing ever fazed Christian. Nothing. And now he looked like someone had pulled the ground out from under him.
She felt a nervous bubble rise in her throat and forced herself not to laugh. This was not the moment. “Are you okay?” she asked finally.
He swallowed hard and blinked once, like he was coming back into his body. “Yes. Yes.” He pushed off the door and crossed the space between them in two strides. His hands came up and wrapped around her arms before he pulled her into him. The contact was solid and warm and familiar. “You’ll be okay,” he murmured onto the top of her head before pressing a kiss there.
She couldn’t help it. She laughed softly against him. Leaning back enough to look up at him, she studied his face. Shock was still there, but another expression was pushing through it. Something wide and bright and almost boyish. “Women get pregnant all the time,” she said slowly, like she was explaining basic biology. “It’s not rare.”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She frowned. “I am. Are you? Did something just burst in your brain?”
He looked down at her, and warmth finally pushed past the shock in his gaze. “No. I’m just caught off guard.” He pulled her into him again, holding her tight but with a gentleness as if he was afraid he’d hurt her. “I promise I’ll take care of you.”
She laughed into his shirt and then shoved her face away so she could actually breathe. “I know, you always take good care of me.” Leaning back even more, she caught one of his hands in both of hers. His fingers were rough, callused, steady even when the rest of him wasn’t. “Christian, do you need to sit down?”
“Yeah.” He backed up until the bed hit behind his knees, then sat and pulled her with him. She landed on his lap, and he patted her shoulder in the most awkward, careful way she’d ever seen. Like she was suddenly made of glass.
She fought laughing with everything she had. “You’re happy about this, right?”
He looked down at her, his eyes wide. It was honestly kind of amazing. “Yes. This is wonderful. I want kids.” He kissed her quickly on the mouth. “I really, really do.” He pulled her closer again, his arms wrapping around her. “I just hadn’t thought about it happening so soon,” he admitted. “You’re going to need to lie down.”