“I stole a car and drove us here. Not nearly as heroic as jumping into a half-frozen river in the middle of winter.” Drawing her close, I capture her lips with mine, overcome with gratitude and relief.
The bedside phone rings. Reaching over, I pick it up. “Yes?”
“Sorry to bother you, sir, but there are some people in the lobby who insist that you’re here and won’t go away.”
I tense. “Who?”
“Dimitri and Arianna Kozlov. Roman and Sophia De Luca. Blake and Ginevra Baron. If these people are not known to you, I will have them?—”
“Send them up.”
“Yes, sir. Right away.” The call ends.
“What’s up?” Ravenna asks.
“Your family found us.”
Her brow furrows. “Oh no, they must be worried sick! Gin’s probably been waiting to hear from me and when she didn’t, she sent out a search party.”
A few minutes later, a knock comes at the door. I answer it, and our quiet escape turns into a frenzy of greetings, questions, and explanations.
All of it going well enough until Ginevra blurts out, “Is the baby okay?”
What baby?
I follow Gin’s gaze to Ravenna. A slight blush appears on my wife’s cheeks.
“What baby?” I growl, and the room goes silent.
Ravenna glances around at everyone before her gaze settles on me. “Surprise, we’re having a baby.” A weak grin appears on her lips.
My fingers ball into fists. “And you knew about thisbeforeyou jumped into that river?”
“I did.”
“What the fuck were you thinking?” I roar.
“I’m not letting this child grow up without a father!” she shouts back.
We stare at each other, neither willing to back down. I want to shake her for her recklessness. She didn’t only put her life in danger, but that of our unborn child.
Then it hits me. She’s pregnant. We’re starting a family. It’s a miracle.
I swallow hard. “We’re really having a baby?”
“Yes. I just found out. That’s part of the reason I went looking for you. I’m never letting you go. You’re myIrlandese. Forever and always.”
I don’t care that everyone’s watching us. I sweep Ravenna into my arms and kiss her until we’re both panting. I’ve never been this fucking elated in my entire life.
“We did it, we’re finally pregnant,” I whisper in awe.
She searches my eyes, a question in hers. “You’re not afraid that it’s another man’s child?”
“No.” I kiss her nose. “I’ll never doubt you again. I promise.”
“Aw, look,” Gin says. “They kissed and made up. I love happy endings.”
Roman, Blake, and Dimitri have formed their own huddle away from their wives. They catch my eye, and I already know what they’re thinking.
