He hands me the glass and then grabs Savanna in a big bear hug. She laughs when he spins her before putting her down. Then he holds up his hand for her to high-five.
Looking over at me, he says, “That’s called teamwork right there.”
“I was going to propose tomorrow,” I say in my own defense.
He laughs and then pulls me into a bear hug. When the bastard spins me around, everyone laughs and he looks way too proud of himself.
“I can’t believe little Niki’s getting married,” he says.
“Yeah, seems like just yesterday he was carrying around that little toy laptop and chasing after his older cousins,” my Uncle Roman says with a grin.
“They grew up too fast,” my Uncle Matvey says.
“They did,” my Uncle Lev says. “But they’re having lots of babies, so that helps.”
“Apparently, they’re going to give us six more,” my dad says while pulling me and Savanna in for a hug.
My Uncle Vitaly winks at me. “I told you you’d have stamina.”
“Jesus,” I groan. “Someone take the bottle from him.”
My uncles laugh while everyone else crowds in to congratulate us. Grace and Phil both envelop me in a big hug and tell me how happy they are. I easily return it, knowing I hit the jackpot in the in-law department. My cousins join in, all of them thrilled for us, and Cindy can’t stop crying.
“It’s just the pregnancy hormones,” she tells a very worried-looking Sasha. “I’m just really happy.”
He relaxes a bit at that and then lifts Isabella up when she tries to jump in his arms. I can’t wait until our own kids are here. I never thought I’d be excited about being a daddy, but every time I think about holding our baby, I get a big, goofy grin onmy face. Judging by the sweet smile Savanna is giving me, I’m wearing it right now.
Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her close and kiss her.
“That was perfect,” she whispers. “Thank you, Niki. The ring is gorgeous.”
“Thanks for saying yes, and I’m glad you like it.”
“I was always going to say yes,” she says. “No was never an option.”
“I want you pregnant,” I blurt out, grateful I’m at least still whispering and my family is loud enough to cover it. “It’s all I can think about. One of six, Van. There’s no time to lose.”
I feel her lips graze my ear before she says, “We’ve never once used protection, Niki. My guess is you’ve already got your wish.” Before I can say anything, she nips at my earlobe and whispers, “Don’t say anything. This secret is just ours until we know for sure. We can buy a test later, okay? One last birthday present.”
“I love you,” I tell her, knowing those three words will never be enough to encompass everything I feel for her.
Chapter 24
Savanna
I’ve never seen Niki look as nervous as he does right now. He’s pacing the floor and running a hand through his hair, too excited to sit still and wait the three minutes the pregnancy test said it needs to show a result.
We left my birthday party an hour ago, and instead of going down a floor to our apartment, we’d walked to the drugstore on the corner and bought a pregnancy test. While my adorable fiancé wears a pattern in the carpet, I look down at my gorgeous engagement ring, still feeling the need to pinch myself every time I see it. The ring is beautiful and way too expensive, but that’s not what makes me giddy. It’s knowing that I’ll soon be this man’s wife.
When he makes another round and I give a soft laugh, he stops and raises a dark brow at me. “How can you look so relaxed?”
I shrug. “Because I’m already pretty sure it’s positive, and because even if it’s not, I know it will be very soon.”
He quickly closes the distance and cups my face. His grey eyes search mine. “You really think it’s positive?”
I lean into his touch and kiss his palm. “I do, and if you look this adorable waiting for the test results, I can’t wait to see howyou are at appointments.” I meet his eyes and add, “And the birth.”
I watch them immediately widen as a new set of worries start to race through his brilliant mind. Smiling, I pull him closer and kiss him. “Relax, baby,” I tell him. “Everything is going to be fine.”
