She stood almost diagonal to me, her profile on display as she turned this way and that, examining herself in the mirror. She wore a cobalt blue bra and matching underwear—my new favorite color—and her long, light blonde curls fell almost all the way down to her hips. She was absolutely stunning as the mid-morning sun shone in on her from the window, making her look like some sort of angel sent down to earth. But the most beautiful thing about thepicture, the thing that took my breath away, was the swell of her stomach.
She’d started to show a few weeks ago, not to the point she couldn’t hide it, but right now was the first time she reallylookedpregnant.
It knocked the breath from me. I can’t even begin to describe just how fucking beautiful she was or what seeing her like that did to me. Like a moth to a flame, I found myself making my way up behind her. I pulled her back against me, placing a hand over her stomach, while trailing a path of kisses up along the curve of her neck.
“You’re absolutely gorgeous,” I murmured in her ear.
“Really?” I wondered if she even realized the nervousness in her voice. She met my gaze in the mirror for a moment before glancing at her stomach. “Even like this?”
I couldn’t believe she was asking me that. She was absolutely gorgeous. “Especially like this,” I replied, holding her gaze.
Her eyes sparked with surprise, her smile soft and full. She leaned back into me, her eyelids fluttering closed as we swayed to the music coming from the speakers.
“We should probably tell everyone,” she said softly, breaking the quiet as she turned to face me. “At least your family.”
My brow rose.
“I’m sick of tryin’ to hide it. I don’t know how Cash hasn’t figured it out by now, and I’m tired of comin’ up with lies for why I can’t drinkwith him.”
I nodded, trailing my fingertips up and down her back. “Okay, how do you wanna tell them?”
She shrugged. “Well, it’s Thursday, which means game night. Might as well tell ‘em then.”
“Want me to invite Bad and Aunt Violet? Or should I wait?”
She chewed her lip. “How do you think they’ll take it in person?”
I pursed my lips. “Bad’ll be fine, I think. Shocked, but he’ll deal with it well. Aunt Violet may be a bit prickly at first, but she’ll come around quickly enough.” My lips pulled up into what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “She’s been all but beggin’ Cash and I for grandbabies for years now.”
Cheyenne’s gaze still held a hint of worry, but she blew out a breath and nodded. “Okay. Let’s set it up then.”
Chapter thirty-seven
She’s Alright
Cheyenne
Cash’s loud laughter echoedthrough the entire house. Dear Lord, how was he so damn loud? Ryder and Charlie’s voices drifted into the room at a much lower rate. Aunt Violet and Bad were here by the sound of it as well.
I took a deep breath and fussed with my shirt in the mirror for the umpteenth time. It was weird, I typically wore tighter fitting clothes, but had been wearing more flowy, looser fabrics the past two weeks, not wanting to risk anyone noticing my bump, and now that I was wearing a fitted tank top and denim shorts, I felt almost paranoid. Like any second I was going to ruin this massive secret. But that was the whole point of tonight. Not having to hide this anymore. I know it was killing Maverick, and not gonna lie, it sucked for me too. His friends and family had become a vital part of my life and keeping this from them hurt.
I wasn’t worried about Cash or Ryder finding out so much, but Mav’s aunt and uncle were a completely different story.
They were the closest thing he had to parents. While Maverick’s undying resolution and kindness literally knew nobounds and was admirable, to say the least, would they see this pregnancy as the great thing he seemed to think it was? Or would they hate me?
Might as well go and find out.
I walked into the living area, finding them all hanging out in the kitchen and connected dining room. Maverick hovered over the stove—typical. Cash already had a beer in hand. Also, typical. Ryder sat in one of the barstools at the island with his arm wrapped around Charlie who leaned against him, his hand protectively resting on her stomach.
I couldn’t help but admire the two of them for a moment. They were such a gorgeous, striking couple. With his scar, her tattoos, and their blend and clash of fashion that just worked.
Aunt Violet fiddled around at Maverick’s side while Bad hung back, leaning against one of the countertops while trying to get Cash’s attention to sneak him a beer.
But Cash wasn’t paying attention to his dad. Not as his hazel gaze flicked to mine, then my stomach, then back up again once more. “Now wait just a damn minute! When the fuck did you get pregnant? I just saw you earlier!”
It was like someone turned the volume off in the room. I swear to God, you could hear a pin drop as everyone turned to me.
A nervous laugh bubbled up my throat as I tucked a stray curl behind my ear. “Um…yeah. So…surprise.”
