Page 118 of Dirty Legacy

“It’s cute, you know. How badly you want everyone under the same roof again.”

He scowls at me. “It’s not like that. I hate Dad moving around too much. You know his leg still bothers him.”

“Yeah, but you also miss it.”

“I can keep everyone safer if they’re together.” Connor carries his daughter back to the house. Men lurk at the edges of the property. Guards in black. They keep a respectful distance. We’re not at war, but my husband still insists on having protection at all times.

Back inside, Lisa takes the little girl to get changed. I sit in the kitchen and flip open my laptop, sliding glasses onto my nose. There are a few texts from Nadia and a gif making fun of Connor from Rowan on my phone.

“Don’t tell me you’re working.” Connor fills a glass of bourbon. “Angel, I keep saying you don’t need to do that.”

“I like my job.”

“It’s WashCo.” He tosses back the rest of the glass. “For fuck’s sake.”

“Someone’s got to do your books and it might as well be someone who knows how crooked they are.”

“Not a bad point.”

“Besides, I’d be bored out of my mind if I weren’t working.”

He grunts approval and kisses my neck. “You know, I was thinking. About earlier⁠—“

“No.”

“It’s good timing. We shouldn’t wait⁠—“

“Connor.”

“Baby, please.” He turns me to face him. “We’re ready.”

I look at the floor. He’s ready, that’s for sure, but I keep thinking about what happened last time. The eight-hour delivery. The swollen feet. The weight I could barely drop. I feel like I have my body back at last, and he wants me to do it all over again?

But he’s right. It’s time. It’s past time. I want to fill this big house with laughter and noise, and we can’t do that unless I’m pregnant.

“I’m afraid, that’s all.”

“I know.” He breathes out and kisses my cheek. “I’ll be here always. You know that.”

“You really think we can do it all over again?”

“Well, we might hire another Lisa.”

“Connor!”

“But yes, of course we can.” He kisses my lips. “I love you so much it fucking hurts. I want more of you. I want so much more. And that means a dozen babies rolling all over the place.”

“Can we settle on three?”

“That might be acceptable.”

I chew my thumbnail, check my phone, look at my computer, and groan. “Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Fine!”

“Fine.” He bites my lower lip. “Shall we get started?”