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“Well, I asked TJ to help me set this up.”

“OK, and this is…?”

“This, babe, is our gender reveal.”

“What?” exclaimed Ali.

“We didn’t know about this,” said Maria.

“I didn’t know about it,” added Deb.

“None of you did,” said TJ. “If there’s one thing I can do, it’s keep a secret. Now, let’s see how good your shooting is, Rick.” He gestured down range.

Rick spotted a single man-sized target at 400 yards. “Come on, TJ, even Ernie could hit that.”

“True, but only a bullseye will reveal that which you seek,” TJ responded in his best Yoda impersonation.

Mike handed out hearing protection as they made their way to the firing point and gathered behind Rick as he lay prone and checked his rifle. TJ set up a spotting scope and sat alongside.

“No pressure,” said Ernie.

“You got this, bud,” added Mike.

“Eyes and ears,” announced TJ. “Shooter, lock and load. In your own time, go on.”

Rick loaded his rifle, then pulled it into his shoulder and sighted through the optic. A moment later, he squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet hurtling down range.

“On target, but two inches left of the bull’s-eye,” said TJ.

He took a deep breath and fired again.

“One inch to the right.”

“Damn it,” he murmured.

“You want me to have a go?” asked Ernie.

A sideways glare told him his offer wasn’t appreciated.

“Come on, babe,” you got this, said Jenny.

Rick adjusted his position, breathed in deeply, exhaled, and fired again. The bullet covered the distance from his muzzle to the target in less than half a second. It struck the dead center of the target, slicing through the smoke grenade that TJ had taped to the back of it.

“Bull’s-eye.”

A cloud of pink smoke billowed out behind the target, and everyone cheered.

“It’s a girl,” announced Jenny. “Babe, we’re having a girl.”

Rick quietly unloaded his rifle and cleared it as everyone gathered around Jenny, congratulating her.

“You all good?” asked TJ.

“Yeah, I just swore we were going to have a boy. Like, I felt it in my very core.”

TJ offered him a hand and pulled the younger man to his feet. “Son, you’re going to be one hell of a dad. That little lady isn’t going to want for anything in life. I’m proud of you.”

Ernie and Mike joined them, pumping Rick’s hand with enthusiasm.