Part 30 (2/2)

Her heart was pounding as she took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

”Oh I like where this is going,” he teased.

She sat on the bed and waited for him to do the same. Her hands trembled as she handed him the picture and she felt like at any second she was going to pa.s.s out.

”You're shaking.” He set the gift on his lap and picked up her hands.

”I'm a little nervous,” she whispered.

”About going to New York?”

”No.” She shook her head. ”Just open your gift. Please.”

Memphis c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at her but did as she asked and tore open the wrapping. When the paper was on the floor and the picture was revealed Kennedy thought her heart was going to stop.

Memphis just sat there, staring at the picture of the little collection she had created, not moving, barely breathing. She saw his grip tighten on the frame and panic suddenly swelled in her chest.

”Memphis.” Her voice broke and he ignored her. ”Memphis, please say something.”

”Is this . . . Are you . . .” He didn't lift his eyes away from the photo as he tried to put a simple sentence together. ”Are we . . .”

He wasn't looking at her. He wasn't smiling. Oh G.o.d, what if he didn't want this? What if he wasn't ready for their lives to change like this? What if he decided this was all too much?

”Yes. That's real.” Kennedy's voice cracked again and she had to swallow a couple of times. ”I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby,” she finished for him.

What would she do if he didn't say anything? What would she do if he told her he didn't want a family yet?

”We're going to have a baby.” He slowly touched the frame and traced the two pink lines. ”We're going to have a baby.” Finally he looked at her and she saw the unshed tears s.h.i.+ning in his eyes as he broke out into a huge grin. ”We're going to have a baby!”

Kennedy nodded as relief flooded over her and she was finally able to smile at him. He dropped the picture to the bed and crushed her to his body as he flooded her face with kisses, repeating, ”We're going to have a baby,” over and over again.

Kennedy laughed when he dropped to his knees in front of her and slowly lifted her s.h.i.+rt to reveal her stomach. He carefully laid his palm on her skin and stroked his thumb back and forth.

”This is ours.” He looked up at her, the smile still firmly in place. ”We made this. I'm going to be a dad,” he said in awe.

”Yes, you're going to be a dad. So . . . you're okay with it?”

”Okay with it?” Memphis climbed back up over her body and looked down at her. ”I'm more than okay with it. Kennedy, there are no words to express how happy I am right now. We're going to be parents. Together. That's my dream come true, beautiful. When did you find out?”

”Yesterday. I was terrified. I'm still terrified,” she admitted.

”You have nothing to be scared about. Not this time.”

”We don't know that. Anything could happen.”

”You're forgetting one thing.” He moved off her and lay next to her instead, resting his hand on her stomach. ”This is our baby. He, or she,” he added when Kennedy raised an eyebrow at the gender preference, ”is going to have both of our determination and strength. He'll be a fighter like me and completely stubborn like you. She'll be artistic and smart and beautiful.” He brushed a tear from her cheek. ”He'll be curious and keep us on our toes. But as she grows up we'll trust her to make the right decisions because of how we raised her. Together, with so much love and spoiling yet just enough discipline to know we did right.

”This is our baby. That's going to make a difference. Trust me.”

”I do trust you.” She reached up and stroked his face. ”I love you.”

”I love you, too.” Memphis leaned over and gently kissed her stomach. ”And little Monroe Adams.”

Kennedy giggled.

”Monroe Adams?”

He grinned up at her.

”It works for either. You don't like it?”

Kennedy shrugged one shoulder, smiling at him as she ran her fingers through his hair. She was pretty sure she would agree to anything right now just to keep that smile on his face.

”I guess it could work.”

”It's both of us,” he said, resting his cheek against her skin once more. ”What more could you ask for?”

Nothing. Everything she wanted was in that room with her.

Including Luke-who was quietly chewing her favorite sweater.

Last Call by Jennifer Schmidt.

Category: Romance.

Publication date: Sep 29, 2011.

ISBN (paper): 978-1-61213-064-4.

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-61213-065-1.

Summary: Novalee Jensen thought what happened in Vegas would stay in Vegas, but two years later, her Vegas indiscretion shows up in her bar. Novalee's fears come true as the sudden appearance of the stranger brings questions everyone wants answers to, and the secret she's kept to herself for so long is exposed.

Dean Philips is on a mission to find his wife and bring her back to Nevada, all without exposing his own secrets and lies. Lies that could not only cost him his fortune, but also the woman he's yearned to know since that fateful night two years ago.

ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/books/detail/41.

Risking It All.

Category: Erotica.

Publication date: Sep 13, 2012.

ISBN (paper): 978-1-61213-117-7.

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-61213-118-4.

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