Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“No, you would be the only one who would do that,” Zara points out to her.
“Yeah, buddy,” Nash says, holding up his hand in a fist and cheering, “got to say, not a bad thing to do.”
“We are not married,” I finally say.
“Then what can it be?” Zoey looks at the sky, and I see Zara open her eyes nervously, wanting to get out of the situation.
“Why don’t you think about it,” I tell Zoey, “and then we can talk later.”
“Oh my God,” Zoey yelps, putting her hand to her mouth, “you’re pregnant.”
“What?” I reply nervously laughing, looking over to see Matty glaring at me. “No.” I shake my head nervously, at the same time to make sure she got my answer.
Zoey gasps, “She’s pregnant.” Her voice is like a shriek.
“Okay,” Zara warns, looking around, making sure no one heard her. “Everyone needs to nip it in the bud.”
“Nip it in the bud,” Stefano repeats. “How long has she lived here?”
“She doesn’t live here.” Grace smirks as she watches the whole thing unfold around her while her husband pulls her close to him.
“What the fuck?” Matty grits between clenched teeth, and Sofia puts a hand on his forearm.
“Okay, all of you,” Zara hisses, “I need everyone to keep their voices down.” She looks at the circle of people. “We haven’t told Gabriel’s parents yet, and it would be rude if they found out because my cousin has a big mouth.” She glares at Zoey, who just pffts at her and puts her hand to her chest.
“I’m deeply hurt and offended that you weren’t even going to tell me.” She turns it around on her.
“I texted you this morning. Besides, you live on the West Coast.”
“The West Coast is not the fucking moon,” Zoey snaps back.
“You got my sister pregnant?” Matty now joins the conversation. “Are you for real right now?” Then he turns to Sofia. “You knew this too?”
“No,” she scoffs, “of course not.” She avoids looking at him. “Maybe.” She moves side to side with the baby. “A little bit, but not everything.”
“I can’t believe you wouldn’t tell me this,” Matty hisses at her.
“Hey,” she hisses back at him, “it’s not about you; it’s about them.” She points at us. “They’re having a baby, not me.”
“Okay.” I hold up my hands. “I get you’re pissed.” I look at Matty. “Imagine how I felt when we found out Sofia was planning your wedding to someone else?”
“Oh, good one, Cowboy,” Zara says to me, nodding at them.
“But I have to tell my parents,” I inform them, “before they find out from someone else.” I grab Zara’s hand. “Ready?” I ask her, and she leans into me and nods.
“I’m ready, Cowboy,” she says, and Matty groans out at my nickname.
“You know what they say”—Zoey snickers—“save a horse and ride a cowboy.” She laughs at the saying. “And she really did that.”
27
ZARA
“Let’s go, Sweetheart.” He grabs my hand and pulls me away from my cousins and my brother, who is still giving Gabriel the death stare to end all death stares. “We have to do it fast before someone rents a plane and writes it across the sky.”
I laugh at him, and I can see eyes turning to look at us as we walk across the yard, stopping first at my father and Uncle Matthew and Uncle Max, who just look at us with a weird expression on their faces. Casey takes us in, and his eyes go to our hands before he looks over at my dad, who just takes a pull from his beer. “Hi.” I let his hand go to go to my father and kiss his cheek before walking over to my uncles, and since I gave them a kiss, I have to kiss Casey also. “This is a nice surprise,” I say nervously, wondering if my father has told them.
“Yeah,” my Uncle Matthew says, “your father said he was coming down to visit Matty, so we came with him.”
“Is that so?” I look over at my father, who just shrugs.
“Haven’t seen him in a while,” he offers. “He said he was coming down today, so we came to see RC.”
“Isn’t that nice?” I say sarcastically at him and raise my eyebrows, and I hope he can tell from my tone that the two of us are going to have words later.
“So what’s new with you two?” my Uncle Max asks, trying to hide his smile.
“Nothing much.” I shrug.
“What’s with the holding of hands?” my Uncle Matthew says, raising an eyebrow.
“Um,” I start to say.
“We’re together,” Gabriel jumps in, not even easing him into it. Matthew looks over at Casey.
“You were supposed to look out for her,” Matthew hisses, “not throw her at one of your offspring.”
Casey laughs. “I didn’t even know this was happening until it was too far gone.”