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)
“Wow, Mr. Big Security Guy is getting old. Letting things slip,” Matthew gloats. “Time to hang it up.” Casey just leers at him not saying anything.
“I’m going to go see Mom and Dad,” Gabriel announces, pulling me away from the guys. “I hope we aren’t too late.”
“They didn’t say anything,” I assure him.
“How do you know?” he asks as he looks around, spotting his father.
“Trust me, if my Uncle Matthew knew, everyone would know.” I laugh when he whips his head around. “So we’re safe.”
“There are my parents.” He spots his parents who are with his grandparents, Jacob and Kallie. The four of them are talking about something. The men stand almost identically as they casually drape their arms around their wives. “Hey,” Gabriel says and the four of them turn to look at us. The smile on their faces quickly fade to confusion when they see me beside him and our hands together.
“Well, I’ll be,” Jacob says, smiling, “look at what we have here.”
“Hey,” Gabriel says and I awkwardly hold up my hand to wave hello.
“Hi.” I squeeze Gabriel’s hand.
“I was hoping we could talk to you guys for a second,” he states and his parents share a look of worry and confusion. “And you guys also,” he tells his grandparents.
“What’s on your mind?” Ethan asks, looking at Gabriel with worry.
“Are you okay?” his mother asks softly.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He lets my hand go but only to wrap his arm around my shoulders, very similar to how they were just holding their women. “We have a little surprise.”
“Oh,” Kallie says, “the surprise isn’t that you two are dating?”
“That’s not a surprise,” Jacob retorts, laughing. “Did you two not see them on Christmas Eve?”
I look up at Gabriel. “Here we were thinking we were smooth.”
“You guys were thick as thieves,” Ethan teases, smiling. “Little touches here and there.” I try to hide my smile. “In the corner laughing at things that were probably not even funny.”
I turn my face to him. “I told you that your jokes weren’t funny.” I hold up my hand to cup his cheek. “Didn’t I, Cowboy?”
“You sure did, Sweetheart,” he agrees, leaning to kiss me. “Well, no easy way to say this.” He looks at his father. “We’re having a baby.”
The gasps and shock hit all four of them at the same time, collectively. Kallie and Emily both put their hands to their mouths. Ethan steps forward first, going to Gabriel, putting his hand on his shoulder, and the smile slowly fills his face. “Well, then…” He pulls his son into him and hugs him, slapping him on the back as he whispers something in Gabriel’s ear before turning to me. “Welcome to the family,” he says, pulling me in his arms. The sob escapes me before I even realize it.
“Dad, you’re making her cry,” Gabriel hisses, pushing him away from me and taking me in his arms.
“He’s not,” I mumble to his chest. “It’s the hormones.”
“It’s a girl,” Gabriel tells them, and I push him away from me in time to see his mother coming to him. “I can feel it.”
“My baby is having another baby.” She smiles through the tears. “I’m so proud of you.”
I look around, trying to see if my parents are close so I can get them over here and they can see how it’s done with normal families. “Zara,” Emily says, pulling me into her arms, “thank you for the wonderful gift.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Thank you for making an almost perfect man.” I look over at Gabriel, who is hugging his grandparents at the same time.
“Almost perfect,” Emily adds, “is pretty much perfect.” She laughs, and then my parents join us.
“Congratulations, Grandpa,” Ethan says to my father, who just nods.
“It’s a surprise, that is for sure,” he replies, looking at me and then at Gabriel, “but I’m sure Gabriel will take good care of her.” I raise my eyebrows at him and side-eye Gabriel.
“Of course, he will,” Ethan assures my father, who smiles at me.
“He better,” my mother mumbles. “That’s my baby girl.”
“He better,” Ethan says, “or else I’ll help you kick his ass.”
“Well, this is fun,” Gabriel murmurs to me. “At least they are getting along.” I wrap my arms around his stomach. “Mr. and Mrs. Petrov,” he calls to my parents, “I’d like to introduce you to my son.” He lets go of me to walk with my parents, who are followed by his parents and then his grandparents, as they go and meet Colson.
I follow and see my father reaching out his hand to shake Colson’s. “You know how to skate?” he asks, and I put my hand to my chest, knowing it’ll be fine.
I walk up the steps to my house, putting my key in the door and opening it before walking in and dumping my bag. The phone rings from my purse, and I fish it out, seeing it’s Gabriel calling me. “Hey, Cowboy,” I answer, kicking my boots off before walking up the stairs with my bag toward my bed.