Page 52 of Hitched

“I know what I need to know about Laney. And thanks for the congratulations, by the way.”

He lifts his brows apologetically. “Forgive me. I wasn’t sure if that was good news or not.”

“Well, you said yourself that I have a shit-eating grin.”

“Touche, my brother. Touche. And congratulations. I always thought I’d be the one to bring the first grandbaby to mama and da.”

“Sorry for beating you to the punch. And thanks.”

He waves. “Anyway, now is the time to propose if you’re going to, Caleb. If she’s carrying your bairn, that is. I assume you love her?”

“Like I’ve never loved anything else.”

He opens his hands, accentuating his point. “All the better. If you want my advice, I’d do it now.”

“But we’ve only known each other a couple of months, Declan. I’m not sure if that’s being too hasty.”

“Says the man about to become a father, and from what I understand, with two bairns. Is that true?”

I give him the abridged version of how we came to care for Peg. “So, yes, it’s true.”

“Then you’ve got to do it now, Caleb. If both of you want to adopt Peg, do you want all the paperwork to be fucked up? It’ll look much better if you and Laney are married.”

“Are you saying we should drop everything and tie the knot right now?” I practically squeak.

“Caleb, she’s pregnant with your bairn, brother. The deal is done, man.”

“She’ll run for the hills, Declan. It’s bad enough that we’ve been given Peg, and now a baby, but if I go back and propose, and tell her that I want to do it now, she’ll have my head.”

He tilts his head. “It’s up to you, Caleb. You know her better than I do, but if you want the adoption to go smoothly, and if she wants to get married before the baby comes, or before she’s showing, now is the time.”

After a long sigh, I sit there, thinking about if Declan’s argument is valid. “I’ve got to go talk to mama.”

“That’s a wise decision, Caleb.” He says levelly.

I walk towards the door, but Declan stops me. “By the way, congratulations.”

“Thanks, man.” I smile.

“When do I get to meet Peg? And Laney?” He chuckles.

“Peg’s with Laney’s mama and da right now. I’m taking her shopping for a bed this morning. You can come to my place for lunch if you want.”

“I’ll do that. See you soon.”

“See you.”

I head back to my office and get an hour’s worth of work done, which is all I needed, anyway, since my assistant knocked off a bunch of things for me, and all I needed to do was review and approve. I know that my mama is home, because she came back to the states with da, and they’re staying here for the next week or so, before heading back to Scotland. It’s nothing for mama and da to go back and forth all the time, as do all of us, that’s why we have a private jet. With the flagship location being in Scotland, it’s essential for us to be able to commute back and forth, and we’re all so used to it, it’s nothing to be in Scotland one day and in the states the next.

Mama is just getting some work done in her home office when I arrive. Her white/blonde hair is straightened and reaching her shoulders, while her slim body is covered in a smart pants suit and a double-breasted jacket, cream white, tailored perfectly to fit her body. She sees me as she’s finishing up a call, and she rises to greet me with a kiss on either cheek. “Caleb, this is a surprise.” By her tone, I’m gathering that da already filled her in on Peg and Laney.

“You know, don’t you.” I surmise, sitting on the chaise lounge in her office.

“Caleb, this family is much too busy for keeping things secret. We tell it like it is. Now, how far along is she.”

I lick my lips, sort of shocked that she didn’t preamble anything, but that’s mama. No sugar coating goes on in this family, no, ma’am. “A couple of months, maybe. We just did the test last night. She’s going to the doctor to get everything confirmed.”

“And the bairn? Where will she live?”

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