Page 32 of The Christmas Cowboy

She ate some crackers, which seemed to help. “You might as well tell them,” she told Liam.

“Are you sure?”

She rolled her eyes at him which he took as a yes.

“Val is pregnant.”

“Congratulations!” Cici said. “How exciting.”

“That’s great,” Logan said. “Congratulations.”

“We haven’t told many people. We’re going to wait a while. Only Connor, Riley, and Letty know,” Val said.

“We won’t tell anyone,” Cici assured them.

They left not long after that. Once on the way home Liam asked Val why she’d told them.

“Logan can’t be the only sibling who doesn’t know. It would hurt his feelings.”

“He’d live.”

“I’m sure he would but there’s no reason not to tell them.”

“When do you want to tell our folks?”

“I’d like to keep it to the people who already know as long as possible.”

“So, not until we have to.”

“You got it.”

*

The Monday beforeThanksgiving Liam asked Connor and Logan to meet him at Grey’s for a beer. The saloon was a favorite meeting place of the locals. It was in no way fancy, with its battered bar and scarred wooden floorboards that were who knew how old. Their customers didn’t care. They liked the atmosphere. He chose a booth in a corner in the back, because he didn’t want to see anyone else. His two brothers were enough. Liam had waited just about as long as he could. Something had to change, or he was going to lose his mind.

“Where’s your bride?” Connor asked when he walked up.

“She’s at some girls’ night out thing.”

“Let me get a beer. I’ll be right back. Need another?”

“No, thanks. Not yet.”

Logan came in while Connor was at the bar and stopped there. Both of them returned a few minutes later and took a seat. “Okay, what’s going on?” Connor asked.

“Yeah, you sounded a little desperate when you called,” Logan said.

“Bullshit.”Desperate my ass.Liam thought about leading into it but decided what the hell. He had to talk to someone and he sure as hell wasn’t talking to Riley about his and Val’s sex life. Or lack of it. So that left his brothers. “Thursday is Thanksgiving.”

“I know. So?” Connor said.

“Val and I have been married two and a half weeks. By Thanksgiving it will be nearly three.”

“Why are you telling us shit we already know?” Logan asked.

“I’m getting to it,” Liam snapped.

Connor drank some of his beer and set it back down. “Are you regretting the marriage?”

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