Page 18 of Holly Jolly Rebel

He frowned. “I do. I just think she needs a little time to figure stuff out and college is too frantic a space for her. Man, I thought we’d be golden once the twins were out in the Fall. Now, it looks like the house will be as full as ever.” He moved forward and took me into his arms. “You left me sleeping, wife.”

“You needed it after your on-ice shenanigans the other night, husband.”

“Don’t you mean after the off-ice shenanigans oflastnight?”

“That, too.”

I leaned my forehead against his shoulder and took a calming breath. Theo held me, my rock as always.

“It was kind of nice banging away when you’re already pregnant.”

“You mean like you’ve been doing for our entire marriage?”

He gave a raspy chuckle. “More like it reminded me of those early days when you were so horny because of hormones and stress and of course, me.”

“Well, it doesn’t take much to getyoufired up.”

“With you, it takes just a look. So before it gets wild out there, or in here—” He waggled his eyebrows like the rogue he was. “I have a little something for you.”

He slipped a hand into the pocket of his holiday PJs and withdrew a small velvet bag.

“But we were going to exchange gifts after breakfast.”

“This is separate from all that. A moment for us.”

I took it from him and opened the drawstring. Inside was a charm, a heart of diamonds with an embedded infinity symbol. Absolutely beautiful.

“Just in case you have a single doubt, Elle-oh-Elle. My love for you is to infinity and beyond. Everlasting. Limitless. Unbreakable.” His brow rumpled. “I can’t think of any more fancy words, but I hope you get the idea. And it doesn’t matter to me what you decide on the baby front because my life with you is already amazing. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

This wonderful man never ceased to amaze me.

“Yet again, your perfection pisses me off to the point I want to kiss you until you can’t breathe.”

His eyes flashed. “Okay, violence is not the answer to my very romantic overture. But I do have some additional good news for you.” He leaned in. “I found a gray hair this morning.”

“Where?” I searched his head, anxious to finally have a hint that this man was aging normally.

“Down there.” His gaze shifted between them to some spot on the floor, landing on his crotch.

“Not where anyone can see it, of course. Except me. I’ll pluck it for you later.”

He winced. “Your jealousy of my age-defying genetics is something else. Leave my pubic hair to gray in peace.”

That had me laughing, and he joined in, then kissed me because that was Theo’s favorite thing in the world: tasting the joy he brought me on my lips.

When he released me, I murmured, “Let’s do this.”

“Bring the kids back in and face the music?”

“Sure. But what I really meant wasthis.” I gestured at my stomach. “Theo and Elle Tackle Another Surprise Pregnancy.”

His lips curved. “And Knock It Out of the Park.”

“Part 2.”

He dropped a kiss on my nose. “Part 4, maybe? Though, after Hatch, the others were planned.”

“Well, the twins surprised us with their double act,” I countered.

---