Page 104 of The Proposal

“Pregnant,” she squeaks.

“Shh.” I grab her arm, drag her into the pantry, and close the door behind us. “I haven’t discussed this with Dante yet. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a false alarm before I said something.”

Her eyes widen with excitement. “We need to do a home test.”

“I don’t have one of those.”

“We can go for a drive into town after breakfast.”

“Won’t that make the men suspicious?”

“I’ll tell Alex I need supplies.”

“Okay,” I reply as butterflies take flight in my stomach.

I’m conflicted. Things are going well between Dante and me, but is it too early to start a family? We are still trying to find our feet as a couple, and I’m worried that throwing a baby into the mix will complicate things even more.

I love the idea of having a family—it’s something I’ve wanted since I was a little girl—but I also want to make sure that Dante and I are truly ready for such a big commitment, both emotionally and practically.

“Imagine if you are … our babies will be cousins, and they’ll get to grow up together.”

“That would be nice.”

Chloe shocks me when she unexpectedly pulls me into acrushing hug. “I’m so glad you’re here, Arabella. I’ve always wanted a sister, and now I have you.”

When the boys move out onto the back deck to try to catch us some fish for dinner, Chloe takes the test from the kitchen cupboard where she hid it earlier and drags me into the bathroom.

This test has been hanging over my head since we returned from town. Dante noticed something was off with me because he kept asking if I was okay. At one point, he even took me into the bedroom we’ve been staying in and told me that if I wasn’t enjoying myself, we could leave immediately.

I assured him I was alright. I adore his family. It’s been a perfect few days. Like always, the only thing missing in my life is Lucia.

My fingers knot nervously together in front of me as Chloe unpacks the contents of the box and lines them up along the stone vanity.

“All set,” she says. “I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be just outside if you need me.”

“Don’t leave me,” I plead, reaching for her arm.

“You have to pee on the stick. I thought you’d want some privacy for that.”

I’ve been through some scary things in my short life, but for some reason, this impending news terrifies me. “You could turn your back for that part.”

“Okay.”

My hands tremble as I move towards the toilet. I’m not sure what I’m hoping for, but whatever the result, I know it will change everything.

Once I’m finished, I pull up my underwear, shimmy down my dress, and move back to the vanity. I place the whiteplastic stick on top of the instruction leaflet and wash my hands.

“What do we do now?”

“We wait,” Chloe answers.

My heart races with every passing second. I don’t know if I’m truly ready. And beneath it all, there’s that constant, gnawing fear … what if I can’t give my husband and Papa a male heir?

Chloe must sense my anxiety because she places her hand on my back, soothingly rubbing it along my spine.

“Either way, it’s going to be fine. Dante loves you, that’s plain to see, and you also have us to support you if needed.”

“Dante doesn’t love me,” I confess as tears burn the back of my eyes. “I mean … I think he at least likes me, but it’s definitely not love.”

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