Page 71 of Fierce-Jax

“When are you due?” Ellen said, rushing her daughter after putting the cake back into Jax’s hands.

“October twenty-first,” Roni said. “So I’m just about out of the first trimester now. We are ready to tell people. We’re going to Trent’s house for dinner tomorrow. Jonah’s child and ours will grow up together.”

Jonah was Trent’s brother and married to Megan who worked at Fierce.

Jax walked over and hugged his sister, lifting her up and then shaking his brother-in-law's hand.

“Dillion made a chocolate cake if you're craving it. She said that is all she wanted when she was pregnant.”

“Sounds like Roni right now,” Trent said. “Better hide it before she snatches it away.”

“How does Eli feel about a baby coming?” she asked. “I think Gianna would love it. That’s my daughter, that I’m sure you’re all aware of. At least I hope Jax told you.”

“He did,” Ellen said. “I hope we get to meet her at some point.”

“I’d like that,” she said. “Gianna loves dolls and stuffed animals. She’d be so excited if she knew another baby was coming.”

“Do you want more kids?” Ellen asked.

“Mom,” Jax said, his tone warning anyone off for miles.

Dillion laughed. “It’s fine. Not something we’ve talked about, but yes. I’d like to have at least another one. I was an only child and oftentimes it was lonely. I don’t want that for my daughter. Though the longer it takes to have another, they might both feel like only children.”

She was only joking when she said that, but everyone was looking at Jax and she had no idea why.

23

A DONE DEAL

His family knew how much he wanted children, but the last thing he expected was them to all turn their attention on him when Dillion said she wanted another. And acted as if she wanted one soon.

Jax wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

He’d spent so much of the past decade not jumping when it came to women to not feel like a complete failure for misinterpreting the signs. Did everyone think since the Fierces put their stamp of approval on this it was a done deal?

He’d like to think it but wasn’t crazy enough to just ride that car on autopilot.

But here he was almost two weeks later driving to Dillion’s to have dinner at her house and meet her daughter.

Was he nervous?

Hell yes.

More than he’d been over any other meeting of a family member.

He loved kids.

Wanted them too.

But he also knew that Gianna’s reaction to him would set the tone of their future.

If this little four-year-old didn’t like him or accept him, he wouldn’t blame Dillion for calling it off.

She’d be putting her daughter first. Like most parents did.

She’d been fine without him for four years and he was positive she’d be fine going it alone too.

He pulled into her driveway, took a deep breath, shut his car off and grabbed the gift bag on the seat next to him.

---