Page 64 of Risk

I swallow the lump forming in my throat.

“You’re so much like your mama,” he says in his scratchy voice, caused from all those years of drinking and smoking. “Not just in the way you look, but you have her strength too.” His other hand cups my cheek. “I know I don’t have the right to be—”

I part my lips to correct him, like I always automatically do because it’s inherent in me, but he shakes his head.

“I know I don’t have the right to be,” he continues. “But I’m proud of you. Proud of everything you’ve accomplished and continue to accomplish. And I know you’ll handle having these babies with the same strength, grace, and tenacity that you put into everything you do.”

The fact that he used the wordgraceis what spills the tears over my cheeks. My mom’s name was Grace. So, I’m sure he knew what he was implying, using that word in that context.

He’s saying I’m my mama’s daughter, and I’ll be as good a mother as she was.

“Thanks, Dad,” I whisper.

He gives me a smile that looks sad and wipes a tear away with his thumb before stepping back.

My brothers are all watching the exchange with a quiet intensity.

Kaden’s arm goes around me, hand curling around my waist, pulling me into his side. “You okay?” he asks quietly into my ear.

I nod in response. “Are you okay?” I whisper to him.

He’s been quiet through most of this conversation, letting me lead the way, but some of the things said tonight probably weren’t nice for him to hear.

His eyes trace my face, like an invisible caress. “If you’re okay, then I’m okay.”

My heart gives a good punch against my rib cage.

“Well,” Ari says, breaking the tension with her natural cheer, “we have two new lives joining our family, and I, for one, think this calls for a celebration! Do you have any champagne?” she asks Cam. “Obviously, nonalcoholic for me and Brett and the mama-to-be, of course.”

Mama-to-be.

I’m going to be a mom.

To two children.

Of course, I knew I was going to be a mom, but that’s the first time anyone has actually said it to me. I haven’t thought of myself as becoming a mom because I’ve been more focused on the fact that I’m having these babies—well, I’ve more felt like they’re having me—than thinking on the fact that, in seven months or so, two tiny people are going to be calling me Mom.

TWENTY-THREE

It’s late, and Kaden is driving me home after dinner with my family. Which, once the initial shock had gone, turned out to be a good evening. It didn’t take my family long to get over the surprise I’d landed on them and for it to turn into excitement at the prospect of two new little people coming into our ever-expanding family.

I did speak to Ari privately and explained to her that Cam knew I was pregnant before she did because I had gone to her for advice, and Ari, being her usual amazing self, took it in stride. She wasn’t upset at all and said she completely understood, which was a relief. She told me she was just excited about becoming an aunt again.

Kaden pulls his car into a parking spot outside my building. It’s started to rain outside, so I’m planning my dash to the door of my building when he says, “Can we talk?”

“Sure.” I turn to him. “What about?”

“I’ll walk you up, and we’ll talk then.”

We’re silent on the walk into the building and up to my studio, and I’m wondering what he wants to talk about.

I’m feeling kind of worn out after the talk with my family, so I hope this is something simple, like,What are your preferences—two boys? Two girls? Or one of each?I honestly don’t have a preference, but one of each does sound nice. Like Lo and me. But something tells me Kaden doesn’t want to talk about the genders of our babies because he was pretty quiet on the drive back now that I’m thinking about it.

Maybe things are good with him and Zeus. Did they have a private chat? But they seemed good with each other when we were leaving.

I let us into my studio, toeing off my shoes. I drop my purse on the kitchen counter and go to the fridge. Peering inside, I grab the carton of orange juice.

“You want some?” I ask Kaden as I reach for a glass.

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