Page 74 of Mine to Love
“Good to know. Now, would you like to christen this place?” He waggled his brows.
“Um. No. Everyone would know what we were doing if we took that long. Including my father, Gabriel, and I guess what I should accept as his girlfriend. That’s the kind of embarrassment I can’t handle right now.” She took his hand and yanked himtoward the door. “But I can promise you that you’ll get some serious action tonight.”
Miles followed her back to his brother’s house and as soon as they walked through the side gate, everyone stopped and stared.
Liberty raised her hand, showing off her ring.
Gabriel was the first on his feet, congratulating them.
If anyone had asked Miles a year ago if he’d ever settle down, it would have been a hard no. But he hadn’t met Liberty yet and she had changed the way he viewed the world.
And himself.
Love wasn’t always about taking care of someone. It was about trusting a partnership and that’s what he had with Liberty.
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER…
“Hey, I’m home.” Miles dropped his keys on the small table by the garage door and followed the noise. “Gabriel, where’s your sister?”
Gabriel glanced over his shoulder after pausing his video game. Stephanie, his girlfriend for one full year, sat next to him on the sofa. Her family had moved to Lighthouse Cove six months ago, after Harvey had sold them a small place not too far from Steve.
About that time, Gabriel had started spending two days a week at the development company with his father and the rest of the week, he still worked at the shop with Miles.
Gabriel thrived in both environments, as long as he didn’t have to deal too much with people.
And he wasn’t made to feel like he was choosing between his dad and Miles.
Which neither man would do.
But now there was Kirk, Liberty’s biological father. Gabriel understood what that meant and he also comprehended that Liberty didn’t see Kirk that way. That Harvey was father to them both, in all areas that mattered. However, she still wanted to know Kirk. To make a connection to the man whose biology hadcreated her and since they had been talking about having a child, that discussion had become a little more intense.
“In your bedroom,” Gabriel said. “She was already here when Dad and I got home.”
“Oh, hello.” Harvey stepped from kitchen. “I hope you don’t mind.” He lifted a glass of scotch. “Liberty must have caught a bug because she was white as a ghost when I brought Gabriel home. I ordered pizza since she said she wasn’t cooking and I kind of asked Sandra to come over too.”
“That’s fine. You’re both always welcome.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She hasn’t been feeling well all week. She had a doctor’s appointment earlier. I better go check on her.” Although that appointment was all about going off birth control and female stuff that Miles didn’t even pretend to understand.
“Well, when you’re done with that, why don’t you join Gabriel, Stephanie, and me in some video games.”
“I might do that.” Miles strolled toward the master bedroom where he found Liberty in bed. “Hey, you,” he whispered, sitting on the edge of the mattress. “What’s going on?”
“More like what’s coming up.”
“Okay. I’ll keep my distance.” He stood.
She chuckled.
“Not funny. I can’t afford to be sick.”
“I’m not sick.” She waved her hand over the nightstand. “Grab that.”
He lifted a piece of paper. “Oh. I’ve seen this before. Emmerson showed me one of these when he found out Rumor was having…” Miles went to sit back on the bed but missed and landed on the floor with athud. “Please tell me you’re not having twins.”
“There is only one baby in my belly.” She patted the top of his head. “Daddy.”
He pushed to his feet and eased back onto the bed, resting his hand on her stomach. “Seriously? You’re pregnant? And why did you have an ultrasound so fast? Are you okay? Is the baby okay? And how did this happen? You haven’t even gone off birth control.”
