Page 31 of Wilder's Promise
"Pregnant?" Rex finally repeats, as if testing the word. "We're... having a baby?"
I nod, studying his face anxiously for his reaction. "I found out last week. I wanted to be sure before I told you."
His face breaks into the most beautiful smile I've ever seen, joy radiating from him like sunlight. "A baby," he whispers, his free hand moving to hover over my stomach. "Our baby."
Relief washes through me at his reaction. "You're happy?"
"Happy?" He laughs, the sound bright with wonder. "Emma, I'm... there aren't words. This is..." He pulls me into his arms, holding me like I'm something precious. "I love you so much."
Over his shoulder, I see my father still frozen in place, Evelyn watching him. When Rex releases me, I turn to face my father directly.
"Dad?" I say. "Are you okay?"
He blinks, coming back to himself. "I'm going to be a grandfather," he says slowly, testing the concept. "Jesus Christ."
"I know it's a shock," I begin.
"No, it's..." He runs a hand over his face, then looks at me with an expression I can't quite interpret. "It's a miracle. After everything, after all the mistakes I made, all the years we lost..." He clears his throat, emotion making his voice rough. "I never thought I'd get to see this day."
"So, you're not angry?" I ask, still uncertain.
He laughs—a real laugh, warm and genuine. "Angry? Emma, how could I be angry about something that completes the circle? That heals what was broken?"
He rises from his seat and comes to kneel in front of me, taking my hands in his. It's such an uncharacteristic gesture from the fearsome Reaper Kane that I'm momentarily speechless.
"I wasn't there for you the way I should have been," he says, his gray eyes holding mine. "But I swear to you, I will be there for my grandchild. If you'll let me."
Tears spring to my eyes. "Of course I will."
He turns to Rex, his expression changing to something more serious. "And you? Are you ready for this responsibility?"
Rex straightens, meeting my father's gaze without flinching. "I've been ready to give my life for Emma since the day I met her. That goes double for our child."
My father nods, satisfied with the answer. "Then I guess congratulations are in order." He stands, pulling Rex into a back-slapping hug before embracing me more gently. "Both of you."
Evelyn joins us, her own eyes shining with happy tears. "I told you they'd handle it well."
My father wraps an arm around her, his hand resting on her small bump.
"Now our kids will grow up together," he says, wonder in his voice. "Cousins, practically."
"A ready-made MC family," Rex jokes, pulling me against his side.
"Not MC," I correct him automatically. "At least, not necessarily. Our child will make their own choices."
"Of course," Rex agrees quickly. "Just like their mother."
My father snorts. "God help us if this kid inherits the Kane stubbornness and the Torres recklessness."
"Hey!" Rex and I protest in unison, then laugh.
Over the next hour, the clubhouse fills with brothers and their families, all coming to offer congratulations. Someone breaks out champagne (and sparkling cider for me and Evelyn), and the celebration takes on a life of its own. Maya starts making lists of baby gear we'll need. Ghost, of all people, offers to build acrib. My father keeps looking between me and Evelyn with an expression of stunned happiness, like he can't believe his good fortune.
In the midst of the chaos, Rex pulls me aside into a quiet corner.
"Are you really okay with this?" he asks softly. "The baby, the timing... all of it? I know this changes your plans."
I place my hand over his heart, feeling its steady beat beneath my palm. "Plans change. Dreams evolve. But some things stay constant." I smile up at him. "Like how I feel about you."
