Page 75 of Reforming Hunt
“I got it,” he said, laughing. His boys could swim, and he couldn’t be more proud of his powerful, manly sperm. Especially his baby-girl sperm. “But when did you find out?”
“Oh, about a month ago.”
“A month! You’ve known for an entire month and you didn’t tell me?”
“I wanted to wait until the perfect time.” She looked around. “Now was the perfect time. Do you want to do the honors and share our happy news?”
Hunt sucked in a shaky breath. A girl. They were having a girl. He blinked back tears and kissed his wife. Passionately. He lifted his head and looked down at her beautiful face. “I love you.”
“I love you, Hunt Cade, man of many talents.”
Hunt turned to the crowd of friends and family, including all of Noah’s grandparents—even Abby’s parents, who Hunt had flown out.
He raised his fist into the air. “It’s a girl!”
The guests cheered, and Hunt’s brothers came over and slapped him on the back.
“Welcome to the club,” Wes said.
Levi approached and stood awkwardly for a moment. And then his brother did the strangest thing Hunt had ever seen. Levi stepped away from Emily and hugged Hunt. “Congratulations.”
Fuck. If Hunt wasn’t already choked up about the baby-girl news, he was seriously holding back tears now. “Thank you.”
“I was worried,” Levi said. “Looks like I never needed to.” He glanced past Hunt to Abby. “You take great care of your wife, Hunt. You’ll make a great father too.”
Hunt realized something just then. Levi ranted when he was most frightened or stressed. His temper, the way he’d talked to Hunt—all these years, it had been over fear.
Huh.That explained a lot.
Hunt couldn’t wait until Levi and Emily had a kid. Levi would lose his shit the first time the baby had a fever or fell, or came to any harm whatsoever.
Emily hugged Hunt, and she and Abby made plans to get together in a few weeks, and then Noah’s grandparents approached.
“We’re so happy to have another baby in the family,” Vivian said, Noah’s grandfather smiling at her side.
It hadn’t taken a lawyer for Noah’s grandparents to come around. More like a few days of mulling over their actions, and how they’d put their grandchild in danger with their stupid antics. They’d eventually returned to apologize and make amends.
At first, Abby was leery, but over the last few months, Vivian and her husband had come over to the Cade estate—now named “Noah’s Castle”—and spent time with Abby, Hunt, and Noah as a family. Noah’s grandparents were even in treatment with a therapist to deal with the loss of their son. They’d asked for forgiveness, and Hunt’s wife, being the generous spirit she was, immediately gave it to them.
What had come as a shock was how excited Noah’s grandparents were when Abby and Hunt announced they were having a baby. It seemed Vivian considered this child to be her grandchild too, and that suited Hunt and Abby fine.
Hunt’s parents were gone, and Abby’s parents refused to leave their trailer for more than a long weekend. Noah’s grandparents were a part of their lives, seemingly for the better, and there was never too much love to give a kid.
Hunt counted himself blessed a million times over.
He was mingling with the guests, shoving food into his mouth, and tracking his very pregnant wife, when Esther walked up.
“Dear boy,” she said, and gave Hunt a big hug. She held his arms and leaned back. “I’m so happy for you. I just knew the right woman would tame you some day.”
Interesting. Hunt never imagined he’d find a woman he would be able to love and hold on to at the same time. “How did you know?”
Esther smiled warmly. “Call it surrogate mother’s intuition. Something seemed off when I attended your first wedding to Abby, but this one is the real thing.” She held out an envelope. “This is for you.”
Leave it to Esther to suss out the truth. “Thank you, Esther. And thank you for being here at my second marriage to Abby.” He winked.
“I’m always here for you boys. You’re the children I never had.”
A man walked up to Esther and touched the small of her back. He reached out and shook Hunt’s hand. “Congratulations. Your bride is lovely. Lucky man.”
