Page 125 of The Pursuit

I extended my hand. “I’m glad to hear it. When can I call you Dad?”

AJ’s eyes narrowed. “When you put a ring on her finger.”

I smiled at Gaby. “Don’t worry. I plan on doing that really soon.”

EPILOGUE: NOAH

Three Years Later

“Noah Fitzgerald, if youeverthink of touching me again, I will hack your dick off with a rusty knife!”

Fuck. Me. I’d never seen or heard Gaby so angry in all my life. I didn’t even know how to process what she’d just said let alone all the venom behind it. In the end, all I could do was croon, “Babe, I’m so, so sorry.”

“That’s all you can say after what you’ve done?” she shrieked.

“If I’d had any idea how much I’d hurt you, I would never, ever have done it.” At the smoldering rage burning in Gaby’s dark eyes, I fumbled for the call button with shaky hands. “Let me check with the nurse again to see where the anesthesiologist is.”

Instead of helping, my response pissed Gaby off even more. “Mom!”

“Yes, sweetheart,” Mia replied from the other side of the hospital bed.

“I want you to get Fabian on the phone.”

“Honey—”

Gaby’s furious gaze swung from her mother to mine. “I want him to cut Noah’s dick off for putting me through this much pain.”

As Mia shot me an apologetic look, I muttered, “Jesus Christ.”

A reassuring pat came at my back. When I threw a glance over my shoulder, Mom smiled up at me. “Don’t worry, sweetie. It’s the pain making her talk like that.”

“Did you act like that with me?” I motioned to Gaby’s red-faced, writhing body.

She laughed. “They described me as Reagan fromThe Exorcistbefore I got my epidural.”

“Oh fuck.”

“Just like me, she won’t remember saying any of this.”

“So, shewillforgive me for this.”

“I forgave your dad, didn’t I?”

I nodded. “And she’ll let me touch her again?”

With a grin, Mom replied, “Yes, honey, she will.”

In spite of Mom’s reassurance, I didn’t feel much better. Since we’d arrived at the hospital eight hours ago, I’d been on an emotional rollercoaster of epic proportions. Regardless of how much preparation I’d done for the birth, I felt like a complete and total idiot. At the same time, I don’t think any of the Lamaze classes orWhat to Expectbooks had mentioned what to do when your wife of three years was threatening to cut off your manhood. My heart and soul were already in pieces from having to watch Gaby in such an excruciating state. Throw in her volatile mood and threats and I was fucking on edge.

It had all started positively enough. When we’d first arrived after her water broke and we’d counted contractions, Gaby was all smiles, visiting with her parents and mine as well as our siblings. Then as the day wore on, her agony had sent everyone running for the hills except for Mom, Mia, and me. If things got any worse, I was seriously tempted to tuck my tail between my legs and get the hell out of Dodge.

Thankfully for all of us, but especially Gaby, the anesthesiologist appeared. My elation was short-lived when I saw him begin to unwrap a long needle. “You’re going to put that in her spine?”

He nodded. “Then she’s totally numb for the delivery.”

“Do it now! Numb me the fuck out!” Gaby screeched, her dark eyes flashing with rage.

While I recoiled in horror at her words, the anesthesiologist seemed unfazed. I guessed he’d seen and heard it all. He just went about his business, which I decided not to focus on. I didn’t have the strength left to watch him slip that long-ass needle into Gaby’s spine. Instead, I stared down at the floor while fingering the rosary in my pocket that had belonged to my Pops. I prayed long and hard for the epidural to take and for Gaby to be out of pain.

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