Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 59738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
She offers me a nervous smile as she pats her tummy. “This little nugget right here.”
For a minute, I can’t even breathe. I want to make sure I heard her right, but there are a thousand thoughts crashing through my mind at the same time. “Ye’re pregnant?”
She bites her lip. “Is that… good?”
I kneel down beside the bed and cup her face, smashing my lips against hers in answer. I kiss her with the passion of a man who’s just won the lottery. I kiss her until neither of us can breathe, and then I leave her panting in a heap on her pillow as I worship her throat with my mouth.
My hand slides across her belly, cupping the small bump there. I’d noticed it, but I just thought she was finally putting on the weight she’d lost. “How long do we have?”
“Six more months.” Her fingers thread through my hair as she massages my scalp. “That’s good, right?”
“Baby, you have no idea. That’s it. I’m done now. You’ve given me everything I wanted.”
She laughs and shakes her head as I climb up onto the bed beside her.
“So, that’s why I’ve been moody. It’s hormones.”
“You can be as moody as you want,” I assure her. “You just focus on growing this wee baby of ours, and I’ll take care of everything else.”
I mean it, and I can’t wait to show Ivy just how much I mean it when she curls into me and rests her head on my beating heart.
“I’m going to take care of you,” I murmur. “Always, my love.”
“What do ye mean her doctor won’t be able to make it?” I glare.
The bloke standing at my wife’s feet barely acknowledges me because his eyes are laser focused on her treasure chest and I’m about ready to loaf him in the head.
“She’s out of town,” the doctor says. “I’m on call, and this baby is coming now. So, if you’ll excuse me, I need to help your wife.”
“Conor,” Ivy hisses between labored breaths. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine,” I insist. “He keeps staring at you.”
The doctor looks at me and shakes his head like I’m the one who’s mad.
“He has to stare at me,” Ivy insists. “There’s a baby coming out of me in case you haven’t noticed. Now do you want to help me or not?”
When I meet her eyes and recognize the pain she’s in, it occurs to me what a blockhead I’m being. But I still don’t like it. I don’t want this tosser anywhere near her.
“Oooooh,” she groans.
I forget what I’m even worked up about as I scramble to her side and take her hand in mine. “It’s okay, love. Ye’re doing a great job.”
She hisses out a few more breaths and squeezes her eyes shut as the pervert masquerading as a doctor issues instructions. I can’t hear a word of it because I’m focused on my wife. My beautiful wife who’s giving birth to our child.
I smooth her hair back and kiss her forehead hoping to soothe her, but her body seizes up again and she whacks me in the face when her head jolts forward.
“Oh, God, Conor.” She blinks, horrified, and I don’t understand what’s happening until I feel it running down my face.
Warm blood pours from my nose, the metallic taste painting my lips. Right about the same time, I hear the doctor saying something about one last push. And then I glance down between Ivy’s legs where it looks like the floor of Reaper’s basement.
Blood. So much blood.
It’s the last thought I have before I hit the floor.
“Archer, meet your little sister, Keeley.”
“Keeley,” he repeats, eyes wide with wonder as he squeezes into the space next to me.
I wrap my free arm around the little lad and hold them both while Ivy watches with a sleepy smile across the room.
“Ye’re a big brother now,” I say to Archer. “That means you must always look out for your sister and protect her. Do ye understand what that means?”
Archer nods as his fingers smooth over her tiny forehead. “I’ll look after her like you look after us, Dad. I’ll read her bedtime stories and when she’s older make sure she eats her vegetables too.”
I smile and give him a little squeeze.
“Excuse me.” The nurse pops her head in. “But I can’t hold them off anymore. Do you mind if they come in now?”
I look to Ivy, and she laughs, nodding along. “They can come in now.”
Before the nurse can even extricate herself, the room is full of my brothers and their wives, and they’ve all come bearing gifts. The boxes and bags get abandoned to the side of the room as they take their turns holding the wee one and posing for photos like they aren’t the most fearsome men this side of Boston.