Page 50 of Luke

“So, we are going to stay here considering both babies, if that’s okay with you two?” April pulled her attention from Cade.

“Sounds great. You know where everything is.” Catherine took Garrett so she took the chance to coo over the new baby. “I guess there will always be babies around for a while.”

“Catherine and Kayla are next,” April said.

Catherine blushed and ducked her head.

“Oh. My. God,” Lauren spit out, having just joined them. “You’re pregnant!” It was a quiet whisper but Catherine still hushed them.

“I haven’t told Ryker yet,” she admitted. “I’m not looking forward to the overprotectiveness just yet and I thought it best to wait until after this was settled tonight.”

“I can’t believe it.” Lauren quietly squealed.

“Shh,” she hushed them but brought a hand to her stomach.

“I’m so happy for you,” Paisley said, giving her a hug.

“Look how many cousins our babies will have,” Catherine said. “They will never want for friends.”

“Probably will fight like siblings,” April joked.

They chatted for a few more minutes before the guys joined them. “Ready?” Luke asked.

She nodded and gave Garrett a kiss on the head before telling him she’d be right back and following the men out the door. Who knew what this evening was going to bring? But she was eager to move on from this part of her life and only look forward.

If Mary didn’t accept the rehab, then Paisley was moving forward as she had been. There was no looking back and wondering what she was up to anymore. This was a chance that she needed Mary to accept.

“It’s going to be okay,” Luke whispered in her ear as they settled into the back of the SUV.

“Is Mr. Smith meeting us there?” she asked.

“He’s on his way there now. He will be joining us, and Matt said Mary went in about an hour ago and hasn’t left,” Cade answered.

Ryker was driving them there in a vehicle that was entirely too obvious. She would have preferred if they parked away from the shelter, but Ryker drove right up in front instead.

“We are going to wait for Mr. Smith before getting out. He wants to be there when you make the offer to her in case she has any questions.” Cade watched her in the mirror.

Paisley bit her lip. “I really don’t want her to feel overwhelmed with all of us. You guys are . . . a lot.” She struggled for a better way to describe them but that was the best she could come up with.

Luke chuckled. “I promise to ease off if we need to, but we are here to keep you safe first and foremost.”

She nodded, surprisingly very nervous now that they were there. She’d been waiting for this to happen for days and no nerves had hit her.

Luke squeezed her hand. “It’s going to be okay,” he told her.

“I’m just worried about her and about what your father might have tempted her with,” she admitted. “What if his offer was better than ours?”

“I don’t think she took whatever it was. She wouldn’t still be here,” Ryker told her. “Besides, Matt said she has a job now so maybe she was already working on cleaning up.”

“Not only that, but I’d be willing to bet that Father played to her addiction instead of offering her a way out like we are. Means we are more compelling if she wants to get clean already.” Cade was staring straight ahead, watching people come and go from the shelter doors.

She nodded. Those were helpful, hopeful words that she might save Mary and ruin whatever plans that Mr. Hawkins had for them all.

“Luke,” Cade started. “I wanted to ask, and since we are all stuck here right now, I thought I’d go ahead. Do you want to change your name to match Catherine’s and mine, maybe before you two tie the knot?”

He looked shocked next to her, and it was her turn to squeeze his hand.

“I—” He cleared his throat. “I hadn’t considered it.”

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