Page 123 of Love in Fine Print

“I still can’t believe there’s two of them in there,” I said as I rubbed my stomach. Because of the risks of multiple births at my age, we’d had an amnio done that told us we were having a boy and a girl. “One of each.”

“You always have to be an overachiever,” he teased.

I chuckled.

“Did your mom move her stuff in?” Ben asked.

“She’s right next door,” I said with a sigh.

He just stared into the phone with his ‘serious’ look. Ben had insisted on my mom staying in the house with me while he was at training camp and also when he was at away games during the season. Even though I thought it was ridiculous, since she literally lived next door, I’d agreed. I knew how worried he was about the pregnancy, especially since the last time he’d left town, he’d come home to find me in the hospital, which he never let me forget.

“Yes, she did.”

“And have you heard from Jake?”

Jake was starting his first official day at TTT Security. His internship had gone so well he’d been offered a full-timeposition. I might have got him in the door, but he was killing it all on his own.

“Yes. He’s going to come for dinner tomorrow to celebrate. Mom’s making his favorite.”

“Lasagna?” Ben questioned.

“Yep.”

I wasn’t sure how it had happened, but we’d all become one big dysfunctional family. Me, Trevor, Jake, my mom, and Ben. We had dinner together at least once a week. My mom and Trevor went shopping at the Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning. Jake and I had started taking pottery classes. We both loved creating things with our hands. I think I got it from my dad.

I never knew life could be this happy, this easy. I knew there were definitely going to be some changes once the little ones arrived, but I felt so lucky and blessed knowing that they were going to be surrounded by so many people who loved them.

We’d already decided that we were going to name our son Michael Bradshaw Whitaker after my dad and Elizabeth Pearl Whitaker. Pearl after Ben’s Gran, and Elizabeth after Bailey’s middle name.

“I miss you.” Ben’s deep voice dropped an octave, and the low timber sent a shiver of delight down my spine. The man didn’t even need to be in the room to turn me on.

“I miss you, too.” I smiled, trying to put on a brave face and be strong, but inside I felt like crying. As happy as I was that Ben was going to be playing again, which was truly what he was born to do, I had to admit the thought of him being gone was really hard. “But you’ll be home before we know it.”

He shook his head. “No, I won’t.”

My smile widened. “No, you won’t.”

“Whitaker!” someone shouted loudly in the background.

His head turned, and he lifted his hand, indicating he’d be right there. “I gotta go angel. I’ll call you after practice.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, Olivia Bradshaw-Whitaker.”

“I love you, Ben Bradshaw-Whitaker.”

Ben had surprised me by changing his name to Bradshaw-Whitaker at the same time I hyphenated mine. The man was constantly finding new ways to make me fall deeper in love with him.

The phone disconnected, and I took a deep breath as tears began to pool in my eyes. I never would have dreamed that this would be my life. I was married to an NFL player, having twins, and running a matchmaking service. I was going to be one of the families living in the Victorian homes that I’d stared at from my bench. Every dream I’d ever had, and some I didn’t know I had, had come true. A lot of women said they wanted the fairytale, but my life was better than any fairytale because it was real.

When I walked back into the ballroom, I saw Trevor and Bailey huddled together in the corner, whispering about something conspiratorially.

“What did I miss?” I asked as I joined them.

“He’s here,” Bailey whispered.

“Who’s here.”

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