Page 138 of Three of a Kind

The tech laughs. “Yeah, I’m not having any trouble.” She points around at a couple of things, and Dr. Garza nods.

“It’s a boy.” He grins. “Congratulations.”

My heart skips a beat.

Holy shit.

I had a strong feeling that this baby wasn’t going to be another girl.

I’m not sure why, but I swear, I felt it. It’s what fueled my anxiety and my nightmares.

“A boy?” Maverick grins at me upside down. “Hey, that’s awesome.”

I nod and breathe through the panic.

It only takes another second for me to remember.

Avan is dead.

He can’t hurt any of us.

“You’re going to have a baby brother,” Noble says.

“Okay,” Libby replies.

Gunner squats down at my side and gets close to my ear. “Are you okay?”

I grin. “I’m really grateful we found out. Now, we can go full pirate theme.”

“I’m so excited,” Maverick says, pulling out his phone. “Libby’s stuff should be here later this week. Their shipping is pretty fast. Should I go ahead and buy the pirate ship crib?”

I snort, shaking my head. “Let’s save that for when he moves to a toddler bed. I think I’ll feel safer with him in a standard crib.”

“Me too,” Dr. Garza says. “But everything looks great.”

My heart soars.

A healthy baby is all I hoped for.

Noble wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his chest as we sit in the mom-and-pop-style restaurant. “I know you’ve worried a lot about having a boy. How are you feeling?”

I smile, shaking my head. “Like I’m going to need practice changing his diapers without getting peed on. Libby even got me a few times when she was a newborn. Mostly when I was half-delirious from sleep deprivation and didn’t get the new diaper on quick enough.”

“I will help,” Libby says, stretching over to kiss my cheek.

“You’re already a great helper,” Gunner says, pulling her over into his lap.

“You’re going to have support this time,” Noble says close to my ear.

“I know.” I smile at Maverick across from me in the round booth. He’s been distracted with his phone. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s planning out all the crap he’s going to buy for the pirate-themed nursery.

“Did you breastfeed Libby?” Noble asks.

My head shakes. “I did try, but it wasn’t something that came naturally to me. I didn’t have any help, and since Avan was paying, it was easier to switch to formula.”

“Is that the route you want to go this time?” Noble runs his fingers down my side. “One of my moms is a doula. It’s just an option, but no pressure. One of my sisters turned her down, and there were no hard feelings.”

Wow.

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