“How much longer?”

Evan chuckles but glances at his watch. “Not for another hour.”

“God, I’m going to go insane. Can’t we just do it now and get it out of the way?”

Julia gasps. “No way!”

If it weren’t her first kid, she’d understand the pain I feel right now. Once you have a son, you can’t help but hope that the next one will be a little girl.

My husband is convinced pink confetti will come out of the cannons Kenzie got for us, but the old wives' tales have proved me otherwise.

“Maybe I should take you inside and release some of that tension,” Evan whispers into my ear, making sure no one else can hear him.

I shiver in response, then step away from him. “Uh uh, Goldie.”

He winks before tugging me back against him, his eyes following Liam’s frame around the yard as he runs around excitedly. “He’s thrilled to be a big brother.”

That is an understatement.

When I bought the crib for the baby, Liam frowned at it and asked, But how will I fit in there, too?

My heart burst with happiness, but I quickly explained that he wouldn’t be able to sleep with his brother or sister for quite some time. He didn’t appreciate that and has been begging me to get a bigger bed for him to fit into it.

I can’t wait to watch him with the new baby.

***

EVAN

As soon as Mia comes up to my side an hour later, on the dot, I chuckle as she tugs me in the direction of Kenzie standing on the far side of the lawn. Julia is calmly walking with Brent, a hand placed over her growing belly with a smile on her face, and I can’t help but smile at the image.

A year ago, I never would’ve expected to be here.

I also hadn’t expected to be shot.

Finding out Mack, our former manager, was stalking me is something I still haven’t been able to get over. Mia does her best to help me through the tough times. I find her hand and give it a squeeze, even though she’s acting like this gender reveal is a life-or-death situation.

That’s what I love about her, though.

While I was recovering in the hospital, I told my mom what my plan was, and she was over the moon about it. She knew that I’d eventually find someone to love, even if it wasn’t in the time frame she had hoped, and she was more than eager to provide input to me as I shopped for rings online.

A few months later, Mia and I got married on the beach outside my vacation home with only my parents, Liam and Kenzie in attendance.

Today, though, we’ve invited all of our friends and family along.

My mother is sitting in a chair closer to our section, where the cannons are resting on a small table in front of a pink and blue banner, and she chuckles as Mia rushes past her. She knows as well as I do how eager Mia has been to know the gender of our baby.

When we finally come to a stop in front of the cannons, I have to keep a strong hold on Mia so she doesn’t get any bright ideas to set one of them off before Kenzie gives her the go-ahead. Liam is bouncing happily next to us, his eyes shining with nothing but love for his baby sibling, and my heart warms at the sight.

This is everything I could’ve ever wanted and more.

With Mia’s security firm taking off and Raising Havoc touring less frequently, we’ve created a balance that works well for our family. It hasn’t been an easy road, but seeing Liam’s eyes brighten when he watches me get up on stage and being home for dinner most nights makes it all worthwhile.

Julia and Brent finally get to their section, where they will be popping balloons, and that’s when Mallory nods toward Kenzie.

Kenzie sighs, then looks at Mia and winks. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Mia snatches one of the cannons and eagerly waits for me to pick up my own. She doesn’t know that my mother walked up to me a few days ago and swore that Mia is having a girl. I’m not sure how she knows, but I’ve learned to trust her instincts, and I know my wife is going to be happy when pink confetti falls around us.