Page 28 of Stone

I meant it as a joke, but Shaw took me seriously. “I’m sure Molly and Dahlia can get a wedding organized for us that quickly with the help of the other old ladies.”

“I was being held hostage only four hours ago,” my mom grumbled. “There is no chance I’ll be ready to walk my baby down the aisle to you by tomorrow.”

“Take a little more time, but not too much,” Shaw offered. “I’m not gonna wait long to make the woman I love my wife.”

“Love?” I echoed, pressing trembling fingers to my lips.

“I can’t fucking believe I forgot to give you those three little words while I proposed.” He brushed his lips against mine. “It didn’t go how I planned, but I was thrown off by the possibility that your mom was gonna convince you to leave with her.”

“That was never going to happen, Shaw.” I stroked my palms up his chest before twining my arms around his neck. “I love you too much to ever leave you.”

“Thank fuck,” he rasped, claiming my mouth in a deep kiss that had everyone from the Iron Rogues cheering while my momshook her head with a laugh. “Because I love you so damn much, baby.”

EPILOGUE

BRITTA

It was amazing the difference one year had made in my life. My mom was healthy and happily single. We lived in Tennessee now. And I was pregnant with my husband’s baby—due any day now, in fact.

One thing hadn’t changed, though. I didn’t expect anything special for my birthday. Except maybe to give birth to our baby girl. But I hadn’t felt a single twinge all day. Not even having lots of sex with Shaw this morning had helped.

“What’s that pout for, baby?” Shaw tugged at the bottom lip I had puffed out. “Are you not feeling up to going out for dinner?”

The orgasms he had given me this morning weren’t the only present I had gotten today. Although Shaw hadn’t gone totally overboard, he had made me breakfast in bed. That, along with a pretty bouquet and the diamond pendant that matched my engagement ring had made today the best birthday I’d ever had.

“Nope, I’m good.” I patted my rounded belly. “Maybe if I eat something super spicy, I’ll finally go into labor.”

“I never should’ve let you read my pregnancy books,” he muttered.

Shaw had bought just about every book on the market when we found out that I was carrying his baby. I’d wanted to light them on fire because what he read had only made him even more overprotective, but when I got frustrated over not being dilated at all during my doctor’s appointment a few days ago, I checked each one of them for advice on how to induce labor naturally.

Nothing helped. Not the red raspberry leaf tea I drank last night, or the nipple stimulation and sex. “Our daughter is proving to be as stubborn as her daddy.”

“She’ll come out when she’s ready.”

Since that was what he always said when I complained, I just shook my head with a sigh. Glancing out the window of the SUV he bought the day after my positive pregnancy test, I drew my brows together. “I thought we were going to my favorite Mexican restaurant?”

“Just gotta stop at the clubhouse for a minute. We’ll be in and out in a jiffy.”

I didn’t question his explanation because it wasn’t unusual for him to need to pick up paperwork from his office there after we moved into our house. There were several motorcycles parked in front of the clubhouse when we pulled up, but that was normal too.

Shaw must have counted on me needing to pee to get me inside—which was a safe assumption since our baby girl liked to bounce on my bladder. When we walked in the door, the entire front area was full of friends and family, who all yelled, “Surprise!”

“Oh my gosh,” I squealed, stunned to see the place decorated with streamers and balloons. “Is this all for me?”

“Damn straight.” Shaw gave me a quick kiss before beaming a smile at me. “I couldn’t let my wife’s birthday pass by without doing something extra special.”

“Thank you,” I gasped before my mom rushed over to give me a hug.

“Anything to make you happy, baby,” he murmured in the rush of people who followed her, staying by my side.

“I can’t believe Izzy is here too,” I cried after everyone finished greeting us. The last time I saw her was on my wedding day, but we talked on the phone all the time now that the danger to my mom and me had passed. “How did you pull all of this off without me knowing?”

“I had a lot of help. Wasn’t sure about throwing you a surprise party with you being so close to your due date, but all the old ladies told me that I was being ridiculous,” he murmured, pulling me against his side.

Tilting my head back to smile at him, I asked, “Did they actually say ridiculous?”

“Only your mom.” He shook his head with a laugh. “The other old ladies said some shit along the lines of me being an overprotective, macho, alpha male.”

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