Page 139 of Driven Daddy

She nodded. “Maybe.” She laughed and it came out with a little hiccup. “Probably.”

“Then let’s check.” I lowered my hand from her belly to her hand. “Together.”

She dabbed at her cheeks and eyes with the back of her other hand, and then she straightened her shoulders. “You do it.”

I curled her into me with an arm around her, and then I let her hand go and peeled back the stretch of paper towel to where the trio of tests were lined up. “You really wrapped them up tight.”

She laughed. “I was afraid to cross-contaminate.”

I didn’t want to think about the part that would give us the results. But if I was a dad, I was going to have to get used to all kinds of things.

I peeled back the second layer and a big ol’ plus sign was the first thing I saw.

She hid her face in my chest. “Just tell me quick.”

“Open your eyes, Duchess.”

She leaned forward and that hand was back on her mouth. This time, there was a laugh. “Well, wow.”

“Wow is about it.” I tipped my head against hers. “You know, I’m beginning to think the Cove curse is more like one big prophecy.”

She shot me a look. “What?”

“When two people meet in this town, there’s a baby created between a lot of them. But maybe it’s just a version of cementing a new life.”

“Isn’t that what babies are—you know, beyond the whole propagating the species.”

He snorted. “I like mine better. Because there was always a part of me who wished for you. For someone who understood me inside and out.”

“Me too,” she whispered. “You let me be me without any judgment. I’ve never had that.”

“Except that first minute.” I winced.

“You can’t be perfect, Penn. I wouldn’t believe you were mine if you were.”

I hauled her into me. “I am yours, Duchess. Just like you’re mine.”

EPILOGUE

Rita

Pregnancy had changeda lot of things in my life, most importantly my relationship with a certain city.

I grinned up at my baby daddy as I swung our linked hands between us. We’d decided to take a trip into the city before the holidays were in full swing. My favorite thing about New York City was the holiday windows.

Penn indulged me with a walk down 5th Avenue despite the crush of people standing in front of Saks for their colorful display, which included stripes of white and blue, plus the current addition of musical accompaniment that changed every year.

“I remember when I first moved here, Saks was simply wreaths and swags of lights on every window. Look at it now.”

He kissed my temple. “Sometimes I miss the vintage Christmas New York City always did exceptionally well. Not that I don’t enjoy the new, but the quiet traditions are pretty great too. As you saw with my mom and dad’s house.”

I laughed. “JoAnn loves that you’re home this year to help with the decorating extravaganza. Your dad has nothing on the Griswolds.”

“He grumbles about the electric bill every year, but then he buys even more lights.” He draped his arm around my shoulders, and I caught him glancing at his watch again.

“Somewhere to be?”

Penn shrugged. “Just getting hungry.”

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