Page 35 of Securing the Odds

“I think so.”

“Then let me clarify so there’re no misunderstandings.” One of his hands skimmed up her back, stopping at her nape. “I love you. Knew it two years ago and I’m damn certain of it now.”

Her body felt like a big pile of goo, melting into him. Placing one hand on his chest, the other cupping his jaw, she asked, “How do I say, ‘I love you, too,’ in sign language?”

Happiness sparked his eyes, and a smile tipped his lips. “You kiss me.”

Epilogue

Two Years Later

Standing at the bathroom counter,Tammy stared down at the test in her hand, waiting for the result to show. Her stomach was in knots as it was every month she found herself in the same situation.

Three minutes that felt like a lifetime.

She’d been off birth control for well over a year, and while she’d known she wouldn’t get pregnant overnight, she hadn’t thought it would take so long, either.

A fact that had her worrying.

She glanced at the timer on her cell phone—thirty seconds to go. She closed her eyes and counted them down in her head.

Three…

Two…

One…

She waited a beat then slowly opened her eyes. The result became blurry as her eyes welled, one tear escaping and then two, and then several wetting her cheeks. Her throat clogged with a sob as she fisted the plastic stick and bowed her head.

Hands gently gripped her shoulders and heat hit her back as her husband’s gruff voice whispered in her ear, “It’s okay, baby. We’ll keep trying. It’ll happen.”

The sob she’d been holding in check escaped at his soft words, and the hands on her shoulders morphed into two strong arms wrapping around her middle.

She violently shook her head, too overcome with emotion to do anything more than lift her head and beam at Jake in the mirror, issuing a croaked, “We’re pregnant,” while holding the test up for him to see.

His eyes widened before the arms hugging her became hands spanning her stomach and the mouth by her ear whispered, “My baby’s gonna have my baby?”

Lightheaded and giddy, a laugh escaped, and she spun in Jake’s arms, hers going up to wrap around his neck. “And you’re going to be a daddy.”

His head dipped, his lips a breath away from hers. “I love you.”

She got up on her tip toes and kissed him—which in sign language meant,I love you, too.

“Push!”

Tammy glared between her legs at the doctor before taking a deep breath and bearing down with all her strength. She wasn’t sure how much more she had left in her, but she drew on the strong presence at her back.

“You’re doing good, momma, almost done.” Jake kissed her temple and she leaned into his chest, closing her eyes. “I know you’re tired, baby, but it won’t be much longer.”

“One more good push should do it, Tammy.”

Jake helped her sit up and with a loud grunt, using all her energy, she pushed.

“It’s a boy.” After that announcement a loud cry filled the room. “With a nice set of lungs.”

Body feeling weightless, she fell back against Jake.

He swept her sweat-dampened hair from her face and kissed her lips. “Thank you.”

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