Page 54 of Storm's Embrace

He grimaced. “You didn’t say anything.”

She shrugged. “I didn’t want to until I was sure. And since the test was negative anyhow…” She smiled up at him. “I went to my OB just to make sure and had a quantitative blood test done. Christie from her office just called.” She took in a deep breath. “I’m definitely pregnant.”

Miriam quickly found herself pressed against every inch of Eli’s body as he squeezed her in a tight hug, before he loosened his hold enough to swoop in for a kiss just as the door chimed.

She grinned against his lips and then pulled herself away from him. “Leave it to Leah to be early at a time like this.”

“Do you mind if I join you two?” He ran his hands down her arms.

“I’d love that,” she said as he let her go and went to his desk. “But let’s wait to tell her and the rest of the family until after we tell Zoë.”

He smiled up at her from straightening his desk. “Agreed.”

“We’ll see you in a minute then,” she said as she turned away. She went back into her office and pulled his door almost closed behind her, expecting to see Leah. But she wasn’t sitting there waiting on her.

Maybe she’d stopped to use the bathroom. She chuckled. Her sister had the bladder of a bird. She took a quick glance down the hallway and tensed.

An unfamiliar, hulking man was making his way toward her office, his expression harried and clothes unkempt, as he stopped and went inside one of the exam rooms.

She took a few cautious steps forward into the hall, but stopped when he came out of the room and skewered his red-rimmed gaze on her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, attempting a smile as the other man’s glowering stare held hers. “We’re closed. Can I help you?”

“I want to know where my family is.” He lifted his right hand, the black metal of a gun glinting under the overhead lights. “Now.”

14

Eli pausedafter he put his files away and stood stock still behind his desk, still hardly able to breathe properly, as Miriam’s words continued to sink in.

“We’re having a baby.”

He sat down and glanced at the picture on his desk of him and Miriam and Zoë taken at a recent local food fair.

His family.

But one that would soon be growing.

After losing Josie and Matthew, he’d never imagined he would ever be this happy again. That he would have a woman he would love, and not just one child, but now two, to make his life even more complete.

“I’m a lucky man.”

He glanced at his door. Now to convince Miriam to set a wedding date within the next few weeks. It wasn’t something they’d discussed in too much detail yet, but now…

He grinned. Now he needed everything to be official. He wanted Miriam for his wife and Zoë legally his. His gaze went back to Zoë’s laughing image. It was a shame, but he was thankful her father had relinquished all custody of his daughter over to Miriam in the divorce. Because the other man’s foolishness was Eli’s gain. He was now going to have the privilege of being a dad to the most amazing little girl he’d ever met.

“Eli.”

He frowned at Miriam’s strained tone calling out to him. Then he quickly stood and rushed to the door and swung it open.

“What’s wr—”

“This is your fault.”

He froze in the doorway, his heart nearly stopping at the sight of a trembling Miriam being held in front of a large man with a gun pressed into her side.

“Okay,” Eli said, slowly moving into Miriam’s office with his hands out to his sides and slightly up. His pulses pounded in his ears as his mind raced.

This can’t be happening again.

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