Page 109 of Knocked Up by my Best Friend's Brothers

“What? You’re kidding,” River replies. “This is a really nice vintage.”

“I stole it from our family’s wine reserve.” Teagan chuckles like the mischievous teenager she used to be. “Daddy would approve, though. It’s a special occasion. Come on, loosen up, sister! Yourwonderful staff can handle the actual business side today.”

“It’s not that,” I say, my voice soft as I cradle my belly. I’m nowhere close to showing yet, but Nathan picks up on my gesture.

“You’re kidding!” he gasps.

I shake my head. “No, sir. It’s not a joke.”

“Wait, what?” Cassius blurts out.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Whoa!” Teagan exhales sharply, her hazel eyes as round as saucers. “Get out of town! You’re pregnant?”

“According to the four pregnancy tests I took over the past couple of days, yes,” I laugh lightly as I carefully gauge my husbands’ reactions.

For a moment, I’m worried, though I know I shouldn’t be. We’ve been talking about this for a while, and we agreed that we wanted Willow to grow up as blessed as they were, with siblings and a big, healthy, happy family.

“This day just keeps getting better and better,” Cassius finally says, then swoops in and wraps me in his strong arms. “Mrs. Hawthorne, you’ve been quite productive lately!”

“And you insist on making us even happier,” River adds, joining the huddle.

Nathan comes in last and plants a long, burning kiss on my lips. “The best news I’ve heard all day,” he whispers in my ear.

“Did you hear that, Willow?” Cassius tells our daughter. “You’re going to get a baby brother.”

“Or sister,” I say.

She’s too young to register what’s happening, but she’s perfectly happy to mirror our joy and excitement—and by the gods, she looks so beautiful and bright when she’s happy with us, for us. Teagan hugs me next, then gives her brothers a long, pensive look.

“Which one of you is responsible for round two, then?”

“We’re not sure. We never tested Willow’s DNA,” I say. “Honestly, I don’t really care.”

“We share everything, including the paternal responsibility,” Cassius replies, beaming with pride as he takes Willow out of her chair and brings her close. “We share the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

“And we share the love,” I add, shining from within as I look around.

I thank the heavens for bringing me here, for putting the Hawthorne men in front of me as a guiding light out of the darkness. This is more than I could’ve asked for, and somehow, I have a feeling there’s more joy to come.

Epilogue I

Christa

“Maybe we should’ve waited until the baby was born,” I mutter as I stare at myself in the mirror.

The bridal gown falls beautifully around me, a sea of white lace sprinkled with pearls. The top hugs my breasts and covers my arms in the finest satin with an embroidered gold pattern that makes me feel like a princess straight out of a fairy tale.

Teagan stands beside me, trying so hard not to cry. She’s pretty in her cherry-pink dress, glowing with joy for me and my special day. My belly is huge, though. I had imagined myself in a different setting—and not pregnant. But we skipped a few steps in our already-complicated relationship.

“Christa, you are absolutely gorgeous,” Teagan says.

I chuckle. “Preggo bridal chic?”

“I’d say goddess in white.”

“Ah,” I gasp, cradling my giant bump, “kicking again.”

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