Page 35 of Flirt

Mac looked over her shoulder into the hallway, then walked further into the room. “No one has to split up. Sami and Luna asked to share a room. So, they’re in a semi-private. And as for the kids, well...they can visit, too.”

“Look at you breaking the rules,” Devil said.

“Stuff it, Dev. But if you get busted, I have no qualms with throwing your asses under the bus and saying you snuck the kids in when I wasn’t looking,” Mac said matter-of-factly.

“Not sure that would work considering two of the kids are yours,” I brought up, then stuck my hands up when Mac’s head jerked in my direction, and she glared at me.

“How come grownups get to break the rules, but when kids do it, we get in trouble?” Paxton asked.

“Yeah!” Neely said.

I snorted and received another glare, this time from Bailey. “What? At least they’re in agreement. You should take it as a win.” Bailey rolled her eyes, and I chuckled.

“Don’t you want to see the babies? Sami and Luna are waiting to show them off,” Mac said. Neely and Paxton jumped up. Paxton’s question was forgotten, if only temporarily.

“She’s good,” I said only loud enough for Coast to hear.

“Geez, one of us has to be. Pax can drop some questions on you,” Coast said as we walked out of the waiting area and into the hallway. He and I brought up the rear of the group as we made our way to Sami and Luna’s room.

“Damn, Tracker is going to be tall,” I said when I noticed Tracker stood a good head taller than Mac while he walked beside her.

“Tell me about it. Already had to replace his jeans more than once.”

“Was it a big adjustment going from living by yourself to an instant family of four?” I asked but didn’t glance over at Coast. He and Mac made it look easy. Hell, all my brothers did.

“No. I wanted Mac and to make a family with her. And Paxton and Tracker were a bonus for both of us since we can’t have our own. But you know what? Even if Mac and I could have kids, we would have taken in Paxton and Tracker. Because honestly, in the short time they have been ours, I can’t imagine not having them as our sons and part of the family.” Coast’s heartfelt words had me turning my head to look at him. He shrugged. “When it’s right, brother, you don’t feel like you’ve given up anything. But you sure are aware of everything you’ve gained.”

Nothing else was said as we stopped as a group in front of a partially closed door. Mac pushed the door open, and everyone filed in. As the last to enter the room, I stopped in my tracks at the sight before me.

Gabriella stood across the room with her head bent, gazing down at the bundle of blue she held in her arms. I assumed it was one of Luna and Ghost’s sons since she was beside Luna’s bed.

I hadn’t expected her to beat me to the hospital. I had banked on it taking her longer because she wouldn’t want to wear the clothes to the hospital that she wore to Whispering Nights, which would have meant a stop at her home.

I had known when she texted me to cancel that it was to come to the hospital to see Sami and Luna. She’d gotten to know the women well even before we had gotten together. Especially since her daughter, Sawyer, was a friend of Ally’s and the two little girls spent a lot of time together.

I also knew everything would be out in the open with everyone. There was no way to avoid her here. I was surprised the secrecy had lasted this long. She had no clue who I was. My only regret was I didn’t get to tell her beforehand, and now it would be like ripping a Band-Aid off...on camera.

I rubbed the heel of my hand in the middle of my chest. If there had been a speck of doubt Gabriella wasn’t meant to be mine, it’d disappeared when I spotted her cooing and swaying with the baby in her arms. It solidified that she was the one I wanted everything with.

“No fucking way. You and Brie?” Coast’s voice jarred me out of my frozen state. His question and the nudge to my shoulder helped.

“What?” I looked over at him.

“You and Brie. How the hell have the two of you been able to keep this quiet?”

“Maybe because she doesn’t know I’m a part of the Black Hawk MC.” Later, I was sure I would laugh at Coast’s wide-eyed reaction.

“How is that possible? She has been to dinner at Sami and Speed’s house. Hell, she’s been to mine and Mac’s—” Coast stopped talking and stared at me. From the look on his face, I could tell he was working to put the pieces together. “You are never around when Brie is there. You always have some excuse.‘Going to work on the bikes a little longer.’And you stay in the garage working while she is at Sami’s. I had even invited you to dinner when Mac had her over, and you made some excuse about helping your dad. Why avoid her, brother? Why didn’t you just tell her?”

Thank God everyone else in the room was too busy talking and gushing over the babies to notice or hear Coast and me.

“At first, I honestly didn’t know who she was. It was only by chance we’d never run into each other around town or when she was on the compound. Once I had figured out who she was...I was in too deep. I needed her to trust me with more than her body, Coast. I was giving her the time to do that on her own. I’ll admit I’ve let everything go on too long. I was planning to tell her. Fuck, I’m an asshole. Even the day you all sent my dad by, he told me I messed up, and if I wanted a chance with her, I had better open up.” I rubbed my fingers across my forehead.

What the fuck had I been thinking all this time? Time wasted. My need to be in charge and keep control had clouded my judgment.

“Christ, she was the one you were talking about the first night I brought Mac to my house. You said you had found a new reason to keep going to Whispering Nights. For fuck’s sake, the others and I have wondered what has been going on with you. We thought you were pulling away because you felt like the odd man out when we all get together. Boy, were we ever wrong? Then the out-of-character outburst in the garage, hell, we’d been right, it was because of a woman.” Coast shook his head and then grinned.

“I’m not sure why you’re grinning. Gabriella is going to be pissed once she notices me.”

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