Page 85 of The Run Home
Fuck, yes. Finally.
I slid the ring on her finger before she fully got the word out, then stood, instantly pulling her into my arms and kissing her like I had no intention of stopping. She sighed into my mouth and I realized I’d never get tired of her making that little noise. I’d heard it a lot in the dark when I’d sneak over and slide into her bed and her body, but I wanted to hear it a lot more in the full light of the day. By the time I pulled back, her cheeks were pink and there was a dazed look in her eyes that made me feel like some kind of hero. Mostly, it made me feel likehersfinally, and that was the only way I wanted to feel.
Shae’s gaze dropped to her hand on my chest, the light coming in from the garage door windows making it sparkle. “Were you afraid I’d say no?” she teased, knowing full well she’d said no the first few times I’d asked her and that her saying no again was a high probability. “Sorry, too soon for that joke?”
I drilled my finger into her ribs, right where I knew she was ticklish, and she yelped. “I want everyone in town to know you’re mine from at least a mile away.”
I leaned down and plucked another kiss from her lips and then bent down to kiss her belly. I couldn’t wait to tell our sonhe’d kicked me during my marriage proposal to his mother. Shae ran her fingers through my hair.
“I don’t mean to ruin the moment, but I kind of have to pee,” Shae whispered, shifting on her feet. “Do you have any idea how we get out of this garage?”
I leaped into action, trying both locked doors before going in search of the safety pull that would open the rolling garage door. Once that was up, we spotted Mom and the rest of my family at the end of the long driveway in their cars, staring at us through their windshields. Shae snorted a laugh. I grabbed her hand and held it in the air. They cheered and honked their horns, seeing the diamond sparkling on her finger.
“Told you this can be spotted a mile away,” I said, just to see her roll her eyes again. Then I rushed her to the front door and opened it so she could get to the bathroom.
Kinsley was the first to reach me as they pulled back up the driveway, throwing her arms around my neck with a squeal that made my ears rings. “Congrats!”
I hugged her back, watching the others flood back into the house behind her. “Thanks for your assist.”
Tatum watched us hug, keeping a respectful distance, which normally I would have appreciated. But not today. I pulled my arm out from Kinsley’s bear hug and pulled him into the hug. He looked startled at first, but then relaxed into the group hug. The kid was a good one, and while I’d never fully trust any man around my daughter, I could cut him some slack now and then. “Thanks for both of your help, guys.”
Mom clapped her hands, breaking us apart before it could get too awkward. She pulled her glasses off the top of her head and shoved them onto her face, looking like a drill sergeant ready to bark out orders. “We got a baby shower to host, folks! To your stations!”
Shae came back in the room, looking adorably pregnant and engaged. Why was that waddle thing she’d developed recently so dang cute? “Wait. There’s really a shower?”
Mom put her hands on Shae’s shoulders. “Sweetie, your mama asked me a question not long before she went downhill. She asked that I always take care of you like one of my own, and I hope I’ve done that over the years. And now you’re about to be my daughter for real! You’re damn right I’m throwing you a baby shower.”
I watched Shae’s eyes flood with tears. I knew what it meant to have family rally around her when she felt quite alone after her parents died in close succession. I’d seen through Shae’s eyes what it was like to be an only child, and I’d purposely isolated my own daughter from her own family, a truly stupid move I was still trying to rectify.
“Thank you,” Shae managed as Mom threw her arms around her shoulders and rocked her side to side.
“You can just think of me as a bonus mom.”
Kinsley, not one to be left out of the fun, joined the ladies’ group hug. “I happen to know bonus moms are pretty awesome.”
Of course, that just made Shae cry harder, blubbering something about the damn hormones making her emotional. If that was true, I didn’t know what my issue was, because my eyes were welling up too.
The hug eventually broke up and Mom started tossing out directions. We all jumped into action and got the place decorated and more food and drinks put out. Before long, neighbors, friends, and coworkers started showing up, each with some sort of gift in their hands. The HAGS showed up in a rush of hugs and air kisses for my fiancée, along with a heavy-looking gift they managed to get inside the house. I offered to help, but Lydia and Fifi gave me a look that said they didn’t need a man’s help. Hattie and Rosemary sidled up on either side of meand asked about my weight-lifting routine, oblivious to their two friends struggling alone with the gift.
After disentangling myself from the ladies, I swiftly moved to Shae’s side and ensured she got rest and food when she needed it. She was overwhelmed by so many people coming out to celebrate our son, and frankly, I was too. I’d been so quick to leave this town, and now that I was back, they’d welcomed me again with open arms. Not because of my celebrity status or the World Series win under my belt, but because the Wolfes had always been a part of the Blueball fabric.
Dad’s dying wish for us boys to come home had ensured we always would be.
Kinsley’s was the last gift to be opened. Shae told her she didn’t need to get us anything, but she said she wanted to. Her devious smile told me it might not be a gift I’d like. I ripped into the paper and pulled out two shirts. The first was a T-shirt that saidWorld’s Best Volleyball Coach, which was clearly for Shae. The second was a T-shirt with more of a drawing. I held it up and examined it. Then I had to clear my throat and cough my way through a rush of emotions so strong I thought for sure I must be pregnant too.
The T-shirt had a stick figure of a girl, with the wordsBig Sisterunder it. Next to the stick figure was a plump little baby with the wordsLittle Brother. And above all that was the phraseWorld’s Best Father.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Shae
“You good?”Boon grunted, his hands on my hips. The hips that had so much extra padding he was breathing hard these days moving me around. My elbows sank into the quilt as I bent over, my belly resting on the bed. Boon was behind me, my dress flipped up and my panties around my ankles. Third trimester horniness was a real thing. Sadly, there weren’t many positions I could get into any longer with this belly.
He slid inside me and we both groaned. “Goddamn, why is this so fuckin’ good?” he growled.
“Don’t know. Keep moving,” I panted, chasing that release. Orgasms were magic. For a short period of time, they distracted me from the Braxton-Hicks contractions and the general uncomfortableness of being pregnant. We were supposed to be in here getting lunch while his mom got hers next door, not fucking like horny rabbits, but here we were.
Boon pulled back and slid back in, not as rough as he’d been with me in the past, but enough to scratch my itch. His rhythm picked up pace and soon the room was filled with the soundsof flesh slapping together. I got there first, going up on my toes to get that perfect angle that sent me flying over the edge. My elbows gave out and the mattress swallowed my cries of pleasure. Boon followed right after, his grunt music to my ears. He pulled out quickly and crouched to right my panties, taking time to shove his release back inside me before helping me up.
