Page 79 of Resilient Rhythms
Her mouth drops open and her eyes shine with emotions. “Maverick, I don’t know what to say.”
“Tell me I can move in,” I quip, smirking. “If you’re ready, if you want me to, because I sure as hell want to raise our baby together.”
A tear spills onto her cheek and she sniffles, then laughs. “It’s the hormones.”
“I know.” I move to her side of the table and kneel beside her chair. “Tell me how you want to decorate the nursery,” I continue. “And if we need a swimming pool or a swing set in the backyard.”
She sobs now, disbelief and joy welling in her eyes.
“Tell me we’re a family and this is for real,” I plead.
Mckenna stands from her chair and I push to my feet. She throws her arms around my waist and buries her face in my chest. I wrap her in my arms and hold her as she half sobs, half laughs.
She pulls back to wipe a hand across her face. “I can’t believe you bought me a house. All this time, I thought you would invite me to move in and instead…”
“Can I move in?”
“Of course. We’re a family, Mav.”
“We are, love.” I brush my fingers along the line of her jaw, lowering my lips to hers. “And our baby will always come first.”
“Always,” she promises, her eyes holding mine. And then, she beams. “I have so many vision boards for the nursery. I’ll have to talk to Jeannie.”
I grin. “I was wondering why you hadn’t brought it up.”
“Well, it’s still early.” She glances down at her flat stomach. “I didn’t want to jinx anything.”
“You’re not.”
“And the case with Bran is still uncertain. It’s just hanging over our heads.”
“It will get sorted. He’ll be dealt with. And we won’t stop living our lives in the meantime,” I reply, my tone even but firm.
“You’re right.”
“Say that again.”
She rolls her eyes. “I want to turn that little corner room next to the bathroom into the nursery. Unless you want it as an office?”
I laugh. “I don’t need an office. Let’s make it our nursery.”
“We don’t know if we’re having a baby boy or girl,” she says. “It’s still too early.”
“We can go with a gender-neutral theme.”
She pulls in a breath. “I want to find out the sex of the baby.”
“Then we find out the sex of the baby.”
“Really? Is that what you want?” she asks, her fingers toying with the hem of my shirt.
“Beauty, when are you going to realize that all I want is to see you smile? I want whatever you want. We’ll find out the baby’s sex and create the most perfect nursery.”
“I still think that should be gender neutral.”
I chuckle. “Great.” I kiss the top of her head.
Mckenna wraps her arms around my waist and we stand like that, rocking gently, for a long moment.
