Page 136 of Love You Like That (Excess All Areas 4)

“I’ll go tell the label we’re leaving.” Ben shoved his chair back from the table and weaved his way to the bar.

Willow reached out her arm and gripped Alex’s thigh and he winced as her nails dug into his skin. “Shit. This hurts different to how I was expecting.”

Nan smoothed Willow’s hair back from her face. “You’ll be in the best hands in about five minutes. I know you have that plan you want to follow, but no woman should ever feel guilty about the choices they make during this terrifyingly wonderful moment. Whatever you do, sweet girl, you’re strong enough to see you and Cletus through this. Just make choices that bring the two of you through it safely, okay?” Nan turned to Luke. “And you, don’t fuck it up.”

Alex burst out laughing. “Harsh, Nan.”

Luke’s jaw dropped. “Why does Willow get a lovely speech, and I get told off without having done anything?”

Nan gently placed her hand on Willow’s stomach and raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t done anything? You’re stood there looking for cute words from me when the mother of your baby is getting ready to push out your child.”

“Nan has a point,” Jase said. “Let’s get Willow outside. Like, does fresh air help.”

Willow levelled him with a glare. “I’m pretty certain fresh air will not help this one bit.”

Once the cars were booked, enough for all of them, Zoe made her way to his side. “This throws our plans for tonight out of the window,” he said. “Although I think I’m maybe too drunk for outdoor sex.”

Zoe grinned. “You are and it does. But these plans are better.”

Ten hours later, after cheap hospital coffee and chocolate bars from vending machines, Alex stood by the window overlooking the car park. They’d not seen or heard from Luke for over an hour. Silently, he sent words out into the universe. That the baby was healthy. That Willow came through as unscathed as possible. That the birth had been as calm and gentle as it could be.

He hoped that was how it would be when it was his and Zoe’s turn. That his family would wait with them. That’s he’d be a great birth partner for Zoe. There wasn’t a shred of doubt in his mind that she’d be fierce.

“What are you thinking about?” Zoe signed.

“You and me. And this. We jumped straight to moving in together and I never stopped to ask an important question. I want kids. Desperately want them. Three if we can. But I never asked if you want them too.”

His heart began to beat faster, slightly praying for the answer he wanted. Terrified of the outcome if she didn’t.

“I love you,” she signed. “And I want kids, too. But can we wait?”

Relief flooded him. Time they had. “Yes.”

“Don’t you want to know how long?”

Alex shook his head. “Nope. Just as long as we’re on the same page that we’ll have them. Do you have a timeline in mind?”

“I graduate next summer. And I’d love to play for a couple of years before I think about it.”

“We’ve got the world tour next year. And a house to find. Then we get to enjoy it, just the two of us for a while. I like it. Then we can have them in the two or three years after that.”

Zoe smiled at him. “Did we just build a five-year plan on no sleep, fuelled only by nasty hospital coffee?”

Alex cupped her cheek. “I think we did.”

“Speaking of big questions. Are we getting married?” Zoe asked.

“Legally? Yes. Traditionally? No. I don’t belong in a church.”

Zoe laughed. “Okay.”

“You need my proposal on the timeline, or can I surprise you?”

“What if I want to propose?”

“Steady, Rocky. Let me be traditional about that one thing.”

“Okay.”

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