Page 53 of Eye of Her Storm

“Happy?” Seth asked, hours later after they’d said goodbye to the last person and waved as they’d driven off. Apparently, it had been the guys’ plan to distract her on the way to the house earlier, and it had worked. She hadn’t seen all the cars parked in the field behind the house! Her paranoia had helped their plan along, though it had scared the crap out of them, too. They’d known they had a houseful waiting for them, and they were driving up with a crying woman who thought they didn’t want to be with her anymore.

Now, she felt a little foolish about her outburst.

She glanced at her ring, three shades of gold braided together to make one circle. Seth and Tai each sported heavier versions of the same, and it felt completely right to her that they wore the mark of belonging to her—and each other, the different colors representing each of them.

“Happier than I’ve ever been,” she sighed, leaning back into them.

“You don’t mind that you didn’t have the perfect dress?”

“No, we were perfect as we were. I always wanted simple. And I love the dress you picked for me.”

Tai wrapped his arms tight around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. “You’re ours now.”

“Always have been. I just didn’t want to admit. Then it seemed like it was too late.”

Seth bumped her shoulder. “It looks like life has a whole lot more in store for you. Including a honeymoon you tried to get out of. Nice try.”

“Tried to get out of?” she laughed. “I don’t remember it that way.”

“Yep. No escaping for you now,” Tai declared, scooping her over his shoulder and carrying her inside. “C’mon, wife. Let’s got out of the cold, and get you warmed up.”

Seth shut and locked the door behind them. Together they headed upstairs and straight into the happily ever after she thought they’d never get.

Epilogue

One Year Later…

“No. I’m not doing it.” River crossed her arms and stared at the precipice before her. Really, it wasn’t a precipice, per se, but more of a building’s edge with a high railing around it. Around her, people oohed and aahed at the New York cityscape spread out before them as they stood atop the Empire State Building. River, on the other hand, felt a bit woozy…like she might puke. She was horribly scared of heights, but that wasn’t why she felt off.

“Are you okay, baby?” Tai pulled her against his chest—not a wise move, but then he didn’t know she was close to vomiting on his shoes. “You look a little green.”

“I’m dizzy. A little nauseated.”

Seth’s head whipped around. “You’re dizzy?” he asked, panic edging his voice.

“Not from that. Last week, Dr. Collins assured me there’s no sign of the tumor returning. He’s nearly positive it won’t.” Reaching out, she pulled Seth to join the embrace, ignoring the censuring glances from a pair of older ladies a few feet away.

“Are you getting the flu? You probably caught something on the plane.” Seth glanced at Tai. “I told you that last flight was sketchy. The plague was running rampant behind us. Everyone was hacking and—”

“It wasn’t the flight,” River laughed. She grabbed his hand and placed it flat on her slightly rounded belly. Last week, as a precaution before her tests, Dr. Collins had confirmed what she’d suspected. She was several months pregnant. She’d been waiting for the perfect moment to tell her men. Apparently, this was it.

His breath catching, Tai placed his hand next to Seth’s, obviously understanding first. “Really?”

“What?” Seth asked.

Tai rolled his eyes. “Doufas,” he chided and glanced pointedly at their hands. “You’re a lot brighter than that. Open your eyes.”

“Oh,” Seth gasped. “Oh! Oh my God.” He bracketed River’s face and kissed her hard. “A baby? We’re having a baby?”

She nodded happily. “In six months, give or take.”

“We need to celebrate,” Tai declared, guiding her over to the elevator that would take them down toward the main floor. Thank God!

“I thought we were celebrating,” she laughed. A week in New York City was the first stop on what River had dubbed their Bucket-List Tour. The work-study students had worked out so well last year, the university had sent another batch this year. Ace and Brant were overseeing them while Tai and Seth took River on this trip. They’d put off the honeymoon for a year and weren’t taking her back home for a month.

Tai’s lips grazed her ear. “Another kind of celebrating, baby. The kind that will disturb our neighbors at the hotel.”

“That sounds promising,” she said as the guys crowded her into the elevator. “Do I get to be the not-so-virgin sacrifice splayed out for your taking?”

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