Page 32 of Hung Up on the Hacker

Desperate that she should believe him, he framed her face between his hands. “I love you. You. I’ve loved you for years. And I’ve been in love with you for months but too afraid to say it, for fear of scaring you off. It has nothing to do with your pregnancy or you deciding to keep the baby. This is not conditional. It wouldn’t have changed if you’d gone the other way on this decision. I need you to know that. To believe it.”

Her fingers curled gently around his wrists. “Cash?”

Afraid he was holding her too tight, he loosened his grip. “Yeah?”

“I love you, too.” Her smile spread wide. “Basically since I was thirteen. I’ve just been waiting for you to catch up.”

They beamed at each other.

Because he couldn’t resist, he dropped his hand to her still flat stomach. “This is wild.”

Her face twisted with a wry smile. “Yeah, well, God forbid I do things the usual way.”

“I love your way. In fact, I hope it’s a girl and that she’s just like you.”

“You are a very brave man,” Holt announced.

As one, they turned to face him, finding him and Cayla tucked in the doorway, grinning.

“Is it safe to say congratulations yet?” he asked.

Tugging Hadley against his side, Cash pressed a kiss to her brow. “Yeah. I think congratulations are perfect.”

Cayla clapped her hands in glee. “Good. Then I can start planning the party to celebrate!”

“I thought you were kidding about the party.” Hadley eyed the patio that had been transformed with cafe lights, coordinated festive decorations, and a long table covered with more food than a small army needed.

Cayla just grinned. “I never joke about parties. Just wait until I get a chance to plan your baby shower.”

“Baby shower?” she squeaked.

“Too soon?”

“Maybe a little. I’m still getting used to the idea.” Though the concept of her impending parenthood was slightly less terrifying today than it was yesterday.

She’d reached a point of being cautiously happy and maybe even a little excited about it. It was way sooner than she’d have planned, but a part of her recognized that she had so many hangups around children and parenting that, had it been left to a plan, she might never have done it at all. She and Cash would do better by their kid than had been done for them. They’d stayed up late last night, really talking about everything. Not in a rigid, must-have-everything-planned-out kind of way, but approaching their future with a hopeful dreaming that was new to them both. They wanted a future together, and it had been kind of glorious to imagine what that might look like.

He loved her. He was in love with her, as she was with him. Being able to trust in that after all the upheaval of the past week was such a gift. She’d meant what she’d told him. He enabled her to be fearless. It wasn’t like she wasn’t scared to death that she’d find some way to screw this whole thing up. Nine months—less than, really—was hardly enough time to figure everything out, and there was no instruction manual. Yeah, she couldn’t think too hard about that, because she’d start freaking out again. But no matter what scary thing came down the pike, Cash would be with her. He’d help her figure out how to navigate it. And whatever they couldn’t tackle together, well, that was what therapy was for.

The doorbell rang, setting Banana Bread off on another barking fit as she raced for the front.

“That’ll be the start of our guests.”

It turned out to be all of them. Brax and Mia came in with Leno and both their kids. Rachel and Jonah were right behind, with Otis on a leash. They all fell into what felt like a well-orchestrated dance, inserting casserole dishes—more food? Really?—into the spread, and herding tiny humans and animals out into the backyard.

Uncertain what to do, Hadley stood off to one side.

Arms slid around her from behind. “You look a little shell-shocked.”

She leaned back into Cash, folding her hands over his on her belly and wondering if his gesture was on purpose or unconscious. Either way, it made her feel safe and relaxed. “My sister-in-law is a whirlwind.”

Rachel spotted them first. “Does this mean the cat is out of the bag?”

Cash’s laugh rumbled against her back. “Holt knows that we’re together.”

“Thank God. I’ve been dying, sitting on the news.”

Mia scooped up some salsa on a chip. “I didn’t think they’d ever get around to telling him.”

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