Page 115 of Nine Month Contract
I can’t fight my smile as I grab her cheeks and press my forehead to her. “I don’t want to amend our contract, Trista. I want to tear it up.”
“You do?” she sobs, blowing soft hair on my lips.
“I’m in love with you, lucky number thirteen. You’re not my second choice or thirteenth choice. You’re my only choice.”
“Are you sure?” she asks, pulling away to look up into my eyes. “Did you hear what I just said about licking our baby after delivery?”
“Yes, but I’m kind of hoping I can talk you out of that.”
“I’d be fine with that,” she says, rubbing my arms weirdly. “’Cause I think I might be in love with you too.”
I move in to kiss her, but a loud pop goes off in the distance, and we both look out through the barn door to see what happened. My eyes move up to a cloud of neon pink smoke floating in the air, and when I follow the trail it’s coming from, I see Calder standing beneath it, covered in the colorful dust.
“My eyes!” he screams, holding the tube cannon outward as he reaches for something to wipe his face.
“What did you do?” Everly wails.
Luke and Max laugh from the side of the table as my mom rushes over to help Calder.
“Uncle Calder, you ruined the reveal,” Everly screams again and looks around for Trista and me, but we’re safely tucked away in theshadows of the barn. “Help me, Dad and Uncle Luke. Maybe they didn’t see it, and we can clean this up before they get back.”
I gaze back at Trista, rubbing her cheeks softly as I ask, “Are you sure you want to be a part of this circus?”
She laughs, and more tears fall down her face. “I’m sure I want to be a family with you.”
My chest rises with pride at the sexiest words I’ve ever heard this woman say out loud. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her fiercely, pulling away when I remember, “We’re having a girl, Lucky.”
She laughs against my lips. “We’re having a girl, Mr. Mountain Man.”
WeeksPregnant:24
AnimalsontheMountain:10
“Calder, you have to let her go,” my dad says, gripping his brother’s shoulder outside the Denver airport passenger drop-off area. “We’re going to miss our flight.”
My eyes are welled with tears as Calder pulls back and rubs the heel of his hand into his eyes. “I’m going to miss you, shithead.”
“I’m going to miss you too, dumb fuck,” I deadpan.
“Everly!” Grandma gasps. “We’re in public!”
My whole family bursts out laughing, except me. Nothing feels funny about this moment. Uncle Luke moves in for a hug next, and I feel more tears flood my vision. I’d never tell anyone this, but I will miss him and our talks the most.
He pulls back and chucks my chin. “Hit me up when you need to talk. Don’t let the time difference stop you.”
My lips quiver as he says the words I most needed to hear. “No one else I’d rather call.”
Sniffing loudly, I turn and look at Uncle Wyatt, whose face is stone serious. He hasn’t said a word since we all loaded up in my dad’s SUV this morning to drive me to the airport. It’s a little dramatic to have eight people see you off, and security has come by and yelled at us twice, but my family is nothing if not over the top.
I offer a weak smile to my grumpy uncle. “You gonna miss me, Uncle Wyatt?” I prop my hands on my hips.
“Millie might,” Wyatt grunts, and for some ridiculous reason, a soft sob shakes through my chest as pain slices through me.
“Don’t let Millie forget about me, promise?”
“Oh hell,” Wyatt grumbles and moves in, binding his arm around my neck as he pulls me in for a gruff hug.
I cry into his arms for a moment, relishing in the mountain smell on his flannel. I’m going to miss it like crazy. I’m going to miss all my uncles like crazy. I’ve lived most of my life seeing the three of them on a weekly basis. They treated me like a daughter, a friend, a sibling, a concert buddy. I’ve felt so loved and supported and protected by them I don’t know what it will be like without their constant presence. It’s terrifying.
